Daily Scripture Minute

He handed this off on a silver platter

Ricky Ketchum — Sun, 23 Aug 2026 10:00:41 GMT

God Is with You

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David said to Solomon his son, “Be strong and courageous, and do it. Don’t be afraid, nor be dismayed, for [the LORD] God, even my God, is with you. He will not fail you nor forsake you, until all the work for the service of [the LORD]’s house is finished.

1 Chronicles 28:20 (WEB)

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We must have a lot of problems with fear.

This advice, be strong and courageous, comes up quite a bit in the Scriptures.

Moses said it to Joshua, and here King David is saying it to his son Solomon.

Or maybe it’s just me who keeps seeing this coming up because of my own struggles with doubt and fear.

Regardless, it’s a series of verses that brings me comfort.

In this case, David had already laid out the gameplan for building up the Temple of the Lord.

Then he went out and gathered all the materials from Israel and the surrounding kingdoms.

Basically handing Solomon the project on a silver platter.

What faithfulness David had to do absolutely everything in his power to set up his son for success without breaking God’s directives.

David would have built the Temple if he could, we know that. But we also know God wouldn’t let him because he was a king of too much war.

Anyway, what I’m taking from this is something similar to the old Hudson Taylor quote:

“Pray as if everything relies on God; work as if everything relies on you.”

Admittedly I’m not great at either of those.

Add that to the list of things I need to keep working on.

But God is faithful and the Holy Spirit keeps working on me.

— Ricky Ketchum

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Get your hand outta the cookie jar! 🍪

Ricky Ketchum — Sat, 22 Aug 2026 10:01:56 GMT

Don’t Rebuke Me

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Yahweh, don’t rebuke me in your wrath,
neither chasten me in your hot displeasure.

Psalm 38:1 (WEB)

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For anyone who’s ever been caught with their hand in the cookie jar (so to speak), this verse is a good one.

Which means all of us.

A humble heart pleads for God to be merciful, especially when we know we don’t deserve it.

That’s the amazing beauty about the grace of the Father.

He loves His children dearly, sending even His Son to take our punishment so that we might have life.

Sometimes I pick out verses that speak to me because they are so rich and deep.

I like to think deeply about things, it’s enjoyable for me.

But a verse like this doesn’t require that kind of meditation.

It’s one of those that’s simple to understand. Yet stands out as a great reminder of my own failings as a person and how good God is in contrast.

Besides, every once in a while -- okay, it’s actually pretty often -- I need to cry out to God and ask Him to stave off His displeasure.

In other words, I need grace to overcome my own failings.

When I’m crying out for help, it’s almost always because of some stupid thing I’ve done. Or rather, not done. I avoid doing a lot of good things, which is a sin in its own right.

Anyway, this is a good one for me to read today.

Thanks for sharing it with me.

— Ricky Ketchum

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Don’t let your mind be robbed blind

Ricky Ketchum — Fri, 21 Aug 2026 10:02:44 GMT

Deceptive Philosophies

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Be careful that you don’t let anyone rob you through his philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the elemental spirits of the world, and not after Christ.

Colossians 2:8 (WEB)

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How careful are you with your inputs?

The devil is a crafty creature and he loves to coat his lies in a layer of truth.

Some of the worst ones are almost true, but fail at the last little bit.

A lot of belief systems in the world today, philosophies and traditions, fit in this category. They sound pretty good, maybe they’re even logical, but there’s a deceptive rot inside.

I’m not clever enough or wise enough to catch all of it.

The enemy is too good at that.

Which is why I spend so much time reading and meditating on the truth of God’s Word.

I’ve heard it said that to train people to catch counterfeit money, they don’t teach them all about the fake cash. Instead, they have them handle the real thing.

Over and over and over again.

Once you lock in the memory of what the real thing feels like, you instantly know when it’s faked.

Something similar can happen with our own spiritual lives.

Spend enough time in the real truth, with the Author of all truth, and we can almost instantly spot the lies.

But if I’m in a truth desert, where I’ve not spent enough time in God’s Word, then it’s harder and harder to notice the lies.

I may even become a victim to them.

That’s the tragic robbery of this verse.

— Ricky Ketchum

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That’s why they play the games

Ricky Ketchum — Thu, 20 Aug 2026 10:04:03 GMT

Time & Chance

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I returned and saw under the sun that the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, neither yet bread to the wise, nor yet riches to men of understanding, nor yet favor to men of skill; but time and chance happen to them all.

