verseoftheday

Declare me innocent,  for you see those  who do right.  You have tested  my thoughts  and examined  my heart in the night. You have scrutinized me and found nothing wrong.  I am determined  not to sin  in what I say.  I have followed  your commands,  which keep me  from following cruel and evil people.  My steps  have stayed  on your path;  I have not wavered  from following you. Psalms 17:2-5 NLT Quite a download from David here as he reflects on these areas of his life. It may be that these are or have been areas of weakness and he's highlighting where he has changed, or perhaps these are areas he feels tempted? Maybe there's an invitation here for us to consider those areas of weakness or areas of temptation and do some self reflection on how we're going.  I don't think that "I have not wavered from following you" is a statement of perfection, but of direction.  We all have areas of te...

Sunday Psalms Lord,  hear a just cause;  pay attention to my cry; listen to my prayer - from lips free of deceit.  Let my vindication  come from you,  for you see  what is right. Psalms 17:1-2 CSB Justice.  This song of David's starts with his cry to God for justice.  That things would be made right.  This is a cry from someone who doesn't have the power to make things right on their own.  He feels unheard "pay attention to my cry". When we look for justice so often we can feel unheard. He's considered if he is in the wrong, and is clear that he's not. He's been wronged, and holds hope that our God sees the truth and will act.  When we've been wronged, hurt, used, abused, we want justice, and so often our systems, families, communities won't "hear a just cause" or "pay attention to a cry".  Let's not be those people. Let's choose to listen, choose to pay attention, and to "see what is right".  #psalms #psalm16 ...

But as it is written,  "What no eye  has seen,  no ear  has heard,  and no human heart  has conceived - God has prepared  these things  for those  who love him. 1 Corinthians 2:9 CSB Paul has quoted here from Isaiah, but from 2 places - Isaiah 52:15 & 64:4 - not really sure what this means but it seems that it's OK to bring pieces of scripture that synergise to bring out new meaning in the context of his day and culture... Maybe we need to hear this today, that our God is preparing things, things beyond our knowledge, beyond our imagination, beyond our senses, for us.  Today (at my place) we're grieving the loss of a beautiful person who is now starting to see what no eye has seen, to hear what has never been heard, to experience Life in a whole new way.  There is more. So much more.  Beyond the bounds of our senses and minds our God is More.  Not sure why the Corinthians needed to know that, but maybe today when our w...

Friday! Proverbs! Better to live  on the edge of a roof than to share a house with a contentious woman. Proverbs 25:24 CEB This is one of those proverbs that is weaponised against women.  This is a proverb of Solomon and maybe there's some regret at his choice to have wives against God's express command.  However if it's a picture of our hearts desire to have peace, then living in peace with less, is pictured here.  If this picture is about a couple, what responsibility does the husband have to resolve the problem? Why is she so contentious? Is the choice of roles here meant to be instructive? Or is it just a reflection of cultural norms? Perhaps a wife would have no choice to move up onto the corner of the roof if the husband was the contentious one... At a deep level we want to live in peace with people, not contention, but there are times when that's reality. Maybe this Proverb is saying that our commitments to one another matter, and while the issue is being reso...

I gave you milk to drink, not solid food, since you were not yet ready for it. In fact, you are still not ready, because you are still worldly. For since there is envy and strife among you, are you not worldly and behaving like mere humans? For whenever someone says, "I belong to Paul", and another, "I belong to Apollos", are you not acting like mere humans? 1 Corinthians 3:2-4 CSB Paul is quite humerous here, and gives quite the telling off.  He's just told the church that as Christians we have the mind of Christ, God's Spirit indwelling, yet they're still acting like spiritual babies. What's the evidence? Envy Strife Arguing over which pastor is more important. What colour the church foyer should be. The people Paul was writing to were focussing on the wrong things. I wonder what Paul would write to us about today? Paul doesn't want us caught up in this stuff because he (& our God) has so much more for us.  Often it takes someone a little b...

