“Why, my soul, are you downcast? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God.” Psalm 42:5 In his book “The Sacred Journey”, Frederick Buechner writes: “One winter I sat in army fatigues somewhere near Anniston, Alabama, eating […]
“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.” Joshua 1:9 In Joshua 1, we read that Moses had passed away and that God was calling Joshua to take over […]
“When I am afraid, I put my trust in you. In God, whose word I praise— in God I trust and am not afraid. What can mere mortals do to me?” Psalm 56:3-4 Fear and darkness are all around us. Whenever we feel fearful, we can turn to God and […]
“For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened.” – Romans 1:21 Timothy Keller, in his book “Prayer: Experiencing Awe and Intimacy with God”, writes: Cosmic ingratitude is living in the illusion […]
“And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.” – Ephesians 6:18 Author Richard J. Foster tells a story about his youth, working among the Inuit people of Kotzebue, […]
“Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves.” Romans 12:9-10 Love must be sincere. Our love must be sincere. Jesus showed us sincere love as He hung on the cross with nails in […]
“Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place” – Ephesians 6:14 During spring break of his senior year in seminary, Fred Rogers watched television for the first time and what he saw repulsed him. “I got into television,” he […]
“Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of man has no place to lay his head” Matthew 8:20 I think it is fair to say that never before has a generation had more “things” than the present one, yet with all of the “toys” […]
“Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.” Psalm 23:4 All of us will walk through wonderful mountaintop experiences, but we will also walk through dark valleys. While mountains and valleys are […]
“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; all who follow his precepts have good understanding. To him belongs eternal praise.” Psalm 111:10 The beginning of wisdom is the fear of the Lord. What an interesting concept! Most of us want to grow in wisdom and understanding, and […]
“Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them.” – Ephesians 5:11 During the Revolutionary War, 10 American officers gathered below the deck of the USS Warren on February 19, 1777 to sign a petition to the Continental Congress documenting abuses by their commander, Commodore […]
“Be very careful, then, how you live–not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil.” – Ephesians 5:15-16 Pastor Andy Cook writes: “A life-threatening crisis came to my home when I was only 25. My wife suffered a near-fatal stroke and was […]
“Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.” – Ephesians 5:21 Barry L. Rowan, in his book “The Spiritual Art of Business” writes: “The word radical comes from the same root as the word radish and literally means “root.” It’s truly a root word! But apart from the painful […]
“Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love.” – Ephesians 4:2 In his book “Knowing God”, J.I. Packer writes about the Six Common Pitfalls of Christians. At number six, he writes about our unwillingness to wait. He wrote: “‘Wait on the Lord’ is a constant […]
“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not be afraid.” John 14:27 Peace is something we all desire. None of us wants to live in chaos and fear. […]