Encouraging Words Devotional: Recent Episodes
Guidelines
What if real peace isn’t found in calm circumstances, but in trusting the One who stays with you right in the middle of the storm?
What if the strength you’re asking God for isn’t to escape the struggle—but to endure it with patience you didn’t think you had?
What if the most important part of your worship isn’t what happens in the sanctuary—but what you do when God brings an unresolved relationship to your mind?
What if the answer you’re hoping for isn’t the best gift God can give you—and His “no” is actually love in disguise?
What if the most powerful thing you can do for your children is the one thing they can never stand in the way of—your prayers for them?
What if the real test of love isn’t how you treat those who love you back, but how freely you choose to love those who don’t?
If you’ve ever wondered how God can be both wise and good when life gets hard, you’re in good company—Job asked the same question, and Scripture doesn’t condemn him for it.
Whether you’re facing a blazing trial or a dry, uneventful season, God is enough to sustain you if your roots run deep in Him.
True wisdom isn’t measured by who you know or what you have, but by knowing and understanding God Himself.
Sometimes it’s not about doing more, but about drawing closer—God values your faithfulness and heart, not your checklist.
When suffering makes you feel forgotten, God’s answer is clear and unshakable: you are permanently held in His love, engraved on the very palms of His hands.
You’re not running someone else’s race—God has marked out a course uniquely for you, and He will give you everything you need to finish it well.
If God knows exactly where the fish are, He also knows precisely how and when to provide for the need weighing on your heart.
When your need feels so close it blocks everything else, remember this: God’s arm is never too short to reach you where you are.
Obedience begins when we stop insisting on our own way and dare to place our hearts fully in the hands of a God who loves us.
It’s easy to check off devotions on a to-do list, but what truly matters to God is not routine—it’s love lived out in everyday moments.
Unforgiveness quietly hardens the heart, and the longer we hold on to old hurts, the more they steal the joy and freedom God intends for us.
When God seems silent and provision feels delayed, the real question isn’t whether He is able—but whether we will trust Him anyway.
When God tells you to look up at the stars, He’s reminding you that no promise is too big and no situation is too hard for Him.
Even in life’s sunset years, when strength fades and loss surrounds us, God’s sustaining hand remains unwavering, proving our value never diminishes in His sight.
God’s command “Do not be afraid” is always paired with a promise—because when He is holding you, you’re never facing fear alone.
Making life’s choices ahead of time—creating “level paths for your feet”—can keep you on the road of righteousness and away from the pitfalls of temptation.
When there’s no way forward and no way back, the God of the impossible still makes a path where none seems to exist.
Real gratitude is learned when we choose to give thanks not just in joy, but in the hardest moments—seeing today’s pain through the lens of eternity.
When tragedy leaves you with no answers, faith begins where understanding ends—choosing to trust the God you know when you can’t explain the pain.
When danger closed in on David, it wasn’t just a friend who stood by him—but someone who helped him find his strength in God.
What if the ache you feel when saying goodbye is really a reminder that God designed us for a forever reunion—together in His house at last?
The greatest gift we can give our children isn’t advice or control, but a living faith that allows us to say with confidence, “My God will be with you.”
No matter how broken you feel, Jesus can take the shattered pieces of your life and make you whole again, just as He did for one woman in a dark alley.
Isaiah 9:6 offers not just a Christmas promise, but a daily reminder that Jesus is all we need—our Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, and Prince of Peace.
Johnny Haggai’s life proves that every person, regardless of their limitations, has a divinely designed purpose and the ability to touch lives in ways beyond our understanding.
In the face of unimaginable hardship, Linda’s unwavering faith reminds us that even when we don’t understand why, we can trust the One who knows.
When it feels like God is far away, remember that His presence is always near, listening and guiding you through every prayer.
When life feels out of tune, take a moment to pour out your heart to God, asking Him to harmonize your soul with His eternal melody.
In the midst of life's trials, when perseverance seems impossible, remember that these difficulties are forming treasures within us—eternal glory, character, and unshakable hope.
When life feels overwhelming and we question, "Don't You care, God?", remember that He sees our struggles and cares deeply, offering peace and a new perspective in the midst of our storms.
Even in the face of cancer's challenges, Louise's unwavering faith and courage showed that nothing can steal the peace and joy that come from knowing Christ.
Have you shared with your family the incredible ways God has worked in your life, just as Jesus urged the healed man to do?
If you're truly seeking the truth of Jesus' teachings, commit to doing God's will, and watch as He reveals His truth to you through His Word.
What if the key to overcoming your biggest challenges lies in remembering that God is with you, fighting for you, and guaranteeing your victory?
What if the Bible isn't a set of rules to follow, but a guide to help us live our best lives, as our loving Creator intended?
What if the most meaningful gifts aren't the ones with a price tag, but the ones given from the heart, like the $3 that became a priceless birthday gift?
What if growing old meant staying fresh, green, and full of fruit, embracing each year with a heart set on the goal God is calling you toward?
What if you could transform your relationships by simply following six little words from the Bible: "Do everything without complaining or arguing"?
Feeling overwhelmed by a big task? Nehemiah's story shows that with a willing heart and God's help, even the most unlikely workers can rebuild what's broken.
Want to honor God in your daily life? Start by making your thoughts a sanctuary where He can dwell and guide you.