Ecclesiastes 9:11 (WEB)

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A funny thing about sports:

The best athlete or the best team isn’t always the champion.

In fact, often something happens to get in the way so that they are robbed of their championship.

No matter how hard you work or how superior you are, sometimes bad luck defeats you.

For example, since the NCAA basketball tournament began in 1979, the top seed has won 26 of them.

That’s more than half, but it’s not absolute domination.

But don’t take the pendulum swing of this advice too far in the direction of luck direction. Skill clearly matters for success.

That’s great, but what about my spiritual life?

I see God honoring those who put in the reps and make themselves available for His work.

In other words:

Faithful in little, faithful in much.

The person who gains the most opportunities to share the love of Christ is probably also the person who is best prepared to start conversations and has a gameplan for sharing the love of Christ.

Sure, chance plays some part, but it’s not all a roll of the die.

Actually, I’d argue that chance has little to do with it and much more is nudged along by God.

Or by our own choices.

We don’t live in a world of theories, we live in a world of actions and reactions.

Championships are played on the field, not on paper.

— Ricky Ketchum

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Confidence despite the traps of wicked men

Ricky Ketchum — Wed, 19 Aug 2026 10:03:10 GMT

Confidence despite the traps of wicked men

Wicked Snares

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Keep me from the snare which they have laid for me, from the traps of the workers of iniquity.
Let the wicked fall together into their own nets while I pass by.

Psalm 141:9-10 (WEB)

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In my quiet times this week I’ve been looking at the Greek around the Pharisees & Sadducees who try to entrap Jesus.

You know, when they try and trick him on money and Jesus tells them to “give to Caesar what is Caesar’s and to God what is God’s.”

Brilliant!

Left them dumbfounded.

That’s the kind of thing that the wicked do: laying out snares and traps for the righteous.

Notice how in this Psalm -- and you also see it throughout Proverbs -- that the wicked often fall victim to their own traps.

No matter how clever they believe they are, no one can outwit the God of the universe.

Doesn’t stop them from trying, I suspect their pride & ego get in the way.

Anyway, a verse like this gives me confidence as I walk through life. Of course I need to be wise about who I trust and what I do; God gave me a brain to think with. Yet I can also trust that God takes good care of me and the plans of the evil ones are likely to fall apart.

Not a strict promise, but a principle.

Look at how the Psalmist walks on by the wicked who fell into their own nets.

We might be tempted to try and help them out.

But that’s likely a mistake. They need to face the reality of their situation and cry out to God for help.

God could choose to call us to help or He could do something else.

Regardless, we have our own path to tread, work to do for the Lord’s Kingdom.

— Ricky Ketchum

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The most significant thing you can do

Ricky Ketchum — Tue, 18 Aug 2026 10:03:21 GMT

Prayer of the Righteous

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Confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The insistent prayer of a righteous person is powerfully effective. Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed earnestly that it might not rain, and it didn’t rain on the earth for three years and six months. He prayed again, and the sky gave rain, and the earth produced its fruit.

James 5:16-18 (WEB)

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Long one today.

But a good one, with a powerful illustration.

Prayer is powerful.

That’s the lesson here.

A couple Sundays ago I heard my pastor talk about how he often gets similar bemoaning answers whenever he visits shut-ins:

“I’m sorry I can’t go to church, all I can do is sit here and pray.”

What?!

All you can do?

My friend, that’s probably the MOST significant thing you can do.

I don’t know why God has made the world this way, but He takes the prayers of His people into serious account. He makes sure that prayer is powerful.

In the case of these verses, powerful enough to change the weather for nearly four years.

I’m personally thankful for the prayer warriors I have in my life who have supported me for many years.

I don’t know how I’d make it without their support.

I’m aiming to pay that debt forward, training myself to become a prayer warrior for my own friends and family.

I’ve got a ways to go before I’m out of the “bootcamp” phase, but God is patient with me.

Anyway, I hope this encourages you this morning.

It’s certainly encouraging me.

— Ricky Ketchum

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What to do when you’re stuck in the muck

Ricky Ketchum — Mon, 17 Aug 2026 10:03:40 GMT

I Waited Patiently

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I waited patiently for [the LORD]. He turned to me, and heard my cry.
He brought me up also out of a horrible pit, out of the miry clay. He set my feet on a rock, and gave me a firm place to stand.

Psalm 40:1-2 (WEB)

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I thought this was a good follow up to yesterday’s email.

An encouragement for us when we find ourselves in the miry clay.