1 Cor 2:10-12 V10;  Now God has revealed these things to us by the Spirit, since the Spirit searches everything, even the depths of God. OK so this first verse tells us something of God's Spirit. He searches. And He searches everywhere. God is searchable by His Spirit. A bit mind bending? V11; For who knows a person's thoughts except his spirit within him? In the same way, no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God.  Ah OK so we get a bit of understanding of how God's Spirit works by considering our own!  We know our own thoughts (& no one else does "I know what you're thinking" is not true, just a guess). We know our own thoughts but our "spirit" can still be a bit mysterious even to us don't you think? V12; Now we have not received the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who comes from God, so that we may understand what has been freely given to us by God. 1 Corinthians 2:10-12 CSB We have this somewhat mysterious spirit who ...

Lord,  you alone  are my inheritance,  my cup of blessing.  You guard  all that is mine.  The land you have given me is a pleasant land. What a wonderful inheritance!  I will  bless the Lord who guides me;  even at night my heart instructs me.  I know the Lord is always with me.  I will not be shaken,  for he is right beside me. No wonder my heart is glad, and I rejoice.  My body rests in safety. Psalms 16:5-9 NLT After all the lament and sorrow and heartache of most of the first Psalms, here is David resting in the good, seeing the good.  Sometimes in life everything seems horrible, stained, tainted, and there's nothing good. David chooses to focus on who God is, the goodness and blessing from knowing Him, that his future is secure, and even if it's only for this moment, he is safe.  Some days we need to do the same thing.  Choose to step back and grasp again the goodness of who God is and hold on to that....

I will  bless the Lord  who counsels me  - even at night when my thoughts trouble me.  I always  let the Lord  guide me.  Because he is  at my right hand,  I will not be shaken. Psalms 16:7-8 CSB Do you get the intention of this part of David's song? I will I always And what is David's direction? To bless God and to let Him be the guide.  Especially at night when our thoughts sometimes go around and around (this has clearly been happening to people for a long time). David's solution? Blessing God, gratitude, looking up at the bigger story, reminding himself that God is with him, and that in that truth, he's going to be OK. Looking to God's counsel. So when our thoughts are running around in circles, what does God have to say about us, and to us? My fave go-to is Ephesians 1:4-14. That passage reminds me that I am: Seen Known Adopted Redeemed Have an inheritance Am dearly loved Today, we can be confident just like David, that our God is w...

Sunday Psalms. Protect me,  God,  for I take refuge in you.  I said to the Lord,  "You are my Lord;  I have nothing good besides you." ... Lord,  you are my portion  and my cup of blessing; you hold my future. Psalms 16:1-2, 5 CSB We're up to Psalm 16 and there's been lots of lament, but this song has a shift in it. It starts with David vulnerable in some way, needing refuge, needing protection. And in that place he acknowledges God, and in v5 there's this gratitude and future view. Can we even when we feel vulnerable grip on to our God's goodness towards us, and that our future is secure? It's been a journey for David to get here and that's OK. We're in his 16th song and he still feels vulnerable, in need of refuge (maybe that need never really goes away? Maybe that's why holding on to the truth that our God really does hold our future is important). The word here for "future" means "lot", as in what a person would gamble. ...

That is what the Scriptures mean when they say,  "No eye has seen,  no ear has heard,  and no mind has imagined  what God  has prepared  for those  who love him." 1 Corinthians 2:9 NLT Paul is explaining why the people who were running the world at the time were OK having Jesus put to death - because they didn't get it that there's more.  God is more. The future is more. More than we can grasp or imagine. Paul talks of the mystery of God, yet somehow we want God to be small enough to understand, to predict, to manage how we want or expect God to be.  But Paul reminds this church, and us, that He is More.  I wonder if Paul would ask us with all our wonderful technology if we're looking to that for answers to questions it cannot answer, that the "more" we need is found in the mystery of God and it's OK to not get it all, it's OK that He is beyond our grasp and understanding.  And. We have Jesus. Jesus is God confined and limited like ...

