Seek God continually
The opening words of Psalm 105 read to me like a letter from an enthusiastic and wise elder: “Oh give thanks to the Lord; call upon his name; make known his deeds among the peoples! Sing to him, sing praises to him; tell of all his wondrous works! Glory in his holy name; let the […]
Two valleys tell one story
Two valleys surround Jerusalem, just as Jesus surrounds us. The Kidron Valley runs between Jerusalem’s eastern edge and the Mount of Olives. In Bible times, a dry streambed called a wadi flowed through it. During King Hezekiah’s reign, priests removed pagan objects from the temple and carried them off to be dumped into the valley. […]
Never alone
Feeling alone is scary. When the Old Testament prophet Elisha and his servant were surrounded by an enemy army, the servant cried out, “Oh no, my lord! What shall we do?” (2 Kings 6:15). Have you ever found yourself in a situation where it seemed like you were all alone? Maybe not surrounded by an […]
Filled with peace and joy
What’s crushing down on you? Years ago, a nuclear-powered submarine, USS Thresher, disappeared in the ocean depths. A small valve had frozen up from condensation, causing the sub to dive too deep. Everyone inside perished. Because of new technology, another submarine went into the area where the Thresher disappeared. This new sub was thick-plated, thick-glassed, […]
God’s arms are open wide
He made the long journey home, the apology repeating in his head: “Dad, I’m sorry. Dad, forgive me.” In his youthful arrogance, he thought he knew what he wanted. And it wasn’t his father’s rules. So he begged for his inheritance early, and his father reluctantly gave him his wish. The son practically ran to […]
The B team
Were you ever on the B team? Unless you were a stellar athlete, you may have spent time on the bench, warm-up pants firmly on, waiting yet fearing for the coach to call your name. Jesus’ disciples may be the B-est B team in history. They were the unlikeliest bunch to be charged with the […]
Avocados aren’t the answer
Avocados aren’t the answer to sin. I never thought I’d have to say that. One of the “hit” commercials from a recent Super Bowl showed Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, right after Eve had eaten the forbidden fruit. The sky was dark. The world was falling apart. Until, thankfully, a squirrel showed […]
No fear
I read a story about a man who lived through World War II in England. Every night air-raid sirens blared and enemy bombers dropped bombs. Every day news came of more casualties. There was so much death. So much uncertainty. So much fear. So he found himself going back again and again to one verse […]