Latest Thoughts of the Day

Lamentations 3:33

7/26/2026

For He does not willingly bring affliction or grief to the children of men.

When we willingly do a thing it is with agreement, eagerness and enjoyment. This does not describe God’s involvement in chastising His people. His preference would always be to avoid it. He always does it with restraint. He always grieves with them over the sorrow it causes. Jesus’ life on earth as a man of sorrows, acquainted with grief made Him proud of His Son, but He never enjoyed what Jesus suffered. He was pleased to bruise Him because it was the only way that He could spare the ones for whom Jesus died. Jesus looked to the joy that was before Him in order to face the agony that broke His heart. Thank You, Lord, for being willing to do what You could never have willingly done. Thank You for sustaining our Jesus.

Jeremiah 26:12

7/25/2026

Then Jeremiah said to all the officials and all the people: "The Lord sent me to prophesy against this house and this city all the things you have heard. Now reform your ways and your actions and obey the Lord your God. Then the Lord will relent and not bring the disaster he has pronounced against you"

Jeremiah shows tremendous courage and trust in God as he utters these words. The mood of the crowd is decidedly against him and against the message of doom that he declares. He affirms that it is God who sent him, and urges them to hear God’s voice, to turn from their wicked ways, and to receive forgiveness and help. Some among the crowd speak up for Jeremiah, and they decide not to kill him. We are reminded of our Lord standing in judgment. None in the crowd spoke up for Jesus.

Isaiah 33;12

7/24/2026

The people will be burned as if to lime' like cut thorn bushes they will be set ablaze.

Lime production required an extremely hot temperature. Thorn bushes burned easily and quickly to nothing. God pictures steady intense burning along with sudden destructive burning as He moves Isaiah to speak as he does. Total judgment, superficial and also deep is what He pictures for us, and this is what He threatens to bring upon the nations that threaten His people, but also upon all the nations that forget God. The devil would like us all to laugh at God’s judgment and to imagine that it will not be what God has ordained it to be. God makes very clear His anger against sin, and He warns in unmistakable terms that judgment is certain and that it will be overwhelming. May people take heed and flee to His Son, Jesus!

Song of Songs 4:8

7/23/2026

"Come with me from Lebanon, my bride, come with me from Lebanon. Descend from the crest f Amana, from the top of Senir, the summit of Hermon, from the lion's dens and the mountain haunts of the leopards."

As the bridegroom woos his beloved, he characterizes her former life as high and secluded, but lonely and dangerous. “Come down with me to safety and community and fellowship with those who love God.” He will go on to speak of his special love and affection for her person and the desire to have her as his own. The Bridegroom’s words of tender love have moved our hearts to come down from our lofty superiority and surrender our beloved seclusion. We are amazed that He has loved us and we willingly give ourselves to be the possession of our Lord. We are honored by Your love, Lord Jesus.

Ecclesiastes 6:6

7/22/2026

--even if he lives a thousand years twice over but fails to enjoy his prosperity. Do not all go to the same place?

Solomon is contrasting existence and non-existence and saying that the latter is superior to even a very long life if all you have is hassle and stress. He gives himself two options and concludes that they equal one another in meaninglessness. Let us leave him alone and let him think. Solomon will reason himself out of most of his nonsense and ultimately resolve the issue with “Fear God and keep His commandments.” We would all get there if we did not detain ourselves with details of our existence. God has put eternity in our hearts and at the very center we long to know Him. Remarkable resources will be wasted as many of us work at resisting the call to our souls of Jesus.

Proverbs 16:17

7/20/2026

The highway of the upright avoids evil; he who guards his way guards his soul.

“Be careful, little feet, where you go”. Being at the wrong place at the wrong time has ended in tragedy for many, and being there is a matter of choice. May the Lord help us to guard our way! Why do we want to go there? What is the good we seek? Whose influence draws us there? How is the Devil trying to use this to destroy us? God can use personal disaster to correct and teach me, but He would prefer to use tender and gentle means. A lot depends on me. Help me today, Lord, to avoid evil. Help me to guard my soul. The easiest and most comfortable way for You to do this is to send Your Spirit to keep me close to Yourself. Keep me close to Jesus.

Psalm 75:5

7/19/2026

do not lift your horns against heaven; do not speak with an outstretched neck.

In the last stanza of this poem Asaph happily declares his personal agreement with the word of God in this psalm. God challenges men and women, boys and girls to humble themselves in His presence. Don’t shake your fist to God, don’t steel yourself to get your own way. Repent! Surrender! God determines who shall be exalted and who shall be humbled, who shall win and who shall lose. Our place is to humble ourselves and receive the place and portion He has assigned for us. Asaph happily agrees and volunteers to help humble the proud and exalt the righteous. In light of this challenge we look to our Lord. He did not think equality with God a things to be gripped, but humbled Himself, taking the place of a servant. This was Jesus.