Have you ever walked through some mud and clay? It sucks you in, slows you down, pulls at you, drags you.

Keeps you stuck.

The image difference between the slog of the miry clay and standing on a rock is stark.

Obviously, everything is better on the rock.

The sad part of my own experience is most of the time I find myself in the miry clay due to my own decisions.

It somehow feels easier to cry out to God if I’m in a situation that I had almost no control over. That makes sense for me to need to cry out to God then.

But when I find myself stuck in muck because I made some foolish or poor choices?

I feel like I should be able to get myself out.

“You made your bed, now lie in it.”

Sure, God could take that attitude; sometimes He does.

But He’s also gracious and full of mercy. The miry clay of sin is our problem and yet He was the one who sent the Son to give us a way out.

That same grace can sometimes apply to other struggles in life too.

If you’re stuck in the pit, ask for help.

God loves to help His children; He’ll probably help you out of it too.

— Ricky Ketchum

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A strange thing to be courageous about

Ricky Ketchum — Sun, 16 Aug 2026 10:01:06 GMT

Wait for the Lord

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Wait for [the LORD]. Be strong, and let your heart take courage. Yes, wait for [the LORD].

Psalm 27:14 (WEB)

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This is a great one to memorize.

If the Word is the sword of the Spirit, this one is like a little pocketknife you carry around in order to handel all the little things that can come up in life.

Admittedly not a perfect analogy, but I think you get it…

Patience is not our strongest ability.

I guess I’m sweeping you up in my analysis here. I suppose you could be a bastion of patience and I just don’t know it … but I doubt it.

It’s more likely that you and I both struggle with patiently waiting on God and His timing.

Which is why I need a verse like this one.

It’s interesting to me that courage is paired with patience here.

But when thinking about it, that’s a great pairing.

It does take courage to be patient, especially in the face of trouble.

Waiting on God to come through on the day of trouble, as we often face in life and what we often see in the psalms, takes a tremendous amount of courage.

Also faith.

I also like that it says to “let your heart take courage,” rather than making it take courage.

Makes me think that the work here is more on God’s side and my job is to give Him control and allow Him to give me courage.

My job is to keep myself from blocking it.

— Ricky Ketchum

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This is pretty obvious, or at least it should be

Ricky Ketchum — Sat, 15 Aug 2026 10:02:18 GMT

If You Humbly Seek God

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if my people who are called by my name will humble themselves, pray, seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.

2 Chronicles 7:14 (WEB)

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We make conditional promises all the time.

It’s the basis of all commerce in the world.

Do this thing for me and I’ll do that thing for you.

It shouldn’t be a surprise to see God making a conditional promise to us too.

The kicker here is that, on our own, we cannot perfectly fulfill this promise. No matter how good a job we do at humbling ourselves, praying, seeking the Father, and turning from our wicked ways … it’s not enough for perfection.

Yet it seems to be enough for a merciful God to step in and offer forgiveness and blessings.

Ultimately, the work of forgiveness was completed in Christ.

So we can now do all of these things to the best of our ability and rely on Christ’s work to fill the gap.

Also, since we’re living in the new covenant and have the Holy Spirit Himself living within us, we now have the power to actually walk in these promises.

In theory, we could perfectly walk with the Holy Spirit’s help.

Alas, we are still sinful creatures in the process of being made more and more mature.

Perfection is unattainable here on earth.

Which doesn’t make the goal useless, but means that all of these things, all of these promises, come about through 100 percent reliance on God.

…which they did anyway.

It’s just obvious now.

— Ricky Ketchum

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Wiser than the craftiest trickster

Ricky Ketchum — Fri, 14 Aug 2026 10:02:41 GMT

Seek God’s Counsel

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The men sampled their provisions, and didn’t ask counsel from [the LORD]’s mouth.

Joshua 9:14 (WEB)

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Some background is needed for this verse.

God told the Israelites not to make any sort of covenant with the people of the Promised Land.

These people, the ones sharing samples, are the Gibeonites.

Their plan was to trick the Israelites into a covenant so that they would not be destroyed by the inevitable war.

It was a good plan, shrewd.

It worked because the Israelites trusted their own senses rather than seeking out the Lord’s counsel.

Obviously, if they had asked God for wisdom in what to do with these people, then they would have known of this trickery.

The lesson here?

When it comes to big decisions, especially ones that affect a lot of people, seek God’s counsel.

I don’t think this is very natural for us.

Especially the analytical thinkers (like me) who want to logic our way through life and believe our minds can help us make the best decisions.

