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Author Archives: John D. Willome

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About John D. Willome

I post a blog of daily devotions that are my prayer journals based on scripture.

Luke 12

17 Aug

12 Meanwhile, the crowds grew until thousands were milling about and stepping on each other. Jesus turned first to his disciples and warned them, “Beware of the yeast of the Pharisees—their hypocrisy. 2 The time is coming when everything that is covered up will be revealed, and all that is secret will be made known to all. 3 Whatever you have said in the dark will be heard in the light, and what you have whispered behind closed doors will be shouted from the housetops for all to hear!

4 “Dear friends, don’t be afraid of those who want to kill your body; they cannot do any more to you after that. 5 But I’ll tell you whom to fear. Fear God, who has the power to kill you and then throw you into hell. Yes, he’s the one to fear.

6 “What is the price of five sparrows—two copper coins? Yet God does not forget a single one of them. 7 And the very hairs on your head are all numbered. So don’t be afraid; you are more valuable to God than a whole flock of sparrows.

8 “I tell you the truth, everyone who acknowledges me publicly here on earth, the Son of Man will also acknowledge in the presence of God’s angels. 9 But anyone who denies me here on earth will be denied before God’s angels. 10 Anyone who speaks against the Son of Man can be forgiven, but anyone who blasphemes the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven.

11 “And when you are brought to trial in the synagogues and before rulers and authorities, don’t worry about how to defend yourself or what to say, 12 for the Holy Spirit will teach you at that time what needs to be said.”

Parable of the Rich Fool

13 Then someone called from the crowd, “Teacher, please tell my brother to divide our father’s estate with me.”

14 Jesus replied, “Friend, who made me a judge over you to decide such things as that?” 15 Then he said, “Beware! Guard against every kind of greed. Life is not measured by how much you own.”

16 Then he told them a story: “A rich man had a fertile farm that produced fine crops. 17 He said to himself, ‘What should I do? I don’t have room for all my crops.’ 18 Then he said, ‘I know! I’ll tear down my barns and build bigger ones. Then I’ll have room enough to store all my wheat and other goods. 19 And I’ll sit back and say to myself, “My friend, you have enough stored away for years to come. Now take it easy! Eat, drink, and be merry!”’

20 “But God said to him, ‘You fool! You will die this very night. Then who will get everything you worked for?’

21 “Yes, a person is a fool to store up earthly wealth but not have a rich relationship with God.”

Teaching about Money and Possessions

22 Then, turning to his disciples, Jesus said, “That is why I tell you not to worry about everyday life—whether you have enough food to eat or enough clothes to wear. 23 For life is more than food, and your body more than clothing. 24 Look at the ravens. They don’t plant or harvest or store food in barns, for God feeds them. And you are far more valuable to him than any birds! 25 Can all your worries add a single moment to your life? 26 And if worry can’t accomplish a little thing like that, what’s the use of worrying over bigger things?

27 “Look at the lilies and how they grow. They don’t work or make their clothing, yet Solomon in all his glory was not dressed as beautifully as they are. 28 And if God cares so wonderfully for flowers that are here today and thrown into the fire tomorrow, he will certainly care for you. Why do you have so little faith?

29 “And don’t be concerned about what to eat and what to drink. Don’t worry about such things. 30 These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers all over the world, but your Father already knows your needs. 31 Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and he will give you everything you need.

32 “So don’t be afraid, little flock. For it gives your Father great happiness to give you the Kingdom.

33 “Sell your possessions and give to those in need. This will store up treasure for you in heaven! And the purses of heaven never get old or develop holes. Your treasure will be safe; no thief can steal it and no moth can destroy it. 34 Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be.

Be Ready for the Lord’s Coming

35 “Be dressed for service and keep your lamps burning, 36 as though you were waiting for your master to return from the wedding feast. Then you will be ready to open the door and let him in the moment he arrives and knocks. 37 The servants who are ready and waiting for his return will be rewarded. I tell you the truth, he himself will seat them, put on an apron, and serve them as they sit and eat! 38 He may come in the middle of the night or just before dawn. But whenever he comes, he will reward the servants who are ready.

39 “Understand this: If a homeowner knew exactly when a burglar was coming, he would not permit his house to be broken into. 40 You also must be ready all the time, for the Son of Man will come when least expected.”

41 Peter asked, “Lord, is that illustration just for us or for everyone?”

42 And the Lord replied, “A faithful, sensible servant is one to whom the master can give the responsibility of managing his other household servants and feeding them. 43 If the master returns and finds that the servant has done a good job, there will be a reward. 44 I tell you the truth, the master will put that servant in charge of all he owns. 45 But what if the servant thinks, ‘My master won’t be back for a while,’ and he begins beating the other servants, partying, and getting drunk? 46 The master will return unannounced and unexpected, and he will cut the servant in pieces and banish him with the unfaithful.

47 “And a servant who knows what the master wants, but isn’t prepared and doesn’t carry out those instructions, will be severely punished. 48 But someone who does not know, and then does something wrong, will be punished only lightly. When someone has been given much, much will be required in return; and when someone has been entrusted with much, even more will be required.

Jesus Causes Division

49 “I have come to set the world on fire, and I wish it were already burning! 50 I have a terrible baptism of suffering ahead of me, and I am under a heavy burden until it is accomplished. 51 Do you think I have come to bring peace to the earth? No, I have come to divide people against each other! 52 From now on families will be split apart, three in favor of me, and two against—or two in favor and three against.

