Reading the Bible; February 1, 2026

Posted on February 2, 2026 by jgarrott

Psalm 119:130 The unfolding of your words gives light;
    it gives understanding to the simple.

Where English translations generally say “unfolding,” the Japanese here says, “the door opens.” Either way, it’s an image of discovery. However, I like the Japanese, because in my experience, the more I get into the Word, the more doors present themselves, and each one opens to treasures. God’s Word is indeed a treasure house! Reading the Bible casually isn’t necessarily a waste, but it certainly has that potential. We need to have the expectation of doors opening, of understanding flooding in where things seemed murky before. The image of light here is important. This kind of light is applicable even to the physically blind! When things are dark, we tend to run into obstacles and even hurt ourselves, but God’s truth illuminates things and we understand where and how we are to go. That’s the same image as one of the most famous verses in this longest Psalm, 105: “Your Word is a lamp to my feet and a light on my path.” Any time we read or hear the Bible, we need to consider how it applies to our situation, our circumstances. Only then will we receive the light that God has provided for us, and walk in His blessings.

As I have written many times, I have a very high level of familiarity with the Bible, but that doesn’t keep me from having fresh discoveries at a fairly high rate. That’s why I read it every morning! God can and does use even very familiar passages to speak to me in specific situations. His light is essential to me, and I must never forget it. The more of His Word I have in me, the easier it is for the Holy Spirit to bring it to mind at just the right moment. I’ve experienced that more times than I could count! I am to share the Word with those around me, but always in humility and love. I am not to look down on anyone because they aren’t as familiar with the Bible as I am. As has been said, sharing God’s truth is like one beggar telling another beggar where to find bread. I am gifted and called as a teacher, and I must exercise that with all gratitude and faithfulness.

Father, thank You for this reminder. Thank You for opening Your Word to me morning by morning. May I indeed take Your Word in and make it part of me, applying it fully under the guidance of Your Spirit, so that it may be fulfilled in and through me for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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Hearing God; January 31, 2026

Posted on February 1, 2026 by jgarrott

Psalm 119:125 I am your servant; give me discernment
    that I may understand your statutes.

Human beings being what they are, we need God’s help before we can even know what He’s saying to us. You can pour your heart out to your pet, and at the most, they will understand that you’re upset. Some pets are amazingly empathetic, but that doesn’t mean that they actually understand what you’re saying. Some dogs can acquire a vocabulary (heard, not spoken) of a few hundred words, but that is exceptional. The difference between us and God is far greater than that! Once again the Japanese here uses satori, enlightenment. In Buddhism, that’s seen as the end point, the goal, but in Biblical faith, it’s the start line! One very important point in this verse is that it starts with a commitment to obedience. We are God’s children, but we are also His servants, and the moment we forget that, we open ourselves up to all sorts of temptations. We need to have the commitment that however we feel, we’re going to obey God. We’re back to Jesus’ parable of the two men, one building his house on bedrock and the other building his house on sand, told in Matthew 7 and Luke 6. It’s just as James said: failing to follow through with what we hear from God is just deceiving ourselves. (James 1:22) When you think about it, it’s actually amazing that the infinite Creator of the universe would enable His creatures to hear and understand Him at all, but that’s just how God is. He is infinitely gracious and loving, but He does require response, commitment, from us. If we indeed commit ourselves to serve Him in all humility and gratitude, then He will enlighten our hearts to hear and understand Him more and more, and the end result will be glorious indeed.

This is something the Lord has been repeating to me ever since we got on this theme of Training Disciples. I indeed want to be Jesus’ disciple, so I’ve got to be committed to total obedience. It has come out repeatedly that I sometimes come across as angry, and that can, and does, hurt people deeply, driving them away from me and from this church. As my wife pointed out to me this morning, my increasing hearing issues contribute to that, when I fail to understand what’s being said to me. God’s not the only one I need to listen to accurately! I purchased some hearing aids, but have had some real issues getting used to them. I’ve got to try them again, not giving up but working with them so that I will be able to fit into society as an accurate representative of my loving Lord, and not just a grumpy old man.

Father, thank You for this clear Word. I ask for patience and skill in figuring out how to make the best use of those hearing aids. There are many issues, but none outweigh the need to relate to people as Your agent, without giving them a distorted picture of who You are and what You’re like. I have long said that hearing You was most important, but it’s important that I hear and respond accurately to the people around me as well. Thank You. Praise God!

