Much More Than a Meal

January 31, 2026 / kdmiller55 / Leave a comment

²³For I received from the Lord what I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took bread, ²⁴and when he had given thanks, he broke it, and said, “This is my body, which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” ²⁵In the same way also he took the cup, after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.” ²⁶For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.

²⁷Whoever, therefore, eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty concerning the body and blood of the Lord. ²⁸Let a person examine himself, then, and so eat of the bread and drink of the cup. ²⁹For anyone who eats and drinks without discerning the body eats and drinks judgment on himself. ³⁰That is why many of you are weak and ill, and some have died. ³¹But if we judged ourselves truly, we would not be judged. ³²But when we are judged by the Lord, we are disciplined so that we may not be condemned along with the world.

³³So then, my brothers, when you come together to eat, wait for one another— ³⁴if anyone is hungry, let him eat at home—so that when you come together it will not be for judgment. About the other things I will give directions when I come. – 1 Corinthians 11:23-34 ESV

The gospel was central in all of Paul’s life and teaching; everything he did centered around and was based upon the gospel. So when he heard that the Corinthians were misusing and even abusing the ordinance of the Lord’s table, he was less than thrilled. The celebration of the Lord’s table was to be a time for commemorating the central aspect of the gospel: The death of Jesus. It was not to be taken lightly or treated contemptuously.

Paul had given the Corinthians instructions regarding the Lord’s table’s meaning and import. He reminded them that what he had taught them regarding the ordinance had come from Jesus Himself, not from his own imagination.

For I received from the Lord what I also delivered to you… – 1 Corinthians 11:23 ESV

Paul had received direct revelation from Jesus regarding the institution of the Lord’s table, in the same way he had received the gospel message he preached.

For I would have you know, brothers, that the gospel that was preached by me is not man’s gospel. For I did not receive it from any man, nor was I taught it, but I received it through a revelation of Jesus Christ. – Galatians 1:11-12 ESV

In his second letter to the Corinthian believers, he recalled another life-changing experience where he received “visions and revelations of the Lord” (2 Corinthians 12:1 ESV). These divine encounters were not just inspirational, they were educational. Everything Paul wrote in his many letters, which were to become part of the canon of Scripture, came from one source: Jesus. This included his teaching regarding the Lord’s table.

While the gospels are clear that Jesus celebrated the Passover meal with His disciples that fateful night, He actually used that annual meal to reveal something new. He took the time-honored ritual of the Passover celebration and breathed into it new life. It would no longer be a meal to celebrate the Israelite’s exodus from Egypt; it would commemorate the work of Jesus the Messiah. Jesus used that meal to present Himself as the true Passover lamb. His body and blood would be shed. His life would be given as a substitute, so that those who placed their trust in His death would receive life. In essence, the death angel would pass over them, just as it had over the homes of the Israelites in Egypt all those years ago.

Jesus made Himself very clear that night. He broke the bread, gave it to His disciples, and told them, “This is my body which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me” (1 Corinthians 11:24 ESV). Then He took the cup, held it up to His disciples and said, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me” (1 Corinthians 11:25 ESV). Jesus wanted them to use that meal as a call to remembrance; so that from that moment on, they would recall what He was about to do. The Lord’s table was to be a time of reflection and recollection, soberly considering the significance of what Jesus’ death had accomplished on their behalf.

But the Corinthians had turned the Lord’s table into a feast, focusing their attention on the food, not the selfless sacrifice of the Savior. Paul wanted to remind them that the intention of the ordinance was to proclaim the Lord’s death until the day He returned. It was to be a visual and verbal expression of the gospel.

In chapter 15 of this same letter, Paul articulates the central message of the gospel:

Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand, and by which you are being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you—unless you believed in vain.For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures… – 1 Corinthians 15:1-4 ESV

So when Paul accuses the Corinthians of eating the bread and drinking the cup in an “unworthy manner,” he is saying that they were failing to remember and appreciate what Jesus had done for them. They were treating His death with contempt by focusing on the meal instead of the one to whom the meal pointed. To take the Lord’s table unworthily meant to do so irreverently, flippantly, and with no regard to its significance. To do so, Paul says, was to be “guilty concerning the body and blood of the Lord” (1 Corinthians 11:27 ESV). They were profaning or treating with contempt the death of the Savior. In a less significant sense, it is what most of us as Americans have done to the celebration of Memorial Day. Rather than focus on those brave men and women who have sacrificed their lives in defense of our country, we have turned the day into a personal holiday, and made it all about us and our own enjoyment. It has become about time off from work, shopping discounts, and meals. In the same way, the Corinthians had turned the Lord’s table into little more than a reason to enjoy a good meal.

So Paul warns them to examine themselves and take a long hard look at their motivation. He tells them, “if you eat the bread or drink the cup without honoring the body of Christ, you are eating and drinking God’s judgment upon yourself” (1 Corinthians 11:29 NLT). They were opening themselves up to God’s discipline and Paul even indicates that some of them were already experiencing it in the form of physical weakness and sickness. Some had even died. To treat the death of Jesus lightly was serious business. Several times in this letter, Paul has told them that they were bought with a price. Their salvation cost God the life of His own Son. Peter writes, “You were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your forefathers, not with perishable things such as silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot” (1 Peter 1:18-19 ESV).

The Lord’s table was not to be taken lightly. The significance of Christ’s death was not to be treated flippantly. And the reality that He died so that we might become part of His body, the church, was not to be overlooked. The Corinthians were neglecting their love and concern for one another. The Lord’s table was to be a community celebration, not an opportunity to indulge one’s appetites.

Belief in the sacrificed body and blood of Jesus was to be the bond that held the Corinthians together. It was to be the unifying factor that made it possible for them to live with and love one another. We are to remember the death of Christ until He calls us home or until He comes again because it was His death that gave us life. It was His sacrifice that provides us with salvation. It was His taking on of our sin and suffering in our place that made possible our righteous standing before God. Why would we ever take that for granted? Why would we ever treat it lightly?

Father, You are a loving and patient God. You tolerate so much from Your ungrateful, self-centered people. Despite all Your have done for us, we are so quick to make it all about us. Even our attempt to worship You on Sundays can devolve into a myopic form of self-adulation that is more about fulfilling our own personal preferences than honoring You. Yet, You continue to love and put up with us. You don’t withhold Your blessings from us. But Paul would have us remember that You are holy and expect Your children to treat You with the honor and reverence Your deserve. There is no place for flippancy or complacency in our worship of You. There is never any reason for us to make it all about us. So, help us to learn from the mistakes of the Corinthians and to apply the wisdom of Paul: “So whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God” (1 Corinthians 10:31 NLT). Amen

English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

The Self-Delusion of Self-Satisfaction

January 5, 2026January 6, 2026 / kdmiller55 / Leave a comment

⁶I have applied all these things to myself and Apollos for your benefit, brothers, that you may learn by us not to go beyond what is written, that none of you may be puffed up in favor of one against another. ⁷For who sees anything different in you? What do you have that you did not receive? If then you received it, why do you boast as if you did not receive it?

⁸Already you have all you want! Already you have become rich! Without us you have become kings! And would that you did reign, so that we might share the rule with you! ⁹For I think that God has exhibited us apostles as last of all, like men sentenced to death, because we have become a spectacle to the world, to angels, and to men. ¹⁰We are fools for Christ’s sake, but you are wise in Christ. We are weak, but you are strong. You are held in honor, but we in disrepute. ¹¹To the present hour we hunger and thirst, we are poorly dressed and buffeted and homeless, ¹²and we labor, working with our own hands. When reviled, we bless; when persecuted, we endure; ¹³when slandered, we entreat. We have become, and are still, like the scum of the world, the refuse of all things. – 1 Corinthians 4:6-13 ESV

While some may have preferred the rhetoric of Apollos over that of Paul, there is little doubt that Paul had a way with words. He could craft a sentence with the best of them, choosing his words carefully and cleverly, to see that his point was clearly received. He was adept at using sarcasm if he deemed it necessary to get his message across. And in this passage, he wields his words like a sword to cut his audience down to size, because they had a formidable pride problem.

Multiple times in this letter, he uses the Greek word, φυσιόω (physioō), which means “to be puffed up, to bear one’s self loftily, be proud” (“G5448 – physioō – Strong’s Greek Lexicon (KJV).” Blue Letter Bible). The problem within the church in Corinth wasn’t just that they were taking sides by preferring one spiritual leader over another; it was that their motivation was based on pride. They had an inherent desire to see themselves as somehow better or spiritually superior. The very moment they chose to follow a particular leader because they deemed him better than the others, they were guilty of judgment. Any church member who didn’t side with them in their choice of spiritual leader would be viewed as less enlightened. We already know that their factionalism was causing quarrels within the church, so Paul boldly and bluntly confronts their pride problem.

Paul writes, with tongue planted firmly in his cheek, “You think you already have everything you need. You think you are already rich. You have begun to reign in God’s kingdom without us!” (1 Corinthians 4:8 NLT). He accuses them of acting as if they had already arrived. They had nothing more to learn and no need for any further spiritual growth. Rather than acting as humble servants and stewards, they were pridefully posturing themselves as spiritually superior to their brothers and sisters in Christ.

