The Book of Matthew

In the Book of Matthew, Jesus speaks with wise teachings to either His disciples or others as He teaches and heals.

     This could have been me! What do His words tell me? 

 

Chapter 4 - “Repent... “Come and follow Me.” 

Chapter 5 – “Blessed are you when people say evil against you because of me.” -  “Rejoice and be glad...your reward is in heaven.”  - “You are the salt of the earth...but if it loses it saltiness, it is no longer good for anything.” – “Love your enemies and pray for them.” – “Do not swear, simply say yes or no.” 

Chapter 6 – “When you give to the needy, do not announce it.” – “When you pray, close the door, and pray to the Father, who is unseen.” – “Pray, ‘Our Father who art in heaven. Hallowed by thy name.’ ” – “If you forgive others, your Heavenly Father will forgive you.” – “Do not worry, but first seek God’s kingdom and His righteousness.” – “You cannot serve both God and money.”  

Chapter 7 - “Do not judge, or you will be judged.” - “First, look at the speck in your own eye, before looking at the speck in your brother’s eye.” - “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.” 

Chapter 8 - Jesus heals - “Go! Let it be done just as you believed it would.” 

Chapter 9 - “Your faith has healed you.” - “According to your faith, let it be done to you.” 

Chapter 10 - “Do not worry about what to say or how to say it...you will be given what to say.”– “Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul...be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell.” - “Whoever acknowledges me before others, I will also acknowledge before my Father in heaven.” – “Whoever does not take up their cross and follow me is not worthy of me.”  

Chapter 11- “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” 

Chapter 12 - “For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother.” 

Chapter 13 - “Blessed are your eyes because they see, and your ears because they hear.” 

Chapter 14 - “You of little faith, why did you doubt?”

Chapter 15 - “What goes into someone’s mouth does not defile them, but what come of their mouth, that is what defiles them.” 

Chapter 16 - “Whoever wants to be My disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.” 

Chapter 17 - “If you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there.’ And it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.” 

Chapter 18 - “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.”

Chapter 19 - “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.” - “Many who are first will be last, and many who are last will be first.” 

Chapter 20 - “Whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be your slave -just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

Chapter 21- “Have you never read, From the lips of children and infants you, Lord, have called forth your praise.” 

Chapter 22 - “Give back to Caesar what is Caesar’s, and to God what is God’s.”

Chapter 23 - “Love the Lord your God with all you heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself. Al the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”

Chapter 24- “Watch out that on one deceives you. For many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am the Messiah,’ and will deceive many.” - “Keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come.” 

Chapter 25 “Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.” 

Chapter 26 - “Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.” 

Chapter 27 - “Jesus cried out in a loud voice, and gave up His spirit

Chapter 28- “Go...teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you... I will be with you to the very end of the age.” 

 

The Light

In our modern day homes, it is so easy to flip a switch. How about in our life? 

The Light 

 

When it gets dark, I itch to flip a switch.

I need the light for me to see;

It’s a diffuser for the chooser-

One of changing the dimming light to one that is bright.

There is no need to let the dark sneak in and kiss my cheek.

The dark is only a temporary glitch, for I can flip a switch,

When the heart is weighed down with a frown.

I can be led by laughter, instead.

There is no need for evil to abound within the day.

I can go the other way.

I need not let my light become a nasty darkened blight.

I need not let the dark dim my spark.

It’s the light, not the strife, that makes a happy life.

It’s the light that lifts the spirit, not the darkness with fear in it.

It’s the light that makes the joy flow, not the dark that creeps in slow.

For the dark there’s a fix;

A switch to solve this glitch.

Just look to the Light!

And, God is Light!

 

Mary Crisp Jameson  4/10/2026 

 

“This is the message we have heard from Him and declare to you: God is light; in Him there is no darkness at all.” 1 John 1:5 NIV

 

Symbolic Youth Part 2

This is a follow-up on my poem about Symbolic Youth. I needed so comfort myself with my on-coming gray-hair days, so I looked up scriptures pertaining to age. They are as follows: 

 

Proverbs 16:31 “Gray hair is a crown of splendor; it is attained in the way of righteousness.” 