But even the very wise cannot see all ends.

God can.

He can cut through the deception of people, seeing into their hearts and giving supernatural aid when His children ask for it.

He can certainly help you make the right choices when you face the hard ones.

Don’t repeat the folly of the Israelites here; seek God’s counsel.

— Ricky Ketchum

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This should be fun

Ricky Ketchum — Thu, 13 Aug 2026 10:00:28 GMT

Joyful Offerings

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Then the people rejoiced, because they offered willingly, because with a perfect heart they offered willingly to [the LORD]; and David the king also rejoiced with great joy.

1 Chronicles 29:9 (WEB)

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I know, I know, a verse about a ~~church~~ temple building program.

But I wanted to land on a happy verse today and this one popped up.

Look how joyful they were to give offerings.

“Rejoiced … willingly … perfect heart … great joy”

I’ll admit, there have been many times where my own giving was more of an obligation to a commitment I’ve made rather than great joy.

In fact, sometimes quite the opposite:

“Lord,” I’d sometimes pray, “I sure could do a lot with that 10%. Nevertheless, it’s yours.”

Erm, not exactly rejoicing in my giving with a perfect heart when I do it that way.

But you know what else?

I’ve never regretted giving to God.

Even when it was a lot of money and I felt that I really, really needed it at the time.

As they say: You cannot outgive God.

Not that I give to receive His blessings … but it’s a nice byproduct.

When I can’t seem to give out of a rejoicing heart, I give out of obedience. The Lord has honored that obedience throughout my life and I’m grateful.

I guess the challenge for myself (and perhaps for you too) is that the next time I give to God, rejoice greatly with a perfect heart that offers willingly.

I bet that’s fun.

— Ricky Ketchum

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I’m certain God never gets tired of hearing this

Ricky Ketchum — Wed, 12 Aug 2026 10:03:38 GMT

One Mediator

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For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all, the testimony at the proper time

1 Timothy 2:5-6 (WEB)

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Some verses are a challenge to read.

Some verses are just good for my soul.

And some verses pinpoint crucial doctrine for every believer.

This is in that third category.

One of the big lies of the Enemy is all about how God is like a mountain. There are many paths to get to the mountaintop, each person finds their own path, but it’s all the same peak.

Turns out, no.

Jesus Christ is the single pathway to reach God, because there is nothing we can do to cover the stain of sin.

Jesus’ sacrifice had to be perfect to be acceptable to a perfect and holy God.

He is the way to eternal life.

The only way to eternal life.

Sure, we can memorize John 14:6 which highlights this truth. There are plenty of other verses (that I don’t remember off the tips of my fingers as I type this out) which reaffirm this foundational truth.

So, add these verses to your list.

Also, thank God for the gift of Jesus.

You probably do that a lot, I do too.

But not often enough. I should spend more time reflecting on the reality of what my sin did to break relationship with the eternal King of the universe. Then think on how great His love for me is that He would come to earth, take on limited, human flesh, and die for me.

I never get tired of remembering that amazing grace.

I’m sure God never tires to hear His children say thank you in words and actions.

— Ricky Ketchum

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How to lead people well

Ricky Ketchum — Tue, 11 Aug 2026 10:01:22 GMT

A Pleasing Request

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Give your servant therefore an understanding heart to judge your people, that I may discern between good and evil; for who is able to judge this great people of yours?” This request pleased the Lord, that Solomon had asked this thing.

1 Kings 3:9-10 (WEB)

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Here’s something I don’t think about often enough:

How can I please God more?

Sure, I’ll think about ways to be obedient to God. I suppose wanting to honor Him with my life is a variation of pleasing Him.

But to sit around and actually think about ways I can do things to please Him?

It’s just not been on my radar.

Young King Solomon asks God for wisdom and it pleases the Lord.

It came on the heels of an outstanding offer from God: ask for what I should give you.

Most of us are savvy enough not to ask for something mundane, like a fast sportscar. Or a yacht. Nothing wrong with those things, per se, but in the context of our whole lives they are small things.

Solomon was worried about taking care of God’s people.

He wanted to do a good job … he wanted to please the Lord.

So he asked for the wisdom to lead God’s people well.

While you and I don’t have kingdoms under our leadership, the Lord still gives us people to shepherd. Family, mentees, students, etc. We have a responsibility to take care of God’s people the best way we know how.

So it’s probably a good idea to ask for wisdom to lead those people well.

Just like Solomon asked for and it pleased God.

