Daily Scripture Minute

Wild dogs & roving arguments

Ricky Ketchum — Sun, 24 May 2026 10:02:31 GMT

Fighting Other’s Battles

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Like one who grabs a wild dog by the ears,
so is the person passing by who becomes furious over a quarrel not his own.

Proverbs 26:17 (NET)

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I see this happen most often on social media.

Especially in the fields of politics.

People looking for a reason to get riled up about fights that have nothing to do with them.

Seriously, what can you or I contribute to most of those arguments?

Oh sure, we can pick a side, throw in our two cents, and root for our team.

We can jeer the opponents and cause a ruckus.

But there are very few cases where we could actually do something productive to solve the issue being argued about.

If that’s the case, then why jump into the argument at all?

That’s the question the proverb poses.

It’s a warning against allowing ourselves to get angry over arguments that we have no business even participating in.

It’s blatantly absurd to grab a wild dog by the ears -- you’re almost certain to get bit.

Yet we’ll jump into a wild argument without considering the consequences.

The better plan?

Leave the wild dogs alone, let them roam on by.

It’s certainly a lower stress life. Although it may require spending less time on social media … or watching the news … or avoiding those people you know who engage in those kinds of arguments.

Those could be hard habits, or relationships, to break.

What’s peace of mind worth to you?

— 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.

The single most significant moment of all time

Ricky Ketchum — Sat, 23 May 2026 10:02:13 GMT

Christ Secured Eternal Redemption

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But now Christ has come as the high priest of the good things to come. He passed through the greater and more perfect tent not made with hands, that is, not of this creation, and he entered once for all into the Most Holy Place not by the blood of goats and calves but by his own blood, and so he himself secured eternal redemption.

Hebrews 9:11-12 (NET)

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The tent, of course, referred to here is the Tabernacle.

As great as it was in the days of Moses when Israel first assembled it, that Tabernacle could never compare to the more perfect one residing in heaven.

Seeing as this letter was addressed to the Hebrews, they would have instantly known the significance of this illustration.

Christ’s perfect sacrifice was completed on the perfect altar in the Holy Place of heaven.

Everything about the old testament sacrificial system was merely a precursor to the work that Jesus would eventually do.

The blood of goats & calves, even as spotless as we could find, would never be able to perfectly remove our sin from the most holy God of the universe.

It was all designed to display our faith and trust in a future sacrifice.

Now that sacrifice is in our past.

Salvation has always been about the transformative faith in God.

Before Christ, it was faith in a future sacrifice that would bring about the forgiveness of sins.

After Chrsist, it is faith in a past sacrifice that did bring about the forgiveness of sins.

That Easter Day was the single most significant moment in time.

Only Jesus’s work, a perfect life given as a substitute on our behalf, could be good enough to secure eternal redemption.

Praise God that He was willing to lay His life down for us!

— Ricky Ketchum

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Increasing freedom by adding rules?!

Ricky Ketchum — Fri, 22 May 2026 10:02:17 GMT

Prolong Your Days

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and that you may so revere the Lord your God that you will keep all his statutes and commandments that I am giving you—you, your children, and your grandchildren—all your lives, to prolong your days.

Deuteronomy 6:2 (NET)

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I used to think rules were limiting.

Well, I guess by definition they are, but what I really mean is that they used to feel stifling.

Like the rules were a burden to carry and kept me from true freedom.

The illustration that turned all of this on its head for me was thinking of rules and boundaries like a garden.

In the wild, untamed lands the plants can grow freely. Which looks like freedom but is also filled with chaos.

There is beauty to this chaotic nature, but it pales compared to the beauty of a well-tended garden.

What enhances the garden’s beauty?

The boundaries.

The weeds are removed. Only certain plants can grow in certain places.

There is a great design to how the garden is organized and the good gardener tends to it in order to allow the special plants to flourish to their fullest potential.

The boundaries aren’t limiting the flowers -- they help give them life!

And so it is with the boundaries God places upon us.

His statutes and commandments are designed to give us abundant life and prolong our days.

He is a good God, the great gardener, who tends to us carefully. Planting us, watering us, feeding us, and keeping the weeds from choking out our potential.

I no longer feel limited by God’s rules, I feel free.

— Ricky Ketchum

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Weapons in the war against the evil one

Ricky Ketchum — Thu, 21 May 2026 09:02:45 GMT

Blessing from a Curse

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Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us (because it is written, “Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree”) in order that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham would come to the Gentiles, so that we could receive the promise of the Spirit by faith.

