General statements are statements like, “everyone knows that,” or “nobody goes there anymore,” sayings that leave no room for exceptions. There is an expression that goes, “All general statements are false, including this one.”

There are very few things that we can say have no exceptions, which is why I think it is significant when the Bible makes some general statements.

In Matthew 12:15, Matthew writes about Jesus, “…with many following him. He healed all the sick among them.”

And in Matthew 14 after the story of the miracle of feeding the 5000, in verses 35 and 36, Matthew writes, “And when the men of that place recognized Jesus, they sent word to all the surrounding country. People brought all their sick to him and begged him to let the sick just touch the edge of his cloak, and all who touched it were healed.”

The key word in both of these descriptions is “all.” Jesus didn’t heal some of those that were sick, he healed “all”, and it wasn’t just some of those that touched his cloak that were healed, in was “all.”

One general statement that we can count on is that God is all powerful. Put our trust in Him.

Dear Lord, like those you healed in the Bible stories, give us the faith to put our trust in you to work in our lives and answer our prayers, Your way. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

I have heard it said that, “everyone learns from experience, but it doesn’t have to be your own experience.”

This is essentially the situation written about in Zechariah 1. Zechariah, who was a prophet during the time the Jews were allowed to return to Israel after the Babylonian captivity, was given a message to deliver to the Jews. In verses 4-6 he says, “Don’t be like your ancestors who would not listen or pay attention when the earlier prophets said to them, ‘This is what the Lord says: Turn from your evil ways, and stop all your evil practices.’ Where are your ancestors now? They and the prophets are long dead. But everything I said through my servants the prophets happened to your ancestors, just as I said.”

Essentially, God was saying, “learn from someone else’s mistakes, so you can avoid the consequences that they experienced.” We can read Bible history and see the consequences of disregarding God’s direction, and we can see these things in more recent history, as well. We should be using these lessons as guidance to keep us on the right path.

Dear Lord, You provide us many examples from which to learn, in the bible and in modern times. Help us take these lessons to heart so that we avoid the problems others have made for wrong choices, and experience the blessings of following those good examples. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

I heard someone say once, “How you do anything is how you do everything.” I had to think about that for a bit. I think there is truth to this concept when we think about the principles we live by. If we are honest, in one area of our lives, we will likely be honest in others. If we are caring and compassionate in one area of our lives, we are likely to be so in others as well. However, the opposite is likely true

In Luke 16:10, Jesus tells us a similar concept, “Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much.”

We need to look at ourselves and evaluate whether we are living up to the standards we desire. If we see that we are slipping in small areas, we are probably slipping in big areas as well.

Dear Lord, help us examine our thoughts and actions to make sure that we are striving to be the person who can be trusted with little and with much. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

I am sure Christians of the first century who heard the teachings of the original apostles expected to see Jesus’ return in their lifetimes. I imagine they would be surprised if they knew at the time that we would be reading the teachings of Paul, Peter, and the other apostles 2000 years later, and still be waiting anxiously for Jesus’ return.

I sometimes wonder why we don’t have prophets like Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ellijah and John, today. But in 1 Thessalonians 5:19-21 Paul writes, “Do not smother the Holy Spirit. Do not scoff at those who prophesy, but test everything that is said to be sure it is true, and if it is, then accept it.” Maybe we do have prophets today; we just call them teachers, pastors, and authors.

John describes a test for prophets in 1 John 4:1,2. He writes “Dear friends, do not believe everyone who claims to speak by the Spirit. You must test them to see if the spirit they have comes from God, for there are many false prophets in the world. This is how we know if they have the Spirit of God: If a person claiming to be a prophet acknowledges that Jesus Christ came in a real body, that person has the Spirit of God.”

Dear Lord, thank you for those who teach us your word and help us in our walk with you. Help us to be wise to know your truth when it is taught. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

The famous investor Warren Buffet is quoted saying, “Somebody once said that in looking for people to hire, you look for three qualities: integrity, intelligence, and energy. And if you don’t have the first, the other two will kill you.”

Solomon was a couple thousand years ahead of him, writing in Proverbs 19:1-2, “Better to be poor and honest than to be dishonest and a fool. Enthusiasm without knowledge is no good; haste makes mistakes.”

Without honesty and integrity being smart and enthusiastic will eventually lead us into trouble.

Dear Lord, Thank you for the wisdom of Solomon, and help us to have the courage to have integrity and honesty. In Jesus’ name. Amen.