Morning Musing: Joshua 1:8

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“This book of instruction must not depart from your mouth; you are to meditate on it day and night so that you may carefully observe everything written in it. For then you will prosper and succeed in whatever you do.”‬‬ (CSB – Read the chapter) 

Standing on the precipice of a new adventure is always a complicated emotional affair. On the one hand, there is the requisite nervousness. The unknown stretching out before us is always at least a little bit scary. What if we fail? What if we succeed? Both can be equally frightening. On the other hand, there is excitement. The possibilities before us are rich and we are excited to explore them. Having a little parting advice is always helpful in such situations. What kind of advice is the most helpful? 

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Keep at It

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This past Sunday we continued in our series, Being Useful. We’ve so far talked about faith and virtue and knowledge and self-control. Those are all great things, but living in a constant pursuit of those can eventually become exhausting. If we’re going to manage that tall order, there’s something else we’re going to need. Fortunately, this next thing is the next item on Peter’s list. Keep reading to find out what it is.

Keep at It

Have you ever wanted to give up?  You pick the reason.  Have you ever been at a point where you were seriously considering throwing up your hands and walking away from something?  I think we all hit those places at one time or another in life.  It could have been something as insignificant as a game.  One of the lessons we are slowly teaching our boys is that you can’t quit just because you’re losing.  Any other parents have to fight that particular battle before?  Perhaps, though, your encounter with this particular wall was somewhat more significant.  Maybe it was a class in school?  It could have been a job when you didn’t already have another one lined up.  Perhaps it was even a relationship. 

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Digging in Deeper: James 5:16

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“Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is very powerful in its effect.”‬‬ (CSB – Read the chapter)

Yesterday morning we encountered the uncomfortable truth that there just may be a connection between sin and sickness. This came on the back of James’ instructions to confess our sins to one another that we may be healed. This is uncomfortable stuff. As we asked then, what are we supposed to do with this?

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Morning Musing: James 5:16

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“Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is very powerful in its effect.”‬‬ (CSB – Read the chapter)

Why do people get sick? Most folks today are going to turn toward a medical answer and stop there because it’s easier. People get sick because of a bacteria or a virus or a genetic flaw. Sometimes it’s simply bodily wear and tear. That settles most of the reasons, right? Well, that depends on the kind of answer you’re looking for. James here says there’s at least one more we need to consider. It’s really uncomfortable by itself, but its immediate context makes it even worse. 

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Digging in Deeper: James 5:15

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“The prayer of faith will save the sick person, and the Lord will raise him up; if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven.”‬‬ (CSB – Read the chapter)

Prayer is powerful stuff. You believe that, right? In spite of our nation’s growing secularity, a sizable majority of Americans still profess to pray regularly. You would think, then, that most of them believe there is some kind of effect or benefit to it. But just how much benefit does it bring? James here suggests there is potentially a lot of benefit. 

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