Category: Bible (Page 188 of 424)

A box of fresh Colorado peaches sits on my kitchen counter. A ripe peach sliced on ice cream makes for the perfect treat. In fact, I believe the fruit in the middle of the garden that tempted Eve wasn’t actually an apple, but was really a peach. Who could resist?

The flavor of a perfect peach reminds me of the generosity of the Lord. God could have fed us, but fruit didn’t have to taste this good or come in such abundance. David reflected on the Lord’s provision for us in this way:

You care for the land and water it; you enrich it abundantly. The streams of God are filled with water to provide the people with grain, for so you have ordained it. You drench its furrows and level its ridges; you soften it with showers and bless its crops. You crown the year with bounty, and your carts overflow with abundance.

Gardens and farmer’s markets overflowing with fresh produce reflect the benevolence of the Lord. We experience his bounty all year long, but the joys of the harvest remind us anew.

Enjoy a peach and taste, quite literally, the goodness of God.

Psalm 65 in reading the Bible in 2023

Photo by LuAnn Hunt

Many of us experienced storms this summer where falling limbs knocked out power. When the power’s out nothing works. The TV stays blank, the internet is inaccessible, air conditioners don’t cool and if the grid stays down long enough, food in the freezer starts to rot.

Power lines overhead remind me of our prayer life. The psalmist wrote:

If I had cherished sin in my heart, the Lord would not have listened; but God has surely listened and heard my prayer. Praise be to God, who has not rejected my prayer or withheld his love from me!

The best way to pull the plug on my prayer life is to cherish sin in my heart. To cherish means to dwell upon my particular sin, to hold it close and hide it from others. I don’t do anything to stop it, and I manipulate circumstances to keep it alive.

What do you and I cherish that displeases the Lord? Pride, lack of forgiveness, jealousy and anger come to mind. Perhaps coveting what others possess, or treasuring immorality from hidden sessions on social media or the internet. Do I despise my neighbor and enjoy the thought of their frustrations in life?

Regardless of the sin, cherishing it cuts off access to the Lord. Power failure—the lines are down. Frustrated in prayer? Look inward and remove the debris, then the Lord will listen once again.

Psalm 66 in reading the Bible in 2023

Photo by fabian jones

I’m no wine connoisseur, but I know that certain wines are mixed, or blended, before bottling. Blending is the process of combining different varieties to create a medley that’s better than any of the wines on their own.

Mirroring a fine blend, the prophet Isaiah reveals an aspect of the Lord’s heart tuned toward you and me:

The Lord longs to be gracious to you; therefore he will rise up and show you compassion. For the Lord is a God of justice. Blessed are all who wait for him!

Our world rarely blends grace and compassion with justice. We present justice as harsh, punitive and crushing, opposite of the lightness of grace. Those in need of justice deserve no compassion. It’s either/or, not both/and.

But in the Lord we experience an exquisite blend. God’s justice mixes with his grace and compassion to release us from our captivity to self and turn us toward him. The Lord models this for us, and in turn we can be both just and compassionate with those around us.

While I never hope to understand the intricacies of winemaking, I can live under the hope found in the Lord’s matchless blend of justice, grace and compassion.

Isaiah 30 in reading the Bible in 2023

Photo by Rodrigo Abreu

Paul wrote a long letter to church members in Corinth, addressing their slide into religiosity and immorality. Members spoke arrogantly to one another, proud of their ways. Paul called them to the carpet, speaking as a father to wayward adolescents:

I will come to you very soon, if the Lord is willing, and then I will find out not only how these arrogant people are talking, but what power they have. For the kingdom of God is not a matter of talk but of power.

Many in Corinth talked too much and instead of the Living God, they worshipped a placebo, a saccharine god, rough edges sanded and polished.

Placebo worship focuses on self. The placebo worshipper believes that God primarily wants them to be happy, so avoids any complications getting in the way. The placebo allows for most any lifestyle, as long as it feels good. Selective readings from the Bible proof text the experience. Placebo worshippers drift along, fingering their handmade god.

Fortunately, the kingdom of God supersedes such drivel. The raw God of the Scriptures brings power, the Holy Spirit indwelling those who follow him. One who follows the Lord doesn’t drift, but climbs aboard to endure storms and raging seas. The living God isn’t about my happiness, but rather my holiness.

Worship the Lord in all his power and glory, humbly wrestling with the full breadth of the Scriptures. Move beyond talk into the kingdom of God.

1 Corinthians 4 in reading the Bible in 2023

Photo by Michał Parzuchowski