Pulling Power
Dwight D. Eisenhower used to demonstrate the art of leadership in a simple but forceful way. He would place a single piece of string on a table and say, “Pull it, and it follows wherever you want it to go. But push it, and it goes nowhere.”
When the Grace Period Ends
It’s a good thing our local library gives a grace period before it starts charging for overdue books. My family checks out books by the dozen, and sometimes we forget to get them back on time.
Learning To Trust
Renee still believed in God’s existence, but for many years she didn’t trust Him. And no wonder! As a small child, she had been mistreated by a cruel father. This trauma left such deep emotional scars that she blamed herself and felt she didn’t deserve to live.
Happiness Is . . .
What makes you happy? Has it shown up on one of those bumper stickers that say, “I’d rather be sailing . . . fishing . . . shopping . . . eating pizza . . . sleeping in”?
Light for Each Step
Someone has observed, “He who carries a lantern on a dark road at night sees only one step ahead. When he takes that step, the lamp moves forward and another step is made plain. He finally reaches his destination in safety without once walking in darkness. All the way is lighted, but only a single step at a time. This is the method of God’s guidance.”
Frozen Snowball
Baseball pitcher Tug McGraw had a wonderful philosophy of pitching. He called it his “frozen snowball” theory. “If I come in to pitch with the bases loaded,” Tug explained, “and heavy hitter Willie Stargell is at bat, there’s no reason I want to throw the ball. But eventually I have to pitch. So I remind myself that in a few billion years the earth will become a frozen snowball hurtling through space, and nobody’s going to care what Willie Stargell did with the bases loaded!”
Our Job Description
In a letter to me, “Mike” revealed that he had been disabled from a drug overdose, had served a 2-year sentence for cocaine possession, and had been in institutions for 13 years. He also wrote of being wonderfully delivered by the Lord.
The Clue of Silence
The Sir Arthur Conan Doyle story Silver Blaze centers around a clue of silence. In this mystery, detective Sherlock Holmes investigates the theft of a prized racehorse, which had been guarded by an excellent watchdog.
Why Keep the Faith?
Many Christians are on the front lines of some very important battles. Some are speaking out on social issues and moral decline. Others are helping to relieve suffering and battling the effects of poverty. Still others are trying to make a difference in government or entertainment.
Living Close to God
Over the years I have known people whose lives manifested a unique sense of God’s presence and power. Some are now in heaven. Some are still serving the Lord.
A Stone or Bread?
No loving father would give a stone or a snake to his hungry son if he asked him for a piece of bread or a fish. Jesus used the absurdity of that analogy in Matthew 7 to underscore God’s readiness to give good things to His disciples when they asked Him. He wanted them to have complete confidence in the heavenly Father’s provision for their spiritual needs.
Ascended and Enthroned
Call the roll of some of the states men and dictators who for a brief time dominated the global stage in this century: Woodrow Wilson, Franklin D. Roosevelt, Winston Churchill, Kaiser Wilhelm II, Adolf Hitler, Joseph Stalin. Where are they now? Dead and buried! But where is Jesus Christ, the rejected and crucified first-century Galilean? He is alive forevermore, enthroned in celestial glory.
Fish Hard
Okay, I admit it. I like to fish. No, I’m not the buy-the-latest-bass-boat, get-out-every-weekend kind of guy. But I enjoy fishing for walleyes at a nearby dam in the summer or catching perch through the ice on one of Michigan’s many lakes in winter.
A Born Atheist?
All of us have an innate sense of God’s existence (Rom. 1:18-21). But some may suppress that deep-down awareness of God and may even convince themselves that He is not real—until a moment of crisis.
The Lord and You
In her book Lincoln’s Daughters of Mercy, Marjorie Greenbie tells about Mother Bickerdyke, who worked with General Sherman during the Civil War. She brought relief to thousands of wounded and dying Union soldiers.
