A universal need, an everlasting offer, a basic to sustain all of us
“If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, ’Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’”
How you can avoid the dangerous obsession that threatens death
Jealousy is a slow, silent, and wicked master. If left unchecked it can destroy you. Jealousy can trick you into thinking your actions are justified and your motives are honorable. This is what happened with King Saul.
The example we know best shows how God loves and uses the underdog
The story of David’s victory over Goliath gives a burst of confidence that God can equip the unlikely or the underdog to do what appears impossible.
Debating with God, proposing our plan, and seeing his provision
Time and time again we find that nothing we have done, are doing, or plan to do—either good or bad—surprises God. He has promised to direct our paths.
Here’s the place where we’ll remain not fetchable by the enemy
My great-great grandmother was ‘catchable but not fetchable.’ And we can find a place where the enemy won’t grab us, either.
How God will lead us to get our life back (Psalm 23, Part 2)
Starting with the pandemic, and in the time since, many have longed to get back to “normal.” But we will not find life by looking for it.
For Jesus, it just came naturally. He was and is our Good Shepherd!
In the feeding of the 5,000, Jesus was already acting as a Shepherd who provides for the needs of his sheep.
‘For 17 years now . . . .” Thinking about my journey with prayer
As is true with so many others, I have prayed some prayers over and over again for many years. I pray because I believe God is listening and will answer.
What comes before redemption? The answer is surprising and true
The book of Ruth offers us a picture of the pattern God has used again and again to bring his people close to him.
‘Back in the day’ we see patterns still present here in our day
“Everyone did what was right in his own eyes.” The problematic pattern of another age still is with us today.
A formula for finding wisdom—and maybe even sleeping better!
Nearly every night I step out onto my deck and look up at the stars, and I think I can feel the same things David declared in Psalm 8.
Why we need a God who is always trustworthy (Psalm 23, Part 1)
I don’t know if I can, but I’ll try. That’s a sentence to describe many situations in life, including my goal to write about Psalm 23 five Saturdays in a row.
So much better than a rule book: Jesus, ‘Full of grace and truth’
Law upon law will never bring the solutions needed for our broken world. We need truth, yes, along with the same measure of grace.
Did you see Jesus there, when ‘two or three’ of you were together?
How many times has Jesus been standing there and we missed him? I suspect far more than we can count. But I realize I saw him today.
A woman prayed, an angel appeared, and God’s answer brought hope
God may sometimes seem distant, but he is always nearby and working even when we don’t see him until suddenly he steps in again.
How should we feel when know the Lord turns and looks at us?
“For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to give strong support to those whose heart is blameless toward him.”
How to overcome our fear by believing what God says about us
“For God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.”
God spoke, they listened, and the result was a change for the ages
God spoke to both of them, giving all of us an example for overcoming barriers and putting aside prejudices in answer to his call.
Valor or fear or complaint? How will we respond when God calls?
Gideon had quite a few push-backs when he received God’s call through the angel. Maybe we can relate.
We argue about Bible doctrines or practices, but Jesus loves us anyway
Christians have been arguing about Communion and other things since Jesus walked the earth. But he still entrusts us with his work.