Thursday, September 10, 2026

 

LET WISDOM REACH THE TONGUE

1 Peter 3:8-10

8 Finally, be ye all of one mind, having compassion one of another, love as brethren, be pitiful, be courteous:

9 Not rendering evil for evil, or railing for railing: but contrariwise blessing; knowing that ye are thereunto called, that ye should inherit a blessing.

10 For he that will love life, and see good days, let him refrain his tongue from evil, and his lips that they speak no guile:

 

          Decisions require unity in the membership and Peter addresses this first. His “be of one mind” comment does not mean that we do not have ideas and opinions that differ from our neighbor. It means that we are wise enough to consider and defer to the idea of another. Warren Wiersbe said: “Unity does not mean uniformity; it means cooperation in the midst of diversity.”

 

          The Apostle Peter is quoting Psalm 34:12-16 as he addresses his readers. He gives advice on living peacefully with one another. Not the least on his list is advice regarding the use of words. This is a discipline with which Peter had difficulty in the early days of his apostleship and probably struggled with it still. He knew the pain and disappointment his own tongue could produce.

 

          In too many very important conversations, we often find that we do not have enough resources to access both brain and tongue. Alas, we unplug the wrong one. We press ahead with verbiage without value.

 

Ps 19:14

14 Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O Lord, my strength, and my redeemer. AMEN

 

STOPPING FOR THE NIGHT!

 

Wednesday, September 9, 2026

 

STOPPING FOR THE NIGHT!

 

2 Cor 5:1

5 For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.

KJV

 

          The Greek word for “dissolved” is kataluo which means “to loosen down or to disintegrate”. Kataluma, which is a derivative of the basic Greek word means “to stop for the night; a lodging place; a guest chamber or inn.”

 

          How exciting to know that death is not a destination but a stop for the night. It is a resting place on the way to that which is eternal in the heavens!

 

2 Cor 4:17

17 For our light, momentary affliction (this slight distress of the passing hour) is ever more and more abundantly preparing and producing and achieving for us an everlasting weight of glory [beyond all measure, excessively surpassing all comparisons and all calculations, a vast and transcendent glory and blessedness never to cease!]

AMPLIFIED

 

Lord, your Word is a great encouragement. Let me not worry about my believing loved ones who have left the motel to travel to their heavenly home. Let me not be afraid or even complain about the accommodation at my stop for the night. AMEN

 

TRUST GOD IN THE DARK

 

Tuesday, September 8, 2026

 

TRUST GOD IN THE DARK

 

Gen 28:10-16

10 And Jacob went out from Beer-sheba, and went toward Haran.

11 And he lighted upon a certain place, and tarried there all night, because the sun was set; and he took of the stones of that place, and put them for his pillows, and lay down in that place to sleep.

12 And he dreamed, and behold a ladder set up on the earth, and the top of it reached to heaven: and behold the angels of God ascending and descending on it.

13 And, behold, the Lord stood above it, and said, I am the Lord  God of Abraham thy father, and the God of Isaac: the land whereon thou liest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed;

14 And thy seed shall be as the dust of the earth, and thou shalt spread abroad to the west, and to the east, and to the north, and to the south: and in thee and in thy seed shall all the families of the earth be blessed.

15 And, behold, I am with thee, and will keep thee in all places whither thou goest, and will bring thee again into this land; for I will not leave thee, until I have done that which I have spoken to thee of.

16 And Jacob awaked out of his sleep, and he said, Surely the Lord is in this place; and I knew it not.

 

Matt 14:23

23 And when he had sent the multitudes away, he went up into a mountain apart to pray: and when the evening was come, he was there alone.

 

          What your faith is in the darkness, when you are alone, is all that it truly is. All the rest is just posturing and window dressing. It is those quiet and private thoughts that pass between you and your God that is the true measure of your trust. Merriam – Webster defines “trust” as: “assured reliance on the character, strength, or truth of someone or something; confident hope.”

 

          How confident is your hope? It is a horrible question! It is like the bonus question at the end of a major exam. If we get it right, we pass but if not, we fail – even if we answer all the other questions correctly. Personal and not corporate trust is all the trust we truly own. There is a jab among preachers that serves as a way marker for our faith. We will say to one another: “Do you really believe that – or are you just preaching?” How strong is your faith when trouble wakes you in the night; when the outcome of many endeavors is in question? 

 

Hab 3:17-18

17 Although the fig tree shall not blossom, neither shall fruit be in the vines; the labour of the olive shall fail, and the fields shall yield no meat; the flock shall be cut off from the fold, and there shall be no herd in the stalls:

18 Yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my salvation.

 

Dear Invisible God, let me build a relationship with you that will survive the cold sweats of those dark and alone times of doubt. AMEN