Proverbs 20:29 “The glory of young men is their strength, gray hair the spendor of the old.” 

Isaiah 46:4 “Even to your old age and gray hairs I am he, I am he who will sustain you. I have

    made you and I will carry you; I will sustain you and I will rescue.”

Ruth 4:15a “He will renew your life and sustain you in your old age.” 

Leviticus 19:32 “Stand up in the presence of the aged, and show respect for the elderly and

    revere your God. I am the Lord.”

Job 12:12 “Is not wisdom found among the aged? Does not long-life bring understanding?” 

1 Timothy 5:1-2 “Do not rebuke an older man harshly, but exhort him as if he were your father. 

    Treat younger men as brothers, older women as mothers, and younger sisters, with absolute

    purity.” 

Psalm 90:12 “Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.”  

Job 32:7 “I thought, ‘Age should speak; advanced year should teach wisdom.’”

 

 

 

Symbolic Youth

Ecclesiastes 11:10 tell us, “So then banish anxiety from your heart and cast off the troubles of your body, for youth and vigor are meaningless.” According to the author of my Bible Study, we are to just get on with living no matter the age. I have to add here that, “God’s got this!” --meaning the youth or the old-age thing. 

Symbolic Youth

 

As a youth I was complacent about half trust,

Just marking time to be grown and out on my own.

I was living life in its simple form which was a teenager’s norm.

Then life took place, and being older didn’t offer so much grace.

I looked back to my teen years and found myself in tears.

I began raging over this process of aging.

When did these gray hairs grow in?

What made this double chin?

My face has sprinkles of wrinkles.

My body is beginning to creak and groan,

And my forearms are no longer toned.

The sagging skin around my knees, I no longer wish to be bared,

 and my hearing is impaired.

My hair is thinning, and I am no longer grinning.

I am getting forgetful, and it’s making me fretful.

Oh, how I long for those teenage years with no debts in arrears.

And where, oh where, are the days of my youth,

When I had legs that were strong and could run,

When I had no cancerous skin from the sun,

When I had less hair that is white,

When I had better eye-sight,

When I had more teeth to number,

Less time needed for slumber, 

And when I had no pain from a walk down the lane?

Where, oh where, are those carefree days as, into the mirror, I gaze?

 

Mary Crisp Jameson  4/7/2026

 

“Praise the Lord, my soul; all my inmost being, praise His holy name...who satisfies your desires with good things so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.” Psalm 103:1,5 NIV 

 

“Remember your Creator in the days of your youth, before the days of trouble come and the years approach when you will say, ‘I find pleasure in them’ - before the sun and the light and the moon and the stars grow dark, and the clouds return after the rain; when the keepers of the house tremble, and the strong men stoop...” Ecclesiastes 12: 1-3a NIV

Mercy

I stumble often. I am so glad that God has mercy and forgives me. I know this because of Hebrews 4:16, “Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.” 

     But just what is mercy? And shouldn’t I show mercy just as God shows mercy? The dictionary’s definition is “compassion or forgiveness shown toward someone whom it is within one’s power to punish or harm.”  I read another definition as “undeserved forgiveness and unearned kindness.” 

     I took the word “Mercy” and did the following acronym to show what I need to do to have mercy toward someone. 

 

M aking a space in the heart for undeserved forgiving

E ntertaining love for one you need to forgive

R ecognizing the need to forgive 

C losing the book on the deed done in order to forgive

Y ielding up pride in order to forgive

 

    The only way to be able to have mercy is, first, to pray about it. Let God do a work in me. 

 

 

The Empty Tomb- Passing Through

The Empty Tomb -Passing Through

I have often heard and even said, “We are just passing through.” There is truth to that and an example was given:  

     When I look at the example Jesus gave me, I find ways to live my life that have meaning; whereas, if I live in my fleshly nature, I find as Solomon said, “All is meaningless!” However, with God and belief in Jesus, I find what gives peace and comfort to my “passing through.” 

     Jesus’s example in His “passing through” was in His earthly walk, and in the empty tomb. He arose and went to be with His Father, making clear that all who believe in Him will also rise to be with the Father in eternity. While in His earthly human form, He was just passing through.

