Daily Scripture Minute

A powerful, 10-minute challenge to improve your week

Ricky Ketchum — Wed, 08 Jul 2026 10:03:26 GMT

Thank the Lord

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Let them give thanks to the Lord for his loyal love, and for the amazing things he has done for people. For he has satisfied those who thirst, and those who hunger he has filled with food.

Psalm 107:8-9 (NET)

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When was the last time you really sat down and thought about all the amazing things God has done for you?

Not the normal prayer of thanks when we ask God to bless our food…

Not the quick shout of thanks when we avoid an accident on the road…

I’m talking about spending extended time reflecting, maybe even journaling, about the great things God has done.

Even most secular, self-help gurus will tell you that gratitude is beneficial. What’s crazy is they don’t serve a living, breathing, all-powerful God who intimately loves them…

They just thank “the universe,” whatever that means!

Despite their ignorance, they recognize the power of thanksgiving.

As Christians, we should be better at recognizing this.

I’m preaching to myself as much as anyone else.

It’d be good for me to at least take time every week reflecting on God’s goodness.

It’s even part of the Lord’s Prayer that Jesus Himself taught us!

Yet I so often forget about this.

My challenge to you today is to find 10 minutes to sit and thank God for all the good He has done for you.

I’d love to read some stories, so reply back with something, if you want.

— Ricky Ketchum

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Scripture quotations marked (ESV) are from the ESV®Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright© 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

What would Jesus do?

Ricky Ketchum — Tue, 07 Jul 2026 10:02:22 GMT

Abide in Christ’s Teachings

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Everyone who goes on ahead and does not abide in the teaching of Christ, does not have God. Whoever abides in the teaching has both the Father and the Son.

2 John 9 (ESV)

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There’s a bit of a balance to this verse.

We know from other texts in the New Testament that salvation is God’s work. We cannot earn it.

However, here we see that we do have responsibilities in our relationship with the Lord.

Also, this makes some more explicit links between Christ and God, so that you know that they are equal in divinity yet distinct in personhood.

(Don’t think too hard about the Trinity, it’s quite the astounding paradox.)

We could try and spend time going back and forth on all the deeper theological implications of this verse.

But I try to be more practical with these emails.

So, simply put:

If we claim to be Christians, that we are a part of God’s family, then we will abide in the teachings of Jesus.

Abiding is living, so His teachings would be a regular and obvious part of our daily lives.

Christians should follow Jesus’s example and act like Jesus would want us to act.

I grew up in the height of the “W.W.J.D.” era (What Would Jesus Do?)

I remember those bracelets fondly.

The answer was almost always obvious, no matter what situation we found ourselves in because Jesus was so clear in His teachings.

He boiled all the Law & the Prophets to this:

Love God, love people.

That’s what Jesus did … and what He wants you to do.

— Ricky Ketchum

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This kind of fool can get lucky, but mostly he gets bupkis

Ricky Ketchum — Mon, 06 Jul 2026 10:03:52 GMT

Wise, Wealthy Work

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The one who is lazy becomes poor,
but the one who works diligently becomes wealthy.

The one who gathers crops in the summer is a wise son,
but the one who sleeps during harvest is a shameful son.

Proverbs 10:4-5 (NET)

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I’ve read a chapter of Proverbs every day for almost ten years.

I started in my late 20’s because I saw that I needed a ton of wisdom.

After nearly a decade, I still need a ton of wisdom!

Of course I’ve learned a lot, but the well for drawing the water of wisdom is deep.

These two verses are pretty surface level and quite practical.

Basically, diligent work is hard work on the right things at the right time. While laziness is ignoring the work when it’s time to do the work.

Timing is critical.

In farming, there is a specific window of opportunity for planting and harvesting. If you miss the window, you don’t get to just try and make it up as quickly as you can.

Nope.

You miss the window and it probably won’t come around for another year.

Maybe worse if a drought begins.

People like to talk about the importance of hard work, and I agree it’s important, but also remember how important timing is.

I see it a lot in trading & investing: there’s a window of opportunity and the wise people get their “seeds” planted when the window is open. That’s what can lead to wealth.

Laziness relies on luck alone.

Sure, sometimes you get lucky. But most of the time, you get bupkis.

This is a lesson I’ve had to learn the hard way. It’d be better to immediately apply the Proverb.

Alas, I’m a stubborn, lazy man at heart; wise, wealthy work takes hard effort for me.

I’m getting better though.

