verseoftheday

The LORD's blessing makes a person rich, and no trouble is added to it. Proverbs 10:22 CEB When we look for Jesus reflected in this Proverb we see Him stepping away from the place of blessing, leaving heaven, leaving the Father, leaving richness, and moving towards Trouble. He did this so that this Proverb could be real for us. Love steps out of the place of blessing for the Beloved.  Love makes a way.  Becomes the way. What a story we are in... #proverbs #wisdom #somethingtochewon #itsaheartthing #weareBeloved 

Friday! Proverbs! [22] The LORD's blessing makes a person rich, and no trouble is added to it. Proverbs 10:22 CEB The word here translated "trouble" is an interesting one: "'Esteb" which as these words seem to do carry a range of meanings - an earthen vessel, an idol, painful toil, grief, wearisome work. The riches of the world seem to have some or all of these things attached - but not the riches that come from our God's blessing. The riches that flow from His blessing are unencumbered. If Proverbs is a mirror looking in, I can see the temptation in my own heart for the riches of this world, and how easy it can be to miss the blessings from God. What about you? Perhaps today this Proverb is inviting us to consider what really matters... #proverbs #wisdom #somethingtochewon #itsaheartthing 

Romans 12:1-2 CEB So,  brothers and sisters, because of God's mercies, I encourage you to present your bodies a living sacrifice that is holy and pleasing to God.  This is your appropriate priestly service. Don't be conformed to the patterns of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your minds so that you can figure out what God's will is - what is good and pleasing and mature.   Romans 12:1-2 CEB As priests then, what is Paul asking us to look for around us? The patterns of the world. It literally means to this "age" - the ideas that drive our culture - be aware of them, because Kingdom values, of which we are now Priests, may well be different. He's not calling the church in Rome to step out of the world, but to notice it, allowing Kingdom values to transform. Here's an example if you have 5 mins - a lady in Prague who set up an Embassy of the Kingdom of heaven - if being a "Priest" is too loaded a term, maybe Ambassador sits better....

Romans 12:1-2 CEB So,  brothers and sisters, because of God's mercies, I encourage you to present your bodies a living sacrifice that is holy and pleasing to God.  This is your appropriate priestly service. Don't be conformed to the patterns of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your minds so that you can figure out what God's will is - what is good and pleasing and mature.   Romans 12:1-2 CEB Paul uses the priestly connection, priestly metaphor here, placing his readers, Christ followers, as priests.  Priests who have access to the Holy of Holies, access to the presence of God, who bring sacrifices, who atone. But it's all shifted - we're not to bring a lamb or a bird or some other token or symbol, but ourselves.  Our whole self. This is more than an intellectual or spiritual exercise, it's a physical one too.  What we do matters. A priest brings a sacrifice to atone, hoping it is good enough, pure enough, enough. In Jesus the atoning h...

Romans 12:1-2 CEB So,  brothers and sisters, because of God's mercies, I encourage you to present your bodies a living sacrifice that is holy and pleasing to God.  This is your appropriate priestly service. Don't be conformed to the patterns of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your minds so that you can figure out what God's will is - what is good and pleasing and mature.   Romans 12:1-2 CEB "So", "therefore", "summing up what I've been writing to you about" - this famous passage of Paul's letter does not sit in isolation from all that he has written up to now, all that he has been saying about new life being found in Jesus, about freedom from the law, his heart for those who don't know or have rejected Jesus, all of the last 11 chapters. So. Brothers & sisters. The word here is "adelphous" which in different contexts means family, brethren, whanau, those joined together by a covenant, an inclusive ter...

Romans 11:33-36 CSB Oh,  the depth of the riches and the wisdom and the knowledge of God!  How unsearchable his judgments and untraceable his ways For who has known the mind of the Lord?  Or who has been his counselor?  And who has ever given to God, that he should be repaid?  For from him and through him and to him are all things.  To him be the glory forever.  Amen. Romans 11:33-36 CSB Paul has been wrestling in this letter with being Jewish, God's chosen people, who have also rejected Jesus, and how out of that faith has come to Gentiles, the rest of us who aren't Jewish- and this is his conclusion to all that: How great our God is. We can't expect to figure Him out completely, we can't outgive Him, counsel Him, or fully know Him. And that's OK. We get to sit with mystery, uncertainty, doubt, not knowing, and being able to hold to what is known, what is True, that it's our God who made the way for us to be right with Him, and we are in fact, dearly ...

Sunday Psalms; Psalms 36:5-10 CSB Lord,  your faithful love reaches to heaven,  your faithfulness to the clouds. Your righteousness is like the highest mountains,  your judgments like the deepest sea.  Lord,  you preserve people and animals. How priceless your faithful love is,  God!  People take refuge in the shadow of your wings. They are filled from the abundance of your house.  You let them drink from your refreshing stream. For the wellspring of life is with you.  By means of your light we see light. Spread your faithful love over those who know you,  and your righteousness over the upright in heart. Psalms 36:5-10 CSB David's psalm starts and ends with his concern about someone who's words and actions are evil and this person holds no fear or dread of God. And this middle part is David's response - a beautiful reflection of who God is, of where refuge is found in someone Bigger, in a Bigger Story. When this world seems too much, wh...