Author: Dave Dishman (Page 69 of 391)

After a busy week of creating galaxies and worlds and all sorts of creatures, God took a day of rest. Which I imagine he very much enjoyed.

By the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing; so on the seventh day he rested from all his work. Then God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it he rested from all the work of creating he had done.

One day a week to lay aside work. No email or meetings or projects or social media. When I follow through on such a day (less often than I should), I find myself refreshed and better able to engage the next week. The Lord’s genius never falls short.

So, if God rested, shouldn’t you and I as well?

Genesis 2 in Through the Bible in 2024

Photo by Sid Leigh

The whole story about the Gerasene demoniac strikes me like a 2×4 to the side of the head. A crazy dude lives among the tombs, cannot be bound, and runs around yelling and cutting himself.

Then Jesus walks up and the demons infesting this poor man go berserk.

When he saw Jesus from a distance, he ran and fell on his knees in front of him. He shouted at the top of his voice, “What do you want with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? In God’s name don’t torture me!” For Jesus had said to him, “Come out of this man, you impure spirit!” Then Jesus asked him, “What is your name?” “My name is Legion,” he replied, “for we are many.” And he begged Jesus again and again not to send them out of the area.

Jesus sends Legion into a nearby herd of pigs—2,000 or so—who stampede into a lake and drown themselves. Where did the demons go then?

Most astounding to me is what happened later when the nearby townspeople showed up to investigate. When they came to Jesus, they saw the man who had been possessed by the legion of demons, sitting there, dressed and in his right mind; and they were afraid. Those who had seen it told the people what had happened to the demon-possessed man—and told about the pigs as well. Then the people began to plead with Jesus to leave their region.

These good folks stared at the demon man, who gazed back fully in control of body and mind. They looked at a lake filled with pig carcasses and beaches covered with putrefying swine. Then they turned to Jesus, the cause of it all, and begged him to leave.

We don’t always like it when God sets things right. Jesus gets involved and we run the other direction. The demon man—super happy. But others grew fearful at the change in status quo.

Jesus scares people. He is good and true, but dangerous as well. Don’t overlook this perilous side of Jesus. Because in one way or another, we’re all just demon people running about the graveyard, waiting for Jesus to show up and put us in our right minds.

Mark 5 in Through the Bible in 2024

Photo by Scott Rodgerson

Abram and his nephew Lot prospered during their years in Egypt, leaving with a great deal of wealth in the form of livestock and precious metals. So much livestock that they needed to separate their herds as they settled into their new home.

Abram, the gracious uncle, gave Lot a choice. Pick the land you want and I’ll go the other direction. Lot licked his lips.

Lot looked around and saw that the whole plain of the Jordan toward Zoar was well watered, like the garden of the Lord, like the land of Egypt. So Lot chose for himself the whole plain of the Jordan and set out toward the east. The two men parted company: Abram lived in the land of Canaan, while Lot lived among the cities of the plain and pitched his tents near Sodom. Now the people of Sodom were wicked and were sinning greatly against the Lord.

Lot chose the best land offered, apparently without thought or nod toward uncle Abram, his benefactor and protector. Lot even decided to make his home near Sodom, already known as a wicked city. But if that was where the money was, then Lot wanted close.

Lot sacrificed right living for financial success. Perhaps he thought he could avoid the worst of the behavior. More likely, he was willing to ignore corrupting influence as long as business flourished.

The profit motive rarely matches up with what’s best for our lives. I’ve watched person after person climb the ladder of success only to eventually divorce their spouse, or alienate their children, or forgo close relationships altogether.

Greed is not good, regardless of what magazines and social media trumpet. Lot and his salty wife discovered this truth the hard way. Don’t get me wrong—it is good to work and wonderful to prosper—and it’s even better to stay connected with the Lord as we do so.

Genesis 13 in Through the Bible in 2024

Photo by Didier Weemaels

I enjoy growing fruits and vegetables (and flowers) in my garden. Only I don’t actually make them grow. I simply plant the seeds and let nature take over. I studied biology in college, so I understand a bit about germination and the process of a seed forming roots and pulling nutrients from the soil. Like any good gardener I fertilize and water generously. But how a tiny seed placed in the dirt eventually produces food for my table remains mysterious to me.

Jesus compared the kingdom of God to a seed. He said, This is what the kingdom of God is like. A man scattered seed on the ground. Night and day, whether he sleeps or gets up, the seed sprouts and grows, though he does not know how.

Like biology, I’ve studied church growth and missions and methods of outreach for years. I’ve led and participated in many such efforts. But the growth of the kingdom remains mysterious. Only God convinces a person to turn their life towards him. I don’t need to know how it all works, but I can scatter seed. Then whether I sleep or get up, pay attention or not, the kernels sprout and grow.

Looking at this world I sometimes wonder how anything good takes root at all. But the kingdom of God emerges in ways I cannot fathom. Mysterious and marvelous and miraculous, God grows his kingdom every day.

Mark 4 in Through the Bible in 2024

Photo by Markus Spiske