Hebrews 4:16 – Throne of God

“So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most.” (Hebrews 4:16)

I wonder how many people think about the day when they will approach the throne of God. Instead, we focus on the life God has given us, just trying to get by each day. It can be struggle enough to just be “present” in our lives and not always worried about the next thing, like what’s for dinner.

Context (Hebrews 4:14-16) We learn that Jesus is our High Priest, and that’s significant. High priests were traditionally the only ones who could approach God in the temple. The Holy of Holies was God’s dwelling place among men. We can all imagine Jesus in the presence of God, he is God. But our memory verse says that we, too, can approach the throne of God just like Jesus. Continue reading “Hebrews 4:16 – Throne of God”

James 2:26 – Faith in Action

 “Just as the body is dead without breath, so also faith is dead without good works.” (James 2:26)

This is a great memory verse to remind us to be transparent in living out our faith. It’s not meant to say that what we do matters in terms of our salvation. To me, it is not contrary to what Paul taught about faith in Jesus but only complements it beautifully.

Context (James 2:14-26): The author, James, is believed to be the half-brother of Jesus and a leader in the early church. In James’ teaching, he shares how he believes that our good deeds result from our faith. Faith and works go together and can’t be separated. In this passage, James uses two examples, Abraham and Rahab, to show great faithfulness and the actions they took because of it. Continue reading “James 2:26 – Faith in Action”

Jeremiah 29:11 – Whose Plans?

“‘For I know the plans I have for you,’ says the Lord. ‘They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.’” (Jeremiah 29:11)

God’s plans and our plans don’t always match up, but when they do, it’s golden. We often get so caught up in our own planning for the future that we lose sight that God is doing the same for us. I’m always thrilled when I remember to stop for a moment and ask, “Hey, God, are these plans yours or mine?” It’s good to check ourselves because God’s plans are always better.

Context (Jeremiah 29:1-23): This is a great text of promise found in a letter Jeremiah writes from Jerusalem, on behalf of the LORD, to the people exiled to Babylon. It’s in this letter that God tells his wayward Israelites to get comfortable in Babylon because they’re going to be there for a while, for seventy years. God takes responsibility for their being taken away into exile in the first place and warns them about listening to prophets there. Our memory verse falls right after God promises to bring them home in the future and make good on all the promises not yet fulfilled. Among other blessings, that means sending Jesus, doesn’t it? Continue reading “Jeremiah 29:11 – Whose Plans?”

1 Corinthians 10:13 – Way Out

“The temptations in your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you can endure.” (1 Corinthians 10:13)

This is one of those verses that is often misrepresented to include more than just temptations. Has anyone ever said to you, “God will never give you more than you can handle,” when it comes to trials or tragedy? As a pastor’s wife, I heard people misquoting this verse often. While we have a loving God who hates our adversity as much as we do, our comfort comes from knowing we’re never alone.

Context (1 Corinthians 10:1-13): This verse is speaking of the temptations we face in life because evil is running rampant. Paul is teaching the Corinthians in this section about idolatry and the dangers of craving evil. He wants us to learn from the mistakes of the Israelites, who were easily distracted by pagan rituals, building idols, and grumbling about God. The promise is that God always gives us a way out, a way to endure. It’s up to us to be looking for it. Continue reading “1 Corinthians 10:13 – Way Out”

Luke 11:28 – Follow-Through

“Jesus replied, “But even more blessed are all who hear the word of God and put it into practice.” (Luke 11:28)

What happens to the people who don’t “hear” the word of God? Are their blessings limited or non-existent? I can’t answer that, but I do believe that is why Jesus wanted us to be sharing the Gospel to the ends of the earth. Everyone should have the opportunity to hear God’s word, God’s message to the world. Those who scoff at it are missing out by their own choice. It’s those people who have never heard it or truly listened that break my heart.

Context (Luke 11:14-28): Shouldn’t we listen to what Jesus told us about the Bible? To His first audience, Jesus had just been teaching about evil spirits and opposition by those who don’t follow Him. Suddenly, Jesus was interrupted by a woman wanting to bless him, or Jesus’ mother actually. The mystery woman must have been moved by Jesus’ wisdom concerning the evil one. Our memory verse is Jesus’ response to her. What a beautiful way to segue from his previous discussion! Continue reading “Luke 11:28 – Follow-Through”

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