verseoftheday

Friday! Proverbs! The wealth of the rich is their fortified city; they imagine it a wall too high to scale. Proverbs 18:11 NIV It's easy to look at the wealthy (as I'm pretty sure Bill Gates is not reading this) 'cos there's always someone you look at as being "the wealthy". Right? It's the person with the more or the bigger farm/ house/ business/ _________ "They" are putting their hope in their stuff. And I wouldn't do that. Would I? No. No. Maybe Just a bit. A fortified city is our place of refuge. Why do I need a place of refuge? What am I running from that I'm afraid of? Maybe my reasons are different than yours, but it's the place we go to feel safe. To feel accepted. To know we are loved The person in this proverb is putting their faith in something. Something that cannot bear the weight of what they need. Our faith, our place of refuge, where we run, the only place that can bear that weight, is a person #

Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow. Psalm 51:7 NIV David must've seen snow. No sunglasses that I'm aware of in his day, nothing is whiter than snow right? Yes there is. God is at work. Who is doing the cleaning? It's not me trying to scrub away the effect of my sin or the sin of others in me, or the pollution from the "world". David is asking God to cleanse To wash The result? Whiter than snow Next level A cleansing that is deeper & beyond anything we could achieve. Jesus gave sight to a blind man by cleaning the mud off, and sight to his disciples by washing their feet. That deep clean that comes with forgiveness of our sin happens when we believe, put our faith in Jesus. And it continues in new ways when Jesus washes the mud from our eyes, and. when we choose to wash the feet of others #psalms #psalm51 #thisislove #clean #letthelightin #speaklife

Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow. Psalm 51:7 NIV In Exodus 12 the people are told to use a hyssop plant to paint the blood of the lamb on the door posts so that that death would pass over that house. In John 19, the very last thing that happens before Jesus dies, he is offered a drink on the end of a hyssop plant. God's judgement passed over, and passed onto Jesus. So that we, you and I, can be clean. Hyssop is a herb with cleansing and medicinal properties. On it's own it might be useful to clean us in some way. But what we really need is the clean that comes through forgiveness. Judgement passes over us and onto Jesus, by Him, His scars, we are made clean. #psalms #psalm51 #thisislove #clean

Behold, you delight in truth in the inward being, and you teach me wisdom in the secret heart. Psalms 51:6 ESV Truth & wisdom at our very core. It's hard enough to get to our heart, the secret heart. There's so much noise, distraction, pressure to "do", achieve...become The psalmist is sharing God's heart for us here...He wants wisdom at our core. Wisdom will help us make decisions, choices, behave, react, respond. Wisdom from the heart of God, in our hearts. And truth. Often there seems to be a mix. Truth And things that are not quite truth. Sometimes we call those lies Those words that pop into our minds that tell us about God and ourselves, but they don't quite line up with what God has revealed about himself, or just how much he loves us. Chosen Accepted Forgiven Adopted Loved In those truths there is room to get it wrong, to make mistakes, to not be perfect There is room to grow To be changed Love does that When you let God&

Have mercy on me, O God, according to your unfailing love; according to your great compassion blot out my transgressions.  Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin. Psalm 51:1-2 NIV This Psalm was written in response to failure. We all fail. Get it wrong Make mistakes Make wrong choicses Sometimes Mondays are just difficult. Sunday has been great, but on Monday I'm acutely aware of my shortcomings My failures So look carefully at the psalmist's orientation. It's towards God No matter what. The writer knows who God is He is Mercy He is Unfailing Love He is Great Compassion And He takes action Blots out Washes Cleanses It's Monday Remember who He is. And what He does No matter what (win, fail, joy, struggle, peace, turmoil, all of the above) keep oriented in His direction today He is Unfailing Love He is Great Compassion And He takes action Blots out Washes Cleanses #dearlyloved #psalm51

The name of the Lord is a fortified tower; the righteous run to it and are safe. Proverbs 18:10 NIV Can we see Jesus in this Proverb? Jesus would often withdraw, pull back from public ministry. He'd be with his team. But his well worn path? That was to be with the Father. He disappeared, off the grid, went AWOL to be alone with God. And pray. It wasn't a last resort, desperate measure, but a regular part of Jesus walk with God. His well worn path. Our God is relational. He wants to meet with us, hear from us in the good and the bad, the joys, the sorrows, and the ordinary, the everyday. Running to, towards, is a choice. Choose to run to God He is safe. A strong tower. Refuge. Not a static place, but a living refuge who delights to meet with you. #sunday #worship #thisisourGod #run #safe #breathe