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Guidance; January 30, 2026

Posted on January 31, 2026 by jgarrott

Psalm 119:105 Your word is a lamp for my feet,
    a light on my path.

This verse is familiar to the point of burnout. We sing it to four different musical arrangements, and probably even the most casual believer in this church has it memorized. Even so, it’s a vitally important truth. We need to know where to take the next step in our lives, and often we have little to no idea where or how to go. I’m reminded of the opening to Robert Lewis Stevenson’s Treasure Island, where the hero is sent on an errand that the person sending him thinks will be the death of him, but a flash of lightning lets him see that the next step would be fatal, and he turns around. Our lives are seldom that dramatic, but they can certainly be that consequential. We need the reliable stability of the Bible as a guide, or we are all too likely to take disastrous steps. I don’t think it would be possible to overstate the importance of regular Bible reading for a successful Christian life. It is incomprehensible to me how many professed Christians seldom if ever open their Bibles. Now, with projectors and the like, they don’t even do so in church, since the pastor’s message notes are shown on the screen. This isn’t to say that electronic methods of reading the Bible are bad, but rather that making it all so passive isn’t a good idea. The Bible is more accessible, at least in the US, than it ever has been before in history, but the irony is that we therefore take it lightly. I have always liked the question my seminary professor grandfather asked his students: “How big is your Bible?” He wasn’t talking about printed matter, but how much was stored up in their hearts. The Bible doesn’t give us the light we need until we take it in and make it part of us. Only then can we be assured of right and wrong, of left and right, and choose our course correctly.

Growing up, my home was steeped in the Bible, and I read it through for the first time by the time I was 10. However, making it part of me was a different matter. I knew the facts, I just hadn’t appropriated them fully as applying to me. That resulted in some poor choices, and an inordinate amount of stupid pride, but God was merciful and gracious to me. I didn’t develop a consistent habit of daily devotions until after the Lord gave me a glimpse of my own heart, at 24, and I collapsed in tearful repentance. I can’t say the road has always been easy since then, but I haven’t taken any disastrous steps. I have no idea how long the road will be from here, since I’m 77, but I know that it will be illuminated by God’s Word, Who is Christ Jesus my Lord. (John 1:1) In Him, I have nothing to be anxious about.

Father, thank You for this powerful reminder. Thank You for the things You’ve been showing me recently. Help me follow through, faithfully saying and doing what You indicate, so that Your purposes may be fulfilled in every part of my life, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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Wisdom; January 29, 2026

Posted on January 30, 2026 by jgarrott

Psalm 119:104 I gain understanding from your precepts;
    therefore I hate every wrong path.

The majority of this section made me think, “Conceited, much?” However, the focus is indeed on the reality that it is listening to God that gives us true wisdom and understanding. At the same time, there is the risk of feeling that “I listen to God and they don’t.” That too can be conceit! Humility is always called for, but at the same time, we need to rest in the assurance of what God has shown us. Martin Luther’s “Here I stand. I can do no other,” is a good example of that. God is the Source of all true wisdom, so submission to Him is the way to have wisdom manifested in your own life, as the Bible says in numerous places. Right now there is a shocking amount of hatred being demonstrated in America, and much of it seems totally irrational. We need to remember that it is the devil who loves lies, division, and conflict, and so choose to submit to God and resist the devil. (James 4:7) All human wisdom is insignificant, compared to God’s, anyway!

I’m sensitive to conceit because I wallowed in it for so long! I have learned the hard way that there are distinctions among intelligence, knowledge, and wisdom, and wisdom is to be prized above all. Proverbs 9:1 gets it right: “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.” I delight to pile up knowledge, and the Lord blessed me with a high IQ, but nothing compares to knowing my Lord and relating rightly to Him. As the Lord has made clear to me, He’s smart and I’m not! I relate constantly with people all over the map when it comes to intelligence and knowledge, but I’m never to take a stance of pride with any of them. I am to be grateful for God’s grace toward me and speak the truth to them in love, seeking to guide them into a relationship with our Creator that will give them the wisdom they need, quite apart from every other factor. I need to remember Jesus’ words, that are rather scary to me: “From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked.” (Luke 12:48)

Father, thank You for this Word. Thank You for the wisdom You do give. May I make proper use of it, without taking pride in it, so that I may be a useful instrument in Your hands in every situation, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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Knowing God; January 28, 2026

Posted on January 29, 2026 by jgarrott

Psalm 119:71 It was good for me to be afflicted
    so that I might learn your decrees.