Paul’s words remind me of those spoken by Jesus against the church in Laodicea: “You say, ‘I am rich. I have everything I want. I don’t need a thing!’ And you don’t realize that you are wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked” (Revelation 3:17 NLT). Jesus went on to tell them, “So I advise you to buy gold from me—gold that has been purified by fire. Then you will be rich. Also buy white garments from me so you will not be shamed by your nakedness, and ointment for your eyes so you will be able to see” (Revelation 3:18 NLT). Like the believers in Corinth, the Laodiceans had a pride problem as well.

Paul goes on to contrast the attitude of the Corinthians with that of the men who had been ministering the gospel to them.

Our dedication to Christ makes us look like fools, but you claim to be so wise in Christ! – vs 10 (NLT)

We are weak, but you are so powerful! You are honored, but we are ridiculed. – vs 10 (NLT)

Even now we go hungry and thirsty, and we don’t have enough clothes to keep warm. vs 11 (NLT)

We are often beaten and have no home. – vs 11 (NLT)

We work wearily with our own hands to earn our living. – vs 12 (NLT)

We bless those who curse us. – vs 12 (NLT)

We are patient with those who abuse us. – vs 12 (NLT)

We appeal gently when evil things are said about us. Yet we are treated like the world’s garbage, like everybody’s trash—right up to the present moment. – vs 13 (NLT)

In a way, the Corinthians were living as if they were already experiencing their future reward in this life. They acted as if they had already arrived spiritually. They saw themselves as wise and powerful and put a high value on honor and esteem. Material things were important to them. Yet Paul paints a very different picture of what the life of a believer should look like. As we follow Christ on this earth, our lives should be marked by humility, service, and even suffering. From his own experience, he had discovered that a relationship with Christ often leads to being despised, rejected, and ridiculed. Those who live in obedience to God and who model their lives after Christ will be misunderstood and misrepresented.

Paul displays a high degree of transparency when he states, “I sometimes think God has put us apostles on display, like prisoners of war at the end of a victor’s parade, condemned to die. We have become a spectacle to the entire world—to people and angels alike” (1 Corinthians 4:9 NLT). He didn’t see himself marching in triumph at the head of a parade or being lauded as a victorious general, but instead, he viewed himself as a captive prisoner, being dragged in chains and humiliation before the cheers and jeers of the enemy.

…like prisoners of war at the end of a victor’s parade, condemned to die. We have become a spectacle to the entire world—to people and angels alike. – 1 Corinthians 4:9 NLT

Following Christ is not about pride and prominence. It should not lead to arrogance and a sense of having arrived. Our journey toward our future glorification will be marked by pain and suffering, even loss. Like Jesus, our glorification will be preceded by humiliation. Suffering isn’t just inevitable; it is unavoidable. But the Corinthians had chosen to reverse the order. They wanted to lead the parade. They desired to be recognized and rewarded now, not later. They were choosing honor over humility, present recognition over future reward, and the praise of men over the praise of God. Which brings us back to the words Jesus spoke against the church in Laodicea:

“I know all the things you do, that you are neither hot nor cold. I wish that you were one or the other! But since you are like lukewarm water, neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth!” – Revelation 3:15-16 NLT

Their love for God was lukewarm. Their attitude toward their call as followers of Christ was apathetic. Like the Corinthian believers, they had become dangerously satisfied with who they were and how far they had come. But Paul, like Jesus, was not willing to allow them to remain in a state of spiritual complacency marked by misplaced pride. He desired more for them and demanded more of them. Because God was not done with them.

Father, spiritual complacency remains a huge problem in the church today. Paul’s words to the Corinthians are timeless and still apply to the body of Christ in the 21st Century. Despite the warnings of Jesus, Paul, and others, we still run the risk of thinking we have somehow spiritually arrived. We become easily satisfied with our current spiritual condition and begin to compromise our convictions. Pride in our past accomplishments takes precedence over our desire for further spiritual growth. We compare and contrast ourselves with others in a vain attempt to elevate our standing and justify our lack of initiative. Through the power of Your indwelling Spirit, would you light a fire in the hearts of Your people, prompting us to turn our backs on complacency and make spiritual maturity our highest priority. You are far from done with our transformation, so why should we be? Amen

Fame Versus Faithfulness

August 17, 2025August 17, 2025 / kdmiller55 / Leave a comment

¹ Solomon was building his own house thirteen years, and he finished his entire house.

²He built the House of the Forest of Lebanon. Its length was a hundred cubits and its breadth fifty cubits and its height thirty cubits, and it was built on four rows of cedar pillars, with cedar beams on the pillars. ³And it was covered with cedar above the chambers that were on the forty-five pillars, fifteen in each row. ⁴There were window frames in three rows, and window opposite window in three tiers. ⁵All the doorways and windows had square frames, and window was opposite window in three tiers.

⁶And he made the Hall of Pillars; its length was fifty cubits, and its breadth thirty cubits. There was a porch in front with pillars, and a canopy in front of them.

⁷And he made the Hall of the Throne where he was to pronounce judgment, even the Hall of Judgment. It was finished with cedar from floor to rafters.

⁸His own house where he was to dwell, in the other court back of the hall, was of like workmanship. Solomon also made a house like this hall for Pharaoh’s daughter whom he had taken in marriage.

⁹All these were made of costly stones, cut according to measure, sawed with saws, back and front, even from the foundation to the coping, and from the outside to the great court. ¹⁰The foundation was of costly stones, huge stones, stones of eight and ten cubits. ¹¹And above were costly stones, cut according to measurement, and cedar. ¹²The great court had three courses of cut stone all around, and a course of cedar beams; so had the inner court of the house of the LORD and the vestibule of the house. – 1 Kings 7:1-12 ESV

Once Solomon had completed the construction of the LORD’s House, he turned his attention to building his own royal palace and administrative complex. The author indicates that it took Solomon seven years to complete the Temple, and he spent an additional 13 years constructing the complex that would include separate residences for him and his wife, the daughter of Pharaoh. According to 1 Kings 9:10, Solomon spent two decades of his reign overseeing these various building projects.

It took Solomon twenty years to build the Lord’s Temple and his own royal palace. – 1 Kings 9:10 NLT

From the descriptions provided, it appears that Solomon’s palace complex consisted of a series of distinct structures, including the two royal residences, the House of the Forest of Lebanon, the Hall of Pillars, the Hall of Judgment, and the Hall of the Throne. These were evidently separate, but interconnected buildings arranged around a shared courtyard. Each of them was equally impressive in size and grandeur. The House of the Forest of Lebanon alone was larger in size than the Temple itself and featured the same degree of meticulous detailing and costly craftsmanship.

It would be easy to overlook that these impressive structures were only made possible by the forced conscription of Israelite citizens. In Chapter Five, it was revealed that Solomon instituted a nationwide “draft” to provide the large labor force necessary to accomplish his ambitious and ongoing building projects.

Then King Solomon conscripted a labor force of 30,000 men from all Israel. He sent them to Lebanon in shifts, 10,000 every month, so that each man would be one month in Lebanon and two months at home. Adoniram was in charge of this labor force. Solomon also had 70,000 common laborers, 80,000 quarry workers in the hill country, and 3,600 foremen to supervise the work. – 1 Kings 5:13-16 NLT

Tens of thousands of Israelites were forced into service and required to dedicate 20 years of their lives to these seemingly never-ending construction projects. When one building was done, another one would begin. Stones had to be quarried, transported, and carefully carved. Massive amounts of trees were cut down and moved to the various construction sites, where they were transformed into wood flooring and panels to adorn the walls and ceilings of Solomon’s royal residence and administrative offices. The sheer number of common laborers, skilled craftsmen, and project foremen to complete 20 years’ worth of construction projects is impossible to calculate. This doesn’t include the additional labor force required to manage Solomon’s household, care for his extensive flocks and herds, cultivate his fields and vineyards, tend his gardens, cook his food, and provide ongoing maintenance for his vast and growing kingdom. All of this was in fulfillment of the words spoken by Samuel the prophet, when he warned the people of Israel of the consequences that would come with their demand for a king.

“The king will draft your sons and assign them to his chariots and his charioteers, making them run before his chariots. Some will be generals and captains in his army, some will be forced to plow in his fields and harvest his crops, and some will make his weapons and chariot equipment. The king will take your daughters from you and force them to cook and bake and make perfumes for him. He will take away the best of your fields and vineyards and olive groves and give them to his own officials. He will take a tenth of your grain and your grape harvest and distribute it among his officers and attendants. He will take your male and female slaves and demand the finest of your cattle and donkeys for his own use. He will demand a tenth of your flocks, and you will be his slaves.” – 1 Samuel 8:11-17 NLT

Solomon was a good and wise king. He had been appointed by God Himself. But even his reign brought a certain degree of suffering and servitude upon the people of Israel. Their desire for a king had ultimately proven costly to them. Kings tend to build kingdoms. They go to war. They demand loyalty and allegiance. They wield power. They use their position to pursue their agendas. And sadly, they can end up treating their people as little more than tools in their royal toolbox.

Later in life, Solomon voiced his regrets at spending so much time, money, and energy building his grand and glorious kingdom. In the end, all his hard work and that of his conscripted laborers would be for naught because you can’t take it with you when you go.

I came to hate all my hard work here on earth, for I must leave to others everything I have earned. And who can tell whether my successors will be wise or foolish? Yet they will control everything I have gained by my skill and hard work under the sun. How meaningless! So I gave up in despair, questioning the value of all my hard work in this world.