53 ‘Father will be divided against son
    and son against father;
mother against daughter
    and daughter against mother;
and mother-in-law against daughter-in-law
    and daughter-in-law against mother-in-law.’”

54 Then Jesus turned to the crowd and said, “When you see clouds beginning to form in the west, you say, ‘Here comes a shower.’ And you are right. 55 When the south wind blows, you say, ‘Today will be a scorcher.’ And it is. 56 You fools! You know how to interpret the weather signs of the earth and sky, but you don’t know how to interpret the present times.

57 “Why can’t you decide for yourselves what is right? 58 When you are on the way to court with your accuser, try to settle the matter before you get there. Otherwise, your accuser may drag you before the judge, who will hand you over to an officer, who will throw you into prison. 59 And if that happens, you won’t be free again until you have paid the very last penny.”

Luke 12

Dear God, it’s so important to put these stories in context. Sometimes the Bible is written so efficiently that we can miss how much is actually happening. In this case, the gospel reading for today isn’t until verses 49-53, but this whole scene starts back at verse 1. And I’ll give the translators credit here that they got the chapter break pretty accurately at this point. There is actually a change of scene here and this chapter can be a little independent of the previous one, although you do still need to know that we are coming on a conflict with the Pharisees in chapter 11 as we start chapter 12.

But there is so much here, I thought I would try to break it down by bullet points:

  • Talking directly to disciples: The first part of the chapter sets the stage where large crowds are gathering and Jesus sees them. He decides to take a moment to talk to his disciples and teach them
    • About the “yeast of the Pharisees–their hypocrisy.” There will be no tolerating of having a dual persona. Your public persona must be consistent with your private persona. Doing things only for show will be revealed.
    • That they might be killed, but don’t worry because they can’t do anything more to you after that (hardly an encouragement in that moment, but something that makes more sense outside of it). God is the one who must be respected and feared.
    • God cares for you as an individual more than you think he does.
    • That if they love Jesus and his teaching then he will have their backs.
    • There is the need to respect the Holy Spirit that they (and I) probably don’t appreciate enough.
    • They will be brought to trial and questioned, but the Holy Spirit will give them the words to say.
  • Talking to an individual in the crowd and then to those around: Someone seemingly interrupts and asks Jesus to play “Judge” like he is in the role of someone like Samuel, David, or Solomon (I’m thinking of how sometimes kings were judges like when Solomon ordered the baby be split in half to settle a dispute among two mothers).
    • Jesus doesn’t settle the dispute. He tries to teach the man an overarching lesson about earthly greed. It reminds me a little of the “You have heard it said _____, but I say _____” statements in the Sermon on the Mount.
  • Jesus turns back to the disciples (keeping in mind that all the people are still milling around) to extend the lesson to them: “Life is for more than food and your body more than clothing.” Don’t worry. It’s also reminiscent of the Sermon on the Mount when Jesus teaches on money (Matthew 6:19-34). I’ve heard the Sermon on the Mount kind of described as Jesus’s stump speech from town to town, and it feels like we are getting pieces of it here. At the end of the day, the teach is basically that, yes, your body might die, but if you are Jesus’s then you will ultimately live and be saved from the second death (going back to verse 5).
  • Be ready for the righteous thief: Where did I hear that recently? I’m sure I could look it up. But I liked the phrase of calling Jesus the “righteous thief.” Still talking to the disciples, this is what he was teaching them.
    • He’s obviously still mainly addressing the disciples because Peter interrupts and asks if this is just for the disciples or for everyone (verse 41). Jesus indicates that there are different expectations of different levels of leadership (verses 47 and 48).
  • Divisions!: This passage is so hard and the one that started me in Luke 12 this morning. It is the Gospel reading for a lot of denominations today. And what Jesus says (to the disciples) reminds me of the words Lin Manuel Miranda gave to George Washington in Hamilton: “Can I get real a second for just a millisecond? Lay down my guard and tell the people how I feel a second?”
    • Jesus tells of his suffering to come.
    • Jesus indicates it will be controversial and it will divide everyone, down to all levels of family.
  • Jesus turns to the crowd and gives a seemingly confusing statement: I can sit here now and interpret verses 57-59. Yield to Jesus now. I am accused and I am guilty. Settle with Jesus now while I can.

Father, I want to be ready. I want to have done what you’ve wanted me to do. Help me to know how to love you, worship you, and share that love with others. I was reading through a Christian Book Distributors catalog today and I saw all of these Bibles (half of a 64-page catalog was different times of Bibles) and study aids. I told my wife that people in the church really have no excuse to not be excellent worshippers of you. What we refuse to give is the time and discipline it takes to do it. We are fat and happy. We are comfortable. We are not desperate. So I lift up a couple of relatives right now with health issues. I beg for your healing for them so that their lives might be a living worship of you. And so that I can include their stories in the ones I tell about your mercy and power. You are amazing, God. Find me faithful. Find me worthy of your trust.

I pray all of this in Jesus and with your Holy Spirit,

Amen

 
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Posted by on August 17, 2025 in Luke

 

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2 Corinthians 6:14-7:1

16 Aug

14 Don’t team up with those who are unbelievers. How can righteousness be a partner with wickedness? How can light live with darkness? 15 What harmony can there be between Christ and the devil? How can a believer be a partner with an unbeliever? 16 And what union can there be between God’s temple and idols? For we are the temple of the living God. As God said:

“I will live in them
    and walk among them.
I will be their God,
    and they will be my people.
17 Therefore, come out from among unbelievers,
    and separate yourselves from them, says the Lord.
Don’t touch their filthy things,
    and I will welcome you.
18 And I will be your Father,
    and you will be my sons and daughters,
    says the Lord Almighty.”

