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Archive for the ‘worldview’ Category

Choose, Cling, Witness

Posted in Bible Study, Bible Study, God, Holy Week, Jesus Christ, Responsibility, Spiritual Growth, The Father, Trials, worldview, Worship, tagged , , , , , , on March 29, 2026| Leave a Comment »

Joshua 22-24, The progression here is the plan for every believer and follower of Jesus. We are to choose the Lord. This is not a one-time activity. It is a recurring choice we get to make over and over. This is the essence of faith, choosing the Lord and following Him every day until it is the only thing we know to do.

Now choosing Him is easy when life is good. Life isn’t always good. In fact, there are many times when life is hard. It is in hard times when it is essential that we cling tightly to the LORD. When our children were little, a game they loved to play was to sit on my foot and wrap their arms around my leg while I walked. I remember their giggles and squeals as I would walk around asking my wife if she liked my new shoes. If they did not cling tightly though, they would fall off. This picture comes to mind when I think of clinging. There is such a close personal nature to clinging when I think of this. God is a good, good Father who desires that we hold onto Him, hold onto His promises, hold onto His way of living such that the third word comes into play.

The reality is our lives will be a witness to something. The question is what do we bear witness to? Do we just blend in with the world and its brokenness… its misplaced faith… its fears… its corruption? Or do we bear witness to the living God who is at work transforming our lives day by day, well-made choice by well-made choice. As we choose and as we cling, our lives will reflect the love and goodness of God more and more.

Today is Palm Sunday. Jesus rode into Jerusalem to lots of external fanfare, yet He knew what lie before Him. He saw the cross looming on the near horizon. Living in Roman occupied territory, Jesus had certainly seen the gruesome displays of Roman justice, so He had no illusions about what was coming. Yet He chose to obey. He chose to ride into the coming maelstrom. And He did so clinging to the Father, trusting His plan, trusting His heart. And today, Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection are the central point of all history, a glorious witness of God’s love and desire that ALL mankind might choose, cling, and bear witness to Him.

Blessed LORD, we choose you today. We cling to you today. LORD, make our lives a faithful witness to your love and goodness to each and every person we meet today. In Jesus’ Name!

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Christophany

Posted in Bible Study, Genesis, God, God Stories, Jesus Christ, Trials, worldview, tagged , , , on February 21, 2026| Leave a Comment »

Genesis 22-24, So many deep and rich nuggets embedded in today’s stories. What stood out was the moment when Abraham raised the knife over his son, his only son Isaac, and The Angel of the LORD stayed his hand. Scholars tell us that this phrase “the angel of the LORD” is much more than a messenger angel. They say this is a Christophany, an appearance of the pre-incarnate Christ in human form.

Understanding this I can’t help but think about the Son of God, who will one day hang on a cross as a sacrifice, in this day interceding for Isaac. What He did for Isaac, He will one day do for all humanity. But instead of a ram caught in a thicket it will be Him willingly offering Himself at the behest of His heavenly Father. 

Holy Lord, you did for us what we could not do for ourselves. You are the Holy Lamb of God and we worship you!

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God Speaks

Posted in Bible Study, God, Jesus Christ, job, The Father, worldview, tagged , , , , , , on January 14, 2026| Leave a Comment »

Job 38-39, God Speaks. When we see the word Lord in all capital letters, “LORD”, we are seeing the personal name of God. So, the LORD shows up, and the story finally gains the one true, authoritative voice in what has been a rather tumultuous conversation. Instead of starting with answers though, the LORD immediately begins asking questions. God does not need to defend Himself, nor does He really need to explain His actions. His ways are so much higher than ours, and He works within the context of the entire universe, that He does not owe us any explanation. And we probably wouldn’t understand the complexities if He did. What He does do is ask questions to help Job and his friends grasp who He is and this great gap between their limited knowledge and wisdom against God’s greatness as Architect, Creator, and Sustainer of all that is.

I also noticed that God peppering them with questions was what He does when He comes to earth in the flesh some 2000+ years later. Jesus seldom just answered questions with direct answers. He answered questions with questions. In the Gospels Jesus was asked about 180 questions while He is recorded as asking over 300 questions. I realize this is very purposeful. For the LORD, it is much more important for us to internalize who He is and allow it to move us toward a deep relationship with Him than it is for us to just gain knowledge. He doesn’t need us to memorize the answers to the test, He wants us to know Him, to trust Him, to allow Him to give us the answers we need at the right time. And some of our questions will simply disappear in comparison to knowing Him. And with today’s encounter, I think Job, and us, are well on the path to learning that.

