verseoftheday

Friday! Proverbs! A rich person is wise in his own eyes,  but a poor one who has discernment sees through him. Proverbs 28:11 CSB It's easy to fall into the "look at that person" who characterizes this Proverb, but if our start point is that Proverbs is about the heart, about my heart, what is it getting at? Is it asking me to consider where I think I'm better than someone else, where my success somehwere has elevated me, maybe it's wealth, qualifications, health, the way I look, my Instagram followers, whatever measures of success our culture values at the moment. Where am I "wise in my own eyes"? Where am I letting my relative wealth insulate me from the issues others might face on a daily basis? How has that relative wealth shaped the way I see me, others, the world I live in? And the flip side is where I am relatively poor...this Proverb says the poor can see the blind spots that the wealthy have. The Hebrew word can also mean "noble", thos...

But the wisdom from above is first of all pure. It is also peace loving, gentle at all times,  and willing to yield to others.  It is full of mercy  and the fruit of good deeds. It shows no favoritism and is always sincere. And those who are peacemakers will plant seeds of peace and reap a harvest of righteousness. James 3:16-18  NLT Let's look at the last part; Wisdom from above shows no favoritism. The longer I wonder about this, the more difficult it is. This isn't about treating everyone the same, because some people are not safe for us, but it gets me thinking in the Bigger Story how do I see others? Where does favoritism show up? And then James adds that wisdom from above is always sincere! There's no faking it! We're invited to think about our biases and our good deeds and where and to whom we focus those.  Wisdom from above is not a test, a pass/fail, an assessment, but a way of being, and James invites us into that, and wraps up this idea with an agricu...

But the wisdom from above is first of all pure. It is also peace loving, gentle at all times,  and willing to yield to others. It is full of mercy and the fruit of good deeds. It shows no favoritism and is always sincere.  James 3:17NLT Last week we looked at those first 4 attributes of "wisdom from above"; Pure Peace loving  Gentle (at all times) Willing to yield to others James adds 4 more; Full of mercy Has the fruit of good deeds Shows no favouritism Is always sincere. Let's look at the first 2; When I'm full of mercy, when I'm bumped, tipped over, or trip over my own clumsy feet, mercy is what comes out.  Gotta say there's plenty of other things that spill out of me. But James is always inviting, always encouraging us as whaanau, so what's he inviting us to? To let more "wisdom from above in, to let mercy fill us more and more, so when we are bumped, when we do trip, that is genuinely what comes out.  The "fruit of good deeds" seems to ...

The Lord says,  "I will rescue those who love me." Psalm 91:14 NLT The song writer, and we're not told who he or she is, is pointing us to a Bigger Story than the one we are in every day. A Bigger Story of redemption and restoration. Of a world put right. Of Eden restored. This song is full of images of rescue, of being free from harm, of God being right here with us, and the things that concerned and worried us, the pressures of this world, are redeemed.  Made new. For now, today, may we see glimpses of that, hear the rumbles of renewal, not look past the beauty that is in front of us, be grateful for the blessings of people, place, the pockets of shalom that we hold and share with one another, and the hope of what is to come,  holding fast to Yahweh, the promise giver. #psalms  #psalm91 #alreadyrescued

For he will rescue you from every trap and protect you from deadly disease. He will cover you with his feathers.  He will shelter you with his wings.  His faithful promises are your armor and protection. Psalm 91:3-4 NLT I've read this song and wondered if it's some kind of promise that I'll never get sick, that nothing will ever go wrong for me.  But it can't mean that.  Because things have gone wrong, I have been sick, people I love have died. Does it make a difference if the words "deadly disease" is the Hebrew word "deber" which means pestilence or plague, and this word is first found in Exodus 5 in discussion with Pharaoh when the people were still in captivity? The song is looking back at how God acted in a specific way for their freedom.  God did act on his covenants, his promises.  He did redeem his people and set on the path to freedom. And that we can hold onto down the centuries from whenever this song was written. Our God is faithful. He ...

