verseoftheday

Friday! Proverbs! The beginning of wisdom is the fear of the LORD;  the knowledge of the holy one is understanding. Proverbs 9:10 CEB Verses like this one have been used as weapons to bring about some kind of external compliance with "the rules" - often wielded by someone with power (like parents wanting children to do something or not do something.) But Proverbs is not written to children.  Translating ancient Hebrew into English must be incredibly difficult - take this word "yir'ah", which is found 41 times in the Old Testament, and includes fear and reverence, and awesome. If Proverbs is about our heart, what does this Proverb invite us into or towards? Wisdom. Wisdom in Proverbs seems inseparable from God's character. Will we open ourselves up to knowing more of our God? That might include facing fears, and being reverent, and sitting in awe. This Proverb is also inviting us into a journey. Relationship with God is not static, it's moving,  vibrant, ...

John 21:6 CEB He said,  "Cast your net on the right side of the boat and you will find some." So they did, and there were so many fish that they couldn't haul in the net.  John 21:6 CEB I'm sure someone has written a book on the "7 principles of net casting for a successful life" from this passage, but I don't think that is what this is all about.  The disciples in the boat having been out fishing at night didn't recognise Jesus at all.  He was just some random guy on the shore giving fishing advice. It was the result of that advice that made them realise it was Jesus. This miracle pointed them to Jesus.  Through what happened they were able to see Jesus clearly for who he is. The Kingdom isn't pointing us to material prosperity, but pointing us to Jesus.  Our culture wants to make it about the fish.  The resurrected, back in his body, saviour of the world, fishing advisor, friend, conqueror of death, Jesus, that's who is at the centre of the...

John 21:3-5 CEB Simon Peter told them, "I'm going fishing." They said,  "We'll go with you." They set out in a boat, but throughout the night they caught nothing. Early in the morning, Jesus stood on the shore, but the disciples didn't realize it was Jesus.  Jesus called to them, "Children, have you caught anything to eat?" They answered him,  "No." John 21:3-5 CEB Ressurection. And Jesus just turns up like it's an ordinary day... But it's not an ordinary day. Jesus team have had their world turned upsidedown, Jesus was beaten, tried, killed, buried, and rose again. He's appeared to them. And disappeared again. And his team do what a lot of us would do, go to something familiar, something that feels solid, doing anything but sit around (which is Peter's character right?!) And Jesus turns up like it's an ordinary day... Our turmoil filled, disrupted world, or maybe it's the mundane, the ordinary, keep your eyes ...

Then the two from Emmaus told their story of how Jesus had appeared to them as they were walking along the road, and how they had recognized him as he was breaking the bread. And just as they were telling about it, Jesus himself was suddenly standing there among them.  "Peace be with you," he said. But the whole group was startled and frightened, thinking they were seeing a ghost! Luke 24:35-37 NLT Jesus turned up again in a way they did not expect! Startled. Frightened. Out of their normal experience, trying to make sense of Jesus appearance. Perhaps there's times when we are struggling to "Make sense" if Jesus, they way others experience him, the way we have experienced him, but one thing we can take from this story is that Jesus arrived in their midst with "Peace be with you". His message to his team that day resonates down the centuries to us today:  "Peace be with you" There's plenty to be worried about in this world:  "Peace be...

That same day two of Jesus' followers were walking to the village of Emmaus, seven miles from Jerusalem.  As they walked along they were talking about everything that had happened. As they talked and discussed these things, Jesus himself suddenly came and began walking with them. But God kept them from recognizing him. He asked them,  "What are you discussing so intently as you walk along?" They stopped short, sadness written across their faces. Then one of them, Cleopas, replied, "You must be the only person in Jerusalem who hasn't heard about all the things that have happened there the last few days." Luke 24:13-18 NLT Everything had changed, and yet these followers of Jesus didn't realise it. Even though it was Sunday, they were living as if it was still Saturday. Even though they had heard a report of Jesus resurrection, they were living like it hadn't happened. And I'm wondering if there are days when I am just like Cleopas and his companion...

Luke 24:40-43 NLT As he spoke, he showed them his hands and his feet. Still they stood there in disbelief, filled with joy and wonder.  Then he asked them, "Do you have anything here to eat?" They gave him a piece of broiled fish, and he ate it as they watched. Luke 24:40-43 NLT Jesus didn't just arrive in a body like ours, live in a body like ours, die in a body like ours, he came back in a body too.  The Divine, the Eternal, fully embracing humanity. The ordinary.  "Do you have anything here to eat?" And he carried his scars through death and into Life. Scars that didn't stop him walking, or holding his food (or needing food).  Resurrection. Where Jesus scars are signs of Life, Renewal, Resurrection. He is God with Us. Hope is Here. And it's OK not to "get" it all, understand it all: "Still they stood there in disbelief, filled with joy and wonder." But we do get to accept that our God so loved the world, so loved us, so loved me,...

At noon, darkness fell across the whole land until three o'clock.  At about three o'clock, Jesus called out with a loud voice, "Eli,  Eli,  lema sabachthani?" which means  "My God,  my God,  why have you abandoned me?" Matthew 27:45-46 NLT Not only abandoned by his friends and family, his community and the State, the human Jesus experienced all the worst that humanity can experience. And the divine Jesus, experienced abandonment from the Eternal, the relationship that had been Forever. Yet God. Yet God was at work bringing about a redemptive story, a victory over all the abandonment stories, especially the biggest of them, death itself. Saturday can seem dark. It is.  And it's not the end. Not the last word.  #lovewithoutmeasure #redemptivestrands #hopeishere