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(19) Psalm 104 & the Bare Minimum
“…wine that gladdens the human heart, oil to make faces glow, and bread to sustain their hearts.” ~ Psalm 104:15 (CJB) In ancient Israel, bread was the staple of life — the everyday must-have. Without it, survival was impossible. Wine and oil, however, were not essentials; they were gifts of joy, beauty, and celebration. God…
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(2′) Prayer’s Expectant Eyes ~ Part 1
~ I find Psalm 5:3 to be interesting because it is not simply about praying, but it is also about how we are to watch and wait subsequent to praying. “In the morning, Lord, you hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before you and wait expectantly” (Psalm 5:3, NIV). O Yahweh, in the morning,…
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(1′) The Final Word Is Profit
~ In the above verse, when Isaiah uses the word profit, he is not speaking in a business sense. That is to say, he is not discussing say net profit or ROI. ~ What Isaiah is talking about is something much larger and deeper. He is talking about flourishing and this in many ways such…
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(18) Moses & Anger Management
~ Moses’ career began with anger, continued on with anger and close to ended with anger. There is a pattern to consider. Consider … – Moses’ anger led to murder and fleeing Egypt (Exodus 2). – Moses got angry and fought with shepherds by a well (Ex. 2). – Moses went out from Pharaoh’s presence in…
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(17) Water Under the Bridge (B)
When they came to Capernaum, the collectors of the two drachma tax went up to Peter and said, “Does your teacher not pay the tax?” He said, “Yes.” And when he came into the house, Jesus spoke to him first, saying, “What do you think, Simon? From whom do kings of the earth take toll…
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(16) WISDOM, FAST and SLOW
“If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you” (James 1:5). ~ We have all probably read James 1:5 or heard it somewhere and assumed that wisdom was a 1-click prayer request away. And yet we have also at…
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(15) Prayer Completes Wisdom
Trust in the Lord with all your heartAnd do not lean on your own understanding.In all your ways acknowledge Him,And He will make your paths straight. ~ Prov. 3:5-6 Got wisdom? Trust in the Lord with all your heart. . . lean not on your own understanding. Got prayer? ~ The assumption of verse 5…
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(14) Grace That Shows Itself in Graciousness
“To whom much is given, much will be required.”~ Luke 12:48 There’s a strange irony I’ve often noticed online. In blogs, forums, and comment sections, people who talk about grace often do so with surprisingly little graciousness. Heated arguments erupt over theological points—but the tone, the posture, the heart, the barbs, the jabs, and yes,…
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(13) Speaking the Truth in Love
“Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ.” ~ Eph 4:15 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. ~ Gal. 5:22-23 There is doctrine and there is…
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(12) Four Alls For All
Psalm 34 contains several uses of the word all, but four stand out. They share a parallel structure, center on divine deliverance, and urge us to cry out to God. These four alls are for us all. These four verses urge us to seek, to call, and to cry out to God. Nothing is too…
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(11) The Logic of a Blessing
“If God be for us, who can be against us.” ~ Rom. 8:31 “The blessing of the Lord brings wealth, and He adds no trouble to it” (Prov. 10:22) God’s blessings are good and perfect (James 1:17). As Proverbs 10:22 reminds us, when the Lord blesses, He adds no trouble to it. His gifts come…
The Dew and the Rain 