Feeling abandoned in your circumstances? Remember, even in the most unlikely places, God is present and can turn your ‘Patmos’ into a place of blessing.
Feeling unqualified for what God is calling you to do? Remember, it’s not about who you are, but who God is—‘I AM’ is with you every step of the way.
Are you feeling overwhelmed and forgotten in your struggles? Remember, God sees you, hears you, and is always ready to rescue.
Grief may mark the end of a loved one’s presence, but their lasting treasures—faith, love, and memories—remain to shape and bless your life.
Have you ever thought you knew someone, only to realize you’ve been blind to who they truly are?
Imagine waking up in heaven, not lost or uncertain, but instantly at home—with the Lord who loves you beyond measure.
Like sunflowers that constantly turn toward the sun, we too should fix our eyes on Jesus to grow and find encouragement, no matter what shadows surround us.
To experience true growth, nurture both grace and the knowledge of Jesus—drawing closer to Him each day will transform your life.
Whatever gift or responsibility God has given you, remember it's a divine appointment—an opportunity to bless others and fulfill His purpose in your life.
Onesiphorus, though mentioned only twice in the Bible, serves as a powerful reminder that true friendship is marked by refreshing others, standing unashamed in their struggles, and going the extra mile to offer support.
Rachel overcame unspeakable trauma by clinging to God’s Word, showing that His promises can heal even the deepest wounds, one step at a time.
If you ever doubt God's love, remember the cross and these four words: "He died for me."
In a world that applauds busyness, Jesus reminds us that the one thing that truly matters is being with Him.
Aging is inevitable, but God offers daily renewal through His Word, worship, and an eternal perspective that keeps our spirits fresh, even as our bodies grow older.
When you're facing a battle bigger than you are, remember God’s promise: He is with you, He will fight for you, and He will give you victory.
As long as you have life, you have a purpose—keep growing in faith, because you won’t grow useless if you keep growing closer to Jesus.
What matters most to God: What we do or who we are? In a world that praises productivity, God's invitation to simply 'be still' reveals the true value He places on our hearts over our accomplishments.
Before Zacchaeus even knew he needed Jesus, God had already planted a tree—just as He is going before you, making a way for your transformation.
Even in the midst of overwhelming busyness, Jesus prioritized time with His Father—reminding us that prayer is the key to finding strength and peace in our busiest days.
The first lie ever told was in the Garden of Eden, when the devil twisted God's words, but if you trust in God's truth, you can overcome the enemy's deceit.
When we envy the seemingly perfect lives of others, we often forget that beneath the surface, everyone carries their own burdens—burdens that only God can help us bear.
Discover the profound simplicity of prayer through Micah 7:7, where three powerful phrases remind us to look to the Lord, wait for His timing, and trust that He always hears us.
In the darkest storms of life, the most powerful words we can hear are Jesus saying, "Don't be afraid. Take courage! I am here!"
Whether you are a husband or wife, mother or father, teacher, farmer, businessman, salesperson or whatever, you have been chosen by the will of God for a specific purpose.
Be inspired by the encouraging words of Jeremiah and Jill Stewart's powerful story of resilience and faith, reminding us that trusting in the LORD keeps our roots in His never-ending river of supply, even in times of drought.
The Pharoah of Egypt noticed the Hebrew people who lived in his country were multiplying at a higher rate than his own people.
Our friend told me that he was challenged during Easter Week to pick a person from the Easter story and study and meditate on that person’s life.
New York Times bestselling author Matthew Kelly tells of the time he was driving home from work, and a friend came to mind.
In his book Follow Me, David Platt tells that he was once sitting with a group of Muslim men at dinner who began to ask him what he thought about God.
We know it as “The Prodigal Son” story—the experience of a young man who talked his father into giving him his portion of the inheritance, which he immediately took into a far-off country, wasting it on “wine, women and song.”
David Platt tells about an Englishman who decided to buy a Rolls-Royce, the car advertised as the one that would “never, ever, ever break down.”[1]
[1] David Platt, Follow Me (TYNDALE, 2013), 61.
Someone asked an associate of author Max Lucado, “What Biblical precedent do we have to help the poor who have no desire to become Christians?”
In his book Victorious Grief, Dr. Charles Browning gives a step-by-step lifeline to those who struggle with grieving when they lose a beloved and believing loved one.
As parents sometimes our main concern when our children do wrong is disciplining them so they remember never to make that mistake again.
When it comes to the magnificent things that God created, my mind is simply inadequate to grasp how God could start with nothing and create anything so complex as the universe.
The Bible has a wonderful verse that says,“If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him” (James 1:5). The Bible word “upbraid” means “to scold; reproach; reprimand; rebuke.” That word is from the King James Version of the Bible, which was translated in the year 1611.
When Jesus started His public ministry, two of John the Baptist’s disciples left John and started following Jesus.
It’s wonderful that the Bible contains so many verses that assure us that God does not change. Malachi 3:6 says, “I am the Lord, I change not.” Hebrews 13:8 tells us, “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.”
Many a time I’ve come to God and prayed a similar prayer, telling Him I don’t know how to express my thoughts and feelings.
Some days, I am content with the changes that aging brings. Other days I complain and resist.
Do you ever have trouble being patience with God? You’ve been praying for a certain situation for quite a long time, and nothing has changed.
Dr. Dallas Willard, a man distinguished for his years of teaching in the philosophy department at the University of Southern California, was also known for his vibrant walk with Jesus.