LORD, we acknowledge our limited understanding and perspective. You are God and we are not. We are so thankful that it does not matter how much we know, so long as we know and trust you. We have questions and you are okay with that so long as we trust you will give us what we need when we need it. And you do and you will. In this we confidently rest. You are our Architect, our Creator, our Sustainer, and Lord. To you we give all praise, honor, and glory today and forever. Amen.

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Turning the Corner

Posted in Bible Study, God, job, Orphans, Responsibility, Spiritual Growth, Trials, worldview, tagged , , , , , , on January 11, 2026| Leave a Comment »

Job 29-31, Turning the Corner. Our time in Job thus far has been bookended by accounts of Job’s righteousness. In chapter 1 God speaks of Job’s righteousness so we know Job is truly a good and righteous person. In chapter 31 Job goes on to list all the things that he does that are good and right. Job’s righteousness is impressive and puts me in my place by comparison. Which, when I think about it, is possibly a good thing for both Job and me. It is good for Job because it uncovers an area of his life, pride and entitlement, that are NOT character traits that endear us to God. It is good for me because I still have a way to go to even measure up to Job’s righteousness AND I can receive the warning from Job’s pride. It is the slippery slope that comes when our reputation supersedes our relationship with the Father.

But everything is about to change. Job’s three friends have run out of steam. Their accusations and false help have not stuck. And Job’s heart is laid bare with all of his goodness peeled back to reveal an area of need. God loves Job just like He loves us. What seemingly started as a dare between God and Satan has become a tool God uses to reveal to Job his need that he would never have seen without his suffering AND the interactions with his friends. And God will use this to bless not just Job, but his friends too. I am excited to see where God takes us in the coming days.

Father, you love us too much to let us remain stuck. In Isaiah you call out righteousness laid over pride as filthy rags. You desire that we act right towards others, but you desire that to spring forth from our ever-growing relationship with you. So, we bend our knees and lay all our ambitions and motivations before you now. You know them already. We ask that you help us to see ourselves rightly and live surrendered. We offer ourselves to you that you might transform us. We are your children and our desire is to live as faithful men and women of God. Be glorified, our Lord and our God!

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Beginning of Wisdom

Posted in Bible Study, God, Spiritual Growth, The Father, Trials, Vision, worldview, Worship, tagged , , , , , , , on January 11, 2026| Leave a Comment »

Job 24-28, Beginning of Wisdom. Unlike most of scripture, the only way to properly read Job is in its entirety. The Bible is amazing in many respects. One of those is that it encompasses a variety of literary styles. In telling Job’s story and capturing the dialog of Job and his three friends, we see descriptions of God and His character that are opinions and not hard facts. The mixture of truth, half-truth, and misunderstanding about God is combined in a way that emphasizes foundational truth about God and His ways, but only when we read the entire story. If you are like me, it has taken multiple reads to get to the point that I can see this and not get tied up in the warped theology espoused by Job’s friends and, to a degree, but Job.

When we get to Job 28:28 I cannot help but release a big sigh. In my mind I have been trying to parse out the truth versus misunderstanding in each person’s dialog. Even Job speaks at times with more emotion and less faith than I am comfortable with. As an engaged reader it is a mental and emotional roller-coaster. But then I read a verse that I can hang my hat on. ‘And he said to man, ‘Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom, and to turn away from evil is understanding.’”’ I find this truth throughout scripture. I find this truth in evaluating the world on a macro level. And I have found this to be true in my 65 years on earth.

