November 2, 2025

Hosea 6: 6 “For I desire mercy, not sacrifice, and acknowledgment of God rather than burnt offerings.” (NIV)

Sacrifices were instituted as a graphic reminder of the seriousness of sin.*

Sacrifices and burnt offerings were required by the Law so what exactly does God want? Clearly, just going through the motions of obedience was not enough to please God, so why didn’t he include a law that spelled out how the Israelites were supposed to feel about the activity? . . . Because God’s displeasure was not about how the people felt about the rituals and sacrifices, but because they missed the point of the requirements. We might describe their demeanor as: “How to Be Religious Without Pleasing God.”*

The procedures for the sacrifices are spelled out in the book of Leviticus. The sacrifices and offerings were instituted as a symbolic means of restitution or atonement for the crimes committed against God. The guilt and sin offerings, usually performed first, were for cleansing – or forgiveness. The burnt offering was an expression of complete dedication to God. And finally, the fellowship offering completes the sequence, answering the original question: what does God want? Answer: he wants fellowship with his people.

Overall, Leviticus paints a picture of the kind of people God wanted Israel to be.* Throughout the book, you will find laws and rules dealing with how people should treat each other. Mercy is an overarching theme. And through the sacrifices and other rituals, we see God trying to restore his people to himself. Clearly, Hosea’s message reflects God’s desire and design to enable his perfect fellowship with Israel.

He has the same desire for us. No more burnt offerings, because the blood of animals was never sufficient to atone for mankind’s sins. Instead, he provided a perfect sacrifice who also painted a picture of the kind of people God wants us to be: Merciful, cleansed, and in fellowship with him.

No amount of religious ritual can substitute for doing what God commands.*

November 1, 2025

Deuteronomy 14: 28, 29 At the end of three years, bring all the tithes of that year’s produce and store it in your town, so that the Levites . . . and the aliens, the fatherless and the widows . . . may come and eat . . . and so that the Lord your God may bless you in all the work of your hands. (NIV)

The Christian life should be characterized by gratitude and generosity.*

If you want to know God’s heart for the poor, the downtrodden, and the afflicted, all you have to do is read the Old Testament. Benevolence wasn’t just something the people did when they felt so moved. It was the law. Did it make any difference to the recipients of the charity that the donors might not have given with their whole hearts? Probably not much. Did it matter to the givers that there was blessing from God attached to their generosity? I hope so.

God accepted the gifts as if they were an offering to himself.* Jesus reminds us of this truth in a parable found in Matthew 25: 31-46. The point of the story: “Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.” (Verse 40) It’s a double blessing: the good feeling you get when you do something for someone in need plus God’s approval. But maybe we need to read a little further. In verse 45, Jesus adds an interesting spin to his previous statement when he says, “Whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.”

There may be blessings for those who help the less fortunate, but there are repercussions for those who neglect their duty. They can’t just shrug and say, “Well, I’ll just miss out on the blessing while I keep my time and treasure for myself.” Nope. Jesus said that with that attitude, they will “go away to eternal punishment.” (Verse 46) By adding, “but the righteous to eternal life,” he clearly lumps the ungenerous into the “unrighteous” category.

Be generous, friends. You will be blessed in return. You will be among the righteous and have eternal life. You will not be poorer for having been generous – because what do you have that God didn’t give you in the first place?

Since we cannot express our love by doing anything to profit God directly, God wants us to do something profitable for the poor, who have been delegated the task of receiving Christian love.*

October 31, 2025

Deuteronomy 11: 18 Fix these words of mine in your hearts and minds; tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them to your foreheads. (NIV)

We don’t usually need to be taught new ideas as much as we need to be reminded of old truths.*

Modern technology has provided us with many methods to remind ourselves of things we don’t want to forget, from Post-It Notes to phones that alert us that we have an appointment in ten minutes. I am pretty much old-school myself: a calendar in my purse; a calendar (from the funeral home) on my desk; and, even though I am not very busy these days, an occasional “to-do” list. We have pictures to remind us of loved ones and good times, and ceremonies to commemorate historic events.

God did not want his people to forget his commands or that his love for them was the purpose of his commands. He wanted them to remember the words in their heads and to treasure them in their hearts. Meditate upon the words. Be creative in devising methods to remind themselves of them. Tie them around their hands or plaster them across their foreheads if that’s what it takes. How about a tattoo?

There was nothing inherently wrong with the Jews’ literal interpretation of God’s figurative suggestion. If that’s what it took to fix God’s words on their hearts and minds, I’m sure God was pleased with their devotion. If only they could have maintained the purity of their intent! Instead, by the time Jesus came along, the symbols on their hands and foreheads had become nothing but a “a showy way of expressing spiritual pride.”* (see Matthew 23: 5)

But let’s not dwell on the literalism and self-righteousness of the Pharisees. Let’s look beyond the devolution of their devotion and search for our own methods of remembrance . . . because it is still vitally important today that we meditate on God’s word, store it in our hearts, and know how to apply it in our daily lives. Here are some suggestions: 

• Memorize scripture that speaks to your personal struggles.
• Take advantage of that modern technology I mentioned earlier – a Bible app on your phone allows you to read and research anywhere, any time. 
• Make Bible study a part of your schedule every day. 
• Know your Bible: memorize the books of the Bible. 
• Become so familiar with scripture that you can say, “I don’t know exactly where that passage is found but I know it’s in there.” And then know where to start looking. 
• Go to Bible study groups where you can discuss the word with others. 
• And get a tattoo if you have to!

