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Turbine

Il vostro cuore non sia turbato; credete in Dio, credete anche in me! Giovanni 14:1   Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me. John 14:1, NIV I love the way languages deepen my understanding of the Word of God.  To English speakers, the Italian word turbato may sound familiar. It springs from the Latin root turbinem, and from it we derive English words such as turmoil, disturb,… Read More

Examine Me

Examine me, O LORD, and test me. Evaluate my inner thoughts and motives. Psalm 26:2 Wow! Both the word examine and the word evaluate are words used in refining and purifying metals.  בָּחַן ḇâḥan, examine, means to investigate, prove, examine, test, try (of gold, persons, the heart, man of God); to make a trial.   צָרַף ṣârap̱, evaluate, means to purge away, pure, melt, founder, goldsmith, refine, fuse. To cast.To test (and prove true). Olive… Read More

Slave Girl

  Now as we were going to the place of prayer, a slave girl met us who had a spirit that enabled her to foretell the future by supernatural means. She brought her owners a great profit by fortune-telling. She followed behind Paul and us and kept crying out, “These men are servants of the Most High God, who are proclaiming to you the way of salvation.” She continued to do this for many days.… Read More

The First Scribe

  He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation, for all things in heaven and on earth were created in him—all things, whether visible or invisible, whether thrones or dominions, whether principalities or powers—all things were created through him and for him. He himself is before all things and all things are held together in him. Colossians 1:15-17   The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the… Read More

When God is not Silent

But he gives greater grace. Therefore it says, "God opposes the proud, but he gives grace to the humble." So submit to God. But resist the devil and he will flee from you. Draw near to God and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and make your hearts pure, you double-minded. Grieve, mourn, and weep. Turn your laughter into mourning and your joy into despair. Humble yourselves before the Lord… Read More

Light

It was now about the sixth hour, and there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour, while the sun's light failed. And the curtain of the temple was torn in two. Then Jesus, calling out with a loud voice, said, "Father, into your hands I commit my spirit!" And having said this he breathed his last. Luke 23:44-46, ESVUK   Now after the Sabbath, at dawn on the first day of the… Read More

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was fully God. The Word was with God in the beginning. All things were created by him, and apart from him not one thing was created that has been created. In him was life, and the life was the light of mankind. And the light shines on in the darkness, but the darkness has not mastered it. John 1:1-5  … Read More

Entrust

Into your hand I entrust my life; you will rescue me, O LORD, the faithful God. Psalm 31:5   So then let those who suffer according to the will of God entrust their souls to a faithful Creator as they do good. 1 Peter 4:19, NET Entrust your life; entrust your soul. The Psalmist is in great distress and needs rescue. He chooses to entrust his threatened life to the Lord, the faithful God. Many… Read More

The Great Unexplained

Now Dinah, Leah’s daughter whom she bore to Jacob, went to meet the young women of the land.  Genesis 34:1 Here is the first and last time we see Dinah happy and whole. Dinah means judgment. She was the daughter born after her shamed mother, Leah, gave birth to honor (the meaning of Zebulun, the sixth son Leah bore to Jacob). Dinah, now a young woman, left that morning set on finding friendship. Instead, she… Read More

So Attached

Now Sarai, Abram’s wife, had not given birth to any children, but she had an Egyptian servant named Hagar. So Sarai said to Abram, “Since the LORD has prevented me from having children, please sleep with my servant. Perhaps I can have a family by her.” Abram did what Sarai told him. Genesis 16:1-5 Can we be so attached to God’s promises and the way we interpret their meaning that we try to make them… Read More