At first glance, this verse might seem to be downright masochistic, particularly in the Japanese translation, but that’s not it at all. It’s all a matter of priorities. The Psalmist places knowing and obeying God’s will above everything else, so anything he goes through that accomplishes that end is happiness for him. To be honest, I think very few people genuinely have that attitude! I personally would modify it a little bit, changing “know Your commandments” to “knowing You.” Knowing God is indeed the highest good, because I can’t imagine genuinely knowing Him without loving and obeying Him. There was a song in my youth that said, “To know, know, know him is to love, love, love him, and I do.” That was of course talking about romantic love, but when applied to God, it is spot on. The thing is, knowing God is not the same thing as knowing about God. Far too many people know facts about God without ever entering into a personal relationship with Him. It is when we welcome Him into our heart, our soul, as Lord that He reveals Himself to us in all His grace and love and magnificence, and that is absolutely captivating. Nothing on this earth can compare to that!

I was a textbook case of someone who knew a lot about God, all the while having only a very shallow relationship with Him. It was only through some very painful confrontations with my own fallenness that I really came to know Him, so in that sense I can really identify with this verse. At this point in my life, I certainly agree with the song that says, “The longer I serve Him, the sweeter He grows.” At this point, I want everyone to know what a perfect Father He is, desiring the very best for us but not spoiling us. After all, since He couldn’t just excuse sin, being absolutely pure and holy Himself, He sent His Son to die for us, taking the penalty for our sin on Himself. That fact is widely known, but until we apply it to our own personal sin, it doesn’t sink in. I want others to know God as I do, and at the same time, I want to know Him more and more deeply, to be more and more obedient to Him, for His pleasure and glory.

Father, thank You for this reminder. Thank You for the privilege of sharing the good news of Your love and grace with others. I pray that I would do that more and more effectively, so that more and more people would repent of their sins, repent of turning their backs on You, and believe in Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior, for their salvation and Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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Desiring to Learn; January 27, 2026

Posted on January 28, 2026 by jgarrott

Psalm 119:64 The earth is filled with your love, Lord;
    teach me your decrees.

God always stands ready to teach us, but we have to be willing to be taught. Again I am reminded of my students over 40+ years of school teaching. Some were eager to learn, and were a delight. Some were rebellions and resentful, and caused real problems, and some were simply indifferent, enduring class because they had to. Sadly, that last category might have been the biggest. I think people tend to fall into the same categories in relation to God. Those who are hungry to know more of Him learn quickly, anchoring their faith in Him and persevering regardless of the circumstances. Those who are set on doing their own thing make all sorts of trouble, especially for themselves, and sadly, often for a lot of people around them. And then there are the run-of-the-mill people, who believe in a general sort of way that God exists, but they neither seek after Him nor rebel against him. One of my seminary professors, Dr. Cal Guy, was deeply committed to evangelism and missions, and he said those were the hardest to deal with. Rebellious people at least care about God! He told the story of when he was a pastor, going door-to-door to invite people to his church, and one man spat in his face, and it wasn’t just saliva. A few years down the line, that man became an elder in his church! The writer of Psalm 119 was obviously someone who cared deeply about God and His Word, and as such, is a good example for us. We too need to desire, and ask, God to teach us all that we need to know to serve Him, to be children who warm His Father-heart, bringing Him glory.

As I have written many times, I grew up in a home where faith was a given, and I don’t think I ever doubted the reality of God. At the same time, I don’t think I always, or even particularly, understood how He cares about, and relates to, my everyday life. Over the years He has deepened my understanding, and with it, my love and gratitude toward Him. As I was starting to write this morning, I felt the Lord showing me that how people relate to me is a reflection of how they relate to Him. After all, Jesus said, “Remember what I told you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also. If they obeyed my teaching, they will obey yours also.” (John 15:20) I am never to think that I am Jesus, or that I do everything perfectly, but at the same time I should remember that I represent Jesus to a lot of people. When they react to me, it’s not necessarily me they’re reacting to. I am always to speak the truth in love, but never compromise out of a fear of someone’s reaction. I’ve got to keep watch over my own commitment and obedience, and leave the results to God. Some people will indeed learn from my example, and turn to Him.