Sunday Psalms; Those who live in the shelter of the Most High will find rest in the shadow of the Almighty. This I declare about the Lord:  He alone is my refuge, my place of safety;  he is my God,  and I trust him. Psalm 91:1-2 NLT This song is full of images that seem to be about capturing our imagination, and it all hangs on this declaration: "He alone... He is my God." I'm wondering if there's days when I don't start with that declaration, a statement of faith that changes the way that I see me, others, the world I live in, shapes the way I interpret what happens, pressures, losses, wins, joys. This song almost seems like it's written for us, because it's about finding this key thing: "Rest". We live in a world that conspires against us when it comes to rest.  The expectations and demands to stay "connected" via social media, phones, email, to always be available, to always be "on", it's not how we're designed to b...

But the wisdom from above is first of all pure. It is also peace loving, gentle at all times, and willing to yield to others.  James 3:17 NLT James is giving the alternate to my selfishness. This is the first part of the alternate, the "wisdom from above." Pure. Peace-loving.  Gentle. Willing to yield to others. I'm not sure how often I really get all 4 of these things happening at the same time. There's first of all an internal component to each of these, a way of being, a way of "living".  As James is all about the expression in the world, they each find their expression in our choices, how we respond to others, what we stand for, fight for, do. Perhaps if we start with the last one, yield to others, and the classic time is when we're driving - how does this heart stance find its expression? Or consider being gentle. Have you considered who your harshest critic is? Perhaps that inner voice needs to learn to be gentle too, to hold back its power. To be ...

Friday! Proverbs! The one who leads the upright into an evil way will fall into his own pit, but the blameless will inherit what is good. Proverbs 28:10 CSB Mmm...bit of a warning here for those who harm others. A warning to be careful with my actions and ideas.  And there is encouragement for those who have been harmed...for starters this Proverb acknowledges those who are innocent and harmed by others.  Not only are you acknowledged, but there is an inheritance of goodness for you. And finally there is an indication of justice. Yes it's vague, but it's there, and this theme is found in other parts of the Bible too. Even when you feel unseen, this Proverb is a small reminder that you're not unseen, that you're worth is known, that what happened matters, and there will be justice.  #proverbs #wisdom #somethingtochewon 

If you are wise and understand God's ways, prove it by living an honorable life, doing good works with the humility that comes from wisdom. But if you are bitterly jealous and there is selfish ambition in your heart, don't cover up the truth with boasting and lying. For jealousy and selfishness are not God's kind of wisdom. Such things are earthly, unspiritual, and demonic. For wherever there is jealousy and selfish ambition, there you will find disorder and evil of every kind. James 3:13-16 NLT As we read James letter what images come to mind? Here's 2 of mine: One is a person looking at the 2 choices James describes, weighing & considering them, in one hand, understanding more of God, showing that in good works, in being others focussed, in the things we do, and in the other hand selfishness. The other image is a path. Along the path are decisions, every day type decisions, big decisions, opportunities, and as I walk, there's clear options, and some not so cle...

But if your hearts are full of bitter envy and selfish desires, then stop boasting and speaking lies to cover up the truth about yourselves.  James (He Leads the Way to the Scattered Tribes) 3:14 FNVNT Mmm the cover up that we do to ourselves, the fooling myself, the not letting the truth of what's going on in my heart to the surface...I'm not sure that my heart is full of envy and selfishness, but it's definitely there. And it's so much easier to cover it up, cover it over with reasons and justification and just not tell the truth about me.  (This can get a bit tricky because it seems that there are things that we believe about ourselves that are not true. Lies we've been taught, told, repeated - but these are probably not going to lead to the boasting & the coverup that James is talking about here.  Getting help to discern the difference is OK - none of us can figure everything about ourselves out on our own). James is inviting us to be honest about our heart,...