— Ricky Ketchum

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Only God can do this, but you can help it along

Ricky Ketchum — Sun, 05 Jul 2026 10:01:42 GMT

Establish the Righteous

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Oh, let the evil of the wicked come to an end, and may you establish the righteous—you who test the minds and hearts, O righteous God!

Psalm 7:4 (ESV)

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Who hasn’t cried out to God with a prayer like this before?

I’ve certainly had times when I’ve looked around at the evil and pain in the world and thought, “God, would you go ahead and get rid of that, soon?”

And then I remember that God’s wisdom is not my wisdom.

Even the very wise cannot see all ends.

(I’m far from considering myself very wise, in case you were wondering.)

Despite my own foolishness, I’ve at least learned to place my trust in the Lord and lean on His understanding.

If I want to be established as a righteous man then I better have a heart and mind that loves and seeks God.

King David was called a man after God’s own heart.

His son Solomon asked for wisdom and became the wisest man in all the world, perhaps for all of time. Except for Jesus Christ, of course.

The Lord created wisdom. He gives it to whomever He wants. And He’s already told us that He seeks those who have a heart that yearns for Him and a mind that meditates on His Word.

Looks like there’s actually a lot I can do to help position myself to be established by God.

Just like any other love relationship, it takes time and effort.

Simple enough.

— Ricky Ketchum

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Today we celebrate our Independence Day 🇺🇸

Ricky Ketchum — Sat, 04 Jul 2026 10:01:55 GMT

Freedom

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For freedom Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not be subject again to the yoke of slavery.

Galatians 5:1 (NET)

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Of course the freedom in this wonderful country of ours is fantastic.

But that’s not freedom from the slavery of sin.

Every human on Earth is subject to that slavery, except…

Those of us who have been set free by the blood of Christ.

Go ahead and celebrate the 250 years of this wonderful nation.

Enjoy the fireworks … and the bbq’s … and the hot dogs … and the red, white, & blue … and baseball.

Enjoy it all.

But don’t forget what true freedom is.

Free from the bondage of sin and eternal death.

God bless you and God bless America.

— Ricky Ketchum

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No, you can’t just live like hell

Ricky Ketchum — Fri, 03 Jul 2026 10:03:08 GMT

Be Honest

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Deceitful people will not live in my palace.
Liars will not be welcome in my presence.

Psalm 101:7 (NET)

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Just to be clear, this is the Lord speaking.

Also, to be clear, it’s not really about these one-off sins…

The Lord wants people who have an honest heart.

Meaning, they are characterized by integrity and honesty. It doesn’t mean that they’ve never told a lie in their entire life. If that were the case, there’d be no hope for any of us.

… wait a minute …

That sounds an awful lot like how sin separates all of us from God and the only hope for our salvation is Christ.

But only if you look at the bigger picture this verse is helping to paint.

Let me swing the pendulum the other way for a moment:

Salvation doesn’t mean we now have a blank check to go off and live “like hell” because we’ve got our “get outta hell free” card.

For one, that kind of immature thinking shows that perhaps salvation hasn’t come to that person.

I wouldn’t want to risk that.

Besides, have you ever told some lies and then had to pile on more lies to keep the first lies from being discovered?

It’s stressful.

Far easier to be an honest person and deal with the consequences.

I’ve found that when I’m being more honest I actually tend to deal with fewer consequences. Maybe it’s because people find it refreshing and are more willing to forgive?

Or maybe God is subtly rewarding me for my honesty.

It’s probably somewhere in the middle.

Regardless, it’s a better and lower stress life.

I like that.

— Ricky Ketchum

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You can’t buy this

Ricky Ketchum — Thu, 02 Jul 2026 10:01:28 GMT

Useless Riches

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Wealth does not profit in the day of wrath, but righteousness delivers from death.

Proverbs 11:4 (NET)

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Okay, so I titled it “useless riches,” but there are all kinds of good uses for money.

Namely, money solves money problems.

(Profound, I know.)

There is an extra peace that occurs when you know that you’ve got your money needs taken care of.

Riches can do that. Taking care of the house, food, utilities, and transportation.

But you know what problems they don’t take care of?

Spiritual ones.

The state of our eternal souls, for instance.

The Day of Judgment comes for us all and on that day we have only one hope:

Christ’s blood that stands as our substitute.

We cannot buy our way to heaven.

It’s described as having streets paved with gold. The very metal we consider valuable for our money is as good as dirt compared to the riches of God.

God doesn’t need my dollars, but He wants my heart.