Father, thank You for this calming, encouraging Word. May I seek You with my whole heart, loving You and loving my neighbor and allowing Your Holy Spirit to work through me toward those around me, for their blessing and Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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Enlightenment; January 26, 2026

Posted on January 27, 2026 by jgarrott

Psalm 32:8 I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go;
    I will counsel you with my loving eye on you.

Sometimes in David’s Psalms the speaker switches, and I think that is the case here. To me, this is clearly the Lord, speaking to David and to us. This and the next verse follow very logically what David has been saying up to this point, if you look at them that way. This assurance of God’s guidance, His instruction, is very comforting for anyone who wants to live their life right, to the fullest. Interestingly, the Japanese says, “teach you and enlighten you,” using the same term the Buddhists use for their goal in life. The problem with Buddhism is that it is based on human effort, and has no concept of a Savior. We do need to be enlightened, but we can’t achieve that by our own effort. However, God in His mercy reveals Himself to those whose hearts are tender before Him. That is satori, enlightenment! As Paul so rightly proclaimed, “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast.” (Ephesians 2:8-9) It is only by trusting in the God who created us that we can get things right. However, if that is the desire of our heart, He is more than faithful to bring it about.

My IQ has been a problem for me all my life, because I have tended to trust in my own understanding instead of seeking God. That directly violates one of the wisest things in the whole book of Proverbs: “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding;in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.” (Proverbs 3:5-6) I have liked the Proverbs passage for as long as I can remember, but the problem has been in living it out. I distinctly remember the moment when it finally hit me, all the way down to the depths of my being, that it wasn’t that God was smarter than I was, it was that God’s smart and I’m not. That was enlightenment! I’m a bit embarrassed to say, it only happened within the last 25 years, because I was in the sanctuary of this building, and we only started using it in 1999. Now, I at least recognize when I’m being stupid! I need to be active in my humility, grateful for the intellect God has given me but not trusting in it, knowing that only God has all the right answers. That lets me know that “Trust the science” is a smoke-screen for deception. I rejoice at things God allows us to discover, but I know that the final answer always lies with Him, and not with man.

Father, thank You for Your incredible patience with us, not to mention Your grace and mercy. Help me listen to You more and more accurately, just as You had me say in the message yesterday, so that I may indeed do Your will on Your schedule for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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Patience; January 25, 2026

Posted on January 26, 2026 by jgarrott

Psalm 27:14 Wait for the Lord;
    be strong and take heart
    and wait for the Lord.

I can’t read this Psalm without music rising in my heart and mind, because of all the wonderful songs that have been created from it. The Japanese translation of this last verse is no exception, having been put to music by Makoto Iwabuchi, whom I am honored to call a friend. English translations didn’t fit his music very well, so I re-wrote the lyrics. “Be strong, and wait for God. Take heart, and wait for Him. Know that the Lord your God will answer, and be strong and wait for Him.” Living in the flow of time as we do, patience is not our strong suite. The Psalms are filled with expressions like, How long? That is very human! Probably our biggest problem is perspective. Geologists operate on a very different time scale than molecular biologists, for example. We are told of imminent potential geologic disasters, like earthquakes and tsunami, but they are generally in terms of “any decade now.” We tend to operate more on the basis of how many beats per minute our hearts are taking. This is where faith comes in. We are called to trust God’s timing, when our emotions are screaming that things aren’t happening on our desired schedule. I keep coming back to the awareness that we are generally limited to no more than 100 years in the flesh, but God is outside of time and sees everything at once. As Peter rightly pointed out, “But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day.” (2 Peter 3:8) When our hearts are fixed on Him, we can both enjoy the moment and look forward to eternity.

I have friends and relatives right now who are very much in the middle of this. For the most part, all I can do is pray for them, but that is no small thing, because I can pray to the Creator who is outside of time! There are things in my own life right now that seem to progress either too fast or too slowly, in my perception. I need to remember that’s no big deal. As David encourages me, I need to be strong in faith and trust my God. I need to do that not only for myself, but also as an example to others, because many are watching me. Recently we have been contacted by numbers of people who were here in the past, sometimes decades ago, and they are grateful for the impact the Lord had on them through us. God’s plans and His schedule are perfect. I need to trust that, both for myself and for those I love, for our blessing and His glory.

Father, thank You for this reminder. Thank You for the news we got on Saturday, and getting to see my new great-granddaughter “in the flesh,” so to speak. Thank You that You are in charge of what is happening with my brother, and that I can look forward to contact with him. Thank You for the message You’ve given me for this morning. May I express it in Your words by the power of Your Spirit, so that all who hear it may be transformed according to Your plan, for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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Listen! ;January 24, 2026

Posted on January 25, 2026 by jgarrott

Psalm 25:4 Show me your ways, Lord,
    teach me your paths.

