“And Samuel said to the people, ‘Do not be afraid; you have done all this evil. Yet do not turn aside from following the Lord, but serve the Lord with all your heart.'” (ESV – Read the chapter)
There are two ways to understand this verse, both of them are important. One of them is contextually anchored, and one takes what Israel would have understood and applies it forward to something that is an encouragement to us. Read the rest…
“How long, exalted ones, will my honor be insulted? How long will you love what is worthless and pursue a lie? Selah” (CSB – Read the chapter)
If David’s first cry was up, his second cry is out. When someone else has hurt us or made us angry or dealt us some injustice, it’s okay for us to go ahead and acknowledge that. Refusing to do so both in our hearts and even out loud isn’t somehow holy or righteous. It’s deceitful and dishonest. If you’ve been hurt, claim it. It won’t get any better until you do. Read the rest…
This Labor Day weekend, we took some time to talk about taking a day off…just like many of you are doing today. Life was meant to run at a certain pace, to play to a certain beat. If we don’t get the rhythm of life right, thing are much more difficult than they might otherwise be. Keep reading to learn a powerful tool that will help us keep on beat with the rhythm of life. Happy Labor Day.
Keeping the Beat
When playing the drum set, one of the first things you learn is how to play “time.” Indeed, much drum set music as a part in an ensemble will have several measures that are blank with the exception of a line with two little dots right in the middle which indicates you’re supposed to play “time.” Now, if you don’t know music lingo, you may be wondering why the drummer is supposed to beat on a clock. Let me explain. Read the rest…
“Answer me when I call, God, who vindicates me. You freed me from affliction; be gracious to me and hear my prayer.” (CSB – Read the chapter)
So then, where do we turn when we lie down to sleep with a heart that is full of turmoil? Over the course of the eight verses of this Psalm, David turns three places: Up, out, and in. The out and the in are important because, 1. we need to speak (at least metaphorically) to our sources of anxiety from a place of righteousness; and 2. our self-talk in times of emotional distress is really important. But, he begins and ends with up, because with God is where we will ultimately find the resources we need to resolve our tension and when He has provided them we do need to express our gratitude for it. Read the rest…
The Nexus 