Some people work wisely with knowledge and skill, then must leave the fruit of their efforts to someone who hasn’t worked for it. This, too, is meaningless, a great tragedy. So what do people get in this life for all their hard work and anxiety? Their days of labor are filled with pain and grief; even at night their minds cannot rest. It is all meaningless. – Ecclesiastes 2:18-23 NLT

There’s little doubt that Solomon was successful in all his building efforts. When the final brick was laid on the last building, the completed project was a sight to behold. Combined with the Temple complex, it must have made a powerful impression on all those who saw it. We know from Chapter 10 that when the Queen of Sheba made a royal visit to Jerusalem, she was awe-struck by the experience.

When the queen of Sheba realized how very wise Solomon was, and when she saw the palace he had built, she was overwhelmed. She was also amazed at the food on his tables, the organization of his officials and their splendid clothing, the cup-bearers, and the burnt offerings Solomon made at the Temple of the LORD. – 1 Kings 10:4-5 NLT

For 20 years, Solomon concentrated his efforts on building the physical representation of his kingdom. He built palaces, administrative buildings, throne rooms, judgment halls, and even a Temple to accommodate the God of Israel. He was transforming Jerusalem into a showplace where his power and prestige were constantly on display. Visitors couldn’t help but be impressed by the opulence of his royal residences, the sheer size and scope of his administrative complex, and the grandeur of the Temple.

But as will soon be made clear, there was something dark and foreboding lying beneath the shiny surface of Solomon’s kingdom. The trappings of success obscured a hidden danger that would prove to be Solomon’s undoing and the key to Israel’s ultimate fall from grace.

Hundreds of years later, Jesus, another descendant of King David, would warn against the danger of building kingdoms on earth and investing all our time and energy in accumulating earthly treasures.

“Don’t store up treasures here on earth, where moths eat them and rust destroys them, and where thieves break in and steal. Store your treasures in heaven, where moths and rust cannot destroy, and thieves do not break in and steal. Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be.” – Matthew 6:19-21 NLT

Solomon was under the misguided impression that materialism mattered. He was out to build a kingdom that would rival that of every other nation on earth. He wanted Israel to be the envy of the world, and his glowing reputation to spread throughout the land. In his later days, he would declare his rather pessimistic belief in the value of a good reputation, because that is all you really leave behind that is of lasting value.

A good reputation is more valuable than costly perfume.
    And the day you die is better than the day you are born.
Better to spend your time at funerals than at parties.
    After all, everyone dies—
    so the living should take this to heart. – Ecclesiastes 7:1-2 NLT

But two decades into his reign, Solomon was still working under the delusion that more was better. He would continue to amass more wealth, increase his land holdings, construct additional buildings, and furnish them all with the finest of furnishings. He was storing up treasures on earth in a desperate search for meaning and significance. Like a child in need of attention, Solomon was using his wealth and wisdom to make a name for himself. Perhaps it was all an attempt to break free from the shadow of his father’s looming legacy. It would have been difficult to follow in the footsteps of the man after God’s own heart. Solomon was neither a warrior nor a kingdom builder. He inherited his domain from his father and received his wisdom and wealth as gifts from Yahweh. However, Solomon used what he had to good effect and made a name for himself.

I also tried to find meaning by building huge homes for myself and by planting beautiful vineyards. I made gardens and parks, filling them with all kinds of fruit trees. I built reservoirs to collect the water to irrigate my many flourishing groves. I bought slaves, both men and women, and others were born into my household. I also owned large herds and flocks, more than any of the kings who had lived in Jerusalem before me. I collected great sums of silver and gold, the treasure of many kings and provinces. I hired wonderful singers, both men and women, and had many beautiful concubines. I had everything a man could desire!

So I became greater than all who had lived in Jerusalem before me, and my wisdom never failed me. Anything I wanted, I would take. I denied myself no pleasure. I even found great pleasure in hard work, a reward for all my labors. – Ecclesiastes 2:4-10 NLT

In time, Solomon’s love of self would replace his love for Yahweh. His obsession with self-promotion and establishing his reputation would supplant his desire to honor the name of God. Fame became more important than faithfulness.

In Solomon’s old age, they [his wives] turned his heart to worship other gods instead of being completely faithful to the Lord his God, as his father, David, had been. Solomon worshiped Ashtoreth, the goddess of the Sidonians, and Molech, the detestable god of the Ammonites. In this way, Solomon did what was evil in the LORD’s sight; he refused to follow the LORD completely, as his father, David, had done. – 1 Kings 11:4-6 NLT

Praise the LORD!

July 26, 2025 / kdmiller55 / Leave a comment

¹Praise the LORD!
Praise the LORD, O my soul!
²I will praise the LORD as long as I live;
I will sing praises to my God while I have my being.

³Put not your trust in princes,
in a son of man, in whom there is no salvation.
⁴When his breath departs, he returns to the earth;
on that very day his plans perish.

⁵Blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob,
    whose hope is in the LORD his God,
⁶who made heaven and earth,
    the sea, and all that is in them,
who keeps faith forever;
⁷    who executes justice for the oppressed,
    who gives food to the hungry.

The LORD sets the prisoners free;
⁸    the LORD opens the eyes of the blind.
The LORD lifts up those who are bowed down;
    the LORD loves the righteous.
⁹The LORD watches over the sojourners;
    he upholds the widow and the fatherless,
    but the way of the wicked he brings to ruin.

¹⁰The LORD will reign forever,
your God, O Zion, to all generations.
Praise the LORD! – Psalm 146:1-10 ESV

The last five psalms are anonymous and form the final Hallel (praise) section of the Psalter. Due to the similarity of their content, they were likely written by the same author. Each begins with the same call to action: “Praise the LORD.” This imperative statement is not intended as a suggestion, but as a command to give Yahweh all the dignity, honor, worship, and praise He rightly deserves. The psalmist calls for wholehearted worship on the part of the people of God, and he sets the tone by declaring his sold-out allegiance to the Almighty.

I will praise the LORD as long as I live;
I will sing praises to my God while I have my being. – Psalm 146:2 ESV

His statement of devotion to Yahweh is reminiscent of the address Joshua gave to the Israelites near the end of his life. Ever since the death of Moses, Joshua had served as the God-appointed leader of the Israelites, helping them cross the Jordan River and begin their conquest of the land of Canaan. Over the years, Joshua led the Israelites in their effort to conquer the inhabitants of the land so they could take possession of the inheritance promised to them by Yahweh. They had fought and won many battles, and successfully occupied a large portion of Canaan, but Yahweh reminded them that He had been behind it all.

“It was not your swords or bows that brought you victory. I gave you land you had not worked on, and I gave you towns you did not build—the towns where you are now living. I gave you vineyards and olive groves for food, though you did not plant them.” – Joshua 24:12-13 NLT

Despite his leadership role, Joshua knew that he had been little more than an instrument in Yahweh’s hands. He had led the people into battle, but the victories had been the LORD’s doing. So, Joshua commanded the Israelites to show their gratitude to Yahweh by treating Him with honor and unadulterated reverence.

“So fear the LORD and serve him wholeheartedly. Put away forever the idols your ancestors worshiped when they lived beyond the Euphrates River and in Egypt. Serve the LORD alone. But if you refuse to serve the LORD, then choose today whom you will serve. Would you prefer the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates? Or will it be the gods of the Amorites in whose land you now live? But as for me and my family, we will serve the LORD.” – Joshua 24:14-15 NLT

Like the psalmist, Joshua tried to spur the people’s obedience by using himself as an example. He declared his intention to live out his final days in total submission to and reliance upon Yahweh, and he committed his family to follow his lead.

Joshua warned the Israelites about the dangers of idolatry because he knew their history of spiritual infidelity. He had been there when Aaron made the golden calf in the wilderness, and he had witnessed the people’s response to this false god they had crafted from the plunder taken from the Egyptians.

The people got up early the next morning to sacrifice burnt offerings and peace offerings. After this, they celebrated with feasting and drinking, and they indulged in pagan revelry. – Exodus 34:6 NLT

Yahweh had delivered them from slavery in Egypt and given them victory over their enemies, but they gave their allegiance to a nonexistent god they had made with their own hands.

The psalmist stressed a different problem facing his peers. He was less concerned about idolatry and the worship of false gods than their tendency to worship men.

Don’t put your confidence in powerful people;
there is no help for you there.
When they breathe their last, they return to the earth,
and all their plans die with them. – Psalm 146:3-4 NLT

While idolatry continued to be a problem for the Israelites throughout their existence as a nation, their real struggle was the worship of men. Ever since the day they rejected Samuel’s leadership and demanded, “Give us a king to judge us like all the other nations have” (1 Samuel 8:5 NLT), the people of Israel had exhibited a preference for human kings over the King of kings. Yahweh would repeatedly warn them about their tendency to replace His authority with that of mere men.

This is what the Lord says:
“Cursed are those who put their trust in mere humans,
    who rely on human strength
    and turn their hearts away from the Lord.
They are like stunted shrubs in the desert,
    with no hope for the future.
They will live in the barren wilderness,
    in an uninhabited salty land.” – Jeremiah 17:5-6 NLT

The psalmist knew his people well and wanted them to think twice about putting their trust in powerful men who could never measure up to Yahweh’s standards. As far as the psalmist was concerned, there was no comparison between mortal men and the infinite, all-powerful God of the universe.

