Bible Reading

Go-getter. People person. Irritable. Upbeat. Tenderhearted. Opinionated. Timid. Perfectionist. Harsh. I’m not willing to write some of the words with which people characterize others, but we know what they are. Based on characteristics, personality traits, actions, or just our own perceptions and moods these words form images in minds that can be positive or negative, and they definitely affect how others react to us. In the fourth chapter of Philippians, Paul issues seve

Paul spent two years on house arrest in Rome while he awaited trial. During this time, he was chained to a Roman guard twenty-four hours a day. While he had some liberty to receive guests and write to the churches, his movement was restricted, forcing him to rely on others for support. His Roman citizenship gave him a daily food allowance, but he was dependent on others for all his other needs and to supplement the meager food supplies. The Philippian Church Paul never comp

One of the most oft quoted scriptures in the New Testament is found in the book of Philippians. You see it on motivational plaques and hear it repeated when people are facing challenges that seem too hard to complete. Students claim it when they face a hard exam, and others stand on it when going on a difficult interview. Many people choose it as a life verse and make it a part of their signature. It is a powerful verse, but I am not sure that we always see it in its context.

Some hills are high and hard to climb. Some tasks are difficult and take a long time to complete. Some ministries we are called to require everything we have and then some. We get tired. Some battles we fight send us to our knees repeatedly as we long for a breakthrough, any indication that tells us we are on the winning side. Some days I want to hand in my keys and go home. I can get weary in doing what is right and good. That is why the verses in the sixth chapt

Patience. In our fast food, microwave, instant world, patience is a virtue that seems to have lost its value. People don’t want it now; they want it yesterday – whatever IT is. We speed just to be speeding. We rush, because rushing has become our habit. Waiting is out of style, and most people don’t mind letting you know. That’s why the first line of Psalm 40 caused me to catch my breath, to pause. “I waited patiently for the Lord;” Whoa. That is not a 21st century se

We topped the sand dune and surveyed the glistening white sand of the Florida beach. The sky shone with the heat of June, and the aquamarine waves were already tumbling onto the shore. Our grandchildren ran with boogie boards and laughter to the edge of the water while we cautioned about riptides and sea life. We set up the beach tent and began a beautiful morning at the beach. The children and parents played in the pristine waters, jumping and catching waves with their boa

“God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble” (Psalm 46:1, KJV) If you have ever cried out to God about what is going on in your life, in the world, and the struggles you are having, you can identify with David in Psalm 109. He lets out all the stops in his complaints as he lays it out before God. He tells God about the people who have lied about him and hated him, those who have returned evil for good. He talks about the people who have misused the poor

Sometimes God's word provides us with a list of things to bring focus and joy to our day.

As I read in the sixth chapter of Hebrews this morning, I read about hope. Hope is in scarce supply in our world today. Not only is it in scarce supply, but we have trouble accurately defining it. When most people talk about hope, the concept seems elusive and hard to grasp, something that exists beyond them – a “pie in the sky” sort of dream. We “hope” we win the lottery. We “hope” we get to Heaven. The whole idea is vague and, honestly, a little frustrating. The hope th

Living by Faith – a common Christian saying. We hear it often. We say it often – “I’m living by faith.” What do we mean when we say those words? I would venture to say that those words are powerful and difficult. I spent some time in Hebrews, chapter eleven as I thought about living by faith. Hebrews 11:1 reads “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for the evidence of things not seen.” In other words, faith is not some wishy-washy feeling. It is substantial. It is

I stepped, I slipped, and I fell flat on my back as I attempted to water the plants in our rock garden. On my way down, I bounced off the side of the house. My biggest worry was my glasses, but they didn’t break. Go figure. Lying there, I could hear the thudding steps of my husband as he came running to my rescue from across the yard. Fortunately, I only suffered a bruised hip and a small knot on my head. Still, I was thankful to have his strong hands to help as I maneuver

In my lifetime, I have heard people say a lot of things about God.

The resurrection of Jesus Christ changed the course of history and made forgiveness of sin possible.

"Jesus Christ the same, yesterday, today, and forever" (Hebrews 13:8, KJV). God tells us in his word that he does not change. We repeat this and teach this, but as we parse scripture and divide testaments, I think we sometimes forget the reality of this astounding truth. We see the Old Testament God and overlook that he is the one who came to us in the New Testament. We read of Moses meeting God on Mount Sinai without remembering that Jesus stood on the Mount of Transfigu

Pain. Excruciating pain! That is what I felt when the heavy metal door closed on my finger. That finger hurt for weeks. I protected it and nursed it, and it seemed to be healing. I no longer wore a bandage because it did not bleed at the slightest touch. I could go for hours without any thought of the unfortunate incident….unless I happened to bump it. Then immediately, the pain would flare like no healing had occurred. The finger looked better, but it was not well.

On Sunday, we read Matthew 16:24 – “Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.” On Monday, I watched a movie about settlers heading west who had to leave behind their beloved possessions to make the journey. In it I saw a vivid illustration of hard choices and dying to self as people turned from the life they knew to become pioneers – pilgrims – and move toward a better land. They cried an

There are times in this life when I am dry and thirsty – not for a Coke or water, but for God. I just want to be close to Him. I long for His presence in this world. When I opened my Bible to Psalm 68 this morning, I totally identified with David’s cry: “O God, thou art my God; early will I seek thee: my soul thirsteth for thee, my flesh longeth for thee in a dry and thirsty land, where no water is:” (Psalm 68:1, KJV) This land is dry and there is no water in this wor

Our newest hen in the chicken coop looks like she just came out of the dryer and forgot to brush her feathers. Such a fluffy white thing, not fully grown, she fits her name, “Fluffy”, that our granddaughter gave her. Fluffy came to us with a friend, a *keet, with whom she had bonded, but unfortunately the keet died shortly after coming to live with us leaving young Fluffy alone. As the youngest and smallest of the chickens, Fluffy became henpecked. We joke about this amon

How do you live if you are not afraid of dying? In Hebrews 10:38, the author quotes a line from Habakkuk 2:4, “The just shall live by faith.” We have heard that verse before, probably quoted many times. We flick it off our tongue from memory, but do we really think about what it means? Beginning in that verse, we see an interesting sequence in the book of Hebrews. First, the statement. Then, in chapter eleven we see example after example of people who lived by faith , not

“But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world” (Galatians 6:14, KJV). When a chapter begins with a death, you get an inkling that you may get additional bad news in that story. The twentieth chapter of Numbers begins with the death of Miriam, Moses’ and Aaron’s sister, and it goes downhill from there. The children of Israel are well into the wilderness of Zin at this point. The