Silent Stones https://silentstones.org/ Sat, 11 Apr 2026 07:00:00 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.9.4 https://silentstones.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/cropped-Silent-Stones-Logo-Orange-256-32x32.png Silent Stones https://silentstones.org/ 32 32 Today’s Verse – 1 Peter 2:24 https://silentstones.org/todays-verse-1-peter-224/ Sat, 11 Apr 2026 07:00:00 +0000 https://silentstones.org/todays-verse-1-peter-224/ He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed. —1 Peter 2:24 Thoughts on Today’s Verse… Jesus bore our sins. He didn’t just carry them to the cross; he also suffered the penalty we deserved for those sins. His anguish was our healing. His suffering was our righteousness. How can we ever think of going back to sin after he suffered so much to bear its penalty? So, let’s begin each day declaring, “Today, O God, with the help of the Holy Spirit, I die to my sins and live for righteousness! Please help me live up to my commitment by the transforming power of the Spirit to make me more like Jesus, more JESUShaped each day” (2 Corinthians 3:18; Colossians 1:28-29). My Prayer… Holy God, how you could stand to see your precious Son under the weight of my sin, along with all the sin of human history, I will never understand. Thank you for such great love and for being such a gracious God. None, not in heaven, not on earth, not in the spiritual realms, is comparable to you, O God. Your greatness is beyond imagining, and your love beyond my dreams. I choose, and commit, to live today to your glory because of Jesus, who bore my sin so I could be your righteousness (2 Corinthians 5:21; Colossians 1:21). In the precious name of your Son, I pray. Amen. All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION. © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House.

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He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed.

—1 Peter 2:24

Thoughts on Today’s Verse…

Jesus bore our sins. He didn’t just carry them to the cross; he also suffered the penalty we deserved for those sins. His anguish was our healing. His suffering was our righteousness. How can we ever think of going back to sin after he suffered so much to bear its penalty? So, let’s begin each day declaring, “Today, O God, with the help of the Holy Spirit, I die to my sins and live for righteousness! Please help me live up to my commitment by the transforming power of the Spirit to make me more like Jesus, more JESUShaped each day” (2 Corinthians 3:18; Colossians 1:28-29).

My Prayer…

Holy God, how you could stand to see your precious Son under the weight of my sin, along with all the sin of human history, I will never understand. Thank you for such great love and for being such a gracious God. None, not in heaven, not on earth, not in the spiritual realms, is comparable to you, O God. Your greatness is beyond imagining, and your love beyond my dreams. I choose, and commit, to live today to your glory because of Jesus, who bore my sin so I could be your righteousness (2 Corinthians 5:21; Colossians 1:21). In the precious name of your Son, I pray. Amen.

All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION. © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House.

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]]> There’s More to Come https://silentstones.org/theres-more-to-come/ Sat, 11 Apr 2026 00:01:29 +0000 https://silentstones.org/theres-more-to-come/ It’s Friday, so how do you really feel about things? In the year 1815, Napoleon gathered his French forces at Waterloo to battle against the Duke of Wellington. Of course, history informs us that Napoleon was defeated at Waterloo, but how did the people living in 1815 learn of the news? To carry the news of the Battle of Waterloo to England, an English ship signaled to a man on shore, who then relayed the word to a man on another hill, and so on across England. The first word that was signaled was “Wellington.” The next word that was signaled was “defeated.” Then a fog rolled in, and the message stopped. As you can image, all across England people wept and were disheartened by the two word message, “Wellington defeated.” But when the fog lifted, the message continued with two additional words, “the enemy.” Hope arose out of despair! Now here’s my point. What do you think the world and even the disciples of Jesus thought when they saw the events that transpired on the Friday of the crucifixion? But, Friday contained only a portion of the message. The rest of the message was shared on Sunday through an empty tomb. Hope arose out of despair! [Jesus] said to them, “The Son of Man is going to be delivered over to human hands. He will be killed, and after three days he will rise.” But they did not understand what he meant and were afraid to ask him about it (Mark 9:31-32 TNIV). About the author: Steve Higginbotham is a native of West Virginia. His father also preached. Steve serves the Karns Church of Christ in Knoxville, TN and is an instructor in the Southeast Institute of Biblical Studies and an editor for Think Magazine. Steve & Kim have four children, Kelli, Michael, Matthew, and Anne Marie.

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It’s Friday, so how do you really feel about things?