7 Because we have these promises, dear friends, let us cleanse ourselves from everything that can defile our body or spirit. And let us work toward complete holiness because we fear God.

2 Corinthians 6:14-7:1

Dear God, it can be so hard to journal in chunks of scripture like this and get the full context. Much more so when we just look at one verse. For example, the verse of the day from Bible Gateway was just 2 Corinthians 7:1. But since it started with the word “because” I wanted to go back and see what the “because” referred to. And even going back to 6:14 isn’t really far enough because just before that Paul is complaining that they are withholding their love for him. The intimation is that they are more gladly partnering with the unholy than with those who are holy.

That’s when Paul goes into our bodies being temples and then brings it full circle in 7:1 when he says that we need to be about cleansing ourselves and not linking up with the unholy.

Defining the unholy in my current world can be tricky. For example, unholiness exists on any number of planes.

  • There is weird spiritualism unholiness for people who are looking for you in weird ways. I need to be loving but careful in my relationships with them.
  • There are people who are hostile towards you and ready to condemn anyone who believes in you. Again, I need to be your love to those people but also cautious in how much of myself I expose to them.
  • There are those who just blatantly disregard any limits your laws put on us and are totally seeking self and self-pleasure at any given moment. I would argue that they are looking for peace from you and self-medicating because they don’t have it, but they are still people for me to love but certainly not join in their revelry.

Those first three are pretty easy for me to identify. They are easy examples to identify the people and figure out who I will allow into my influential orbit and who I won’t. And I feel good about the people I have in my life. If I am the average of the five people I spend the most time with, I am comfortable with that list.

But there are other areas in my life where figuring out the gate for unholiness getting in is trickier.

  • The reaction videos I watch on YouTube. Young people watching old movies and enjoyed when I was younger or listening to music I grew up with. So yesterday I watched a young woman listen to Bob Seger’s “Night Moves” for the first time. I think this is a great song, but it’s not a holy song. It’s only about the singer hooking up with his girlfriend every chance he got in high school. Am I allowing past unholy memories back into my heart when I hear that song or reward her listening to it with my “click?”
  • The show Ted Lasso could probably be my best example. I think this show is absolutely excellent, but I have a love/frustration relationship with it. Notice I said “frustration” and not “hate” because I simply have a hard time having any negative feelings about this show. My love for it is around the fact that the main character, Ted Lasso, almost always exhibits the purest form of the fruits of the Spirit I’ve ever seen anyone portray in film, literature, or even in life. He’s amazing in that way. He has love, joy, patience, goodness, kindness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self control. And his way of life is infectious and slowly spreads to the other characters in the show over the three seasons of the original run. And the world loves it. I watch reaction videos to it and everyone is enthralled with Ted. “I need this!” they say. By the way. Notice I left one fruit of the Spirit out of my list: peace. Ted doesn’t have peace. It’s his Achilles heel that drives his character development. And that leads me to my frustration with the show. They never show the piece he’s missing is you. It’s an incredibly worldly show. There is no reverence for you. So am I doing a bad thing by watching it multiple times and enjoying the relationships and the characters? Is this the kind of thing Paul was talking about? If Paul were visiting me would he want to watch Ted Lasso with me?

Father, in some ways I am careful about what I expose myself to and in some ways I’m not. I’ll be frank. I’m not sure I am capable of only exposing myself to Christian podcasts, writings, and other sorts of media. It’s too much and it takes me out of a world that I do love. Not as much as you, but I love it. So be with me today, Holy Spirit. Speak with me, guide me, teach me, convict me, and forgive me for my foolishness. I’m sure this prayer is full of foolishness and you are just shaking your head at me even in this moment. Well, I get it. I offer all of me to you, warts, foolishness, and all.

I pray this in Jesus and with your Holy Spirit,

Amen

 
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Posted by on August 16, 2025 in 2 Corinthians

 

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Romans 14:6-9

15 Aug

6 Those who worship the Lord on a special day do it to honor him. Those who eat any kind of food do so to honor the Lord, since they give thanks to God before eating. And those who refuse to eat certain foods also want to please the Lord and give thanks to God. 7 For we don’t live for ourselves or die for ourselves. 8 If we live, it’s to honor the Lord. And if we die, it’s to honor the Lord. So whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord. 9 Christ died and rose again for this very purpose—to be Lord both of the living and of the dead.

Romans 14:6-9

Dear God, do I honor you enough? For example, I’m not the best about thanking you for my food. I have it in my head to do it when I’m eating with other people. That’s kind of an ingrained habit. Even that, though, isn’t necessarily me being truly grateful for the food. I’ve always had plenty. So much so that I’ve battled my weight since I was 10 years old. No, I’m not really grateful for my food. In fact, there are times when I pray before a meal that I forget to mention the food.

It’s easy to say that I live for you and die for you, but am I honoring you enough in the living? Do I let selfishness dictate how much at risk I’m willing to put what I have? My possessions and my comfort? Oh, how I want to honor you. I want everything I do to honor you. How I worship and pray. How I interact with others. How I do my work. Right down to the little things. How I drive. How I order at a restaurant. How I react when I see a homeless person in need (I’m not good at that one at all–what’s appropriate and what’s not?).

Here’s a good example. I was really proud of something we were able to do with a patient at our clinic this week, and when I told people about it I don’t think I credited you enough for orchestrating what happened or the outcome.

