Because people are what we can see, we see people and the circumstances they can create for us as the source of our troubles. That’s simply not true. The Bible says that Jesus Christ is the Author and Finisher of my faith. That makes Him Lord of my blessings. It also makes Him Lord of … Continue reading Lord of my distresses
Perhaps the hardest part of any project is the halfway point. When a new ministry is started there’s a lot of enthusiasm. People are attracted by the “new project smell.” There’s the excitement, the novelty, the belief that this is going to break new ground. Then you get to the halfway point. The novelty has … Continue reading Advancing the Kingdom by being faithful in the mundane
We all have elements in our lives that, for us, make life work. Let’s call them “molecules of control.” The elements that make up those molecules might be friends, family, work, hobbies; it’s different for everyone yet the same too because, like I said, our molecules of control are what we use to make life … Continue reading Splitting atoms when our problems aren’t even vinegar on baking soda.
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.
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 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
Waiting on the Lord through crisis. Do you know how hard that is? Anyone who has ever had to probably does. Waiting on the Lord usually means waiting past the endurance of our faith. Let’s face it: It’s easy to be spiritual at the beginning of a crisis, before the reality of it really takes … Continue reading We have a perfect God who loves imperfect people.
What if we could go back in time and visit Joseph in prison, and let’s say we could ask him one question: “Joseph, don’t you think what’s happened to you is unfair?” I think if we were to ask him that, he’d be puzzled by the question, not because he didn’t understand it, but because … Continue reading Life’s Unfair! How to Deal with It. Part3: We worship the same God Joseph does
For Joseph, living for the Lord was the worst thing he could have done with his life. Well, from the perspective of casual observers that’s what it looked like. Because Joseph went from being his father’s favorite and God’s chosen to being his brothers’ enemy number one, then to being sold into slavery, then for … Continue reading Life’s Unfair! How to Deal with It. Part 2 (Or, Wait! It gets worse.)
Jehoshaphat was a king of Judah. His name means “Jehovah judges,” and he did his best to live up to that name. During his reign he brought about many reforms. He set judges over the people, men appointed to judge civil cases, and set them on notice: 2 Chronicles 19:6-7(6) And said to the judges, … Continue reading Tie a knot in your rope and hang on!
Grace in Waves 