verseoftheday

Remember,  it is sin to know what you ought to do and then not do it. James 4:17 NLT This seems to be a summary of James letter so far, remember, this letter starts with about 10 "dear brothers and sisters", James heart towards his readers (or more likely hearers) of his letter is pastoral, caring, and very much "we're in this together". When you read this verse are you hearing an accusation? Maybe verses like this have been used as weapons to get conformity or change something others didn't want to see in you.  But when we read James letter that doesn't seem to be his intent at all. This is meant to be heard as an encouragement. An encouragement to step toward what we already know is good, to reflect on James teaching so far and step away from things that don't bring shalom and light into the world or into our own lives. The word "sin" here is "harmatia", to "miss the mark". Dear brothers and sisters, where are we missi

Look here,  you who say,  "Today or tomorrow we are going to a certain town and will stay there a year. We will do business there and make a profit." How do you know what your life will be like tomorrow?  Your life is like the morning fog - it's here a little while, then it's gone. What you ought to say is,  "If the Lord wants us to, we will live and do this or that." Otherwise you are boasting about your own pretentious plans, and all such boasting is evil. James 4:13-16 NLT James isn't saying don't plan, don't work towards goals, what he is reminding us of is that life can change. Tomorrow may not bring what we expect or want. James reminds us that this life is short (I know that some days seem to drag, but in the bigger picture, life is short). He reminds us to hold our plans lightly, to see them in context of who God is, and maybe as we do that, our plans and goals might shift.  What's most important might become clearer.  #James #somethi

Tell all the nations,  "The Lord reigns!" The world stands firm and cannot be shaken. He will judge all peoples fairly. Let the heavens be glad, and the earth rejoice!  Let the sea and everything in it shout his praise! Let the fields and their crops burst out with joy! Let the trees of the forest sing for joy before the Lord,  for he is coming!  He is coming to judge the earth.  He will judge the world with justice,  and the nations with his truth. Psalms 96:10-13 NLT If you've been brought up on a diet of fearing God's judgement, this song has a different perspective: The creation is looking forward to it. "The Lord reigns" is a good thing. There is going to be justice. Songs don't need to tell us how something will happen, be full of detail, songs are about getting an idea into our hearts, to connect with our spirit, with the "who we are". This one is telling us something about God reigning again, Eden restored, of justice, of truth, of all