Besides being a classic love story, what we read about Ruth in the Bible is an uplifting reminder that where we were born and the bad things that happen to us in the past are no indicators of what God can do with us in the present and future. Ruth was from a family line considered cursed. (The Moabites… Continue reading 9/1/14: Life Will Work Out
Category: Blog
8/30/14: Need Some Reassurance?
In Judges, chapter 6, the Angel of the Lord appears to Gideon to tell him he is the next judge chosen to deliver Israel, this time from the oppression of the Midianites. Not understanding why he, the least in a small family, would be chosen, Gideon asked the Lord for some reassurance. First, the Lord… Continue reading 8/30/14: Need Some Reassurance?
8/5/14: Needed: One Huge Dose of Peace
Whenever I fly, I take work with me. I’m writing this piece on a flight and I have two speaking engagements coming up in five days for which to prepare. The gate attendant told me the flight would not be full, so I was hoping against hope to get a seat beside an empty seat… Continue reading 8/5/14: Needed: One Huge Dose of Peace
8/2/14: Ain’t Too Proud To Beg
In 1966, the musical group known as The Temptations recorded a catchy love song entitled “Ain’t Too Proud to Beg.” Topping the Billboard R & B Chart for eight consecutive weeks, David Ruffin led the song, crooning with the group about a wife or girlfriend who wanted to leave for some reason. The lyrics reveal… Continue reading 8/2/14: Ain’t Too Proud To Beg
8/1/14: Healer of the Sick
James, our Lord’s brother, knew all about Jesus both as his natural relative and as the Savior. The unique perspective James gives in his epistle shows Jesus’ ways to be quite practical. When speaking of prayer, James says, “Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them… Continue reading 8/1/14: Healer of the Sick
7/31/14: The Real Transformer
Second Corinthians 5:17, a very familiar verse to many Christians, says, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.” We normally see this as a verse discussing the point of our salvation or baptism. We read it to say, “When we… Continue reading 7/31/14: The Real Transformer
7/30/14: God’s Answers
Consider some scenarios about conversations with my toddlers: If they would ask me to let them play with a buzz saw, I would obviously say, “No.” No explanation would be necessary; they wouldn’t understand it anyway. My negative response would just have to be sufficient because of my authority and what I know about the… Continue reading 7/30/14: God’s Answers
7/24/14: Live Out What We Claim
Ezra the prophet enjoyed the favor of the Persian King Artaxerxes. The king had placed satraps and governors over Jerusalem, but he wrote a letter to them stating that he was allowing Ezra to lead a delegation back to the city to rebuild the temple. He realized he needed to show some respect to… Continue reading 7/24/14: Live Out What We Claim
7/23/14: The Finisher
#HeartForTheWord When I’m teaching my English students about crafting conclusions to their compositions, I tell them a poignant statement I once read: Any writer can stop writing; great writers finish. Then I turn their attention to A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens as the quintessential example. That book doesn’t only start with the… Continue reading 7/23/14: The Finisher
7/21/14: Get the Hell Out
People usually use the phrase “get the hell out” in a derogatory manner. They are most often shouting it to someone whose company they no long desire. However today, believe it or not, I discovered a new use of the phrase from the words of the writer of the 86th division of the Psalms. The… Continue reading 7/21/14: Get the Hell Out