Regret can be a devastating and damaging thing to live with. The writer of these verses in Proverbs 5 is trying to keep his son from ending up in a place where he will be overwhelmed and ruined by it. The warning is clear — stay away!

This encounter in the hills of Gilead must come to a clear conclusion. They can all turn back towards Laban’s to live as they were and fight to the finish, or agree to let Jacob and his entourage pursue the direction the Lord has given him. Laban realizes, albeit begrudgingly, that he must let them go. It would seem some of his willingness is created by his daughter’s and grandchildren’s allegiance to Jacob as Laban exclaims “there is nothing I can do to keep my daughters and their children.” A covenant between them is therefore in order (vv 43-44).

Reflections from a man with family members dealing with recurring pain and illness

. . . Jesus had finished his sermon, or his teachings, on the hillside. I was shocked by the simplicity, clarity and authority of it all. It was so different than anything I had ever heard. I had never heard anything like it before. It was like he was speaking right into my heart.

The way Jesus cared for people, healing their sickness and freeing them from bondage, not only demonstrated His great love for them. It also fulfilled Isaiah’s 600 year old prophecy that he would heal our diseases and make us well. It was another sign that Jesus was the long awaited Messiah.

If you darkened the door of a Sunday School classroom during your childhood, you probably know this story. This well-known passage, the “calming the storm” story of Jesus crossing the Sea of Galilee, is one of those stories that are not terribly flattering to the disciples. Jesus’ closest followers come across as a tiny bit panicky. On this side of the storm, we’re a little embarrassed for them by the fuss they are making.

What the demons seem to know, the people in this story don’t. Or they choose to ignore. As Jesus and his disciples – recovered from their rough trip across the lake – continue their journey on the safety of dry land, they encounter what must have been a terrifying scene. Two men with demons who were so fierce no one could travel that way.

This is a big psalm! Big, bold, beautiful! Needs a wall-sized canvas, a broad brush and buckets of primary colors.

As a youth camp counselor some years back, I wondered how the teenagers in my cabin could be captured by the glory and majesty of our created world—but more importantly be captured by God who created such splendor.