In the year 1815, Napoleon gathered his French forces at Waterloo to battle against the Duke of Wellington. Of course, history informs us that Napoleon was defeated at Waterloo, but how did the people living in 1815 learn of the news? To carry the news of the Battle of Waterloo to England, an English ship signaled to a man on shore, who then relayed the word to a man on another hill, and so on across England. The first word that was signaled was “Wellington.” The next word that was signaled was “defeated.” Then a fog rolled in, and the message stopped. As you can image, all across England people wept and were disheartened by the two word message, “Wellington defeated.” But when the fog lifted, the message continued with two additional words, “the enemy.” Hope arose out of despair! Now here’s my point. What do you think the world and even the disciples of Jesus thought when they saw the events that transpired on the Friday of the crucifixion? But, Friday contained only a portion of the message. The rest of the message was shared on Sunday through an empty tomb. Hope arose out of despair!

[Jesus] said to them, “The Son of Man is going to be delivered over to human hands. He will be killed, and after three days he will rise.” But they did not understand what he meant and were afraid to ask him about it (Mark 9:31-32 TNIV).

About the author: Steve Higginbotham is a native of West Virginia. His father also preached. Steve serves the Karns Church of Christ in Knoxville, TN and is an instructor in the Southeast Institute of Biblical Studies and an editor for Think Magazine. Steve & Kim have four children, Kelli, Michael, Matthew, and Anne Marie.

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]]> Today’s Verse – Romans 5:6-8 https://silentstones.org/todays-verse-romans-56-8/ Fri, 10 Apr 2026 07:00:00 +0000 https://silentstones.org/todays-verse-romans-56-8/ At just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. —Romans 5:6-8 Thoughts on Today’s Verse… Jesus did not die for us because he had some high hopes for who we are. He certainly didn’t die for us because of what we had done in the past that merited his sacrifice. No, he died for us because he knew exactly who we are and where we would be without him. Praise be to God; we are now God’s righteousness because Jesus took our sin upon himself and gave us God’s grace and righteousness in place of our sin (2 Corinthians 5:17-21). While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. He now chooses to call us his friends and his family (John 15:15; Hebrews 2:10-14). Video Commentary… ToGather Worship Guide | More ToGather Videos My Prayer… Holy God, thank you for Jesus, my Savior. No words are adequate to express my love and devotion to you for such an incredible and gracious gift! Through him, I give and live all my thanks to you. Amen. All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION. © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House.

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At just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

—Romans 5:6-8

Thoughts on Today’s Verse…

Jesus did not die for us because he had some high hopes for who we are. He certainly didn’t die for us because of what we had done in the past that merited his sacrifice. No, he died for us because he knew exactly who we are and where we would be without him. Praise be to God; we are now God’s righteousness because Jesus took our sin upon himself and gave us God’s grace and righteousness in place of our sin (2 Corinthians 5:17-21).

While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

He now chooses to call us his friends and his family (John 15:15; Hebrews 2:10-14).

Video Commentary…

ToGather Worship Guide | More ToGather Videos

My Prayer…

Holy God, thank you for Jesus, my Savior. No words are adequate to express my love and devotion to you for such an incredible and gracious gift! Through him, I give and live all my thanks to you. Amen.

All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION. © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House.

