Tag: devo
-
The Oldest Verse in the Bible
4For He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world to be holy and blameless in His presence.–Ephesians 1 Therefore the LORD God sent him out from the garden of Eden to work the ground from which he was taken. He drove out the man, and at the east of the garden of Eden he placed…
-
Fear As a Theological Response
7The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge;fools despise wisdom and instruction.–Proverbs 1 This word for ‘fear’ occurs 18 times in the Old Testament and each time fear is treated as a category. It is either present or it is not. Some people push back here and say that this verse makes it sound like…
-
Contentment or Excuses
8…give me neither poverty nor riches;feed me with the food that is needful for me,9lest I be full and deny youand say, “Who is the LORD?”or lest I be poor and stealand profane the name of my God.–Proverbs 30 And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ…
-
Are You Hasty?
20Do you see a man who is hasty in his words? There is more hope for a fool than for him.—Proverbs 29 Hasty is other times in the Bible translated as ‘rash.’ The Apostle Peter is the obvious biblical character who struggled with this. Many times in the Gospels he seemed hasty in his words.…
-
Hope for the Prodigal
7The one who keeps the law is a son with understanding, but a companion of gluttons shames his father.–Proverbs 28 It almost seems impossible that Jesus didn’t have this proverb on his mind when he gave his famous parable about the Prodigal Son in Luke 15. Let’s use that passage to illustrate. A father had…
-
Stop Rolling Stones
27Whoever digs a pit will fall into it,and a stone will come back on him who starts it rolling.–Proverbs 26 In the ancient world, pits were dug to trap. It was passive warfare, yet aggressive. A village might trap a dangerous wild animal or an army enemy soldiers. It also could be used for passively…
-
Don’t Give Up!
9And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up.—Galatians 6 I once pastored a slowly-ending small church for its final 10 years. And during some of those leaner, depressing years various people questioned why we still existed. I remember church meetings when…
-
Your Branches Are God’s Display
16But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. 17For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do. 18But if…
-
A Difficult Analogy to Start Your Thanksgiving!
28Now you, brothers, like Isaac, are children of promise. 29But just as at that time he who was born according to the flesh persecuted him who was born according to the Spirit, so also it is now. 30But what does the Scripture say? “Cast out the slave woman and her son, for the son of the slave woman…
-
The Curse [1-minute read]
10For all who rely on works of the law are under a curse; for it is written, “Cursed be everyone who does not abide by all things written in the Book of the Law, and do them.” 11Now it is evident that no one is justified before God by the law, for “The righteous shall live…
Joel M Bradshaw 