Journey through and dwell within the Scriptures with Alan Hoare, in the spirit of lectio divina, with these daily devotional commentaries.
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Welcome to the first day (and first podcast attempt!) of this devotional on Psalm 1. Today's thought: the book of Psalms is placed roughly in the centre of the Bible. Maybe this is where our attention to Scripture, worship and prayer should be placed in our life as well.
For the second day of our study of Psalm 1, we look at the first word of the first verse, 'blessed'.Today's thought: in our hands is a book that, rightly understood and entered into, will open to us a deep well and usher us into a spiritual landscape that is beautiful beyond words.
On Day 3 of our study of Psalm 1, we unpack three sets of triplets in the first verse describing the wicked.Today's thought: All of us are influenced. It can be by our upbringing, the people around us, the sermons we heard, or the books we read, to name a few. We need, however, to be shaped and influenced by what God says to us through the Scriptures.
Today's thought: According to the text in Heb.12:1, there are things that are sinful, and then there are “weights” (ESV) – “things that hinder” (NIV). These are not sinful in themselves, but they can rob us of spiritual vitality. Can you identify any in your life?
Today's thought: When you delight yourself in the Lord, His Word and His ways become the focus and foundation of your life.
Today's thought: The words that we speak to each other can have profound effects. Many of us remember the effects of words spoken at us or into us years ago. God’s words are deliberately and intentionally spoken into us to cleanse, heal, restore, challenge and grow us into maturity. We need to open our hearts up to them.
Today's thought: a Bible that’s falling apart usually belongs to someone who isn’t.
Today's thought: Guigo II was a Carthusian monk and the 9th prior of the Grande Chartreuse monastery in the French Alps from 1174-80. He wrote: "...reading puts as it were whole food into your mouth; meditation chews it and breaks it down..."
Today's thought: maybe we ought to think about getting some ‘duvet victories’ – where we are able to crawl out from underneath our duvets in the morning to seek the company of the one who deeply loves us, and desires to meet with us, in the quietness of the dawn.
Today's thought: There was an ache in the soul of David. It could only be assuaged by the presence of God. Meditating in the Scriptures and subsequent worship took him there.
Today's thought: "There is no such thing as a spiritual journey. If a little shocking, this is refreshing. If there were a spiritual journey, it would be only a quarter-inch long, though many miles deep." We are usually more concerned about the visibility of our ministry whereas God is more concerned with the depth of our ministry.
Today's thought: Our local church, although not perfect, is the very place where God wants to nurture us. Our brothers and sisters in the faith have been strategically placed to walk with us, the light of Christ shining through their weaknesses and imperfections.
Today's thought: if you sit long enough in the presence of Christ, you will feel his heartbeat. It will not only be for you; it will also be for those who have never known him.
Today's thought: God is not in a hurry. It is not in his nature, and neither should it be in ours.
Today's thought: someone once said that “we need to learn how to turn stumbling blocks into stepping stones”.
Today's thought: am I in charge of my attitudes, or are they in charge of me?
Today's thought: of all the kinds of prosperity that are out there, what kind are you looking for?
Today's thought: the wisdom and ways of God are ageless and have no need to be adapted to modern cultural tastes.
Today's thought: when the storms of life hit us, will we stand firmly rooted in Christ, or will we be blown away?
Today's thought: if people need to be saved, should that affect the reason and the way we do evangelism? Do we have a responsibility?
Thought for the day: Read Proverbs 24:11,12. Ignorance is unjustified.
Today's thought: choose well. Don’t let the wind blow you away
Today's thought: when was the last time you somehow sensed what was happening in heaven?
Today's thought: each day, a volume of songs and prayers sits on your shelf, inviting you to enter and experience the world of the kingdom of heaven. Will you respond?
The faith that James wrote about was a faith that is not merely a cerebral affair, but one that is to be believed, experienced and worked out in the nitty- gritty of life at ground-level. This series will take your time over one or two verses at a time, hopefully allowing them to sink deeply into your heart and spirit. May you pick up the heart of James as you spend time with him.