Every once in a while I need to sit back and let myself feel the awe of that reality. Who am I that the Lord, the creator of heaven and Earth, would value me so?

Or that He would delight in sharing a relationship with me?

It’s astounding.

Better riches than money can buy.

— Ricky Ketchum

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Everybody says, “no regrets” but here’s how to actually do it

Ricky Ketchum — Wed, 01 Jul 2026 10:02:24 GMT

Peace of Christ

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Let the peace of Christ be in control in your heart (for you were in fact called as one body to this peace), and be thankful.

Colossians 3:15 (NET)

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It’s kind of a strange image, isn’t it?

I don’t normally think of peace as something that’s in charge, controlling.

Controlling sounds so much more forceful than peace.

Yet Christ is the King of the universe and His peace will rule … forever.

That’s a truth everyone will face. We all have a king, whether we acknowledge Him here on earth or on the terrible Day of Judgment.

The enemy (the devil and his minions) have zero hope of victory.

But, for whatever reason, God chooses to delay this ultimate victory and thus we find ourselves living in a world that is very much not at peace.

But that’s all big picture stuff. What about you and me, here, right now?

I think letting Christ’s peace rule our hearts begins with submission.

I bow before my King, submitting to His will.

The great news is that He is not some tyrant, He is a good God. We have a good Father who loves us.

His will is not a burden; it’s life & abundant joy.

Whenever I succeed in submitting to Him (something that is, unfortunately, still too rare … I’m a prideful sinner) I find that peace and thanksgiving go together.

I’m thankful for the good He’s done for me.

And I feel peace for the future ahead.

I never regret letting Christ take control.

(Though it’s almost always a thrilling adventure out of my comfort zone).

— Ricky Ketchum

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Road trip wisdom

Ricky Ketchum — Tue, 30 Jun 2026 10:03:12 GMT

Travel the Roads

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How blessed are those who find their strength in you, and long to travel the roads that lead to your temple.

Psalm 84:5 (NET)

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How do you feel about road trips?

I’ve traveled a lot of highway miles over the years.

For every trip our family ever took, we always start the same way:

Praying for the Lord’s protection over us and His blessing on us.

Yeah, it’s mostly about trusting in God to help us avoid potential vehicle accidents. We’ve had some close calls before and I’m thankful for God’s help in those times.

I do wonder how things will change with the full self drive function on the new Teslas, but that’s a thought for another day.

What I can say right now is that God has blessed us on those trips.

While this is thematically a bit of a road trip verse, it’s not actually about that.

It’s about the Psalmist’s love for God and longing to be closer to Him.

Remember, the Psalmist was living in the Old Testament (old covenant) times. He didn’t have the direct access to God that Jesus opened up. Nor did he have the Holy Spirit living inside him.

For all intents and purposes, God was distant.

How lucky are we that God is right here, all the time?

He doesn’t sleep; He’s always ready to sit & talk.

He’s always leading, guiding, protecting us even if it’s so subtle that we allow ourselves not to feel Him.

Life is a journey, but we never have to walk alone.

— Ricky Ketchum

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My secret to memorizing the Word

Ricky Ketchum — Mon, 29 Jun 2026 10:02:43 GMT

The Word Is Very Near You

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But the word is very near you. It is in your mouth and in your heart, so that you can do it.

Deuteronomy 30:14 (ESV)

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Another case for memorizing Scripture.

It’s the preferred way to keep the Word near you.

Nowadays with the availability of print Bibles and even our smartphones, we have access to the Word all the time.

…Or do we?

I don’t know about you, but anytime a massive temptation wave comes across my life I’m never in a convenient spot to grab my Bible off the nightstand nor do I think about opening the Bible app and reading it on my phone.

If the Word is around me but not in me, how close is it, really?

Moses tells the people here to keep the Word in their hearts and mouths.

Well, that takes a lot of planning and work.

They have to spend the time around the precious few scrolls containing the Word and they would have to memorize it. Likely by hearing it read aloud and committing it to memory.

Maybe a few lucky ones would actually get to read God’s Word.

Now? I like to write memorization verses on perforated blank business cards and go through a stack of about 30 to review every day.

That’s my secret to memorizing the Word:

Write it out. Add it to the stack. Go through the stack after my daily Bible reading.

Takes about five or ten minutes.

Not much of a sacrifice to get the eternal Word of the Lord near me.

— Ricky Ketchum

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These people are idiots!

Ricky Ketchum — Sun, 28 Jun 2026 10:02:21 GMT

Foolish Atheists

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Fools say to themselves, “There is no God.” They sin and commit evil deeds; none of them does what is right.