He made heaven and earth,
    the sea, and everything in them.
    He keeps every promise forever.
He gives justice to the oppressed
    and food to the hungry.
The LORD frees the prisoners.
The LORD opens the eyes of the blind.
The LORD lifts up those who are weighed down.
    The LORD loves the godly.
The LORD protects the foreigners among us.
    He cares for the orphans and widows,
    but he frustrates the plans of the wicked. – Psalm 146:6-9 NLT

No man could ever hope to compete with Yahweh. No king who ever lived could claim to hold a candle to Yahweh’s glory and greatness. The anonymous author of Psalm 2 exposed the futility of earthly kings trying to oppose the one true King.

Why are the nations so angry?
    Why do they waste their time with futile plans?
The kings of the earth prepare for battle;
    the rulers plot together
against the LORD
    and against his anointed one.
“Let us break their chains,” they cry,
    “and free ourselves from slavery to God.”

But the one who rules in heaven laughs.
The LORD scoffs at them.
Then in anger he rebukes them,
terrifying them with his fierce fury. – Psalm 2:1-5 NLT

The prophet Isaiah declared Yahweh’s superiority and supremacy over all mankind.

God sits above the circle of the earth.
    The people below seem like grasshoppers to him!
He spreads out the heavens like a curtain
    and makes his tent from them.
He judges the great people of the world
    and brings them all to nothing. – Isaiah 40:22-23 NLT

In Isaiah’s estimation, the worship of men was unwarranted and a waste of time. They would always be poor substitutes for Yahweh because they couldn’t measure up to His glorious standards. Even Yahweh declared Himself to be incomparable and irreplaceable.

“To whom will you compare me?
Who is my equal?” asks the Holy One. – Isaiah 40:25 NLT

The psalmist understood that Yahweh’s immensity and eternality set Him apart from all false gods and every man with god-like aspirations. He deserved man’s praise because He was praiseworthy. Yahweh wasn’t a figment of man’s fertile imagination and had not been formed by human hands. He was the maker of “heaven and earth, the sea, and everything in them” (Psalm 146:6 NLT). Yahweh is the uncreated Creator of the universe who has no beginning and end. He is eternal and all-powerful. He is holy and wholly righteous. He is “the same yesterday and today and forever” (Hebrews 13:8 ESV). With those thoughts in mind, the psalmist closes his song in the same way he opened it, with a call to praise the eternal, always-present, forever faithful God.

The LORD will reign forever.
He will be your God, O Jerusalem, throughout the generations.

Praise the Lord! – Psalm 146:10 NLT

Father, I must confess that I do not always recognize and honor Your greatness. I say I believe in it but, far too often, my actions and attitudes reflect something altogether different. I don’t praise You enough. I fail to trust You fully. I tend to put my hope in men, even in myself, rather than trusting in Your proven track record of greatness and goodness. While I could easily deny any worship of false gods, I know it would be a lie. My idols are far more subtle than those of the Israelites, but they are idols all the same. Anything I turn to instead of You is a false god that will always provide false hope. No man or human institution can replace you. No idealogy, political party, or human leader can replace You or hope to compete with You. Yet, it is so easy to put my trust in those things that will always prove untrustworthy. Help me to heed the psalmist’s call and learn to praise You for who You are and all that You have done. Amen

Give Thanks Where Thanks Is Due

July 18, 2025 / kdmiller55 / Leave a comment

Of David.

¹I give you thanks, O LORD, with my whole heart;
    before the gods I sing your praise;
²I bow down toward your holy temple
    and give thanks to your name for your steadfast love and your faithfulness,
    for you have exalted above all things
    your name and your word.
³On the day I called, you answered me;
    my strength of soul you increased.

⁴All the kings of the earth shall give you thanks, O LORD,
    for they have heard the words of your mouth,
⁵and they shall sing of the ways of the LORD,
    for great is the glory of the LORD.
⁶For though the LORD is high, he regards the lowly,
    but the haughty he knows from afar.

⁷Though I walk in the midst of trouble,
    you preserve my life;
you stretch out your hand against the wrath of my enemies,
    and your right hand delivers me.
⁸The LORD will fulfill his purpose for me;
    your steadfast love, O LORD, endures forever.
    Do not forsake the work of your hands. – Psalm 138:1-8 ESV

There are times when I don’t even know myself. I do and say things that surprise even me. I can never be certain how I will react to a given situation. I may respond in calmness and patience one day, then explode in anger and impatience the next. I have a limited understanding of what motivates me and why I act the way I do. Sometimes words come out of my mouth that catch me off guard. I can be disappointed in my own response to people and circumstances. There are those moments when I can appear as a stranger – even to myself.

But God knows me. In fact, He knows me better than I know myself. David understood this prescient aspect of Yahweh’s character. He knew that God was all-knowing, all-powerful, and always present. He knew that God was always there, and that God knew every single detail of his life, including what he was thinking and what he was going to say, even before the words came out of his mouth. In the following psalm, also penned by David, he expresses his astonishment regarding Yahweh’s omnipotence.

O LORD, you have examined my heart
    and know everything about me.
You know when I sit down or stand up.
    You know my thoughts even when I’m far away.
You see me when I travel
    and when I rest at home.
    You know everything I do.
You know what I am going to say
    even before I say it, LORD. – Psalm 139:1-4 NLT

David also understood that God had a plan for his life and was orchestrating that plan every day. From David’s perspective, things might not have always looked like God was in control, but he had learned to view his circumstances through the lens of Yahweh’s faithfulness.

Though I am surrounded by troubles,
you will protect me from the anger of my enemies.
You reach out your hand,
and the power of your right hand saves me. – Psalm 138:7 NLT

This psalm is a song of thanksgiving from a grateful God-follower. In reflecting on his life, David had seen ample reasons to give Yahweh praise for His unfailing goodness and grace.

I give you thanks, O LORD, with all my heart;
    I will sing your praises before the gods.
I bow before your holy Temple as I worship.
    I praise your name for your unfailing love and faithfulness;
for your promises are backed
    by all the honor of your name. – Psalm 138:1-2 NLT

David’s recollection of Yahweh’s faithfulness prompted him to declare his thankfulness in tangible ways. Despite being surrounded by nations that worshiped their false gods with equal enthusiasm, David was willing to sing Yahweh’s praises in their hearing. He wasn’t afraid of the pagans and their idols hearing his adoration and elevation of the one true God: Yahweh.

One of the ways David displayed his reverence for Yahweh was through worship. He made it a habit to come before the LORD, offering prayers, offerings, and sacrifices in His “holy temple.” At this point, the Temple was still an unrealized dream in David’s mind. He had desired to build a house for the LORD, but it would be his son Solomon who would construct the Temple. The Hebrew word David used is hêḵāl, and it can be translated as “sanctuary” or “palace.” When David moved the Ark of the Covenant into Jerusalem, he ordered that a tent be erected in which to house this focal point of the Israelites’ sacrificial system. It remained there until Solomon completed the construction of the permanent and more palatial Temple.

But David didn’t allow the humble nature of his hêḵāl to diminish the quality of his worship. He approached it as if it were the palace of the King and a holy sanctuary where the God of the universe chose to dwell among His people. It was to this hêḵāl that David went to pray to Yahweh, whom he found to be attentive and quick to answer.

As soon as I pray, you answer me;
you encourage me by giving me strength. – Psalm 138:3 NLT

One of the reasons David was willing to praise Yahweh “before the gods” (Psalm 138:1) was so that the kings who worshiped these false gods might understand that “the LORD is God; there is no other besides Him” (Isaiah 4:35 BSB). By singing Yahweh’s praises and verbally declaring His greatness, David hoped to influence those who placed their hope in non-existent, impotent figments of their imaginations. He envisioned a day when “all the kings of the earth” (Psalm 138:4) would give Yahweh thanks.

While David didn’t see this happen in his lifetime, his son Solomon did. The Book of 1 Kings records that Solomon’s fame spread throughout the known world, even reaching the throne room of the Queen of Sheba.

When the queen of Sheba heard of Solomon’s fame, which brought honor to the name of the LORD, she came to test him with hard questions. – 1 Kings 10:1 NLT

She had heard rumors of Solomon’s wisdom and wealth, but when she saw it all with her own eyes, she was blown away. The size of his kingdom, the beauty of his royal palace, and the opulence of the Temple to his God left her breathless, but not without words.

“Everything I heard in my country about your achievements and wisdom is true! I didn’t believe what was said until I arrived here and saw it with my own eyes. In fact, I had not heard the half of it! Your wisdom and prosperity are far beyond what I was told. How happy your people must be! What a privilege for your officials to stand here day after day, listening to your wisdom! Praise the LORD your God, who delights in you and has placed you on the throne of Israel. Because of the LORD’s eternal love for Israel, he has made you king so you can rule with justice and righteousness.” – 1 Kings 10:6-9 NLT

When she witnessed the splendor of Solomon’s kingdom, she praised Yahweh. She attributed Solomon’s success to his God. She even viewed Solomon’s reign as an expression of Yahweh’s love for His people. She sang “about the LORD’s ways, for the glory of the LORD is very great” (Psalm 138:5 NLT).

David knew he had been greatly blessed by Yahweh, and he wanted everyone to know about it. He was determined to sing Yahweh’s praises so everyone, from the lowliest peasant to the highest officials in the land, could understand that there is no one like the LORD.