     I will, one day, experience this when my soul leaves my body to enter a new doorway of life and will, one day, receive my heavenly body and my earthy tomb will be empty! I was only, on earth, passing through.

    

The Yoke

I think of a yoke as a heavy load or a burden. AI says that “a yoke was primarily used to connect two draft animals (usually oxen) together in order to pull heavy loads.” 

     When I contemplate Matthew 11:29 (NIV), “Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls,” I can’t help but think of the yoke of my sin that Jesus took onto His shoulders at the cross.

     We all have yokes, like health issues, financial burdens, and laborious ones, but Jesus said, “take my yoke.” That means He will lighten the burden. 

     I suppose the paradox to that would the fact that we are a restless people, especially, if we don’t put God first and have Him in our lives. Without Him, we are seeking, searching, yearning, and creating heavy labor and burdens.

     We can, however, enjoy what labor we have. I, personally like to be busy. I enjoy my labor as long as it is not burdensome. One author I read used a phrase, “wear out rather than rust out.”  I do not believe I will wear out or rust out if I just rely on God. It is good to be yoked to God. He lightens my burdens. 

     I am so thankful Jesus took my yoke of sin, and He is still willing to lighten my load, give me His love and rest for my soul. 

 

Compassionate God

     This morning I thought about how Abraham bargained with the Lord regarding the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. The people living there were very evil and God was finished with them. He was going to destroy the cities.

     Abraham asked, “What if there are 50 good people, will you destroy it? 

God said, “No, if there are 50 good people found, the city will be saved.”

     Abraham asked, “What if there are 5 less than 50, will you destroy the city? 

God answered, “No, if I find 45 good people, I will not destroy the city? 

     Abraham asked, “What if there are 40 good people, will you destroy the city?”

God replied, “No, if I find 40 good people, I will not destroy the city?” 

     Abraham asked again, “What if there are only 30, will you destroy the city?” 

God said, “No, if I find 30, I will not destroy the city?”

     Abraham asked once more, “What if there are only 20?”

God answered, “No, I will not destroy the city?”

     Abraham asked, “Lord, what if there are only 10 good people?”

God answered, “No, if I find 10 good people, I will not destroy the city.” 

 

     Don’t you imagine, God was getting a little impatient? Yet, God listened! He did not want to destroy those people living there. 

     This made me wonder and consider how I must try God’s patience, time and time again, but He loves me enough to save my soul! He hears and He listens. He is compassionate!

     God is not finished with me yet!

 

A Friend

I just read where one teacher asked her students, “What do you want to be when you grow up?” One student answered, “I want to be a friend.” 

     What an amazing answer! You don’t need a college degree to do that, and you don’t have to study hard. Just adhere to what scripture says. 

     

Proverbs 17:17a “A friend loves at all times.” 

 

Proverbs 22:11 “One who loves a pure heart and who speaks with grace will have the king for a friend.” 

 

John 15:13 “Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.” 

I Rather Have Jesus

Below are lyrics to a song by Rhea Miller which I sing a lot in church as I was growing up. This song holds so much meaning for Jesus is who I need. He fills my heart. He gives me joy. He is my all. Without Him, I am lost. Nothing satisfies my empty longing except Jesus. Jesus fills!

 

… I'd rather have Jesus than silver or gold
I'd rather be His than have riches untold
I'd rather have Jesus than houses or land
I'd rather be led by His nail-pierced hand

… Than to be the king of a vast domain
And be held in sin's dread sway
I'd rather have Jesus than anything
This world affords today

… I'd rather have Jesus than worldly applause
I'd rather be faithful to His dear cause
I'd rather have Jesus than worldwide fame
Yes, I'd rather be true to His holy name

… Than to be the king of a vast domain
And be held in sin's dread sway
I'd rather have Jesus than anything
This world affords today

 

     I thought the following scriptures also tell more on the filling of the heart:

 

Psalm 42:1-2a, “As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, my God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God.” 

 

Psalm 62:1, “Truly my soul finds rest in God; my salvation comes from Him.”  

 

.

 

 

Putting God In His Place

I love my God and I need to put Him in His place more often: 

 

God is the Beginning and the End and everything in-between. 

God is my help, my strength, my hope, and my everything. 

