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Herbert Vander Lugt

Herbert Vander Lugt

Herbert Vander Lugt remained a vital contributor to Our Daily Bread up to the time he went to be with his Lord and Savior on December 2, 2006. He served as Senior Research Editor for Our Daily Bread Ministries and had been with the ministry since 1966, when he became the third author to contribute to Our Daily Bread. In addition to his devotional articles, he wrote numerous Discovery Series booklets and reviewed all study and devotional materials. Herb pastored six churches and held three interim ministerial positions after retiring from the pastorate in 1989.

Articles by Herbert Vander Lugt

Not Boredom But Freedom

During World War II, a fellow soldier said to me, “Herb, you seem to be happy. But if I had to live the way you do, I’d just as soon be dead.” He was implying that my life was so moral that it had to be boring. But I had never thought of it that way. In fact, I often felt guilty because of my many failings.

How God Shows His Love

Martha, a 26-year-old woman with ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis), needed help. When a group of ladies from Evanston, Illinois, heard about her, they jumped into action. They began to give round-the-clock nursing care. They bathed her, fed her, prayed for her, and witnessed to her. Martha, who had not received Christ as her Savior and couldn’t understand how a loving God could let her get ALS, saw His love in these women and eventually became a Christian. She is with the Lord today because 16 women, following Jesus’ example, personified God’s love.

A Family Thing

When I was growing up, I often heard my pastor read the Ten Commandments and our Lord’s command to love God with our whole being and our neighbor as ourselves. I knew I didn’t fully live up to those demands, but I took them seriously.

You And Your Possessions

Six armed gunmen broke into the deposit boxes in a London bank and stole valuables worth more than $7 million. One woman, whose jewelry was appraised at $500,000, wailed, “Everything I had was in there. My whole life was in that box.”

Seeing At Christmas

During the Christmas season of 1879, an agnostic reporter in Boston saw three little girls standing in front of a store window full of toys. One of them was blind. He heard the other two describing the toys to their friend. He had never considered how difficult it was to explain to someone without sight what something looks like. That incident became the basis for a newspaper story.

Emptiness Without God

A little bit of doggerel goes as fol lows: “A cheerful old bear at the zoo could always find something to do. When it bored him, you know, to walk to and fro, he reversed it and walked fro and to!” The writer apparently thought people could learn a lesson from the bear, for these creatures seem to be quite happy as long as they have enough food to eat and a few of their own kind around them.

When All Looks Bright

Life looks rosy to many people. Their work is fulfilling. The house or apartment doesn’t need repair. Their bank account shows a surplus. Family members are enjoying good health. Friends are loyal.

When People Pray

Peter and John were in danger. The religious leaders in Jerusalem opposing the gospel had warned them to cease their missionary efforts (Acts 4:18). When the apostles reported this to the other believers, they immediately held a prayer meeting.

Garden Of Prayer

When I was a pastor, I often visited residents in rest homes. I’ll never forget one dear elderly lady I met. She was blind and had been bedridden for 7 years, yet she remained sweet and radiant. One day she told me about a dream she had. She was in a beautiful garden, where the grass was a luxuriant carpet beneath her and the fragrance of flowers filled the air.