verseoftheday

Sunday Psalms; Psalms 18:4-6, 19 NLT [4] The ropes of death entangled me;  floods of destruction swept over me.  [5] The grave wrapped its ropes around me; death laid a trap in my path.  [6] But in my distress I cried out to the Lord; yes, I prayed to my God for help.  He heard me from his sanctuary;  my cry to him reached his ears. ... [19] He led me to a place of safety;  he rescued me because he delights in me. Psalms 18:4-6, 19 NLT This is a long song that David wrote after God had rescued him (particularly from Saul). In this song he describes feeling overwhelmed. And in that place where it all seemed too much, he cried to our God. We have a model here, yes of crying out to God, but also of acknowledging that things can overwhelm us, we don't seem to have the resources to stand. That's what happens sometimes. And we can cry out to God. Verse 19 is a truth we get to remind ourselves of anytime, when things may seem overwhelming, going fine, or anywhere ...

Mark 9:30-32 NLT Leaving that region, they travelled through Galilee. Jesus didn't want anyone to know he was there, for he wanted to spend more time with his disciples and teach them.  He said to them, "The Son of Man is going to be betrayed into the hands of his enemies. He will be killed, but three days later he will rise from the dead." They didn't understand what he was saying, however, and they were afraid to ask him what he meant. Mark 9:30-32 NLT One interesting thing about Jesus here - he prioritised teaching his team rather than spending time with the crowds of people who clamoured after him  for healing and teaching. If it's OK for Jesus to have boundaries and set priorities, then that's OK for us too. And one interesting thing about the disciples  - even though they knew Jesus well, had been living with him every day, heard his teaching, they were still afraid to ask him what he meant.  What was it they were afraid of? Embarrassment that they didn...

Friday! Proverbs! [1] The proverbs of Solomon: A wise child makes a father glad, but a foolish child brings sorrow to his mother. Proverbs 10:1 CEB This word "wise" is "chakam" which is an adjective, a doing word, it includes skill, good judgement, and it's about the working out of wisdom. And it's couched in the idea of a parent and child. I'm wondering if that is because it can be easier to see wisdom and foolishness in others than it is in ourselves.  Proverbs is not a weapon, but a mirror, an invitation into something deeper, so how does it look in that other parent/child relationship, with our Heavenly Father and me? And now it's the joy and sorrow that God experiences from my actions and my choices... What does this Proverb encourage us, invite us towards and away from? Wisdom is applied in our actions...how can I live that out today? #proverbs  #wisdom #somethingtochewon #itsaheartthing #takethenextstep

[6] When we were utterly helpless,  Christ came at just the right time and died for us sinners. Romans 5:6 NLT This is the redemptive strand. When we, people, humanity, had no ability to get ourselves right with God, Jesus stepped towards us.  He moved. This is what Love does, steps towards the Beloved. While we sit with this today, we're also called to be followers of Jesus, which could mean stepping towards those we love. That may be an invitation to some self-care today. What fills you up? And it might mean stepping towards someone you love.  Perhaps someone who is on their own, not included. Perhaps someone who has put up barriers for some reason who you can try again with. Is there someone who the Spirit is prompting to 'be like Jesus' with and step towards? #letters #redemptivestrands #hopeishere #weareBeloved  #takethenextstep 

Romans 5:4-5 NLT [4] And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation. [5] And this hope will not lead to disappointment. For we know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love. Romans 5:4-5 NLT "For we know how dearly God loves us" Hope is here, wrapped in, contained in, enshrined in, packaged in, Love. "For we know how dearly God loves us" Whether our day ahead holds joy, despair, goodness, discouragement, fun, difficult things, work, study, rest, community, time alone, decisions, choices, pressures, planning...we get to hold on to this Truth and take it with us today: "For we know how dearly God loves us" Start here: "For we know how dearly God loves us" #letters #redemptivestrands #hopeishere #weareBeloved 

Romans 5:3 NLTRomans 5:3 NLT [3] We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance. Romans 5:3 NLT Let's just take a look at v3, and this word that is translated "problems and trials" or in some versions "afflictions", "sufferings", "tribulations" - according to Biblehub it is "thlipsis" which is "pressure" - (what constricts or rubs together), used of a narrow place that "hems someone in"; that causes someone to feel confined (restricted, "without options"). There's a different word "stenoxoria" which is about external pressure from outside circumstances. So what does this mean for us as we read this passage? It doesn't seem to mean that we rejoice when something or someone has hurt or harmed us.  That's external. It's when we feel hemmed in, under pressure internally, that these verses pull us back to the Bigger Story. ...

Romans 5:1-5 NLT [1] Therefore, since we have been made right in God's sight by faith, we have peace with God because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done for us. [2] Because of our faith, Christ has brought us into this place of undeserved privilege where we now stand, and we confidently and joyfully look forward to sharing Gods glory.  [3] We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance. [4] And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation. [5] And this hope will not lead to disappointment. For we know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love. Romans 5:1-5 NLT Easy to pull vs 3&4 out and kind of glorify struggle and because it builds all the things in v4. But it's all built on the foundation of the Big Story, that we are made right with God by faith in Jesus, and the hope we have of fully aliveness wit...