Then Jesus came over and touched them.  "Get up," he said. "Don't be afraid." Matthew 17:7 NLT Peter James & John are with Jesus on a high mountain and something extraordinary has happened to Jesus. It's like the divine part of who he is has been exposed, overwhelmed the human part, and there's a voice direct from God repeating at least in part what was heard at Jesus baptism. And the guys are terrified.  They're face down on the ground. Afraid for their lives? Overwhelmed? Overwhelmed by what they've seen and heard? Unsure what it all means? Unsure who Jesus, their Rabbi, teacher, leader, really is? And what does Jesus do? Stepped towards them. They're face down on the ground so Jesus must've stooped down or crouched down, or kneeled down next to them...and touched them. Jesus gave them the next step, and reassured them; "don't be afraid." Maybe there's something there for us when others are overwhelmed, unsure, afr...

O Lord,  come back to us! How long will you delay? Take pity on your servants! Psalms 90:13 NLT Moses song is full of lament, questions to God, statements about God's anger, and about how short life is. Not sure what was going on in Moses life when he wrote it, but when we need words and can't find them its OK to borrow the psalmists. When it seems that God is angry with us it's OK to let Him know. When we realise our time is limited it's OK to let God know how we feel. When God seems distant it's OK to let Him know.  'Cos Moses did. Given the content, maybe Moses wrote this song after his sister Miriam had died? Our losses need grieving, are worth grieving, and they come in all kinds of packages, jobs, businesses, money,  places we've lived, relationships, and people.  Psalm 90 gives us not just permission to grieve, but some words of loss and grief if we can't find our own.  (On the flip side of that coin, celebrate the good, the wins, the joys, be gra...

Sunday Psalms; Lord,  through all the generations you have been our home! Before the mountains were born,  before you gave birth to the earth and the world, from beginning to end, you are God. Psalms 90:1-2 NLT This is the first song in Book Four which is Psalms 90-106, and this song is written by Moses. And Moses immediately draws us up into the Big Story, draws us back through the generations, to before the things we see as permanent,  back to creation,  back to Before. And in that Before, our God Is.  And in the Before, there's this implication that Creation, and us, were somehow held in God's mind too (see Eph 1:4!). In this song Moses writes about how short life is and how difficult, but it's held in this safe idea that our God is so much Bigger, so much More. And Moses had been up close and personal with the Eternal, so close it changed his appearance  (Exodus 34:30). He'd had 40 days with the Bigger, the More, with the Eternal. The Eternal who throug...

And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul? Is anything worth more than your soul?  Matthew 16:26 NLT Is anything worth more than your soul? The word "soul" is "psuche" which means and according to BibleHub it's usage includes: The vital breath Breath of life  The soul as the seat of affections and will The self A human person, an individual. Jesus is interested in what makes us us.  What is at the core of who we are, actually it is who we are.  Your personhood.  You. And says you have immense value, can't be valued the way that we value other things.  We can gain a lot of things that can be valued and measured and counted, and Jesus fear for us is that we gain those at the loss of what can't be measured.  Who we are.  So beloved, allow Jesus view of your worth sink in today.  Let His love for your personhood determine your value. #wordsofJesus  #redletterBible #youareBeloved 

Friday! Proverbs! Anyone who turns his ear away from hearing the law - even his prayer is detestable. Proverbs 28:9 CSB Ouch! This seems harsh! What does that mean to us, this turning away from hearing the law? Is it about not following the rules? You're not good enough if you don't  follow the rules? What if the word here is "torah"? Torah means  direction,  instruction,  law. Who's speaking? Or at least who's voice is it that the person is not following their direction? Not following who's instruction? Proverbs is about the heart, right? So what's going on in the heart of the person in this proverb? They can hear the torah, the law, the instruction, the direction, and turn away.  Choose not to listen. Choose another way. Choose their own way.  How surprising is it that this person who's heart has turned away, finds their prayer rejected? If I say to God I reject your direction, reject your instruction, I'm saying I reject you.  And while this...