Friday! Proverbs! As surely  as a north wind  brings rain,  so a gossiping tongue causes anger! Proverbs 25:23 NLT One thing follows another. Wherever the author of this proverb lived when the wind blew from the north it brought rain.  Maybe not straight away, but you know it's coming.  And it's the same with gossip.  There's always a consequence.  Interesting that this word translated "gossip" here is "cether" in Hebrew, a covering, a hiding place, secrecy.  Words spoken in gossip always have some element of covering, secrecy.  Just like the north wind brings rain there are consequences to gossip, to secrets, things being covered over.  Consequences to others, and in our own hearts.  Our God is Light.  Just like the north wind brings rain, when the God who is Light governs my words, my conversations, there are consequences...just better ones... #proverbs #wisdom #somethingtochewon #itsaheartthing

It is because of Him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God: our righteousness, holiness, and redemption. Therefore, as it is written: "Let him who boasts boast in the Lord." 1 Corinthians 1:30-31 BSB There must have been quite a lot of trying to look good going on in the church in Corinth. A lot of follow the rules, do these things to be a good christian. Paul's just telling them to stop it.  Becuase it's all about Jesus.  We are in Jesus. Not sure how that picture works but it speaks of security. Righteous Holy  Redeemed None of that is from me, but found in me from Jesus.  We get to stop striving to achieve acceptance by God, and get to live in all the messy humanness of this life already accepted.  Because of Jesus.  Already accepted.  Becuase of Jesus. #corinthians #findrestinthis

Who may  worship  in your sanctuary,  Lord?  Who may  enter your presence  on your holy hill?  Those who  lend money  without charging interest,  and who  cannot be bribed  to lie about the innocent. Such people will stand firm forever. Psalms 15:1, 5 NLT It's interesting that these two concepts, lending money and lying about someone are connected together in this song. What connects them? When I lie about the innocent, I do it to gain something. Gain some advantage. Think groups of people.  Labels. We love to put labels on groups - it makes it easy to gain something.  When I lend money & charge interest I do it to gain something.  Underneath this are ideas. The idea that if you have money you deserve a return on it.  Who says? What if our society didn't charge interest?  Practiced Jubilee? Maybe that's too big a thing to change.  But what if you and I took God at His word and not buy into all ...

Those who... speaking the truth from sincere hearts.  Those who... refuse to gossip or harm their neighbors or speak evil of their friends. Those who... keep their promises even when it hurts.  Those who... lend money without charging interest,  and who cannot be bribed to lie about the innocent. Psalms 15:2-5 NLT The thing that stands out for me is the intentionality that David writes about in this song.  Being intentional about what we say "speaking the truth from a sincere heart". Being intentional about what we don't say "refusing to gossip" or "speak evil". Being intentional a out what we don't do "bribed to lie about the innocent", "harm their neighbour". And being intentional about what we do; "lend" freely, and "keep their promises even when it hurts". Does this song form a picture not just of living intentionally, but a picture of Jesus, the one who spoke the truth from a heart of love, truth, justi...

Sunday Psalms Who may worship  in your sanctuary,  Lord?  Who may enter  your presence  on your holy hill?  Those who  lead blameless lives  and do what is right, speaking the truth  from sincere hearts. Those who  refuse to gossip  or harm their neighbors or speak evil of their friends.  Those who  despise flagrant sinners,  and honor the faithful followers of the Lord, and keep their promises even when it hurts. Those who  lend money without charging interest,  and who cannot be bribed to lie about the innocent.  Such people  will stand firm  forever. Psalms 15:1-5 NLT This song of David's starts with the big question of who is good enough for God. All the rules about the priests and ritual cleansing. And he comes up with quite a list: Starts with our hearts. And he's interested in how our values are lived out, how we treat those closest to us, those who stand against God, and finally how we...