Father, this is a good reminder to do everything I do in honor of you. I’m about to talk with a friend on the phone. Help me to honor you in it. I’m going to meet some men and move some heavy, awkward furniture for work. Help me to honor you in how I do that. I’m going to write thank you letters. Help me to honor you in those letters. I’m going to meet a friend for lunch and do them a favor. Help me to honor you in that time. I’ll spend the evening with my wife. Help me to thank you for her and honor you for how you bless me through her. I want to have you in my every breath today and be grateful for each breath. Help me to be mindful of that.

I pray all of this in Jesus and with your Holy Spirit,

Amen

 
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Posted by on August 15, 2025 in Romans

 

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“The Reason for the Church” Brad Edwards

14 Aug

Dear God, I was listening to this week’s Holy Post podcast yesterday and I came across this quote from the man the were interviewing at the end of the show, Brad Edwards. He was talking about his book The Reason for the Church. Here’s the quote that caught my ear: “Our neighbors, and even Christians in a lot of ways, but especially our neighbors are open to the idea that God exists and even that they might need Jesus, but they are closed to the idea that the church is beautiful or good for anyone.”

I think this caught my ear for a few reasons. First, I have a friend who is dedicated in his love for you, but his wife is having to force him to find a church. He is absolutely not interested.

For my part, I tell people all of the time that I don’t like going to church. I never have. Not since I was a kid. But that also goes along with the idea that I often get tired of sitting in any kind of theater, presentation-style setting. Whether it is a movie, live theater, or church, my wife notes that its a special and incredibly engaging show that will keep me from checking my watch. I do go to church, but it’s more out of a sense of self-discipline in knowing that it is good for me to be in community of other believers, and my presence there might, just might, be good for them as well.

I know a lot of people who profess love for you who are not in church. Their reasons vary. I guess my point is that I know plenty of Christians who do not want to go to church. Any Christian who finds themselves not wanting to go to church is in good company.

Forgetting about non-Christians for a moment, why is it that Christians choose not to go?

  • Effort: It’s inconvenient to go.
  • Boredom: It can be boring.
  • Judgment: People can be afraid to be known and then judged for not being the right kind of Christian or for having sinned.

There are other reasons, but those three are a good start. And the modern church has tried to address them. And here, when I say, “they” I mean some have done different things. They‘ve made virtual services available for those who don’t want to leave home. They‘ve added instruments to the band, lights, and dynamic preaching to help entertain the audience. And they‘ve emphasized come as you are and a judgment-free zone. And some of these changes have been good. I’m not criticizing. I’m just noting.

But it makes me wonder why going to church is important. Why do we, as Christians, need church? Why is this a sacrament you have ordained? What’s in it for us? What’s our why?

  • Community: At a basic level, we need community. We need each other. Whether we are parents needing community with other parents while we try to raise our children, businesses who need to be with others to learn from them and be better at what we do and not feel all alone, concerned citizens who need to come alongside others to get problems solved, etc. Being around other people makes us better. Iron sharpens iron. Problems solved by teams almost always come out with a better solution than the problem solved by an individual.
  • Worship: We need to gather with other Christians to worship you. It strengthens us to worship with others. It helps us focus. The odds are slim that I will sit for an hour in my home and sing to you, pray to you, and listen to good teaching about you. I need the 1.) accountability of community and 2.) the sharpening of being around others. I need other Christians to point out my bad theology and correct me. I need to be known by others. I’m drifting back into my first point. I guess for this one I’m saying that I will die a slow spiritual death if I try to just live out my faith on my own. I heard the analogy of coals on a fire one time. When you start a fire you pile the coals together. Their combined effort burns hotter and helps the fire last longer. But coals that are spread and left to burn by themselves do not produce as much heat and die out faster. I need to worship you with others to keep my private worship alive.
  • Structure: If we are going to gather with other Christians, there are ways to do it. We could just get some other Christians to come to our houses, and that can be good for a Bible study, but in some ways it’s the blind leading the blind. We need the educated, principled leader to guide us. You need some amount of infrastructure and bureaucracy to make it work. Even with a small men’s group I’m in right now, we are collecting money and someone needs to track it. We need someone responsible for our teaching. We need accountability. The leadership needs accountability.

Father, my point is that I do think being involved in a church is important, and as I grew up Baptist but have worshipped with Catholics the last 14 years, I can say that the style of worship really doesn’t matter. I think Eugene Peterson once said that if you are looking for a church start by going outside your home and walking to the first one you see. That might be a little simplistic and one has to be care, to some extent about the church’s orthodoxy and theology, but for the most part we should be able to worship with just about any other believers. It’s more about what I am willing to put into it than what I will take from it. My growth comes through my participation. Help me to be a contributing member to your church so that my life might be an offering to you.

I pray this in Jesus and with your Holy Spirit,

Amen

 
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Posted by on August 14, 2025 in Miscellaneous, Musings and Stories

 

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Ephesians 2:8-10

13 Aug

8 God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. 9 Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it. 10 For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.

Ephesians 2:8-10

Dear God, I have to say it feels good to just take Bible Gateway’s verse of the day and just start praying. I don’t have any Sunday school classes I’m preparing for. I don’t have any CMLS Bible studies I’m teaching. I’m not working through Psalm 119 anymore. This morning, I’m just here to take a piece of scripture and hang with it and with you.

