A Path Through The Woods
Daddy built a tepee in the woods for 5-year-old Bree and her 3-year-old sister Abby. Then he constructed a playhouse for them in a nearby fallen tree. When the leaves were off the trees, the children could see the family cabin from their hideouts. But in the tangled underbrush of summer, the girls thought they were deep in the scary woods.
Honey Or Vinegar?
Bible teacher Robert J. Little wrote about two jars whose contents looked the same but were actually quite different. When the first jar was turned on its side, vinegar ran out. Then the other jar was tipped over and honey came out of it. The two jars appeared to be similar, but when they were upset their true contents were revealed.
Loving Freely
A woman desperately needed a kidney transplant. The outlook for her was not good unless a compatible donor could be found. Then came the break. The woman's brother offered to be the donor. His personal sacrifice seemed to provide the perfect solution; their matching blood types made successful surgery almost certain.
What God Do We Believe In?
For more than 50 years, the Gallup organization has been surveying the religious beliefs of the American people. Here are some of their findings: In 1947, 93% professed faith in God, 73% expected an afterlife, 90% affirmed that they pray, and 41% attended some kind of church service frequently. In 1997, the survey findings were virtually the same, except that professed faith in God went up to 96%.
God's Pottery
The prophet Jeremiah learned something about God in a potter's shop (Jer. 18:1-10). The craftsman was working at his wheel, shaping a pot from the clay that swirled through his hands. Then something went wrong. Perhaps there was some impurity in the clay. But the potter did not fling the clay aside; instead, he started forming another pot with a new design.
How Much Are You Worth?
When a baseball player signed a huge contract that would pay him $8 million a year, he unashamedly declared that he was worth that much. Most of us would disagree. It's hard to understand how anyone can feel he is worth that much money to hit and catch a ball for 6 months.
Courage And Courtesy
I have always admired the boldness, courage, and conviction of Daniel. Recently I was struck by the way he stood for his principles in a pagan culture. The Bible tells us that Daniel "purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself" with food and drink that God said was forbidden for Jews, so he asked his captors for another menu (Dan. 1:8). Instead of crossing his arms and refusing to eat, Daniel asked permission to take a different nutritional approach. When the official refused, Daniel pursued his goal with a polite request to someone else: "Please test your servants for ten days" (v.12).
Needed: A Big Thaw
Several years ago, a fire destroyed a building that contained tons of ice. Author Carl Franke said that although the building had contained thousands of gallons of potential extinguisher, the water was not in usable form. The building was full of frozen assets!
From Complaining To Trusting
Job was a good man. He feared God, helped the needy, and opposed the wicked. Yet he made the mistake of placing too much emphasis on his own good character. We see this in his bitter complaint (23:2). Job claimed that if God would only listen to him the way a judge and jury listen to a defense attorney, He would conclude that Job is pure gold (vv.2-10).
Culprit Or Comfort?
When we experience adversity and trials, we may blame ourselves and feel we have done something wrong to deserve punishment. While honest self-examination is healthy, we should not become preoccupied with our faults and failures.
A Ready Witness
Whenever I read the book of Acts, I'm struck by the spontaneity of the witness of the first Christians. Everywhere they went, in every circumstance, they boldly proclaimed Jesus as the true Messiah and the Savior of mankind—and many people believed. After Peter and John were arrested for proclaiming the good news, Peter told the council, "We cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard" (Acts 4:20).
Do You Care?
It's one thing to tell a friend you care. It's quite another to show it.
Better Than Words
When we are with people who are grieving or suffering, we may feel a need to fill the awkwardness of the occasion with words. Not to say something, we fear, is to let them down. We may even find ourselves avoiding the bereaved because we're afraid we won't know what to say.
Sin Of The Skin
Most people hate to be accused of racism. But racial bias is all too prevalent. Even Christians have had a long history of ethnic prejudice. In the first century, Jewish believers were reluctant to accept their Gentile brothers. In recent years, racial discrimination has been a dominant issue.
Sing Again
As part of a campaign called "Get America Singing . . . Again," a group of music educators has published a list of 42 songs that it believes Americans must continue singing to preserve an important part of the national culture. The list begins alphabetically with "Amazing Grace" and ends with "Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah." The group's president said, "We have a whole generation that has grown up without singing songs like these—songs that are . . . part of who we are."