F.B. Meyer was an evangelist and crusader against sin who was born in England in the mid-1800s. Meyer taught that only the presence of the Holy Spirit in our lives can keep us from sinning.
Moses, leader of the Israelites on their trek from Egypt to the Promised Land, had a rod or staff that God used to accomplish miracles, such as parting the waters of the Red Sea. Or at God’s command, striking a rock, and water poured out for the people to drink.
Amy was used to driving 25 miles to school every weekday to teach her 4th grade class—a nearly half hour trip through rural countryside.
Just shortly before Jesus ended His ministry on earth and ascended back to heaven, He gathered his disciples on the Mount of Olives and commissioned them to “go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.”
The story is told about a farmer who was driving his wagon down a country road when he noticed an old man slowly making his way down the road with a burdensome pack on his back.
We judge people by what we see in their lives, not considering that God isn't finished with them yet.
Every now and then you’ll see that someone is preaching a series of sermons on the nine fruit of the Spirit and how we can grow them in our lives.
It's known as the San Francisco earthquake of 1906, in which, tragically, 3000 people died in that city as the result of the quake and the fire that followed.
We call this devotional "Encouraging Words." And I hope and pray that these words do encourage you.
I love the verses in the Bible that speak of God’s tender care for us. One of my favorites is Psalm 68:19: “Praise God our Savior! For each day He carries us in His arms.”
Now, of course, salvation is extremely important, for believing that Christ's death on the cross paid for our sins is what brings us assurance of forgiveness and confidence that we will one day have a home in heaven with Jesus for all eternity.
The truth of the matter is that when my cup overflows, whether that is a good thing or a bad thing all depends on what is in my cup.
I was once asked to speak to a group of women on how to live with infidelity, alcoholism, or abuse.
I was once asked to speak to a group of women on how to live with infidelity, alcoholism, or abuse.
George, a young man in Greece, was planning to attend Bible college when the scholarship he was counting on was inexplicably cancelled.
Every time I come across a phrase in the Bible that tells me nothing is impossible with God, I’m stopped in my tracks.
In early 1812 Adoniram and Ann Judson left Salem, Massachusetts, to be missionaries in Burma (Myanmar). When they sailed, Ann was eight months pregnant.
We just went through a medical emergency in our family. When that happens, I'm sure you remember the way your whole body goes on alert. All you can think of in the moment is how to best help your loved one. Then, when the emergency passes, you sometimes are left a depressing feeling of "How am I going to cope with the results of this emergency? Life is never going to be the same again!"
The book of Job includes a very interesting picture of the person who forgets God in his life. Listen to this:
Such is the destiny of all who forget God...
What he trusts in is fragile;
what he relies on is a spider's web.
He leans on his web, but it gives way;
he clings to it, but it does not hold" (Job 8:13-15).
When my Uncle Phil passed away with cancer, it was very difficult for my aunt, Margaret, for they had been so happily married for nearly 60 years. They had done everything together.
Declaring His love puts our lives in perspective. When we think about how much God loves us, we’re compelled to show Him love by how we use the day He has given us. The Bible says, “He died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them” (2 Corinthians 5:15). The principle of living for Christ instead of ourselves affects every decision we make in a day. Living for Christ is life in its highest form. Living for ourselves brings neither happiness nor significance.
Imagine being able to have anything you want—anything. No limits in size or amount or intricacy. You could just "speak it" and it would be in existence. That's how it is with God. The God of the universe can create anything He desires. And He did.
There are times in my life when I’d just like to be invisible. I don’t want to hear anyone call my name for help, or ask me one more question, or expect anything from me. Do you ever wish you could just stay in bed and pull the covers up over your head for the entire day?
Just over one hundred years ago a baby girl was welcomed in Saskatchewan, Canada and named Audrey. She grew up on the Canadian prairie, learning at an early age to churn butter and to bake bread in a wood stove.
There is so much we don't understand about life. For example, why is it that a really fine Christian may be killed in an auto accident while the drunk who hit him walks away without injury?
Five times in the New Testament, John is called "the disciple whom Jesus loved." What is interesting, though, is that all five occur in one of the books John himself wrote, the Gospel of John. In other words, John uses this expression of himself.
Rachel's parents were teenagers, and both were deaf and unemployed. When her mom was pregnant with Rachel, her dad stabbed her, hoping to kill his unborn child. A divorce soon followed, and Rachel and her mother went to live with her grandparents and two uncles. When she was five, Rachel's uncles began to make sexual advances, beating or burning her if she resisted.
During the years when Harold and I were raising our family, I came across a little paperback book called "Your Teen-ager and You" by Anna B. Mow. There is hardly a page in the book where I have not underscored at least one sentence. And her words carry a lot of weight with me because she raised four teens at the same time!
Every now and then I remember a truth from the Bible that I've known for a very long time—but suddenly it pops into my mind almost as if I'd never heard it before. That happened to me recently when I remembered that I have the privilege of talking to the Creator of the universe any time I wish. In my lifetime, I'll probably never have the chance to talk to a great earthly president or king. But, wonder of wonders, at His invitation, anytime I wish, I can talk to the One who brought everything into existence. And I can come 24 hours a day. No appointment needed.
She crossed the finish line of the Boston marathon and was able to receive her Abbott World Major Marathon 6-star medal for running the top 6 marathons on the world! Her name: Jane-Jane Ong, a dear friend of mine from Cebu, Philippines.
