Author: Dave Dishman (Page 20 of 404)

I love walking into a big box store filled with flat screen televisions. Huge displays reveal images of coral reefs and exotic fish, the colors mesmerizing. They call out my name, urging me to go bigger and better. But every now and then one of the TVs is turned off, and I immediately notice the darkness. The lack of light stands in contrast.

The apostle John recorded Jesus speaking about darkness and light. Preaching to a crowd of both skeptics and believers, Jesus said, I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.

Beyond televisions, my world of screens also includes computer monitors, smart phones, vehicle displays, and even a home thermostat. Helpful for work, screens also flash lights of consumption and the bling of entertainment. There seems to be no escape, but that doesn’t matter because I’m not running away. Instead, I rotate among my screens like a pig in slop.

However, none of these enchantments carry light to my soul. Like the moon versus the sun, they look pretty but never bring warmth or produce life.

Only Jesus possesses the illumination I need—light that’s eternal, hopeful, and brilliant. May the Lord move us beyond the flash of the paparazzi to the constant flow of light for our soul.

John 8 in Through the Bible in 2024

Photo by Erik Mclean

Contemporary listeners describe Abraham Lincoln as a fabulous story-teller, keeping a crowd engaged for hours. Too bad we don’t have video of him in action. I feel the same way about Jesus. What would it have been like to hear him teach live and in the flesh?

A team of temple security officers were sent to pull Jesus in for questioning. These were hardened men, used to preachers spouting off and charged with keeping order throughout the chaotic grounds.

They joined the crowd and listened as Jesus proclaimed in a booming voice, Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them.

The guards stood rooted in place. Something sparked in their souls. After a time they returned empty-handed to their bosses who scolded them for not bringing Jesus with them. They responded, No one ever spoke the way this man does.

Indeed, no one has spoken like him since. My mind fills with noise from news channels and social media and entertainment and sports. But nothing compares to Jesus. He’s the source of living water, and he’s worth our ear.

John 7 in Through the Bible in 2024

Photo by Gustavo Leighton

Long walks are good for my soul. My wife and I have hiked parts of the Camino de Santiago in Spain several different years, leading groups of fellow pilgrims each time. I love the day after day rhythm of tramping along, one foot in front of the other, enjoying nature and letting regular life slide away for a time.

Ages ago a psalmist wrote of long walks as he praised to the Lord: Blessed are those whose strength is in you, whose hearts are set on pilgrimage.

I might rephrase this line as happy are those who walk and think about God. You don’t have to go to Spain to enjoy ambling with the Lord. A few steps out the door his creation waits with open arms.

Take a stroll. Spend time appreciating the world around you. Enjoy a few minutes in the presence of the Lord, and turn your outing into a pilgrimage.

Psalm 84 in Through the Bible in 2024

My wife and I will once again lead a group on the Camino de Santiago, June 7-15, 2025. If this interests you, visit our website for more information.

Photo by Ales Krivec

I learned quickly after moving to Colorado not to leave my bread uncovered on the counter. Within a few minutes it turned stale. I left humid Missouri where bread stayed fresh for days, requiring little vigilance on my part. Oreos are the opposite. Leave them out in Missouri and they go soft, but in Colorado they stay delicious for weeks.

Jesus spoke of bread to a crowd asking him questions. I am the bread of life. Whoever come to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.

Jesus never goes stale. I pursue different substitutes, but I find they eventually crumble. My hopes in things other than Jesus, like financial security, or greater recognition, or simply a comfortable life, harden like bread sitting in an arid kitchen.

Only Jesus speaks words of eternal life. All other philosophies and pursuits go dry, but Jesus remains as fresh as when he walked this earth.

John 6 in Through the Bible in 2024

Photo by Stephanie Harvey