Category: Bible (Page 29 of 357)

Contemporary listeners describe Abraham Lincoln as a fabulous story-teller, keeping a crowd engaged for hours. Too bad we don’t have video of him in action. I feel the same way about Jesus. What would it have been like to hear him teach live and in the flesh?

A team of temple security officers were sent to pull Jesus in for questioning. These were hardened men, used to preachers spouting off and charged with keeping order throughout the chaotic grounds.

They joined the crowd and listened as Jesus proclaimed in a booming voice, Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them.

The guards stood rooted in place. Something sparked in their souls. After a time they returned empty-handed to their bosses who scolded them for not bringing Jesus with them. They responded, No one ever spoke the way this man does.

Indeed, no one has spoken like him since. My mind fills with noise from news channels and social media and entertainment and sports. But nothing compares to Jesus. He’s the source of living water, and he’s worth our ear.

John 7 in Through the Bible in 2024

Photo by Gustavo Leighton

Long walks are good for my soul. My wife and I have hiked parts of the Camino de Santiago in Spain several different years, leading groups of fellow pilgrims each time. I love the day after day rhythm of tramping along, one foot in front of the other, enjoying nature and letting regular life slide away for a time.

Ages ago a psalmist wrote of long walks as he praised to the Lord: Blessed are those whose strength is in you, whose hearts are set on pilgrimage.

I might rephrase this line as happy are those who walk and think about God. You don’t have to go to Spain to enjoy ambling with the Lord. A few steps out the door his creation waits with open arms.

Take a stroll. Spend time appreciating the world around you. Enjoy a few minutes in the presence of the Lord, and turn your outing into a pilgrimage.

Psalm 84 in Through the Bible in 2024

My wife and I will once again lead a group on the Camino de Santiago, June 7-15, 2025. If this interests you, visit our website for more information.

Photo by Ales Krivec

I learned quickly after moving to Colorado not to leave my bread uncovered on the counter. Within a few minutes it turned stale. I left humid Missouri where bread stayed fresh for days, requiring little vigilance on my part. Oreos are the opposite. Leave them out in Missouri and they go soft, but in Colorado they stay delicious for weeks.

Jesus spoke of bread to a crowd asking him questions. I am the bread of life. Whoever come to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.

Jesus never goes stale. I pursue different substitutes, but I find they eventually crumble. My hopes in things other than Jesus, like financial security, or greater recognition, or simply a comfortable life, harden like bread sitting in an arid kitchen.

Only Jesus speaks words of eternal life. All other philosophies and pursuits go dry, but Jesus remains as fresh as when he walked this earth.

John 6 in Through the Bible in 2024

Photo by Stephanie Harvey

My wife and I pause and give thanks when we sit down to eat together, but I rarely do so when I pour a bowl of cereal or grab a sandwich between meetings. I take for granted the abundance of fresh food available in my world.

Long ago a writer penned a psalm lauding God for his magnificent acts. He praised the Lord for creating the heavens, the seas that cover the earth, the sun, moon and stars. The psalmist made much of dividing the Red Sea and delivering from Pharaoh. He applauded God for placing Israel in the promised land.

Then, at the end of the passage the writer included this final thought: He gives food to every creature. His love endures forever. Give thanks to the God of heaven.

From the magnificent to the minute, the Lord is behind it all. Along with creating the universe and delivering his chosen, the Lord also ensures his creatures have food to eat. God is in the details, right down to the salt and pepper.

Lord, help me remember your goodness when I sit down to enjoy the food on my plate.

Psalm 136 in Through the Bible in 2024

Photo by Debby Hudson