Under Surveillance
Imagine that you're visiting a foreign country when you realize that you're being followed. Your every move is watched. Your every conversation is monitored. Your hotel room is bugged and the restaurant tables are electronically rigged to pick up every word you speak. It's as if at all times someone wants to know what you are doing, saying, thinking, and planning. You are constantly under the scrutiny of another, and it seems there is no place to hide.
One Option We Don't Have
James A. Meads Jr. began his sermon with this statement: "The reason you and I cannot ignore God can be stated in one word: Israel. No other nation has been known as a 'chosen people.' No other nation has as much to say about the love, the patience, and the anger of God. Through Israel, God has given the world an object lesson about His nature."
On Rock Or Sand?
Japan's second-largest airport is sinking into the ocean. When Kansai International near Osaka was constructed on an artificial island, designers and builders knew that it would settle. They built hydraulic jacks into the structures to correct any tilt that occurred. But during its first 6 years, several key portions of the airport have reached or exceeded their 50-year sinking projection. They say there is no reason to be alarmed, but local residents are not so sure.
Who's Your Creator?
Does the design of the universe point to an intelligent Designer? Even though many scientists resist that idea and propose naturalistic explanations for the origin of the cosmos, they sometimes use words that point to a Creator.
Cemetery Walk
On my way home from high school I often walked by one cemetery and cut through another. I was intrigued by the grave markers, for they revealed the social status of each person who had died. Near the cemetery entrances were crypts, gray stone buildings with ornate iron scrollwork and the family name prominently displayed. Pillars and large ornamental markers were nearby, then rows and rows of headstones. Small, flat, stone markers marked the graves of the poor.
David's Restraint
The relationship between David and King Saul is one of the strangest and most volatile recorded in the Bible. David came to Saul's rescue on several occasions (as a harp player and as a warrior), he was best friends with the king's son, and he married the king's daughter. Now, don't you think such a person would be in pretty good standing with the monarch?
Patiently Waiting
If we truly believe that Jesus is coming back, we have good reason to be patient. Why should we not endure indignity and injustice if we know that ultimate and absolute justice is just around the corner? Is there any better hope than to know that Jesus is coming again to set everything right?
A Blessed Alternative
Imagine that a person was seriously ill and near death but then recovered. Recalling his experience, he says that recovering from the surgery that saved his life was extremely painful. But then he jokingly remarks, "Think of the alternative!"
A Good Testimony
Lists can be boring, but not the one in Hebrews 11. It's an impressive list of Old Testament believers and their amazing accomplishments. However, the writer kept interspersing the words "by faith," for his emphasis was strictly faith, not fame. Through faith these people obtained a good testimony (v.39), but was there always a good outcome?
Gospel Power
One reason many Christians are so hesitant to witness for Christ is that they fear failure. They forget the life-changing power of the gospel.
Finishing Well
I read a humorous story about a bloodhound. He started chasing a deer but a fox crossed his path, so he started chasing the fox instead. After a while, a rabbit crossed his path, so the hound chased the rabbit. Yet later, a mouse crossed his path and the hound chased the mouse into a hole. The hound, which had begun his hunt on the trail of a magnificent deer, ended up watching a mouse hole!
Upward Escape
The bighorn sheep in Colorado's Rocky Mountain National Park will often allow visitors to approach them from below and take close-up photos. But don't try to get above them or the entire herd will run away. The bighorns' escape route from predators is always upward. On level ground a bobcat or cougar can easily overtake the wild sheep, but scrambling up a boulder-strewn slope, the bighorns will get away every time.
The Only Way To Be Happy
There is no lasting earthly satisfaction. Marriage, family, money, fame, enlightenment, travel, athletics, academic achievement—nothing completes our joy. Any satisfaction we gain in our quest fades quickly and becomes a vague memory, if it can be remembered at all.
Above The Crowd
When the steeple of a local church caught fire after being struck by lightning, firefighters had a difficult time putting out the blaze. The crew had to haul heavy hoses up three flights of stairs to save the structure, which was described as tall, windowless, and empty.
Thanks For Thorns
To give thanks in every situation is sometimes very difficult. When your body is wracked with pain, or you have just learned that you have a physical problem for which there is no cure, or you have lost your job, or a cherished relationship has been broken, it's hard to feel grateful. But we can learn to thank God because He gives us strength when we feel weak.