What Means Most To Us?
How influential is music on the young people in our society? They buy millions of recordings annually. And screaming fans jam-pack concerts by well-known artists. So, whether we like it or not, rock, rap, and heavy metal are making a significant impact on today's culture.
Choosing A Good Leader
I was having coffee at McDonald's when I noticed a man walk in who was holding a white cane. He had his hand on a young boy's shoulder and appeared to have complete trust in his ability to guide him.
Nothing But The Truth
A 12-year-old boy was a key witness in a lawsuit. One of the lawyers, after intense questioning, asked, "Your father told you what to say, didn't he?"
God Is Talking
Years ago, an annoyed senior citizen from Richmond Heights, Missouri, hung up on President Reagan, who was trying to call him. This happened not just once, but half a dozen times! He didn't believe the operator when she insisted that the White House was calling. He was so sure it was a prank that he didn't stay on the line. But the Southwestern Bell operator and a neighbor finally convinced him it was for real. As a result, the man had the privilege of chatting with President Reagan for about 15 minutes.
God-Centered Faith
During difficult times we often lament, "If only I had more faith!" Yet we demonstrate in everyday life that the most important issue is not the amount of our faith but the object of our faith. For instance, whenever we sit down in a chair, we trust that it will support us. Our faith is in the chair, not in how much faith we possess.
Doing The Impossible
The Christian life really isn't hard to live—it's impossible! In fact, only one person in history has actually lived it perfectly—Jesus Christ.
Better Than Insurance
I don't like to write out checks for insurance, but I have to. A spokesman for the Insurance Information Institute acknowledged, "We sell a product that everyone . . . must have and that everyone believes he's paying too high a price for." That statement doesn't make me want to pay the premiums, but I'm glad the insurance insiders realize I'm bearing a heavy burden for something I may never use.
Your Never-Dying Friend
A man who wrote to me frequently always signed his letters: "Your never-dying friend." He believed that his strong faith in Christ would keep him alive until Jesus returned. He based this belief on his interpretation of Jesus' words, "Whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die" (Jn. 11:26). I haven't heard from him for a long time, so I assume he has died. If so, he is in heaven and now knows that his understanding of that verse was incorrect.
The Promised Prize
Recently I received a magazine sweepstakes letter that addressed me by name and repeatedly mentioned a $500,000 prize. It spoke of instant wealth and a lifetime of leisure. Finally, at the bottom of page 2, in very small print, I found the part I was looking for. As required by law, the letter told me that the approximate numerical odds of my winning the prize were 1 in 80 million. Now that's remote!
Not Taken, But Given
All of us hope that we will be the exception to Jesus' words, "In the world you will have tribulation" (Jn. 16:33). But if we realize that hardship may be our Father's wise plan for our lives, we will not be surprised and shocked when painful difficulty or tragedy occurs.
Honest Relationships
Meet Mr. and Mrs. Everything's Fine. They're dedicated to ministering to people and everyone respects them, but many feel uncomfortable around them.
Seeing Spots
As a minister was addressing a group of men, he took a large piece of paper and made a black spot in the center of it with a marking pen. Then he held the paper up before the group and asked them what they saw. One person quickly replied, "I see a black mark."
Does He Want To Use Me?
The work of God is not done by great people but by ordinary people who are committed to Him. We may say to God, "I am nothing. I have no gifts. I often fail miserably. Do You really want to use me?"
Know To Grow
Several years ago I interviewed a student at Santa Monica College for a radio program I was hosting. He told me that he was interested in finding out all he could about religion. But when I asked him why, he explained that he wanted to expand his education. This student was curious about what motivates religious people to do what they do, but he said he was not the kind of person who gets up in the morning with a desire to do God's will.
The Bedrock For Wedlock
Some people would like to leave open the "lock" in wedlock. The vows "for better or for worse . . . till death us do part" sound too risky. One liberal minister said that marriage as we've known it is obsolete. Yet studies show that married people tend to be happier and healthier. A Gallup Poll revealed that 95 percent of Americans consider marriage and family life to be very important to them.
The List
At the beginning of this new year, many newspapers and magazines will publish a list of notable people and celebrities who died during the previous 12 months. The name of a person we admired may stir up memories that touch us in a special way.
