Psalm 150 as a word cloud

Gone fishing?

Have you ever been on a beautiful beach but as you get closer to the waterline you see that what's washing up isn't shells and natural wonders, it's dead fish and garbage? Or watched a deep sea diving show only to see boat ruins and trash littering the ocean floor? Or seen the cliche of the fisherman that pulls up an old boot or a tire instead of fish?

Today, those images were brought home to me through Mary Southerland's devotional when she mentioned this verse:

"Once again you will have compassion on us. You will trample our sins under your feet and throw them into the depths of the ocean" (Micah 7:19, NLT)

Are you a "fisher"? Do you go trolling in your past for the sins you've committed or the regrets that you have, constantly bringing them to the surface again? It's a problem many of us face. And it's a powerful tool that Satan can use. We know that God has forgiven all our sins when we confess them to him but we still let them bog us down, snag our joy and tangle our todays. Instead of sailing ahead into God's plan for us, we're snarled in the "swill" behind us.

Today, will you take this challenge with me? Will you meet those sins with the truth of God's word? Instead of revisiting old sins that cannot be changed except through the blood of Christ, turn them over to God and then take Him at His word. Meet Satan with the truth of God's promises. Then sail on.

^"... but in love you have delivered my life from the pit of destruction, for you have cast all my sins behind your back." Isaiah 38:17b


"I, I am he who blots out your transgressions for my own sake, and I will not remember your sins." Isaiah 43:25

"...as far as the east is from the west, so far does he remove our transgressions from us." Psalm 103:12

Why Did God Give Us Emotions? (a book review)

In reading through Why Did God Give Us Emotions?: A biblical perspective on what science has discovered about emotionsI have found it to be a much deeper book that originally expected. Author Reneau Peurifoy gives a complete overview of the different aspects of emotions - physical, spiritual, etc - while also putting them in the context of Christian beliefs (or misconceptions).

It is this combination that makes this book stand out from the rest. There are many resources that deal with happiness or anxiety or small slices of the emotional spectrum but few of them are written to address such a complete and balanced view of the role God gave emotions to play in our lives, and do so with a balance of medical knowledge and Biblical insight. Peurifoy also provides some good cautions about relying too much on emotions while giving some very practical exercises and examples of where our emotions can be trusted and where they can become a false guide.

I would not say this book is light reading, if you plan to use it the way Peurifoy intends it with a journal and exercises to put each chapter into a working and potentially life-balancing practice. But as someone that has struggled with an anxiety disorder in the past, I can only say I wish I'd found this book years ago.

Highly recommend.

Review copies provided by The B&B Media Group.

Crucified with Christ (by Rick Green)

Thanks to Rick at Organized Doodles for sharing this.

Jesus is ... soap?

The Bible is full of images of Jesus - shepherd, Savior, lamb, provider, protector, avenger, the way, redeemer and more. But when was the last time you thought of God as soap?

"See, I will send my messenger, who will prepare the way before me. Then suddenly the Lord you are seeking will come to his temple; the messenger of the covenant, whom you desire, will come," says the LORD Almighty. But who can endure the day of his coming? Who can stand when he appears? For he will be like a refiner's fire or a launderer's soap. Malachi 3: 1-2 (emphasis mine)

Fire and soap? Isn't God amazing? How else could we say:

"Wash me and I will be whiter than snow." Psalm 57:1b

Whiter whites and brighter brights. That's my Jesus.

Star Search

I love to watch stars. And this may seem like an obvious statement but the best time to see stars is at night. At night, preferably away from a city. In fact, the darker it is, the more stars you see. In the absolute blackness of the country or the mountains, the sheer number of stars is breathtaking.

Of course, there's the other kind of stars - the people that have achieved fame and renown in a particular field (like sports) or industry (like acting). They, too, can be dazzling, and it can be easy to look at their lives with a measure of envy. People go to great lengths to join their ranks - you only have to look as far as open auditions, game shows or reality television.

The Bible mentions the stars around us too. Sometimes it means those placed in the heavens by God's hands. But sometimes it's something else entirely.

Daniel 12:3 says, "Those who are wise will shine like the brightness of the heavens, and those who lead many to righteousness, like the stars for ever and ever. "

And in Philippians 2:14-16, we are urged "Do everything without complaining or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe as you hold out the word of life ... "

What does this mean? God's on a star search. He's looking for people that will shine as things get darker around them. That will glow with His purpose and his light regardless of their circumstances. That will light the way for those around them and lead them to the source of their light.

Will you shine for Him?

Chronological Study Bible (a review)

There are many, many types of study Bibles available and each has its own unique strengths and weaknesses. But The Chronological Study Bible: New King James Versionby Thomas Nelson provides a rich, multi-layered way to explore God's Word.

As the name suggests, the Chronological Study Bible orders the books of the Bible according to their place in history - or at least as closely as the writers were able to place them. They state quite frankly that some books or passages are difficult to place accurately, or that some are open to debate. But seeing how the various passages link together gives some fresh insights into the cultures and situations these books were addressing.

One of the real strengths of this Bible is the types of information it provides. Insets liberally scattered throughout add to the picture by addressing food & drink, architecture & building, industry, politics & government, geography & environment, science & technology, health & medicine, and beliefs & ideas of the relevant times and cultures. These snippets give some remarkable insights into the related passages.

Also included are transition areas - information that helps bridge the move from one passage to another. Time lines and time capsules, non-Biblical historical documents and much more information is provided throughout. Color maps and illustrations also add to the context of the Biblical passages. And, of course, there are plenty of indexes, topical studies and a concordance available as well.

The topical references become invaluable as sometimes different commentary sections will cover the same passage but with a slightly different focus. The net result is that it's hard to be sure you've found all the relevant material in just reading through the passage and the surrounding information. But through the many tools offered in this Bible, you will be sure to find much to add to your understanding of the passage you're studying. I might also add a couple different translations (NKJV is a more literal or word-for-word translation) just to round out some word studies or concept passages.

Overall, this is a tool that will help you dig deep into your Bible study. I might not recommend it as a daily reading Bible just because there is so much material that it's easy to get distracted from the actual passage, but as a study tool I would place the Chronological Study Bible high on the recommended list.

*This review was written through the Thomas Nelson Blogger review program. The Chronological Study Bible was supplied for review purposes but no other compensation was provided.