We have all likely heard the question, “What would I do if I could not fail?” Often, it’s in inspirational contexts where you are dreaming of how something can be. But, what if you REALLY couldn’t fail? What if God, Himself, guaranteed the outcome? Moses had that assurance. In Exodus 3, God tells Moses about … Read more
Psalms 56:8 You keep track of all my sorrows. You have collected all my tears in your bottle. You have recorded each one in your book. A friend’s child recently encountered an unkind child at school. At some point in life, we watch our children be treated unfairly. In kindergarten, another child threatened my child … Read more
I was teaching second grade a few years ago, and I asked the class if Joshua had a good battle strategy. They had heard the story so many times that they were a bit callous to the fact that God’s plan, from a human perspective, was crazy. So, imagine a war strategy session today where … Read more
During difficult times in my life, I have made sense of the situation through poetry and song. Writing has always been central to processing emotion. It’s like the feelings go from the end of the pen on to the paper. Some topics flow well. When things are really, really difficult, I stop processing. The words … Read more
If you watched the news today, then you may have heard that an Egyptian idol is on the move turning on slow image photography in a museum in New York. The best hypothesis is that it is moving ever so slightly as individuals walk by causing it to rotate over the course of the day. … Read more
Solomon had built the temple to honor God. It was a good temple, but one question remained. Would God find his dwelling in the temple? Solomon’s prayer invited God to dwell inside his temple, and God affirmed that request. In the New Testament, our bodies are God’s temples. Regardless of what we do to … Read more
Perhaps one of the hardest things as a parent is watching my children struggle. I want to rush in and help with all of their problems, but I also know that they have to work through the process to experience the growth. I can’t imagine how Joseph’s father must have grieved for a son that … Read more
My son has been convinced that he could trap a leprechaun. He’s built a number of traps, but no success yet. If I could be as adept at avoiding traps as the leprechaun, then my life would have been easier to date. Matthew 4: 1- 11 4 Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the … Read more
There’s something about a mountaintop experience – literally and figuratively. Epiphanies happen on the mountaintop, and you can see things that you couldn’t see before. The primary challenge with a mountain top experience endures – at some point you have to return to the valley. Exodus 31:18 – Exodus 32:1, Exodus 32:7 18 When the Lord finished speaking … Read more
I don’t find it strange that both of our children accepted Christ in our family room where we have our daily devotionals. While they have been to church most Sunday and Wednesdays, they have been involved in our family worship time on a daily basis since they were born. We talk about God, answer … Read more