Category: Morning Musings

Morning Musing: James 1:22

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“But be doers of the word and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.”‬‬ (CSB – Read the chapter)

So, I recently finished watching the first season of Marvel’s Luke Cage on Netflix. I know, I know, where have I been for the last three years? What can I say? I’m slow to watch a few things. But, the upshot of being a step behind the times on my TV viewing is that I can talk about it without worrying I’m going to spoil it for anyone. And I think there is plenty to talk about from the standpoint of the Christian worldview. Just in case, then, if you are even further behind than I am, I’m going to include spoilers in what follows.

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Morning Musing: Hosea 14:9

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“Let whoever is wise understand these things, and whoever is insightful recognize them. For the ways of the Lord are right, and the righteous walk in them, but the rebellious stumble in them.”‬‬ (CSB – Read the chapter)

I write a lot of these things. I honestly don’t always remember what I’ve written about after a few weeks. It’s always interesting to me, then, when I go to prepare a blog and discover that I’ve already written an entry on the exact same verse. The few times I’ve done that, though, I’ve written on different aspects of the verse and from a somewhat different angle. The heart is the same, but the application is situational. This is a verse I wrote on back in May. Here’s a second look at it. Thanks for reading.

I enjoy trying to do origami. Let me say that again with a bit of emphasis: I enjoy trying to do origami. The idea of it captures my interest, but I’m not very good. It’s not for a lack of effort. I’ve tried many different projects over the years. I’ve bought whole books about it. I’ve admired pictures of amazing creations. But when it comes to folding paper to make something cool, there is a certain way to do it. If you don’t do it just right, you won’t be able to do it at all. What Hosea says here suggests that following God is a little like this. Let me explain.

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Morning Musing: Hosea 13:6

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“When they had pasture, they became satisfied; they were satisfied, and their hearts became proud. Therefore they forgot me.”‬‬ (CSB – Read the chapter)

Where do you turn when things get tough? I’ve asked that question before. You already know what I think the answer should be: God. Perhaps you do turn there and good for you. Many people turn to something they identify as a higher power when things get tough. That’s not at all unusual. It’s also not what I am interested in this morning. I just wanted to distract you a bit. Here’s what I’m interested in right now: Where do you turn when things are smooth and easy?

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Morning Musing: Hosea 10:1

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“Israel is a lush vine; it yields fruit for itself. The more his fruit increased, the more he increased the altars. The better his land produced, the better they made the sacred pillars.”‬‬ (CSB – Read the chapter)

Have you experienced success before? That’s a bit of an open-ended question. What kind of success? There are many different kinds: relational, financial, vocational, social, athletic, parental, life generally. Okay, let me narrow the question in a bit: Have you experienced success before? See what I did there? That’s not really the question I’m interested in right now. Here’s that one: Where did that success come from? Here’s why that matters: If you know where your success originates, you can experience more of it more easily.

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Morning Musing: Hosea 7:9

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“Foreigners consume his strength, but he does not notice. Even his hair is streaked with gray, but he does not notice.” (CSB – Read the chapter)

Time flies when you’re having fun, doesn’t it? That’s an old cliché to express the fact that it is easy to get lost in something enjoyable. When we are having fun, we don’t worry about time. We don’t want to. We give our attention to simply enjoying the experience. And it always feels shorter than we’d like it to feel. There’s a fine line, though, between enjoying something fun, and being controlled by some habit. The former is harmless, the latter can be deadly. Israel had crossed that line.

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