I will say, however, that since I did the thing on the churches in Revelation 2 and 3 it made me think of this letter differently this morning. I am now reading it through the lens of what John wrote to them from you. They did lots of good things but they lost their first love. They didn’t love you enough and they didn’t love others. Now, this was probably written several years before John’s Revelation, but were the seeds there? Or was this the time when they still both had their first love and they were doing all the good things? Just interesting to consider when I read Paul’s words this morning.

As for this passage, the message to me this morning is, “Be careful not to take credit for anything.” And I think taking credit for things is how we lose our first love. How we lose our appreciation and love for you. I can keep doing the good works, but if I start taking credit for them myself then I can get to a point where I forget that you are the author. You are the provider. You are the one who blesses the fruit and multiplies it. I am a vessel. And I can try to be a motorboat that powers itself, but I will eventually run out of gas. The only renewable energy to move my vessel is if I ride your current or allow my sails to be pushed by your wind.

Father, I have a lot happening in my professional world right now, and I need your provision. I need to replace an employee. Please guide me to the person you have for our patients and for us as a staff and volunteers. That person is out there. Please bring them to us. I have other issues as work I need to address. Help me to do it well and lovingly. We need different types of resources. Please guide us into them. Help us, Father. Help me. And I pledge to you to stay before you in prayer and do my best to give you the glory for everything. Oh, how I love you, Father.

I pray all of this in Jesus and with your Holy Spirit,

Amen

 
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Posted by on August 13, 2025 in Ephesians

 

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Psalm 119:169-176 (Taw)

12 Aug

Taw

169 O Lord, listen to my cry;
    give me the discerning mind you promised.
170 Listen to my prayer;
    rescue me as you promised.
171 Let praise flow from my lips,
    for you have taught me your decrees.
172 Let my tongue sing about your word,
    for all your commands are right.
173 Give me a helping hand,
    for I have chosen to follow your commandments.
174 O Lord, I have longed for your rescue,
    and your instructions are my delight.
175 Let me live so I can praise you,
    and may your regulations help me.
176 I have wandered away like a lost sheep;
    come and find me,
    for I have not forgotten your commands.

Psalm 119:169-176

Dear God, what an interesting way to end this 176-verse poem/song/psalm to you: “I have wandered away like a lost sheep; come and find me, for I have not forgotten your commands.” That’s not exactly the tone of the rest of the psalm. The rest of the psalm is about the psalmist being right and so many people being wrong against him. It’s about doing your commands and not just remembering them. But now, after having written all of those other sections and verses, is this the Holy Spirit revealing to the psalmist that he has still managed to lose his way?

I certainly lose my way sometimes. I really hope I’m not losing my way now. I’ve had something interesting happening the last several nights. I’ve been having extremely positive dreams. I don’t know how much you speak to me through dreams, but I do believe that, to some extent, the theme or overall feel of our dreams reveals the state of our heart and mind. I guess I must be in a pretty good place right now. But even that concerns me. Am I feeling too confident in myself? Am I forgetting to praise you for everything (what I perceive as good and bad), and am I doing things for the future in my own power and not through your provision and discernment? I need you every hour, Lord. “I need thee, oh I need thee. Every hour I need thee.”

Here are the different verses of this psalm. Please speak to me through what this psalmist put down thousands of years ago. In another language. In another culture. In another time.

  • 169 O Lord, listen to my cry; give me the discerning mind you promised. – Yes, I need discernment. I need to understand what you have for me to do. I need to remember that this is all from you. I need to point to you in all things. Help me to reveal you to everyone who sees me. That is my cry. Don’t do for me. Do through me for the sake of others.
  • 170 Listen to my prayer; rescue me as you promised. – I’m not sure that I need rescued as much as I need you to show me your path and bring you glory throughout it. Be glorified in me, oh Lord. And let my life be as you have ordained it. Help me to be exactly the 1/7 billionth of the earth’s population that you need me to be.
  • 171 Let praise flow from my lips, for you have taught me your decrees. – I do worship you. You are amazing. You are everything. You are my only hope. You are my beginning and my end. I repent for wandering from your path. Help me to walk it today.
  • 172 Let my tongue sing about your word, for all your commands are right. – Show me how to talk about you in a way that is not obnoxious but loving. Love other people through me. Give me your words and actions so that others might be drawn in closer to you.
  • 173 Give me a helping hand, for I have chosen to follow your commandments. – Help me, Lord. I have desires of my heart, and I don’t know if it is your will to fulfill them or not, but I do know that you want the best for those I am praying for. Heal and encourage. Love.
  • 174 O Lord, I have longed for your rescue, and your instructions are my delight. – I’m sure if I were in a situation of suffering like in Ukraine, Gaza, Israel, Sudan, or even in a border detention center or a foreign land I didn’t know, I would long for your rescue. Or if I were in deep poverty, I would long for your rescue. But those are not my things. With that being said, I don’t want to be in Laodicea either. I don’t want to take what you’ve given me and be lukewarm. I want to be disciplined and fervent in my love and worship of you. I want to fight against my apathetic flesh and drill deeper into your heart. I want you to consume me, for “your instructions are my delight.”
  • 175 Let me live so I can praise you, and may your regulations help me. – Yeah. Make my life a prayer to you. Use it how you will. Use it for your worship and glory. Use it to love others and to reveal yourself to others.
  • 176 I have wandered away like a lost sheep; come and find me, for I have not forgotten your commands. – I wonder if this last verse is the longest of the 176. It seems like it might be. I just went and checks. I think it is the only one that has three lines. Help me to not only remember your commands but to do them in real time. Be with me, Holy Spirit. You are my God. I am your servant. I love you.

