Just as Fall and Winter bring the dropping of leaves, leaving the branches to look disheveled and scrawny, Christians can also enter dark periods of their lives. They can feel confused, weak, depressed, discouraged, unenthusiastic, emotionally scrawny and scraggly. I wouldn’t say it’s normal, but every Christian I know has faced times like this. Fortunately, […]
God would make a great florist. He designed among flowers a variety of shapes, fragrances, and various colors. He made them fragile enough to be crushed with a boot, yet strong enough to withstand heavy rains and pelting hail. God planted at least three gardens: Garden of Eden – “The Lord God planted a garden […]
I’ve been writing several blogs about wisdom recently. We’ve seen that God’s wisdom is vastly different than worldly wisdom, seeking godly wisdom is the way of loving ourselves, and wisdom has nothing to do with one’s intelligence. Here is what Solomon had to say about wisdom in Proverbs (in no particular order). Avoids the wrong […]
Many years ago, I attended Basic Youth Conflicts. A phrase you’d often hear was, “Please Be Patient. God Is Not Finished With Me Yet.” He never stops working to change us to be more like Jesus. And He won’t be done until we see Him face-to-feet. “I am certain that God, who began the good […]
“My folks instilled in me a strong work ethic. I’m honest and I’ve worked hard all my life. I’ve been frugal, so I have a sizeable nest egg.” Many Americans can say the same thing. But an important feature is missing. There’s no mention of God’s help. Long ago the LORD had warned people whom […]
After a devastating storm or fire, the person interviewed often says something to the effect, “We’ll build back better. We’ll be stronger than we were before.” I know they are trying to bring comfort and hope to the people, but there is no mention of relying on God’s help. It sounds a lot like the […]
Giants are not only the subject of fictional children’s stories like Jack and the Beanstalk. There were actual giants who lived on Earth in the early days of the Old Testament. Probably the most famous giant was Goliath, a huge man standing over nine feet tall (Even Shaq would appear small next to him). This […]
After the exodus from Egypt, when Israel was to enter the land which God had promised to Abraham and his offspring, the people refused. As a result, God made them wander in the desert for forty years. At the end of that time, the Israelites had another opportunity to cross into Canaan, this time near […]
If a person does not believe in God, then is there anyone to whom he gives thanks for a beautiful sunset, a rainbow, a walk in the forest next to a bubbling brook, or his daily meals? “For although they knew God [as Creator], they neither glorified Him as God nor gave thanks to Him, […]
When the Scripture uses the term “darkness,” it most often carries the negative sense of sin. “Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter.” (Isaiah 5:20) Darkness also describes the situation when the devil has […]