One night I awoke quite suddenly. What time was it, anyway? Three o'clock in the morning! What's more, I realized that in my mind I was singing an old hymn: "It Is Well with My Soul." Not the first or second verse but the third verse:
My sin—oh, the bliss of this glorious thought!—
My sin, not in part but the whole,
Is nailed to the cross, and I bear it no more,
Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, O my soul![1]
[1] https://library.timelesstruths.org/music/It_Is_Well_with_My_Soul/
How big is God? God Himself gives us some idea in His own words in Isaiah 40:12 where He asks the question, "Who else has held the oceans in his hand?" When I read that question, my next thought was, "I wonder how much water there is in all the oceans of the world?" Here's the answer: "The National Geographic Society tells us that there are 324 million cubic miles of water on the face of the earth."[1]
[1] https://education.nationalgeographic.org/resource/all-about-the-ocean/
Elizabeth Gilbert writes,
Some years ago, I was stuck on a … bus in New York City during rush hour. The bus was filled with cold, tired people who were deeply irritated with one another, with the world itself. …. No mercy would be found here.
In the New Testament, Paul started out his first letter to Timothy by saying he was appointed to be an apostle by the command of his Lord. Here are his exact words: "This letter is from Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus, appointed by the command of God our Savior and Christ Jesus" (1 Timothy 1:1). Since the word "apostle" means "one who is sent," Paul's assigned job was to carry out the instructions of the One who sent him—God Himself.
I really like this story from the book of Matthew:
The Pharisees—that is, the religious leaders of Jesus' day—came to Him plotting how they might entangle Him in His talk, saying, "Teacher, we know that You are true, and teach the way of God in truth; nor do You care about anyone, for You do not regard the person of men. Tell us, therefore, what do You think? Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, or not?"
One Bible student has counted 3,237 different people mentioned in the Bible. Granted, we're not given all their names, but still, each one serves as an example—for good or bad. One is a man called Onesiphorus, a friend of the apostle Paul.
The man had a physical challenge—he was crippled and couldn't walk. The only way he knew to get support was to beg at the temple gate in Jerusalem. One morning the lame man awakened to what seemed like any other day. But on this day his life was to be forever changed. When the apostles Peter and John came to the temple that morning, he asked them for money. What they gave him could never be bought. "I have no silver and gold," Peter told him, "but what I do have I give to you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk" (Acts 3:6). The Bible says, "And leaping up he stood and began to walk, and entered the temple with them, walking and leaping and praising God."
The apostle Peter urged us to "grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ" (2 Peter 3:18). Knowing that's what God wants, my friend brought up very practical issue: "If I have 1,001 things to do every day, how can I grow in my relationship with the Lord when sometimes a quick prayer is all I have time for?"
Though my dad was in ministry for more than 70 years, my mom rarely spoke to groups in public. That's why after she passed away, I was so happy to find some speaking notes of hers. She brought a message based on Romans 12:1, where the apostle Paul writes, "I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice"--reasonable in light of all that God has done for us.
I'm stunned by how much God loves us--no, actually I'm stunned by how much God loves me, especially on those days when I can't seem to do anything right and I feel so unlovable. Mornings when I stay in my pajamas until noon. Days when I resent being interrupted to help someone else. Evenings when I stay up too late doing "whatever" on my laptop or phone.
Asaph was discouraged--so discouraged, in fact, that he had about given up on God. In Psalm 77, Asaph asks five questions that convey the despair he was feeling: "Will the Lord spurn forever, and never again be favorable? Has his steadfast love forever ceased? Are his promises at an end for all time? Has God forgotten to be gracious? Has he in anger shut up his compassion?" (Psalm 77:7-9). Asaph tells us he cried aloud and couldn't sleep. He was in a bad way!
When I crawl in bed at night, sometimes my mind doesn't want to turn off--like a computer that has too many files open at the same time. The houseguests who are coming this weekend, the latest terrible shooting on the news, packing for an upcoming trip, the phone call from a friend whose son is at the point of death, a list for shopping that needs to be done first thing tomorrow morning. My mind flits from one to another. Oh, no, they're not all bad thoughts. It's just that there are so many of them.
My friend Dr. Richard Smith tells of counseling a woman who had been gang raped as a teen. Although she was a believer and said she had forgiven the men, years later the trauma still haunted her.
Do bedtime stories really matter? I mean, does it make any difference in the life of your kids whether or not at the end of the day you take the time to read them a story? ISIS thinks so. Islamic State has recently published a guidebook instructing mothers to tell their children bedtime stories about--get this, martyrdom and heroic jihadists.[1] When I read that, it made me shudder.
[1] Ammar Al Shamary and Gilgamesh Nabeel, USA Today, "Islamic State's New Killers," March 12, 2015, p. 1.
She flipped over the page of the calendar. The new page--February--stared back at her, decorated with its lacey hearts and pink roses. Valentine's Day? Love? Even though she was still in her late teens, she could not relate. In her despair, instead of going downstairs for a drink, she turned to her computer to reach out to a voice she had heard on a Christian radio program: "Guidelines, A Five-minute Commentary on Living." She wrote,
My friend Sonya Goodson posted this on her Facebook page: "I have crossed many bridges that I never came to . . . ."
