Roots by the River

Jeremiah prayed, “I know, O LORD, that a man’s life is not his own; it is not for man to direct his steps” (Jeremiah 10:23). Paul wrote, “Because those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God” (Romans 8:14). “But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under law” (Galatians 5:18). “If the LORD delights in a man’s way, he makes his steps firm” (Psalm 37:23). “In their hearts humans plan their course, but the LORD establishes their steps” (Proverbs 16:9). I thank God for these wonderful truths. I thank God for His daily directing my steps from my earliest days as a Christian until today. I have no idea where I would be today if this were not true. “Finally, brothers, pray for us that the message of the Lord may spread rapidly and be honored, just as it was with you” (2 Thessalonians 3:1). This post coordinates with today's reading in the To the Word! Bible Reading Challenge . If you are not in a daily reading plan, please join us at TotheWord.com. We would love...

“If anyone chooses to do God’s will, he will find out whether my teaching comes from God or whether I speak on my own” (John 7:17). “The golden rule for understanding spirituality is not intellect, but obedience. If a man wants scientific knowledge, intellectual curiosity is his guide; but if he wants insight into what Jesus Christ teaches, he can only get it by obedience. If things are dark to me, then I may be sure there is something I will not do. Intellectual darkness comes through ignorance; spiritual darkness comes because of something I do not intend to obey” (Oswald Chambers, My Utmost for His Highest ). “Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says” (James 1:22).   Written August 1991. This post coordinates with today's reading in the To the Word! Bible Reading Challenge . If you are not in a daily reading plan, please join us at TotheWord.com . We would love to have you reading with us.

  No parameters, no speed of light nor time nor space. Nothing to measure in light years or miles and then God created the Heavens and the Earth.   In and around and above that wet, dark and formless empty earth The Spirit Hovered.   From beyond the night, beyond the heavens and apart from the Earth God said, "Let there be light." And there was light.   Six measured days later God created man in His own likeness. But man believed a lie to be more like God and indeed became less like Him. Man's thinking became futile, and his foolish heart was darkened.   Now we are measured in time, square miles, and by the Bureau of Standards. Into that measured land, in a farmhouse on a quarter section in central Nebraska God created a man, partly in His likeness.   Twenty measured years went by, and over and around that man with a dark and formless void, The Spirit hovered.   Into that void, formless and dark, pierced,...

“How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who bring good news, who proclaim peace, who bring good tidings, who proclaim salvation, who say to Zion, ‘Your God reigns!’” (Isaiah 52:7). We do not normally think of feet as beautiful. Why are these feet different? They are carrying a voice that proclaims good news, peace, good tidings, salvation, and the reign of God. The apostle Paul quotes this text in Romans 10:15 right after a series of questions. "‘Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.’ How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? And how can they preach unless they are sent? As it is written, ‘How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!’” (Romans 10:13-15). This post coordinates with today's reading in the To the Word! Bible Reading Challenge . If you are not in a daily reading plan, please...

“Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world” (James 1:27). If you are normal, you want to be in the best church in town, and you may be in it. However, does this church or any church fit the definition of pure and faultless religion? This is in the sight of God the Father. He is paying attention to see if your religion is pure and undefiled. There are two requirements: 1) to visit orphans and widows who are in distress and 2) to keep yourself unspotted from the world. Concerning the first requirement, you may not know any widows or orphans in distress. However, they are there in your town. Ask God who they are. The second requirement is not letting the filth of the world touch you at all. Jesus prays in John 17:15-17, “My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one. They are not of the world, even as I am not ...

In my reading through the Proverbs, the eighteenth chapter got my attention. Here are three from that chapter: "The words of a whisperer are like delicious morsels; they go down into the inner parts of the body" (v. 8). "If one gives answer before he hears, it is his folly and shame” (v. 13). "He who states his case first seems right, until the other comes and examines him” (v. 17). They all have to do with conversation, and they hit three great problems in the church today: gossip, not listening, and listening to only one side. All of these can be corrected by a simple desire and act of the will. However, to act properly means that there will be no more “choice morsels,” no “ego talking,” and no choosing up sides. Here are two New Testament sentences which will help us in our decision: “Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen”...