Psalm 53:1 (NET)

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See, atheists are fools.

Of course Psalms is a wisdom book and thus filled with principles that read like absolutes.

We have plenty of stories of former atheists who turn to faith in Christ.

C.S. Lewis is perhaps the most famous.

So he wasn’t a complete fool -- and he certainly had intelligence.

Although intelligence and wisdom are different.

Anyway, I point this out because no one, including atheists, are doomed to fate.

The offer of salvation is open to any who would place their faith in Christ the Savior.

I suppose doing so turns them away from both atheism and foolishness.

(Well, the ultimate foolishness of denying God. I’m still a foolish sinner who’s slowly being molded into the image of Christ… very slowly.)

So that’s all good news for atheists.

But the bad news?

They’re broken. They sin and do evil and cannot do what is right.

Even the good deeds they would try to do are perverted by sin.

(Which is true for all of us with Jesus’s cleansing blood sacrifice.)

None of us are righteous.

So, I’m not only picking on atheists. Everyone who rejects God is a fool.

Sin is foolish.

But grace is amazing.

— Ricky Ketchum

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A fool’s 4 favorite pastimes

Ricky Ketchum — Sat, 27 Jun 2026 10:01:06 GMT

Avoid Foolish Controversies

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But avoid foolish controversies, genealogies, quarrels, and fights about the law, because they are useless and empty.

Titus 3:9 (NET)

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What a waste of time and energy.

Although, every once in a while, it’s hard to resist the entertainment tug of these train wrecks.

We humans sure do love to stare at those things.

Think about all the low-value daytime TV shows centered around foolish fights.

Judges, talkshows, soap operas, “reality” TV?

Garbage.

🤮

But if you’re above all of that, social media might still suck you into its vortex.

Angry tweets, comments, threads, and posts throughout 𝕏, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, etc.

Sure, all of those things can be used to drive friendships and connections across the world.

In fact I have several friends I talk to nearly every week who I only know via online media.

But the overwhelming majority of discussions seems to be negative quarrels.

Paul gave wisdom to one of his pastoral apprentices, Titus, and it’s useful for us today.

Nobody changes their mind because you out-argued them. Their ego won’t allow that.

Also, at the risk of sounding a little “woo”, it brings up a lot of negative energy. I’ve found that kind of thing puts my mind in a “funk” and it’s hard to enjoy life.

It’s all a waste of time and energy.

Useless and empty.

Don’t do it.

Instead, focus on the better things. The stuff that brings life & joy. We talked about children yesterday, but there’s also creating, recreation, and spending time with the Lord.

All things that are valuable and filling.

— Ricky Ketchum

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Even unbelievers can see this truth

Ricky Ketchum — Fri, 26 Jun 2026 10:02:49 GMT

No Greater Joy

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For I rejoiced greatly when the brothers came and testified to your truth, just as you are living according to the truth. I have no greater joy than this: to hear that my children are living according to the truth.

3 John 3-4 (NET)

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I’ve been reading a lot of biographies this year.

Something that’s come up in each of them is the life & joy that their children bring.

Children bring out some of the greatest joys.

Of course this passage is talking about spiritual children.

That John did the hard work of raising up disciples who would walk with God throughout the struggles of Roman life. Now he was hearing of the fruit of that labor.

It brought him great joy too.

I have no idea if John had children of his own.

But whether spiritual children walking with Jesus or physical children, he’s tapping into the truth.

Just like physical children bring the most joy when they are living according to the right guidelines of life, spiritual children bring the most joy when they are living according to God’s guidelines.

Obviously the rule-breakers don’t bring joy.

Oh, they’ll bring a lot of frustration and sorrow and even anger.

But not much joy.

Well, we cannot do a lot about the choices of others. But we can choose our own reactions.

We can also pray.

Which we should be doing all the time anyway.

Praying for all kinds of children, that God would lead them and guide them and protect them and raise up in wisdom.

So they can grow and create new children who bring more joy to the world.

— Ricky Ketchum

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An encouragement for your family

Ricky Ketchum — Thu, 25 Jun 2026 10:02:31 GMT

Live in Unity

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Look! How good and how pleasant it is when brothers truly live in unity.

Psalm 133:1 (NET)

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I felt like doing a more lighthearted verse today.

Something encouraging rather than challenging.

…

Well, maybe there’s a challenge in there too.

After all, unity is not a natural part of life in this broken world.