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]]> There You Will See Him! https://silentstones.org/there-you-will-see-him/ Fri, 10 Apr 2026 00:01:44 +0000 https://silentstones.org/there-you-will-see-him/ Can I really meet Jesus? Distant … faint … soft echoes … like the incessant drip of a faucet, barely audible, but maddening in the pre-twilight of sleeplessness. You want to ignore it … and can for a moment or two … but then it returns … relentlessly … nagging at something in your soul … making sleep impossible. And in grief, this incessant dripping is torturous … agonizing … and mocking. No one knew this better than the women. “And after three days … after three days … after three days …” Now what was it that he said? “After three days … … I will rise again?” No way. Just wishful thinking. Just the disconnection with reality deep grief brings. But, “after three days …” That’s what he had said, wasn’t it? Or did I imagine it? I think he said it when he talked about being rejected and slaughtered like a sheep at their hands. But, I didn’t really get that. But he did say something about “after three days,” didn’t he? Slowly, tortuously, the women made their way to the tomb while the men slept. They wouldn’t wake them because sleep had been hard to come by in their shock and grief and shame. But, who would roll back the stone for them? Moving into place was a one person job, but getting it out of the mouth of the tomb was a chore for three strong men. How could a small band of women perform this? Maybe the soldiers would be accommodating? Or maybe someone else would help, like the caretaker of the tombs? Slowly, tortuously, incessantly, they moved toward the tomb. The faint streaks of sunrise filtered through the clouds making a glowing edge on some of the clouds hanging low in the spring sky. Golds, oranges, reds, and browns blazed against the fading indigo of the moonless night sky. They couldn’t help but be struck by the strange parallel as they brought their oil and spices to anoint his body this last time. Some remembered the anointing just a few days before and remembered Jesus’ sweet words, “She has done a beautiful thing.” This would be the last beautiful thing they would do for him. This one, however, was much harder and bitterer, for by now, the body that had blessed others would carry the pungent odor of death and the awful bruises and spatters of the beating, the gouges from the scourging, the place where flesh had been penetrated and ripped by nails, and the rip in his side from the spear. They came to offer him their love one last time as the sun streaked its first rays over the distant horizon. But still, in the background noise of their hearts, the women heard a distant dripping … an incessant soft echo in their souls. Hadn’t he said something … promised something … something impossible, inconceivable, something … they could not quite recall. The next evening, when the Sabbath ended, Mary Magdalene and Salome and Mary the mother of James went out and purchased burial spices to put on Jesus’ body. Very early on Sunday morning, just at sunrise, they came to the tomb. On the way they were discussing who would roll the stone away from the entrance to the tomb. But when they arrived, they looked up and saw that the stone – a very large one – had already been rolled aside. So they entered the tomb, and there on the right sat a young man clothed in a white robe. The women were startled, but the angel said, “Do not be so surprised. You are looking for Jesus, the Nazarene, who was crucified. He isn’t here! He has been raised from the dead! Look, this is where they laid his body. Now go and give this message to his disciples, including Peter: Jesus is going ahead of you to Galilee. You will see him there, just as he told you before he died!” (Mark 16:1-7 NLT) Astonishment, fear, and awe. That’s their reaction. While we know the rest of the story from the other gospels, Mark wants us to linger with them here in this moment of fearful and astonished awe. He wants us to pause for this awesome moment and hear the words of God’s messenger. Don’t be surprised – literally, “Don’t be afraid!”The Crucified One is not here, he has risen.He will meet you in Galilee! Those are the three words we also need to hear in our day. Don’t be afraid!Life is more than you can master. Life is fragile and will be crushed. You can’t hold it or preserve it or protect it. But don’t be afraid. But how? How can we not be afraid? He is not here, the Crucified One is risen.Jesus, who shared with us our every human struggle and bore with us every human strain and endured with us every human suffering, also suffered with us our very human death … at our own hands. He is the crucified one. There is no escaping that. But, look, the tomb is empty. Death couldn’t hold him. Satan couldn’t have him. The tomb couldn’t contain him. His enemies couldn’t crush him. He is risen. He is alive. He is … and was … is to come. Everything, everything, has changed … for us. He has gone ahead of you to Galilee and you will see him, just as he said.He said he would be rejected. He said he would be killed. And he said he would be … resurrected. Yes, he did say those things. Again and again he said those things. And they are true. They have happened, just as he said. So if what he said about those things is true, then the Galilee thing must be true, too. But why Galilee? Why not Jerusalem? Why not Mt. Sinai? Simple. Galilee is home. They will see him at home. He will be with them … at home! And

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Can I really meet Jesus?