Here's a thought that challenges me: "Prayer is bringing your wishes and worries to God; faith is leaving them there."[1] The "prayer" part is easy, but the "faith" part--that is, leaving our worries with God, is quite another matter, right?
[1] http://goo.gl/8qr7z3, accessed 7-27-2016.
"Just do the next thing" was the advice author Elisabeth Elliot gave to her daughter, Valerie, when she called on the phone one morning at a point of desperation. Homeschooling her eight children, Valerie had reached the end of her resources. "What do I do, Mom? I just can't go on."
Sometimes when you open Facebook Notifications on your phone or computer, you see a face you've never seen before--that is, until you glance at the name and realize it's someone you know well. The person has simply posted a new Profile picture--and you didn't immediately recognize who it is. Chances are it's a girlfriend of yours who has taken a new selfie in a stylish pose that she thinks makes her look prettier than the previous shot did. Come on, let's be honest: who ever posts an ugly picture of herself on Facebook?
Courtney Ellis tells of the time her family was driving down the highway when a deer darted out from the bushes, colliding with their car before her dad even saw the animal. The airbags deployed. The car was totaled. But fortunately no one was seriously hurt.
In a little book called "Diamond Dust," I found an anonymous quote that caught my attention. Here it is: "If, in spite of all your tears and prayers, God has left you in a dark place, perhaps it's because He knows there are still treasures to be found there."
I was always quite close to my Uncle Phil, so when he passed away, I grieved deeply. A few days after he was gone, a long-time mutual friend, Dr. Dorothy Jean Furlong, wrote these words to me, "Don't think I'm hard-hearted, but I think sometimes believers need to remember Paul's words 'to die is gain.'" She was referring to a verse in the first chapter of the apostle Paul's letter to the Philippians. The verse says, "For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain" (verse 21).
So much of life keeps us in turmoil. Have you noticed that just when you think you can't cope with another crisis, you're slammed with a new one? Like a ship tossed around in a storm, you struggle to deal with the latest urgent situation that challenges you.
In 2001 Charlotte suffered a major stroke that resulted in her losing not only her speech but the use of both legs and one arm. But Charlotte was determined not to give up on life. In spite of her disabilities, she believed she could still fulfill her desire to share the Gospel with those who do not have a personal relationship with Jesus. She learned about a project to make leather bracelets that have five colored beads strung on them to represent five facets of the Gospel message.
Driving through rural Connecticut, I noticed highway signs directing people to the Thankful Arnold House—brown signs that denote a place of historical significance. I couldn't help wondering who Thankful Arnold was, what happened to him to make him thankful, and why his house is significant.
Eric Denton can't help all of the poor in Mexico, but he's making a tremendous difference for the ones he does help. He and a team of 28 people from the church he pastors in Riverside, California, went on a building mission. They started with just two homes in one of the poorest neighborhoods in the Mexican border town of Tijuana. One of the homes was for a family who was living under a tree—a single mom trying to raise 3 kids, working all day while the kids fended for themselves.
Allan Franklin Davis III - Bud, as he was called - waited only until he was eight years old to do something significant, and it happened on the basketball court. By this time, he had already been playing for four years. So, when the season began that year, Bud was surprised to learn that most of the players on his team had never played basketball before. Needless to say, they lost most of their games.
For many years Drs. Paul and Margaret Brand were dedicated medical missionaries in India.
Wanting to give her daughter a beautiful wedding in spite of a limited budget, the mother of the bride gathered blossoms from friends’ magnolia trees and the night before the wedding banked the front of the church with the luscious, creamy-white blooms.
George, a young man in Greece, was planning to attend Bible college when the scholarship he was counting on was inexplicably cancelled. Frustrated and disappointed because of the closed door, he enlisted in the army to fulfill his nation's required two years of military service. George eventually completed a law degree with distinction.
Born in Mexico as one of 14 children, Graciela lost her father when she was only ten. Her mother, having no way to support the children, obtained a visa to come to the U.S. and took any job that would provide money to send home.
In downtown San Antonio, Texas, a mother duck chose a second-story overhang outside a bank window as a place to lay her eggs—ten feet off the ground. Eventually the ducklings hatched.
A man at a metro station in Washington, DC began to play the violin. Since it was rush hour, thousands of people walked by.
Vangie had just lost her father. Her spiritual mentor, Joanie, met with her as she usually does to encourage Vangie. And near the end of their time together Joanie gently talked with her about moving on in the grief process. Joanie suggested she go slow, step by step and let the Lord carry her. After all, Isaiah the prophet quoted God's words, "I am he who will sustain you. I have made you and I will carry you" (Isaiah 46:4).
Kathy Cawthon was battling cancer. After barely having energy to do the essentials for herself, one day, for the first time in many months, she felt physically strong enough to take on a few errands. She went to the post office to buy stamps.
Reach up for a moment and massage your neck and shoulder muscles. Feel any tension there? Most of us do. Tension seems to be a part of 21st century living.
When someone you love dies, you naturally grieve, because you care deeply for that person. You feel sadness that is so intense that you may wonder if life will ever again feel worth living.
Glenn Burris[i] tells that when he was seven years old, his dad bought him his first bicycle. It was a used bike, but Glenn didn't care. Glenn's dad was pastor of a small church, and both of his parents had to work to keep food on the table and the church doors open. Receiving the bike that he knew was given sacrificially is a meaningful memory that will always be with him.