The name of the Lord is a fortified tower; the righteous run to it and are safe. Proverbs 18:10 NIV We try running to all kinds of places, well I do anyway. Work, food, money, approval of others, what's on your list? Drugs, alcohol, pornography, exercise, Instagram...we have what seems unlimited places to run. On a well worn path. The writer of Proverbs doesn't tell us what he's running from, but it must be something that he sees is wrong or threatening, or hurtful. His well worn path is to God. He uses the picture of a fortified tower, a place of physical safety to represent the person he runs to What's your picture? The loving arms of a perfect parent? The eyes of one who sees you, knows you, and loves you? The scars that bear your name and your story? We don't run to a place, but to a person. A person who's arms are open, who's eyes are full of compassion and grace, and who's scars are our refuge. To Him our well worn path should lead

Friday! Proverbs! The name of the Lord is a strong tower; The righteous runs into it and is safe. Proverbs 18:10 NASB In the middle of this chapter in Proverbs about all kinds of negative stuff is this gem! The name of the Lord : Yahweh His name is a place of refuge...how does that work? When I call on Him, pray, that's one way. When I seek Him in His Word, when I worship, when we get together and worship, when I sing, meditate... When I choose to Trust Him. When I choose to believe that He Is, even when my thoughts or feelings or circumstances or the voices of others try to tell me something different... When I choose to believe in the dark what I've learned in the light Run Run here also means "rut". This is a well worn pathway I need to take all the time. When our thoughts threaten to take us captive, run to the Lord. He is a place of safety Refuge Where you and I can breathe... #run #safe #breathe

Then he said to them, "The Sabbath was made for the sake of people, and not people for the Sabbath. For this reason the Son of Man exercises his Lordship over the Sabbath." Mark 2:27-28 TPT If Jesus was here today, being grilled on TV, he wouldn't be saying he's in charge of Sunday's, he'd be saying "I set this world up with meaningful work, with how relationships should work, I designed you, your minds, your creative intellect. I gave you the ability to design, to construct, to create, to develop culture, language, art, engineering, economics. I am over and in all these things. What I made is for you, for your thriving, so you'll see me in it. Look after your world. And all the other things you so desperately look for: Purpose Meaning Hope If you want to know what it's all about, about where to find these things, I AM. And then he'd say something like 'just look at my people, ask them, they carry all of that goodness too'

He answered, "Have you never read what David did when he and his companions were hungry and in need?..." Then he said to them, "The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath..." Mark 2:25, 27-28 NIV Jesus when responding to this challenge went back to God's word. I think there's 2 reasons for this: It's authoritative And the people he was talking with were experts in it. The Sabbath is made for man...Jesus tells them you know your Bible inside out but you've missed the heart. God's "rules" are there for you. For your good For your thriving For your flourishing You've made it about control and power. Flip it upside-down. I'm interested in people... No matter what part of the Bible we are reading we've got to look for God's heart behind it, in it. A heart that is for our good For our thriving For our flourishing #gospelofmark #heart #heartofGod #upsidedownkingdom

One Saturday, on the day of rest, Jesus and his disciples were walking through a field of wheat. The disciples were hungry, so they plucked off some heads of grain to eat. But when some of the Pharisees saw what was happening, they said to him, "Look! Your disciples shouldn't be harvesting grain on the Sabbath!" Jesus responded... Mark 2:23-25 TPT Look at what you're wearing...look at where they live... look at how small, how ugly, how stupid... Look at how they don't fit Don't belong. Been there. Done that. Often. No compassion No thought about the person No interest in their story Their hunger Just interested in my world, my kingdom... Jesus always saw the person in a situation. And he calls us to follow him, to imitate him, so we too, me, I need to see the person first. To have compassion first To be prepared to give up my kingdom, just as the One I follow gave up his. To love others #first #lovepeople #gospelofmark #upsidedownkingdo

"No one sews a patch of unshrunk cloth on an old garment. Otherwise, the new piece will pull away from the old, making the tear worse." Mark 2:21 NIV What is Jesus on about here? What you've got is old, worn, damaged, torn. You just want to patch it up. He's talking to the teachers of the law, those who set the cultural and religious tone. The influencers. The thought leaders Jesus is saying to them "you're hearing something new and you want to patch that on your current systems, the way things are done - it's not going to work!" You can't just add a Christian veneer to society, to organisations, even church. Jesus kingdom is a kingdom of the heart and it's not a patch on the outside, but transforming from the inside. If you & I are worn, damaged, torn, Jesus wants to transform us too, not just patch us up, but transform from the inside... #wordsofJesus #gospelofmark #upsidedownkingdom #transform #renew

