Category: Scripture

From the Holy Bible

Worship the King

On By vickleaIn Scripture, Song2 Comments

I am a little sad today because it is still so icy here in Virginia that it is dangerous to be out and about, especially if you are prone to fall as I am. So, no church today. In fact, our pastor made a video of the parking lot and it’s mostly a sheet of ice. He says that they are having the 11:00 service only (we usually have four services) and only those with four-wheel drive should plan to attend. So, I will be watching the streaming service online and I am thankful that is an option. With the ice and cold and snow and cold, I have been inside, missed appointments and not very cheerful these days. God reminded me this morning that He is still the same, in the cold and icy places, too. So, I am choosing to worship and hope that you will join me.

And a song from Chris Tomlin:

O Worship the King-Chris Tomlin

Have a blessed day and stay safe and warm!

Live God’s Word

On By vickleaIn ScriptureLeave a comment

The Living Word of God (Daily Refresh, 1-30-26)

One of the biggest misconceptions about the Bible is that it’s just another book.

In fact, many Christians treat Scripture as if it’s just a collection of ancient letters and books that inform us about God and religious matters.

While the Bible is certainly a collection of ancient documents, it is also much more than that. It is the very word of God. The Bible is inspired by God, which means He spoke through humans to create these letters and books.

More than that though, God’s Word is living and active. The Holy Spirit uses the Bible to speak to us even today. This is what makes Scripture distinct from any other book.

James tells us in James 1:22 that the power of Scripture doesn’t just come by hearing it, but by living it out.

Scripture has the power to radically change the way we live, but we must take the effort to first read it, and then do what it says.

James goes on to say in verses 23 and 24 that anyone who reads Scripture and doesn’t follow God’s way is only deceiving themselves. We think we are following God simply by reading His Word, but God desires that we live out the truths of Scripture in our own life.

This is what it means to follow God’s way rather than our own.

Take a moment to consider a few ways you can begin to live out the truths in Scripture. Spend some time in prayer asking God to reveal to you an area of your life that needs transformed by His Word. And then, resolve to not just hear God’s Word, but to do what He says as you follow after Him.

My Thoughts

When I read this devotional today, my mind automatically went to Hebrews 4:12 which says, “For the word of God is alive and active.” I must confess that in memorizing that verse, I generally overlooked this part and went on to the “Sharper than any double-edged sword” part. I think for years that I missed the importance of the first part of the verse. Why is God’s word alive and active? Two reasons come to mind. First, because it is inspired by the Holy Spirit and God speaks through the Spirit to each of us, if we are listening, of course. But the second reason is also a valid one, I think, that came to me as I was meditating this morning on the devotional. It’s alive because it lives in each of us. We walk it, talk it and live it. And through us, others who may never pick up a Bible get to see the “alive and active” word of God. When we do what the Bible says, we are showing all those around us the truth and the power that is in God’s word and that spurs us to live as “little Christs” or Christians. I hope this devotional encourages each of us to “do” the word so that we are demonstrating that Christ lives in us all the time, and not just on Sundays in church.

Only God

On By vickleaIn ScriptureLeave a comment

No One Else (Daily Refresh, 1-29-26)

Hannah desperately wanted a child, but she wasn’t able to conceive. Year after year, she was mocked, tormented, and left heartbroken because of her infertility. 

Have you ever known disappointment? Discouragement? Devastation?

Maybe you have desperately wanted something: a godly marriage, a healthy body, a thriving family, a hard-earned title, a close community, a restored relationship. Maybe you’ve looked around at everyone else’s seemingly full lives and wondered why your arms were empty. 

Eventually, after years of waiting, God answered Hannah’s prayer. And because of that, she was filled with wonder and worship, saying:

“No one is holy like the Lord! There is no one besides you; there is no Rock like our God.”
‭‭1 Samuel‬ ‭2‬:‭2‬ ‭NLT‬‬‬‬‬‬‬

Despite the excruciating years of longing and disappointment, Hannah knew there was no replacement for God. There’s no one else who’s able to create something from nothing. There’s no one else who holds the power of life.

There is no other Rock on which to build our faith. 

There’s no one else who sees the worst of us and loves us anyway. There’s no one else who has compassion for our deepest longings. There’s no one else who can be trusted with the most tender part of our dreams. There’s no one else who’s there to guide, teach, and comfort—when it feels like everyone else has left. 

There’s no one else who has the power to save.

Because God is holy, He is always good. Most of all, He is the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow. Rest assured, there is no one else who’s more worthy of your trust, your respect, and your heart.

My Thoughts

In the middle of the night, when the pain hits me in waves, there is no one else who can comfort and soothe me like the Lord. My husband is sleeping quietly beside me, unaware that once again, I am experimenting pain in my shoulder or foot. But God knows.