[i] Glenn Burris, Jr., Foursquare Online Weekly Prayer Guide: February 2, 2009.
When a hijacked jetliner slammed into the Pentagon on 9-11, 2001, LTC Brian Birdwell was standing directly in its path. Because he had made a trip to the restroom, his life was miraculously spared. If he had been at his desk, he would have been killed instantly. Suddenly life was forever changed for Brian and his wife, Mel.
Dave was dying—no doubt about it. His wife and daughters had been with him for several hours, talking to him and telling him how much they loved him. But Dave was not responding. So, when a pastor came to visit, they left Dave in his care long enough to grab a quick bite of lunch. He appeared to be sleeping. But when the Pastor gently touched him, Dave moved slightly, then said to the pastor, "I've got the keys to my new house." He died peacefully within the hour.
One morning not too long ago, I started my day as usual with some time spent reading the Bible and talking to the Lord in prayer. But I was not at peace in my heart. It was one of those times when I felt agitated and pressured by all the work that needed to be done.
In her book The Alabaster Box[i], Ione Denton tells of looking out the front window of their home and seeing her five-year-old son Eric straddling his bicycle, his hands together in earnest prayer, head bowed. Then off he went. And, plunk, to the ground he fell.
[i] Ione Denton, The Alabaster Box (Self-published 2004), p. 25.
Rachel grew up in a terribly abusive home. Beatings, and burnings, threats, slave labor, family members sending her to men for sexual favors to repay their gambling debts—Rachel endured all these and more.
Take a guess how many times the phrase "one another" appears in the Bible. You may be surprised to learn the answer is 448 times—at least, in the King James Version! Almost half of those, or 214 occurrences, are in the New Testament. For example, no less than 16 times in the New Testament we're told to "Love one another."
Take a guess how many times the phrase "one another" appears in the Bible. You may be surprised to learn the answer is 448 times—at least, in the King James Version! Almost half of those, or 214 occurrences, are in the New Testament. For example, no less than 16 times in the New Testament we're told to "Love one another."
“What does love mean?” A group of professionals posed that question to a cluster of four-to-eight-year-olds. The answers they got were more profound than anyone anticipated.
“What does love mean?” A group of professionals posed that question to a cluster of four-to-eight-year-olds. The answers they got were more profound than anyone anticipated.
Pastor Jim Cymbala tells of the time when as a boy he was learning to swim at Coney Island. He had been told to stay in the shallow water but the undertow began to carry him out deeper and deeper. Salt water filled his nose, and he soon realized he was in serious trouble. Struggling to keep his head above water, he was gripped by panic. Then all at once he unexpectedly felt the arms of his dad underneath him, holding him up. He could relax in his father's arms, knowing he was safe.
Pastor Jim Cymbala tells of the time when as a boy he was learning to swim at Coney Island. He had been told to stay in the shallow water but the undertow began to carry him out deeper and deeper. Salt water filled his nose, and he soon realized he was in serious trouble. Struggling to keep his head above water, he was gripped by panic. Then all at once he unexpectedly felt the arms of his dad underneath him, holding him up. He could relax in his father's arms, knowing he was safe.
Do you ever have difficulty believing that God really, truly loves you? Perhaps you are so aware of your own imperfections that you think, "Why would He love me? How could He?"
The story is found in the Bible in Luke chapter 10:
As Jesus and the disciples continued on their way to Jerusalem, they came to a certain village where a woman named Martha welcomed him into her home. Her sister, Mary, sat at the Lord's feet, listening to what he taught. But Martha was distracted by the big dinner she was preparing. She came to Jesus and said, "Lord, doesn't it seem unfair to you that my sister just sits here while I do all the work? Tell her to come and help me."
But the Lord said to her, "My dear Martha, you are worried and upset over all these details! There is only one thing worth being concerned about. Mary has discovered it, and it will not be taken away from her" (Luke 10:38-41 NLT).
Helen, a junior high math teacher, could see one Friday that the lesson she was trying to teach was not going well. So, she asked the students to make a list of all the kids in the class and write the nicest thing they could think about each one. On the weekend, Helen took the lists and made each student a paper of all the nice things the class had said about him or her. On Monday, she passed out the lists to each student. The kids were surprised at how encouraging the remarks were.
When we were kids, we could hardly wait for birthdays to roll around. Parties with friends and family, presents, cake, ice cream—to children it's all so exciting. You've probably noticed, however, that the older you get, the faster birthdays seem to come around. And while they're still fun, we begin to see the effects of aging that birthdays bring to us.
It's one thing to know what God's will is for you in a situation—that is, what He wants you to do. It's quite another thing to follow through and do His will. In one of his sermons, Bible teacher and author A. W. Tozer pointed out that we have a part to play in doing God's will.
When God was giving instructions to Moses, He knew his people would sooner or later go to war against an enemy stronger than they were.
For years Dr. Margaret Brand served as a missionary eye surgeon in southern India. In the rural areas she would sometimes do a hundred cataract surgeries in a single day.
A young woman in prison wrote me the following story:
My life was like a bottle. I always thought I was going to be something special. Maybe I'd be used to hold some costly medicine, or I might be used as a fine vase on some rich person's table. But I ended up just a plain green bottle sent down a conveyor belt and filled with cheap wine.
