Daily Scripture Minute

Even death has no power here

Ricky Ketchum — Sun, 05 Apr 2026 10:02:49 GMT

He Is Risen!

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And [the angel] said to them, “Do not be alarmed. You seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has risen; he is not here. See the place where they laid him.

Mark 16:6 (ESV)

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I’m not sure what to add to this.

It’s the most astounding, fantastic news imaginable:

Our savior who died in our place defeated death itself.

At various times throughout His ministry we saw Jesus do miraculous things; giving glimpses of His power over nature and death itself.

Before THE Resurrection, the biggest miracle we have is raising Lazarus from the dead.

We’ve heard stories over the years of people coming close to death, even losing pulse, but being brought back from the brink.

Not so with Lazarus.

He was dead and rotting in the grave for days when Jesus brought him back to life.

No one had done that before.

Jesus is in the business of doing things no one has done before.

More specifically, in the business of transforming lives, bringing those spiritually dead back to life and bringing us sinners back into relationship with the perfect, holy God of all.

The work that Jesus set out to do?

Finished.

Now, there’s still work for His Church to do.

Namely, getting the word out about the amazing good news:

He is risen …

He is risen, indeed!

— 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.

Too good to stay silent

Ricky Ketchum — Sat, 04 Apr 2026 10:01:06 GMT

The Lord Has Heard

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You who fear the Lord, praise him! All you offspring of Jacob, glorify him, and stand in awe of him, all you offspring of Israel!
For he has not despised or abhorred the affliction of the afflicted, and he has not hidden his face from him, but has heard, when he cried to him.

Psalm 22:23-24 (ESV)

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I thought I’d continue in Psalm 22 today.

It’s quite the read when thinking about the reality of the cross.

Especially considering it was written hundreds of years before crucifixion was invented.

In between Good Friday and Resurrection Sunday is the dark, silence of Saturday.

These verses are in the shifting midpoint of the psalm.

The demonstration of the cross shows us the great love that the Father and the Son have for us.

They have not despised or abhorred our afflictions.

The Father heard us and the Son stepped in to be the sacrifice in our place.

The rescue came for us.

We read about Moses who saw the back of God and his face shone so bright that the people had him wear a veil.

Later we read that Moses talked to God as you would a friend, something no one else did.

Until Jesus came.

Now we have access to the Father, because of the work of the Son, and through the Holy Spirit.

The Trinity all working together to bring us back into relationship.

It’s hard to find an “in-between” verse that paints a picture of that special Saturday.

In some ways, I’ve bled into the message of Sunday.

But it’s just too good to stay silent for long.

— Ricky Ketchum

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Jesus Christ and the terrible, horrible, no good, very bad Friday

Ricky Ketchum — Fri, 03 Apr 2026 10:02:31 GMT

Where Is God?

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My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from saving me, from the words of my groaning?
O my God, I cry by day, but you do not answer, and by night, but I find no rest.

Psalm 22:1-2 (ESV)

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I bet you’re familiar with these words when reading them in the New Testament.

But many don’t know that Jesus was quoting a familiar Psalm from the cross.

As if to tell the people again what all of this was for.

To be sure, Jesus was experiencing the worst agony imaginable for the first time in His eternal existence.

By becoming sin on our behalf it forced the Father to turn away from Him.

Only great love could drive someone to endure all of that.

I’m convinced that even if the whole world were perfect and I alone needed salvation, Jesus would still endure the shame of the cross.

Same for you too.

That is why we celebrate Good Friday today.

Of course it’s not good that our savior had to come to earth, live as a fleshly human, take on all the sin & shame of the world, and die in the process.

Not good … except Sunday’s coming.

Resurrection Sunday makes all the difference in the universe.

It’s what turns a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad Friday into … well … Good Friday.

So, what to do on this day?

I suggest taking some extra time to think about the weight of sin.

Really reflect on what made it necessary for Jesus to do the work He did.

Remember the shame.

And then thank God Almighty that Sunday is coming.

