After explaining what two greatest commandments are, the rest of the Bible is mainly wisdom on how we can effectively love.
“Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.” Jesus Conversations Within” ts Aug 6, 2026
Pursue a life of loving and serving others, and you will never need a backup plan. Here is a dream worth chasing, and one that brings perfect satisfaction. Love is its own reward and the wholeness it brings will follow us forever.
“Pursue love.” 1Cor.
This morning the world population clock said that there are 8,308,660,528 souls on earth. That’s a lot of people to love. To say that it is not difficult for God to love every single one of us does not diminish in the least the far reaching power and intensity of that love. The only true measure of His love is the sacrifice He made in Jesus to ransom us from death and hell on the cross.
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. Jo.3.16 Conversations Within” ts Aug 4, 2026
So what does God want to be for me at this moment? Well, for one thing He invites us to join Him in it, and experience it through His wisdom and grace. He wakes us to life. There is a promise for every single thing we need every single moment of each day.
“He has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature,
Want to make a difference? Then make a difference that brings real benefit to others. Do not waste precious energy, on politics, for show or to look authentic. If you have to label it for others, it is probably empty. Most people know real goodness when they see it in action.
“Be careful not to practice your righteousness in front of others to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven.” Jesus Conversations Within” ts Aug 1, 2026
Do not interpret the Scriptures in one passage in such a manner that your understanding contradicts the Scriptures in another passage. Truth is consistently true.
“The sum of your word is truth, and every one of your righteous rules endures forever.” Ps.
If any request is worth asking from God, it is worth asking boldly.
The centurion who came to Jesus on behalf of a sick servant was humble, as all faith should be, but his faith was also bold. All faith should be bold. After all, our confidence is not in our faith, but in the generosity and wisdom of the person we put our faith in. Away with mealy mouthed prayers.
“But the centurion replied, "Lord, I am not worthy to have you come under my roof, but only say the word, and my servant will be healed.” Mt.8 Conversations Within” ts Jul 30, 2026
I pray for a contagious faith as I hope for what is promised. I hope for so many things, not in the sense of wishing they would happen, but in the sense of expecting something that I know is coming. The Heaven I hope for is solid as the promises that Jesus makes to all who trust Him.
"Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have."
Lord help me never discount Your part in everything that concerns my life. I love You because you first loved me. I will hold to You till the end, because You will never relax Your hold on me. Perfect what You initiated in grace, and in the covenant You made with Your son Jesus before the world was made.
“The LORD will accomplish what concerns me; Your lovingkindness, O LORD, is everlasting; Do not forsake the works of Your hands.” Ps.138 Conversations Within” ts Jul 29, 2026
Thank God for this precious privilege. I may not have a choice about the hardships that come my way, but I can choose my response to them. I can choose joy, joy in knowing that God uses such to make me a better person, to deepen the presence of Jesus in me.
“Consider it pure joy… whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. “ James 1 Conversations Within” ts Jul 27, 2026
I like decisions that are final. How precious and peaceful is a good decision, one you do not need to re-visist and rehash simply because you know it was the right one. Make your decisions, not based only on desire, or feelings, but on what you know is good, right and true.
“Follow me.” Jesus Conversations Within” ts
It pays to give thought, not just to how we walk, but where we walk. Wisdom teaches us, “Blessed is the one who does not walk in step with the wicked or stand in the way that sinners take or sit in the company of mockers.” Jesus ate with sinners to share His worldview not adopt theirs.
“A prudent man gives thought to his steps.” Prov.14 Conversations Within” ts Jul 23, 2026
When it comes down to it, I must take responsibility for myself. Blaming God asking, “Why did you make me this way?” will not mount an adequate defense when He wants to know why I dropped the ball. God will forgive a foolish decision that cost me my arm, but I doubt He will grow me a new one.
“A person’s own
The other day we hiked the Bristlecone forest where the trees are over 4000 years old. One reason to explain their longevity is because the harsh conditions at 10,000 ft with high wind and snow have deepened their roots and made them strong. Adversity can be sweet or sour depending on how we respond to it.
“Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face
But we object, “Jesus lived in the will of God and look what happened to Him, He was crucified. ” The God of all creation answers, “Yes, look at Him resurrected, seated at my right hand.” Even a child understands what it means to have ultimate victory.
“The Lord will keep you from all harm—he will watch over your life; the Lord will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore." Ps.
I have never known a day of hunger. Abundance surrounds me every day. As God is gracious to me, let me be gracious with all that He has entrusted
“Honor the LORD with your wealth, with the firstfruits of all your crops; then your barns will be filled to overflowing, and your vats will brim over with new wine.” Conversations Within” ts Jul 19, 2026
Once we share our judgments about others, we can never take them back, which means we may affect the judgments that others have of us. We all make judgments and they are necessary to live wisely. “A wise man once said, “nothing.” Keep your judgments to yourself.
“Judge not, that you be not judged." Jesus
I read a post that said “Life is hard, make it harder and buy a boat.” It is common knowledge that God uses hard times to nurture in us the character of a mature inner life. Plug away with an enduring attitude. Learn to enjoy and appreciate the process that develops spiritual health and vitality.
“Consider it pure joy… whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.” James 1 Conversations Within” Jul 17, 2026 ts
When God lays His hand upon His children, it is always a loving hand. This is true as much for His hand of discipline as it is for the hand of encouragement or help or comfort. God offers us many hands. I wonder if there is any hand more precious than His healing hand. Of course healing hands sometimes have a scalpel in them.