… but make sure you don’t follow the other foolish footsteps that Solomon took.

Ecclesiastes points out the vanity of that anyway.

— Ricky Ketchum

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The more sure pathway to success

Ricky Ketchum — Mon, 10 Aug 2026 10:02:05 GMT

The Lord Weighs the Heart

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Every way of a man is right in his own eyes, but [the LORD] weighs the hearts.

Proverbs 21:2 (WEB)

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This is kind of a daunting verse.

Especially in light of what we’re told in Jeremiah about the heart being deceitful.

Which just makes wisdom all that more important.

The danger here is in thinking (in my heart) that I’ve actually gained the wisdom I need and ignoring God.

Not a good place to be.

For example, I could be facing some sort of decision at work that requires a bit of guessing into the future. It’s easy, and natural, and, dare I say “deceitful,” to stick to making this decision with the knowledge I have.

But what about praying; what about seeking God who knows all things, including the future?

That situation would be a case of leaning on my own understanding, trying out something right in my own eyes, but not seeking out the Lord’s guidance.

Now, maybe it works out and maybe it doesn’t.

That’s not the point.

What I should be doing is casting aside my flesh, my deceitful heart, and leaning on the Lord’s understanding.

Proverbs 3 talks about how God makes our paths straight.

Which could be as simple as seeing the obvious choice because God reveals it to us.

Of course that’s just an anecdotal example.

But you can, and should, apply it to all kinds of areas of your life.

It’s a much more sure pathway to success.

— Ricky Ketchum

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But what if you couldn’t fail?

Ricky Ketchum — Sun, 09 Aug 2026 10:01:31 GMT

All Things Are Possible

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Jesus, looking at them, said, “With men it is impossible, but not with God, for all things are possible with God.”

Mark 10:27 (WEB)

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This is one of those verses that I know in my head…

…but do I really believe it in my heart?

I want to say “yes.”

I’m sure you want to say that too.

But sometimes things just feel so impossible. In those cases my prayers are sometimes:

“Lord, I want to believe. Help my unbelief.”

Anyway, let’s take a more positive spin on this.

If you knew it couldn’t fail, that it was impossible to fail, then what would you do for God?

Maybe you’re facing a transition in life and this is an apt question, or maybe you’re content right where you are and this feels like an unnecessary question.

Regardless, every day we make a new decision on what we’re doing and where we’re going.

I know it sometimes feels like we’re just drifting through life, but the reality is that every day we choose what we’re doing.

What will you choose today?

And, if you knew it was impossible to fail, is there something different you would choose?

If so, consider doing that instead.

— Ricky Ketchum

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What to do when facing the depths of despair

Ricky Ketchum — Sat, 08 Aug 2026 10:00:27 GMT

When My Heart Fails

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My flesh and my heart fails, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.

Psalm 73:26 (WEB)

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Something I love about the Psalms:

How raw & authentic they feel when the storms of life hit us.

There have been many times when I was frustrated at life — indeed, frustrated at God — and turned to the Psalms.

In a way, I was seeking the company of others who have struggled.

(Misery loves company, and all that ~~jazz~~ blues…)

But God doesn’t allow the Psalms to stay mired in the depths of despair.

Each Lament (the category of the Psalms that are lamenting tough circumstances) has a portion where the writer decides to move forward.

Usually he is preaching truth to himself.

Which is why I turn to the Word in tough times, because I need to preach the truth to myself.

I need these reminders of how great God is, how He takes care of us, and the bright future ahead for those who love Him and are called to His purpose.

Maybe this can help you in the times when your own heart fails?

Allow yourself a few moments to be sad.

But don’t stay there.

Dig into God’s Word and find the truth that turns your heart around and puts you back on the pathway to joy.

— Ricky Ketchum

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What do you mean this isn’t actually a sin?!

Ricky Ketchum — Fri, 07 Aug 2026 10:03:06 GMT

Be Angry, Don’t Sin

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“Be angry, and don’t sin.” Don’t let the sun go down on your wrath

Ephesians 4:26 (WEB)

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This verse has always felt a little surprising.

Probably because, as a culture, wrath is one of the “7 Deadly Sins.”

Yet Paul clearly believed that you could be angry without sinning.

Obviously it’s easy to let our emotions get the best of us and allow anger to lead us into sin. So we need to be careful about that.

But, yeah, we can be angry without sinning.

Jesus was certainly angry at the Pharisees.

He even overturned the temple when they desecrated it with their greedy actions.

