Still In The Book
When Pastor Mark Tromp was wheeled into the operating room, he said to his family, "Remember, Romans 8:28 is still in the Book."
Bite-Size Requests
Lots of things are easier to do when they're bite-size. If you have a major task to get done, for example, it helps to divide it into smaller units and tackle them one at a time. This is true whether you are redecorating the house, packing for a vacation, or directing a church project.
Something Far Better
A man who lived far out in the country bought his clothing from a mail-order catalog. At the bottom of the printed order form he noticed this statement: "If we do not have the article you ordered in stock, may we substitute?"
Grumblers
Mrs. Grumpty complained bitterly because her friends seemed to avoid her, and she just couldn't understand why. If only she could have heard a recording of her own voice, she would have known the reason for her unpopularity. She always talked about her complaints, weaknesses, aches and pains, and insisted on relating in wearying detail her stay in the hospital.
A Good Word
A man was invited to the home of some friends for dinner. The food was superb—except for the apple pie. Even so, he found something good to say about the pie.
Don't Be Fooled
People don't like to be fooled, but it happens so often that it might seem as if they do.
End Of Construction
One day Billy and Ruth Graham were driving through a long stretch of road construction. They had numerous slowdowns, detours, and stops along the way. Finally they reached the end of all that difficulty, and smooth pavement stretched out before them. This sign caught Ruth's attention: "End of construction. Thanks for your patience." She commented that those words would be a fitting inscription on her tombstone someday.
Hearers And Heeders
He was a churchgoing man who loved to hear good preaching and discuss Bible truths. He and his family faithfully attended services twice every Sunday. But in his home this man was a tyrant. On one occasion he even struck his wife.
The Limits Of Sight
"Seeing is believing," according to the old saying. But if we believe only what we can see, we will never know God or experience His presence.
One Day At A Time
A frail, elderly woman fell and broke her hip. The doctor set the bones as best he could, but he knew that she would have a long and uncomfortable recovery.
Sad Or Glad?
The first Resurrection Day began with gloom and despair for the disciples of our Lord. Three days earlier, their Master had been crucified and buried. We can imagine them huddled together behind closed doors as "they mourned and wept" (Mark 16:10).
Truth
A man once said to me, "All roads lead to God. It's like climbing a mountain. You can start anywhere at the base, but eventually everyone comes to the same place at the top."
In Honor And Memory
On March 21, 1969, a US Marine patrol in Vietnam descended a steep bank to fill their canteens in a stream. As they stooped in 2 feet of water, the area suddenly exploded with gunfire and grenades. Several men were hit. According to an official report, one soldier, with complete disregard for his own safety, assisted several Marines. Despite the heavy fire, he made several trips, until he himself was wounded and unable to continue.
Kill The Spider!
We sometimes have mixed feelings about our sins. We are afraid of being hurt by them, and we want to be forgiven. But we aren't sure we want to be rid of them right now.
Tough Love
In our city's largest public school district, any student who gets caught with a weapon or drugs on campus faces mandatory expulsion. The director of discipline can expel a student immediately. But he also frequently takes the offender through an intense 90-minute session designed to force the student to come to grips with his destructive behavior. Many young adults, looking back, have said that without the director's confrontation they would have ended up in jail.
Generous Receivers
In John 4:1-15, we read that Jesus was weary, hungry, and thirsty. As the Son of God, He could have met all His own physical needs. He could have gotten His own food to eat and water to drink. But Jesus did not insist on doing everything for Himself.
Little Acts Of Love
When I was a young boy, I knew that my father was extremely fond of black walnuts. We didn't often get them, so the day I found one on the ground I was delighted! My first thought was to have my mother crack it so I could eat it myself, but then my love for my father took over. I saved it for him.
The Butterfly
Outside my study window a beautiful monarch butterfly rested on a flower blossom. It fanned its wings slowly with exquisite grace. That stately monarch was once a repulsive green worm, feeding on milkweed leaves. Then it built a coffin for itself and hung from a twig. In time it emerged, transformed into a beautiful creature—that butterfly outside my study window.
Meaning And Purpose
When our daughter was 3 years old, my wife and I introduced her to the "fine art" of dishwashing. It amuses me that many preschoolers want to wash dishes but parents refuse to let them. Then, when they become teenagers and no longer desire to clean plates, parents insist that they do.
In Disguise
It's often difficult to understand why people give in to certain temptations. From our vantage point, their problem should be easy to handle.
