Revealing Knowledge

Posted on February 26, 2025 by Shirlee Abbott

 


Knowledge comes to me through my eyes.

 


Psalm 19:1-2 (NIV)
The heavens declare the glory of God;
the skies proclaim the work of his hands.
Day after day they pour forth speech;
night after night they reveal knowledge.

I read it in the Bible, and I see it in the skies. Not one or the other … both.

 

Good morning, Lord. Open my eyes to Your knowledge — in the words of Scripture and in the glories of creation. Each day, add to my store of knowledge as I read (and re-read) the Bible, as I look at the wonders of nature. Both reveal to me Your power, wisdom and love. You are a great God, worthy of my gratitude and praise.

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The Start of Knowledge

Posted on February 25, 2025 by Shirlee Abbott

Proverbs 1:7 (AMP)
The [reverent] fear of the Lord [that is, worshiping Him and regarding Him as truly awesome] is the beginning and the preeminent part of knowledge [its starting point and its essence].

I can study hard, but if I don’t start with God I’m wasting my time.

 

Good morning, Lord. I’m starting my morning with prayer and praise, because it all starts with You. You started the world with a word and everything else followed. Such power … I can’t even imagine! Who am I, that You even notice me? I’ve done nothing to deserve Your grace. You deserve my full attention, my gratitude, my obedience, my awe, my praise.

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The Key to Knowledge

Posted on February 24, 2025 by Shirlee Abbott

 

In Luke 11, Jesus takes the Pharisees and experts in God’s law to task with a series of “Woe to you” statements. This last woe sums up the others.

 

Luke 11:52 (NIV)
Woe to you experts in the law, because you have taken away the key to knowledge. You yourselves have not entered, and you have hindered those who were entering.

Instead of pointing others to God’s Word, they gave folks a long list of man-made rules. Follow the rules, they said, and you’re good.

Bad advice.

 


Good morning, Lord. Teach me to look to You and Your Word for knowledge. Forgive me for listening to the wisdom of the world and thinking I know what’s what. Build my thoughts on the firm foundation of Your truth. Your Word is the key to peace of mind, good decisions and righteous action. 

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Open Minds

Posted on February 21, 2025 by Shirlee Abbott


Jesus shared the big picture with His disciples … as He does with us.

Luke 24:45 (ESV)
Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures.

I can shut down my mind, clutter it with unnecessary details, send it down silly rabbit trails, derail it with wild fantasies, distract it from serious work. God opens it to Biblical truth and wisdom. 

 

Good morning, Lord. Open my mind, today and every day, to the message You’ve set for me in Your Word. When I’m obedient and attentive, You prepare me in advance for the things You know will happen. Teach me to read Scripture thoughtfully and expectantly. Plant Your wisdom deep in my heart, safe from the winds of doubt and frustration.

 

 

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Doubting Hearts

Posted on February 20, 2025 by Shirlee Abbott

 

Back in Jerusalem, the resurrected Jesus suddenly joined a gathering of His disciples. They thought He was a ghost.

 

Luke 24:38 (ESV)
And he said to them, “Why are you troubled, and why do doubts arise in your hearts?

They were quicker to believe He was a ghost than He’d resurrected. I can’t be too hard on them … I’ve had my doubts too.

 

Good morning, Lord. Thank You for sticking with me through my seasons of doubt. I’d be a sad soul if You walked away every time I questioned Your plan or doubted Your existence. You let me speak my confusion and questions, and You answer — sometimes then and there, most times over days and weeks. Truth is, I’d be a hopeless mess without You.

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Burning Hearts

Posted on February 19, 2025 by Shirlee Abbott

 

The hearts of the unnamed believers who walked the road to Emmaus with the resurrected Jesus quickly changed from slow to burning. 

 

Luke 24:32 (ESV)
They said to each other, “Did not our hearts burn within us while he talked to us on the road, while he opened to us the Scriptures?”

Never underestimate the transforming power of a good Bible lesson.

 

Good morning, Lord. Forgive me for reading Your Word mindlessly, out of habit not interest. But Your Word has the power to warm my dull heart and fire up my cold engine. Even when I’m sleepy and distracted, the words I read brighten the darkness and soothe my soul. Thank You! Work Your truth into me today, for Your glory and good.

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Slow Hearts

Posted on February 18, 2025 by Shirlee Abbott


When Jesus joined the folks walking to Emmaus after the resurrection, they didn’t recognize Him. He, however, knew them better than they knew themselves. They were so wrapped up in recent details they’d missed the big picture.

Luke 24:25 (ESV)
And he said to them, “O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken!”

The words “foolish” and “slow of heart” could have been spoken harshly, but I imagine Him speaking like a parent to a preschooler — lovingly, maybe with a touch of amusement. “Take a breath, open your eyes! You’ve got it all wrong.”

 

 

Good morning, Lord. When have I been slow of heart, lacking faith and unable to see the big picture? More times than I know. Thank You for Your patience and willingness to repeat the lesson.

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Protected Hearts and Minds

Posted on February 17, 2025 by Shirlee Abbott


Philippians 4:7 MEV
And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will protect your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

 

God knows our feelings and thoughts. Through Christ, our hearts and minds are protected from harm. I don’t understand how, but I know it happens.

Yesterday’s Bible reading took me to Luke 24 and Christ’s conversations with His followers after His resurrection. Even though I’ve encountered this chapter almost every year for decades, I gained new insight into hearts, minds and the Word of God. I’ll share what I learned this week. 

 

Good morning, Lord. Thank You for the hidden riches of Your Word and the way Your Spirit reveals them to me. Reading the Bible is an adventure filled with well-worn paths and unexpected turns. Even when I think I’m in familiar territory You surprise me with new insight and a call to new action. Teach me to think it through and take it to heart.

 

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Dark Night of the Soul

Posted on February 14, 2025 by Shirlee Abbott

 

Sometimes, even the most faithful believers hit a spiritual crisis. St. John of the Cross called it the Dark Night of the Soul, a separation from the Light of our world. The psalmist described it.

 

Psalm 13:1-2 (NIV)
How long, Lord? Will you forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me? 

The darkness can come from pride in our own spiritual knowledge, a lust for more spiritual highs. Truth be told, we sometimes love these spiritual delights more than we love the Lord.

Sometimes God strips away the delights, leaving us in dark spiritual desert.

 


Good morning, Lord. There are times I trudge through days that seem dark — because of circumstances, or my own bad attitude, or possibly Your will. You don’t promise every day will be a mountaintop experience. But even when I don’t see You, O God, I trust that You see me.

What lesson do You want me to learn through this dark experience? Teach me to trust, teach me to pray, teach me to listen.

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My Light

Posted on February 13, 2025 by Shirlee Abbott

“Be thou my vision, O Lord of my heart;
naught be all else to me, save that thou art–
thou my best thought by day or by night,
waking or sleeping, thy presence my light.”
Versifier: Eleanor H. Hull
Translator: Mary E. Byrne, 1905
From the ancient Irish hymn, Rop tú mo Baile

This morning, my alarm interrupted an uplifting dream. God lights the way, even when I’m asleep.

 


Good morning, Lord. Thank You for dreams. Even when I’m asleep, You are at work restoring my soul — sometimes with a warning, sometimes a mystery, sometimes encouragement. I may not remember or understand, but Your design is always at work for my own good. 

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