THE STORY OF JESUS: Job 28 “The fear of the Lord — that is wisdom, and to shun evil is understanding.” (Job 28:28) Job is trying to figure out how God and suffering (evil) relate. For many people, the fact of suffering and evil prove there is no God. But Job knows that without God, there is…
Praying in faith for others!
THE STORY OF JESUS: Luke 5:17-20 “When Jesus saw their faith, he said, “Friend, your sins are forgiven.” (Luke 5:20) Did you notice whose faith Jesus responded to – “their faith”? We find no mention of the paralyzed man’s faith. Here the Lord responds to the faith of others on someone else’s behalf. What an encoruagement to…
A divine rhythm of activity!
THE STORY OF JESUS: Luke 5:12-16 “But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed.” (Luke 5:16) There is a quote by Martin Luther that reminds me of Jesus here. “I have so much to do that I shall spend the first three hours in prayer.” The busier He was, the more He prayed – He knew…
Heart-softening grace!
THE STORY OF JESUS: Luke 5:1-11 “Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man!” (Luke 5:8) Did you notice that Jesus blesses Peter BEFORE Peter repents? In my experience, Christian practice has been the opposite. Before they’re allowed in the boat with Jesus, they must repent. But by this practice, are we not reinforcing the…
Time to keep moving?
THE STORY OF JESUS: Luke 4:42-44 “I must proclaim the good news of the kingdom of God to the other towns.” (Luke 4:43) Jesus has a sense of urgency to spread the message far and wide. Once He has success, He is not content to settle in and stay. To settle in and stay… this is not…
More like good king Jesus!
THE STORY OF JESUS: Psalm 72 “Endow the king with your justice, O God, with your righteousness. (Psalm 72:1) Imagine the perfect government, led by the perfect leader. Always striking the right balance between justice and mercy. Leading with integrity, honesty, morality and fairness for all. David is praying that he will be this kind of leader….
The pride of orthodoxy (right doctrine)
THE STORY OF JESUS: Job 25-27 “I will never admit you are in the right.” (Job 27:5) As I read these speeches, I struggle to know what is right. Both Job and his friends speak confidently, as if they are right. In the end, God humbles both Job and His friends. In a sense, none of them…
Religious vs real
THE STORY OF JESUS: Job 22-24 “If you return to the Almighty, you will be restored.” (Job 22:23) These words from Eliphaz sound so right: repent, and God will restore you. We use similar words, assuming that it is because we sinned that we suffer. Meanwhile, Job doesn’t think he has anything to repent of. “The upright…
Rebuking negative voices!
THE STORY OF JESUS: Luke 4:38-41 “Jesus rebuked them and would not allow them to speak…” (Luke 4:41) In my experience, demons are bodyless voices that taunt, torment and tempt. Whatever their spiritual substance is, it’s their spiritual intent that matters. They want to discourage, defeat, distract, or deceive us from God. These dark voices were trying…
God will back us up too!
THE STORY OF JESUS: Luke 4:31-37 “Amazed at his teaching because his words had authority.” (Luke 4:32) Words are very powerful for shaping or world, for good or for evil. God used words to create, Satan used words to deceive. As a Teacher, Jesus spoke with authority because God stood behind His words. “Be quiet! Come out…