— Ricky Ketchum

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Forerunner of the Great Commission

Ricky Ketchum — Thu, 02 Apr 2026 10:03:27 GMT

Teach the Lord’s Statutes

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and to teach the Israelites all the statutes that the Lord has spoken to them through Moses.”

Leviticus 10:11 (NET)

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Sometimes I save a verse for this newsletter and when I pull it up later I wonder:

“Why did I pick out this verse?!”

I usually figure it out, share some ideas with you, and you all are none the wiser.

Well, today I’m being a bit more vulnerable.

I had to go back to the context of the verse, read the passage around it, to remember why I added it to the list of ever-growing cool-verses-worth-doing-a-daily-email.

This short verse is a reminder to pass on what we’ve learned.

God was speaking to Aaron -- the high priest of Israel -- and instructing him.

The Lord told him, in no uncertain terms, to teach all the statutes to Israel.

As a Levite, a priest of the Lord, he had an important job to do.

Because we are now in the new covenant, and we are all a royal priesthood of Jesus Christ, we also have a similar, important job to do.

Of course our job is not limited to the people of Israel (though it certainly could include them).

Our job is to share the good news of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the redeemer, with the whole world.

To train up the next generation of followers, teaching them to observe all that Christ has commanded us.

…

Hmmmmmmmmm.

You know, that sounds a whole lot like a Great Commission.

Almost like the same God of the universe has been on the same mission to save His children this whole time.

Might be something to that.

— Ricky Ketchum

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It’s better … much better!

Ricky Ketchum — Wed, 01 Apr 2026 10:03:19 GMT

A Superior Ministry

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But now Jesus has obtained a superior ministry, since the covenant that he mediates is also better and is enacted on better promises.

Hebrews 8:6 (NET)

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We don’t often like to associate Jesus with words like “superior.”

Of course, being the King of kings and Lord of lords, He is superior.

But that word just seems to feel so full of pride that I don’t really want to use it. (Maybe that’s just me.)

Here we’re talking about how Jesus’ work sets up a superior New Covenant, replacing the inferior Old Covenant.

Now, covenant isn’t a word we use much today either.

Some people like to compare it to a contract, but a contract can be broken in relatively painless ways that a covenant cannot.

When God set up the old covenant and gave it to Abraham, it was dramatic.

That covenant had Abraham sacrificing animals and God “walking” between them.

A normal covenant had both parties walk between the sacrificed animals. They were declaring, visually, that if I were to break this covenant then my life would be forfeit, just like these animals.

What was unique about how God set that up with Abraham is that the Lord passed between the animals for both parties.

Signalling that if God broke the covenant, He would forfeit His life.

But if Abraham broke the covenant, then God would also forfeit His life.

Which, of course, is exactly what happened.

Israel couldn’t keep the covenant and Jesus came down to sacrifice His life.

Then He set up a new, superior covenant.

One where the very presence of God lives inside of us, right now.

It’s much, much better.

— Ricky Ketchum

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A forty-five hundred dollar lesson

Ricky Ketchum — Tue, 31 Mar 2026 10:03:15 GMT

Blessed by Wisdom

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Blessed is the one who has found wisdom, and the one who obtains understanding.
For her benefit is more profitable than silver, and her gain is better than gold.

Proverbs 3:13-14 (NET)

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A few years ago a guy I know stumbled upon an ounce of gold.

He was with a friend, saw something shining on the ground, picked it up and was shocked!

If you don’t know, an ounce of gold is about $4,500 right now.

Can you imagine that?!

This probably won’t surprise you, but I’ve never had that happen to me. Nor have I heard it happen to anyone else I know either.

Stumbling upon precious metal like that is rare.

And, quite valuable.

Yet wisdom, we are told, is much more valuable.

No wonder the Bible calls the person who finds wisdom blessed.

Returns like that in life seem to be rare. But wisdom doesn’t have to be far away.

We can do things to increase our wisdom and understanding.

Things like talking to the source of all wisdom:

The Lord God.