Distant … faint … soft echoes … like the incessant drip of a faucet, barely audible, but maddening in the pre-twilight of sleeplessness. You want to ignore it … and can for a moment or two … but then it returns … relentlessly … nagging at something in your soul … making sleep impossible. And in grief, this incessant dripping is torturous … agonizing … and mocking. No one knew this better than the women. “And after three days … after three days … after three days …” Now what was it that he said? “After three days … … I will rise again?” No way. Just wishful thinking. Just the disconnection with reality deep grief brings. But, “after three days …” That’s what he had said, wasn’t it? Or did I imagine it? I think he said it when he talked about being rejected and slaughtered like a sheep at their hands. But, I didn’t really get that. But he did say something about “after three days,” didn’t he? Slowly, tortuously, the women made their way to the tomb while the men slept. They wouldn’t wake them because sleep had been hard to come by in their shock and grief and shame. But, who would roll back the stone for them? Moving into place was a one person job, but getting it out of the mouth of the tomb was a chore for three strong men. How could a small band of women perform this? Maybe the soldiers would be accommodating? Or maybe someone else would help, like the caretaker of the tombs? Slowly, tortuously, incessantly, they moved toward the tomb. The faint streaks of sunrise filtered through the clouds making a glowing edge on some of the clouds hanging low in the spring sky. Golds, oranges, reds, and browns blazed against the fading indigo of the moonless night sky. They couldn’t help but be struck by the strange parallel as they brought their oil and spices to anoint his body this last time. Some remembered the anointing just a few days before and remembered Jesus’ sweet words, “She has done a beautiful thing.” This would be the last beautiful thing they would do for him. This one, however, was much harder and bitterer, for by now, the body that had blessed others would carry the pungent odor of death and the awful bruises and spatters of the beating, the gouges from the scourging, the place where flesh had been penetrated and ripped by nails, and the rip in his side from the spear. They came to offer him their love one last time as the sun streaked its first rays over the distant horizon. But still, in the background noise of their hearts, the women heard a distant dripping … an incessant soft echo in their souls. Hadn’t he said something … promised something … something impossible, inconceivable, something … they could not quite recall.

The next evening, when the Sabbath ended, Mary Magdalene and Salome and Mary the mother of James went out and purchased burial spices to put on Jesus’ body. Very early on Sunday morning, just at sunrise, they came to the tomb. On the way they were discussing who would roll the stone away from the entrance to the tomb. But when they arrived, they looked up and saw that the stone – a very large one – had already been rolled aside. So they entered the tomb, and there on the right sat a young man clothed in a white robe. The women were startled, but the angel said, “Do not be so surprised. You are looking for Jesus, the Nazarene, who was crucified. He isn’t here! He has been raised from the dead! Look, this is where they laid his body. Now go and give this message to his disciples, including Peter: Jesus is going ahead of you to Galilee. You will see him there, just as he told you before he died!” (Mark 16:1-7 NLT)

Astonishment, fear, and awe. That’s their reaction. While we know the rest of the story from the other gospels, Mark wants us to linger with them here in this moment of fearful and astonished awe. He wants us to pause for this awesome moment and hear the words of God’s messenger.

Don’t be surprised – literally, “Don’t be afraid!”
The Crucified One is not here, he has risen.
He will meet you in Galilee!

Those are the three words we also need to hear in our day. Don’t be afraid!
Life is more than you can master. Life is fragile and will be crushed. You can’t hold it or preserve it or protect it. But don’t be afraid. But how? How can we not be afraid? He is not here, the Crucified One is risen.
Jesus, who shared with us our every human struggle and bore with us every human strain and endured with us every human suffering, also suffered with us our very human death … at our own hands. He is the crucified one. There is no escaping that. But, look, the tomb is empty. Death couldn’t hold him. Satan couldn’t have him. The tomb couldn’t contain him. His enemies couldn’t crush him. He is risen. He is alive. He is … and was … is to come. Everything, everything, has changed … for us. He has gone ahead of you to Galilee and you will see him, just as he said.
He said he would be rejected. He said he would be killed. And he said he would be … resurrected. Yes, he did say those things. Again and again he said those things. And they are true. They have happened, just as he said. So if what he said about those things is true, then the Galilee thing must be true, too. But why Galilee? Why not Jerusalem? Why not Mt. Sinai? Simple. Galilee is home. They will see him at home. He will be with them … at home! And Galilee is the place of the Gentiles … the place where the front porch is open to all peoples … no one is excluded. They will see him in multi-cultural ministry shared with all and open to all people. And Galilee is the place of ministry. The place they saw him serve others. The place they learned to serve others. The place where the resurrected Jesus will be found again … the place where others are served by the power and in the name of the risen crucified one, the servant who gave his life as a ransom for many. And if they return home, to the front porch, to the place of ministry, they will see him there. And we will, too! Jesus is not only raised from the dead, he is also living. He longs to be more than someone from the past we study. He longs to be the one whom we meet in our daily worlds. So let’s not leave this Easter season without a profound conviction that resurrection power, the resurrected Jesus, can be found … at home, among the common things of life, to make them less common and more glorious … if we will listen to those distant echoes of his promise. The Lord can be found … on the front porch where people are welcome no matter what their background and where they’ve left behind. Jesus can be really present for us … in ministry, where folks serve out of love, like their Master … the Crucified One … who now lives through their service to others. Let’s not let the echoes be so distant and faint! Let’s meet him in Galilee … he’s waiting there for us!