God chose things despised by the world, things counted as nothing at all,  and used them to bring to nothing what the world considers important.  1 Corinthians 1:28 NLT Tonight I'm going to a concert to raise some money to send to a village in the middle of Africa where most of the people who live there have leprosy.  A village of beautiful people, yet who carry the scars and ravages of a disease they didn't ask for or deserve in any way. In the world's measure, they would be "counted as nothing at all". In God's economy they are no less loved, no less valued than those the world calls important. Maybe more so.  Paul is writing to a church that has its values upsidedown, and gives them an opportunity to see that, to choose to see those who their culture says are the least, to hear their stories, to learn not just about them, but about the heart of God.  I get sucked into the values of my culture all the time, sometimes they're good, but often they aren...

Friday! Proverbs! If your enemy is hungry, give him food to eat,  and if he is thirsty,  give him water to drink, for you will heap burning coals on his head,  and the Lord will reward you. Proverbs 25:21-22 CSB At the battle of Gate Pa during the night of April 29 1864 as the British soldiers were left wounded and dying after being defeated that day, Heni Te Kiri Karamu took water to the injured.  The enemy. Events like this are famous for their grace and mercy because they're rare.  The word for enemy here literally seems to mean "hater".  As Heni collected up her own dead and wounded she must have seen the "haters" as people still. And chose to give them water.  They were still the enemy, hadn't been forgiven, what they'd done wasn't forgotten.  It's easy to dehumanise the enemy, our haters, and maybe that's what this proverb is about, simply reminding us that those who are against us are people, even if they haven't or don't tre...

Brothers and sisters, consider your calling: Not many were wise from a human perspective,  not many powerful,  not many of noble birth. Instead,  God has chosen  what is foolish  in the world  to shame the wise,  and God has chosen what is weak  in the world  to shame the strong. 1 Corinthians 1:26-27 CSB What would Paul say today? Not many are billionaires or own luxury lodges on Northland beaches.  Not many rule countries or are crowned as king.  But God has chosen those our culture says are small, discarded, worth less, those who are walked past, overlooked, not considered to shame those with power, to shame those who hoard wealth and resources. Paul is encouraging us to listen to those who do not have a voice.  Maybe that's you today.  Among the voiceless.  This passage is a reminder that God's Kingdom is an upsidedown one, where the small are seen, and known, and heard.  Where those who the world does not va...

For the Jews ask for signs and the Greeks seek wisdom,  but  we  preach  Christ  crucified,  a stumbling block to the Jews and foolishness to the Gentiles.  Yet to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks,  Christ is the power of God and the wisdom of God, because God's foolishness is wiser than human wisdom, and God's weakness is stronger than human strength. 1 Corinthians 1:22-25 CSB Sometimes I want signs.  A sign. And sometimes I want a piece of wisdom that I can apply to my life that will just fix it. That will make sense of everything. And Paul says come back to the Cross.  Come back to Jesus crucified.  Start (again) there.  Where God seemed weak, defeated, and foolish.  When we can't figure life out, when justice seems so far away, when we're hurting, when we just want answers Paul says to come back to the Cross. When we do that, consider who was on it, what it means for our today and our tomorrow, when we try an...

For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel - not with eloquent wisdom, so that the cross of Christ will not be emptied of its effect. For the word of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but it is the power of God to us who are being saved. 1 Corinthians 1:17-18 CSB More problems in Corinth.  Not only it seems is there a personality drama going on, there's also arguments about what Jesus was all about, about what the cross was all about.  It's OK to wrestle with ideas and what things mean, but it seems that these arguments were making out that the Cross, Jesus death, had no meaning, no power in a person's life. The Cross says a lot of things: It says you're worth it. That you're worthy. That you're enough. That you're dearly loved. That there is redemption, hope, a future where our tears are wiped away, where the broken things are unbroken, where the hurt parts of us are unhurt.  There's an invitation to sit with the ...