Conflict is all around us, even with -- especially with -- the ones we love the most.

Sin created conflict between one another, but worse, conflict with our Creator.

(also conflict with those leg-less lizards, but I don’t want to talk about that.)

Yet when we slow down and do the hard work of serving one another, we can live in unity again.

It’s a joint effort:

Each person does their part to bring unity to the relationship. Plus the Holy Spirit works in us, and through us, to bring unity to His church.

Sure the original context of the verse was about the relationship between the children of Israel. But as believers we’re now adopted into God’s family and we are now brothers and sisters with one another.

Perhaps my second favorite part of baptism -- besides the display of salvation -- is baptising one another as brother or sister.

What a beautiful picture of the tapestry of the Gospel.

Unity is both good and pleasant.

— Ricky Ketchum

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A direct challenge from Jesus

Ricky Ketchum — Wed, 24 Jun 2026 10:01:14 GMT

Jesus’s Compassion for the Crowds

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Now when Jesus heard this he went away from there privately in a boat to an isolated place. But when the crowd heard about it, they followed him on foot from the towns. As he got out he saw the large crowd, and he had compassion on them and healed their sick.

Matthew 14:13-14 (NET)

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I like to highlight verses that tap into my own weaknesses.

Let’s call it “self-deprecating humility.”

Or maybe it’s shoring up my own deficiencies to make me more and more like Christ.

Regardless, what amazes me about this passage is Jesus’s willingness to be interrupted by the crowd -- and His compassion for them when that happens.

The Lord gifted me with an above average intelligence, but my compassion is very, very low.

Also, I don’t like interruptions.

I like to make plans for my day and I hate it when things come along that interrupt those plans.

Here we have the creator of the universe making plans and then being interrupted.

Which is astounding in its own right.

But instead of berating the crowd or giving them a cursory little speech and sending them on their way, Jesus slows down and helps them. Right then and there.

This is an example of faithful obedience that I need to take to heart.

Am I willing to be flexible to the leading of the Holy Spirit -- even when it interrupts my plans?

Oof!

Right in the heart.

And a good challenge for me.

Maybe a good challenge for you too?

— Ricky Ketchum

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Support for when life is pressing hard against you

Ricky Ketchum — Tue, 23 Jun 2026 10:01:51 GMT

Some Trust in Chariots

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Some trust in chariots and some in horses,
but we trust in the name of the Lord our God.

Psalm 20:7 (ESV)

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This isn’t about transportation.

It’s about what you rely on when the enemies of war are at the gates.

The battle is the Lord’s.

The ancient kings put trust in their chariots and cavalry because they were some of the most effective war “machines” in that time.

All else being equal, the army with the greater cavalry would win.

But not everything is equal, especially when God fights our battles for us.

So, what do you trust in when life is pressing hard against you?

If you’re like me, you’re tempted to trust in your own thinking and abilities.

“I’ll figure it out,” I often find myself saying.

But that’s a foolish, independent attitude. What’s better is to go to God in prayer and ask Him for help.

He’s a good Father who takes care of His children.

But some things are only available to us if we ask for them.

I’ve worked to make prayer a regular part of my daily routine with God. It leads me to relying on Him for more and more of life.

Not easy for me, but worth it.

All that work helps me to grow in my trust of Him, and to reach out to Him with everything.

So that I can stop trusting in horses & chariots and 100 percent trust in the name of the Lord my God.

— Ricky Ketchum

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The wrong kind of encouragement … or is it?

Ricky Ketchum — Mon, 22 Jun 2026 10:02:43 GMT

Enter the Kingdom of God

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After they had proclaimed the good news in that city and made many disciples, they returned to Lystra, to Iconium, and to Antioch. They strengthened the souls of the disciples and encouraged them to continue in the faith, saying, “We must enter the kingdom of God through many persecutions.”

Acts 14:21-22 (NET)

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Oh…

I’m not sure I want that kind of encouragement.

Why can’t things just be all easy and blissful?

It’s not time for that right now -- we’re in a war.

Paul spoke to Timothy about how he fought the good fight, finished the race, and kept the faith.

His mission required a lot of grueling work, a ton of agonizing prayer, and plenty of trials.

Exactly the kind of thing you would expect from a soldier in the middle of the battle-field.

But there’s also some excellent news:

We already know who wins, and it’s Jesus.

He won the war when He sacrificed His life on the cross.

The rest is spreading that message of the good news to the world.

