Category: Bible (Page 248 of 361)

I’m always impressed with the honesty David expressed when he was frustrated. None more so than asserting his displeasure with former colleagues attacking him without cause, repaying friendship with evil behaviors.

David starts strong:

Let an accuser stand at his right hand…

May his days be few…

May another take his place of leadership…

Then David really winds up and delivers:

May his children be fatherless and his wife a widow…

May his children be wandering beggars…

May strangers plunder the fruits of his labor…

Then the coup de grâce:

May he blot out their name from the earth…

Finally David turns to the Lord, and we better glimpse the deep feeling of betrayal he experienced:

I am poor and needy, and my heart is wounded within me.

I have no idea if any of these curses materialized. I just appreciate David’s honesty before the Lord. If we can’t complain to the Lord, who else do we have?

It seems David kept up a running dialogue with his God—honest, open, uninhibited. Probably ok for me to do so as well.

Psalm 109 in reading the Bible cover to cover in 2022

Photo by Katerina Pavlyuchkova

More mysterious than the dark web, powers of a spiritual nature writhe and contort in their opposition to us.

If we hope to take the Scriptures seriously, all of them, we cannot merely skim these passages in order to get to the more uplifting ones.

There are things we cannot see in our world, some more wonderful than we could ever imagine, some more terrible.

Why do we doubt they exist? If one believes in God, an omnipotent creator beyond our senses, why should it be a leap to believe in angels and demons? For the very God we claim to believe warns us of them.

The Lord does not leave us helpless. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. While we possess the means to resist, resistance involves weapons and wrestling and extinguishing flaming darts. Not for the faint of heart, nor for the ignorant.

And best of all, the last battle is already settled: He (Jesus) disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in him (Colossians 2:15).

But in the meantime, keep the hidden world on the edge of your vision.

Ephesians 6 in reading the Bible cover to cover in 2022

Photo by Samet Kurtkus

In an echo of do unto others as you would have them do unto you, Paul instructs the church members in Philippi: In humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.

Easy to read—hard to practice.

Paul writes to folks living and working and worshipping in close proximity to each other, which makes all this so much harder.

I nod politely to an acquaintance, I help them carry something to their car, I give them a few minutes of my time. I’m not close to them, they don’t infringe on my interests, and so it’s easy to play nice.

But Paul wants me to consider those with whom I work closely, those who disagree with my good ideas or talk over me. Some people fail to grasp just how wonderful I am. Or worse, they know me well enough to know I’m not so wonderful.

In the first situation I act nice on auto-pilot. But in the second, I need the Holy Spirit to remind me of Paul’s words and to empower me to live them out. Only then can I truly look to the interests of others.

Philippians 2 in reading the Bible cover to cover in 2022

Photo by Carine L.

In a few days, heads or tails will determine which team gets the ball first in the Super Bowl, the coin toss yielding a fair and unbiased decision. It’s the first picture that pops into my mind when I read about a unique decision-making process used by the Israelites.

Put the Urim and the Thummim in the breastpiece, so they may be over Aaron’s heart whenever he enters the presence of the Lord. Thus Aaron will always bear the means of making decisions for the Israelites over his heart before the Lord.

Sounds mysterious. Did these stones (the breastpiece constructed for Aaron contained various precious stones) work like a coin toss? Or a role of the dice? Maybe an ancient magic 8-ball?

These were certainly not a source of magic divination, as the Lord expressly prohibited such practices. Urim means light, and Thummim means perfection. Perhaps they symbolized the special relationship of the high priest before the Lord? A tool to determine the Lord’s guidance when no other way existed?

The mystery remains.

Jesus gave to those who follow him something far more powerful than the Urim and Thummim—the Holy Spirit. The Spirit of Truth indwells the believer and serves as our source of wisdom and insight.

I know I don’t value this gift enough. Despite my forgetfulness, I’m grateful the Holy Spirit remains more personal—and much more accessible—than those stones of the ancient high priest.

Exodus 28 in reading the Bible cover to cover in 2022

Photo by Andy Henderson