Pay Day

Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full. Matthew 6:2 In Full – Is this what you want? Full paid. Getting all that is due. Don’t be so quick to say, “Oh, no. I’m willing to wait.” That response misunderstands Jesus’ comment. Jesus is not saying that we should work without the…

The Magic Potion

A bribe is a charm in the sight of its owner; wherever he turns, he prospers. Proverbs 17:8 Charm – Why offer a bribe? Solomon observes that the one who offers a bribe (the word means a gift that carries selfish intention) absolutely believes that he will achieve his purposes with its use. It is…

What Kind of Gift?

For then I will give to the peoples purified lips, that all of them may call on the name of the Lord Zephaniah 3:9 Give – Zephaniah is a tiny book squeezed into the general category called the Minor Prophets. Most people can’t even find it in the Old Testament without flipping through all the…

Face Down Fighting

For the enemy has persecuted my soul; He has crushed my life to the ground; He has made me dwell in dark places, like those who have long been dead. Psalm 143:3 Crushed – This is not the most famous verse that uses daka, but it gives us a clear picture of the kind of…

Defeated

For the enemy has persecuted my soul; He has crushed my life to the ground; He has made me dwell in dark places, like those who have long been dead. Psalm 143:3 Persecuted My Soul – The center of attack, the place of vulnerability, is not to be found in the circumstances of life. Of…

Asking For “No”

And do not enter into judgment with Your servant, for in Your sight no man living is righteous Psalm 143:2 Do Not Enter – I just can’t get away from the Psalms. The up’s and down’s of my life send me on emotional roller coaster rides. Try as I might, the effort to achieve that…

Practicing Hesed (6): Moral Oscars

Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, let your mind dwell on these things. Philippians 4:8 Excellence – What’s with that little gold statue shaped like a truncated human?…