verseoftheday

But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-oving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere. James 3:17NIV Yes I want that! Where can I find it? That package is not found somewhere, but it's a person. James paints a picture of Jesus for us Read it again :) He is the wisdom that came from heaven and entered the story. Here's the meaning of that first word: pure "hagnos" pure (to the core); pure inside and out; holy because uncontaminated (undefiled from sin), i.e. without spoilation even within (even down to the center of ones being); not mixed with guilt or anything condemnable. I just know that this is not me. At the core there is always something that spoils...but Jesus? This is who He is! And when he touches us, this is what we get...His purity becomes ours. How we are seen by the Father because of what Jesus did And one day all that is spoiled and contaminated at our core will be

The heart of the discerning acquires knowledge, for the ears of the wise seek it out. Proverbs 18:15 NIV Here's a couple of things to try... When you read God's Word, ask Him to speak to you through it. Maybe it's a passage, a sentence, a verse, a word. Ask What do you want me to know, to know about you, about me, what I need to do or change... And listen Read it out loud. Even if it's in your head...it's different out loud. If you're going to church this weekend (which is a great idea!) pray first for God to speak through the words, songs, prayers silence, the people there Ask And listen Listen with your heart. The "leb" The inner person. Mind, will,  heart And as we listen God's love, grace, and hope will find it's expression in how we live... #seek #itsaheartthing #heartknowledge #somethingtochewon

Friday! Proverbs! The heart of the discerning acquires knowledge, for the ears of the wise seek it out. Proverbs 18:15 NIV There must be a mistake here. Isn't it the mind that acquires knowledge? The word here for "heart" is our old Hebrew friend "leb" The heart The inner person The mind The will The heart And when knowledge gets in there, that changes things. Changes the way we see ourselves, the world,  God, other people When knowledge gets in there it changes how we think, how we feel, and how we live Knowledge acquired in the heart changes how we live. What we believe What we believe is important What's worth living for And what's worth dying for The question is, where am I getting my heart knowledge from? Do I just let it drift in from anywhere? Solomon says no. Seek it out. There's a deliberate intentional seeking of heart knowledge... #seek #itsaheartthing #somethingtochewon

When His own people heard of this, they went out to take custody of Him; for they were saying, "He has lost His senses". The scribes who came down from Jerusalem were saying, "He is possessed by Beelzebul..." Mark 3:21-22NASB Not only were those closest to Jesus rejecting him, now a bunch of heavy hitters from Jerusalem have come down and jumped into this. There's turmoil and people and rumour and claims and talk...today there'd be breathless reporters outside the house and Twitter storms and Facebook rants. Everyone was weighing in. Everyone had an opinion on Jesus Even today. Everyone has an opinion on Jesus. He even asked that question..."who do you say I am?" Because the answer changes everything. Changes how we face today and the future, how we view the past, how we see God, the world we live in, and how we see others... #gospelofMark #Jesusatthecentre

And He came home, and the crowd gathered again, to such an extent that they could not even eat a meal. When His own people heard of this, they went out to take custody of Him; for they were saying, "He has lost His senses." Mark 3:20-21 NASB So much success that you'd think those closest to Jesus would be trying to find a bigger venue. Let's fit more people in. But no. This thing was getting out of control...and it wasn't about the crowds, but about Jesus. Those closest to him, his family, didn't get him, didn't understand him, I guess at the heart of it, didn't believe him. If that's ever been your experience, where the people closest to you, your family even, don't get you, don't understand you, perhaps don't really believe you, then you're in good company. Jesus knows what that is like. He knows He knows rejection Our God, glorious, creator of all time and space...in his humanity knows and shares in our hurts, our rejec

You do not delight in sacrifice, or I would bring it; you do not take pleasure in burnt offerings. Psalm 51:16 NIV Here he is in the middle of a sacrificial system and he says well... that's not what this is about. It's like his church culture had missed the heart of God, what He was really about. And it makes me wonder about my church culture...have we, have I, missed (at least some of) God's heart along the way... Is it by "doing" that we think it earns us points or rewards or a "good" life? Somehow deep down we think we can earn our salvation? It's so easy to let the culture  speak and miss Jesus. I wonder this morning where I'm missing Jesus... And is he missing some of my heart? #psalms #psalm51 #itsaheartthing