God is my Father, my King, my Savior, and my Judge. 

God is who I fear; who I hold in awe and reverence.

God gives love, forgiveness, grace, and blessings. 

God is my Creator, Sustainer, and Friend. 

God is the Restorer of my soul.

In God, I depend.

In God, I believe. 

In God, I trust.  

Thank you, God for walking with me today and every day!

Breaking News

Often, we don’t enjoy the day’s news, but there has always been good news to tell.

 

Breaking News! 

 

There has always been Breaking News to tell;

It started with Creation before man fell....

God created all in the land,

Then He made man;

Both male and female, within His plan. 

Next came more Breaking News!

There was much in which to choose....

God established the family.

After the flood and after the land was dry,

God said to multiply.

He planned each child within the womb.

He wanted them to grow and bloom.

He dedicated marriage-

Baby and carriage!

Then God said, “Enjoy the wife of your youth

And train up your children in truth.”

Hear Ye! Hear Ye! 

Imagine this breaking news being given!

Jesus is coming to walk among the living.

He’s coming to save mankind

From the sin nature within their mind.

Then, Jesus will die for all.

To save man from death’s fall.

Breaking ...Breaking... Hear ye, Hear ye! 

Listen with glee!

Herein is the Ultimate Good News!

Spread it, make it clear, for people need to hear.

“If man believes in Jesus, he can be saved,

For with Jesus’ blood, the road to heaven’s gate is paved.”

Hear Ye! Hear Ye! 

Spread the news across the air waves.

Jesus Saves!  

 

Mary Crisp Jameson. 3/11/2026 

 

“The time has come,” He said. “The kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe the good news.” Mark 1:15 NIV 

 

I Do No Know

As a mother and wife, I have been asked a million and one questions in my life time, and I have had to often answer, “I don’t know.” I still don’t know a lot, and I especially “do not know” God’s plans or what He has in store. I just look forward...  

I Do Not Know

 

God made it all, large and small.

Everything is knit to fit.

There is life,

Then there is death when we no longer have breath,

There is happiness,

Then there’s sorrow which no one wants to borrow.

There is celebrating,

Then there is mourning, either night or morning.

There is a gaining,

Or there’s a losing, which most aren’t choosing.

I can only quess at God’s plans or events,

And my guess is not worth two cents.

I cannot fathom what is in store

When, each morning, my feet hit the floor.

I do not know God’s plan within my day-

Of whether I’ll be happy and gay,

Whether I’ll clap and dance-

Life is just a passing chance.

I do not know

Whether I’ll laugh or cry,

Whether the day will be pleasant or go awry,

Or whether, tomorrow, I will see the sun or life will be done.

God does not, His plans, disclose,

But He knows!

Therefore, I do not worry so, about the day, blow-by-blow,

Or about how each event will flow.

It’s not hard to understand; 

I trust God, for He has it planned.

He’s in charge over the small and the large,

I simply trust in Him 

That my cup will overflow its brim.

 

Mary Crisp Jameson – 3/10/2026

 

“He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet, no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end. Ecclesiastes 3:11 NIV 

I Know But I Do No Know

I pray for Godly wisdom, often. Some days I question what happened and where my wisdom went? I will say that some things I think I know or just quess at, but I simply do not know. This is when it would be wise to just say, “I do not know.”  

 

I Know, But I Do Not Know 

 

I do not know which way the wind will blow,

Or what will come my way on any given day,

I do not know expected expenses or consequences,

Yet, I know the work is mine within day’s time;

The result is God’s!

I do not know how man is formed or what it takes to be transformed,

Or even how children are created in the womb.

Yet, I know children were meant to grow and bloom.

I know men were created to be treated as my friends,

And when needed, to make amends.

The work is mine to do, but it takes being God led

And following what God has said.

The results are His in my making,

While mine is in the giving not the taking. 

I do not know the path the wind will blow,

Who will become my foe,

How my life will flow,

Who I will owe,

Whether I’ll cry or my face glow,

But God knows, though.

I just move ahead with the work I have to do,

Knowing that God is my strength and my glue.

He knows how the wind will blow.

He knows how my mind works and thinks,

And God never blinks.