LORD, you are the source of all wisdom. When things don’t make sense, when evil seems to triumph, we know we can trust you and trust your heart. You have made all things – seen and unseen. You exist outside of time – the past, present, and future are all now to you. We bow to you, acknowledging our great limitations and your limitless nature. That out of all this, that you love us and desire what is best for us, we humbly, reverently, give you thanks and offer you our lives. It is in the mighty Name of Jesus that we pray,

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My Redeemer Lives

Posted in Bible Study, God, job, Spiritual Growth, Trials, worldview, Worship, tagged , , , , , , , on January 11, 2026| Leave a Comment »

Job 17-20, My Redeemer Lives. Lately I have had this tremendous sense of gratitude that we live in a day and time when God’s progressive revelation of Himself has come so far. In the days of the Prophets, the understanding of God was limited to the Law and the mixed messages coming from true prophets and false prophets and priests. When the people were wandering in the wilderness, they had Moses and the stone tablets, but we saw how much weight that carried. That whole generation (except Joshua and Caleb) died because of their lack of faith. From Abraham to Moses, there was God’s promise to Abraham, but not a lot more to rest your faith on. So, for Job to proclaim this truth, years before God spoke to Abram (who became Abraham) in the midst of his great suffering, is a testament to his faith. And it is BIG faith statement.

I have this mental picture right now that won’t go away. I see a kitten hanging on the end of a rope. There is both terror and determination in the kitten’s eyes. The caption reads, “Hang in there, baby.” Job’s cry are the words the kitten is thinking as it dangles. And there is a reward as the rope is pulled up and rescue ensues. Our Redeemer does live and He is our Rescuer. Job may not be correct in saying his suffering is from God, but he is absolutely on target when he says My, and Our, Redeemer Lives.

Faithful Redeemer and Lord, we thank you that in all things and at all times we can trust you. Even when we are at the end of our rope, you are there. Psalm 139 comes to mind, you know me, you know us, and we are yours. Thank you for rescuing us, for sending Jesus to die that we might live. Thank you for redeeming us, purchasing us with a price far beyond our worth. We pause to let that sink in… You paid so much for us because you love us and you have good plans for us. Such knowledge is too wonderful, to amazing. But that is who you are… our wonderful, amazing, glorious Redeemer, Savior, and Lord! Amen!

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Patience in Pain

Posted in Bible Study, God, job, Spiritual Growth, Trials, worldview, Worship, tagged , , , , , , , , on January 11, 2026| Leave a Comment »

Job 14-16, Patience in Pain. As an engineer I see most things in a cause and effect paradigm. Having experienced God’s grace in many tangible ways, I fully count on His sovereignty to win the day and outcomes to be good, eventually. There are many Biblical promises such as Jeremiah 29:11 that point to this. God’s past actions and His present promises provide the framework for my belief that my current pain will be transformed into future blessing. Grief, suffering, and heartache are not to be denied, but they can be tempered and endured with the knowledge that the One who has been faithful will remain faithful.

I read the story in Acts 5 yesterday where the Apostles were beaten for preaching the Gospel. Their response to suffering the beating was rejoicing. How could they rejoice when their backs were bruised and bloodied? Because they were able to look beyond the pain to the wonderful work the Holy spirit was doing. They could see the kingdom of God growing. As I type, I get a glimpse of the millions of martyrs through the ages, and I realize that there has never been a tear shed or blood spilled by one of the Lord’s saints that hasn’t resulted in the kingdom expanding. What the enemy means for evil, God turns into good. That’s why we can have patience in the pain.

Father, we are so thankful that you walk with us through life, even carrying us when it gets overwhelming. Job’s friends could not see past their paradigm that had only an earthly cause and effect perspective. We know that you move in heaven and earth and sometimes we won’t see the great good you are doing until later… sometimes much later. We simply ask today that you will help us to grow in faith to exercise patience in the painful times. That includes not just our times of pain, but that of our friends, neighbors and people we meet. May your grace flow through us today. In Jesus’ Name.

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Dark, But Not Abandoned

Posted in Trials, worldview, tagged , , , , , on January 11, 2026| Leave a Comment »

Job 1-5, Dark But Not Abandoned. Before I read the Bible through, Job was by far my least favorite book. In fact, it wasn’t until the third time reading the Bible through that I finally began to grasp how valuable the lessons from Job were and how good God was to give us this dark and painful story. Redemption comes, but not after many chapters and repeated conversations between Job, his friends, and finally God.

These first five chapters are dark and painful. There is an important takeaway that should be of some comfort. Satan, the Accuser, is limited in his malevolent power. We may wonder why God gives him permission to afflict Job but the fact that God has veto power gives us a picture of God’s sovereignty. There is nothing that comes upon us that has not been allowed by God. We know from the rest of scripture that God is good, loving, kind, and just, but all this is on a grand scale that our single point-in-time perspective might not be able to understand. God sees the entire picture. I don’t. My response is to trust His heart even in the midst of my hurt.

