Vicki's Wednesday Word

  Amos 6:1–7 NLT “How terrible for you who sprawl on ivory beds and lounge on your couches, eating the meat of tender lambs from the flock and of choice calves fattened in the stall. 5 You sing trivial songs to the sound of the harp and fancy yourselves to be great musicians like David. 6 You drink wine by the bowlful and perfume yourselves with fragrant lotions. You care nothing about the ruin of your nation.” Sounds like this period in the history of Israel was characterized by a period of relative prosperity for many. If you read a little more of Amos, the people had gotten far from the basic tenets of the laws of Moses. Amos is reminding people that self-absorption is not the goal in life. God has let Amos know that he is no longer going to tolerate the exploitation his people for the benefit of some. I don’t like thinking about this. It makes me uncomfortable. I like my comfy chair and my delicious food. We have satellite music in our vehicles and devices. I just opened my n

  James 4:13–17 NLT “Look here, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we are going to a certain town and will stay there a year. We will do business there and make a profit.” 14 How do you know what your life will be like tomorrow? Your life is like the morning fog—it’s here a little while, then it’s gone. 15 What you ought to say is, “If the Lord wants us to, we will live and do this or that.” 16 Otherwise you are boasting about your own pretentious plans, and all such boasting is evil. 17 Remember, it is sin to know what you ought to do and then not do it.” The Bible teaches us a lot. It teaches us to love and honor God above all else. It teaches us that we are to submit our alleged control to God’s actual sovereignty. It teaches us ways that we should interact with each other. Once you know, you know. James is reminding us that you cannot un-know what you have been taught. The truth is, we sometimesact as though we never learned. Maybe we have forgotten. James won’t let us get away

  Matthew 7:12–14 NLT “Do to others whatever you would like them to do to you. This is the essence of all that is taught in the law and the prophets. 13 You can enter God’s Kingdom only through the narrow gate. The highway to hell is broad, and its gate is wide for the many who choose that way. 14 But the gateway to life is very narrow and the road is difficult, and only a few ever find it.” This instruction is to be the bedrock of our behavior. It tells us how to treat the people we meet in public. It is the answer for how to get along at work. It tells us how to have a happy home. This is a starting point. How we make our way from here will mean a lifetime of learning. Others may disappoint us. We must learn to move past it. We will mess up. By the grace of God we will have the chance to do better. Jesus shows us the way to that narrow gate. It is up to us to follow…something to pray about. Don’t forget to look for the Lord today. Vicki H.                                       

  Matthew 16:21–26 NLT “21 From then on Jesus began to tell his disciples plainly that it was necessary for him to go to Jerusalem, and that he would suffer many terrible things at the hands of the elders, the leading priests, and the teachers of religious law. He would be killed, but on the third day he would be raised from the dead. 22 But Peter took him aside and began to reprimand him for saying such things. “Heaven forbid, Lord,” he said. “This will never happen to you!” 23 Jesus turned to Peter and said, “Get away from me, Satan! You are a dangerous trap to me. You are seeing things merely from a human point of view, not from God’s.” 24 Then Jesus said to his disciples, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross, and follow me. 25 If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake, you will save it. 26 And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul? Is anything

  Daniel 3:13-18 NLT “13 Then Nebuchadnezzar flew into a rage and ordered that Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego be brought before him. When they were brought in, 14 Nebuchadnezzar said to them, “Is it true, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, that you refuse to serve my gods or to worship the gold statue I have set up? 15 I will give you one more chance to bow down and worship the statue I have made when you hear the sound of the musical instruments. But if you refuse, you will be thrown immediately into the blazing furnace. And then what god will be able to rescue you from my power?” 16 Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego replied, “O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you. 17 If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God whom we serve is able to save us. He will rescue us from your power, Your Majesty. 18 But even if he doesn’t, we want to make it clear to you, Your Majesty, that we will never serve your gods or worship the gold statue you have set up.” The kin