I might be tempted to think the things I imagine Jesus did when overthrowing the temple “market” were sinful.

But, of course, that cannot be true.

Jesus has to be sinless.

Thus we have a prime example of a way to be angry -- indeed, very angry -- yet without sin.

The key there, I think, is His zeal for God’s people and God’s honor.

Something else to be said from what Paul writes here:

Don’t let anger fester and turn into bitterness.

That’s like drinking poison while hoping the other person gets sick!

Sure, you can take the day to be angry, but any more than that and you simply need to let it go.

— Ricky Ketchum

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Don’t bet against yourself…

Ricky Ketchum — Thu, 06 Aug 2026 10:03:30 GMT

Find Wisdom, Find Life

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For whoever finds [wisdom] finds life, and will obtain favor from [the LORD].
But he who sins against me wrongs his own soul. All those who hate me love death.

Proverbs 8:35-36 (WEB)

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Do you cringe when you see people making silly, preventable mistakes?

I sure do.

We sometimes play those things up for laughs on sitcoms, but in real life it’s pure tragedy.

Almost nothing worse than fighting against wisdom.

It’s like a spiral of foolish death.

Fighting against wisdom is fighting against your own good.

We see in other verses through Proverbs that wisdom is not hard to find, she shouts from the marketplace.

If you want to find wisdom, you look in obvious places.

Now, with the information super highway at our fingertips, wisdom can be found almost instantly.

But be careful to not let AI do your thinking for you. That’s still a critical piece of living the human life.

We still need to take inputs from wisdom, such as reading the Word of God (creator of wisdom … and everything else) in order to live a wise life.

God favors the wise.

I don’t even think that’s about God showing favoritism; I believe it’s just the reality for those who align themselves with the wisdom He has placed within the universe.

Of course the ultimate wisdom is living in faithful relationship with the Lord.

Only Jesus offers us that path.

But I’m so thankful He does!

Also, eternal favor comes to His renewed children.

But that’s later.

For now, keep gathering wisdom and loving life.

— Ricky Ketchum

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Use it or lose it

Ricky Ketchum — Wed, 05 Aug 2026 10:04:20 GMT

Let the Word of Christ Dwell

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Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly; in all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your heart to the Lord.

Colossians 3:16 (WEB)

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At first glance this seems like a simple enough verse.

Letting God’s Word dwell (live) in us, filling our minds with wisdom, and having it overflow into worship.

But there’s a lot of work to get to that point.

Practically speaking, the mere act of memorizing Bible verses is time-consuming work.

Not only do you have to have a plan for memorizing, but, more importantly, you need a plan for reviewing the verses to keep it inside.

After all, use it or lose it.

Also, what about having all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another?

I’ve read the Proverbs for almost a decade. I still lack a ton of wisdom.

Plus, admonishment takes a lot of courage.

Neither one of those things seems like they would naturally lead to breaking out in worshipful singing.

Yet these ideas are all tied together in this verse.

The binding agent is, of course, the Holy Spirit.

Who uses the Word to speak to us, to help shape us, bring us wisdom, and lead us to joy and worship of the Father and the Son.

When we fill our lives with the Word, and allow the Spirit to do His work within, all of these outcomes, and more, are possible.

Yeah, it’s a lot of work, but we’re not working alone.

— Ricky Ketchum

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That’s quite a view up there

Ricky Ketchum — Tue, 04 Aug 2026 10:02:20 GMT

Creation Proclaims

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The heavens declare his righteousness.
All the peoples have seen his glory.

Psalm 97:6 (WEB)

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God’s marvels are available for all of us to experience.

In fact, the better we get at looking into the vast extremes — whether the microscopic world or the universe beyond our planet — the more wondrous it becomes.

Even looking into the heavens at night is an incredible sight to behold.

My family has done a little vacation to a spot in the mountains of Pennsylvania.

Tucked away up there is a place where the light pollution of cities are hidden and we’re free to see the night sky like most of the world did.

It’s absolutely incredible.

Most of the time at home I can only see the very brightest stars, the constellations that outshine the city lights.

But out there?

I could see the band of stars that formed the Milky Way … comets streaking across the sky … and more.

All of it reminds me of how incredible God is, and I feel overwhelmed by His greatness.

Then I remember what He did for me, on the cross, so that I would have relationship with Him.

Again, overwhelming.

I’m grateful I get to see God’s glory, in part, in my life now.

I’m looking forward to seeing so much more in the life to come.

— Ricky Ketchum

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