Category: Bible (Page 334 of 419)

Jeremiah lays the wood to the leaders of Judah throughout his prophetic book. He unflinchingly communicates the Lord’s anger and impending judgement on a king and court who turned away from their God.

But Jeremiah also carries words of hope. In speaking of exiles, the Lord promises to watch over them and to bring them back to their land. He promises to give them a heart to know me, that I am the Lord.

In that sentence I discover a prayer directly from the mouth of the Lord. I pray for myself, my kids, my spouse, and for those around me—“Lord, give them a heart to know you.”

Then more blessings from the Lord emerge: My eyes will watch over them for good…I will build them up and not tear them down; I will plant them and not uproot them. All blend together with a heart aimed toward God.

No amount of prayer on my part pulls a lever causing the Lord to act a certain way. But if I’m going to pray for those in my sphere of influence, here’s a clear word from the Lord, not a guess or a wishful idea.

A heart to know me, that I am the Lord.

Amen. May it be for you and me and those we love.

Jeremiah 24 in week forty-one of reading the Bible cover to cover

Photo by Ümit Bulut

I pray this prayer a lot, usually when faced with a challenging decision or interacting with a difficult person. I prayed it more than once when unsure of my location while traveling overseas (i.e. lost). Of course, I prayed it often while raising kids, and I’m sure my wife prays it all the time when dealing with me.

So I was intrigued to read James’s words on wisdom—Who is wise and understanding among you? Let them show it by their good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom.

A few beats later James shares a list of characteristics of wisdom. It’s worthy of a longer look, but here’s a few things that stand out to me.

Wisdom from heaven is first of all pure, impartial and sincere. When I’m making a decision, do I have ulterior motives? Am I truly after wisdom from the Lord, or am I subtly hoping to manipulate the situation toward my desired ends?

Wisdom from heaven is submissive. When considering which move to make, am I malleable in the hands of the Lord? Am I willing to listen to wise people? Might I change direction based on any of this feedback?

Wisdom from heaven is full of mercy. A reminder of the definition of mercy—compassion or forgiveness toward someone whom it is within one’s power to punish or harm. No part of me naturally leans toward mercy. I desperately need wisdom from the Holy Spirit when mercy is called for.

Lord, give me wisdom!

For as long as I draw breath this prayer will pass my lips. I’m grateful to James for insight into how my prayer might actually look when answered.

James 3 in week forty-one of reading the Bible cover to cover

Photo by Cherry Laithang

“Is not my word like fire,” declares the Lord, “and like a hammer that breaks a rock in pieces?”

Martin Luther thought so, and painstakingly translated the Bible into German, putting it into the hands of the common person.

William Tyndale agreed, taking the Greek and Hebrew texts—at the risk of his life—and translating them into English. The King James Bible translators drew from his work, and those of us who’ve grown up reading a Bible in English still benefit from his efforts.

The staff members at Wycliffe Bible Translators signed on with the same mind—to put the words of Scripture in the first language of everyone in the world. 167 million people still don’t have any portion of the Bible in their language.

Life fire, the words of God contained in this book are dangerous—handle them with care. The truths contained smash our preconceived notions of right and wrong and patterns of life. Small wonder dictators and autocrats ban the Bible from the people they hope to control.

No one reads and studies the Bible “out of an abundance of caution.” If you’re cautious, put your Bible on a shelf and cover it with a doily.

Me? I decided to read the Bible from front to back years ago, and have done so over and over. I’ve been burned and smashed more than a few times.

Nothing compares. Take a risk and dig in.

Jeremiah 23:29 in week forty of reading the Bible cover to cover

Photo by Moritz Mentges

Do you ever experience a sense of foreboding when you arrive at a new place?

I do sometimes. I don’t know if there’s anything to it, and I can’t say either biblically or scientifically if my feelings are accurate, but I feel a hitch in my spirit in certain places.

We left Amsterdam for the U.S. yesterday. Criss-crossed with picturesque canals, featuring narrow houses, wonderful museums and ever-present bicycles, there’s a lot to love about the city. I enjoyed a couple of days there.

But aspects of the city nagged at my soul. In one museum I learned the prosperity I viewed all around me was built upon centuries of world trade—including the buying and selling of human beings.

Another exhibit took me through a brief history of Dutch colonization efforts and the brutal wars fought to protect wealth wrung from far-flung domains.

We toured the Anne Frank House Museum, where Anne and her family hid from the Nazis for two years before their discovery and deportation to concentration camps. Many opposed the Nazis and helped hide their Jewish friends and neighbors. But others in Amsterdam collaborated and benefited from the “final solution”.

Today Amsterdam generates wealth from two fresh sources—recreational drugs and recreational sex. Boasting a large red-light district, legal and regulated, people travel to Amsterdam to indulge in sexual pleasures. Alongside, a thriving drug culture encourages imbibing under the watchful eye of the regulators.

And so I soured on the city the longer I walked the streets.

While in Amsterdam I read these prophetic words from Jeremiah:

Woe to him to builds his house by unrighteousness, and his upper rooms by injustice.

Later I walked among the tall, narrow houses, built with upper rooms to store goods and house servants. I imagined the Frank family, hiding from the Gestapo, afraid of both the Germans and their neighbors.

And I understood why my spirit grew unsettled. A place with a history of terror retains a film that’s hard to wash away. And a modern city seeking to grow by unrighteousness appears headed in the wrong direction.

Jeremiah 22:13 in week forty of reading the Bible cover to cover

Photo is the front of the Anne Frank House Museum