Reading His Word.

Learning from the experience of others -- whether by words they’ve written or tales they share with us.

There is so much information out there, all ready to be absorbed if only we put in the work to find it, learn it, and apply it.

Go forth and be blessed by wisdom today.

— Ricky Ketchum

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On making hard decisions

Ricky Ketchum — Mon, 30 Mar 2026 10:03:33 GMT

The Lord’s Will Be Done

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Because he could not be persuaded, we said no more except, “The Lord’s will be done.”

Acts 21:14 (NET)

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Paul seemed to be a stubborn man.

Which was probably good for the sake of sending the Gospel into hard places.

He was on a mission and nobody but God was going to get in his way.

Yes, even in stubbornness we can make room for the Lord’s will to be done.

Most of life is filled with struggles, hard questions, and few answers. We do our best to walk the path of righteousness, not always sure if the choices we make are the right ones.

I try and remind myself of the promise in Romans 8:

That God works out all things for good for those who love Him and are called according to His purpose.

I can trust that the decisions I make as a child of God can be worked out for good.

Granted, I want to be making the best decisions possible.

But even the very wise cannot see all ends.

I certainly can’t.

But I have a loving Father who takes care of me, who’s plans will be accomplished.

So, when I come to those trials in life and I do not know whether the right hand path or the left hand path is the correct one, I can simply choose one and trust God with the rest.

After all:

The Lord’s will be done.

— Ricky Ketchum

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Larks, Owls, and Third Birds

Ricky Ketchum — Sun, 29 Mar 2026 10:02:58 GMT

Wake Up, Sleepyhead

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Do not love sleep, lest you become impoverished; open your eyes so that you might be satisfied with food.

Proverbs 20:13 (NET)

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You know what?

Sometimes the advice from the Bible is really simple and…

Frustrating!

Which almost always means it’s some issue I struggle with, has an easy solution, I just need to be better about acting on it.

There are quite a few other similar proverbs sprinkled throughout this book that say more or less the same thing.

Probably the most famous one talks about how poverty creeps up on the lazy, robbing them of potential wealth. What makes both that passage and this verse frustrating for me is my own struggle with laziness.

Most of us probably do our best work in the mornings.

I’m not exactly an early bird but I have found my mind is most active between 9 and 11.

That’s when I schedule my most important work because it’s when I know I’m rocking the most mental power.

Early birds -- larks -- might do better in the 7 to 9 timeline.

And then there are the night owls.

They might wake up at 10 am but their best work is 10 pm (I don’t know, that’s not my world).

Whatever rhythm your body has, optimize around it.

I stopped trying to be the guy that gets up at 5am.

I can’t do it.

I can’t do much quality work after 8 pm (if I do, it’s takes like four times as long).

But I can be the 6:30 guy who starts working at 7 and really finds his groove at 9.

I’m a third bird.

That works for me.

What works for you?

— Ricky Ketchum

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Nothing can stop it but you better not oppose it

Ricky Ketchum — Sat, 28 Mar 2026 10:01:56 GMT

God’s Plans

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So in this case I say to you, stay away from these men and leave them alone, because if this plan or this undertaking originates with people, it will come to nothing, but if it is from God, you will not be able to stop them, or you may even be found fighting against God.” He convinced them

Acts 5:38-39 (NET)

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For context, this was a religious leader named Gamaliel speaking to his peers after dealing with the scandal of the apostles preaching about Jesus.

I don’t know if Gamaliel was a secret believer, but he might have been.

The reason I say that is because Luke (the author) took the time to actually name him, a sign of respect.

Regardless, there’s an important message for us here:

God’s plans will succeed, whether we work with Him or fight against Him.

This plan in particular will succeed:

You know, sharing the hope-filled message of Jesus’ work of salvation to the whole world.

God wants to bring His creation back into perfect relationship with Him and this is the only way to do it.

Nothing we do will stop that plan, though we can get in its way (thus opposing God).

Now, that’s a scary thought.