Sometimes Bible verses become so familiar that we gloss over them without applying them in a practical way to our lives. Isaiah 9:6 is one of those.
While I am convinced that every one of us is here on earth for a reason—that each of us is created for a purpose, whenever I speak on this subject, inevitably the question comes up, "But what about people with disabilities? How can they ever attain their purpose? Did God make a mistake when He made them?"
When I was growing up, we used to sing a country Gospel song that went,
"Farther along we'll know all about it,
Farther along we'll understand why."
Sometimes when we pray, we sense the presence of God in the room with us. Other times God seems so very far away. Somebody quipped, "If God seems far away from you, guess who moved!" But I don't think that is necessarily true. That would be tantamount to asserting that if you can't "feel" God's presence, then He must not be there.
One of the reasons the book of Psalms in the Bible appeals to us is that the writings touch on experiences common to all of us. In the Psalms you find the entire range of human emotion--thankfulness, anger, love, hatred, joy, and more.
The prayer of a person going through very difficult times has been turned into a song by Margaret Becker and Keith Getty. Here are the words:
Jesus, draw me ever nearer
As I labor through the storm;
You have called me to this passage,
And I'll follow, though I'm worn.
Two times someone asked Jesus the question, "Don't you care?"
The first took place on the Sea of Galilee when an angry squall came up. Waves began to break over the boat so that it was nearly swamped. During all of this Jesus was asleep on a cushion in the back of the boat. The disciples woke
Him. "Teacher, don't you care if we drown?" Jesus "got up…and said to the waves, 'Quiet! Be still!' …and it was completely calm" (Mark 4:38-39).
A plaque hanging on hospital wall puts it well.
Cancer is so limited…
It cannot cripple love. It cannot shatter hope. It cannot corrode faith [or]…destroy peace [or]…kill friendships. It cannot suppress memories…silence courage [or]…invade the soul. It cannot steal eternal life. It cannot conquer the Spirit.
When Jesus stepped on shore after crossing the Sea of Galilee, he was immediately confronted by a man possessed by demons. The Bible tells us the details: "For a long time this man had not worn clothes or lived in a house, but had lived in the tombs" (Luke 8:27). The local people had tried to chain him and keep him under guard, but he always broke the chains and escaped.
The first four books of the New Testament in your Bible contain pages and pages of the teachings of Jesus. Do you want to know if what Jesus said here on earth is true? Jesus Himself told us how to find out. He said, "If anyone chooses to do God's will, he will find out whether my teaching comes from God or whether I speak on my own." You find that claim in the fourth book of the New Testament—the book of John, chapter seven (John 7:17).
Missionary doctor Margaret Brand wrote of the time that her young son, Christopher, was outside playing in the hill country of India toward sunset time. "Suddenly he rushed in excitedly. [He] seized my hand," she related, "and tried to drag me outside as he almost shouted, 'Come see the sky. It's unnecessarily beautiful!'
Some people see the Bible as just a book of rules and regulations that God has given to keep us in line. They perceive God as a bully looking down from heaven with a big stick ready to punish anyone who disobeys. How mistaken they are!
The ministry is called Jackets for Jesus, and it's a very practical one. Every Sunday night Pastor Eric Denton takes a team of people more than 50 miles from Riverside, California to the streets of Los Angeles to feed the street people a hot meal and share the love of Jesus with them—people for whom this may be the only gift of love they ever receive. Oh, and yes, if they're cold, they get a good, previously-owned jacket as well.
One of the universe's most beautiful galaxies as seen from earth is called the Sombrero galaxy. This very bright heavenly mass got its interesting name from its resemblance to a broad-rimmed Mexican hat. Data from the Hubble Telescope has determined that it's actually a massive object equivalent to 800 billion suns. If you wanted to travel from one side to the other of the Sombrero Galaxy, it would take you 50,000 years—if you were traveling at the speed of light.[1]
[1] http://hubblesite.org/newscenter/archive/releases/2003/28/image/a/
Does it seem to you that birthdays keep rolling around faster and faster, year after year? Obviously, that means that sooner or later, if we live long enough, each of us is going to grow old. I, for one, want to make the best of my years.
When a woman has given birth to her first baby, she starts off determined to be the best mother she can be, often keeping in the back of her mind a picture of the mother who meets all her child's needs, teaches wisely, and trains that little one in the way he or she should go, to paraphrase Proverbs 22:6.
Back in the 5th century B.C., the walls of Jerusalem lay in disrepair, so broken down that they were absolutely no protection for the city. But under the leadership of Nehemiah, the people were challenged to do something about the problem.
Jesus said, "Indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered" (Luke 12:7). But my friend LuAnne learned that hairs aren't the only thing God keeps track of. I received from her the following urgent prayer request...
W. Tozer was a Bible teacher of the last century. Always a deep thinker whose books still challenge the most experienced Bible expositors, Tozer expressed his deep thoughts in practical ways.
Luisa, who for a number of years served as my husband's administrative assistant and currently is Guidelines' Director of Media, has twin girls, who are now young adults. For most of the years her children were at home, she was a single mom, bearing the dual responsibilities of being both caretaker and breadwinner. And she did the job exceptionally well. That's why I asked her what resources she found helpful and what recommendations she would give to other single moms.
They say that the most magnificent saris ever made are hand-woven in the city of Varanasi, the cultural capital of India. These beautiful dresses--with their gold and silver, the reds and the blues—are often chosen to bedeck brides all over the nation.