To him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you before his glorious presence without fault and with great joy - to the only God our Savior be glory, majesty, power and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all ages, now and forevermore! Amen. Jude 1:24-25 NIV These verses start with a personal God who holds us from falling, lights our path, who presents us whole, renewed and delighted in, and ends with this massive picture of the Eternal. The I AM The One worthy of our worship. The One who always was & always will be And He is the One who holds us up, lights the way, walks with us through the valley... #faith #trust #hope #sunday #worship #thisisourGod

To him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you before his glorious presence without fault and with great joy... Jude 1:24 NIV Not only can he keep us from falling. Not only will he present us, introduce us, without fault. He will do that with great joy! This is not some dour introduction, this is a party, an event of beauty and colour and Life! He knows your name He's held you up He's unbroken the brokenness, unhurt the hurt, unlossed the loss, and introduces you as beautiful, delighted in, loved. It's a glimpse of the delight that Jesus has in you, the love he has for you, a glimpse of Life! #jude #dearlyloved #childofGod

Friday! Proverbs! One who is slack in his work is brother to one who destroys. Proverbs 18:9 NIV Not the most uplifting Proverb ever...being a bit slack in your work is not such a big thing right? If Proverbs is a reflection of what's found in my heart, this is about my heart attitude when I slack off a bit, cut a corner, justify my bending a rule, that small thing...it betrays my selfishness, my quest to make things easy for me, with no thought of you. Diane Langberg said this: "No one is ruined in a crisis who's moral fibre has not already been weakened by choices made in the ordinary" Those small decisions do count, because they are strengthening or weakening us for something bigger. Integrity in the small, the ordinary, the everyday is what this Proverb calls us to What do you think? #proverbs #wisdom #integrity #itsaheartthing #somethingtochewon

To him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you before his glorious presence without fault... Jude 1:24 NIV Without fault. I know that's not true, because I have them. Plenty of them So either this is all about some time in the future when I will be without fault. Or Jesus has absorbed all my faults and I am introduced as if they never existed... Maybe it's both. But either way it's what Jesus did that allows me to stand "without fault". It's only when he presents me that it's OK. Nothing else, no one else, can make me fault less. Nothing else, not my performance, my "goodness", or anything I can do is enough No one else can take my stuff on themselves and make me fault less The only place that happens is at the cross. And the only one who can hold us from falling, and stand with us, present us as faultless, is the only faultless one, who made himself "fault" for us. #dearlyloved #childofGod #scar

To him who is able to keep you from stumbling... Jude 1:24 NIV What else stops me stumbling, from falling? When I fear I'm going to trip or fall, having something to hold on to, a guard rail, a wire rope, a bannister, a walking stick, a support. God's word gives us barriers, guard rails, things to stay away from for our thriving. It gives support as we journey. Ultimately it points us to someone. It's not a thing that stops us from falling, they're just pictures of a Who We're being pointed to Jesus. He is able. It's his hand that holds us In the Word, in the barriers, the support, the walking stick, is a person A person who provides Cares Loves #dearlyloved #childofGod #jude

To him who is able to keep you from stumbling... Jude 1:24 NIV What stops me stumbling, from falling? Is it all about having a smooth path? An easy way? Or is it about a few other things... Light I'll stumble and fall walking in the dark God's word is light to my path. Living in the light of his word, choosing God's way of living in the everyday stops me from falling. Hide God's Word, His words, in your heart, and recall them, use them. When God says flee from something, run. When he says choose something, do it. A fave "go to" is "the most excellent way", the way of love...the first one is "Love is patient", if I'm good with that, go to the next "Love is kind" and so on As we choose to live in the light, the potholes in the path become easier to see, and easier to navigate. As we walk in the light of His Word, He stops us from stumbling, from falling. #chooselight #jude