Yet it’s a reality I face every day whenever I choose to sin.

Sin is, by its nature, a rebellion against God. So whenever I do sin I am opposing God in some way.

How strange that I would so hate to find myself opposing God like the Sanhedrin here, and yet think almost nothing of sinning day-to-day.

Clearly I’m a work in progress.

God’s still got a lot of work left to do in me.

What a blessing that He is so gracious and merciful to be patient with me while I struggle to mature.

In the meantime, it’s a good idea for me to align myself with His plans.

— Ricky Ketchum

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Dealing with THE impossible standard

Ricky Ketchum — Fri, 27 Mar 2026 10:01:44 GMT

Holy Like God

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Speak to the whole congregation of the Israelites and tell them, ‘You must be holy because I, the Lord your God, am holy.

Leviticus 19:2 (NET)

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Have you heard this before?

“I’m only human.”

We often say something like that when making a mistake and we want to soften the pain (i.e., protect our fragile egos).

An harsh reminder today:

God’s standard for you is … perfection.

He created mankind in perfection and for a little while we walked perfectly with Him.

I’m sure it lasted a few weeks … but then that forbidden fruit looked so good.

Too bad it dealt death.

The perfection was broken. Our relationship with God was fractured. If we were ever going to get back into perfect relationship with the Lord, something had to compromise.

God’s standards never compromise.

Even when giving the law to the people of Israel -- like we see in this verse -- the Lord’s benchmark stayed the same:

Perfection. Holiness.

So, what’s the solution?

What’s the compromise?

The Lord God took on human flesh, lived THE perfect life, and died in our place.

I know I talk a lot about the Gospel here, but I never get over it. It remains the most amazing truth, fresh every day.

Of course I need a fresh renewal every day because I’m a very broken sinner.

Yet God’s standard remains:

Perfection. Holiness.

THE impossible standard, except for the grace of God.

— Ricky Ketchum

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Always on the move

Ricky Ketchum — Thu, 26 Mar 2026 10:03:20 GMT

The Lord Is Their God

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I will reside among the Israelites, and I will be their God, and they will know that I am the Lord their God, who brought them out from the land of Egypt, so that I may reside among them. I am the Lord their God.

Exodus 29:45-46 (NET)

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Identity is crucial.

I’ve done a lot of work with 20-somethings coming out of college and jumping into the work world.

Let me tell you, they’re in an identity crisis.

They’ve spent their whole lives as students, learning, growing, and attending school. All of a sudden they are no longer students, now they’re employees.

Major life shifts can often cause identity crises.

I’d say moving from slave of Egypt to free person wandering the wilderness counts as a major life shift.

More major than leaving college.

These people needed God to be a foundation they could rely on. They were now a nomadic people, in search of a homeland. Everything about their life shifted every day.

When everything is moving around you, it’s good to have a solid foundation.

More than good, necessary.

Three different times in these verses the Lord tells them that He will be their God.

I could comment on the significance of threes here, but I think you can pick up on that yourself.

In a broader sense, I’d like for you to always be paying attention to the times when God repeats Himself. He does that because He wants to emphasize the point.

I am the Lord their God.

It’s a covenantal relationship; stronger than any marriage.

The strongest foundation we could ever have to build our life on.

Even if it’s always on the move.

— Ricky Ketchum

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When you’re too busy to do it all

Ricky Ketchum — Wed, 25 Mar 2026 10:03:24 GMT

Devoted to Prayer & Ministry

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But we will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word.

Acts 6:4 (NET)

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Devote:

To give one’s time, focus one’s efforts, commit oneself, etc. entirely for, on, or to a certain matter

It’s a whole commitment.

How devoted are you?

I’m asking myself that as much (or more) as I’m asking you.

I know we declare our devotion to Christ when we choose Him at salvation. And we make it public when we get baptized.

Yet there’s a lot of day to day life that seems to get in the way.

What’s distracting you from your devotion?

In the apostles’ case, it was good ministry needs -- specifically taking care of the orphaned & widowed who needed food.