About the author: Phil Ware has authored 11 years of daily devotionals, including VerseoftheDay.com, read by 500,000 people a day. He works with churches in transition with Interim Ministry Partners and for the past 21+ years, he has been editor and president of HEARTLIGHT Magazine, author of VerseoftheDay.com, God’s Holy Fire (on the Holy Spirit), and aYearwithJesus.com. Phil has also authored four books, daily devotionals on each of the four gospels.

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]]> Today’s Verse – Hebrews 1:3 https://silentstones.org/todays-verse-hebrews-13/ Thu, 09 Apr 2026 07:00:00 +0000 https://silentstones.org/todays-verse-hebrews-13/ The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven. —Hebrews 1:3 Thoughts on Today’s Verse… Jesus was Immanuel, God with us (Matthew 1:23). He was no imitation, no knock off, and no clone; he was God with us, God in human flesh (John 1:1-3, 14-18). To this day, he sustains all creation with his word – so much for “Mother Nature,” it is brother Jesus, who sustains all things by his powerful word. And now, God-with-us has paid for our sins and is not just God-with-us, but he is also God-for-us, and is constantly at the Father’s side to help us. My Prayer… Precious LORD, as you have so many times in the past, please take these humble human words and bring them to the Father as my friend and brother (John 15:15, 21:5; Hebrews 2:10-14). Thank you for your sacrifice for my sins. Thank you for your sustaining presence in our universe. Thank you for your daily intercession for me and my needs, and my brothers and sisters’ needs. Thank you for being God-for-me at the Father’s side. To the glorious, majestic, and holy God, who sent you, our Savior Jesus, be glory, honor, and adoration forever and ever. Amen. All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION. © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House.

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The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven.

—Hebrews 1:3

Thoughts on Today’s Verse…

Jesus was Immanuel, God with us (Matthew 1:23). He was no imitation, no knock off, and no clone; he was God with us, God in human flesh (John 1:1-3, 14-18). To this day, he sustains all creation with his word – so much for “Mother Nature,” it is brother Jesus, who sustains all things by his powerful word. And now, God-with-us has paid for our sins and is not just God-with-us, but he is also God-for-us, and is constantly at the Father’s side to help us.

My Prayer…

Precious LORD, as you have so many times in the past, please take these humble human words and bring them to the Father as my friend and brother (John 15:15, 21:5; Hebrews 2:10-14). Thank you for your sacrifice for my sins. Thank you for your sustaining presence in our universe. Thank you for your daily intercession for me and my needs, and my brothers and sisters’ needs. Thank you for being God-for-me at the Father’s side. To the glorious, majestic, and holy God, who sent you, our Savior Jesus, be glory, honor, and adoration forever and ever. Amen.

All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION. © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House.

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]]> 09 Apr 2026 https://silentstones.org/09-apr-2026/ https://silentstones.org/09-apr-2026/#respond Thu, 09 Apr 2026 03:07:54 +0000 https://silentstones.org/?p=49374 Rituals are meant to remind us about our faith. They should not be what we focus on for deliverance, revelation, etc. We should fix our eyes on God. May Easter not just be another ritual. May the sacrifice of Jesus redeem us and may His resurrection bring us hope of eternity and the understanding that nothing is too difficult for God. 1 Corinthians 15:3-34.

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]]> Rituals are meant to remind us about our faith. They should not be what we focus on for deliverance, revelation, etc. We should fix our eyes on God. May Easter not just be another ritual. May the sacrifice of Jesus redeem us and may His resurrection bring us hope of eternity and the understanding that nothing is too difficult for God. 1 Corinthians 15:3-34.

