His Goodness
One Saturday my life came perilously close to being permanently altered. My brother and my nephew stopped by to pick up a desk. After loading it on the truck, they chatted for a few minutes and then drove off. I went into the house while my husband Jay pulled our car into the garage. Moments later I heard a loud crash, so I raced out to the garage. Jay was staring at the overhead garage door, which had suddenly slammed down. If the spring had broken a few minutes earlier, someone would have been hit by the 200-pound door—and would have been seriously injured, or even killed.
The Thrill Of Discovery
When I was a small boy, I simply wasn't interested in major league baseball. Then one day I went to the ballpark and saw a game for myself. That changed everything! I began reading about the various clubs and invested a boy's fortune on books and magazines about the players and the game. I kept a file on each team's roster and started a scrapbook on the New York Giants. I knew the lineup of every baseball team in the National League, and every week I could quote the batting average of each player. I had been captured by the thrill of great discovery.
Nothing But The Truth
When a witness takes the stand, he is asked, "Do you swear to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth?" At one time, the words "so help me God" were part of that oath, as an appeal to the highest authority. Telling the truth in a court of law is absolutely essential because it can determine a verdict of life or death.
Are You Ready?
Two unusual things happened as I was sitting in a restaurant having my usual breakfast of a bagel and coffee. First I read an article on the front page of the newspaper. It quoted a certain Christian author who theorized that Christ would call millions of Christians to heaven before sundown that particular day.
The Rescuers
You've taken up spelunking, and you're busily exploring an interesting cave. You check out the tunnels and pathways for hours, wandering deeper and deeper into the unfamiliar darkness. Others outside, realizing you must be lost, send someone to rescue you. Suddenly you hear a voice calling your name.
Our Greatest Need
We are creatures with all kinds of needs. Without air, water, or food, for instance, we can't go on living. In addition to these absolutely basic necessities, we have a host of others that must be met if we are to be healthy and happy. But these needs are not just physical, emotional, and social; they are also spiritual.
Sleepless Nights
The psalmist David had his dark, lonely nights when everything seemed out of control. Doubts and fears assailed him, and there was no escape from his problems. He tossed and turned just as we do, but then he turned to his Shepherd (Psalm 23:1) and reminded himself of the Lord's presence. That brought peace to his anxious, troubled soul. David said, "Because He is at my right hand I shall not be moved" (16:8).
My Heart, God's Home
I knew a woman who straightened up her house every night before going to bed. She did this because she didn't want the Lord to catch her being a messy housekeeper if He should return before morning. I often tried to emulate her high standard of neatness, but as a young homemaker, wife, and mother, I usually ended the day knowing that my house wouldn't pass the test.
Seeing The Unseen
So much of what we pray for has to do with what we see with our eyes. We petition God about car problems, a leaky roof, faulty plumbing, or the need for a new church facility—and that's all right. We should pray about those things.