Galatians 3:13-14 (NET)

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I think of this as one of those reinforcing verses.

One that supports the beliefs we have about why Jesus’s work on the cross was able to free us from the curse of sin.

In short, because He is our substitute.

He paid the price for our sin and we receive the benefit of God’s grace (if we accept Jesus’s sacrifice and make Him the boss of our life).

Obviously, this is the ultimate Good News.

All part of the great exchange.

More than taking on the curse for us, He also gives us the ultimate blessing: being a child of God.

Of course this verse points out that this blessing belongs to more than merely Abraham’s children. It belongs to the rest of the world (i.e., Gentiles) too -- if we accept it.

How do we receive this blessing?

The Holy Spirit gives it to us if we place our faith in God.

I know all of that is a bit elementary, a little fundamental.

But it’s important to reinforce our beliefs with the truth of Scripture. You never know when the Enemy will come along and tempt you to doubt your own salvation.

Or tempt you to doubt the very work of Christ.

Verses like this are weapons in the war against the evil one.

— Ricky Ketchum

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Never forget

Ricky Ketchum — Wed, 20 May 2026 09:02:15 GMT

God Is Merciful

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(for he is a merciful God), he will not let you down or destroy you, for he cannot forget the covenant with your ancestors that he confirmed by oath to them.

Deuteronomy 4:31 (NET)

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Here’s what I like about this verse.

(Well, aside from the obvious promise it makes.)

God cannot forget the covenant.

Of course we are no longer under this particular covenant because Jesus established a new one on the cross.

But that doesn’t negate this aspect of God:

He cannot forget.

Much better than an elephant, which probably does forget some things (though I can’t prove that). Certainly much better than me who forgets important stuff all the time.

God is perfect and merciful.

I mean it tells us about His mercy right at the beginning of this verse.

Then it comforts us with encouragement that God will not let us down or destroy His people … because of the covenantal promise He made with us.

There were a few times in Israel’s history where that covenant was all that stood between them and complete disaster. I’m sure there have been times in my own life when God kept me from complete disaster too.

A verse like this gives me confidence as I walk through life.

I already know that as a child of God I am protected into eternity. I can rely on Him to take care of me, like any good father.

Not only does He have the desire to help His children, but He has the power to help at all times.

— Ricky Ketchum

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Appearing wise or confirming your foolishness

Ricky Ketchum — Tue, 19 May 2026 09:02:02 GMT

Silent Wisdom

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Even a fool who remains silent is considered wise, and the one who holds his tongue is deemed discerning.

Proverbs 17:28 (NET)

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Here’s a fun little verse we can all use:

Stay silent and you’ll at least look wise.

It’s only when we open our mouths that we remove all doubt!

🤣

(I don’t know what that says about a person who writes daily emails … I guess that’s another reason to rely on the Holy Spirit.)

Perhaps the biggest Biblical example of this is Peter.

He was constantly speaking up as a disciple and looking foolish.

Which is a little bit unfair because he also spoke up and said some amazing things. Like when he declared that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the Living God…

…followed by saying something else foolish and getting rebuked by Jesus!

I hate getting rebuked by anyone, I can’t imagine what getting rebuked by Jesus would be like.

Probably not a fun day.

But it does serve as an ongoing example for us.

And an encouragement because even though Peter went through many such mistakes, he was still the leader of the early church. He wrote a couple of exceptional letters of Scripture. He lived a life -- and died a death -- worthy of God’s service.

So, yes, we should take this proverb to heart and do our best to appear wise.

But there’s nothing wrong with a little action in the wrong direction. God can steer a moving car, but it’s hard to move a parked car.

— Ricky Ketchum

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Better than binging

Ricky Ketchum — Mon, 18 May 2026 09:02:38 GMT

Shaped by the Spirit

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For those who live according to the flesh have their outlook shaped by the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit have their outlook shaped by the things of the Spirit.

Romans 8:5 (NET)

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We sometimes forget that we’re at war.

Not a war of flesh & blood, but a war of the spiritual powers of life & darkness.

Jesus already won the war, but the battles are still fought every day.

Earlier in chapter 8 we see that those of us who are believers in Christ Jesus now live under grace instead of condemnation.

Thus, Jesus won the war.

But our flesh, and the Enemy, keep fighting.

Partly to drive us to ineffective service of the King and partly to discourage us in our walk with Him.

The way to win the battle is by setting our minds on the Spirit.

To live according to the Spirit, to be shaped by Him.

It’s not a one-and-done thing because it’s a daily fight.

