Psalm 119:11 – Hide It!

“I have hidden your word in my heart,
that I might not sin against you.” (Psalm 119:11)

This verse sums up precisely why I often reflect on one verse at a time. It is easier to memorize or “hide” God’s word in our hearts when it’s in smaller chunks. When we can associate a given situation with a verse, it helps us to recall when those situations arise.

Context (Psalm 119:9-16): This is only a small excerpt from the longest chapter in the Bible. This psalm’s central theme is the importance of God’s word. The psalmist knows our lives depend on our obedience to the truths of Scripture. Other descriptors for God’s word include decrees, regulations, commandments, and laws. The whole psalm follows this pattern of singing the praises of God’s instruction book for us. Continue reading “Psalm 119:11 – Hide It!”

Galatians 6:4-5 – Our Responsibility

“Pay careful attention to your own work, for then you will get the satisfaction of a job well done, and you won’t need to compare yourself to anyone else. For we are each responsible for our own conduct.” (Galatians 6:4-5)

What a great reminder to take a self-check right now. Paul is giving us permission, encouraging us to do so in this moment. Each time we claim this verse and live it out, we can make sure we’re taking care of our own faith business before we try and change the world or, worse yet, compare ourselves to others.

Context (Galatians 6:1-10): Paul is handling some sensitive subjects here in chapter 6. Namely, the harvest of those seeds we plant both in ourselves and in others. We’ll face temptation and plenty of opportunities to do the wrong thing in God’s eyes. Paul is hoping to help us thwart those inevitable missteps. Continue reading “Galatians 6:4-5 – Our Responsibility”

1 Corinthians 3:7-8 – It All Starts with a Seed

“It’s not important who does the planting, or who does the watering. What’s important is that God makes the seed grow. The one who plants and the one who waters work together with the same purpose. And both will be rewarded for their own hard work.” (1 Corinthians 3:7-8)

We often hear people say they “brought someone else to faith.” These verses would suggest otherwise. We should not take credit for something God is doing, should we? Our job, then, is to plant seeds of faith or water them. It’s God’s work that grows those seeds and brings people to faith.

Context (1 Corinthians 3): Paul is teaching his audience about spiritual growth in this chapter. It’s a process that starts with first hearing the Word of God and then being nurtured as we learn more. As believers, we each have a job to do, and it isn’t we who deserve the glory or attention but God. Paul equates his ministry with laying a foundation of faith. It is on that foundation that we each become the temple of God, also described by Paul in this chapter. Continue reading “1 Corinthians 3:7-8 – It All Starts with a Seed”

Luke 6:27-28 – Love Your Enemies

“But to you who are willing to listen, I say, love your enemies! Do good to those who hate you. Bless those who curse you. Pray for those who hurt you. (Luke 6:27-28)

These verses challenge us, don’t they? Jesus knew that not everyone would be up for the task. We know this by the way he leads into this command. I don’t know about you, but I want to listen to everything that Jesus says—even the hard stuff.

Context (Luke 6:27-36): Here, Jesus is addressing us about loving our enemies and what that looks like. It makes total sense that Jesus would make a special point to share this message because it isn’t something we would think to do otherwise. People don’t naturally go out of their way to love people who have hurt them or are mean and cruel. It’s in this section of the Bible that we find the “golden rule,” when Jesus says, “Do to others as you would like them to do to you.” (verse 31) It’s easy to love the lovable, but it takes dedication and loyalty to Jesus to love our enemies. Continue reading “Luke 6:27-28 – Love Your Enemies”

Lamentations 3:22-23 – God’s Faithfulness

“The faithful love of the Lord never ends! His mercies never cease. Great is his faithfulness; his mercies begin afresh each morning.” (Lamentations 3:22-23)

How timely this message is! God’s faithfulness is indeed “great,” and his mercies “never cease.” That’s all because he loves us so much. His faithful love remains no matter what terrible things we do. We can always rely on the promise of these verses no matter what is happening in our lives.

Context (Lamentations 3): The prophet Jeremiah is believed to have written Lamentations, and this chapter speaks of his hope in the Lord’s faithfulness. Jeremiah endured many hardships as a prophet of the LORD, and yet his own faith rings out in these verses as he recounts the trials of the people along with the never-ending faithfulness of God. Continue reading “Lamentations 3:22-23 – God’s Faithfulness”

en en
error

Enjoy this blog? Please spread the word :)