Daily Bible Blog

And the tongue is a fire, a world of unrighteousness. The tongue is set among our members, staining the whole body, setting on fire the entire course of life, and set on fire by hell. For every kind of beast and bird, of reptile and sea creature, can be tamed and has been tamed by mankind, but no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse people who are made in the likeness of God. From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. My brothers, these things ought not to be so.

James 3:6-10 (ESV)

Bible Reading Comments:

Oh, how we need the power of the Holy Spirit to tame that one!  “With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse people who are made in the likeness of God.” How often have we stopped to realize our words are no longer a blessing and we’ve crossed over into cursing?  How many times have we taken account to be sure that we are not participating in the enemies plans … you know, the ones where he is fulfilling his “job description” as “accuser of the brethren” . . .   Frankly, I don’t think he (Satan) needs any help in the accusation department … let’s ask the Lord to give us strength to refrain from participating in the same thing, and lets ask God for an attitude and Spirit of blessing to flow from our lives … especially from our tongue.

Prayer:

God, our Father in Heaven, we need your help!  I ask today that you would fill us with Your Holy Spirit for the purpose of taming the tongue.  Your word says that no HUMAN can tame it, but we know that YOU are able.  Would you place a guard over our words, and hearts so that we become aware and sensitive to use our words for blessing only.  I ask for this because Jesus, by his life, death and resurrection from the dead made it possible, AMEN.

Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus, by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain, that is, through his flesh, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful. And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.

Hebrews 10:19-25 (ESV)

Bible Reading Comments:

So who’s stirring you up, and who are you stirring up?  I am so grateful for the amazing grace of God which is received through Jesus Christ, and for the amazing gift of salvation and righteousness that He has made possible!  I rejoice that, because of the blood of Jesus, I am able to stand with a clear conscience before God … yet, I wonder how much “stirring” I’ve done lately as a result of those amazing truths and that good news?  The bottom line for me is that the grace I’ve received from God ought to be spurring me on to stir others up toward love and good works.  We’re not given salvation so that we can sit back and live out the rest of our days in “peace”, but rather so that we can encourage each other to continue on toward love and good works, while remaining faithful to meet together.  Do you know someone who needs a good “stir”?  How about yourself, could you use a little “stirring” toward action?

Prayer:

Father in heaven, thank you so much for your good gift of grace!  Stir within our hearts so that we will not sit back, nor “shrink back”, but so that we’ll pursue love and good works out of purely grateful hearts for all You’ve done!  I ask in the name of the one who made it possible, Jesus Christ, Amen.

Only let your manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of you that you are standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving side by side for the faith of the gospel, and not frightened in anything by your opponents.  This is a clear sign to them of their destruction, but of your salvation, and that from God.  For it has been granted to you that for the sake of Christ you should not only believe in him but also suffer for his sake, engaged in the same conflict that you saw I had and now hear that I still have.

Philippians 1:27-30

Bible Reading Comments:

I’m always sent into thoughtful mode when I read these words from Paul.  So many challenging and non-western-christianity phrases included in a short passage.  The most striking for me being Paul’s bold statement that

“. . .it has been granted to you that for the sake of Christ you should not only believe in him but also SUFFER FOR HIS SAKE . . .”

Am I ready and willing and looking forward to suffering for His sake?  Will we be able to stand firm in one spirit when trials come ON HIS BEHALF?  Every Christian ought to take account of our lives and ask the question, “Am I truly living out this life for Christ, or for myself?”  It is a tough question to ask mostly because it is almost completely hypothetical for believers in the U.S.  It is, however still a question worth reflecting on today.

Prayer:

Father, whether we will ever face persecution for Your sake or not, would you search our hearts and confirm within us a deep and lasting faith that is willing to go anywhere, tell any truth, and do anything for YOUR sake and for YOUR glory, no matter the cost.  I ask for a deepening of our faith in Jesus’ name, Amen.

Discipline your son, for there is hope; do not set your heart on putting him to death.

Proverbs 19:18 (ESV)

Bible Reading Comments:

I was intrigued with the idea of this verse . . . it had the ring of (I brought you into this world … I’ll take you out) in the latter part, so I took the time to read it in several different translations.  I’m not sure when I’ve seen a verse have such a varied translation.  The second part of the verse is translated anywhere from what you read above to:

• “… let not thy soul spare for his crying” (KJV)
• “… do not be a willing party to his death” (NIV)
• “… if you don’t punish them, you are destroying them” (CEV)
• “…but do not [indulge your angry resentments by undue chastisements and] set yourself to his ruin.” (Amplified)

The only thing that seems clear is that the Hebrew is clearly not clear … However, the first part of the verse is pretty consistent.  In discipline, there is hope for your son(children).

My take away … don’t neglect discipline for your children.

In Godly discipline is where we find hope for our children and where they have the greatest hope for becoming Godly in their own lives.  Alternately, whether we discipline in an ungodly manner (perhaps in anger, or frustration), or if we choose NOT to discipline our children, there is little hope for them in life.

Prayer:

Father in heaven, you have given us children as a reward and today we lean on you for wisdom and strength to discipline them in a God-fearing way, and to give them the greatest hope for life-long relationship with You.  Protect us from any ungodly patterns, and fill us with wisdom for each of our children.  I ask in Jesus’ name, Amen.

Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor.

