Latest Thoughts of the Day

Jonah 1:15

1/14/2026

Then they took Jonah and threw him overboare, and the sea grew calm.

The first part of the account is over. God has accomplished what He designed for the people on the boat. Were any of them impressed with the reality of the God of Israel? Were any drawn truly to entrust themselves to this God and to know the forgiveness that it granted to those who entrust their souls to Him? We are left to speculate concerning God’s further dealings with the individuals who were with Jonah on the boat, but we know that every individual mattered to Him. And we leave them in God’s hands as we follow His purposes for Jonah. Wonders have been left behind, and new wonders await as we follow on with God’s dealing in Jonah’s life. In the swirling mass, God Omnipotent is entirely in control. We look ahead to Jesus.

Obadiah 15

1/13/2026

The day of the Lord is near for all nations. As you have done it will be done to you; your deeds will return upon your own heae.

The book of Obadiah is declaring God’s judgment upon Edom, but Obadiah pictures it as a model for judgment that God will eventually bring upon every nation that exalts itself. “He that exalts himself will be humbled” is a theme that echoes throughout Scripture. All peoples are grieved and angered by injustice, and all of us have a longing within to see vengeance take place. But all of us have our part in the sin itself, and all are subject to the punishment we long to see others experience. Thank You, Lord, that You sent Your Son to pay our penalty for sin. We are rescued by the life and death of our Savior. Our souls are redeemed by Jesus.

Amos 1:15

1/12/2026

"The king will go into exile, he and his oficials together," dsyd yhr Lord

In 800 B.C. God is pronouncing judgment upon a neighboring country. He will punish them for their brutality in dealing with people as they go forth to conquer. God holds nations accountable for their dealings with one another, whether or not the dealings are specifically with Israel or Judah. It is particularly interesting in our day to see God’s judgment upon a middle eastern nation will be a change of regime, apparently leaving the leadership structure intact while it is removed from jurisdiction over a particular people. 50 years ago exactly this was done in Iran, and it seems that exactly this is being done in the same place today. We worship You, Lord God, for bringing down one and setting up another. You show us the glory of Your Great Name, Lord Jesus.

Joel 1:15

1/11/2026

What a dreadful day! For the day of the Lord is near; it will come like a destruction from the Almighty.

The people of Judah have experienced one dreadful plague of locusts after another, until every green thing and every stored food has been devoured. In addition to this, a severe drought has descended upon the land, and hope grinds to a halt. Joel sees this as sent by God as a picture of the judgment that the sins of the people deserve. He will go on to appeal to them to rend their hearts and not their garments—to come to God with sincere repentance. Joel will reassure them of God’s willingness and of His power to restore the years that the locust has eaten. May God’s Holy Spirit enable us to see the connection between our disaster and our sin! May He help us to seek Jesus!

Hosea 2:4

1/10/2026

I will not show my love to her children because they are the children of idolatry.

God is preparing to use Hosea as a picture of Himself as a victim of adultery, which for God is idolatry. Children born of an adulterous relationship will not be accepted as legitimate and will not receive the blessing God longs to bring to His own. Hosea will need the present help of God’s Holy Spirit to assist him in loving the unlovely and being faithful to the unfaithful. Our hearts can identify with Hosea, and therefore more than usually with the betrayal and embarrassment that God Himself feels concerning His people. Hosea’s struggle becomes our struggle. Help us, Lord, to recognize unfaithfulness in ourselves and to turn from it to repent of our sins and to cleave to the Lord. Fill us afresh with the grace that is in Christ Jesus.

Daniel 1:15

1/9/2026

At the end of the ten days they looked healthier and better nourished than any of te young men wh ate the royal food.

This was probably not a miracle. Very likely the king’s food was indulgent, filled with things that do not really promote good health. If the young men involved in the program had any choice in the matter, they probably chose things that were not good for them. There can be times when vegan food is like medicine. At any rate, the four young men in this episode began to be set apart for the special service God had for them in Babylon. God was with them, and they were being prepared by Him. Could He be preparing us for special service even this day? Help us, Lord. Show us the good works You have provided beforehand to be done. Help us live for Jesus.

Ezekiel 1:15

1/8/2026

As I looked at the living creatures I saw a wheel on the ground beside each creature with its four faces.

“If you understood it, you missed something!” This saying comes to mind when we try to understand the picture Ezekiel brings before our eyes. Beside and accompanying the creatures with multiple personalaties, each travelling straight ahead, though each facing a different direction, these wheels accompany their every move. Do the wheels represent the power and activity of God in conjunction with the personality and purpose of the remarkable creature? Are we dazzled by the appearance and by the movement of the creatures Ezekiel describes? We are full of amazement and wonder as we worship the Maker of these things. We remember that all things have their being through the creative work of God. God works all things together for good for them that are called to Jesus

Lamentations 1:15

1/7/2026

The Lord haa rejected all the warriors in my midst; he has summoned an aarmy against me to crush my young men. In His winepress the Lord has trampled the virgin daughter of Judah.

Jeremiah has been calling Judah to repentance for over forty years, and she has refused, rejected and repulse his every appeal. Now the threatened judgment has fallen, and beginning with what should have been their glory and their strength, God wipes out Jerusalem’s every hope. The strength of all their young men and the dignity of all their young women have been brought to ruin. The indiscriminate slaughter has been like the fate of the grapes in the winepress—utterly crushed and transformed. “The weeping prophet” surveys the results he strove to prevent, but sees the faithfulness of God to Jeremiah’s words. We thank You, Lord, that You placed our judgment instead upon Jesus.