Definitely a good thing that needed to be done.

But did the leaders of the church need to be the ones doing it?

They certainly could do it, except some in need were falling through the cracks. The fact is that the apostles were just too busy to do every good thing.

So they raised other leaders to help.

This gave leadership roles to up & comers, allowed the apostles to focus on prayer and the ministry of the Word, and helped grow the church.

Sometimes delegation is the best course of action.

It doesn’t mean that you’re incapable of doing the work, or that you think it’s beneath you. It may simply be a case of handing off something good others can do in service of something good only you can do.

Both roles can display devotion.

The Body of Christ is diverse & beautiful that way.

— Ricky Ketchum

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Don’t ignore this, go to the water and drink deeply

Ricky Ketchum — Tue, 24 Mar 2026 10:02:22 GMT

That Is Wisdom

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And he said to mankind, ‘The fear of the Lord—that is wisdom, and to turn away from evil is understanding.’”

Job 28:28 (NET)

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The older I get, the more I’m a fan of simple.

I used to think the best things -- the most sophisticated things -- were also the most complex things.

Not anymore.

Wisdom thrives in the simple truths of life.

Like this verse:

“The fear of the Lord—that is wisdom.”

Because Job is a wisdom book (meant to teach us the wisdom of God) then we must take this message to heart. It’s literally telling us where the root of wisdom is.

Proverbs does the same thing too.

If you haven’t yet, I encourage you to spend some time reading the whole book of Proverbs in a single sitting. You’ll be amazed how often the fear of the Lord pops out as the foundation of wisdom.

Wisdom is not hidden or mysterious; it’s given to us in the daylight.

(I’m using daylight metaphorically.)

God could have chosen to hide wisdom from us.

To only give it to those who seek it out to the utmost ends of the earth.

Instead, He puts it in the middle of the most published and popular book in the history of the world (at least I think it still holds that record).

Even in the book of James, we’re told that to gain wisdom from God all we have to do is ask.

What a blessing to find wisdom direct from the Source!

Don’t ignore this, go to the water and drink deeply.

— Ricky Ketchum

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Talking with the king-priest

Ricky Ketchum — Mon, 23 Mar 2026 10:03:13 GMT

Jesus Intercedes for Us

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So [Jesus] is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them.

Hebrews 7:25 (NET)

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Hebrews is a tough book to get through.

There’s some amazing chapters in it, like the Hall of Faith in chapter 11.

But it’s also full of all kinds of complicated and deep theology.

This chapter talks about how Jesus is the great high priest, in the order of Melchizedek.

Melchizedek was a king-priest that Abraham met all the way back in the book of Genesis.

There’s some debate as to whether he functioned as just a king-priest of God in the city of Salem (probably a precursor to Jerusalem) or if the Genesis story is an early appearance by Jesus.

(Called a theophany.)

In any case, the critical component here is that Jesus functions as a king-priest too. Unlike the other priests and Levites in Israel, Jesus is a part of a different priestly order.

That may or may not be interesting to you, but it is important.

More important than that theology is the work Jesus did -- and is still doing -- for us.

He is our intercessor.

He bridges the gap between God and us, so that we can have a living, ongoing relationship with the Father.

Like any good relationship, communication is essential.

God gave His Word to us so that we might learn and grow with Him.

We also have prayer, a means to talk to God in which the Holy Spirit also intercedes for us (interpreting our prayers, even when we cannot find the words).

And, of course, Jesus prays for us too.

— Ricky Ketchum

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Doing more with less

Ricky Ketchum — Sun, 22 Mar 2026 10:01:16 GMT

Keep the Sabbaths

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“Tell the Israelites, ‘Surely you must keep my Sabbaths, for it is a sign between me and you throughout your generations, that you may know that I am the Lord who sanctifies you.

Exodus 31:13 (NET)

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Something’s always amazed me about Chick-fil-a.

Not the delicious chicken, though I do enjoy it.

Or that awesome sauce.