Romans 12:10 (ESV)

Bible Reading Comments

I love the wording of this verse in the ESV.  ”Outdo one another in showing honor.”  What would happen if each of us made honoring others (celebrating the unique gifts and talents as well as the God-likeness in each) a primary focus of our days.  I’m not talking about a “false humility” that looks like the “after you … no I insist … after you” kind of honoring.  But rather a genuine celebration of who others are and of the ways that they are bringing glory to God in their lives.  My own goal is to be more intentional in recognizing God in others, and in celebrating it by honoring them privately and publicly.

Prayer

Father in heaven, I ask for a fresh anointing of Your Spirit which enables us to see You in others around us.  I ask that we will be “celebrators” of the uniqueness of each person, and that we will live in an honoring way in our private thoughts and lives as well as in our public expressions.  As we honor others, may You be glorified and ultimately receive the honor which is due to You for being so creative and refreshing with every person you’ve given life to.  Be glorified in our honoring I ask in Jesus’ name, Amen.

More than that, we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.                                                                                   Romans 5:3-5 (ESV)

Bible Reading Comments

More than what?  What is it that we  are comparing our “rejoicing in” to?  In verse 2, Paul said that we rejoice in the “hope of the glory of God”.  Then he adds … but hold on, we rejoice even more in our suffering (trials, testing, pressure … stress) than we rejoice in our hope of glory.  Really?  Is it possible that we are supposed to see difficulties and trials as “hopeful”?  A truly God-centered perspective is going to lead us to the place of being quicker to acknowledge God is at work in us.  It is this work in us that focuses our hearts on truly eternal realities instead of worldly ambitions and thought of worldly gain.  When (and yes it is “when”, not “if”) we experience suffering, we really can rejoice in it with integrity because we know that coming through that suffering will bring us to a new and better place of relationship with the God who loves us.  Are you suffering now?  God is at work, and you have an opportunity to know him more and more through it.  May He grant us grace to see EVERY circumstance through eternal perspective.

Prayer

God in Heaven who loves us with an unfailing love.  I ask for your grace and your strength to walk through every trial with faith, knowing that you are working in us a greater hope that is lasting and that comes from You.  Help us to truly know the truth as we live it, and to be set free from the world’s ways more and more as we know you truly.  Be glorified in and through us . . . because Jesus makes it possible.  Amen.

And in their hearts they put God to the test By asking food according to their desire.                 Psalm 78:18 (ESV)

Bible Reading Comments

Ouch!  How did they test God?  By asking food according to their desire??  That sounds like we’re not allowed to bring our requests and desires to God.  Actually, the word “desire” is translated “lust” in the King James and refers to the desires that come from the flesh (or from our humanity). (See Strongs Definition)  Bottom line, the people of God were not content with the amazing ways He had chosen to provide for them.  They preferred to tell him what would be good, and beg for something else.  In their discontent and their unwillingness to walk in gratefulness, they put God to the test.  Ouch again.

Prayer

Father, I ask for your Spirit’s prompting today every time we forget what you HAVE done, and choose to focus more on what you HAVEN’T done.  Remind us in a fresh way today of all that you have provided, all that you have made possible and all that you have given.  May we walk by Your grace in gratefulness and may we be content in whatever circumstance we find ourselves.  In this way, be glorified as we honor you with all that is within us.  I ask because Jesus made it possible to bring our requests boldly before you, Amen.

But who am I, and what is my people, that we should be able thus to offer willingly? For all things come from you, and of your own have we given you. For we are strangers before you and sojourners, as all our fathers were. Our days on the earth are like a shadow, and there is no abiding. O Lord our God, all this abundance that we have provided for building you a house for your holy name comes from your hand and is all your own.                                                             1 Chronicles 29:14-16 (ESV)

Bible Reading Comments

David has just led the people in giving toward the building of a temple for God.  David is also nearing the end of his life, and in the verses above, he reflects on the idea of “giving to God”.  One of the reasons I enjoy spending talking with people who are in the last years of their life on earth is that they tend to have a healthier perspective on eternal things than younger folks.  David basically says, “Yeah, we gave a lot of gold and silver and things to God, and we felt really good about it, but the reality is … HE GAVE IT TO US in the first place.”  It is just that kind of perspective that can help us as we manage “our” money.  It all came from HIM in the first place.

Prayer

Father in heaven, I ask that You remind us daily of YOUR goodness to us, and that in Your grace we would become/remain a grateful people who see our role as living faithfully as stewards of YOUR resources.  Be glorified in us, I ask in Jesus’ name.  Amen.

But Joab said, “May the Lord add to his people a hundred times as many as they are!  Are they not, my lord the king, all of them my lord’s servants?  Why then should my lord require this?  Why should it be a cause of guilt Israel?”                                  1 Chron. 21:3 (ESV)

Bible Reading Comments

In reading Joab’s response to David today, I was challenged again with the reality that we need to surround ourselves with people of authenticity!  In the end, Joab’s question to David didn’t change David’s mind, but at least Joab asked the right question at the right time.  Too often leaders (including leaders at home, church, and work) surround themselves with people who are afraid to ask the “hard questions”.  How is it with you?  Are you open to hearing questions?

Prayer

Father in Heaven, I ask for the grace to see where I have not opened myself up to counsel, and I ask for the grace to surround myself with people who will speak the truth in love.  Lord, fill the church with leaders, and fill our homes with leaders/parents who are able to allow the “hard questions” to be asked.  May we walk in humility and openness and may the church be stronger because of it.  I ask in Jesus’ name, Amen.