But David provides a warning to all those who discover Yahweh’s superiority and supremacy.

Though the LORD is great, he cares for the humble,
but he keeps his distance from the proud. – Psalm 138:6 NLT

This great God is no respecter of persons. “For God does not show favoritism” (Romans 2:11 NLT). He is not impressed by anyone’s credentials or accomplishments. In fact, according to James, “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble” (James 4:6 NLT). James expanded on this idea in the opening chapter of his letter.

Believers who are poor have something to boast about, for God has honored them. And those who are rich should boast that God has humbled them. They will fade away like a little flower in the field. The hot sun rises and the grass withers; the little flower droops and falls, and its beauty fades away. In the same way, the rich will fade away with all of their achievements. – James 1:9-11 NLT

David understood this aspect of Yahweh’s nature, having experienced both the blessings of Yahweh as a lowly shepherd and the righteous judgment of Yahweh as a mighty king. David had learned the invaluable truth that humility was a non-negotiable requirement for those who want to experience Yahweh’s presence and promises.

Even as a king, David had experienced many trials and setbacks. His crown did not immunize him from difficulty. His power and wealth could not inoculate him from suffering and sorrow. He had his fair share of enemies, problems, setbacks, roadblocks, disappointments, and moments of discouragement, but he had learned to lean on God.

You reach out your hand,
and the power of your right hand saves me. – Psalm 138:7 NLT

A humble king is a blessed king because he is willing to submit himself to the one true King. He had learned the same great truth that James included in his letter: “Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up in honor” (James 4:10 NLT). Despite his apparent success, David had become increasingly dependent on the LORD. He didn’t allow his palace, power, and possessions to feed his pride and boost his ego. He understood that, without Yahweh, he was nothing, which prompted him to pray:

The LORD will work out his plans for my life—
for your faithful love, O LORD, endures forever.
Don’t abandon me, for you made me. – Psalm 138:8 NLT

Father, I want to become increasingly more dependent upon You., but not is some weak and passive sense. You have blessed me with gifts and abilities, and you expect me to use them — for Your glory. You have provided me with wisdom through Your Word and power through the presence of Your indwelling Holy Spirit, and You want me to put them to use. But I don’t ever want to become cocky or overconfident in what appears to be my own strength or capabilities. David knew he was nothing without You and I want to share his perspective. I want to sing Your praises for all to hear. I want them to know that I am completely reliant upon You because You have been incredibly gracious to me. Amen

Worthy of Our Worship

June 3, 2025 / kdmiller55 / Leave a comment

¹The LORD reigns; let the peoples tremble!
    He sits enthroned upon the cherubim; let the earth quake!
²The LORD is great in Zion;
    he is exalted over all the peoples.
³Let them praise your great and awesome name!
    Holy is he!
⁴The King in his might loves justice.
    You have established equity;
you have executed justice
    and righteousness in Jacob.
⁵Exalt the Lord our God;
    worship at his footstool!
    Holy is he!

⁶Moses and Aaron were among his priests,
    Samuel also was among those who called upon his name.
    They called to the LORD, and he answered them.
⁷In the pillar of the cloud he spoke to them;
    they kept his testimonies
    and the statute that he gave them.

⁸O LORD our God, you answered them;
    you were a forgiving God to them,
    but an avenger of their wrongdoings.
⁹Exalt the LORD our God,
    and worship at his holy mountain;
    for the LORD our God is holy! – Psalm 99:1-9 ESV

The psalmist opens his song with a statement of God’s kingship and sovereignty.

The LORD reigns… – Psalm 99:1 ESV

This statement is not up for debate or open to discussion. It is a matter-of-fact declaration of a non-negotiable reality. Yahweh rules over all and is worthy of worship, reverence, and obedience. His unprecedented power and authority are without question and demand the fear of all men. That is why the psalmist states, “Let the peoples tremble!” (Psalm 99:1 ESV).

To illustrate Yahweh’s majestic holiness, the psalmist describes Him as “enthroned above the cherubim” (Psalm 99:99:1 NLT), a reference to the Shekinah glory of God that appeared above the Mercy Seat on the Ark of the Covenant in the Holy of Holies in the Tabernacle. The instructions for constructing this earthly “throne” were given to Moses by God on top of Mount Sinai in the wilderness.

“You shall make a mercy seat of pure gold. Two cubits and a half shall be its length, and a cubit and a half its breadth. And you shall make two cherubim of gold; of hammered work shall you make them, on the two ends of the mercy seat. Make one cherub on the one end, and one cherub on the other end. Of one piece with the mercy seat shall you make the cherubim on its two ends. The cherubim shall spread out their wings above, overshadowing the mercy seat with their wings, their faces one to another; toward the mercy seat shall the faces of the cherubim be. And you shall put the mercy seat on the top of the ark, and in the ark you shall put the testimony that I shall give you. There I will meet with you, and from above the mercy seat, from between the two cherubim that are on the ark of the testimony, I will speak with you about all that I will give you in commandment for the people of Israel.” – Exodus 25:17-22 NLT

Once the Tabernacle was completed, God agreed to inhabit it with His glory and dwell among the people of Israel.

“I will meet with you, to speak to you there. There I will meet with the people of Israel, and it shall be sanctified by my glory.” – Exodus 29:42-43 ESV

“I will dwell among the people of Israel and will be their God.” – Exodus 29:45 ESV

The promise was meant to reassure His people by guaranteeing His abiding presence. But it was also intended to instill in them a reverential fear because of His holiness. The entire Tabernacle was an elaborate symbol of Yahweh’s glory and greatness. It was adorned with gold, silver, expensive fabrics, and finely crafted furnishings that testified to the majesty of its divine inhabitant. This was no ordinary tent but the dwelling place of Yahweh, the God of the universe and the all-powerful King who loves justice and establishes equity on earth. That is why the psalmist demands a response of awe and reverence from the people of God.

Praise the LORD our God.
Worship before his footstool.
He is holy! – Psalm 99:5 NLT

As if to drive home his point, the psalmist recalls how Yahweh appeared to the people of Israel as a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night, to guide them during their journey from Egypt to the land of Canaan. They were never without His abiding presence and never lacked His protection and provision for their needs. When they prayed to Him, He listened. When they sinned, He punished. When they grew thirsty, He provided them with water to drink. When they ran out of food, He graciously gave them manna and quail. And all He asked for in exchange was their worship.

But let’s be honest. Most of us need a good reason to worship God, which usually has more to do with us than Him. We’ll worship Him if He has been good to us. We’ll worship Him if He has met our expectations and fulfilled all our desires. We’ll worship Him if our life goes as we expected it to go. But let one thing go wrong, and all bets are off. We find it hard to worship God amid difficulties. Singing His praises is difficult when we’re busy singing the blues.

But the Psalmist reminds us that our praise of God has little to do with what He has done for us lately. It has everything to do with who He is. He is God, and He is holy. So we should exalt or lift up His name, simply because of who He is. Our praise should be motivated by His character and essence, not His ability to meet our laundry list of needs or wants.

God is not worthy of our praise or worship because He meets all our desires and answers every one of our prayers. We worship Him because He deserves it.

God rules. On your toes, everybody!
He rules from his angel throne—take notice!
God looms majestic in Zion,
He towers in splendor over all the big names.
Great and terrible your beauty: let everyone praise you!
Holy. Yes, holy. – Psalms 99:1-3 MSG).

He is KING! He is mighty, majestic, powerful, and deserving of our honor, respect, fear, awe, obedience, gratefulness, and worship. Worship is a recognition of who God is. It is an awareness that He is God and we are not. When we come to God only for what we can get from Him, that is the farthest thing from worship. In doing so, we turn Him into a glorified slot machine. We pull the handle, hoping to hit the jackpot. We want Him to deliver on our desires for happiness, success, popularity, peace, comfort, and contentment. And when He doesn’t come through, we express disappointment rather than worship.

But again, the psalmist reminds us, “Exalt the LORD our God and worship at his holy mountain in Jerusalem, for the LORD our God is holy!” (Psalm 99:9 NLT). We are to worship Him simply because He is holy. He is set apart, distinct, different, sacred, one-of-a-kind, unique, and without equal in all the world. And if that doesn’t get us to worship Him, then the psalmist reminds us that one day God will judge the earth. He will send His Son back to set things right and restore the world to its original splendor. He will judge the nations. He will put an end to sin and establish His Kingdom on earth. That’s the God who deserves our worship, praise, honor, glory, and full attention.

Shout your praises to God, everybody!

Let loose and sing! Strike up the band!
Round up an orchestra to play for God,

Add on a hundred-voice choir.
Feature trumpets and big trombones,

Fill the air with praises to King God.
Let the sea and its fish give a round of applause,

With everything living on earth joining in.
Let ocean breakers call out, “Encore!”

And mountains harmonize the finale—
A tribute to God when he comes,

When he comes to set the earth right. – Psalm 98:4-9 MSG

Father, You deserve my praise and worship, not because You do things for me, but simply because of who You are. Forgive me for the many times I hold back on my praise because I am waiting for You to meet my needs on my terms. I fail to recognize Your holiness and so I fail to give You the honor You so rightfully deserve. Open my eyes to the reality of Your uniqueness. Let me see You in all Your splendor and holiness, and shout Your praises simply because of who You are. Anything You do for me is like icing on the cake – an extra bonus from the hand of the Almighty God. Amen

You Reign Above It All

May 28, 2025 / kdmiller55 / Leave a comment

¹The LORD reigns; he is robed in majesty;
the LORD is robed; he has put on strength as his belt.
Yes, the world is established; it shall never be moved.
²Your throne is established from of old;
you are from everlasting.

