Tag Archives: Reading the Bible

Reading the Bible; February 1, 2026


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 … Continue reading

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Guidance; January 30, 2026


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 … Continue reading

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Enlightenment; January 26, 2026


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 … Continue reading

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Listen! ;January 24, 2026


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 … Continue reading

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Responding to God; June 9, 2025


Psalm 34:1-3 I will extol the Lord at all times;    his praise will always be on my lips.I will glory in the Lord;    let the afflicted hear and rejoice.Glorify the Lord with me;    let us exalt his name together. Every verse in this Psalm is worthy of a song or … Continue reading

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Hearing God; January 14, 2025


Acts 22:9 “My companions saw the light, but they did not understand the voice of him who was speaking to me.” In Acts 9 we have the record of Saul’s conversion from a third person perspective, but here we have it as … Continue reading

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Reading the Bible; December 2, 2024


Psalm 89:29 I will establish his line forever,    his throne as long as the heavens endure. Modern Jews should have a problem with this verse, because there is no reliable record of the genetic lineage of David today. In fact, the … Continue reading

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Reading the Bible; October 18, 2024


Psalm 119:130 The unfolding of your words gives light;    it gives understanding to the simple. Both the NIV and the ESV use “unfolding” here, but the Japanese says, “when the door to your Word opens.” Both of those translations have things … Continue reading

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Consistency; July 31, 2024


Zechariah 7:9-10  “This is what the Lord Almighty said: ‘Administer true justice; show mercy and compassion to one another. Do not oppress the widow or the fatherless, the foreigner or the poor. Do not plot evil against each other.’” The Lord is here having Zechariah quote what … Continue reading

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The Depth of the Word; July 11, 2024


Psalm 119:130 The unfolding of your words gives light;    it gives understanding to the simple. Different translations render the image in the first part of this verse differently, with “unfolding” common in English translations, but the Japanese says “when the door … Continue reading

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