“You hem me in, behind and before, and lay your hand upon me.” Ps.139 ESV Conversations Within” ts 7/16/26 REPOST from 2/6/
Love, which is so much more than a feeling, is proactive action. Love looks for ways to express goodness toward others. I am blessed to know people who love this way, always one step ahead, always looking to find a way to serve. Is there any better life?
“Love does
Stress can certainly cause fatigue. Alleviating it may sometimes involve lessening the load we carry each day. When this is not possible, we can adjust the way we think about our daily duties. If something has to be done, it has to be done, but this does not mean that we should allow it to do us in.
“The mind governed by the flesh is death, but the mind governed by the Spirit is life and
Jesus told us to pray for daily bread because it is the only kind of bread He offers. Life comes to us a moment at a time, and God promises to provide for it. He invites us to sit down and gratefully eat at His table.
"He humbled you, causing you to hunger and then feeding you with manna... to teach you that man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of the LORD"
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I do not like driving in heavy traffic. In fact, I get physically sick if I am required to do it for very long, even as a passenger. Now, I believe that calmness can be the natural state of the soul. But, what does one do if i have to drive to work in terrible traffic every day. I can acknowledge the value of fight or flight mode and still do this.
“Casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.” 1Pt.5 Conversations Within” ts 7/10/
There are people who have lived long lives without following Van Dyke's positive disposition and example. Of course
“All the days of the oppressed are miserable, but a cheerful heart has a continual feast.” Prov.15 Conversations Within” ts 7/10/26
God's knowledge is absolute. He knows everything that is uncertain to us, but His knowledge of everything is perfect and certain. There is no future possible happening that is unknown to Him and that is not ordered by His sovereignty. Coupled with the knowledge that God is love, is to find that greatest security.
“...and if a tree falls to the south or to the north, in the place where the tree falls, there it will lie.” Ecc.11 Conversations Within” ts 7/8/26
Jesus told us to pray for daily bread. Some things need repeating everyday to affect the goodness that God intends. In truth I need to remind myself every hour to keep in step with the Spirit. My feet stray off the path so easily. The
“You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in you.” Isaiah 26:3 Conversations Within” ts 7/8/26
I wake up some mornings feeling really dumb about some of the stuff I do, and more often than I should. There are many things I do not like about myself, I am acquiring a new taste for how I want to live life. Thank you Lord Jesus, “The page is still turning. The ink isn’t dry.”
“Whoever loves discipline loves knowledge, but he who hates reproof is stupid.”
I have unanswered questions, but can truthfully say that most if not all of them do not stress me. I ask for daily bread each day, and when God chooses not to explain certain things to me, I take it that what I don’t understand I do not need in my present circumstances.
“Give us this
I want to be grateful to You Lord. This is how I want to experience each day. When I eat, or drink, work, or play, grant in me a sincere appreciation for what You put on my plate, so that a grateful heart will govern every experience I share with You.
“Only
Grace and grace alone defines my standing before God. I merit nothing, because any good I do is also due to His grace working in me. My sins are ever before me, but so too are His daily expressions of grace.
"For it is by grace you have been saved, through
Admitting I have tendencies toward overthinking a problem, is a good first step toward changing it. “Just do it” is more than a slogan. Wisdom is understanding but action matters most! Sometimes you just got to go for it.
“Free yourself, like a gazelle from the hand of the hunter, like a bird from the snare of the fowler.” Prov.6 Conversations Within” ts 6/29/
Vanity has many expressions, all of them empty of value. The buzz words of our day: unique, authentic, open minded, etc, often echo back the hollow sound of pride. Admit it, some people try to look cool, others are cool. Some people try to look Christlike, others are Christlike. We must each discover Christ within, before others will authentically see Christ without.
“Love does not boast or brag.” 1Cor.
The quiet life begins in the quiet soul, and the soul is made quiet in the satisfaction of all that God is for us in the present moment. Come to the quiet. Cop a squat on the green grass of reflection, and lay down in the stillness of His leading.
“Make it your ambition to lead a quiet life…” 1Thess.4
I recently saw a post showing a man standing on Mt. Everest holding a marine fossil in his hand stating that the mountain was once at the bottom of the sea. My first thought was, just like the Good Book said, recording the story of Noah’s flood, “And the waters prevailed so mightily on the earth that all the high mountains under the whole heaven were covered.”
“The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God will stand forever.” Is.40 Conversations Within” ts 6/
I am grateful that pain accompanies bad decisions. This is the grace of God teaching us to abandon choices that are not good for us. Wisdom teaches us to walk by streets that have brought us no joy and rewards us when we turn down streets that do.
“The fear of the
When God’s garden needs tending, often it is our prayers that become His tools. There are a number of stories in the Bible where God looked for His people to intercede for others, but sadly He did not find anyone. If you feel the urge to pray for someone, you may be the only person who does.
“I looked for someone among
In light of the fact that many in the United States do not believe in the God of Jesus, I celebrate that I have freedom to do so. The US did not grant me this freedom. The God of Christ did. I respect the right of others to not believe simply because the God of Jesus does. He knows that love cannot exist without this freedom. Here is the only path to a
“Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD; and the people whom he hath chosen for his own inheritance.” Ps.33.12 Conversations Within” ts 7/3/26
Jack Sparrow's compass always pointed to what he wanted most. I think it is important to know not only what brings us joy, but lasting, even eternal joy. According to Jesus, His joy springs from sitting at His Father’s right hand, living for His pleasure. Living in the favor of God, sounds good enough to me.
“Fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” Heb.12