One little decision here, one little choice there. Soon you start racking up more wins than loses and build more and more momentum toward the good.

Rather than thinking in big, harry, audacious goals, we can simply focus on following the Spirit’s leading for each tiny moment.

Consistency is the better plan.

I like to do things in binges. Often watching many episodes of a show rather than one at a time.

But we can’t binge through life.

We have to take it one moment at a time.

Best to be sensitive to the Spirit and follow His leading.

— Ricky Ketchum

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I’m as guilty of skipping over this as anyone else

Ricky Ketchum — Sun, 17 May 2026 09:01:41 GMT

Entrusted to the Lord

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When they had appointed elders for them in the various churches, with prayer and fasting they entrusted them to the protection of the Lord in whom they had believed.

Acts 14:23 (NET)

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Just the other day my church did a commissioning for a couple new elders.

One thing we missed doing in the church service itself was fasting for them.

Although we did pray.

Fasting is often tied to prayer and yet so few of us make it a regular practice of our walk with Jesus.

I’m as guilty of skipping over that as anyone else.

Sure I can make some time for prayer, especially early in the morning as part of my normal time alone with God routine.

But fasting?

That one seems to require a bit more discipline and I too often neglect it.

Here we have an example showing the importance of adding fasting to prayer.

Because this story in Acts is showing us what did happen rather than prescribing what should happen, it’s important to take it with a grain of salt.

In other words, I don’t take this as a decree to commission with prayer & fasting (at least from this verse). But I do take it as a prime example to follow.

Of course not everyone can reasonably add fasting to their routines.

It’s important to listen to your body and your doctor.

Yet the times that I have fasted from food and spent time concentrating on prayer have been sweet indeed.

Sweet enough for me to know from personal experience that it’s a great habit to add.

Something I will be doing soon.

— Ricky Ketchum

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I hope this helps you

Ricky Ketchum — Sat, 16 May 2026 09:01:08 GMT

Choose the Best Part

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But the Lord answered her, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things, but one thing is needed. Mary has chosen the best part; it will not be taken away from her.”

Luke 10:41-42 (NET)

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Priorities are hard.

Honoring your guests, keeping a house clean and preparing food on the table is good.

Maybe even great.

But it pales compared to spending time when Jesus is around.

Not to say that spending all your time in the Bible and in prayer is the right thing. There’s a ton of nuance here.

But for this story, in this moment in time, being with Jesus was the best thing.

Mary chose this and she was rewarded.

But how do you know what to choose and when to choose it?

Like I said before: priorities are hard.

There are certainly seasons of life when setting aside all other distractions and spending intentional focused time with the Lord is the right move. Maybe that’s a week or weekend away.

But most of life has its own, good, distractions.

We should be taking care of our family, our household, our guests, etc.

Which means that often the right path is the tiny, consistent, daily time spent with Jesus.

I’ve tried to contribute to that with these simple little emails.

I hope it’s helped.

— Ricky Ketchum

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Look up in the stars

Ricky Ketchum — Fri, 15 May 2026 09:00:37 GMT

The Heavens Declare

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The heavens declare the glory of God; the sky displays his handiwork.

Psalm 19:1 (NET)

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A classic, coffee-cup verse.

I’m surprised I missed it last year.

But let’s look beyond the common elements of this verse.

God’s creation declares its own evidence of His existence & power.

I was talking with my dad the other day about the Pharisees who asked Jesus for a sign. Yet Jesus refused to give them another sign because they didn’t need one.

They already had the Scriptures.

They have the stars and the sky and the creation of the world.

They had no excuse to ignore the signs around them declaring that Jesus is the Messiah.

Likewise, today, we have no excuse to disbelieve God.

The evidence is all around us. The universe has consistent order to it, implying that there is a great Designer who put it all together.

Beyond that, we live in an information age where almost everyone has access to almost all information -- including the Scriptures which are available online.

Especially if someone speaks or reads English.

The skies and stars are not the total revelation of God…

…but they are a starting point.

— Ricky Ketchum

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Mighty works via…

Ricky Ketchum — Thu, 14 May 2026 10:02:18 GMT

Little Faith

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But [Jesus] said to them, “Why are you cowardly, you people of little faith?” Then he got up and rebuked the winds and the sea, and it was dead calm.

Matthew 8:26 (NET)

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I feel this one.

Most of the time I read the stories from the disciples and think, “Man, these guys were idiots. How could they miss this?!”

Which is really just my own pride & ego.

