Bible Reading

We were walking to the bus at the end of the school day, and I was holding first-grader Bryan’s hand. His hand was in mine because that is the only way that I could be assured that he was in line and with the rest of the class. Our day had been troublesome at best. […]

The excitement was over. The disciples had lived through the horror of the arrest and trial, witnessed the agony of the cross, and experienced the resurrection at the tomb and through their own interactions with the resurrected Christ. Now what? They didn’t see Him everyday like before. They probably felt like they were living in limbo […]

Encouragement from Hebrews 12:1-4 – Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which does so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us (Hebrews 12:1). We need to let go of […]

Psalm 102 I have burdens on my heart – we all do – so the first verse of Psalm 102 caught my attention this morning. Hear my prayer, O Lord, and let my cry come unto You. I am thankful for the God Who hears – the God Who listens. As I continued to read […]

“Prone to wander, Lord I feel it. Prone to leave the God I love.” Robert Robinson, Hymn “Come Thou Fount of Many Blessings” We are a people of wandering hearts, flitting from one obsession to another, always looking for greener grass. There is a reason that God calls us sheep. Even when we determine to […]

Psalm 116 We make Christianity – knowing and loving God – so difficult! Early in my Christian walk, I was plagued by doubt and fear. These feelings overwhelmed me and paralyzed my joy and my service. During that time, I remember reading Psalm 116 (check it out) over and over again, but I focused on […]

We look at our world, and we say, “NO HOPE. The problems are beyond repair. This downward spiral is going right into a black hole.” That is what human logic tells us, and I confess that sometimes I bow my head and say, “Enough already, God.” But what does God say? Behold, the Lord’s hand […]

When life is confusing and hard, when troubles seem to stack up like blocks in a child’s play set, the foundation of one’s faith is critical. Paul the Apostle was familiar with difficulties and trials. He described a few of his challenges in II Corinthians 11: 24 Of the Jews five times received I forty stripes […]

When the Holy Spirit is at work in my heart, He makes things happen. The Bible calls this bearing fruit. Fruit is visible, and it is pleasant. What can I expect to seeing growing in me when God is having His way in my heart? Love, even in the face of hate Joy, even in […]

Psalm 79: 9 Help us, O God of our salvation, for the glory of thy name: and deliver us, and purge away our sins, for thy name’s sake. When the psalmist cried out for God’s help in verse nine of Psalm 79, he had no bargaining chip. Israel had sinned. They had left the path of […]

What do we do when we have messed up everything, allowed sin to overtake us, and ignored God’s loving ownership of our lives? How do we remedy the regret and stifle the stigma? How can we open ourselves to restored fellowship with the Father? David understood these questions. His sin was laid bare when Nathan […]

Peter failed. When faced with the opportunity to stand with his Lord, he bailed, denying the One Who had called Him, the One to Whom he had declared his undying allegiance (John 18:25 – 27). After the crucifixion, though, Peter could still be found with the disciples. He showed up at the tomb. He was […]

Sometimes I hear people quote me, but the words they say don’t match what I said. Due to misunderstanding or to foster false impressions, words are taken out of context and incorrect directives are repeated. When this happens, I jokingly say that my name has been taken in vain. Names are important. They represent who […]

God has a great benefit plan! In Psalm 103, David sings his praise to the Lord, and he challenges us to not forget all that God does for us. Here are a few of the benefits David lists for us to remember: God forgives. He heals. He redeems. He crowns with lovingkindness. He loves. He […]

BIG MISTAKE!! I opened Facebook to check on something before I opened my Bible this morning. What did I find? Arguments – some civil, some not – over our president, over the virus, over data, over masks, over current protests and riots. People I know and people I don’t know weighing in with a comment […]

In the heat of the summer, in confusing and troublesome times, in difficult circumstances, our hearts sometimes faint. We begin to wonder if anything makes a difference, and we are tempted to give up. When our eyes and our thoughts focus on this life, things can seem hopeless. Paul talked about fainting in II Corinthians […]

Psalm 142 – I cried unto the Lord with my voice; with my voice unto the Lord did I make my supplication. 2 I poured out my complaint before him; I showed before him my trouble. 3 When my spirit was overwhelmed within me, then thou knew my path. In the way wherein I walked have they […]

Read Mark 6:31-46 Jesus had been teaching, and the people followed and listened. It seemed that they couldn’t get enough of Him. Now, they were out in a desert place, far from home, and their physical hunger became evident. The disciples saw the need of the people – over 5000 people. They understood hunger, but […]

The psalmist recites the history of Israel in Psalm 78. (It is a great read!) Their up and down, back and forth relationship with God is plainly told. Why? For the children! Look at verse four. Don’t hide the message from the children. Show them the praises of the Lord, and His strength, and His […]

What we do continually strongly impacts who we are. We recognize this in the descriptions assigned to people. We can even change an action into a title. One who farms – farmer. One who teaches – teacher. One who complains – complainer. One who gossips – gossiper. One who attacks – attacker. One who worships […]