Jesus didn’t run
If you know the geography of Jerusalem, you realize that Jesus could have run. On the Thursday night that he was arrested, Jesus was praying in the Garden of Gethsemane on the east side of the city. The garden was right on the edge of the Judean wilderness, the cave-filled desert that was ideal for […]
Glob remover
Ever feel like there’s something wrong with you even when you didn’t do something wrong? Lewis Smedes helps put that feeling into words in his book Shame & Grace. He wrote: “Guilt was not my problem as I felt it. What I felt most was a glob of unworthiness that I could not tie down […]
The Lord does all these things
The Lord controls all things. Do you believe that? Sometimes it’s hard. My city was hit this past summer by severe thunderstorms with 100+ mph winds. Days later, thousands of people still didn’t have electricity. Life was messed up. It was hot. Are you saying that God was in control of that? Yes! Here’s what […]
Already clean
If you struggle to believe that God likes you due to the overwhelming evidence of your sinfulness, listen closely to Jesus. He told his friends the night before he died, “You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you” (John 15:3). How could Jesus say that? The guys in the upper […]
God’s spacious place
“When hard pressed, I cried to the Lord; he brought me into a spacious place. The Lord is with me; I will not be afraid. What can mere mortals do to me?” (Psalm 118:5,6). What makes you feel hard pressed? Do you feel weighed down by others’ expectations and judgments or burdened by having to […]
Checking in
As a parent, one of the most common things I find myself saying, other than, “Make smart choices!” is this: “Call me when you get there, and let me know if you end up going somewhere else.” In other words: “Check in! I want to know where you’re at!” My kids nod and head out […]
Every spiritual blessing
When I read all 389 Bible passages that use the word bless/blessed/blessing, I noticed a distinctive shift from the Old Testament to the New. In the Old Testament, physical blessings get the vast majority of the attention, but post-Jesus, things change. While the apostles are more than grateful for daily bread, good friends, and the […]
Number our days
Did you get a new planner for the new year? Oh, that clean calendar feeling! Nothing but blank space for as far as the eye can see. Depending on your season of life, there are no exam weeks or due dates for term papers, no prenatal visits or job interviews, no orthodontist appointments or weekend […]