When people say they wish they could watch more football, or they wish they could spend more time on the Internet, most of them will actually find a way to do just that. But when . . . people . . . say they wish they knew the Bible better, will they actually set out to do it?*

October 30, 2025

Jonah 3: 5 The Ninevites believed God. (NIV) 

Are there individuals in our circles of influence who might be surprisingly receptive to God’s Word?*

Have you ever invited someone to church and they surprised you by showing up? Perhaps you had no idea they were interested in church. The invitation was unplanned – a long-shot. Sometimes these people are one-timers, but sometimes they become committed Christians. And where would these new believers be if not for someone’s off-hand suggestion that they go to church?

Jonah didn’t want to “invite” the Ninevites to "church.” He had a very bad experience when he tried to run away from his assignment. After all was settled between him and God, Jonah obeyed the word of God and preached throughout the city. And, lo and behold, they believed God. They fasted and prayed and repented from their wicked ways.

I don’t know how long the Ninevites stayed true to the Lord. Some may have remained faithful for life. No doubt many fell back into their old lifestyle. Just like our friends who show up at church – some stay, some don’t. But that does not relieve us of our duty to make the effort to lead them to the Lord.

Witnessing to the lost is often a daunting undertaking. We don’t know what to say. But sometimes it’s as easy as, “Hey, would you like to go to church with me Sunday?” If you’re like me, if you have had any conversations with the person at all, they already know how important your church family is to you. You have already witnessed to them. Inviting them to church is just the natural next step. Don’t be a Jonah and cause God to take drastic measures to get you to do your duty!

Never underestimate the power of God’s truth to penetrate and transform human hearts.*

October 29, 2025

I John 1: 7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin. (NIV)

Light reveals us to ourselves.*

I showed up at work one day wearing clothes that didn’t match. The top and the pants looked perfectly fine together in the light at home but not so much in the fluorescent lighting at the office. To determine the true colors in my outfit, I suppose I should have gone outside in the sunlight. 

John urges us to walk in the true light, not for the sake of fashion, but for the sake of fellowship with God and purification from sin. We could choose to walk in the light of our conscience: doing what we think is right or what is right for us. Some may walk in the light of duty: doing the right thing out of a sense of responsibility. Others may look to the opinions of the world for their source of light: walking in the light of the majority.* (As someone observed, tongue-in-cheek: “What most people think is true is reality enough for me.”*) But for true enlightenment, our walk must be illuminated by the light that Jesus walks in. 

To avoid fashion faux pas, you should consider the light sources in the environment where you will spend your day. But for your spiritual walk, it is where you will spend eternity that matters. Choose the only light that can reveal your true colors and walk in that light as he is in that light.

All your life should be seen and measured in the light of eternity.*

October 28, 2025

Revelation 21: 4, 5 “He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.” He who was seated on the throne said, “I am making everything new!” Then he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.” (NIV)

Only in heaven will we know exactly what heaven is like.*

We aren’t so sure about what we are going to see in heaven. When God says that the old order of things has passed away, we have some cryptic clues as to what that will look like. But God has made it pretty clear about some of the things that we won’t see there: tears; death; mourning; crying; pain. I think we can safely say that we won’t have to deal with traffic jams or pancreatic cancer or mean people or freak accidents.

You know what else we won’t find in heaven? Our own personal bad stuff. On earth, I am shallow, selfish, lazy, and judgmental. When I get to heaven, I will no longer struggle with my unholiness. Not only will I see my Savior face-to-face, I will be able to look him in the eye because I will have nothing to be ashamed of. When he says, “Well done, good and faithful servant,” I will nod modestly and accept the reward that Jesus earned for me.

PS: As a writer, I love that God had to remind John to take notes rather than trust that he would remember what he had seen and heard. I pray that the words I write prove to be trustworthy and true, too.

You will be at your best forever.*

October 27, 2025

Lamentations 3: 22, 23 Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. (NIV)

God is an inexhaustible fountain of mercy, the Father of mercies. (NIV)

The book of Lamentations was written by Jeremiah, AKA “the Weeping Prophet.” In verse 19 of this chapter, he lists some of the things that bring him sorrow: Affliction, wandering, bitterness, gall. But even this poor sad fellow has found a silver lining in his cloud of sorrow: God’s faithfulness. He may wake up every morning with the same old troubles but God’s compassions (mercies, as the King James Version renders it) are fresh and new and never failing. Whatever tired old problems that are dragged through the dark night from yesterday to today, God’s mercy is sufficient for the day.

Our troubles are seldom ever brand new every day either. We usually wake up with the same ones we had the day before. You know what else isn’t new every morning? Our sins. Whatever we struggled with yesterday, we are probably going to be working on it again today. But God is not daunted by our weakness. As he told Paul, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” (II Corinthians 12: 9) You might say that his grace is new every morning.

God is not limited by my weaknesses but liberated by them!*