I do not know, but God knows what He will bestow.

The results of my labor, through my days,

Are held in God’s gaze,

And I give Him my praise!

 

Mary Crisp Jameson  3/9/2026 

 

“As you do not know the path of the wind, or how the body is formed in a mother’s womb, so you cannot understand the work of God, the Maker of all things.” Ecclesiastes 11:5 

 

“Do not keep talking so proudly or let your mouth speak such arrogance, for the Lord is God who knows, and by Him deeds are weighed.” 1 Samuel 2:3 

Mirror on the Wall

I look in the mirror every day, but my mirror does not show the whole picture. It’s just reflective glass of what I choose to see. 

 

Mirror, Mirror on The Wall

 

Mirror, mirror on the wall,

Tell me large and small-

What you see within the day?

Just what will come my way.

I cannot see what is ahead.

Do I rejoice or dread?

Do I stop-short or go the distance?

Do I run with resistance or persistence?

Mirror, mirror, be my looking glass-

Tell me what, this day, will come to pass.

Mirror, mirror on the wall,

You simply cannot tell me true

What I must face or what to do.

There is only One with twenty-twenty

Who directs my paths of many.

There is only One whose face to look and seek

There is only One who will truly speak.

Mirror, mirror on the wall,

You’re just reflective glass

Enclosed within a frame of brass.

You cannot see the heart or spirit.

There’s only One who sees my merit. 

When God’s face shines back and reflects on me,

He’ll help me overcome and truly see.

So, I must go some other place, 

Seek God’s face,

And ask, when upon my knee, in a different space,

“Heavenly Father, up above,

Give me vision true!

Tell me what to do.

Reflect it back to me

And help me, your direction, to see.” 

 

Mary Crisp Jameson   3/7/2026 

 

“For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror, then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part, then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known. 1 Corinthians 13:12 NIV 

 

My Identity

Who am I? Many ask this question, and I have to provide my ID to vote and to purchase prescriptions at the Pharmacy. I even admit, with some guilt, I have had to provide ID for a stop by police when I “accidently” drove a tad past the lawful speed limit. 

     But, who really am I? I may have risen to the office of Assistant Vice President during my working career, but that really is not who I am. I may be retired, but I am not a retiree. I have a daughter who made me a mother. I have a loving husband which makes me a wife. I have brothers and sisters so I am a sibling? I have joined a Church, so I am a Church member. I am be all of that, but really, really, who do I identify as?  

    I would have to answer that I am, first and foremost, a child of the Living God? Therefore, I have One living in me that is greater than I. 

 

“You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the One who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.” 1 John 4:4  

 

Who I am has great meaning:

I am a Christian.

I am a Christian for whom Jesus died.

I am a Christian who has won the victory.

I am a Christian with the Holy Spirit living inside

I am a Christian with eternal salvation through Jesus. 

I am a Christian with the Father walking beside every minute.

I am a Christian given courage and strength through the Father. 

I am a Christian who receives daily guidance through the Holy Spirit.

I am a Child of God.

I am a part of God’s flock of sheep.. 

 

Identifying as God’s child, I can “Put my trust in Him. In God, whose word I praise- in the God I trust and am not afraid. What can mere mortals do to me.” Psalm 56:3-4

 

 

 

God's Will In The Day

Before Jesus’s arrest and as He was knowingly facing the cross, Jesus prayed, “Not my will, but Yours be done.”

     I just prayed this prayer, for I believe it is the first thing I should pray each morning. “Father, not my will but Yours, today.”

     I also have to remind myself what are some things this day that would be within God’s will for me? 

         To love others as myself

         To be humble

         To be forgiving

         To be kind

         To seek to live as Jesus did

     These are just a few...and then “let go” of my own will and allow God to work it out and “believe” that all will be well in God’s way. In other words, “Trust” and “Let God navigate!”