Yet we don’t stop and sharing the Gospel once -- we see in these verses that they raised up many disciples (which requires training) and encouraged current disciples and helped them understand the reality of the war we face.

Despite my immature feelings of wanting an easy Christian walk, Jesus is still better than all the world could throw at me.

Obviously, I’m not in the place right now where that’s my attitude 100% of the time.

But Christ is working on me. Helping me to walk further with Him and to see the true beauty He brings to the universe.

Some day I hope my attitude gets completely aligned with His heart.

Until then, I hope you’re also encouraged to walk further with Jesus today.

— Ricky Ketchum

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Spiraling down toward doom

Ricky Ketchum — Sun, 21 Jun 2026 10:01:17 GMT

The Lord Saved Them

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When the Lord raised up [judges] for them, the Lord was with each [judge] and delivered the people from their enemies while the leader remained alive. The Lord felt sorry for them when they cried out in agony because of what their harsh oppressors did to them.

Judges 2:18 (NET)

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Judges is a sad book to read.

It’s basically a downward spiral as the people of Israel continue to make worse and worse choices.

If it’s this sad for me to read, I can’t imagine how agonizing it was for the Lord.

Yet God continued to feel pity for them.

And saved them from the oppression of their enemies.

Honestly, I don’t know how well I’d be able to do that. I’d be balancing my thoughts between “they made their bed, let ‘em lie in it,” and “fine, I’ll do it myself.”

But God’s ways are not our ways, nor are His thoughts our thoughts.

If I’m looking at my own life, suddenly I’m ecstatic that God is so patient with His children.

Because I’m no holy saint either.

I’ve got plenty of problems of my own.

Problems that Christ came to die for so that I could live for Him.

That’s the sobering story of Judges:

Without the Lord, no matter how well we begin, we will continue to spiral downward.

Someone -- God -- has to do great work to keep us from deteriorating.

The Spirit has done a great work in my life, and He’s continuing to do more as I keep walking with Him.

That’s all part of the process of the Lord saving me.

(And, you too.)

— Ricky Ketchum

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Independence = immaturity

Ricky Ketchum — Sat, 20 Jun 2026 10:01:23 GMT

As the Deer Longs for Water

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As a deer longs for streams of water, so I long for you, O God!
I thirst for God, for the living God.
I say, “When will I be able to go and appear in God’s presence?”

Psalm 32:1-2 (NET)

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Such a classic verse.

I’m actually surprised it took me this long to get around to it.

Of course, there are so many wonderful verses in the Bible and it’s hard to hit all the great ones quickly -- even after a year of daily glances!

Anyway, the imagery here is striking:

I always think of a deer in hunting season.

They’ve spent many days living on the edge of life, fearful all day and night.

They’re running everywhere, avoiding open spaces because they know it’s dangerous.

Yet they’re so thirsty that they must brave the danger and grab a drink of soothing, delicious water.

That’s the picture I have of my own desperation when I long for God’s presence.

The Living Water that becomes a well inside of me, springing up to everlasting life.

(Jesus talked about this with the woman at the well in John 4.)

Now, a confession:

I rarely find myself actually craving time with the Lord in this way.

Fortunately, the older I get, the more I long to be with God and in His Word.

It’s part of the upside-down maturing progress of the believer:

We grow more and more dependent on God rather than independent.

There are fewer and fewer things I think I can do on my own. In fact, if I’m honest with myself, I realize there’s nothing I can do on my own.

I need God every hour.

And that’s a sign of maturing.

Just like the deer thirsting for water.

— Ricky Ketchum

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Arguing with trolls is like wrestling a pig…

Ricky Ketchum — Fri, 19 Jun 2026 10:03:10 GMT

Silence the Ignorant

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For God wants you to silence the ignorance of foolish people by doing good.

1 Peter 2:15 (NET)

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We live in a world of loud fools.

Just spend a little time on social media and you can hear them screeching.

The solution to silence them isn’t by screaming louder…

We must do good works.

You know this is wise if you’ve ever tried arguing with these trolls.

No matter what you do, how logical & factual & correct your arguments, they will continue to insist they’re right.

Or they’ll pivot to insults.

Either way, arguing with them is like wrestling a pig in mud:

You both get dirty and the pig likes it!

The better plan (no surprise that God’s Word contains the better plans for us) is to keep quiet, obey Jesus, and do good works.

Our actions silence them.

Plus they eventually grow tired of shouting with no reply.

They’ll move on, haunting some other person, and you can enjoy the sounds of silence.

— Ricky Ketchum

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