Learning to love others the way Jesus loves us
Psalm 119:169-176 Psalm 119:175 This final section is a synthesis of what has gone on before. In it we read about what God does, what we do, what we desire, and how God responds to us. The whole of Psalm 119 is this: Let my soul live and praise You, and let your rules help… Continue reading TAW
Psalm 119:161-168 Psalm 119:164 We are a people of checklists and boxes, aren't we? There's nothing like the feeling of striking through some task on paper. Even phone app lists give us that glorious feeling of accomplishment when we finish something. So, does the checklist life include our praise? I mean, the psalmist says "seven… Continue reading SIN and SHIN
Psalm 119:153-160 Psalm 119:153-160 Life is from the Lord. I wrote that in bright pink in my journal. Nothing I do or think or say gives me life. No matter what the circumstances may be, my life is secure in Him. There will be difficulties, challenges, and sorrow upon sorrow during my sojourn on earth,… Continue reading RESH
Psalm 119:145-152 Psalm 119:145-152 Pandemic life keeps getting harder. What should be open? Do we send kids to school? Is this nagging cough allergies or Coronavirus? How long is this going to go on? It's hard enough it the daytime with incessant news and social media panic posting, but at least during the day there… Continue reading Qoph
Psalm 119:137-144 Psalm 119:141 The Grand Canyon is misnamed. Grand is an understatement. It's impossible to describe it adequately, especially since it's impossible to see all at once. You might capture the width of it from and airplane, but the depth is missing. You might view the breadth from one side to the other, but… Continue reading Tsadhe
Psalm 119:129-136 Psalm 119:136 I love the map app on my phone. I like knowing immediately how to get from point A to B and about how long it will take me to get there. But sometimes I think we need to look at old school paper maps. I'm not quite old enough to remember… Continue reading PE
Psalm 119: 121-128 What if 2020 is the year that God begins to judge whether or not we as believers truly long for His appearing? There is no question that the Church has been complicit (either by commission or omission) in some of the evils that pervade our culture. Perhaps not in this generation, but… Continue reading AYIN
Psalm 119:113-120 Psalm 119:114 The Lord is our shield, and our faith is how we hold it up as protection against the "flaming darts of the evil one" (Ephesians 6:16). Without God, we have no hope. Hope in His word is not a wish, but a sure conviction and assurance that it means what it… Continue reading SAMEKH
Psalm 119:105-112 The old illustration about how lamps light the way seems especially relevant these days. Lamps (or candles or flashlights) don't make the whole path clear, but they provide just enough illumination to safely take the next step. In these uncertain days, we can't plan very far into the future. Plans people made for… Continue reading NUN
Psalm 119:97-104 Why study scripture? Why does the psalmist say that he loves God's law and commandments? Why should we continually read and meditate on the Word of the Lord? We read, study, and meditate on God's Word because we live in a broken world where people do what is right in their own eyes.… Continue reading MEM
Defaulting to Grace 