I pray all of this in Jesus and with your Holy Spirit,

Amen

 
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Posted by on August 12, 2025 in Psalm 119, Psalms

 

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Psalm 119:161-168 (Shin)

11 Aug

Shin

161 Powerful people harass me without cause,
    but my heart trembles only at your word.
162 I rejoice in your word
    like one who discovers a great treasure.
163 I hate and abhor all falsehood,
    but I love your instructions.
164 I will praise you seven times a day
    because all your regulations are just.
165 Those who love your instructions have great peace
    and do not stumble.
166 I long for your rescue, Lord,
    so I have obeyed your commands.
167 I have obeyed your laws,
    for I love them very much.
168 Yes, I obey your commandments and laws
    because you know everything I do.

Psalm 119:161-168

Dear God, first, it’s interesting to see how often I see selected verses from Psalm 119 pulled out and used for different things since I’ve been doing this series on it. For example, last night I attended some prayer meetings for our local public schools. One of the verses was 105 Your word is a lamp to guide my feet and a light for my path. The verse of the day for this morning from Bible Gateway was 14 I have rejoiced in your laws as much as in riches. People find good inspiration from this psalmists words thousands and thousands of years after he wrote them. How great is that? I hope that somehow his soul knows the impact he had on the world and your children. I don’t believe this psalm is perfect. I think it has some theological problems that Jesus would correct. But it is good. You have used it and taught people through it. You are teaching me through it. And to be sure, I am not as good as this man, and my writings or thoughts are no more complete or perfect than his were. I guess my biggest hope is that just one thing I’ve written or said can impact one person and then ripple to others through that person. Make my life a prayer to you.

With that said, here are the Shin verses for Psalm 119.

  • 161 Powerful people harass me without cause, but my heart trembles only at your word. – I like this. The idea that I see darkness all around me, but my only fear is of not having you. If you are here and my heart hears you then it trembles at your presence, but it’s a good tremble. And the idea of losing you makes me shudder.
  • 162 I rejoice in your word like one who discovers a great treasure. – This makes me think of the parables Jesus told about the man who finds the treasure and buries it: 44 “The Kingdom of Heaven is like a treasure that a man discovered hidden in a field. In his excitement, he hid it again and sold everything he owned to get enough money to buy the field. Again, the Kingdom of Heaven is like a merchant on the lookout for choice pearls. 46 When he discovered a pearl of great value, he sold everything he owned and bought it!” Your treasure is worth my life and everything I have. Help me to know how to surrender it all to you.
  • 163 I hate and abhor all falsehood, but I love your instructions. – Help me to live up to this line. Help me to know how to deal with falsehood. Help me to purge any falsehood from my own life. I love you.
  • 164 I will praise you seven times a day because all your regulations are just. – This is so specific. I Googled how many times do Jews pray a day (three) and Muslims (5). Seven, of course, is a special number in the bible, but I still found this interesting that he claims to make time to praise you seven times a day.
  • 165 Those who love your instructions have great peace and do not stumble. – Ah, peace. My favorite of the fruits of the Spirit. Well, maybe not my favorite, but the one that feels like it is most dependent upon you. I just can’t fake whether or not I am at peace. I am only at peace in you.
  • 166 I long for your rescue, Lord, so I have obeyed your commands. – I obey you simply because I know it is good for me. I know it is bad for me to not obey you. I need you. I need your commands. Like a deer pants for the water, so my soul longs after you (and your commands) (Psalm 42:1).
  • 167 I have obeyed your laws, for I love them very much. – I love you and now that I know your laws and you better and better I am loving the laws more and more as well. Oh, how I am amazed I get to sit here even this morning and pray to you. Thank you!
  • 168 Yes, I obey your commandments and laws because you know everything I do. – You do know everything I do, and I invite you to know me completely. I turn over every area of my life to you, Father, Jesus, Holy Spirit. Help me to live up to what you are putting into me. Help me to do good work today in your service and for your glory.

I pray all of this in Jesus and with your Holy Spirit,

Amen

 
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Posted by on August 11, 2025 in Psalm 119, Psalms

 

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Psalm 119:153-160 (Resh)

10 Aug

Resh

153 Look upon my suffering and rescue me,
    for I have not forgotten your instructions.
154 Argue my case; take my side!
    Protect my life as you promised.
155 The wicked are far from rescue,
    for they do not bother with your decrees.
156 Lord, how great is your mercy;
    let me be revived by following your regulations.
157 Many persecute and trouble me,
    yet I have not swerved from your laws.
158 Seeing these traitors makes me sick at heart,
    because they care nothing for your word.
159 See how I love your commandments, Lord.
    Give back my life because of your unfailing love.
160 The very essence of your words is truth;
    all your just regulations will stand forever.

Psalm 119:153-160

Dear God, it is interesting to simultaneously spend time with this psalm and the letters to the churches in Revelation 2-3. I think the big juxtaposition is a man living among like-minded Jews seeking out your justice in his society vs. different churches who are in the minority trying to survive among a majority that is against them and would just as soon kill them and have them gone.

But the psalmist seems frustrated because it’s not working like he thinks it should. From his perspective, I think he would align himself with the people of Smyrna and Philadelphia in his righteousness, but the people in his region–his enemies–would be more like the people in Ephesus, Sartis, or Laodicea: lost their first love, dead inside, and lukewarm, respectively.