Father, in my finite awareness, help me to trust in your infinite goodness. You have blessed us with Jesus to die in our place, the Holy Spirit to guide us into truth, and opportunities galore to spread the good news of you in the world. When difficulties come, when darkness presses in, help us to lean into you even more. May the way we live and love and trust you be a beacon of light to others that the world may know that you reign above it all. In Jesus’ Name we pray.

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Power of Community

Posted in God, Jesus Christ, The Father, worldview, Worship, tagged , , on January 11, 2026| Leave a Comment »

Genesis 8-11, Power of Community. There is tremendous power in an aligned community. A new “technology”, the brick, gave the people of Babylon the opportunity to build a structure that would rival any that then existed. And community pride was the vehicle that drove them to try to do just that. I hear echoes of the serpent’s temptation of Eve in the garden in the rationale behind building the great tower.

God calls us to community too, but it is to be God-centered community. Knowing Him and following Him is the way to life to the full. Jesus said this very thing in the Gospel of John. Connecting John 14:6 and John 10:10, Jesus is the Way, the Truth and the Life and in him alone is life to the full. When we follow Jesus in discipleship community, we will find ourselves surrounded by brothers and sisters in the ultimate community of mercy, grace, and power.

Lord, guide us to seek you first and foremost. Help us to properly prioritize everything in our life that you are the center of our thoughts, our words, and our actions. We desire to live in a faith community that continues to grow and fill the whole world with the knowledge of you. Be glorified in and through us, faithful LORD.

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Is It Optimism or Hope?

Posted in God, Holy Spirit, Jesus Christ, The Father, Trials, worldview, tagged , , , , , , on January 2, 2026| Leave a Comment »

As followers of Jesus, we are uniquely equipped for life in all it’s chaotic messiness. Being connected to the source of life and indwelt by the Holy Spirit gives us a perspective that transcends the loss, pain, suffering, and heartbreak present in this fallen world. It does not mean we don’t experience it or feel it. It simply means that we are aware that this life, all its highs and its lows, are but a precursor to the larger life God has in store for His children.

My boss often corrects me when I use the word hope about future prospects concerning work. I have pushed back lightly telling him that I cannot help but be a hopeful person because of my faith. I haven’t taken the conversation farther than this yet, but I think 2026 will see that happen. Today’s post captures the gist of what I want to say.

I will begin using the word “optimistic” when I am talking about work. Optimism is this recognition that things are trending in the right direction. Optimism is first cousin to hope in that it believes there is a desired final destination and the path we are on leads to it.  There is confidence that the path is correct and the destination will be reached.

Hope is bigger than optimism. Hope is grounded confidence that the final destination is not only desired and good, but that it will be reached no matter what. That grounding is in a person, Jesus, and a path, following Him as revealed in His Word.

There are two key differentiators between optimism and hope. They are 1) what happens when the path becomes difficult and the final destination is in doubt and 2) what is the source of the confidence.

Optimism is largely based upon circumstances being right and things working out in a particular way. Optimism usually includes a good bit of intervention on our part to keep things moving toward the desired destination. Optimism can also be seriously eroded when circumstances wane and turn against us. Because it is based upon reaching a final destination, when that becomes “unrealistic”, optimism can fail.

Hope, at least Biblical hope, is not based upon circumstances. It is based upon God, His promises, and most especially, God’s Son – Jesus. Because we have an amazing record of His life and His words to us, we can learn the path He has called us to. He warns us about the inevitable challenges on the way, but He promises to be with us. He tells us that He who has overcome the world will be with us in the presence of the Holy Spirit. Hope is not eroded when circumstances seem to fail. If anything, hope shines brighter when circumstances fail.

There are three cardinal virtues Paul mentions in his first letter to the church in Corinth. In chapter 13 we read, ‘And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.‘ This trio of virtues build and strengthen the body of Christ, the Church. They also demonstrate in a powerful way the reality of our final destination – eternal union with God, the Lover of our Souls.

While it is good to be an optimistic “glass half full” kind of person, the true blessing and joy comes from knowing Him and allowing that relationship to fill us with HOPE!

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