They run a super successful company in six days when everyone else tries in seven.

Sure, they cut a lot of costs. One less day of building use and labor to pay.

But that doesn’t really tell the whole story.

How can someone be successful, even to the point of blowing the others away, while spending less time doing it?

More importantly:

How can we take inspiration from all of this and apply it to our own lives?

When God made the world, He established a “rhythm” to it. I think a lot of the normal wisdom of everyday life comes by tapping into that rhythm.

No matter if you’re a believer or not, the science shows that humans do best when they work six days and rest for one.

That’s the optimal rhythm.

It’s not a coincidence that we operate that way…

We were literally designed to function like that.

I know that the Church now (mostly) celebrates Sabbath on Sunday, not Saturday, because of when the Resurrection took place.

Every week is a testament to the greatest moment in history.

I think that’s pretty cool.

And I’m glad to use my Sundays as a day of rest and reset.

— Ricky Ketchum

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A warning from the apostle Paul:

Ricky Ketchum — Sat, 21 Mar 2026 10:02:50 GMT

Fake Christians

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having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power. Avoid such people.

2 Timothy 3:5 (ESV)

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This may surprise you:

Not everyone is as they seem.

😱

It’s true. Some people will lie & deceive so they can get their own selfish desires met.

(I know, I know, understatement of the year.)

I wish this was just limited to the world.

But we have to be on the lookout for fake Christians in our churches.

Wolves in sheeps’ clothing looking to devour others.

I’m a pretty trusting person by nature.

I remember back when I was in kindergarten and one of the kids in class tried to convince me that Santa was real. He had all kinds of elaborate “proof” he saw that he shared with me.

Obviously it was just his words against my parents.

I’d never had to face that kind of crisis of belief before.

What do you do when two people are telling you opposing stories and they cannot both be true?

In most cases, you weigh the probabilities of the evidence and decide which one makes the most sense.

That’s the logical approach.

But as believers we have an extra super-power: the Holy Spirit.

We can go straight to the source of all Truth and Wisdom and simply ask Him to reveal the truth to us.

God gives us a lot of tools to walk wisely in the world today, we ought to use them.

— Ricky Ketchum

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🍯 A tasty proverb for anyone with a sweet tooth

Ricky Ketchum — Fri, 20 Mar 2026 10:03:22 GMT

Wisdom, Sweet as Honey

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Eat honey, my child, for it is good, and honey from the honeycomb is sweet to your taste.

Likewise, know that wisdom is sweet to your soul; if you have found it, you have a future, and your hope will not be cut off.

Proverbs 24:13-14 (NET)

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What’s this?

A Bible verse encouraging us to eat our sweet treats?

YES!

🙌

Okay, okay, maybe not so much.

Though the Lord did make flowers & bees who create honey and He did call it “good.”

Despite all the amazing sugary concoctions we have today via the use of technology, honey is still one of the sweetest treats we can use.

I’ve been known to use honey now and then to sweeten up coffee and herbal teas.

(It somehow feels more natural in tea.)

But all of that is a metaphor for the real sweet treat to our soul:

Wisdom.

Walking through life with wisdom makes most everything we do better.

While not all our best laid plans work out perfectly -- we do still exist in a cursed & fallen world and our efforts often yield “thorns & thistles” -- wisdom guides us to more and better outcomes.

Plus, it’s not a false hope for the future; it’s a hope based on sound thinking.

In other words, stacking the odds in your favor.

Where can you find wisdom?

The author of all wisdom is available to talk anytime, plus He’s written this great book for us to read.

You can also learn from others’ lived experiences: either through their own writings or from what they have to teach you.

Both options are better than figuring it out on your own.

That’s a pathway filled with painful lessons.

— Ricky Ketchum

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Astonished beyond measure

Ricky Ketchum — Thu, 19 Mar 2026 09:02:02 GMT

Jesus Did All Things Well

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And they were astonished beyond measure, saying, “He has done all things well. He even makes the deaf hear and the mute speak.”

