verseoftheday

Psalms 25:3-5 NLT No one who trusts in you will ever be disgraced,  but disgrace comes to those who try to deceive others. Show me the right path, O Lord;  point out the road for me to follow. Lead me by your truth and teach me,  for you are the God who saves me.  All day long I put my hope in you. Psalms 25:3-5 NLT There's days I want God's guidance but I'm not sure I often follow David's lead here when he asks God: - Show me... - Lead me... - Teach me... - All day long I put my hope in you... Even in times when Shame wants to intrude, when fear of disgrace would hold us down, hold us back...all day long I put my hope in you, for no one who trusts in You will ever be disgraced. While we might experience shame, disgrace, in the Big Story, that has already been absorbed by Jesus. So... - Show me... - Lead me... - Teach me... - All day long I put my hope in you... #psalms #redemptivestrands #hopeishere #weareBeloved 

Sunday Psalms; O Lord,  I give my life to you. I trust in you, my God! Do not let me be disgraced, or let my enemies rejoice in my defeat. ... [21] May integrity and honesty protect me,  for I put my hope in you. Psalms 25:1-2, 21 NLT This song starts with "O Lord,  I give my life to you" Maybe we said this to God once, a month, a year, a decade ago, maybe we said it at a baptism, a crisis, a moment of spiritual experience. Yet here it is in David's opening of his song, his poem. I'm wondering if this is an invitation to me to start my day, my week, stating out loud where my hope is, in who my trust is. Faith, hope, trust are not once-and-done actions, or even quiet things, but maybe like David need to be regularly spoken or sung out loud? What is this song inviting us towards? "O Lord,  I give my life to you... I put my hope in you." #psalms  #redemptivestrands #hopeishere 

The words of the godly are a life-giving fountain; the words of the wicked conceal violent intentions. Proverbs 10:11 NLT Can we see Jesus in this Proverb? His words are The life-giving fountain. When we look at Jesus life story all along the the way were people who's words and hearts held a violent intent - towards Jesus, towards anyone who stood in their version of success. King Herod. The Pharisees  His own people who rejected him. Judas Iscariot. Pilate. The crowds who called for Barrabas to be released. But Jesus continued and continues to speak Life. Whether things are great, a bit "meh", or we're really under pressure, anytime is good to lean into the life-giving fountain that is Jesus. "Anyone who is thirsty may come to me!  Anyone who believes in me may come and drink! For the Scriptures declare, 'Rivers of living water will flow from his heart.'" John 7:37-38 NLT #proverbs #wisdom #somethingtochewon #itsaheartthing  #speaklife

Friday! Proverbs! [11] The words of the godly are a life-giving fountain;  the words of the wicked conceal violent intentions. Proverbs 10:11 NLT Easy to look at others and see both of these things...but when I turn this Proverb inwards, I find both of these things in me too - sometimes my words are life-giving, and sometimes they're not. Some days my words conceal (or barely conceal) something unhealthy and life-draining going on in my heart. This Proverb invites me to take a moment when my thoughts, my words are not life-giving, to reflect what's going on in my heart. Yesterday we were in Romans 8:11 "The Spirit of God, who raised Jesus from the dead, lives in you" Perhaps this is the time to ask Him to minister to what is going on in me. Invite Him in. Listen for Him. Listen for the redemptive story of where He might want me to step from, and towards. Towards speaking life-giving words, words of life. My hope is that my trajectory is towards more life-giving words,...

The Spirit of God,  who raised Jesus from the dead,  lives in you. Romans 8:11 NLT [10] And Christ lives within you,  so even though your body will die because of sin,  the Spirit gives you life because you have been made right with God. [11] The Spirit of God, who raised Jesus from the dead,  lives in you. Romans 8:10-11 NLT The Spirit of God,  who raised Jesus from the dead,  lives in you. There's Life within our life. The Spirit of God. Jesus lives in you. The Spirit gives you life. These are amazing statements that are a bit mind blowing at times.  They fly in the face of our culture, what the world would have us believe, what the lies of the Enemy say, and our own hearts at times. But Paul is clear -  "The Spirit of God,  who raised Jesus from the dead,  lives in you." This gift is only available, only exists, because of Jesus. Because God made the Way. Because we are Beloved. Amazing Grace. #letters #Romans #redemptivestrands ...

Romans 8:9-10 NLT [9] But you are not controlled by your sinful nature.  So in us who are followers of Jesus, something is different. That part of us that takes us away from God, away from the fully aliveness that he has for us is still there, but it's not in charge. [9] You are controlled by the Spirit if you have the Spirit of God living in you. This is quite a thing for Paul to say! The Spirit of God lives in you! Lives in me! Not sure about you but the challenges come up in me to this - even though I think and do and say things that don't align to the Spirit of God living in me?  [10] And Christ lives within you, so even though your body will die because of sin, the Spirit gives you life because you have been made right with God.  Romans 8:9-10 NLT So even though we're not perfect, Life in the Spirit happens because we've been made right with God.  Because God stepped towards us. Because God made a way. Because Jesus. We live in the now and the not yet, made righ...

Romans 8:5-8 NLT [5] Those who are dominated by the sinful nature think about sinful things, but those who are controlled by the Holy Spirit think about things that please the Spirit. [6] So letting your sinful nature control your mind leads to death. But letting the Spirit control your mind leads to life and peace. [7] For the sinful nature is always hostile to God. It never did obey God's laws, and it never will. [8] That's why those who are still under the control of their sinful nature can never please God. While this passage is a little depressing, feel free to jump to v9 where hope is held... Even in this passage though there is a redemptive strand: V6 talks of letting our mind be controlled by some part of us that is not aligned, not attuned to God, or we can let our mind be controlled by the Spirit, the pathway to life and peace. Be great if there was a fool proof 3 step process that we could all follow and that would just happen. We can consider what we're allowing...