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]]> https://silentstones.org/09-apr-2026/feed/ 0 Did Jesus Wear Glasses? https://silentstones.org/did-jesus-wear-glasses/ Thu, 09 Apr 2026 00:03:03 +0000 https://silentstones.org/did-jesus-wear-glasses/ Do we know the real Jesus? My son was wearing his new eyeglasses Sunday. He sat there beside me, not knowing I surveyed his every move. I looked down upon his face during the Worship Assembly, just as the communion tray passed by. I enjoyed his innocent, slightly freckled complexion and marveled how a recent trip to the barber was already giving way to the ever determined increase of new hair. His cheeks gently moved as his tongue manipulated a loose front tooth from side to side. As I took of the bread that is to believers the body of Christ, the small hands of my son passed the emblem on to his mother and I wondered about the incarnation. Any Bible Dictionary sets forth how God reveals Himself as human in Jesus. He is the embodiment of the Word, becoming flesh. As the God-Man, He mediates God to humans. As the Man-God, He represents humans to God. Manifestation, personification, and representation: Incarnation. A more practical theology fueled my imagination Sunday. I could not quit admiring the shiny gold rims of my son’s spectacles. Nor could I escape boyish questions that led me to a deeper communion experience. Did Jesus wear glasses? Did He have freckles? Did he look under his bed roll the morning after He lost His first tooth for a coin or two? What chores did his small hands perform for his mother? Who cut his hair? Was it auburn, almost red in the sunshine but brown at first glance? Did He have wavy locks, or did it come straight down like the Jesus of Hollywood so he could easily wear it long in the later years of His ministry? Sitting in that pew last Sunday, though the bread of communion passed me by, the Spirit of God did not. A fresh sense of the body of Christ came over me. Jesus really did become flesh and dwell among us. He really was a man, tempted in every way, just as we are, yet was without sin. The wafer in my mouth and the young boy at my side reminded me of the body of Christ and my place in it. His body … given for me. He enjoyed childhood, endured adolescence, and embraced the cross as a real flesh and blood man. He did this for me and for all little kids everywhere. And now I live and give my life, my son and family for Him. We’re His body today. I suppose Jesus never wore eyeglasses. I’m told the Chinese invented them years after He walked the streets of Jerusalem. Bifocals didn’t come along until Ben Franklin suggested the idea in 1770. But seeing my son there beside me last Sunday with his tiny new glasses made me realize somehow that Jesus was both fully man and fully divine. To remember anew how God sees me through the lenses of His love is a priceless gift. I was reminded in communion last Sunday, looking at my son, seeing God’s son. Pray this prayer with me today: Give me more vision to see you Lord. Thank you for Jesus and His servant, saving heart. Make me more like Him and make the church more and more like His body, broken as a gift to the world. About the author: Danny Sims is the preaching minister at the Altamesa Church of Christ in Fort Worth, Texas, and a longtime Heartlight supporter and friend.

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Do we know the real Jesus?

My son was wearing his new eyeglasses Sunday. He sat there beside me, not knowing I surveyed his every move. I looked down upon his face during the Worship Assembly, just as the communion tray passed by. I enjoyed his innocent, slightly freckled complexion and marveled how a recent trip to the barber was already giving way to the ever determined increase of new hair. His cheeks gently moved as his tongue manipulated a loose front tooth from side to side. As I took of the bread that is to believers the body of Christ, the small hands of my son passed the emblem on to his mother and I wondered about the incarnation. Any Bible Dictionary sets forth how God reveals Himself as human in Jesus. He is the embodiment of the Word, becoming flesh. As the God-Man, He mediates God to humans. As the Man-God, He represents humans to God. Manifestation, personification, and representation: Incarnation. A more practical theology fueled my imagination Sunday. I could not quit admiring the shiny gold rims of my son’s spectacles. Nor could I escape boyish questions that led me to a deeper communion experience. Did Jesus wear glasses? Did He have freckles? Did he look under his bed roll the morning after He lost His first tooth for a coin or two? What chores did his small hands perform for his mother? Who cut his hair? Was it auburn, almost red in the sunshine but brown at first glance? Did He have wavy locks, or did it come straight down like the Jesus of Hollywood so he could easily wear it long in the later years of His ministry? Sitting in that pew last Sunday, though the bread of communion passed me by, the Spirit of God did not. A fresh sense of the body of Christ came over me. Jesus really did become flesh and dwell among us. He really was a man, tempted in every way, just as we are, yet was without sin. The wafer in my mouth and the young boy at my side reminded me of the body of Christ and my place in it. His body … given for me. He enjoyed childhood, endured adolescence, and embraced the cross as a real flesh and blood man. He did this for me and for all little kids everywhere. And now I live and give my life, my son and family for Him. We’re His body today. I suppose Jesus never wore eyeglasses. I’m told the Chinese invented them years after He walked the streets of Jerusalem. Bifocals didn’t come along until Ben Franklin suggested the idea in 1770. But seeing my son there beside me last Sunday with his tiny new glasses made me realize somehow that Jesus was both fully man and fully divine. To remember anew how God sees me through the lenses of His love is a priceless gift. I was reminded in communion last Sunday, looking at my son, seeing God’s son. Pray this prayer with me today: Give me more vision to see you Lord. Thank you for Jesus and His servant, saving heart. Make me more like Him and make the church more and more like His body, broken as a gift to the world.

