Ephesians 1

“I keep asking that God ... may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better” (17). Paul’s prayer is that God’s people would know the “riches of inheritance” (18) and “incredibly great power” (19) that belong to all believers in Jesus. These benefits are ours because “in love, He predestined us for adoption” (5).

We can live with absolute confidence that the triune God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, is for us. “In accordance with his pleasure and will” (5), God joyfully wants and intentionally wills that we experience the “riches” of salvation through Christ. He has set the seal of the Holy Spirit on us as a guarantee (14).

Psalm 102

“But you, LORD, sit enthroned forever; your renown endures through all generations” (12). In this life we experience the “evening shadows” of suffering (11), and we may fear our days will be “cut short” (23). The psalmist cries for help amid his suffering because he knows that God “will respond to the prayer of the destitute” (17). He knows that God hears our groaning (19-20).

The God who was at the beginning, who “laid the foundations of the earth” (25), is involved for our good in the present moment and will be victorious God in the end (27). The final word on our suffering is in the hands of the Alpha and the Omega.

Proverbs 23-24

“Do not let your heart envy sinners, but always be zealous for the fear of the LORD” (23:17). The Proverbs caution us to not “envy the wicked” because their lives are full of making “violence” and “trouble” (24:1). We don’t need to “fret” (24:19) that sinners are prospering or seeming to prosper; the truth is that without God there is no lasting “future” (24:20).

Living faithfully for Jesus may seem at times that we are making sacrifices that keep us from “getting ahead” in life while non-believers succeed. But wisdom sees the bigger picture; our “hope will not be cut off” (23:18). Following Jesus is the long-term path to joy, peace and prosperity.

Proverbs 20-22

“Humility is the fear of the LORD; its wages are riches and honor and life” (22:4). The Proverbs says that the person without humility refuses guidance from God, the One who gives us wisdom, “ears that hear and eyes that see” (20:12). We need Him to “draw out insight” from the “deep waters” of our hearts (20:5). Humble people are willing to “seek advice and obtain guidance” (20:18) for big plans, and humble people learn from the mistakes of “mockers” and by “paying attention” to wise people (21:11)

“A person’s steps are directed by the LORD” (20:24). Our rugged individualism can make us think that we can figure it out on our own, but God offers us something better – His guidance.

Proverbs 17-19

“Starting a quarrel is like breaching a dam” (17:14). The Proverbs urge us to avoid or quickly end conflict. Seeking to provoke others or looking for ways to stir up disagreements is wrong; if one “loves quarrels”, one “loves sin” (17:19). Rather than approaching life assuming everyone is an enemy, we are to be people who “cover over offenses” (17:9), show “restraint” with our words (17:27), find practical ways to “settle disputes” quickly (18:18), and listen before answering (18:13).

The wisdom of Proverbs opposes today’s angry, combative culture, revealing its dangers. Rather than following the world, we follow the One who teaches us: “Blessed are the peacemakers” (Matt 5:9).

Galatians 6

“Brothers and sisters, if someone is caught in a sin ...” (1). Paul applies the fruit of the Spirit to the process of dealing with someone caught in sin. Love, gentleness, forbearance and self-control drive the process to “restore.” We are to carry others’ burdens (2), while blaming no one else for our own challenges, for we are responsible for “carrying our own burden” (5). By living this way, we are “sowing” to the Spirit and will “reap” eternal life (8)

“At the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up” (9). Working toward reconciliation and restoration can be a long process, but our hope is in the God who brings peace.

Galatians 5

“It is for freedom that Christ has set us free” (1). Paul warns that a return to Law is slavery (1), of “no value” (2), and makes you “alienated from Christ” (4). Depending on the Law rather than Christ will not help us resist the temptations of “the flesh” (sinful humanity), and the acts of the flesh are opposite to the fruit of the Spirit (17). Our freedom in Jesus from the law is not a freedom from morality (7), but an invitation to life lived by the Spirit (18).

“Walk by the Spirit” (16). The way to live the life we want, filled with good fruit, is not through strict regulations, but to know Christ and rely on the Spirit (16).

Galatians 4

“Because you are sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts” (6). The Law was a temporary state in God’s plan (2). Once Christ came, we no longer needed the Law as our “custodian”, because we became fully adopted children of God (4-5). Paul urges believers not to return to their previous “enslaved” state (9). He uses the OT story of Hagar (Gen 21) as a metaphor for two trajectories, one a child of slavery and one as “children of promise” (28).

“So you are no longer a slave, but God’s child” (7). We may be tempted to replace our relationship with God with the false security of religious activity, but we are invited to something better: to become part of His family.

Psalm 101

“I will be careful to lead a blameless life” (2). The psalmist desires that God’s people reflect the “love and justice” (1) of God. It begins with the King himself who commits to living a “blameless life” and conducting the “affairs of his house” with a “blameless heart” (2). He wants to make sure that the people who “dwell in his house” will be deceit-free (7).

Like David, we are called to imitate the love and justice of God. The great news is that we are not left to our own resources to clean our hearts or modify our behavior. By the grace of Jesus, we can “walk by the Spirit and not satisfy the desires of the flesh” (Gal 5:16).

Psalm 100

“Know that the Lord is God. It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, the sheep of his pasture” (3). God’s special covenant with Israel revealed His desire for all people – that through Christ we would be “his people, the sheep of his pasture”. To be His beloved people means that we enter the courts of the Temple (4) – His presence, where He meets with us – with worship, knowing He has redeemed us from our sins and adopted us into His family.

“For the Lord is good and His love endures forever” (5). Nothing stands between us and the goodness of the Lord. Through Christ, we are His people and He is our Shepherd.