³The floods have lifted up, O LORD,
    the floods have lifted up their voice;
    the floods lift up their roaring.
⁴Mightier than the thunders of many waters,
    mightier than the waves of the sea,
    the LORD on high is mighty!

⁵Your decrees are very trustworthy;
holiness befits your house,
O LORD, forevermore. – Psalm 93:1-5 ESV

This psalm is short but packs a punch. In it, the psalmist declares Yahweh’s sovereignty and eternality. His reign is everlasting and overwhelming in its power and influence. The God of Israel is without equal, ruling over all creation, including the waves of the sea and the kings of the earth. But unlike human rulers, King Yahweh doesn’t derive His power from men or rely on regal attire to define His glory and greatness. The psalmist describes Him as “robed in majesty” with “strength as His belt.”

Yahweh needs no throne, scepter, palace, or royal raiments to set Him apart from His peers, because He has none. His unbridled power and sovereignty are evident in the natural world, and all nature declares His undiminished majesty and might. King David shared the psalmist’s vision of creation displaying Yahweh’s glory.

The heavens proclaim the glory of God.
    The skies display his craftsmanship.
Day after day they continue to speak;
    night after night they make him known.
They speak without a sound or word;
    their voice is never heard.
Yet their message has gone throughout the earth,
    and their words to all the world.

God has made a home in the heavens for the sun.
It bursts forth like a radiant bridegroom after his wedding.
    It rejoices like a great athlete eager to run the race.
The sun rises at one end of the heavens
    and follows its course to the other end.
    Nothing can hide from its heat. – Psalm 19:1-6 NLT

In the ancient world, the ocean was considered a place of mystery and dread. It was filled with sea monsters that threatened the lives of men, and its waves could destroy the strongest of ships. Despite their close proximity to the Mediterranean Sea, the Israelites were not a seagoing people. They feared its power and associated it with evil. For their ancient ancestors, the Red Sea had served as a barrier to their escape from Egypt. But Yahweh parted the sea and allowed them to walk across on dry land.

Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and the Lord drove the sea back by a strong east wind all night and made the sea dry land, and the waters were divided. And the people of Israel went into the midst of the sea on dry ground, the waters being a wall to them on their right hand and on their left. – Exodus 14:21-22 ESV

When the Israelites finally arrived in the land of promise, they found it inhabited by Canaanites, who believed their god, Baal, had overcome Yamm, the god of the seas. Yet, Yahweh aided His people in conquering the land and defeating the Canaanites and their powerful god.

The psalmist describes Yahweh as “mightier than the violent raging of the seas, mightier than the breakers on the shore—the LORD above is mightier than these” (Psalm 93:4 NLT). No power in heaven or on earth could stand before the God of Israel.

The waters of the ocean were no match for Yahweh, and the armies of earthly kings were powerless before Israel’s God. His kingdom was everlasting, and His royal decrees were binding. He could not be defeated or dethroned. And the psalmist found comfort in the truth that Yahweh’s reign was “holy forever and ever” (Psalm 93:5 NLT).

The contemporary hymn, “Reign Above It All,” paints a vivid picture of God’s sovereignty and power as revealed through Jesus Christ.

The reign of darkness now has endedIn the kingdom of lightIn the kingdom of lightForever under Your dominionYou’re the King of my lifeYou’re the King of my life

You reign above it all, You reign above it allOver the universe and over every heartThere is no higher nameJesus, You reign above it all

On the cross, the work was finishedGod, You poured out Your lifeJust to give us new lifeNow from the lips of the forgivenHear an anthem arise‘Cause Jesus You’re alive, oh

You reign above it all, You reign above it allOver the universe and over every heartThere is no higher nameJesus, You reign above it allLet all of Heaven and the Earth erupt in songSing hallelujah to the Everlasting OneThere is no higher nameJesus, You reign above it allYou reign above it all

You sent the darkness runningOut of an empty graveNow seated alone in gloryEnthroned on the highest praise

– Paul McClure, Reign Above It All lyrics © Essential Music Publishing

Father, You reign above it all. You are great and greatly to be praised. May I never forget just how powerful, majestic, and worthy of praise You are. Never let me forget that You alone are God, and that no power in heaven or earth can stand before You. Amen

Worthy of Our Praise

April 12, 2025 / kdmiller55 / Leave a comment

To the choirmaster. A Psalm of the Sons of Korah.

¹Clap your hands, all peoples!
    Shout to God with loud songs of joy!
²For the LORD, the Most High, is to be feared,
    a great king over all the earth.
³He subdued peoples under us,
    and nations under our feet.
⁴He chose our heritage for us,
    the pride of Jacob whom he loves. Selah

⁵God has gone up with a shout,
    the LORD with the sound of a trumpet.
⁶Sing praises to God, sing praises!
    Sing praises to our King, sing praises!
⁷For God is the King of all the earth;
    sing praises with a psalm!

⁸God reigns over the nations;
    God sits on his holy throne.
⁹The princes of the peoples gather
    as the people of the God of Abraham.
For the shields of the earth belong to God;
    he is highly exalted! – Psalm 47:1-9 ESV

In this psalm, one of the sons of Korah praises the LORD, the Most High, as “a great king over all the earth” (Psalm 47:1 ESV). This recognition of Yahweh (the LORD) as the one true sovereign is meant to single out the Israelite God from all other deities and earthly kings. Throughout his song, the psalmist primarily uses the generic title ĕlōhîm, which was used in reference to all deities. In a culture where many gods were recognized and worshiped, the psalmist wanted to set apart the Israelite ĕlōhîm as superior and unparalleled in His power, majesty, and sovereignty. He calls on the people of Israel to clap their hands in praise to the one true God, reminding them of the many benefits they have received from their gracious King.

He subdues the nations before us,
putting our enemies beneath our feet.
He chose the Promised Land as our inheritance,
the proud possession of Jacob’s descendants, whom he loves. – Psalm 47:3-4 NLT

They had been the undeserved recipients of the land of Canaan, promised to them by God as their inheritance. Under the leadership of Moses, they had been set free from slavery in Egypt and guided to the borders of their future home. After Moses’ death, Joshua served as their God-appointed leader and military commander, helping them conquer the nations that occupied Canaan. Under his leadership, they took possession of the promised land, but it had been God who had subdued the nations before them. They owed their success to the sovereign hand of Yahweh, “the great King of all the earth” (Psalm 47:3 NLT).

The psalmist pictures God as ascended on high, where He sits on His royal throne and reigns above the nations (Psalm 47:5, 8 NLT). From His lofty vantage point, Yahweh surveys His Kingdom, which consists not only of the nation of Israel but all the peoples of the world. It all belongs to Him. While other ĕlōhîm exist in the minds of men and are worshiped and revered, only Yahweh deserves praise and adoration. That is what leads the psalmist to call on God’s people to sing His praises.

Sing praises to God, sing praises;
sing praises to our King, sing praises!
For God is the King over all the earth.
Praise him with a psalm. – Psalm 47:6-7 NLT

This same fervor for God’s glory is found in Psalm 113.

Praise the Lord!

Yes, give praise, O servants of the LORD.
    Praise the name of the LORD!
Blessed be the name of the LORD
    now and forever.
Everywhere—from east to west—
    praise the name of the LORD.
For the LORD is high above the nations;
    his glory is higher than the heavens.

Who can be compared with the LORD our God,
who is enthroned on high? – Psalm 113:1-5 NLT

Yahweh is incomparable and without equal. He alone reigns on high and is worthy of His people’s adoration and worship. God demands the veneration of His name, Yahweh. That personal, intimate name was reserved for use by the people of Israel and was given to them long before their exodus from Egypt.

God also said to Moses, “Say this to the people of Israel: Yahweh, the God of your ancestors—the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob—has sent me to you. This is my eternal name, my name to remember for all generations.” – Exodus 3:15 NLT

Yahweh was serious about His name and expected His people to honor it at all times. In the Book of Malachi, God indicts His chosen people for their defamation of His name. He describes the pagan nations as more respectful of His glory than the people who bear His name.

“But my name is honored by people of other nations from morning till night. All around the world they offer sweet incense and pure offerings in honor of my name. For my name is great among the nations,” says the LORD of Heaven’s Armies.

“But you dishonor my name with your actions. By bringing contemptible food, you are saying it’s all right to defile the LORD’s table. You say, ‘It’s too hard to serve the LORD,’ and you turn up your noses at my commands,” says the LORD of Heaven’s Armies. – Malachi 1:11-13 NLT

God had given the people of Israel a name to use when referring to Him. It was a name intended to set Him apart from all the other ĕlōhîm. In a sense, the name Yahweh was intended to differentiate their ĕlōhîm from all other ĕlōhîm. God gave that name to Moses in preparation for his return to Egypt, where He would have to convince the people of Israel that the God of their ancestors had sent him. For 400 years, the Israelites had lived in Egypt and acclimated to their surrounding, adopting the many ĕlōhîm of the Egyptians as their own. When Moses was told by God to return to his people and announce their coming deliverance, he asked, “If I go to the people of Israel and tell them, ‘The God [ĕlōhîm] of your ancestors has sent me to you,’ they will ask me, ‘What is his name?’ Then what should I tell them?” (Exodus 3:13 NLT).