With that said, let’s see what today’s verses have for me. Holy Spirit, please walk with me this morning as I go through these verses:

  • 153 Look upon my suffering and rescue me, for I have not forgotten your instructions. – This psalmist is determined to not be lukewarm, and I applaud him for that. Am I that determined? How low am I willing to let the flame go out of my life before I notice and decide I’ve gone too far? Do I accept this correction in my life? Please, Holy Spirit, give me eyes to see and ears to hear.
  • 154 Argue my case; take my side! Protect my life as you promised. – This is a difficult one because I tend to think more of the people of Smyrna being promised they will be protected from the “second death” but not necessarily physical death from this world. But I don’t think the psalmist ever considered this perspective.
  • 155 The wicked are far from rescue, for they do not bother with your decrees. – This may be true. And it is disappointing that the rain will fall on the bad as well as the good. I just think I need to have more concern about the state of my own heart being submitted appropriately to you and then allowing that love between us to flow to the wicked I see. If they can be brought to you, I would love that.
  • 156 Lord, how great is your mercy; let me be revived by following your regulations. – Yes. Revive me. Even this morning, I am going to be driving between two churches to speak and share your words. Give me your words. Give me your presence. Give me your strength.
  • 157 Many persecute and trouble me, yet I have not swerved from your laws. – If it can be said of me that I did not swerve from your laws regardless of what happened to me, I’ll take it. I can already think of times in my life when I swerved. I can also think of times when I didn’t. Father, have mercy on me. Jesus, have more on me. Holy Spirit, have mercy on me.
  • 158 Seeing these traitors makes me sick at heart, because they care nothing for your word. – “Traitors” is an interesting word here. New American Standard uses “treacherous” here. I think that one makes more sense. Why do people have to be treacherous? Well, I guess it’s because they feel like they have to do everything to protect and promote themselves. God, help them. Help me help them fin you and the freedom of releasing their life so they can find it.
  • 159 See how I love your commandments, Lord. Give back my life because of your unfailing love. – There are parts of my life that are missing, Father. There are sorrows. Heal me. If it’s your will, please restore these parts in my lifetime. But I am trusting you that this is in your timing. I’ve prayed so much for this, I am left only to assume that your answer is either “no” or “not yet.” I trust you.
  • 160 The very essence of your words is truth; all your just regulations will stand forever. – You are the only thing that is the same yesterday, today, and forever. Thank you.

Father, I want to close with prayers for friends and family who are sick. Be with each person in my head. Some need healing. Some have unknown needs. Some need your comfort. Oh, Father, be with each one.

I pray this in Jesus and your Holy Spirit,

Amen

 
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Posted by on August 10, 2025 in Psalm 119, Psalms

 

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Psalm 119:145-152 (Qoph)

09 Aug

Qoph

145 I pray with all my heart; answer me, Lord!
    I will obey your decrees.
146 I cry out to you; rescue me,
    that I may obey your laws.
147 I rise early, before the sun is up;
    I cry out for help and put my hope in your words.
148 I stay awake through the night,
    thinking about your promise.
149 In your faithful love, O Lord, hear my cry;
    let me be revived by following your regulations.
150 Lawless people are coming to attack me;
    they live far from your instructions.
151 But you are near, O Lord,
    and all your commands are true.
152 I have known from my earliest days
    that your laws will last forever.

Psalm 119:145-152

Dear God, with this day, I have four days left in Psalm 119. I have to say, I’m ready to be done. Mainly because the sense I get from the psalmist is that they just aren’t at peace. He seems so wrapped around the axle. Maybe I’m wrong and I’ve completely misread him, his life, his intentions, and even his theology. But I just find myself wanting to sit with him and encouraging him to relax and know the Jesus I know. And the Jesus I know didn’t get rid of the law. In fact, he raised the standard. But he made love for you and others and then compassion, forgiveness, and mercy the foundation for everything. In fact, he chastises the church in Ephesus in Revelation 2 for doing everything that looks right but then losing their first love. This guy loves you. I don’t doubt that. But there is certainly more to worshipping you than doing everything right.

With that said, let’s look at today’s Qoph section:

  • 145 I pray with all my heart; answer me, Lord! I will obey your decrees. – See, he loves you. He prays with all of his heart. I have no doubt he loves you. And that is wonderful to see. In fact, he probably prays more fervently than I do. Do I pray with all my heart? That might actually be convicting this morning. I pray earnestly. I pray thoughtfully. I pray intentionally. But I’m not sure I do it with all my heart. I think I have to be in a more desperate mode to pray with all my heart.
  • 146 I cry out to you; rescue me, that I may obey your laws. – If I’m ever asking to be rescued, I think it is so I can worship you and continue being salt and light in the world for you. That seems like a more appropriate reason to ask for rescue than just so I can obey your laws. I don’t think you created us to obey your laws. You created us for relationship and then gave us laws through which we could live an effective life in relationship with you. Oh, how I’m hope I’m not just typing heresy here.
  • 147 I rise early, before the sun is up; I cry out for help and put my hope in your words. – I have an early meeting this Saturday morning, but here I am up a little early so I would have time to do this. The sun will be up later, but right now I need you. In fact, we are doing something important for work today. This is probably a good opportunity to express my need for you. We need your guidance. We need your vision. We need to see the man/woman calling to us that needs us and figure out how to reach them in your name. Help us to know what that need is and how to reach it.
  • 148 I stay awake through the night, thinking about your promise. – It’s important to remember what you promised and what you didn’t promise. My wife and I visited with a friend last night who told us about a conversation he had with a woman about the recent floods in Kerrville. She attributed it to you basically smiting the area and those who suffered. He was shocked at her perspective. I would counter that your earth is in motion, and it’s not a safe earth. It has natural disasters. It has man-made disasters. It has man-made horrors. And I believe that sometimes you choose to intervene and rescue us from them, but there is no way for me to figure out the rhyme or reason to them this side of life. But you will always comfort those who mourn. You will save your people from the second death. Those are the promises. Expecting anything beyond that, on my part, is wishful, selfish thinking (in my opinion).
  • 149 In your faithful love, O Lord, hear my cry; let me be revived by following your regulations. – Revive me. When I’m down and weary, revive me. When I drift from you, Father, Jesus, and Holy Spirit, revive me. Please, give me exactly what I need to accomplish what you have for me to do.
  • 150 Lawless people are coming to attack me; they live far from your instructions. – Help me to share you with those who attack me. Help me to be your messenger to them. Give me words to speak. Give me mercy for them (something I often lack). And they would probably tell you I live far from your instructions. Help me to see any truth in their attacks on me.
  • 151 But you are near, O Lord, and all your commands are true. – This makes me think of an old Christian song by a group from the 90s called Rachel Rachel, “You are Always There.” Chorus: “You are always there holding me closely. In your tender arms the wonder of your love falls on me.” Thank you for this verse being true. It doesn’t have to be, but it is. You are faithful. You are true. You are always there.
  • 152 I have known from my earliest days that your laws will last forever. – I can’t quite say my earliest days, but I have certainly known you from a young age, and I am grateful I learned to follow you before I did too much damage to myself. When I think of some different directions my life could have gone when I was a child and where those roads could have led, it is sobering. Who knows where I would be if I hadn’t been in an environment where I could find you.

