Under His Wings
Indian evangelist Sundar Singh wrote about a devastating forest fire in the Himalayas where he was traveling. While many were trying to fight it, a group of men stood looking up at a tree with flames climbing up its branches. They were watching a mother bird flying frantically in circles above the tree. She was chirping out an alarm to her nest full of fledglings. As the nest began to burn, the mother bird didn't fly away; instead she zoomed down and covered her brood with her wings. In seconds she and her nestlings were burned to ashes.
Tested By Fire
In October 1991, a firestorm destroyed 2,500 homes in the vicinity of Oakland, California. When the devastated owners returned and sifted through the black debris, they found that all their possessions had been reduced to soot. But one man and his daughter discovered a tiny porcelain rabbit. They marveled that so fragile an object had survived intact. Other victims of that catastrophe also found pottery and porcelain items that had somehow defied the all-consuming firestorm.
'Looking For Loopholes'
Comedian W. C. Fields (1880-1946) could make audiences roar with laughter, yet he himself was chronically unhappy. Religion apparently played no part in his life. But it's been said that as he faced the possibility of dying, he started to devote time to reading the Bible. When he was asked about his new interest in Scripture, Fields, always the comedian, replied, "I'm looking for loopholes, my friend. Looking for loopholes."
What's The Good News?
What's the good news today? I ask that question sometimes of people I know. If the person is a Christian, he might smilingly reply, "The same as it was yesterday. God loves us." And both he and I rejoice that it will be the same tomorrow.
The Delight Of Duty
Augustus H. Strong (1836-1921) was a highly respected pastor and seminary president. Many years after his death, I had the pleasure of meeting and talking with his son. He told me about the time he was baptized by his father in a church in Rochester, New York. Walking home with his father after that mountaintop experience, he had exclaimed, "Father, I'm so glad I was baptized. It made me feel so good." His dignified father, looking down at his son, sternly replied, "Feeling or no feeling, it was your duty."
Love Undeserved
Years ago in North Carolina, Judge Clara Warren served in the juvenile court system. She was known for her strict interpretation of the law, but also for her love and compassion.
Souls And Stars
How many stars are there in the vast expanse of the sky? With the help of telescopes, astronomers have discovered galaxies upon galaxies, and clusters of giant stars that make our planet seem like a speck of dust by comparison. At times, that knowledge can overwhelm us with a sense of utter insignificance.
Everyone Needs Jesus
Cambridge University professor J. S. Whale received a letter from a man who wrote that he and his wife were in their mid-sixties and saw no need for Jesus. They had never visited a church, had no belief in God or a future life, and yet had been happily married for 40 years. They were highly respected, and they did their best to make this world a better place to live in. So the writer wondered what religion could possibly offer them.