Now John's disciples and the Pharisees were fasting. Some people came and asked Jesus, "How is it that John's disciples and the disciples of the Pharisees are fasting, but yours are not?" Mark 2:18 NIV The Pharisees were like the culture police. This is the way we do things. Don't step out of line. Jesus' team were not living how their culture expected, & the Pharisees (who had real power in the community) were asking questions. Do I do anything, live in any way, that the culture around me would ask that question? Why do you do (or don't do) that? That's different. I don't like to be seen as different. I like to feel like I belong. Fit in. The people who had been with Jesus, something in them was shifting and it found it's expression in the way they lived, and not with restriction, but with freedom! Being with Jesus will change my choices, the way that I live, & I may not "fit in", but that's OK Why don't y

Jesus replied, "Anyone who drinks this water will soon become thirsty again. But those who drink the water I give will never be thirsty again. It becomes a fresh, bubbling spring within them, giving them eternal life. John 4:13-14 NLT Let me just drink what you're offering and all my problems will disappear. Let me just drink that and I'll be sorted Eventually in this conversation, Jesus reveals that this is not about some potion, something that fixes...but about a person. Him Jesus I am the answer Unexpected? This whole conversation was unexpected, as this woman was at the well when she thought no one else would be there. What hurt was she carrying? Jesus met her in that, and gently told her that no matter what, He is the real answer The life giving answer. Today, now, in whatever we are carrying, He meets with us, and speaks Life #sunday #worship #thisisourGod #unexpected #nomatterwhat #theanswer

Now He had to go through Samaria. John 4:4 AMP One of my favourite verses in the Bible, 'cos it's like saying "I have to go to that cafe". I can actually get coffee anywhere, and Jesus didn't have to go there. If there was a "have to" it was you have to avoid Samaria. But Jesus had to go there because he had to meet someone there. The person he had to go and meet was a Samaritan woman. For a Jewish Rabbi it doesn't get much worse than that. Unclean. Unworthy. That was the person Jesus had to meet. Jesus stepped over the cultural and religious boundaries, and stepped towards the person he had to meet. Jesus steps towards. Towards me. Where I am, when I feel unclean, unworthy, He steps towards. Towards me And towards you And He brings words of Life and of Hope. No matter what is going on for you today, Jesus steps towards With Hope With Life #loveinaction #itsalovestory #hopeiscomingforyou #lovecoffee

Friday! Proverbs! The words of a gossip are like choice morsels; they go down to the inmost parts. Proverbs 18:8 NIV What's a "choice morsel" for you? Just a bite of that favourite food...when we eat it, tastes so good. I admire people who when they're offered a "choice morsel", something they love, just say "no thanks". They know it's going to taste good, that they'll enjoy it, but they're choosing something else as more important (eg a health goal) Gossip is like that. We want to hear it It's going to taste good. How do I know? Because I've heard it before, & it was juicy! While it tastes good, I know it's not good for me. So when I'm offered some, I'm going to choose "no thanks". I don't need to hear it This won't help me, the speaker, or the person spoken about. Even if you're the only one in the room saying "no thanks" that's OK #itsaheartthing #chooseb

Then the apostles returned to Jerusalem from the hill called the Mount of Olives, a Sabbath day's walk from the city... They all joined together constantly in prayer... Acts 1:12, 14 NIV Jesus had been taken up, they'd met a couple of Angels, and now headed back to the city. And what did they do? Pray. Not someone standing up the front praying but praying together. A lot. Last night at LifeGroup one person picked Pray for One Another (James 5:16) as their key One Another verse and I was challenged about how much time I actually pray. Alone Together. In community. Praying together does make us vulnerable - maybe that's why I don't do it much, but as James says that's a place of healing. So maybe I can add one small aspect, time, habit of prayer into my life. I wonder what might change... #whatmattersmost #Acts #grow #pray #praytogether

Every time they were gathered together, they asked Jesus, "Lord, is it the time now for you to free Israel and restore our kingdom?" Acts 1:6 TPT After all that had gone on, 3 years of Jesus teaching, his death, AND his resurrection, and 40 days of teaching and instruction, Jesus team still didn't get it. This gives me a wee bit of hope when I struggle with some of Jesus teaching! They were still looking for an external kingdom, where their circumstances would be different. Where they would be in charge (echoes of Adam and Eve) Where they could put all that's wrong with the world right. It took Jesus to leave and the Holy Spirit to come for them to get that the Kingdom is one of the heart. It is not reliant on who is in politcal power, my external circumstances, my health, financial position, whether I am liked and accepted, meet others expectations...etc etc It is about who is in charge tho. On the inside. In the Kingdom of the heart When we orient our he