What I am saying is this: One of you says,  "I belong to Paul," or  "I belong to Apollos," or  "I belong to Cephas," or  "I belong to Christ." Is Christ divided?  Was Paul crucified for you?  Or were you baptized in Paul's name?  I thank God that I baptized none of you except Crispus and Gaius, so that no one can say you were baptized in my name. 1 Corinthians 1:2-15 CSB Looks like there was drama in the church, and that was a big part of the reason for this letter. Paul didn't want to be, or even have his name caught up in it. And this is before Instagram and book deals and celebrity pastors...Paul is highlighting our propensity to elevate people, to follow the charismatic and powerful, to listen to the noise and expectations of our culture, and in that, risk losing sight of Jesus.  As we head into this week may we be OK with being small.  May we be OK without the stage, the accolades.  Jesus simply called people to follow him. Where is...

Sunday Psalms: Will evildoers  never understand?  They consume  my people  as they consume bread; they do not  call on the Lord.  Then they will be  filled with dread,  for God is  with  those  who are righteous.   You sinners  frustrate the plans  of the oppressed,  but the Lord  is his refuge. Psalms 14:4-6 CSB These Psalms, these songs are full of voices of hurt, sorrow, of crying out to, and crying out about God.  But in Psalm 14 the tone has shifted and there is God's justice and his refuge for the oppressed, for the victim, for the one who has been hurt.  Psalm 14 calls out the "evildoer". How are they described? As someone who consumes another.  This includes the big, those who would take over countries and people groups.  It also includes the boss who uses people, the violent spouse, the selfish person, the abuser... The warning is clear. God is with those who have been or are bei...

And God said,  "Let the land produce living creatures according to their kinds: the livestock,  the creatures that move along the ground,  and the wild animals, each according to its kind." And it was so. Genesis 1:24 NIV What do you find interesting here? What makes you wonder? Here's two things: There was from the start a distinction between wild animals and livestock.  And God told the land to produce the animals.  The word here is "yatsa" (pronounced yaw-tsaw') and it means to go or to come out, as in come out of your house.  It's like all of the potentiality of all of the creatures was already built in to the land. It just needed to be unlocked, to have the door opened, to step out. I wonder about the potential in God's creation. When we see His work, His people, what potential just needs to be unlocked? That's what I'm wondering. #genesis #songofcreation #wonder

Friday! Proverbs! Like one who takes away a garment in cold weather,  And like vinegar on soda, Is one who sings songs to a heavy heart. Proverbs 25:20 NKJV Who thought that there was a science lesson here in Proverbs that has 2 chemicals reacting? The word "soda" here is something called natron or carbonate of soda. Something must happen when you pour vinegar on it.  There's a reaction.  And not a good one, because it's like taking away someone's coat when a cold snap hits (like yesterday!). Yet singing songs is not a bad thing, being upbeat and optimistic is a good thing, but when someone is grieving, their heart is hurting, things are weighing heavily on them, it's like taking their coat in a southerly, it can makes things worse. It can cause a negative reaction, not what our hearts are wanting to do. Sometimes we have to do the opposite when someone's heart is heavy. Sit with them. Be quiet. No pithy sayings or favourite Bible verses. No fixes. Sit.  A...

God is faithful;  you were called by him into fellowship with his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. 1 Corinthians 1:9 CSB God is faithful.  Does that sometimes jar? Is God faithful when my life looks like _____? Is God faithful when ____ happened? Why won't he fix ____? God is faithful. And He has called us into fellowship with Jesus.  (Does that bring up a "fellowship of the ring" image?) God is faithful. And we're called into fellowship with Jesus. And we're living in a world where our relationship with God, with others, with creation, and even with ourselves, are all damaged in some way by "sin".  God is faithful. And we're in fellowship with Jesus. And things are not how they should be.  And this fellowship with Jesus is about restoring things, renewing, rebuilding our minds, hearts, relationships, creation... No matter what is in front of you today, we are in fellowship with Jesus, and our God is faithful. Kia kaha. #corinthians #Godisfaithful #fellow...

