please God – Be Still…

1 John 2:7-27 – Who to Love

Think of John as a close friend, sharing this wisdom with you over a hot beverage. He opens today’s passage with “Dear friends,” after all. John gets right to the point by telling us to love one another, a commandment that has been around for generations. John was privileged to see love lived out before his eyes in the person of Jesus. John encourages us to love like that when we let the light of Christ dispel the darkness in our lives.

The darkness of this world will always scream for our attention. When I speak of the “world,” don’t think I’m referring to the beautiful earth and stars that God created, or the people God loves so much. The “world” refers to the attitudes and distractions that pull us away from Jesus, and a sinful humanity, enticing us to ignore and rebel against God. Continue reading “1 John 2:7-27 – Who to Love”

1 Peter 1:13-25 – Holy Living

Read 1 Peter 1:13-25

Peter continues to uplift us as believers with his instructions on holy living. These words should invigorate us and give us direction for how we should live. As followers of Christ, we want to reflect him well. We see plenty of people who call themselves Christians, but who don’t act in alignment with what Peter describes here.

Do you feel convicted to do a better job of living a life that honors Christ? It may seem a bit daunting at first, but God doesn’t expect perfection. He only desires a relationship with us that displays our obedience and worship. Continue reading “1 Peter 1:13-25 – Holy Living”

Leviticus 10:1-7 – Making Your Own Rules

Read Leviticus 10:1-7

Did what happened to Nadab and Abihu surprise you? Their sinfulness was not overlooked by God. In fact, their misstep was used as a teachable moment for Aaron’s other sons and for the people. God’s appointment was not to be taken lightly. His chosen priests were not to make up their own rules.

Moses reminded Aaron that the LORD had said, “I will display my holiness through those who come near me. I will display my glory before all the people.” Nadab and Abihu were on the receiving end of God’s display of holiness—not at all what they expected, especially their father, Aaron who was left speechless. Continue reading “Leviticus 10:1-7 – Making Your Own Rules”

Ecclesiastes 3:9-15 – Enjoy Life

Read Ecclesiastes 3:9-15

God wants us to enjoy life, not trudge through each day just going through the motions. We often set unrealistic expectations on ourselves for what we can accomplish in a day and end up feeling like we failed. Here we’re told that God has given us the work we are to do. What is that work for you?

If we’re focusing on what God wants, and we already know that his timing is perfect, then our day should go exactly like it should. If we are enjoying the life God has given us, living it to please him, then we have accomplished something very great. There are plenty of people who don’t have this connection to God and are not feeling fulfilled.

Lamentations 2:1-22 – God’s Anger

Read Lamentations 2:1-22

While the first lament was of a sorrowing widow, Jerusalem, the second poem comes from the perspective of God’s anger and the devastation it can wield. The author was consumed with sadness and fear. What was going to happen? Writing these words in his own anguish would help people never forget. Do you think that was the author’s intent in the moment?

Lamentations is a book to read in Hebrew, if you can, because some of these poems are acrostic. That means each of the 22 verses starts with a letter from the Hebrew alphabet. One thought as to why the author wrote the laments like that was to facilitate memorization. We, as well as the original audience, should never forget what God’s anger can do. Lamentations helps us remember.