He also knows of all of the dreams I have had that have not been fulfilled. I don’t speak them to anyone, but I have told Him, and then I hold them close to my heart. I know that God knows and that is enough.

Disappointment is a part of everyone’s life. You don’t get the promotion, the recognition you deserve. You don’t feel welcome or wanted and sometimes not even loved. When you are feeling all alone and desperate for a friend, God is right there, holding out His hand and welcoming you into His comforting arms.

I like to sit in God’s presence when I am feeling overwhelmed. The problems don’t always just disappear, but they do seem smaller and more manageable. The peace He promises is there for us. God always makes a difference, and we are never alone when we worship and serve the One True God.

Creator of All

On By vickleaIn Scripture4 Comments

Out of This World (Daily Refresh, 1-26-26)

For thousands of years, people have gathered around campfires and peered into the night’s sky, studying the stars. 

Now, thanks to telescopes and satellites and advances in modern technology, we’ve uncovered more about God’s celestial creation than ever before: diverse planets, interstellar dust, mysterious black holes, and billions of other galaxies. 

What we’ve discovered, however, is not new to God. It’s the very same heavens and the very same earth that He spoke into existence at the very beginning of time. And though we’ve only scratched the surface on what’s still to be discovered, the vastness of the heavens and the brilliance of its design beckons both humility and worship. 

In Psalm 8, David wrote: 

“When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is mankind that you are mindful of them, human beings that you care for them?” ‭‭
Psalm ‭8:3-4‬ ‭NIV‬‬

The same God who hung the sun, moon, and stars in the sky also created us. He created you. It’s mystifying to think that He considers us His prized creations. 

Like David, this should humble us and compel us to worship.

Who are we, after all, to be loved, chosen, and redeemed—especially when we don’t deserve it? Who are we, when we consider the magnificence of our Creator, to be made in His image? Who are we that God is mindful of us? Who are we that He cares for the details of our lives?

We are His people. His children. We belong to Him.

So today, let’s trust in our creative, compassionate, and loving God. He is where we’ll put our confidence. He is where we’ll put our hope.

My Thoughts

The scientists and aerospace engineers have celebrations when they “discover” a new planet or star. I can only imagine what God is thinking as He looks down on mankind with all of their instruments and knowledge and is probably thinking, “It was there since I created it at the beginning.” God is not amazed by man’s discoveries, but we often are.

What we should be in awe over is God’s infinite capacity to create new things, like us, in exactly the way we work best. The stars twinkle in the night sky because that is their purpose in God’s universe. The sun lights the day, the moon brightens the night. And we have a purpose, too. I think our purpose on earth is to find the reason God created us and then run after that goal with all of our hearts. Some are created to be teachers (like me), others explorers, scientists, mathematicians, historians, etc. Whatever we were created to be, we all have one thing in common. We were all created by our loving Father in Heaven and He desires a relationship with us. His love is unfathomable and indescribable. It is always there, even when we aren’t looking for it. Just like the stars are still there in the daytime but invisible to our eyes, God is there, watching over us and applauding us when we make right choices while He corrects us and guides us for the wrong ones.

Yes, I am in awe of the universe that God has created, but more than that, I stand in absolute, open-mouthed wonder at a God who loves so deeply and completely that He made me to be just the one He wants me to be. And you know what? He made you, too!

Seeking While You Wait

On By vickleaIn Scripture1 Comment

Seeking Hope in the Midst of Sorrow (Daily Refresh, 1-24-26)

Lamentations is a book of sorrow, written in the aftermath of Jerusalem’s destruction. The city lay in ruins. Grief covered the people like dust. But right in the middle of this lament, something remarkable happens: a word of hope.

“The Lord is good to those whose hope is in him, to the one who seeks him.”
Lamentations 3:25 NIV

Jeremiah, who scholars believe is the likely author of Lamentations, writes this verse not because everything was good, but because he knew God is good, even when life is not. This kind of hope is a deliberate choice to seek God’s presence when things seem dark. It’s trusting in His character when circumstances don’t make sense.

The verse highlights two actions: hoping and seeking. Hope in God fixes our eyes forward, on what He will do. Seeking Him draws us inward into relationship with the God who is already near.

Verse 26 continues the theme: “It is good to wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord.” The Hebrew word for “wait” here is “yachal,” which carries the idea of hopeful expectation. It’s not a passive sitting still—it’s an active, trusting posture of the heart. In this context, waiting isn’t doing nothing; it’s doing the hard, soul-level work of trusting in God’s timing even when answers feel delayed.

Waiting means continuing to pray, to obey, and to believe, even in silence or sorrow, because we know the Lord’s salvation is worth the wait. Just as a farmer waits for the harvest after faithfully sowing seed, so we wait with purpose, believing God will bring restoration in His perfect time.

