Category: Bible (Page 186 of 424)

Isaiah wrote extensively about failed worship practices among the people of Israel. He pointed out the ludicrous nature of sawing a log in two, using half to bake bread and fashioning the other half into an idol.

He wrote of one who lived this way: Such a person feeds on ashes; a deluded heart misleads him; he cannot save himself, or say, “Is not this thing in my right hand a lie?”

These deluded ones worshipped a variety of gods represented by the forms they crafted. Isaiah continually reminded them that their idols and the ideas behind them were worthless—simply nothing at all.

Isaiah announced again and again that a god you can hold in your hand ain’t no god at all.

The God of the Bible cannot be held. God told Isaiah, This is what the Lord says—your Redeemer, who formed you in the womb. I am the Lord, the Maker of all things, who stretches out the heavens, who spreads out the earth by myself.

Often I prefer a god I can carry in my pocket, a talisman or lucky rabbit’s foot to help me through tough situations, one I can then tuck away until needed again. But that god only exists in my imagination. I need to wise up and realize this thing in my hand is a lie.

Turn to the Lord as discovered in the Scriptures. Way scarier and wilder and out of our grasp. But he’s the only God available, the only Redeemer with our best interests on his heart.

Isaiah 44 in reading the Bible in 2023

Photo by Iza Gawrych

I’ve endured a couple of whopper toothaches in my time. Few things grab your attention in such a vivid way. When a toothache erupts, the entire body suffers. I cannot retreat into a quiet corner of my big toe to escape the pain.

When the pain finally ebbs, my grimace melts into a smile and I relax. Like an evil sorcerer, agony in one tiny exposed nerve held my entire body in thrall.

Paul wrote to the church in Corinth to hang in together, to give attention to one another, to treat each other kindly, using the metaphor of a body to get his concept across:

There should be no division in the body, but its parts should have equal concern for each other. If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it.

I may not hurt today, but others do. In the group of believers surrounding me I listen and try to understand and not talk too much. I support my fellow believer in their pain, and they will in turn support me in mine. I’ve experienced this aspect of the Christian faith again and again. It’s quite wonderful actually. Not perfect, but an astounding support in a world that cares little about you and me.

How does a person live without a body of Christ-following people around them, arms locked with one another? In most cases, not terribly well, especially as we age and friends fall away.

Engage with a group of believers. The Lord created you to need them and they to depend on you. Value those sharing the body with you, teeth and toes, knowing the Lord put you together for a purpose.

1 Corinthians 12 in reading the Bible in 2023

Photo by engin akyurt

A friend of mine in college believed that at least once a week he needed to reach popping point, meaning that he ate so much one more bite would make him explode. As a young man I embraced this philosophy wholeheartedly. It wasn’t until a few years later (when my metabolism slowed) the dangers of popping point emerged. But even today it’s a tempting prospect.

Several members of the church in Corinth employed a similar practice at their communal meals. They ate plenty, even to the point of pulling away into a private dining space with their own spread, excluding fellow church members. Paul called them out:

Your meetings do more harm than good. In the first place, I hear that when you come together as a church, there are divisions among you…for while you are eating, some of you go ahead with your own private suppers. As a result, one person remains hungry and another gets drunk.

One group reached popping point, while another stared at empty plates. All in the same fellowship hall.

The church in Corinth faced many problems, but this stark dichotomy reveals a major one. The issue ran deeper than full bellies. The church stratified into a wealthy upper crust and lower class parishioners. Many churches over the years divided in the same way. Yet Paul cuts no slack.

The point of a church body is togetherness, sharing needs and plenty. Paul actually expected this group of believers to practice the words of their Savior – to do unto others as would be done unto them.

Today our lives and places of worship must also match the teachings of Jesus. The last person in the buffet line at a church supper should enjoy just as bountiful a spread as the first. Maybe that jello salad with marshmallows has disappeared, but there should still be plenty to eat.

1 Corinthians 11 in reading the Bible in 2023

Photo by Markus Winkler

Eternal is a big word. I joke about sitting through eternal meetings, but when I really mull on the concept I find I cannot understand. Infinite, never-ending and timeless help a bit, but what do I know about infinity?

In one of my favorite chapters in the Bible, Isaiah reminds us of the eternal nature of God. Whom did the Lord consult to enlighten him, and who taught him the right way? Who was it that taught him knowledge, or showed him the path of understanding?

Who or what came before God? The answer—no one. Nothing. Nada. God always has been. Immortal, invisible, God only wise.

From everlasting to everlasting. Who can understand? Indeed Isaiah asks this question himself. Who can fathom the Spirit of the Lord, or instruct the Lord as his counselor?

We’re way behind, a drop in the bucket, dust on the scales. How do we approach boundless? Fortunately, a doorway exists. In light of our temporal nature and the Lord’s perpetualness, Isaiah revealed the one way at our disposal. The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of our God endures forever.

How do you and I begin to grasp the concept of eternity? We invest time and thought and prayer into the book of wisdom provided for us. God’s word endures and his Spirit illuminates. Open the Bible. Its words are eternal, as God is eternal, as your soul and my soul are eternal.

Invest in eternity. It’s only a page away.

Isaiah 40 in reading the Bible in 2023

Photo by Huỳnh Chương