Painting A Picture

It is hard to laugh when tragedy strikes. Few can do it.  I have to remember what Ecclesiastes 10:8 stated, “Whoever digs a pit may fall into it.” My Bible Study author put it this way, “It is foolish to step back and say, “I’m pressing on to higher ground, when we just dug ourselves a pit and fell into it.” Then again, I have to remind myself about the gift of life I am given; a gift meant to be enjoyed, and as I think about the gift God has endowed upon me, I wonder what kind of picture He would like for me to paint that tells the story of my life. I already know how He paints. I need look no further than my backyard to see His creative beauty. I need look no further than scripture to see how God painted a picture in the lives of others or how Jesus painted His picture of healing, teaching, and death upon a cross meant for me. 

 

Painting A Picture

 

I know the picture of being a saint, I cannot paint,

But I can paint a life of rejoicing

In the face of grief, through my belief.

I can paint a picture of pressing on before I’m gone.

I can paint a picture of unwavering hope, ‘cause God helps me to cope.

In the face of trials and worrisome miles,

I can create a master piece of endurance before I cease.

I’m just an artist at work

Enjoying my life, whether a captain of many or just a lowly clerk.

The picture I paint is one of preparation

And of building a Godly foundation.

I do it by skipping along, singing a song, ‘cause God is on His throne.

I do it ‘cause, God said, “This is the day the Lord hath made.”

So, I will not let my joy fade.

God gave me the gift of time

And said, “Be glad in it.”

So, I must paint joy through the hours that tick.

 

Mary Crisp Jameson 3/5/2026 

 

“This is the day which the Lord hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it.”  Psalm 118:24 KJV

 

“Then he said unto them, Go your way, eat the fat, and drink the sweet, and send portions unto them for whom nothing is prepared: for this day is holy unto our Lord: neither be ye sorry; for the joy of the Lord is your strength.” Nehemiah 8:10 KJV

I Do What I Do Not Wanna

 Woe to me when I do things I regret. Woe to is all, for we all have regrets. However, there is hope in our "Woe!" God forgives! 

This Thing I Do but Not Wanna Do 

 

This thing I do but do not want to do-

This thing I do not, but want to-

I do not understand this state of sin, 

But I know God can change me from within. 

He changes my want to.

He changes me through and through.

He can clean up what I do not want to do-

Like, 

I don’t want my wayward deeds to sprout like weeds.

I don’t want to take what will addict and cause conflict. 

I don’t want to get stoned with my problems just postponed. 

I don’t want to do what will cause harm or offend in the end.

I don’t want drugs to take that, my character, would re-make.

I don’t want to visit bars and drive fast cars just for temporary applause.

I don’t want my tongue to, gossip, spread or Satan’s voice get in my head. 

I don’t want to be involved in selfish plunder and be caught in my stupid blunder.

All the things I could do, but do not want to do only lead to a phony thrill.

They are against God’s nature and His will.

They lead to a temporary kick and leave me feeling unfit.

They anchor the bars of Satan’s prison cell and cast his spell. 

If I should do what I do not want to do, shame on me, for God can free.

The things I do not want to do-

Lead to embarrassment, guilt, and shame!

They smear my name. 

They leave me feeling cheap but, with God, newness I reap. 

He takes my despair and gives me the breath of clean air,

He helps me grow and my joy overflow.

He helps me do what I wanna do,

Instead of what I do not wanna. 

 

Mary Crisp Jameson 3/4/2026

 

“I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good. As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me. For I know that good itself does not dwell in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do – this I keep on doing. Now if I do what I do not want to do it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it.” Romans 7:15-20 NIV  

Conversation

My Daily Hope Devotional used the GNT version of Proverbs 20:5 today, “A person’s thoughts are like water in a deep well, but someone with insight can draw them out.” The NIV version put it like, “The purposes of a person’s heart are deep water, but one who has insight draws them out.”

     The author applied the verse to conversation. Since I am not a great conversationist I found his views interesting. He said in order to draw thoughts out of someone, “engage and ask open-ended questions and then when they stop, ask for them to ‘tell me more.’” He further stated that “not only does this show you care about their thoughts, but it also improves your listening skills and conversation level.” 

     I have to say “Amen” to his points, and will take some of the examples he gave in order to strive to improve my conversation skills and really get to know someonoe’s heart. 

     I have to add another scripture to this which comes from Proverbs 1:5 niv, “Let the wise listen and add to their learning, and let the discerning get guidance.” 

"And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we behold His glory!"

     John 1:14 NJKV