Father, I am about to go into this board retreat for our nonprofit. Be with us. Be among us. Do it all for your glory and our growth in you.

I pray this in Jesus and with your Holy Spirit,

Amen

 
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Posted by on August 9, 2025 in Psalm 119, Psalms

 

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Psalm 119:137-144 (Tsadhe)

08 Aug

Tsadhe

137 O Lord, you are righteous,
    and your regulations are fair.
138 Your laws are perfect
    and completely trustworthy.
139 I am overwhelmed with indignation,
    for my enemies have disregarded your words.
140 Your promises have been thoroughly tested;
    that is why I love them so much.
141 I am insignificant and despised,
    but I don’t forget your commandments.
142 Your justice is eternal,
    and your instructions are perfectly true.
143 As pressure and stress bear down on me,
    I find joy in your commands.
144 Your laws are always right;
    help me to understand them so I may live.

Psalm 119:137-144

Dear God, how should I feel about those who have “disregarded your words?” Is indignation the right emotion? Is it pity? Is it compassion? The dangerous thing about labeling others as “disregarding your words” and judging them harshly is something that Jesus points out when he talks about removing the log from my own eye before I worry about the speck in my brother’s (Sermon on the Mount). I would be fascinated for the psalmist to come across Jesus and his teachings and see how he felt afterward. Jesus just deconstructed all of this theology and philosophy. It’s no wonder the leaders of his own people wanted to kill him. For them, he must have seemed so wrong.

But that doesn’t mean I don’t need to sit with this psalmist in his moment of writing this and see what you might have for me to learn through his experience. Some of the things I write in these prayers to you are wrong. Some of it is terrible theology. I might have already typed something heretical this morning. But it’s there for others to see and judge. I hope anyone who comes across something egregious I’ve written will have mercy on me.

With that said, let’s look at today’s verses.

  • 137 O Lord, you are righteous, and your regulations are fair. – I don’t know what word he originally used in the Hebrew that was translated to “fair” here, but I find the regulations of yours that I follow are always good for me. There are some Old Testament ones I ignore that I probably shouldn’t. And my life is probably worse for it. Guide me to what I should do.
  • 138 Your laws are perfect and completely trustworthy. – “Perfect” is a more powerful word that “fair.” Oh, you are so good. You are so good to us. And yes, you are completely trustworthy in both your laws and how you interact with your creation. I might not always like it. Things happen that make me mourn. But in those moments, you are there to comfort me with your rod and your staff. I am a sheep, and I like it.
  • 139 I am overwhelmed with indignation, for my enemies have disregarded your words. – This is the verse that caught my attention from the beginning. I think I’ve said enough about it.
  • 140 Your promises have been thoroughly tested; that is why I love them so much. – That is true. Your promises were tested. Are tested. And sometimes we are tested by life and you watch how we perform. I think your 100% passing your tests is much better than whatever percentage of tests I’ve passed. Oh, forgive me.
  • 141 I am insignificant and despised, but I don’t forget your commandments. – I could be insignificant in your eyes, but I’m not. For some reason, I am 1/7,000,000,000 of the earth and you still sit with me on mornings like this with your Holy Spirit and love one me while I travel life in this earthen body. Thank you.
  • 142 Your justice is eternal, and your instructions are perfectly true. – I like how this Tsadhe section focuses on how good your law is rather than just pledging to follow it. Your laws are good and true. What you tell us to do and how you tell us to live is amazing. You are amazing.
  • 143 As pressure and stress bear down on me, I find joy in your commands. – As I said before, your rod and your staff comfort me. I lean on you.
  • 144 Your laws are always right; help me to understand them so I may live. – Yes, finally a more humble look at your laws from the psalmist. You are always right. I am not and I cannot live up to all of this. But you can help me. You can help me understand and follow them so that I might live. Please, I give you freedom to make it so.

I pray all of this in Jesus and with your Holy Spirit,

Amen

 
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Posted by on August 8, 2025 in Psalm 119, Psalms

 

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