Unseal my lips, O Lord, that my mouth may praise you. Psalms 51:15 NLT David the song writer is saying there's days and times when I need help. I don't feel like praising God. The words just won't fall out What does he do? I can't that That's not my gift Others are so much better No He asks God for help to unlock his words. On Sunday we often use others words to praise. We sing their songs, we listen to or recite their prayers. On Monday, let's find our own words. Who is God to you? What can you thank him for? Praise for? Jot it down somewhere. What are your words? They may be simple, halting, difficult to say, but try it. Pray David's prayer... Lord, unlock my words... It's good to borrow others, to sing songs in our hearts, to use the Psalms as our prayers, but I think God longs to hear our words, whether they're eloquent & flowing or simple & hesitant... #psalms #psalm51 #itsaheartthing #loveGod

The human spirit can endure in sickness, but a crushed spirit who can bear? Proverbs 18:14 NIV We've considered faith and hope as "anti crushers" of our spirit. The third leg of that stool is Love. Who we choose to love. When Jesus was asked what the greatest commandment was he picked the 11th. Love God Easy for Jesus to say. He'd been with God, and knows. Is. Jesus is also the full representation of God, so when we love Jesus, well, we're there. Jesus has been revealed to us so that we can know him. God with skin on. Today, know too that you and I, we are loved. Loved by this God with skin on who loves us from eternity. Who loves in action Who knows us, and loves us anyway. It's this love that is the ultimate anti-crusher of our spirit This love. #sunday #worship #thisisourGod #faith #hope #love

The human spirit can endure in sickness, but a crushed spirit who can bear? Proverbs 18:14 NIV Yesterday it was faith that helps to stop our spirit being crushed. It's not what we put our faith in, but who. Part 2 is hope. We are hope driven creatures, and hope sustains us, shores up our spirit from being crushed. Our view of, perception of, our circumstances changes  based on the hope we have. We have big picture Hope. New life with God All tears gone Broken unbroken And we have the Psalm 23 hope, the "even though" hope...even though I walk in the valley of the shadow, you are with me...God is with us in our circumstances and He is at work, even if I don't get it, don't see it. And that hope is a person The God-man, who stepped into the creation story, shrunk himself to become one of us, to become the Way. Our hope is a person  A person who endured circumstances, who knows. Without hope we are crushed. It's not about what we put our hope in, b

Friday! Proverbs! The human spirit can endure in sickness, but a crushed spirit who can bear? Proverbs 18:14 NIV When what is at our core, who we really are is OK, then we can handle a lot. People fight back from serious accidents and illness, live with chronic pain and degenerative disease, adjust to getting old...live with and thrive with mental health struggles. But when our spirit is crushed, our circumstances can overwhelm. There's 3 simple things we can think about here: 1. Faith. What is my faith in? If I've put my faith in my mind, my ability, my body, my stuff, my family...the things I've created...work, art, business, music...whatever that is, good though it is, it cannot sustain us. Those things are going to let us down somewhere, sometime. They can't save us. I am constantly shifting my faith towards Jesus. Only a living God can meet me, know me, hear me. And only a person can understand, and be accessible. Personal Choose to shift your faith

Who is wise and understanding among you? Let them show it by their good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom. James 3:13 NIV Remember James is talking to Christians here... The path of wisdom Understanding It's found in serving It's found in loving, giving, sacrificial actions towards others. If James had a whiteboard and marker he'd write "wisdom" at the top and "serve" at the bottom and arrows linking them in a  circle. Somehow wisdom and understanding is found in serving and serving grows our wisdom and understanding. Jesus said he came not to be served, but to serve. Counter cultural to most of the messages of the world around us. Serving with humility. Does that mean not expecting recognition or even thanks? This humility thing is tough! It starts with small steps. With the small amount of wisdom I have I can give, serve, love others. And as I do, ask God what He has for me to learn and discover in that... #james

And the tongue is a fire... ...With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in the likeness of God James 3:6,9 NASB James goes all out in his war on our words in this passage...that same fire that can keep us warn these winter nights can also burn the house down. Our words are important Be slow to speak The thing at the end here are two targets for our words; God - who we "bless" People - who we "curse" James reminds us that all people, even those we speak against (sometimes for good reason) are all in some way image bearers of God. Just like me. I have more in common with those I "curse" than I like to think. James gives us two categories; God. And people. I'm not God, and I know that in me in some way are at the very least the seeds of all the things that I "curse" other image bearers about. Our words are important. Yes God is worthy of our blessing, but I need to be careful how I speak