When Jesus heard this, he told them, "Healthy people don"t need a doctor - sick people do. I have come to call not those who think they are righteous, but those who know they are sinners." Mark 2:17 NLT I so want to believe that I can be good enough, do enough, get it right, that I can save myself. If I just do X a bit better, and cut out Y... Jesus says here that if you think you can do this on your own, satisfy a Holy God, then I can't really help you. Once we see that we need Grace, that we're all broken, fallen people, that we all have "stuff", then we can see God's Grace as the wonderful gift that it is, and step into it. Yes I want to be better, do better, not to earn that Grace, but because of it. I cannot earn a gift (& cannot unearn it) #grace #inthistogether #gospelofmark #wordsofJesus "Church isn't A museum for good people But a hospital For the broken"

When the teachers of the law who were Pharisees saw him eating with the sinners and tax collectors, they asked his disciples: "Why does he eat with tax collectors and sinners?" Mark 2:16 NIV Why did they ask Jesus disciples? Why not ask him directly? What was the problem with who you have lunch with? Appearances must've been important. You couldn't be seen with "them". Jesus was challenging the religious standard and assumptions just by going to lunch! Imagine how he would upset people today with our obsession about taking offence! But more importantly, how would Jesus upset me? What would he be doing that I'd be asking "why is Jesus over there, helping them, when I have these problems?" Would I be echoing the Pharisees with "what about me?" #somethingtochewon #monday #Godsgym #gospelofmark #lovepeople

While Jesus was having dinner at Levi's house, many tax collectors and sinners were eating with him and his disciples, for there were many who followed him. Mark 2:15 NIV Jesus said Follow me back to your house for dinner! It's not often we get a glimpse of the ordinary, the human Jesus, the person. Just like us he needed to eat Just like us he needed fellowship Friends People he could count on. Sometimes leadership can be a difficult and lonely place. It's easy to be critical of our pastors, our leaders. Easy to forget that they're just like us in many ways. Just like Jesus they need fellowship, friends. Encouragement Just like Jesus they need to eat :) Love people in the ordinary, in the everyday #lovepeople #gospelofmark #sunday #worship #thisisourGod

Once again Jesus went out beside the lake. A large crowd came to him, and he began to teach them. As he walked along, he saw Levi son of Alphaeus sitting at the tax collector's booth. "Follow me", Jesus told him, and Levi got up and followed him. Mark 2:13-14 NIV What is it with Jesus and the lake? This guy was at work! Not only was he at work, but working for the foreign government who controlled the people with military rule and punitive taxes collected by people just like Levi. And they were notoriously corrupt. Follow me He wants everyone. And while he was teaching the crowd, his eye and his heart is to the individual The one. Today while Jesus speaks to everyone, his eye and heart is to the individual. To you. To me Same request. Today, follow me. Follow me. What does that look like for you and me today? Follow me. #wordsofJesus #itsaheartthing #gospelofmark #followme

Friday! Proverbs! A fool's mouth is his ruin, And his lips are the snare of his soul. Proverbs18:7 AMP Just when you want a nice uplifting Proverb we get this. The news tells me this Proverb is true. Personal experience tells me it's true. I never think that my own words are a snare for my soul. That's harsh. Sometimes it's the words I say out loud, about other people, things I think are funny or harmless. Sometimes its the words inside my head, the thoughts that pop up and I allow them to fester there. I give them space they don't deserve. These words can be a snare for my soul. The antidote? Paul tells us to take our minds captive - kick the lies to the curb Renew our minds - fill ourselves with Truth - who God is, and who I am. #childofGod #chosen #adopted #dearlyloved And I can listen to the words I say out loud (Love is not rude) and change them (Love is kind). If we can see a snare we can avoid it, and if we're caught, there is a way o

(Jesus said) "...But I want you to know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins." So he said to the man, "I tell you, get up, take your mat and go home." He got up, took his mat and walked out in full view of them all. This amazed everyone and they praised God, saying, "We have never seen anything like this!" Mark 2:10-12 NIV Jesus decided to display his authority over the physical world so that they would believe his claim about forgiving sin. They couldn't see forgiveness of sin, but they could see a person healed. A kind of resurrection. It wasn't for another 3 years that Jesus showed what forgiveness of sins looked like, at the Cross. And his authority over death, sin, evil in his ressurection. Jesus is who he says he is. Picture the scene in that packed room with men watching from the roof Somehow space is made in the crowd and the man who could not walk, walks out into the light. A taste of heaven A taste of