In the book of Isaiah

“The Lord will rise up as he did at Mount Perazim,
he will rouse himself as in the Valley of Gibeon—
to do his work, his strange work,
and perform his task, his alien task.
Now stop your mocking,
or your chains will become heavier;
the Lord, the Lord Almighty, has told me
of the destruction decreed against the whole land.
Listen and hear my voice;
pay attention and hear what I say.
When a farmer plows for planting, does he plow continually?
Does he keep on breaking up and working the soil?
When he has leveled the surface,
does he not sow caraway and scatter cumin?
Does he not plant wheat in its place,
barley in its plot,
and spelt in its field?
His God instructs him
and teaches him the right way.
Caraway is not threshed with a sledge,
nor is the wheel of a cart rolled over cumin;
caraway is beaten out with a rod,
and cumin with a stick.
Grain must be ground to make bread;
so one does not go on threshing it forever.
The wheels of a threshing cart may be rolled over it,
but one does not use horses to grind grain.
All this also comes from the Lord Almighty,
whose plan is wonderful,
whose wisdom is magnificent.

ISAIAH 28:21-29

Chip’s Brush on the Shoulder

A Year Ago, Today:

Sitting at the train station,
the woman behind me asks a friend

“How far is Christopher from here?”

Just as she said, “Christopher,”
her friend’s jacket brushed across my shoulder. …

my name is, “Christopher”!

Sitting at the train station,
the woman behind me asks a friend

How far is Christopher from here?”

Just as she said, “Christopher,”
her friend’s jacket brushed across my shoulder. …

my name is, “Christopher”!

Chip

Trials and Temptations

“Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life…”


A Daily Bible Study of THE BOOK OF JAMES


Friday, November 1, 2024

JAMES 1:2-8

Trials and Temptations


Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, 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.

If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.

But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind.

That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord.

Such a person is double-minded and unstable in all they do.