Cast me not away from your presence, and take not your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and uphold me with a willing spirit. Psalms 51:11-12 ESV This is a song written in the face of an epic fail. An epic moral failure. It didn't happen by accident,   David chose, at every step along the way he could have stopped, he overstepped every boundary, and went against everything he knew was right. And now David is almost pleading for his life. I've stepped out of your will. I've made a poor choice. Please don't turn your back on me. Don't let me go. Bring me back into fellowship with you I need you David doesn't have the benefit that we have of Jesus once-for-all sacrifice, or Jesus account of the prodigal son...but he does know that he needs God. That the path he has chosen leads to death, not to life, darkness not light. And he wants to head back to the light. Can you relate? I can Today Lord, I choose light over dark

See what an incredible quality of love the Father has shown to us, that we would be named and called and counted the children of God! And so we are! 1 John 3:1 AMP Monday morning and maybe it feels like "real life" hits again. But no matter what you and I face today, this week, this year, one thing does not change. We are the children of God! If we've put our faith in Jesus, we've been adopted. That is immutable (love that word - had to look it up tho!} Accepted. We are known, yet accepted & loved in all the good bad & ugly of our hearts and lives Loved God is Love. And His great heart is for us. His Love brought Jesus from heaven to the cross to make a way, to become the way. Adopted Accepted Loved What a place to start your Monday morning from! Oh and one more thing... Safe. Once we're adopted into His family, nothing can separate us from His Love. You and I, we're safe here #monday #adopted #accepted #safe #dearlyloved

Jesus said to the man with the shriveled hand... ...Then the Pharisees went out and began to plot with the Herodians how they might kill Jesus. Mark 3:3, 6 NIV The word translated here "shriveled" is "xeros" It means dry, where the land has shrunk and withered. Land that has shrunk and withered can produce nothing. Useless And what does it need to be restored? Water. Jesus is the living water. Jesus speaks and what is dry and withered and useless, is restored. When we are dry Withered Useless Jesus is the living water, the restorer of broken things And as Jesus soeaks Life into this man, Jesus' people, and his people's enemies, get together to plot his downfall. Literally the whole world is against him. Because he loves. Because he restored When we feel dry, withered, useless, Jesus is the living water, that is available to us only because of the cross. #sunday #worship #thisisourGod #livingwater #restorerofbrokenthings

If one gives an answer before he hears, it is his folly and shame. Proverbs 18:13 ESV Solomon says listen first. But if I answer first, something falls on me. Folly, foolishness, and shame. These are not small things. Makes you wonder if Solomon had made a decision, a judgement, without hearing. Maybe he'd let his own biases get in the way. James said be quick to listen, slow to speak, slow to become angry. When I reverse that I not only look do or say foolish things, but some kind of shame is mine too, because I've answered first. Made a judgement first. Sometimes when you're speaking I've stopped listening and thinking about what I want to say. I've made a judgement that what you are saying is less important than me. Ouch. Lord, help me to listen as an act of love, to wait, to hear. Help me not to judge by my biases, but to be in tune, in step with You, to not be so interested in my own answers, but in representing You in some way. Amen. #prover

Friday! Proverbs! If one gives an answer before he hears, it is his folly and shame. Proverbs 18:13 ESV Solomon says listen. Listen without forming an answer Listen for everything Let the other person speak Give them time Hear their words Wait Will you wait for me to find the words Will you wait for me to find the courage to speak, to say what I fear, what hurts, what happened, what I dream for, hope for. Will you wait for me? To listen, is an act of love. Love one another When my GPS gives directions it speaks the words, but there's no emotion, no connection, I can't hear the heart of Google maps! But I can hear a person. And if our only communication is electronic it's so easy to miss the heart. Hearing requires us to be present. At least sometime. #proverbs #wisdom #somethingtochewon #listen #loveoneanother #bepresent

"Stretch out your hand" He stretched it out, and his hand was completely restored. Mark 3:5 NIV Jesus was being set up, to see if he'd "break the rules" and heal someone on the Sabbath. While the Pharisees were happy to use this man for their objectives, Jesus saw him. Even though he knew what was going on, he saw a person who needed help He asks an interesting thing of a man with a shrivelled hand to stretch it out. He asks him to do what he cannot do You need faith. You lack hope. Don't believe. Believe Have faith Hope Where is the man with the ruined hand looking? He'd hear Jesus words, look at his hand with disbelief? No hope? Then he would look at Jesus. Look at Jesus Keep oriented towards him When belief wavers When faith falters When hope seems lost Look at Jesus Belief Faith Hope And ultimately, healing, will come Because He sees you Knows you Loves you #thisisourGod #restorerofbrokenthings