Proverbs 14-16

“A heart at peace gives life to the body, but envy rots the bones” (14:30). The proverbs teach that our hearts (feelings, desires, motivations) influence what we say and do. When our hearts are right with God, our words reflect this, just as anger and envy also overflow into what we say (15:28). God sees our hearts clearly, even if we do not (15:11), and His desire is that we become “wise in heart” with His help (16:21). Our emotions are important to Him; He cares about our happiness and heartache (15:13).

“The discerning heart seeks knowledge” (15:13). The good news is that we can grow in heart-wisdom by seeking more of Jesus, who brings healing to our innermost being.

Proverbs 11-13

“From the fruit of their lips people enjoy good things, but the unfaithful have an appetite for violence” (13:2). The proverbs urge us to be wise in our behavior, recognizing that our daily choices in areas like honesty, hard work, generosity, and keeping promises affect our lives and countless others. Our words, like our actions, have the power to destroy or build up (12:6). Reckless, angry speech can lead to violence (13:2), bloodshed (12:6), and emotional wounds (12:18).

“The words of the reckless pierce like swords, but the tongue of the wise brings healing” (12:18). God calls us to use our words as He does, to bring encouragement, hope, and healing to those who around us.

Proverbs 9-10

“Wisdom has built her house ...To those who have no sense she says, ‘Come, eat my food’” (9:1-6). Wisdom, which is knowing and following the ways of God, is available to all who want to “walk in the way of insight” (6). Folly, too, calls out to humanity, and we are easily enticed (9:13-18). Yet, if we will listen to His voice and fear Him (9:10), God offers us a straight, clear, and firm path, even in a difficult world. “Whoever walks in integrity walks securely” (10:9).

“When the storm has swept by, the wicked are gone, but the righteous stand firm forever” (10:25). Lasting peace and security, deeper than circumstances, comes from basing our lives on God’s character and ways.

Galatians 3

“Does God give you his Spirit and work miracles among you by the works of the law, or by your believing what you heard?” (5). The Galatians had received God’s Spirit through faith in Jesus. Following the Law, which had already served its purpose, could add nothing to their salvation. “So the law was our guardian until Christ came that we might be justified by faith” (24). Now that Christ had come, they were “Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise” (29).

“So in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith” (26). No culture or rituals can make us closer to God. Through faith in Jesus Christ, we have full access to all the Father’s good gifts.

Galatians 2

“I do not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness could be gained through the law, Christ died for nothing!” (21). Paul was concerned that “false believers” (4) were causing people to doubt God’s grace. They wondered if Christ was enough to make them holy, or if they needed to keep the Law, be circumcised, and stay apart from Gentiles. Paul fought to preserve the gospel (5) - faith in Christ alone, not culture, background, Law, or efforts (15-16).

“I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me” (20). Christ’s sacrificial love is more than enough to save us and make us holy, as we cling to our faith in Him.

Psalm 99

“The Lord reigns, let the nations tremble; he sits enthroned between the cherubim, let the earth shake” (1). The whole earth trembles and shakes at the awesome power of our Creator God, yet we also rejoice. Rather than hide in terror, we praise Him because He loves justice and does what is “just and right” for everyone (4-5). He doesn’t use His power to crush us; instead, He gets involved and helps us. Moses, Aaron, Samuel and others “called on the Lord and He answered them” (6).

“Lord our God, you answered them” (8). We can confidently call out to the Lord who is not only Almighty, but also the Savior who hears and responds to our needs.

Proverbs 7-8

“Guard my teachings as the apple of your eye” (7:2). Even though God’s wisdom has existed from the beginning, “when he set the heavens in place” (8:27), because of sin’s deceptions, we must actively seek and cultivate God’s ways. The world’s temptations are colorful, attractive, and persuasive (ch 7, “linens from Egypt”), capturing our imaginations and clouding our minds. Therefore, we must write God’s ways on our hearts (7:3), regularly reading His Word and worshiping with others who remind us of His character and truth.

“For those who find me find life” (8:35). Rather than being passive in the face of temptations and struggles, God calls us to pursue Him and His ways with all our hearts and find life.

Proverbs 4-6

“When you walk, your steps will not be hampered; when you run, you will not stumble” (4:11-12). Although there are troubles that come unexpectedly, outside our control, the proverbs warn against self-inflicted obstacles and disasters. Sin pulls us off the straight path (4:27), causing us to wander aimlessly (5:6), stumble, and lose our way. Specifically, the proverbs mention destructive attitudes and actions like “haughty eyes” (arrogance), laziness, lying, adultery, and stirring up conflict within a community (ch 6).

“Let your eyes look straight ahead; fix your gaze directly before you” (4:25). When our attention is fixed on our God revealed in Jesus Christ, the path ahead is straight, and He promises to walk with us.

Proverbs 1-3

“Her ways are pleasant ways, and all her paths are peace” (3:17). Everyone, the proverbs tells us, is looking for a good life. Paths of sin are enticing because they seem to lead to “valuable things” (1:13), but in reality going our own way brings destruction (2:18,22). God invites us to listen to His wisdom so that we will understand what is “right and just and fair- every good path” (2:9). When we trust Him enough to obey, He makes our paths straight (3:5-6).

“She is more precious than rubies; nothing you desire can compare with her” (3:15). The deceptive, empty attractions of self-indulgence can’t compare to the beauty and peace of God’s path, the life of wisdom.

Galatians 1

“I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you to live in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel” (6). Anything that perverts the truth about Jesus is “no gospel at all” (7), Paul told the Galatians. The good news (gospel) is about the Savior “who gave himself for our sins to rescue us from the present evil age” (4), not our own efforts, rules, or background. Paul warned against listening to false gospels which bring confusion (7-9).

Human gospels feed our pride and lead us to look down on others, but we live “in the grace of Christ” when we trust in what He has done for us.