Sometimes you just don’t know what to pray. You’re too confused about the situation to know what ask for; you’re too in the dark to understand the details; or every time you start to pray the thoughts bring up so much pain it’s just too hard to find the words. Likewise the Spirit helps us … Continue reading When the words just won’t come
I remember reading or hearing somewhere that if a person is in an urgent situation where they have to evacuate quickly and they have time to rescue one thing (other than loved ones), they typically go for the thing they value most. I remember seeing this played out once. Jane and I were enjoying a … Continue reading Moving on means leaving some things behind.
It’s easy to trust the Lord in the good times. It’s hard in the bad times. It’s worse (almost impossible) when the bad times are your own making. I mean it’s one thing when someone else shoots you in the foot, but when you do it yourself? Right now, I feel like I should be … Continue reading This one’s a little all over the map.
David said, “Help, Lord,” (Psalm 12:1); King Jehoshaphat said, “Neither know we what to do” (2 Chronicles 20:12); Peter said, “Lord, save me” (Matthew 14:30); and I say, “God, we’re lost, and we don’t know what to do. Please help us.” Yesterday, Sunday – Father’s Day, I spent the day under good preaching, surrounded by … Continue reading Help, Lord. Just help.
Really? Just being honest here. If I had control of the “trials knob” in my life, I’d turn it all the way down to zero, turn off the breaker and rip the knob out of the wall. I wouldn’t even spackle the hole. I’d leave it there just for spite. Then there’s guys like Peter, … Continue reading Really?
When I read John’s encounter with the Lord in Revelation, it reminds me of Isaiah’s vision of God in the temple in Isaiah chapter 6. There are parallels but there are significant differences as well, and those differences are important for us as believers. And when I saw him, I fell at his feet as … Continue reading What a difference Christ makes!
I have a dog whose nickname is Gronk. He was named for tight end Rob Gronkowski because I’m a Patriots fan. (You can form opinions about my team choices later.) I mention my dog because as wonderful as he is, he tends to fret. It’s odd because he’s a seventy-pound Mastiff/Shepherd mix. The Shepherd in … Continue reading Are you down for this?
On D-Day, after the Allied forces were finally able to overcome the German defenses on the beaches, there was a general pause on the part of the Allied troops. Units had been broken up so badly, and the fighting had been so intense, the troops needed time to gather themselves. There were other objectives that … Continue reading Hey, would you take a selfie of me?
I was supposed to write a devotional this morning if for no other reason than that I consider it an act of worship and something I enjoy. Today, I just could not put my heart into it. My wife and I are facing some real hardship right now. I won’t go into detail, but our … Continue reading When Your Heart is too Heavy for Song
Being part of the Levitical priesthood had stringent requirements. Like the animals they sacrificed, the Levitical priests had to be perfect physical specimens (See Leviticus 21). After a certain age a priest was not even allowed to participate in some aspects of worship. Why so stringent? Because the priests and the animals they sacrificed were … Continue reading What most impresses God
Grace in Waves 