Then Jesus asked them, "Which is lawful on the Sabbath: to do good or to do evil, to save life or to kill?" But they remained silent.  He looked around at them in anger and, deeply distressed at their stubborn hearts... Mark 3:4-5 NIV If Jesus turned up at my church what question would he ask? What about at my house? What thing am I hanging on  to that is more important than loving God and loving people? This question Jesus asked is not difficult. "You know how I said I'm the living water, why do you look to your work / business / career / $ / appearance / approval of others / _________ for life?" "Why do you not stand up against pornography, sexual abuse, abortion, euthanasia and provide an oasis of care for the hurt? Why do you think Sunday church does that?" Would Jesus ask me about prayer or hospitality or loving my neighbour... What's Jesus aim? What is he angry and hurt about? It's not those things, but my stubborn heart tha

Likewise, the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark. James 3:5 NIV My words have never hurt anyone - said no one ever. Such a great picture of me. Easy to blame my tongue, but the problem I have is that the words are mine...they come from within...and they can wreak havoc. But words can and are also agents of good, of change...if the forest is the landscape of my heart, then I want the cleansing fire of God to burn away the rubbish, to start with new life again... May Jesus words be the spark today. Forgiven Loved Accepted Redeemed Free And may His words spark mine today... #sparks #james #Godsgym

Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Psalm 51:10 NIV Sunday : clean heart Monday : back to the gym, renew that steadfast spirit. If we're renewing something, it's a thing we've had but haven't maintained. It's dusty. Rusty It's muscles we haven't used Atrophy David says my gaze has wandered, my heart has wandered, and my actions have followed. I want to go back to You God. I want my direction, my orientation be fixed on You. And I need Your help. Renew, restore, revitalise my spirit so that it's once more in tune with you. Keep me steadfast in my walk with You. You know I've stuffed up Help me keep my eyes on You, no matter how rough the road is, how big the potholes are, You are my direction and my goal. Renew that steadfast spirit within me. Amen. #sobeit #creatorofcleanhearts #renewerofsteadfastness #psalms #psalm51 #monday #Godsgym

Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Psalm 51:10 NIV Create: this word means to shape, like to shape a stick into an arrow, to pare it. David is asking God to reshape his heart. To reshape it, to create something new, clean, pure. To pare something, to shape something, you often use a sharp tool. And who is David asking? Yahweh Only God can do this work in our hearts. His Spirit His Word His people Our circumstances God can use all these things to shape us, to pare our hearts, to make something new, clean, pure. Will we pray as David did? Lord, do what only you can do. Clean my heart. I know that I'm made right by the cross, but there's still stuff in me that's not great. Shape me, pare away the rubbish. I know it might hurt, but go ahead anyway. Create in me a pure heart Lord. Amen #psalms #psalm51 #sunday #worship #thisisourGod #creatorofcleanhearts

Before destruction (a breaking, fracture, crushing, breach, crash) a man's heart is haughty, but humility comes before honor. Proverbs 18:12 ESV Jesus was broken. He was fractured He was crushed All his defences were breached. Not because the Enemy was stronger, more powerful...but because sacrifice was the only way. He willingly allowed his defences to be breached. For me. For you For us Our sin crashed into Him on the cross, and he absorbed it all. There was no haughtiness, no pride...just love. Love that acted Love that stepped in Love that made a way Love like this started small. A baby, born in poverty to a single mum in culture dominated by a foreign power... Start small. Love like Jesus No matter what your circumstances Start. #lovelikeJesus #proverbs #wisdom #somethingtochewon

Friday! Proverbs! Before destruction a man's heart is haughty, but humility comes before honor. Proverbs 18:12 ESV Thanks for the uplift this morning Solomon! Looked up the word translated "destruction". It's "sheber"; a breaking, fracture, crushing, breach, crash. If we re-read this proverb with each of these words Before breaking Before a fracture Before crushing (is that before being crushed?) Before a breach Before a crash... the heart is haughty. Destruction for me speaks of circumstances, our "world". But these words...they speak of our mind, our faith, our heart... something much more inside. And what is before this? Pride. My pride has led to breaking of relationships, to breaches of trust... The antidote? Humility. Jesus left heaven to join creation. To be stuck in space and time, to wash the feet of others. To absorb my sin. To be crushed, for me. #amazinglove #dearlyloved #childoftheKing #proverbs #wisdom