And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul? Is anything worth more than your soul?  Matthew 16:26 NLT Jesus has changed his emphasis with his discussions with his disciples and is repeatedly telling them about what is ahead for him; suffering death being raised from death  He's just told Peter off because Peter (not unreasonably) doesn't want Jesus to go through these things. Jesus is now laying out what it is to be a follower; To give up your own way.  And yet this is what they'd done isn't it? Followed their Rabbi's call and were going from place to place with him, listening to his teaching? So what is Jesus asking here? Perhaps he's asking to go a little deeper, to our heart motives, to what we really desire? I was at a tangi this week, and Jesus questions are kind of the unspoken questions at a funeral as we remember, and celebrate the goodness, and grieve the loss to ourselves, to others, to the world. The unspoken question i...

If you are wise and understand God's ways, prove it by living an honorable life, doing good works with the humility that comes from wisdom.  James 3:13 NLT The word translated "prove" here is "deiknumi" which means to "point out, exhibit, show, teach, demonstrate, make known".  So if we're wise, understand God's ways, make it known by living it out.  This seems to be a theme of James letter. James repeats again and again that he is writing to "dear brothers and sisters", so his call is to be taken in that context. How does that speak to you and me today (as dear brothers and sisters, as those who care for one another, who are in this life together)? As I sit with this today I am wondering about doing some more learning. But I already know enough to step towards others and do good in this world, and maybe the Spirit is giving you a nudge in some way today too. Could be in some small almost unnoticeable way, right through to making a st...

Sometimes it praises our Lord and Father,  and sometimes it curses those who have been made in the image of God. And so blessing and cursing come pouring out of the same mouth. Surely, my brothers and sisters, this is not right! Does a spring of water bubble out with both fresh water and bitter water?  Does a fig tree produce olives, or a grapevine produce figs?  No, and you can't draw fresh water from a salty spring.  James 3:9-12 NLT James doesn't seem to want us to rush past this idea that our words can be praise and cursing, as its a symptom of something deeper.  To ensure that he's not lecturing us but is right here with us he reminds us that we're dear brothers and sisters. This allows me to sit with this idea and wonder what's going on in me that brings out these different things. It's a reminder that all is not as it should be, not just in the world, but in me too. There's a restlessness there to put an end to the selfishness, the insecurities, the f...

So you see, faith by itself isn't enough. Unless it produces good deeds, it is dead and useless. James 2:17 NLT Jesus replied,  "'You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.' This is the first and greatest commandment. A second is equally important: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' Matthew 22:37-40 NLT  Last night at our church the question was asked "what would you tell your 'young adult' self?" How would you answer that question? If I could pass back some wisdom I would encourage my younger self to learn to love God.  That this love needs to move from my head to heart to hands.  Love needs not only an expression, but it is only really discovered when it is embodied.  Jesus lived at the margins, with the marginalised, and I would encourage my younger self to be found there too, more and more. To seek Jesus there, to see Him there, to learn what love is there, and discover that I am, in fact, Beloved...

Sunday Psalms; I will sing of the Lord's unfailing love forever! Young and old will hear of your faithfulness. Psalms 89:1 NLT Well this is quite a change from Heman's Psalm 88, this one is written by Ethan the Ezrahite.  There's a lot of praise to God, recalling his greatness, his selection of David as king and all that followed in the first part of the song.  And then there's a shift in Ethan's story, it talks about rejection and God's anger and things collapsing, and a wondering of where God is in a mixed up world that doesn't seem to be working how God said, or how he wants or expects it to be.  Maybe there's something you can relate to in Ethan's song, that the world we live in can seem so broken, that every thing is a mess, that the perfect life is only for others to experience. We have an ally in Ethan the Ezrahite who's song gives us permission to write our stories, our laments, our hopes and our griefs. And Ethan also asks us to hold our...

It can set your whole life on fire... James 3:6 NLT What is James talking about? Our words. Words we don't mean. Words said in anger. Words said in haste. Words said without thought. Words said without regard for my neighbour, for their impact. Words designed to hurt. Words chosen to shock, to hurt. Words that squeeze life out of people. I've done all of those things, used all of those words. Our words matter. Having places and people to express what is going on in us and with us is important, critical even to being human. At the same time James reminds us as dear brothers and sisters, that our words can cause harm to our world, our communities, those we care most about, and to ourselves.  Just like fire can destroy, when it's contained and treated with care it can keep you warm, cook your food, warm your spirit, it can speak life into you.  May our words,  my words,  speak life today.  Speak life to my world. Speak life to my community. Speak life to those I ca...