Life's Greatest Moment
What a night for the Minnesota Twins baseball team in 1987! They had just defeated the Detroit Tigers and won the American League pennant for the first time in 22 years. More than 50,000 people, young and old, crowded into the Metrodome to welcome their victors home from Detroit. Banners were waving, horns were blaring, the crowd was cheering. There were even tears of joy.
Even Animals Come Home
A homeowner in Wisconsin said he heard a cat meowing on the front porch. When he opened the door, a big long-haired, gray male cat walked in, checked things out, began purring, and then jumped up on a chair as if he belonged there. Family members couldn't believe their eyes. But when they compared the cat to pictures taken years earlier, they could only conclude that it was their long-lost pet. Clem the cat had come home after 8 years of being who knows where.
Keep Pressing On
Do you ever feel overwhelmed by the challenges of living for Christ? You're not alone. Even Paul felt that way. In 2 Corinthians 1:8, he honestly admitted that the troubles he and Timothy endured in Asia had taxed them beyond measure, and they feared for their lives. But Paul said they learned this lesson: "We should not trust in ourselves but in God" (v.9).
Never Alone
Have you ever been alone—really alone?
Brother John
It's only a humorous story, yet it makes a serious point. Brother John was a timid man who dreaded speaking in public. So he was terrified on the day it was his turn to give a devotional message. With his knees trembling, he faced his listeners and said, "Do you know what I'm going to say this morning?" "No," answered the audience. He then said, "Neither do I," and he ran from the room.
Divine Mystery
At one point along the Saguenay River in southeastern Canada, the water flows through a chasm between two rugged rock formations. Their pinnacles tower over 1,600 feet into the sky. Early pioneers were so awestruck by these majestic crags that they named them Trinity and Eternity.
Heirlooms
"My great-grandfather owned this rifle," the man said proudly. In his hand was a mint-condition rifle from the days when the pioneers were moving across the American West. I admired its beautiful walnut stock and shiny brass fittings. He said, "It came down to my grandfather, who passed it on to my father, who gave it to me. It's been in the family more than 100 years. I'm going to give it to my son when he turns 25."
Warning!
During the past year, cars, trucks, tires, window blinds, and toy xylophones have been recalled by their manufacturers. In every case, the message was similar: "This product is defective or dangerous and could cause serious injury or even death. Return it to us and we will correct the problem." But it's up to the consumer to heed the warning and return the dangerous item.
The Power Of Light
Some of us may not especially enjoy poetry. But often a few lines of verse will grip our imagination, as do the following by Francis Thompson: "The innocent moon, which nothing does but shine, moves all the laboring surges of the world."
The Father's Love
In his autobiography, a well-known TV personality describes the time when he asked, "If God the Father is so all-loving, why didn't He come down and go to Calvary?" That comment reveals how little he understood the love of a good earthly father and the depth of love revealed in the Trinity.
He Can Be Trusted
When quoting Romans 8:28, we often begin with the words, "All things work together for good." But the verse really begins like this: "We know that all things work together for good to those who love God." Our knowing comes by faith. By faith we are confident that God will never disappoint us.
Tomorrow Trap
Sue Shellenbarger, "Work & Family" columnist for The Wall Street Journal, has encountered hundreds of people who, she says, "essentially live for the future, taking refuge in visions of a relaxed, rewarding personal and family life somewhere down the road." She calls this "the 'tomorrow trap'—a kind of mirage that people chase while in reality they are burying themselves in work and other pursuits."
Shirkers Or Workers?
The apostle Paul had some tough words for shirkers: "If anyone will not work, neither shall he eat" (2 Thessalonians 3:10). Some circumstances may make it impossible for us to work. But if we're able-bodied and can find work, we must work with energy and diligence. This is not just good advice but a command from an inspired apostle and from our Lord Jesus Christ (v.12). Sloth is sin.
The Gifted Church
Are you using your gift? According to 1 Corinthians 12:7-11, the Holy Spirit gives every follower of Christ at least one spiritual gift. These God-given abilities are bestowed so that the church can function effectively and grow strong.
Forever Mercy
You don't have to live very long in this world before it becomes painfully clear that nothing lasts forever. The car you were so proud of when you bought it is spending too much time in the shop getting fixed. Those clothes you picked up on sale are now in the hand-me-down box. At home, the roof eventually leaks, the appliances break down, the carpet needs to be replaced. And relationships we think will endure often fall apart.