Mark 7:37 (ESV)

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Sometimes I need a good verse about being in awe of God.

Of course they could only see the outward expression of His power (the miracles).

Which was still enough to astonish them beyond measure.

Probably not an exaggeration.

If I look over my life I can see many times when God has astonished me beyond measure.

Times when I absolutely needed Him to come through for me or I was going to face a ton of hard trials and He was faithful.

Also, times when I was hurting in my heart and needed a Great Comforter, and He was faithful.

Jesus did miracles they had never seen before: making the deaf hear and the mute speak.

I suppose we have some science that does similar things -- but it’s taken us 2,000 years of technological development to get to this point.

Jesus did it back then by simply exercising His power over the universe.

And all of those miracles serve to reinforce the main point of this verse:

Jesus did all things well.

Good thing too, because we are completely hopeless without a perfect savior who does all things well in our place.

We certainly cannot do all things well.

I’d argue that we can’t do anything well, because even the good we do is tainted by sin.

We are broken and in need of intervention by God if we are to have any hope of life beyond this fallen world.

Praise God that we have a savior who loved us so much to give us this great exchange.

— Ricky Ketchum

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Some encouragement when your plans go poorly

Ricky Ketchum — Wed, 18 Mar 2026 09:01:41 GMT

God Makes Room for Us

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And [Isaac] moved from there and dug another well, and they did not quarrel over it. So he called its name Rehoboth, saying, “For now the Lord has made room for us, and we shall be fruitful in the land.”

Genesis 26:22 (ESV)

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If you want some encouragement when plans go awry, this is a good verse.

For context, the well here is something like the third well he had to dig after the first two were fought over and “claimed” by other people.

It’s annoying to finish a task and have to do it all over again … and then again.

I don’t know about you, but I’ve done plenty of projects where I got almost to the end and realized, “I messed something up… I have to start over.”

Isaac is facing a worse situation than that:

He finished the work, it was taken from him, and he had to start over again.

At least my projects were mistakes I made, not outside interference stealing them from me.

But I love the attitude that Isaac has here. He calls the well Rehoboth which roughly translates to “room,” and it stands as a testimony to the Lord making room for him and his family.

God does that:

Makes room for us when it seems like there’s no room left.

Often we want the room to come by seeing success immediately.

Yet that’s often not the path God chooses. This story is the more familiar path, where we do a project, face adversity, and God comes through for us.

More than the blessing he sees from the immediate & obvious work of God, Isaac recognizes the blessing God will give him and is optimistic that the Lord will make them fruitful (i.e., successful) in the land.

— Ricky Ketchum

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The most important choice in the universe (yes, it really is)

Ricky Ketchum — Tue, 17 Mar 2026 10:02:27 GMT

Jesus, the Great I Am

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Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am.”

John 8:58 (ESV)

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If you’re into apologetics, this is a fantastic verse to memorize.

It’s the clearest declaration we have of Jesus stating, emphatically, that He Is God.

The original listeners understood that was exactly what He was declaring, because they immediately picked up stones to stone Him (for blasphemy by making Himself equal with God).

Jesus simply walked away from the angry mob.

That’s incredible power.

We’ve seen a lot of angry mobs on the news over the last decade, and for someone who is the object of their anger and they’re ready to start literally throwing stones at, to just walk away…

Wow!

So, not only does Jesus clearly say He is God, He also demonstrates His power by ignoring the mob because it wasn’t His time to die yet.

The “I am” is a reference back to Moses and the burning bush.

God tells Moses that “I am” has sent him to rescue His people from the clutches of slavery.

In fact, the name of God (Yahweh) is a noun equivalent to the verb “I am.”

Jesus made it obvious that He and the Father were (still are) equal.

Which leaves all of us with a singular choice (which C.S. Lewis so famously shared):

You can either believe that Jesus was a liar, He was a lunatic, or He is Lord.

There is no room for “good person” or “good teacher.”

He is either God or He is not.

Choose.

— Ricky Ketchum

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