But this story I can relate to. I’d definitely be cowering alongside the disciples.

So, let’s call a spade a spade:

This means that I too am a man of little faith.

In fact, I often find myself praying, “Lord, I want to believe You but I just don’t right now. Help my unbelief.”

Somehow this feels more authentic than pretending I have the faith when I don’t.

Sometimes people talk about “fake it ‘til you make it.” Which could be wise enough words in some context -- as long as you aren’t cheating anyone out of something.

It’d love to be a guy who pretends I have more faith than I often do.

But I think it’s a better idea to just be honest with myself, lay the reality on the table, and ask God to help me.

Isn’t that actually more faith than we think it is?

What I mean is, it takes some measure of faith to humbly come to God and ask for His help. I obviously believe He can help and that He wants to help.

And that He will help.

Even though I’m a man of little faith, I can still give God what little faith I have and entrust Him to do mighty works with it.

— Ricky Ketchum

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Calling Captain Obvious

Ricky Ketchum — Wed, 13 May 2026 10:03:13 GMT

Avoid Empty Things

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You should not turn aside after empty things that can’t profit and can’t deliver, since they are empty.

1 Samuel 12:21 (NET)

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This is one of those Captain Obvious type Bible verses.

Which is partly unfair to the verse because there’s a lot of wisdom in the more Captain Obvious-type sayings.

It’s also the reason I like it (I enjoy the obvious wisdom).

This verse is a warning to us about running after the wrong goals in life.

Sure, we want to avoid the worthless & empty sins.

But there’s a ton of things in life that look good on the surface but ultimately prove to be fruitless. Maybe it’s chasing after the latest shiny-object dream … or allowing too many distractions.

I know I’m being a bit vague, but there’s really too many possibilities for me to cover all of it.

I’m betting if you sit and think for a minute, you’ll know what sorts of empty things are distracting you from the best.

So, what do you do with that information?

Make a tiny change -- today.

Nothing huge, just the smallest micro-change you can think of that changes your direction and moves you toward running after fulfilling things.

Something so small it would be ridiculous to not do it.

Small decisions stack up.

A year of small, positive decisions moves you much farther than you might feel.

Turning toward something worthwhile is also the best way to avoid empty things.

— Ricky Ketchum

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I wonder how many of us would do this

Ricky Ketchum — Tue, 12 May 2026 10:03:39 GMT

Everyone Marveled

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As he was getting into the boat, the man who had been possessed with demons begged him that he might be with him. And he did not permit him but said to him, “Go home to your friends and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how he has had mercy on you.” And he went away and began to proclaim in the Decapolis how much Jesus had done for him, and everyone marveled.

Mark 5:18-20 (ESV)

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What a picture of obedience and multiplication!

First we see Jesus leaving the area after doing a great miracle -- as if His work there was done and it was time to move on.

I wonder how many of us would be sensitive enough to the Spirit to leave when a mighty miracle had just been performed?

At the very least I would be debating with God.

Foolish, but I’m a flawed human.

Yet Jesus gets going, ready to move on to the next assignment. Understandably, this man wants to go with Him. But Jesus denies him the chance!

I wonder how many of us would be willing to turn away help like this?

Again, I’d be debating.

“God, You just healed this guy. Clearly, You want him on Your team. He wants to join us… this seems like a win-win.”

But there were bigger missions and the Holy Spirit was guiding in His wisdom. (I say that because I believe that’s what was happening but it’s not explicitly stated, FYI.)

This man’s mission: Go to the ten cities where he was known and declare the Good News of what Jesus did for him.

I wonder how many of us would accept the assignment, despite our disappointment, and then fulfill the mission to the marvel of everyone?

I’d probably be…

…you get it.

The lesson here is pretty simple, even if it’s not easy for us high-ego people:

Listen closely for the assignment from God. Then do it.

…

(For the record, I’m always preaching to myself here, like normal.)

— Ricky Ketchum

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What do I really have to be jealous of?

Ricky Ketchum — Mon, 11 May 2026 10:02:42 GMT

Don’t Envy Sinners

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Do not let your heart envy sinners, but rather be zealous in fearing the Lord all the time. For surely there is a future, and your hope will not be cut off.

Proverbs 23:17-18 (NET)

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When are you more likely to find yourself envying sinners?

When times are going great or when times are tough?

Pretty easy answer.

Don’t fall into the trap of envying others just to escape the pain of present struggles.

For one thing, throughout the book of Proverbs it’s clear that people who are wicked (e.g., sinners) will get their comeuppance.