About the author: Danny Sims is the preaching minister at the Altamesa Church of Christ in Fort Worth, Texas, and a longtime Heartlight supporter and friend.

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]]> Today’s Verse – Romans 5:10 https://silentstones.org/todays-verse-romans-510/ Wed, 08 Apr 2026 07:00:00 +0000 https://silentstones.org/todays-verse-romans-510/ If, when we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life. —Romans 5:10 Thoughts on Today’s Verse… Jesus didn’t just die for our sins; he is alive forever for you and me. In fact, he is at God’s right hand, claiming each of us as his own (1 John 2:1-2), proclaiming us to God as holy and blameless (Colossians 1:21-22), and living to intercede for us (Hebrews 7:25). If God was willing for his Son to die to save us, why would he withhold anything from us now that the Son lives victoriously over death to save us and bring us home to our Father (Romans 8:32). My Prayer… Holy and Righteous Father, I thank you for Jesus, who is at your side and who knows my heart, my struggles, and my world. I thank you for your constant care and protection through all of my difficulties and triumphs. Please make your presence known to me, and in me, more clearly today than ever before as I try to serve you with wholehearted devotion and reflect your love, grace, and mercy to those around me. In the name of Jesus, I pray. Amen. All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION. © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House.

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If, when we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life.

—Romans 5:10

Thoughts on Today’s Verse…

Jesus didn’t just die for our sins; he is alive forever for you and me. In fact, he is at God’s right hand, claiming each of us as his own (1 John 2:1-2), proclaiming us to God as holy and blameless (Colossians 1:21-22), and living to intercede for us (Hebrews 7:25). If God was willing for his Son to die to save us, why would he withhold anything from us now that the Son lives victoriously over death to save us and bring us home to our Father (Romans 8:32).

My Prayer…

Holy and Righteous Father, I thank you for Jesus, who is at your side and who knows my heart, my struggles, and my world. I thank you for your constant care and protection through all of my difficulties and triumphs. Please make your presence known to me, and in me, more clearly today than ever before as I try to serve you with wholehearted devotion and reflect your love, grace, and mercy to those around me. In the name of Jesus, I pray. Amen.

All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION. © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House.

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]]> 08 Apr 2026 https://silentstones.org/08-apr-2026/ https://silentstones.org/08-apr-2026/#respond Wed, 08 Apr 2026 05:41:47 +0000 https://silentstones.org/?p=49371 May the understanding of Easter cause our eyes to be opened. May we see what the Lord did for mankind and rejoice. May this change in perspective invigorate our walk on this side of eternity. Isaiah 35:1-8.

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]]> May the understanding of Easter cause our eyes to be opened. May we see what the Lord did for mankind and rejoice. May this change in perspective invigorate our walk on this side of eternity. Isaiah 35:1-8.