Real Help When We Do Wrong
When an unmarried girl who had become pregnant walked across the platform to receive her high school diploma, the audience gave her a standing ovation.
The Best News Ever!
I knew immediately that the person on the other end of the phone was feeling defeated. It was evident in her voice. She had called to tell me that a verse of Scripture was bothering her. After quoting Jesus’ words, “What will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul?” (Mark 8:36), she said she felt that the verse described her.
The Truth About Truth
When Harvard University was founded, its motto was Veritas Christo et Ecclesiae—“Truth for Christ and the Church.” Its crest showed three books, one face down to symbolize the limitation of human knowledge. But in recent decades that book has been turned face up to represent the unlimited capacity of the human mind. And the motto has been changed to Veritas—“Truth.”
The Lord Will Provide
A needy widow in Chicago lived by the motto: “The Lord will provide.” Even when severely tested, Mrs. Hokanson never lost her ready smile and triumphant faith. Casting her care on God (1 Pet. 5:7), she found that He always took the burden and supplied the needed blessing.
Joy Over One
Many Christians have succumbed to the false notion that their witness to one individual doesn’t count for much. But that certainly isn’t supported by what we read in the Gospels. Even though Jesus’ public ministry was limited to a little more than 3 years, He was never “too big” to deal with one person at a time.
Changing Pronouns
Courses in English composition teach us to avoid the use of the pronoun I as much as possible when we write. After all, it’s neither good style nor good manners to make ourselves the center of attention.
What’s Missing?
Tennis star Boris Becker was at the very top of the tennis world—yet he was on the brink of suicide. He said, “I had won Wimbledon twice before, once as the youngest player. I was rich. I had all the material possessions I needed. . . . It’s the old song of movie stars and pop stars who commit suicide. They have everything, and yet they are so unhappy. I had no inner peace. I was a puppet on a string.”
Rearranging the Price Tags
The Danish philosopher Sören Kierkegaard tells a parable of a man who broke into a department store one night. Rather than stealing merchandise, he rearranged the price tags on many items. The next morning the clerks and customers found one surprise after another: diamond necklaces for a dollar and cheap costume jewelry costing thousands.
Imitation Faith
Tourists throughout the centuries have visited the famous Acropolis, the ancient hilltop religious citadel in Athens. Thousands of sightseers from all over the world have picked up marble chunks as souvenirs.
Hi, Dad!
I arrived at the airport from an out-of-town trip, and as is our routine I called to let my family know they could pick me up. I dialed our number and expected to hear the customary “Hello.” Instead, 6-year-old Stevie picked up the phone and said, “Hi, Dad!” Having been told when my plane was expected, Stevie had complete confidence that I would be on the other end of the phone.
Double-Minded Skink
The smooth, shiny lizard known as a skink doesn’t ordinarily draw crowds at the zoo. But the little critter discovered by a homeowner in Jacksonville, Florida, created quite a stir because it had two heads, one at each end of its body. What an unusual spectacle! And what an illustration of absolute frustration! When it tried to run, its legs actually moved in opposite directions.
God and Freedom
When members of the Second Continental Congress approved the remarkable document known as The Declaration of Independence, they plainly declared their belief in God. The drafters of this noble proclamation knew that the sweeping freedoms they were proposing could work well only in a society where the Creator is acknowledged. They affirmed that God has “endowed” all people with the right to “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness” because He values each of us.
Doorway to Heaven
In his book God Cares for You, Walter B. Knight gives this account of the memorial service in 1929 for the widely known Bible teacher and author F. B. Meyer:
Only Believe!
One day when Jesus was surrounded by a multitude, a distressed ruler of the synagogue named Jairus pushed his way through the crowd and fell at His feet. With great urgency he pleaded with the Lord to come to his house. His little daughter was dying, and he knew that the Lord could heal her.
If Nobody Knew
This prayer by Ruth Harms Calkin spoke to my heart.