Friday! Proverbs! Whoever increases his wealth through excessive interest collects it for one who is kind to the poor. Proverbs 28:8 CSB Well that's not the way the world I live in seems to work! And maybe that's the point of this proverb, to get us to stop for a moment and consider the systems that we are part of. Systems that can change, and can be changed.  This also gets me wondering about the Bigger Story, that person who has power in having capital or a business or assets or money who thinks they're accumulating it for themselves, but as they say, "one day it all goes back in the box". None of us can take it with us, and when Jesus Kingdom is fully functioning on earth, the last, the least, the left out, will be first.  And finally I'm wondering if the author of this proverb (who may have been Solomon) was hopeful that the next generation will be more compassionate, more willing, more able to share resources than his.  If Proverbs is about getting me to ...

"If you try to hang on to your life,  you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake, you will save it." Matthew 16:25 NLT V21 From then on Jesus began to tell his disciples plainly that it was necessary for him to go to Jerusalem, and that he would suffer...He would be killed, but on the third day... raised from the dead. But Peter took him aside and began to reprimand him for saying such things.  "Heaven forbid, Lord," he said.  "This will never happen to you" Jesus is updating his team on His mission, on what's coming next.  The life they've had following their Rabbi, their teacher, seeing and participating in miracles, healing, gatherings, the life of being a rabbi's disciple is going to end.  And Peter doesn't want it to.  He wants what he's used to to continue. He loves Jesus, doesn't want him to suffer (which are all good things).  And it seems that Peter thinks he knows better than Jesus what should happen. Jesus...

Then Yeshua told his talmidim,  "If anyone wants to come after me, let him say 'No' to himself,  take up his execution-stake,  and keep following me." Matthew 16:24 CJB Matthew from v21 described a change in what Jesus was sharing with those following him. He repeatedly shared about what was going to happen next, that in Jerusalem he would be killed, and raised from death on the third day. Peter had stood against that idea, and in v23 tells Jesus off for talking about it. And Jesus verbally slaps  him down. Peter is so caught up in his own story, how Jesus death might affect him, and Jesus brings them all back to the Bigger Story. This is what being a follower of Jesus is, laying down that smaller story to pick up the Bigger one.  Peter couldn't see past the impact on himself.  Jesus reminded him there's more going on here, and following Jesus is joining in the Big Story of restoring shalom. Which story are we going to commit to? #wordsofJesus  #redlet...

In the same way,  the tongue is a small part of the body,  but it boasts of great things.  Consider how small a spark sets a great forest ablaze.  James 3:5 BSB Our words matter. We all know people who do not take care with their words, who "don't have a filter", who's words can set things ablaze in us and in others.  And that's also been me. I've not taken care with my words.  And I suspect that even with maximum awareness and the desire to take care with my words, they are going to burn others in the future.  And that's where we need each others grace.  That when a fire is started (especially by accident) that we figure out ways to put it out quickly, acknowledge and restore the damage.  I think there's a bigger aspect to this too which is ideas. Ideas created by words that set things on fire. Ideas about people, ethnicity, place, ownership, success, values, who we are, rights, responsibility... there's Ideas that set the world ablaze, spar...

O Lord,  why do you reject me? Why do you turn your face from me? Psalm 88:14 NLT Have you ever been with someone who blames God? Is angry at Him? Maybe you've been there too. Heman the Ezrahite does just that and it's recorded for us in his song.  It seems that this is part of being human, part of grieving what is lost, part of looking for answers when there are none, part of wanting someone to blame for injustice that is too big for us.  This song of Heman's gives us permission to be human. When we've got no voice, to find it even if it's questioning our God. To give breath and words to what is wrong is who we are, even if the target may not be worthy of our blame, but it's often the way forward, to get unstuck, to contain what's wrong, unjust, lost, and take those tiny, tentative steps towards healing. #psalms #psalm88 #somethingtosay #ourGodcanhandleourhurts #keepingitreal #stepstowardshope #youareBeloved