His question was legitimate because he knew that if he simply said ĕlōhîm had sent him, the people would want to know which ĕlōhîm. Their were hundreds of ĕlōhîm in Egypt, and the Israelites had long forgotten about the ĕlōhîm that their ancestors worshiped. So, in response to Moses’ question, God gave him the name Yahweh.

But as the Malachi passage reveals, the people of Israel eventually treated God’s name with disrespect and dishonor. They failed to show God the reverence and respect He deserved. In fact, the chosen people of God were guilty of denigrating His name to such a degree that the pagan nations displayed greater fear and reverence than they did.

“I am a great king,” says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, “and my name is feared among the nations!” – Malachi 1:14 NLT

The psalmist closes out his song with a prophetic statement regarding a future day when all the nations will give Yahweh the glory and honor He so rightly deserves.

The rulers of the world have gathered together
with the people of the God of Abraham.
For all the kings of the earth belong to God.
He is highly honored everywhere. – Psalm 47:9 NLT

The prophet Isaiah records the words of God predicting a future day when all nations will honor Him for who He is – the soveriegn King over all the earth.

“Let all the world look to me for salvation!
    For I am God; there is no other.
I have sworn by my own name;
    I have spoken the truth,
    and I will never go back on my word:
Every knee will bend to me,
    and every tongue will declare allegiance to me.” – Isaiah 45:22-23 NLT

This worldwide worship of Yahweh will take place because of the efforts of His Son. Jesus Christ, the Son of God and Savior of mankind, will return to earth a second time to bring about the completion of God’s redemptive plan. In the book that bears his name, Daniel records a vision he was given of the second coming of Christ.

I saw someone like a son of man coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient One and was led into his presence. He was given authority, honor, and sovereignty over all the nations of the world, so that people of every race and nation and language would obey him. His rule is eternal—it will never end. His kingdom will never be destroyed. – Daniel 7:13-14 NLT

The apostle John was also given a vision and a message, declaring the day when Christ would establish His Millennial Kingdom on earth.

“The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ, and He will reign forever and ever.” – Revelation 11:15 BSB

Paul wrote the believers in Philippi, reminding them that Jesus died, rose again, and ascended back to His Father’s side in heaven. But he also reminded them that the day would come when Jesus would return to finish what He began, ending with the worldwide recognition of His majesty and glory as the King of kings and Lord of lords.

God elevated him to the place of highest honor
    and gave him the name above all other names,
that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
    in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
and every tongue declare that Jesus Christ is Lord,
    to the glory of God the Father. – Philippians 2:9-11 NLT

The worship and praise that the psalmist calls for will one day happen, and it will be the result of Christ’s redemptive work as He returns to set up His Kingdom and conquer Satan and all the enemies of God. Paul describes this future day when Yahweh will receive the glory and honor He so richly deserves, and it will all be the result of His Son’s completion of His assignment.

After that the end will come, when he will turn the Kingdom over to God the Father, having destroyed every ruler and authority and power. For Christ must reign until he humbles all his enemies beneath his feet. And the last enemy to be destroyed is death. For the Scriptures say, “God has put all things under his authority.” (Of course, when it says “all things are under his authority,” that does not include God himself, who gave Christ his authority.) Then, when all things are under his authority, the Son will put himself under God’s authority, so that God, who gave his Son authority over all things, will be utterly supreme over everything everywhere. – 1 Cornithans 15:24-28 NLT

Father, You deserve praise and honor right now. I don’t have to wait until the end of the story to understand that You are worthy of my thanks, adoration, and worship. You have already done so much for me by sending Your Son to die on my behalf. But when I consider all that is going to happen in the future because of Your great redemptive plan, I have no reason to treat Your name with anything but the highest respect and honor. Keep me focused on Your faithfulness so that I might live more faithfully as I wait for the fulfillment of Your promises. Amen

Worthy of Praise

March 25, 2025 / kdmiller55 / Leave a comment

A Psalm of David.

¹Ascribe to the LORD, O heavenly beings,
ascribe to the LORD glory and strength.
²Ascribe to the LORD the glory due his name;
worship the LORD in the splendor of holiness.

³The voice of the LORD is over the waters;
    the God of glory thunders,
    the LORD, over many waters.
⁴The voice of the LORD is powerful;
    the voice of the LORD is full of majesty.

⁵The voice of the LORD breaks the cedars;
the LORD breaks the cedars of Lebanon.
⁶He makes Lebanon to skip like a calf,
and Sirion like a young wild ox.

⁷The voice of the LORD flashes forth flames of fire.
⁸The voice of the LORD shakes the wilderness;
the LORD shakes the wilderness of Kadesh.

⁹The voice of the LORD makes the deer give birth
and strips the forests bare,
and in his temple all cry, “Glory!”

¹⁰The LORD sits enthroned over the flood;
the LORD sits enthroned as king forever.
¹¹May the LORD give strength to his people!
May the LORD bless his people with peace! – Psalm 29:1-11 ESV

How do you honor someone you can’t see? How do you recognize and rejoice in the greatness of an invisible God? That has always been a problem for the people of God. Abraham and Moses had private conversations with God. Abraham even caught glimpses of God’s glory in the burning bush, and Moses was allowed to see God’s back as he passed by him on the mountain. A handful of God’s people have had supernatural glimpses of God’s glory. For the rest of us, we are left with the task of trying to honor and adequately ascribe to God the glory He so richly deserves.

For David, it was pretty simple; he saw God all around him. When he looked into the night sky and saw all the stars and planets, he saw God’s hand.

When I look at the night sky and see the work of your fingers—
the moon and the stars you set in place—
what are mere mortals that you should think about them,
human beings that you should care for them? – Psalm 8:3-4 NLT

The heavens reflected God’s glory. After Samuel anointed him to be the next king of Israel, David spent years running from King Saul and hiding in the wilderness. While sitting in the mouth of a cave in the middle of the rugged mountain landscape, he saw more than his fair share of storms. As he witnessed the lightning flash across the night sky and occasionally strike a tree, shattering it in two, and as he listened to the thunder echo off the canyon walls, shaking the ground beneath his feet, David couldn’t help but think of God. To him, the thunder was the very voice of God.

The voice of the Lord splits the mighty cedars;
the Lord shatters the cedars of Lebanon. – Psalm 29:5 NLT

The voice of the Lord strikes
with bolts of lightning.
The voice of the Lord makes the barren wilderness quake;
the Lord shakes the wilderness of Kadesh. – Psalm 29:7-8 NLT

The voice of the Lord twists mighty oaks
and strips the forests bare. – Psalm 29:9 NLT

His use of anthropomorphic language was an attempt to describe God’s incomparable power. The thought of God speaking was enough to cause David to stand in awe. Seven times in this passage, David refers to God’s voice. He knew that God had spoken the world into existence. He recognized that God’s words carried weight and the sound of His voice was more powerful than the most potent lightning, capable of bringing great destruction or incredible blessing.

David was a king, and he understood the concept of power. He knew that the king’s word was law, but he also knew that, as a man, his power was limited, and his voice only carried so much weight. However, God’s voice was limitless in power, and He alone deserved glory and recognition on the part of both angels and men that He alone was worthy of worship.

Honor the Lord, you heavenly beings;
honor the Lord for his glory and strength.
Honor the Lord for the glory of his name. – Psalm 29:1-2 NLT

David begins this Psalm by encouraging men and angels to give to God honor for His glory and strength. As far as David was concerned, all beings were to recognize God’s unparalleled majesty and worship Him accordingly. God alone is King. His voice is powerful, and He is worthy of our worship and praise.

This dramatic imagery of God’s thunder-like voice shattering trees and shaking mountains almost portrays Him as unapproachable and inaccessible. It is reminiscent of the language Moses used to describe God’s appearance on Mount Sinai in the wilderness.

On the morning of the third day, thunder roared and lightning flashed, and a dense cloud came down on the mountain. There was a long, loud blast from a ram’s horn, and all the people trembled. Moses led them out from the camp to meet with God, and they stood at the foot of the mountain. All of Mount Sinai was covered with smoke because the Lord had descended on it in the form of fire. The smoke billowed into the sky like smoke from a brick kiln, and the whole mountain shook violently. – Exodus 19:16-18 NLT

The people of Israel stood at the base of Mount Sinai and gazed up at this spectacular demonstration of Yahweh’s divine glory.

“You came near and stood at the foot of the mountain, while flames from the mountain shot into the sky. The mountain was shrouded in black clouds and deep darkness. And the Lord spoke to you from the heart of the fire. You heard the sound of his words but didn’t see his form; there was only a voice.” – Deuteronomy 4:11-12 NLT

And this unforgettable pyrotechnic display made an impression on them.

When the people heard the thunder and the loud blast of the ram’s horn, and when they saw the flashes of lightning and the smoke billowing from the mountain, they stood at a distance, trembling with fear. – Exodus 20:18 NLT

They feared Yahweh’s power and presence. His awe-inspiring demonstration left them shell-shocked and begging Moses to protect them from God’s wrath.

“You speak to us, and we will listen. But don’t let God speak directly to us, or we will die!” – Exodus 20:19 NLT

But Moses assured them that they had nothing to fear.