In his waiting, Jeremiah didn’t deny the pain. He brought his pain to God. And in that place of honest dependence, he reminded himself—and now us—that God is still good, still faithful, and still worth seeking.

My Thoughts

The devotional today made me pause and take a hard look at how I am waiting for God’s answer. My response is an honest, “not too well.” I have been impatient, demanding and outright rebellious at times as I wait for God to answer my prayers for relief from the pain in my shoulder. God is always patient, always waiting for me to quiet my heart and then listen. And when I finally did this morning, His words to me were that He is right there, walking through this time with me. He has provided caregivers, a doctor, a physical therapist and a spouse an a granddaughter who show me how much they want me to get better. They are mirroring God to me. So, I continue to pray and believe, knowing that God is always faithful and always worth seeking. It is in the seeking that I find the hope that I thought I had lost.

Strong Tower

On By vickleaIn Scripture6 Comments

God’s name is our strong tower. We call on it when we are in trouble and He hears us and rescues us. He has already saved us from our sins and daily offers us grace and mercy. We are always safe with Him. Sometimes, we have to wait for an answer, but in the waiting, we find the power of God sustaining us and holding onto us as His beloved children.

The other big thing I got from my Bible verse this morning is that if we are trying to be more like God (as all of us should aspire to do), then we will act as a refuge for others who need a shoulder to cry on, someone to listen and encourage, someone to pray with them. I don’t want to offer meaningless advice as Job’s friends did. I would rather sit silently with the person in anguish and tell them that I don’t have all the answers, but I know Someone who does. Being the person who is there for others is reflecting the character of God to them, and I want to be more like the Lord in all I do and say. God’s being a strong tower to me means that I can be strong for others. Even when I am not feeling strong or particularly wise, I can still be a presence in their lives, just showing up and letting them know that they do indeed have a friend to turn to.

We always have a friend in God. He is the One who sustains us in the hard times and walks with us through all of the valleys. And when the going is particularly rough, He is our strong tower, right there beside us, cheering us on and letting us know that His love never ends. That’s what God is to me and what I desire to be for others.

Extend Mercy

On By vickleaIn Scripture5 Comments

Undeserved Mercies (Daily Refresh, 1-20-26)

When someone hurts you or, worse, hurts somebody that you love, revenge can seem appealing. After all…

They were mean.
They were selfish.
They talked behind your back.
They broke a vital promise.
They lied about you.
They criticized you.
They ignored you.
They did the unthinkable.
They walked away.

They deserve to be punished, right? To feel some of that same pain? They deserve a consequence that will not only help them learn, but will be just as severe as the inflicted wounds.

And yet—because God sees things differently, both His standards and tactics can be surprising. And that’s why the apostle Paul, writing to the believers in Thessaloniki, said:

“See that no one pays back evil for evil, but always try to do good to each other and to all people.”
‭‭1 Thessalonians‬ ‭5:15‬ ‭NLT‬‬‬‬‬‬

Paul’s words sound a lot like Jesus’ words—to love your neighbor as yourself; to do to others what you’d like them to do to you. (See: Matthew 22:38-40)

God’s ways might not always be easy, but they can always be trusted. 

When we choose unforgiveness, hate and anxiety and bitterness will likely take root. But when we choose forgiveness (even though we might need to consider new boundaries), love and peace and reconciliation can flourish.

So, what about you? Have you ever been mean? Have you been selfish? Talked behind someone’s back? Broke a vital promise? Lied, criticized, ignored, or done the unthinkable? Have you ever decided to give up and walk away?

In our unique-to-us ways, we’ve all let someone down. We’ve disregarded God’s instructions and, instead, created our own instructions. We’ve messed up.

We deserve God’s wrath but, instead, He’s offered us His unconditional love. 

Because of Jesus’ ultimate sacrifice, we didn’t get what we deserve. And even while hanging on that cross, breathing His last earthly breaths, He cried out, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” (Luke 23:34)

Jesus repaid our evil with extreme mercy, leaving us free to conquer evil with good. So today, let’s honor His sacrifice by treating others the way He treated us.

My Thoughts

None of us deserves God’s mercy, but He gives it to us daily anyway, every time we mess up. He continues to reach out with love. So, who are we to choose to judge others and act out with vengeful behavior? Will that change that person’s actions? No, but it may create a vicious cycle of “getting the last laugh” and bitterness. Is that how you want to live, sowing seeds of discord all along your path in life? How about being like Jesus and start with mercy, compassion and understanding? That person may never change and may always be a burr under your saddle, but you can rest in God’s love, knowing that you chose to do right, to reach out and to forgive. Our victory is not in how many “gotchas” we accomplish daily but in how often we show the love of Jesus to others, especially those who mistreat or abuse us.