Sunday Psalms; For the Choir Director: A psalm of the descendents of Korah. A song to be sung to the tune "the suffering of affliction". A psalm of Heman the Ezrahite. O Lord,  God of my salvation,  I cry out to you by day.  I come to you at night. Now hear my prayer; listen to my cry. For my life is full of troubles... Psalms 88:1-3 NLT This song documents what seems to be Heman's life and his experience of what we would probably call depression today. As difficult as Heman's heart is to hear, it's a gift for us. Why? Well sometimes we struggle to find words to express our emotions and we can borrow the psalmists if we need to. Sometimes we aren't sure if all our human emotions are OK or acceptable and yet here's a song about some of those really difficult ones that has a tune selected and would have been sung as some part of worship to our God. It's in the middle of our Bible for a reason. When we feel alone, like we're the only one to feel like ...

We can make a large horse go wherever we want by means of a small bit in its mouth. And a small rudder makes a huge ship turn wherever the pilot chooses to go, even though the winds are strong.  James 3:3-4 NLT Words. Ideas. Ideology. What we say matters.  Today I'm inviting you to sit with me and consider James's analogies here, his pictures of a horse, imagine being on a horse, feeling its power, and being able to direct and control it. I'm seeing something about boats that James couldn't imagine, a container ship, it's massiveness being directed by a rudder so small, beneath the water, I can't even see it. What directs our world, countries, cultures, communities...and us.  Me. What are the ideas, the words, that impact my choices and actions today, what I can and can't do, my "shoulds". What words turn me in a direction? Turn us? #james #shipsandhorses #wordsandideas #whoamIfollowing?

Friday! Proverbs! The righteous understands the cause of the poor,  but the wicked is unconcerned. Proverbs 28:7 CJB This word translated "cause" carries the meaning of cause, judgment, justice, rights. Proverbs is written in a context of our God giving rules so that the poor will be cared for, not ignored or treated as less than. The book of Genesis has the idea that people are made in God's image, have received His breath, have purpose in the world, are made for connection with God, one another, the land, and within themselves. Can we sit with the cause of the poor? In the world? In our country? In our community? In our whanau? Do I understand what this simple proverb is asking? I do know that at times I choose to not understand, sometimes because the problem can seem so big, so far away, that injustice is at its cause and I can't fix that. And this proverb pops me in the category of the "wicked"! But Proverbs is not a weapon to beat ourselves or anyone el...

For we all stumble in many ways. If anyone does not stumble in what he says, he is mature,  able also to control the whole body.  James 3:2 CSB James has been talking about working out our faith, and then this idea about those who teach being judged more strictly and adds this stumbling on the path, stumbling with what is said, the "logos", the word.  He seems to be saying that there's an element of control that is missing when the stumbling with our words happens, and that control is perhaps missing in other areas of the teachers life? Faith and works Words and actions James seems to be asking us to look at our faith and life holistically, that just as our faith needs expression, our actions, lifestyle, choices, need to line up with our words (and even more so if we're teacher others. And who isn't teaching someone somewhere along the way?) and our words should be chosen carefully, connected to our faith, connected to the truth of who Jesus is.  Are you intrigued...

We all stumble on the path in many ways. James 3:2 FNVNT  Yep there's a context for this idea, but I'm wondering whether someone needs to know today that we all make mistakes.  We all get things wrong. We all trip up, trip over, make a wrong choice. All. None of us get it right all the time. No matter what their instagram tells you, we all stumble on the path sometimes. So, we can know that our God is Grace and His Grace is for us, and we can extend grace to others, but for some reason we can be really hard on ourselves. We have no grace for me.  Even though we know we all stumble on the path, I shouldn't. I'm wondering if this hinders us from accepting grace from others and from fully accepting Grace from our God. Maybe this little reminder from James can help shift things a little, we're all in this together, walking each other towards home, accepting our humanness, limitations, frailties, and perhaps giving ourselves a little more grace. #James #grace #beinghuman