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]]> https://silentstones.org/08-apr-2026/feed/ 0 How Sweet Is Revenge? https://silentstones.org/how-sweet-is-revenge/ Wed, 08 Apr 2026 00:03:42 +0000 https://silentstones.org/how-sweet-is-revenge/ Is revenge really so great, or is it just a way to sink deeper? Theresa was a woman scorned. When she went to see her ex-boyfriend a few weeks ago now, she found him with another woman! Nobody likes to be rejected. Nobody likes the feeling of humiliation and injury that comes of the experience. We human beings have feelings and don’t appreciate having them stomped and betrayed. Theresa is no exception. So she had a few choice words for him and stormed out – still seething with anger. It was only about an hour later that she spotted him driving on the street in front of her. So she put her frustration in action to ram his car. Not once but twice. After the second slam into his rear bumper, she had forced the car off the road. Only when the driver got out and started toward her did she realize her mistake. It wasn’t her former boyfriend. It was a confused fellow driving a car similar to his! For her out-of-control assault on an unsuspecting and innocent driver, Ms. Wilson was arrested by state troopers on charges of vehicular assault. She not only learned that several different makes of compact cars from the 1980s look very much alike, but that revenge is seldom as sweet as it looks from a distance. Before we are too harsh with an angry woman bent on revenge, maybe the rest of us need to ask ourselves a few questions: How prone am I to harbor a grudge? How inclined to get even when wronged? How quick to take offense? There is a line near the end of Camelot that stuck in my mind the first time I heard it. As King Arthur surveys the ruin and carnage of war, he looks forlornly over the landscape and laments that revenge is “the most worthless of causes.” Countless wars have been fought to avenge tarnished honor. Friendships have been destroyed, marriages broken apart, and children set against their parents for this most worthless of causes. Simply because it leads to such terrible outcomes, most of the great ethical teachers across the centuries have rebuked the urge to retaliate. Jesus not only taught his followers to let offenses pass – to turn the other cheek – but to forgive our enemies. He said to return good for evil. If you have suffered some slight that is haunting you still and tempting you to get even, you might reflect on Theresa’s experience. Is the pettiness of revenge any less if you ram the right car? Hurt the person you intended to injure? Or does retaliation simply diminish you and reveal your lack of character? Revenge is never about getting even but is always a form of falling below another person. Only forgiveness allows you to rise above. Never pay back evil for evil to anyone. Do things in such a way that everyone can see you are honorable. Do your part to live in peace with everyone, as much as possible. (Romans 12:17-18) About the author: Rubel Shelly preached for decades and served as a professor of medical ethics, Bible, and philosophy at multiple universities. He was a former president of Rochester College and Professor of Philosophy and Religion at Lipscomb University. He was the author of more than 30 books and hundreds of inspirational articles. His commitment to a non-sectarian presentation of the gospel touched countless lives.

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Is revenge really so great, or is it just a way to sink deeper?

Theresa was a woman scorned. When she went to see her ex-boyfriend a few weeks ago now, she found him with another woman! Nobody likes to be rejected. Nobody likes the feeling of humiliation and injury that comes of the experience. We human beings have feelings and don’t appreciate having them stomped and betrayed. Theresa is no exception. So she had a few choice words for him and stormed out – still seething with anger. It was only about an hour later that she spotted him driving on the street in front of her. So she put her frustration in action to ram his car. Not once but twice. After the second slam into his rear bumper, she had forced the car off the road. Only when the driver got out and started toward her did she realize her mistake. It wasn’t her former boyfriend. It was a confused fellow driving a car similar to his! For her out-of-control assault on an unsuspecting and innocent driver, Ms. Wilson was arrested by state troopers on charges of vehicular assault. She not only learned that several different makes of compact cars from the 1980s look very much alike, but that revenge is seldom as sweet as it looks from a distance. Before we are too harsh with an angry woman bent on revenge, maybe the rest of us need to ask ourselves a few questions: How prone am I to harbor a grudge? How inclined to get even when wronged? How quick to take offense? There is a line near the end of Camelot that stuck in my mind the first time I heard it. As King Arthur surveys the ruin and carnage of war, he looks forlornly over the landscape and laments that revenge is “the most worthless of causes.” Countless wars have been fought to avenge tarnished honor. Friendships have been destroyed, marriages broken apart, and children set against their parents for this most worthless of causes. Simply because it leads to such terrible outcomes, most of the great ethical teachers across the centuries have rebuked the urge to retaliate. Jesus not only taught his followers to let offenses pass – to turn the other cheek – but to forgive our enemies. He said to return good for evil. If you have suffered some slight that is haunting you still and tempting you to get even, you might reflect on Theresa’s experience. Is the pettiness of revenge any less if you ram the right car? Hurt the person you intended to injure? Or does retaliation simply diminish you and reveal your lack of character? Revenge is never about getting even but is always a form of falling below another person. Only forgiveness allows you to rise above.

Never pay back evil for evil to anyone. Do things in such a way that everyone can see you are honorable. Do your part to live in peace with everyone, as much as possible. (Romans 12:17-18)

About the author: Rubel Shelly preached for decades and served as a professor of medical ethics, Bible, and philosophy at multiple universities. He was a former president of Rochester College and Professor of Philosophy and Religion at Lipscomb University. He was the author of more than 30 books and hundreds of inspirational articles. His commitment to a non-sectarian presentation of the gospel touched countless lives.

The post How Sweet Is Revenge? appeared first on Silent Stones.

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