She spoke reassuringly, “I believe in the power of human touch, and I will be holding your hand during the surgery.”
All in God's Character
A Song of Love
I could recognize the melody but not the words. It was my son singing his seven-year-old daughter to sleep.
Do You Need a Safety Pin?
As I opened my car door to leave for church one Sunday, I noticed a safety pin on the garage floor. Wondering how it ended up there, I picked it up and stuck it in my change purse.
Divine Lenses
There is no doubt in my mind that Jonah had a greater than passing acquaintance with the LORD. After all, he was a prophet with whom God shared His mind. The Hebrew for know is “yada: to know by experience”.
Run, Jonah. Run
Ah, January—I love Januarys. Januarys beckon me to step back and consider the old year. I transpose my Canadian memories of crisp snowfalls to cover the muddy paths I’ve been over. I cry to the Lord: wash me, and I will be whiter than snow (Psalm 51:7). But then Januarys urge me on to chase the new with vigor: Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me (Psalm 51:10).
Meeting the Need
My neighbor texted me to ask if we had nets to cover the two fruit trees in our backyard to protect them from the anticipated winter weather. I have to admit, I had not even thought about how the cold temperatures could bring death to our trees.
A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood
Sometimes you could describe me as “rebellious.” I love nothing more than a good walk around the neighborhood talking to God, but when a Bible Study book instructed me to do so, I had little enthusiasm. I liked it better when it was my own idea.
Words Both Good and True: Day 4
When these words are given at the end of a service you are attending, remember that you are being blessed by some of the oldest words in Scripture. The Aaronic blessing, the oldest benediction in the Bible, was spoken over the people of Israel at the end of the daily sacrifice.
Change Happens
Change happens and sometimes we are happy.
Change happens and sometimes we grieve.
Change is certain.
Some changes I choose and some I don’t. Because God is always the same, we can trust Him, His Word, and be forever secure.
God never changes. Will you count on Him when inevitable changes interrupt?
Neighbors and Bosses, Family and Friends: Day 4
The family is the foundational unit of society. That was God’s plan from the beginning. It was into the family that babies were born, children were instructed in the right and two people, working together, created a place of security and stability.
Neighbors and Bosses, Family and Friends: Day 3
Authority. The Greek word translated here refers to “power as entrusted, i.e. commission, authority, right, full power.” And, as we know, power is heady stuff. For every good boss, there is one who uses that authority to gain personal advantage. And we deal with “bosses” of all varieties from the person who signs our paycheck to the individual who heads up the committee we have volunteered for. Even anarchists have to have someone in charge.
Grace Beyond Measure: God Is Enough
During the 19th century, personal tragedy led Puritan Hannah Whitall Smith to write several books on suffering. Her out-of-print devotion book, God Is Enough, spoke to my heart a decade ago while crippled by insecurities. It continues to be one of my most treasured books.
When the Fire of the LORD Falls
The key to your story is the size of your God ladies. Oh, not that you can diminish God in any way. But how big is He in your eyes? Elijah had an inkling. You would too if God had hidden you by a brook and ordered ravens to feed you (17:4). And what if you then were witness to the daily multiplication of a widow’s meager supply of flour and oil to sustain all three of you (17:16), plus the miraculous return to life of her son (17:22)?
Refreshment
We lived in the country during part of my childhood. Clearing off the front part of our land took place before the building of our house. From the road you could see the driveway going over a cattle guard and winding up the hill to our home. Trees scattered appropriately for visual effect and shade made for a pretty picture.
You Know Me So Well!
After birthdays and holiday celebrations I have to admit I gather up the collapsible gift boxes to use again. I store them in an under-the-bed box so I know right where to locate them when needed. My family good naturedly teases me about it.
Joy to the World…the Son reveals the Father
Meditating on this first chapter of Hebrews, I sense the author’s intensity as he draws out a picture of God’s Son for the readers of his day as well as for us. Sixty years after His birth—how quickly the Judean Christians had forgotten who Jesus was. 2021—how the world has overshadowed the Son.
God of Righteousness
As I investigated Old Testament references to clouds, I noticed that when speaking to Job, God described clouds as the sea’s garment and thick darkness its blanket. (Job 38:9)
Clouds & God
I remember my father saying, “I love a “buttermilk sky” while admiring a scenic view of puffy little clouds. By fourth grade, I’d discovered there was no official “buttermilk sky" cloud formation, only cumulus, stratus, cirrus and multiple variations based on combinations and altitudes.
Eternal Jesus
What pictures come to mind when you think about Jesus? Maybe a newborn baby lying in a manger in a stable in Bethlehem. Maybe a child in the temple confounding learned men with his knowledge. Maybe a man in his early thirties teaching and preaching. Maybe bruised and beaten, hanging on a cross.
Our Redeemer
Job uttered these words, “I know my redeemer lives.” Job, of all people – deathly ill, loss of children, misunderstood by friends. Those words did not come at the end of his struggles -- he spoke them in the midst of them. What an encouraging testimony!