This theme is repeated many times in David’s Psalms, and God granted his request at least as many times. David had no education, as we think of it, but God taught him throughout his life. Sadly, sometimes he wasn’t listening! David was Israel’s greatest king, but one of the distinguishing episodes in his life was the mess with Bathsheba. He wasn’t listening to God there! God speaks to us in many ways throughout our lives, but we need to keep our hearts tuned to hear Him. We might start with good intentions, but over time we let other things get in the way. As Jesus said, “For this people’s heart has become calloused; they hardly hear with their ears, and they have closed their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts and turn, and I would heal them.” (Matthew 13:15) That was said right after He told the parable of the seed and the soil, and His explanation of that parable drives that point home. (Matthew 13:18-23) We should ask God to guide us, certainly, but what is equally, or even more, important is paying obedient attention when He does what we ask. God is the perfect Teacher, but we are far from perfect students!

I have said many times that God seldom if ever speaks to me through dreams, but He did so last night. I was walking along talking with another minister of some sort, and I was telling him in rather impassioned fashion, “We get all tied up about how to pray, but what is more important is how we listen to God.” He responded, “Wow. I think you just gave me my next message.” With that ringing in my heart, now I need to change my notes for tomorrow’s sermon! The message I had prepared was on “God our Teach-er,” so this really isn’t a departure from that, but I need to change the title and rearrange the points, as well as the song for after the message. That’s a lot easier than what I thought I would need to do when I first woke up! In any case, the point for me is to not just speak God’s truth, but to hear and obey it myself. I very frequently quote James 1:22, “Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.” Every time I open the Bible I need to be expecting God to speak to me, and more than that, I need to be committed to do whatever He says to me. On top of that, He also speaks to me in many other ways, and there too I need to be sensitive and obedient. My physical hearing has deteriorated with age, but there is no reason my spiritual hearing can’t keep improving, if I will do everything He says to me.

Father, thank You for this experience. Thank You for that dream, and for teaching me to listen. I pray that I would hear You accurately as I modify the notes for tomorrow’s message. Thank You that You’ve very seldom had me write out messages in full! May I not only hear You accurately, may I do faithfully everything You say to me, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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Being Heard by God; January 23, 2026

Posted on January 24, 2026 by jgarrott

Psalm 6:9 The Lord has heard my cry for mercy;
    the Lord accepts my prayer.

I think it’s important to notice that this Psalm is attributed to David. At first, he seems like a bit of a drama queen, talking about how much he cries at night. However, God gave him assurance that he was being heard, and that was what mattered. I think we miss a lot of what God says to us, the assurances of His love, because we try to tough it out, to power through, when God is totally aware of our weaknesses. If we were omnipotent, we wouldn’t need God! In His merciful grace He allows us to experience our weakness, precisely so that we will turn to Him. We indeed have no qualifications in ourselves to come before God, but in His incredible grace He tells us to ask, seek, and knock, (Matthew 7:7-8) because He has dealt with our sins through the blood of His Son, allowing us to come boldly before Him. (Hebrews 4:16) God is aware of everything that goes on, so we can’t hide anything from Him, but when our hearts and words are directed toward Him, He hears us. Words, and indeed, human logic, don’t express that very well, but the thing to remember is that when we humbly come before Him in the name of His Son, He does hear us, and He responds in the way that is very best for us, whatever it might feel like in the moment.

As I have written many times, in the home where I grew up, prayer was as natural as breathing. I couldn’t be more grateful! Over the years I have learned that my human expectations are sometimes dashed, but God always has a better plan. I don’t expect to know the why of some of the things in my life, but I cling to the assurance that God has a plan, and it’s very, very good indeed. My task, my goal, is to get with that plan, to cooperate and not fight it, and certainly not complain. He has been incredibly gracious toward me, and the better I respond to that, the more blessings I will see. As the song says, “The longer I serve Him, the sweeter He grows.”

Father, thank You again for Your grace toward me. Thank You for enabling me to record some of that grace as I write my autobiography. So far I’m only into my 20s, so I have over 50 more years to write about! Help me leave an accurate record of Your grace, so that others will be encouraged and drawn to faith in and fellowship with You, for their eternal salvation and Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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