He will also strengthen you to the end,  so that  you will be blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.  1 Corinthians 1:8 CSB Some days we just need to hear this: Our God will strengthen you til the end.  There's times in our lives when we feel indestructible. That we can do anything, that we have the power to shape our world, make happen whatever we want to make happen. And there's times when we don't. We see our limitations, we see our need for God, accept our weakness & dependence on Him.  We don't like to think about "the end", but Paul isn't concerned. His hope is firmly in Jesus and he invites us to find rest there too.  And from that place go ahead and take who you are, your personality, your gifting and talents and heart into your world. Big, small, loud, quiet, impacting thousands, or one, all of it is OK, because we are held secure in Jesus. Let Him be the basis of your flourishing. #corinthians #faith #hope #love #youaredearlyloved

In this way, the testimony about Christ was confirmed among you, so that you do not lack any spiritual gift as you eagerly wait for the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ. 1 Corinthians 1:6-7 CSB In this way. In what way? Go back to verse Paul mentions 2 things, speech and knowledge. What we know and what we say matters.  Our testimony is confirmed in what we say.  This seems to indicate that I can't have a completely private faith, that I need to be able to express it somehow, somewhere, to someone, to make it real and alive.  There's no suggestion of "you must", or here's your checklist, Paul is writing to a community and sharing what he sees in them that is important. Their faith is alive & looking forward to Jesus return, when all will be made new, when all hurt will be unhurt, when the distance between us, between us and God, between us and creation, that distance will be no more.  #corinthians #faithspokenoutloud #hope #onedayallwillbemadenew

I always thank my God for you because of the grace of God given to you in Christ Jesus, that you were enriched in him in every way, in all speech and all knowledge. 1 Corinthians 1:4-5 CSB How often have I said that "I'm grateful for you", or "I'm praying for you"? Paul gives us a neat example here of taking the next step and saying "why".  "I always thank my God for you because..." Maybe this week someone needs to hear why you're grateful for them.  Maybe someone needs to hear what you're praying for them. Let's follow Paul's example here and encourage one another with a little bit of "why"  #corinthians #belikePaul #loveoneanother #monday #Godsgym

Sunday Psalms How long, Lord?  Will you  forget me forever?  How long  will you  hide your face from me?  How long  will I  store up anxious concerns within me, agony in my mind every day?  How long  will my  enemy dominate me?  Consider me and answer, Lord my God.  Restore brightness to my eyes;  otherwise, I will sleep in death.  My enemy will say,  "I have triumphed over him," and my foes will rejoice because I am shaken. But I  have trusted  in your faithful love;  my heart  will rejoice  in your deliverance.  I will sing  to the Lord because he  has treated me generously. Psalms 13:1-6 CSB David brings his searching questions to God. Lays them all out.  If we need to find voice for our heartache and questions, David has given us a start place here. If we can't pray our own questions, we can use his.  Write them down like he did. And then he's pretty clea...

So God created the large sea-creatures and every living creature that moves and swarms in the water, according to their kinds.  He also created every winged creature according to its kind.  And God saw that it was good.  God blessed them:  "Be fruitful,  multiply,  and fill the waters of the seas,  and let the birds multiply on the earth." Genesis 1:21-22 CSB What do you see when we slow down and take our time with this song of creation? For me it was "God blessed them". He didn't just make the fish and the birds and send them off to do their thing, He blessed them. Not sure what that means, but it's good. The word for blessed here is "barak" in Hebrew which means to bless, and to kneel down. Blessing is not something done from on high, but from someone kneeling down, coming down. God's blessing seems to have been not from afar, but up close.  Kneeling down.  #wonder #genesis #songofcreation