Category: Bible (Page 99 of 356)

I’ve been trying to resolve an issue with our cable company for several weeks now. When I call to talk to someone I get referred to a chat box on their website. The chat box on their website encourages me to call a representative. After the cycle repeats a time or two I yell into the phone and hang up. No one is present to hear my yelling, but I do feel better.

Prayer can feel like those fruitless calls to my cable company. Is anyone home? Does the Lord pay more attention to certain prayers than others? When I’m begging the Lord to act, what helps?

Nehemiah turned to the Lord with an unsolvable problem. Jerusalem lay destroyed and its people in disgrace. Holding no power, Nehemiah prayed. In fact, he sat and wept and fasted and prayed for days. As he prayed he laced his appeals with passages of scripture. Here’s an example:

Remember the instruction you gave your servant Moses, saying, if you are unfaithful, I will scatter you among the nations, but if you return to me and obey my commands, then even if your exiled people are at the farthest horizon, I will gather them from there and bring them to the place I have chosen as a dwelling for my Name.

In these lines Nehemiah refers to Leviticus 26:33 and Deuteronomy 30:4. As his prayer continues he brings in more and more of the promises of God. Nehemiah knew the Holy Scriptures and repeated them back to God. What better way to get the Lord’s attention than to pray his own words? Far from manipulative, the Lord recognized Nehemiah’s dependence as he prayed.

You and I can pray using scripture as well. I have a several verses recorded in the front of my journal that I pray regularly. One involves my media consumption: Turn my eyes away from worthless things (Psalm 119:37). Another I pray when threatened by anxiety: Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:6 & 7).

Scripture adds a powerful element to our prayers. If indeed the word of God is living and active, why would I not want to turn that power loose in my life?

Give it a try. Take your deepest concern, search the Scriptures for passages that speak to you about it (in your search bar type Bible passages on…), and pray those verses back to the Lord. Make it a habit, and your times of prayer will feel less like calling the cable company and more like talking with someone who actually listens.

Nehemiah 1 in reading the Bible in 2023

Photo by Jandira Sonnendeck

Some concepts in the Scriptures intimidate me. I pause and wonder, how will this play out in the end? One of these involves the fact that the Lord sits on a throne anchored by righteousness and justice:

Clouds and thick darkness surround him; righteousness and justice are the foundation of his throne.

On a daily basis I read stories of injustice, and I swipe to read of blatant disregard for right living. But thankfully, in our world justice is indeed carried out, and many give serious attention to living virtuous lives. The functioning of a healthy society depends on such, and blessed are the next generation raised with these values.

Still, ultimate justice escapes us, and flaunting morals remains celebrated. But that’s this day, and a new day is coming. It’s hopeful—and sobering—to know that ultimately we’ll all live under the justice and righteousness of the Lord.

Psalm 97 in reading the Bible in 2023

Photo by Yume Photography

During Thanksgiving week I abandoned self-restraint. I enjoyed several days of feasting, appropriate for the holiday. However, the festivities ended and now I return to a more disciplined approach to filling my plate. While it feels sad, I know my heart will thank me, even if my belly cries foul.

We all exert discipline in order to live a better life. We eat right, or spend several years in intense study to earn a degree, or work long hours to develop a business. From the outside success may look easy, but a disciplined approach lies behind all prosperity.

The psalmist thanked God for discipline: Blessed is the one you discipline, Lord, the one you teach from your Law; you grant them relief from days of trouble, till a pit is dug for the wicked.

Notice that the primary instrument of the Lord’s discipline is his Law. God uses his Word to build strength and resilience into the lives of his followers. The result of such discipline is a certainty that the Lord is in control, and relief knowing that justice will prevail.

How do we grab hold of this promise? By spending time in God’s Word. The Lord does not pour Bible verses into my head while I sleep, at least not yet. I don’t catch much scripture on social media. A good sermon is helpful, but no substitute to opening the Good Book for myself.

I must spend time in God’s word in order for the results of the Lord’s discipline to manifest themselves in my life. Tiny acts yield vast amounts of good.

Make the effort. A few minutes in the Bible every day opens the way to experience the goodness of the Lord.

Psalm 94 in reading the Bible cover to cover

Photo by Joel Muniz

Are you a person who tends to pause before sharing opinions, or do you blurt out your thoughts before you know them yourself? When speaking truth into a difficult situation, it pays to choose words carefully before a big reveal. Timing is everything.

Queen Esther stepped into an extremely difficult situation. Her people faced genocide at the hands of a capricious king and his ruthless advisor. Her uncle encouraged her to go before the king, despite the risk to her life, and speak carefully chosen words of sanity. He told her, who knows but that you have come to your royal position for such a time as this?

Esther moved with the attitude of if I perish, I perish. The king responded kindly and the massacre was averted. All because a quiet woman bravely stepped into her test of faith.

We all face for such a time as this moments. Where are we called to speak up? Where might I confront a petty tyrant, or solve a nagging problem, or address a wonderful opportunity?

To borrow from Esther’s example, maybe I work with a particular person for such a time as this? Maybe I live in my neighborhood for such a time as this? Maybe I’m sitting with a family member during the holidays for such a time as this? Where should I break my silence even when sharing brings risk, or the perishing of my reputation is a possibility?

I wonder, what for such a time as this moment might I face today?

Esther 4 in reading the Bible in 2023

Photo by Ashkan Forouzani