It may take years and years for it to happen.

And maybe God is being gracious & patient with them, giving them chance after chance to repent and turn away from their sin. We want Him to do the same for us, so we should grant room for that to happen to current sinners too.

Eventually, God balances everything out.

Our sin was punished -- on the cross.

Their sin may not be punished here on the earth (although it’s likely that it will in some way) but it’s certainly punished either on the cross or in eternal damnation.

It’s a harsh reality and it keeps me humble.

When I’m envying sinners and I remember this truth, it cuts right through my envy.

Instead of jealousy, I feel pity & sadness.

I have hope and an eternal future. They might have that hope, or they may have eternal despair & punishment.

What do I really have to be jealous of?

Nothing.

I’ve got God and that’s all I need.

— Ricky Ketchum

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Shining the brightest in heaven

Ricky Ketchum — Sun, 10 May 2026 10:01:32 GMT

Devoted to Good Works

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And let our people learn to devote themselves to good works, so as to help cases of urgent need, and not be unfruitful.

Titus 3:14 (ESV)

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Here’s a case of a verse that packs a whole lot into a few words.

Devoted to good works; helping urgent needs; be fruitful.

I have to think that if I spent most of my time concentrating on those goals, not only would I be busier than I ever imagined possible, but I’d probably be quite productive in my Kingdom mission.

Urgent needs are always easy to spot.

We’re almost always being made aware of them; they stand out.

For example, sometime in the past week or so my church emailed me about an urgent need for some funding for a couple upcoming mission trips. Stuff like that is almost always construction-worker high visibility.

In contrast, good works and long term fruitfulness are quiet & subtle.

Not subtle to God -- He sees our good works and sets up heavenly rewards for them.

Subtle to our human experience.

Hard to spot, easy to miss, and often ignored. It takes a deep character and commitment to the Kingdom work to stick to these kinds of fruits when there is no visible reward.

It’s why doling out verbal encouragement is so important (something I’m working on myself).

You can see the ebbs and flows of life work in these waves.

What I mean is, there are times of acute needs that are almost self-rewarding. Like high waves we can surf. Most of the time this ocean of work is flat, the movement is slow, but still critical.

That’s when devotion is hard.

It’s also when devotion shines the brightest … in heaven.

— Ricky Ketchum

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I’ve never had this regret

Ricky Ketchum — Sat, 09 May 2026 10:03:02 GMT

Guard My Lips

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O Lord, place a guard on my mouth. Protect the opening of my lips. Do not let me have evil desires, or participate in sinful activities with men who behave wickedly. I will not eat their delicacies.

Psalm 141:3-4 (NET)

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I think this is a prayer we could all use from time to time.

Maybe even every day.

Lord, guard my lips and keep me far from the wicked.

The book of James tells us that there is immense power in our words.

That power isn’t limited to the words that leave our lips (or flow from our fingertips). What we say to ourselves in the dark recesses of our hearts & minds are powerful too.

As a struggling perfectionist, I often tear down my works. Berating myself for not doing enough, not being good enough.

But what if I filled my mind with truth that counters those lies?

Then I’d be accessing a better guard on my words (yes, God is a better guard than I am).

Now…

Moving from the internal to the external, we also need to be careful about who we allow to influence us.

In the age of the internet, it’s easy to wander off into the foolishness of influencers. People driven by selfish desires or greed or envy or any number of other sins.

Again, the counter for this is filling our minds with the truth of Scripture.

That’s why I spend time in the Word every day, it’s why I read the whole Bible every year, and why I spend time memorizing it.

Drifting off into sin is easy, but fighting for truth is hard.

I’ve never regretted doing the hard thing.

— Ricky Ketchum

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I thought heaven was reward enough, but there’s even more

Ricky Ketchum — Fri, 08 May 2026 10:03:05 GMT

You Are God’s Field

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The one who plants and the one who waters work as one, but each will receive his reward according to his work. We are coworkers belonging to God. You are God’s field, God’s building.

1 Corinthians 3:8-9 (NET)

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Have you ever worked on a project with a young kid helping you?

How much help were they, actually?

If you’re lucky they helped a little bit, but also added tons of time to the project.

I sometimes imagine that’s what it’s like when I help God in His work.

Now maybe that should make me despair a bit, but it doesn’t. In fact, it’s quite amazing to me. I love that God is so patient with us -- both in dealing with our sin and also partnering with us in His work.

But it’s even more than that:

God prepares rewards for us according to our work.

That also blows me away.

