Bible Reading

Our small group recently completed an extended study in the book of James. Anytime I finish a study that has lasted weeks or months, I like to look back and think about the lessons God has given. Reviewing His Word helps me remember. Here are thirteen lessons that I have gleaned from James during this […]

There is a sparkle in the air on this chilly first day of Spring! After a wet and messy weekend, the air is washed clean of pollen (for a moment), and light bounces off the new green of trees and grass. Budding flowers let me know that even though I need a jacket this morning, […]

The third chapter of the book of Lamentations appears like a spring in the desert, bubbling forth hope in the middle of judgment and sorrow. Lamentations 3: 22 It is of the Lord‘s mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. 23 They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness. 24 The Lord is my portion, saith my soul; therefore […]

When I read the first chapter of the Gospel of John, I am awestruck once again at Who Jesus is. This chapter describes the beginning of His public ministry, and He is identified by multiple names and roles in the 51 short verses. These names tell me that He can meet my every need, and […]

Monday morning finds me writing out my ‘To Do’ list for the week. As I think about the coming days and ask for God’s guidance, I make a list of things I need to remember to do. My list helps me focus, and these days, my brain needs the written reminder. How interesting that I […]

Footing that was stable suddenly shifts making every step an adventure of where I will land. Gingerly, I make my way across the room holding to the dresser, the wall, the door frame, the chair. What was an easy few steps has become an obstacle course accompanied by a stomach that is performing its own […]

In the confusing messages of the day, we can have trouble discerning the Truth. We are bombarded with opinions and unsubstantiated ‘facts’ and accusations and condescending attitudes toward those who disagree with the given message. Some days, it is hard to stand. So, how do we find Truth? How do we know for certain what […]

Sometimes the words don’t come. Sometimes I bow my head and confusion clutters, sorrows shadow, and problems persist. Burdens press down on my heart. I try to pray, but there.are.no.words. No words to convey my heart or my loved one’s need. No words to express the hurt, the fears, the uncertainty that fills me. No […]

I love the David of the Bible. I think this is because I identify so fully with his words. He was not a perfect man, but he was an honest man in his relationship to God. As I thumb through the Book of Psalms, I read about his questions and fears and confusions (Psalms 2, […]

I just finished a journey through the book of Joshua in the Old Testament, and it was a journey. Sometimes, people avoid the Old Testament because of the unfamiliar names and long genealogies, and it is easy to bog down in those. The specificity found in the Old Testament books speaks to God’s attention to […]

If the last two years have emphasized nothing else, they have reminded us that life is fragile and fleeting. We have watched as disease and death have taken those we love, and we have sorrowed and, at times, despaired. This truth is not a new truth, however. Life on this Earth has always been temporary. […]

Names of conquerors fill history books, and their monuments populate the world’s cities. We remember Cyrus and Genghis Kahn, Alexander and Napoleon, Washington and Patton, and their exploits are the stuff of legends. I see these names and I think of their deeds, and then I read Romans 8:37 – “In all these things we […]

David sets up a contrast in Psalm 12. In verses two through four, he gives a description of the words of the wicked: “2 They speak vanity every one with his neighbor: with flattering lips and with a double heart do they speak. 3 The Lord shall cut off all flattering lips, and the tongue that speaks proud things: […]

When you read the Psalms, you can not help but notice the difficulties of David’s life, his sorrow, his fear, his despair. You also can not help but notice how time and again he cries out to God for help. So many times, a psalm begins with sorrow and ends with praise as David remembers […]

How do I know about the cross? The Bible tells me so. How do I know about Jesus? The Bible tells me so. How do I know about His love and His willingness to forgive? The Bible tells me so. There is a theme here, repeated through the ages. The Bible is God’s message to […]

Romans 8:28 And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. Nothing is lost or without purpose in the life of the believer. God, the Master Redeemer, claims each broken piece – each pain, each sorrow, each success, each failure, […]

“Never, in peace or war, commit your virtue or your happiness to the future. Happy work is best done by the man who takes his long-term plans somewhat lightly and works from moment to moment “as to the Lord.” It is only our daily bread that we are encouraged to ask for. The present is […]

Walking in continual sin (death) after salvation is unnatural. “Therefore we are buried with Him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.” Romans 6:4 In chapters six and seven of Romans Paul […]

Stuck smack in the middle of the fourth chapter of Philippians is a powerful two-letter command: DO. It is preceded by a comma and followed by a colon, and it packs a mighty wallop of responsibility for me. Paul is writing from prison to the church at Philippi. He has reminded them of the Lordship […]

I have felt forgotten. I have felt unheard by God. I have questioned God about sorrow. I have felt like the other side was winning, and I am not alone. I find David’s expression of these feelings in the Psalms, particularly Psalms 12 and 13. These feelings are a part of our human condition , […]