A Walk In The Woods
A friend of mine wrote to me about certain “reservations” in his life—areas of secret sin that he reserved for himself and into which he frequently withdrew.
Read More »
Reasons To Rejoice
The New Testament gives us many reasons to rejoice. For example, Jesus said, “Rejoice because your names are written in heaven” (Luke 10:20). The apostle Peter spoke of the reasons believers can “rejoice with joy inexpressible” (1 Peter 1:8). We’re not asked to pretend that problems don’t exist but to rejoice even in the midst of them.
Read More »Come To Me
After a hijacked plane slammed into the Pentagon on September 11, 2001, many people inside the building were trapped by a cloud of thick, blinding smoke. Police officer Isaac Hoopi ran into the blackness, searching for survivors, and heard people calling for help. He began shouting back, over and over: “Head toward my voice! Head toward my voice!”
Read More »Likable Christians
The local newspaper reported the death of a semi-pro baseball pitcher I had admired during my teenage years. His name was Elmer “Lefty” Nyenhouse. He was a likable Christian. The article said that he had been active in his church and a respected member of his community until his death at 88.
Read More »"The Underbird"
Charlie Brown, the comic strip character, identified with the underdog, probably because he always felt like one. In one scene he was building a birdhouse when the cynical Lucy came by. “I’m building it for sparrows,” Charlie told her. Lucy said, “For sparrows? Nobody builds birdhouses for sparrows.” “I do,” replied Charlie Brown. “I always stick up for the underbird.”
Read More »A Good Account
As a young boy I watched my dad write checks and wished that I could do it. What I didn’t realize was that there had to be money in an account to back them up.
Read More »Look For The Good
I read about a young boy who had been naughty. During family devotions the father prayed for his son and mentioned a number of bad things the boy had done. Soon afterward the mother heard the 6-year-old sobbing. When she asked what was wrong, the boy cried out, “Daddy always tells God the bad things about me. He never tells Him the good things I do!”
Read More »Remote Control
Flick. “That’s tonight at 8 on ABC.” Flick. “A high pressure system is moving in.” Flick. “He kicked the ball wide of the goal!” Flick. “I’ll take ‘World History’ for $600, Alex.” Flick. “In the news today . . .” Flick!
Read More »Life Beyond The Grave
My beloved husband Bill died of cancer at the age of 48. One tearful morning I read John 11, the story about Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead. I was reassured by two truths I found in Jesus’ words to His disciples on their way to Lazarus’ grave.
Read More »Effective Praying
A 12-year-old Cambodian boy named Lem Cheong began to question his family’s religious beliefs. He had been taught that a person seeking guidance should go to a temple and shake a container of numbered bamboo slivers until one fell out. The priest then interpreted the meaning of the number. But this practice didn’t satisfy Cheong’s longing for clear answers, nor did it fill the void in his heart that only God could fill.
Read More »