Here I am already receiving the undeserved gift of eternal life from Him -- a product of the work of God -- and I also have the chance to go on mission for Him and be rewarded for that too?!

Amazing.

Now, I have no idea what the rewards will actually look like. But considering the description of heaven includes streets paved with gold (i.e., one our most valuable stones on earth is the same as asphalt in heaven) I imagine the reward is spectacular.

Of course, this means that you and I have lots of work to do.

Maybe it’s planting; maybe it’s watering.

Either way, we each have a special assignment, and special gifting from the Holy Spirit to fulfill the assignments.

Let’s get to it!

— Ricky Ketchum

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The almost brain-dead simple giving plan

Ricky Ketchum — Thu, 07 May 2026 10:01:48 GMT

Tithe of the Land

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“‘Any tithe of the land, from the grain of the land or from the fruit of the trees, belongs to the Lord; it is holy to the Lord.

Leviticus 27:30 (NET)

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Okay, I know, money verse.

But hear me out:

It’s important to remind ourselves about the details of obedience from time to time.

I’ve spent the last few years doing deeper studies on money, wealth, personal finance, and how to tie the general truths of growing wealthy into the what God has to say about all of this.

Basically, I’ve read a lot of what other people have to say on money and I’m comparing it to what God says in the Bible.

Here’s a foundational principle helping me along:

All truth is God’s truth.

The Bible isn’t a book specifically on how to handle money, but it has a lot to say about money and work and wealth inside.

Although there are certainly deceptions I have to avoid in my secular studies.

Anyway, I know there can be a lot of controversy around tithing and how to handle it in light of the New Covenant (i.e., what’s our responsibility and is it as strict as a tithe rather than being a cheerful giver?)

Sometimes it’s best to start with the simple answer and trust God to handle the details from there.

In this case, the simple answer is to give God 10% of the gross of everything that comes in. Whether a paycheck, investment gains, or Grandma’s birthday cash … 10% off the top goes to God.

Overly simplistic?

Perhaps.

But it’s an excellent place to start. I’ll let God handle the details from there.

— Ricky Ketchum

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Probably one of my least favorite stories

Ricky Ketchum — Wed, 06 May 2026 10:02:54 GMT

Jesus Draws All People

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And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.

John 12:32 (NET)

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I believe this is an allusion to the story in Numbers.

The one where the fiery serpents had attacked the people of Israel and God told Moses to create a bronze serpent. If the people who were bitten would lift their eyes to the statue then they would be healed.

As someone with a healthy fear of snakes, this isn’t my favorite story.

Yet it’s an important message from Christ:

Both to indicate the kind of death He would die and the mission He was on.

We know it’s an indication of the death on the cross because John tells the reader that in the very next verse.

But we can infer that the mission Jesus went on was to make a way to draw all people back to God.

I’m sure there are ways to read too much into that (e.g., universal salvation is not supported throughout the Bible and using this verse for that would be deceptive selective scholarship).

But praise God we have a way out of the mess of sin.

Some days are hard enough dealing with the struggles in life.

I really don’t know how non-believers handle things sometimes.

For me, having the eternal hope in Christ -- a bright future ahead -- renews my tapped out strength. It helps me get up every morning and face the world.

I don’t know what you’re facing, but God’s got you.

He’ll be with you every step of the way.

— Ricky Ketchum

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☕ A classic “coffee cup” verse

Ricky Ketchum — Tue, 05 May 2026 10:03:32 GMT

Blessed Be the Name of the Lord

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And he said, “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return. The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord.”

Job 1:21 (ESV)

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I call it a “coffee cup” verse because … well … it’s one people will often print on a coffee mug to encourage them as they start their day.

I’m sure you’ve seen one or two before.

Although that kind of common treatment can sometimes undermine the power of the verse.

Here we have Job, a man who quite literally lost everything, still praising the Lord.

I was actually reading this morning about Paul and Silas in prison chains singing praises to God (Acts 16).

Both stories carry that same amazing faith.

One that serves as an outstanding example to me, and challenges me to trust God even more with my life.

Can I praise God when times seem the darkest they could ever be?

Job certainly did.

Paul & Silas did.

So many other brothers and sisters throughout history have honored God with their faithfulness even as their lives were crumbling around them.

It’s amazing the faith they have to do that.

There’s nothing extra special about them that’s not in each and every Christian as well.

We all have the same Spirit inside us, guiding our lives.

May I be more and more sensitive to the Spirit’s leading, be more obedient to His direction, and be a person who praises without ceasing.

— Ricky Ketchum

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