Horses have bits and bridles in their mouths so that we can control and guide their large body. And the same with mighty ships, though they are massive and driven by fierce winds, yet they are steered by a tiny rudder at the direction of the person at the helm. And so the tongue is a small part of the body yet it carries great power! James 3:3-5 TPT Our words are important. What we say, what we think. What words do I say (or think) about me? About you? About others? At my core, are words Beliefs Our words direct us, shape our path, set our direction. And the thing is this, we can choose them. We're not stuck with some of those words that we may have come to believe The Enemy is a liar. That's his thing. Lies Counterfeit Fake Not the truth The world, our culture has words for us and about us Are they true? Jesus is The Word. Logos The Truth Who does He say I am? His dearly loved child. Chosen. Important Redeemed Made holy Clean Accepted Words are im

Dear brothers and sisters, not many of you should become teachers in the church, for we who teach will be judged more strictly. Indeed, we all make many mistakes. For if we could control our tongues, we would be perfect and could also control ourselves in every other way. James 3:1-2 NLT Wednesday. Time for the gym! Be kind to those who teach. They've already got the burden of v1 on them. And they're just like us : they make mistakes. Be kind. We're all in the same boat, say the wrong thing... If only I could take those words back...say that differently... not say that at all! Our words are important James keeps it real, if we had complete control of our words, we'd have everything under control, but that's an ongoing lifelong battle. Not one we should give up on, but keep in training. I've been given grace I've been shown love I've received forgiveness I'm learning the truth May my words be: Forgiving Grace filled Truth full Lovi

Hide your face from my sins and blot out all my iniquity. Psalm 51:9 NIV David is asking two things of God here...he doesn't want God to see his sin. Turn away Hide your face Don't look. I'm embarrassed, disappointed distraught devastated How did I end up here? Don't look at what I've done. But you oh God, you are the only one who can deal with my sin. You're the only one who can blot it out. Without you...I'm lost Don't look at me Yet, I need you to look at me to take away my sin. Ever been in that place? There was a day when God did look away. And Jesus blotted out our sin. Absorbed it. Blotted it up Into himself. So that We Can live. #psalms #psalm51 #amazinglove #clean #free #scars

But when the attendants delivered the king's command, Queen Vashti refused to come. Then the king became furious and burned with anger. Esther 1:12 NIV For 6 months the King had been showing off the power of his kingdom. All his stuff. And at the end of that he had a party that was to last a week, and show off the queen as part of that. She said no. We don't know why. He was not happy. There's two things this story tells me about my own heart... 1. Power goes to my head. Would I be any different than this King if I had his  (unlimited) wealth? I don't think I could be trusted with it. 2. Relationships are more important than anything. We're relational beings, that's how we're designed. Yet how often do I put relationships below, as less important than, the "stuff"? We have a King who left the glories if heaven, and became a servant Washing feet Feeding the hungry Living water for the thirsty Speaking life Because a relationship wi

Let me hear joy and gladness; let the bones you have crushed rejoice. Psalm 51:8 NIV This morning I was woken by wailing. Two cats outside my house. Sometimes we can be in a place where everything sounds like wailing Like cats fighting David was in that place. Everything was being filtered through how he was feeling and there was no joy No gladness It felt like God had allowed his bones to be crushed. I can't get up There's nothing good in my life But Who is David talking to? To God To Yahweh It's our God he cries out to It's our God he cries out to to restore To speak life into him again To get him up And we can do the same in our own hearts, and speak into the lives of others To let the Restorer of All Things restore us, may the sounds, the words we hear, not sound like cats wailing, but again be sounds of joy Of gladness #psalms #psalm51 #sunday #worship #thisisourGod #restores #speaklife

The wealth of the rich is their fortified city; they imagine it a wall too high to scale. Proverbs 18:11 NIV There's always someone who will look at you & me as the "rich"... Maybe it's financial, or maybe it's opportunity, or education, appearance, health, family...no matter what there's going to be someone in the world who'll look at me as the rich. Someone who'll be looking "up" at me. And in what would they see me putting my faith? What would they say my fortified city is? Where my hope is? What would they see? Gets me thinking this morning about who my faith is in...we sing a song sometimes that has a line when "all is stripped away", take me back to a heart of worship. The walls I rely on The fortified city It's found in the "King of all worth", the only one who can hold the weight of my worship... #jesusatthecentre #run #refuge #fortifiedcity #proverbs #somethingtochewon