Bringing Light to Life
I have a reoccurring dream in which I’m running as hard as I can. Sometimes I’m running barefoot across an open field of green grass in the country. Or, on an asphalt street through a crowded neighborhood. Often I’m playing football and trying to outrun defenders. What makes this dream troubling isn’t where I’m running […]
What you expect from Jesus will determine what you receive. When Jesus visited Nazareth, his hometown, his childhood friends and neighbors were initially impressed by his words (Mark 6:2). But then they recognized him. “Isn’t this the carpenter? Isn’t this Mary’s son and the brother of James, Joseph, Judas and Simon? Aren’t his sisters here […]
One day you’ll face an impossible challenge. The opposition will be strong, entrenched and organized. Moses felt that way when God appeared in the burning bush and said, “I am sending you to Pharaoh to bring my people the Israelites out of Egypt” (Ex.3: 10). Moses didn’t snap a salute and say, “Yes, sir.” Instead, […]
Sometimes an exhortation may take the form of a chisel that chips off a rough edge. While the process is painful, it may be necessary. That’s why the Apostle Paul urged Timothy to not only “correct” and “encourage” but to “rebuke” as well. Occasionally a rebuke is the most loving thing to give, even though […]
Don’t be deceived into thinking it’s meaningless to number your days. It isn’t. And don’t kid yourself into thinking it’s easy. It’s not. Indeed, the psalmist pleaded with God to help him do just that. In Psalm 39:4 he cried out, “Show me, O LORD, my life’s end and the number of my days; let […]