“…for God has come in this way to test you, and so that your fear of him will keep you from sinning!” – Psaelm 20:20 NLT

God wanted His people to know that He was to be feared but for the right reasons. He was glorious and great and worthy of praise. He was powerful and capable of dispensing judgment on the disobedient and unrighteous. But He wanted to bless His children, not destroy them.

That is why David ends His Psalm with a comforting thought.

The Lord rules over the floodwaters.
The Lord reigns as king forever.
The Lord gives his people strength.
The Lord blesses them with peace. – Psalm 29:10-11 NLT

This same glorious, powerful, majestic God gives His people strength and blesses them with security. David knew that it wasn’t he and his mighty men who protected the people of Israel – it was God. God gave them the strength to face their enemies and withstand adversity. It was God who blessed them with peace (shalom). For David, peace was not just an absence of conflict but a sense of completeness and an awareness of well-being and security in adversity.

When a thunderstorm strikes, it’s an opportunity to think about God. As the lightning flashes across the sky, it provides a visible demonstration of God’s glory and greatness. These meteorological displays are God-ordained reminders of His power and worthiness of our awe and wonder. They should remind us of His greatness and cause us to give Him the glory He so richly deserves.

Honor the Lord for the glory of his name.
Worship the Lord in the splendor of his holiness. – Psalm 29:2 NLT

Father, Your power is all around us, but we fail to recognize it. We just see nature, but we don’t see the God behind it. Give me the eyes of David. Help me to see You all around me. Let me recognize Your presence in all of life. I want to worship You and honor You for who You are. I want to grow in my awareness of Your power and glory. Open my eyes so that I might see You more clearly each day. Amen

Let Your Light Shine

January 17, 2025January 18, 2025 / kdmiller55 / Leave a comment

¹⁴“You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. ¹⁵Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. ¹⁶In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.” – Matthew 5:15-16 ESV

Some of Jesus’ first commands were given during His Sermon on the Mount in the early days of His earthly ministry. In His sermon, Jesus addressed a large crowd of Jews, including His disciples. His message was meant to shock and surprise His Hebrew audience, as He frequently referenced the Mosaic Law and demanded a form of righteousness that excelled that of the scribes and Pharisees (Matthew 5:20). His words were difficult to understand and impossible to apply. His commands to exhibit a superior brand of righteousness were inconceivable to people who already found adherence to the 613 ordinances in the Mosaic Law an unachievable standard to keep.

The Israelites in His audience knew they were the chosen people of God. In fact, they took great pride in their status as His set-apart people. Over the centuries, He had repeatedly pointed out the unique privilege they enjoyed as His covenant people.

“I am the Lord; I have called you in righteousness;
    I will take you by the hand and keep you;
I will give you as a covenant for the people,
    a light for the nations,
   to open the eyes that are blind,
to bring out the prisoners from the dungeon,
    from the prison those who sit in darkness.” – Isaiah 42:6-7 ESV

“It is too light a thing that you should be my servant
    to raise up the tribes of Jacob
    and to bring back the preserved of Israel;
I will make you as a light for the nations,
    that my salvation may reach to the end of the earth.” – Isaiah 49:6 ESV

Arise, shine, for your light has come,
    and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you.
For behold, darkness shall cover the earth,
    and thick darkness the peoples;
but the Lord will arise upon you,
    and his glory will be seen upon you.
And nations shall come to your light,
    and kings to the brightness of your rising. – Isaiah 60:1-3 ESV

The Jews, God’s chosen people in the Old Testament, were to have been an example to the rest of the nations. They were to act as lights to the blind and to provide freedom to those living in captivity to sin. But they failed. Instead, they chose to live like the nations around them. Rather than influencing the world, they became infected by it. Instead of modeling godliness, they mirrored worldliness.

Those who gathered to listen to Jesus’ words were primarily from the working class. They were peasants, farmers, shepherds, craftsmen, fishermen, homemakers, and widows. They were looked down on by their own religious leaders, who viewed them as irreligious law-breakers whose unrighteous behavior forestalled the Messiah’s coming. Yet, Jesus demanded more from them, not less. He reminded them of their status as God-ordained world influencers. Jesus didn’t say, “You should be the light of the world;” He said “You are!” (Matthew 5:14 ESV). But their radiance had dimmed because of their inability to live up to God’s exacting standards. Rather than demonstrating faith and obedience through their adherence to the Law, they treated God’s sacrificial system as a kind of get-out-of-jail-free card. They knew if they sinned, they could get forgiveness. But to make matters worse, the nation of Israel had a track record of apostasy and spiritual adultery that God found unforgivable.

“Has any nation ever traded its gods for new ones,
    even though they are not gods at all?
Yet my people have exchanged their glorious God
    for worthless idols!
The heavens are shocked at such a thing
    and shrink back in horror and dismay,”
    says the Lord. – Jeremiah 2:11-12 NLT

So, when Jesus commanded them to let their lights shine, He knew was dropping a truth bomb on His unsuspecting audience that they would both convict and confuse them. He was demanding that they come out of their period of prolonged darkness and shine as lights in a sin-cloaked world. But He knew His words would be impossible to keep without divine help. They would be no more successful at keeping this command than they had been at obeying the 613 regulations found in the Mosaic Law.

The key to keeping all the commands found in the Sermon on the Mount would be the death and resurrection of Jesus. Only by belief in His substitutionary death on the cross and His miraculous restoration to life would they be able to “shine out for all to see” (Matthew 5:16 NLT). It would be His incarnation, crucifixion, and resurrection that provided the means for the Jews in His audience to become the lights they were meant to be.

The apostle John, who had a front-row seat to the Sermon on the Mount, later wrote, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. In him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it” (John 1:1-5 ESV).

Jesus was the light and He came to illuminate the darkness that pervaded the hearts of men, including the chosen people of God. But John goes on to say, “He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him” (John 1:12 ESV). Many of those who heard His message that day would refuse to believe His words or accept His offer of salvation through faith in Him alone. They would continue to try to earn God’s favor through rule-keeping and sacrifice. Yet, John points out that the alternative Jesus offered was far more preferable and profitable.

But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God. – John 1:12 ESV

The command to be lights shining in the darkness applies to all those who have placed their faith in Christ. Light penetrates and permeates. Light illuminates and eliminates the darkness. Just as physical light has a transformative nature, so does the Light of the world. Jesus said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life” (John 8:12 ESV).

Those who have placed their faith in Jesus Christ have had the darkness of their lives penetrated by the Light. They have been given the Spirit of God, resident within them, to enlighten and empower them to live in such a way that their lives make a difference. But to have an illuminating impact on the world requires that the Light have its full influence. The apostle John wrote: “The darkness is disappearing, and the true light is already shining” (1 John 2:8 NLT). This is a statement of fact. The Light of Christ shines in the lives of those who call themselves His disciples, and they have the responsibility and capability to illuminate and eliminate the darkness that pervades the world.

As light increases and spreads, darkness diminishes and fades. Yet, it would be easy to look at the world and conclude that the darkness is winning. Evil appears to be increasing. But could the problem be that we, as children of light, have allowed the darkness to overtake the light in our own lives? Are our lamps too feeble? Is our faith too small? Is our light too weak to penetrate the darkness around us?

Paul gives us words of encouragement. “The night has advanced toward dawn; the day is near. So then we must lay aside the works of darkness, and put on the weapons of light” (Romans 13:12 ESV). We must live with the realization that the light wins. The darkness loses. There is a movement of God going on that is transforming the world from darkness to light. We may not be able to see it. We may not feel it. But as soon as Jesus entered the world, the light of God penetrated the darkness and began to spread. We have a responsibility to make the light of Christ our highest priority. To do so, we must refuse to love the darkness more than the light. We must choose to live as children of the light, fanning the flame of faith through regular time in the Word, fellowship with other believers, and a reliance upon the Spirit of God for strength, wisdom, and exposure of any darkness that remains in our lives. The darkness in our lives should be diminishing with each passing day. The light – the righteousness and holiness of God – should be increasing.

Everywhere we go, our lives should provide light in the darkness. Our actions should be proof of the transforming power of God made available through Jesus Christ. When Jesus commissioned Paul to take His offer of salvation to the Gentiles, He said, “I am sending you to open their eyes so that they turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, so that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a share among those who are sanctified by faith in me. (Acts 26:17-18 ESV).

So, not only is the light in our lives to be increasing, slowly and steadily eliminating the last vestiges of darkness; but it is to be emanating from us into the darkness surrounding us.

For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us. – 2 Corinthians 4:6-7 ESV

We have the light of God within us, and that light should be increasing in intensity and influence. It should be shining through all the cracks and flaws in our lives, revealing the power of God at work within us. When people look at us, they will still see clay jars; flawed, cracked, and seemingly without value. But they should also see God’s light shining through us and out of us to all those around us.

We now have this light shining in our hearts, but we ourselves are like fragile clay jars containing this great treasure. This makes it clear that our great power is from God, not from ourselves. – 2 Corinthians 4:7 NLT

We are simply receptacles of His glory. We are the conduits of His life-changing, darkness-diminishing light. As the children’s song says, “This little light of mine, I’m gonna let it shine! Let it shine, let it shine, let it shine!” But we must never forget that our ability to illuminate others and eliminate darkness is not self-produced, but a by-product of walking in the light. So, let your light (the Light of Christ) shine.

English Standard Version (ESV)
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New Living Translation (NLT)
Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

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