verseoftheday

Friday! Proverbs! A fool finds pleasure in wicked schemes,  but a person of understanding delights in wisdom. Proverbs 10:23 NIV Easy to see this Proverb at work in the world - any day's media headlines show us the first part out loud - a bit harder to find the second part - the "person of understanding". But if Proverbs is really offering insight into my heart, I wonder where I take pleasure in, or think something is good or fun that is hurtful or harmful to someone? And where, when, (or even if) am I taking delight in "wisdom"? Biblehub defines wisdom as used here , the word "chokmah" as  "While fundamentally moral and spiritual, it embraces practical insight, technical skill, administrative aptitude, and relational discernment. Appearing about 149 times in the Old Testament, it undergirds Israel's worship, ethics, statecraft, and artistry" This is a broad term for embracing "life", taking delight in life, art, work, as well a...

Romans 12:6-8 NLT In his grace, God has given us different gifts for doing certain things well.  So if God has given you the ability to prophesy, speak out with as much faith as God has given you.  If your gift is serving others, serve them well. If you are a teacher, teach well.  If your gift is to encourage others, be encouraging.  If it is giving, give generously.  If God has given you leadership ability, take the responsibility seriously.  And if you have a gift for showing kindness to others, do it gladly. Romans 12:6-8 NLT These lists of "gifts" have often been taught as prescriptive- "here's the list, where do you fit, you must have one of these, finding your 'gift' is important", but when reading this as a letter it comes across more as an invitation to use what you're good at, what you're skilled at, what you enjoy, to bless and encourage others. Perhaps this is what  "living sacrifices" looks like... The emphasis seems to be l...

Romans 12:1-8 NLT (Sometimes it's good to read it like a letter...) And so,  dear brothers and sisters,  I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you.  Let them be a living and holy sacrifice - the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him.  Don't copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God's will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect. Because of the privilege and authority God has given me, I give each of you this warning: Don't think you are better than you really are. Be honest in your evaluation of yourselves, measuring yourselves by the faith God has given us.   Just as our bodies have many parts and each part has a special function, so it is with Christ's body. We are many parts of one body, and we all belong to each other.  In his grace, God has given us different gifts f...

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 invites us to be transformed by the renewing of our mind! Our thinking. Our judgement. What we need is the 5 steps to do that - where are they? Well I think they're found in the "So" that this little summary starts with. "So" takes us back over the letter so far, about new life being found in Jesus, about freedom from the old patterns, naming them and stepping towards God's patterns for us.  There are no easy formula or one-size-fits-all solutions because this is about a living relationship with a living God, and these are active things,...

Psalms 37:28, 37, 39 CEB [28] The LORD loves justice. He will never leave his faithful all alone. They are guarded forever... ... [37] Observe those who have integrity and watch those whose heart is right because the future belongs to persons of peace.  ... [39] The salvation of the righteous comes from the LORD;  he is their refuge in times of trouble.   Psalms 37:28, 37, 39 CEB This psalm of David's is full of the future of the "wicked". And through the psalm is the invitation to stay the course with our God. The realities of David's enemies and the wicked in the world are there, and there is continuing trust in our God and returning again to Him, to following His call to His people to walk in integrity and peace, and to stay faithful to God's Big Story... He Loves Justice. He will make things right. Not sure how, but I trust Him with that, trust Him with the Big Story, trusting that "He is my refuge even in times of trouble" and I will continue to see...

Sunday Psalms; Don't get upset over evildoers;  dont be jealous of those who do wrong, because they will fade fast,  like grass;  they will wither like green vegetables.  Trust the LORD  and do good;  live in the land,  and farm faithfulness.  Enjoy the LORD,  and he will give what your heart asks.  Commit your way to the LORD!  Trust him!  He will act and will make your righteousness shine like the dawn,  your justice like high noon.  Be still before the LORD, and wait for him. Psalms 37:1-7 CEB Welcome to the upsidedown Kingdom! David's song is pointing to something deep, a story that says the thing you farm, trusting in God, the things you grow, doing good in the land, something about these things will last.  David invites us to sit or stand or lie in our bed before our God. To wait. Before Him. To Trust Him. And as we do that, something shifts. Trusting our God, waiting before Him, might take practice, repeti...

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