When the Romans banished the apostle John to the island of Patmos, they must have assumed he would soon be forgotten and his influence wiped out forever. Pastor Jack Hayford pointed out, "A small mountainous island with rocky soil in the Aegean Sea, Patmos should have remained an anonymous piece of land that people were sent to and never heard from again…. But God had other ideas."[1]
[1] Dr. Jack Hayford, from an address at the 20th Anniversary Commencement of Angelus Bible Institute, Los Angeles, CA.
The bush was on fire but it wasn't being burned up. Moses' curiosity was aroused, and so he stopped to investigate. Never in a thousand years did he expect to hear what he heard—God's voice speaking aloud to him, telling him that he had been commissioned to lead the Israelites out of Egyptian slavery to the place God had promised would be their homeland.
Are you going through a time in life when you find yourself below sea level, struggling just to keep your head above water and stay alive in the middle of your circumstances? I wish I could change your circumstances, but I can’t. But I do have some words from the Bible to encourage you.
When you lose a loved one—someone very close and dear to you, you naturally grieve. Something would be wrong if you didn't, for that person's input in your life has, in a practical sense, come to an end.
It happened in southern India in the 1940s. A young village boy about twelve years old was helping Dr. Margaret Brand, the missionary eye doctor, as she did cataract surgery.
Probably everybody wants to go to heaven when they die. At least, they certainly don't want to go to hell! But have you thought about what it would be like to wake up and find yourself in heaven—not knowing your way around? Common belief is that Peter will be there to welcome you, but actually we don't find that in the Bible.
On Christmas day 1863, the poet Longfellow wrote,
I heard the bells on Christmas day Their old familiar carols play, And wild and sweet the words repeat Of peace on earth, good will to men.
In 1994, two Americans who had answered an invitation from the Russian Department of Education to teach Biblical ethics, were invited to a government-run orphanage, where about 100 abandoned and abused boys and girls were being cared for. It was Christmas, so the Americans gathered the children together to tell them the story of the first Christmas.
I wish I knew the unknown author of this Christmas version of 1 Corinthians 13. Christmas or not, I'm grateful for her insights.
Here's a verse in Psalms I call The Shopper's Prayer because when I'm shopping, I need this verse: "Turn my eyes away from worthless things" (Psalm 119:37).
How do we know what God is like? From the New Testament we learn specifically what He is like by how Jesus, God's Son, lived right here where we live--on planet Earth.
Yesterday I met a friend I haven't seen in quite a long time. Her natural loveliness draws your attention. But she has another characteristic that I think is the true secret to her attractiveness. She always makes the person she is talking to feel special. Whenever I meet her, she has a ready word that is complimentary and encouraging. I go away from talking with her feeling that I am special too.
In 1949 when Billy Graham held his big tent revival in Los Angeles, some of Hollywood's most famous made decisions to accept Christ. Among those was Jim Voss, an electronics genius, who was a wiretapper for underworld gangster Mickey Cohen.
The prophet Isaiah had a most unusual vision of heaven. He saw the Lord seated on a throne, and then he heard the Lord saying, "Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?" God had a message He wanted conveyed to His people on earth. Quickly Isaiah responded, "Here am I. Send me!" (Isaiah 6:8).
I attended my grandson's high school graduation where diplomas were presented to the seniors by their parents. Since this was a home school group, emotions ran high as each set of parents spoke a few words expressing their thoughts to their children.
No one knows more about gardening than God does. After all, He Himself planted the first garden on this earth, the Garden of Eden. He knows well the science of botany because He "invented" it. God placed in our world every imaginable flower from miniscule desert blooms that require a magnifying glass to be seen, to giant corpse flowers, whose blossoms grow ten feet tall and can even raise their own temperatures.
Sometimes I think we forget the kind of God we're praying to. Do we remember that He is the one who created both the heavens and the earth?
As a child in her native Finland, Marjaana always wanted to be a missionary in Africa. At a church service, when a Kenyan nurse known as Sister Freda urged the people, "Come to Africa!" Marjaana’s heart was pounding, "I’m going! I’m going!" She was one of the first to sign up for the next trip.
The scene was the Garden of Gethsemane. A band of men from the chief priests and Pharisees had arrived to arrest Jesus. Peter, wanting to defend Jesus, drew out his sword and struck the high priest's servant, cutting off his right ear. Not only did Jesus heal the man's ear but he took time to make clear to Peter that He, the very Son of God, was soon going to lay down His life willingly.
In the apostle Peter's second letter to the early Christians, he lists five qualities that we should try to evidence in our lives: he urges us to add to our "faith virtue, to virtue knowledge, to knowledge self-control, to self-control perseverance" (2 Peter 1:5, 6 NKJV).
Nik Wallenda is a member of the world-famous seven-generation Wallenda family of high wire performers. He's famous for his walks on the high wire across the Grand Canyon, Niagara Falls, between skyscrapers high above Times Square, New York, and a nearly 32-minute walk across the fire-y Masaya volcano in Nicaragua. Nik's book titled Facing Fear tells of his conquest not only of these perilous walks but of his conquest of fear, especially after the collapse of an eight-person high wire pyramid in Sarasota, Florida that nearly killed all eight of them. After the accident, Nik had to conquer his fears or he would never walk the high wire again.
Bernadette longed for a child. If you've ever been in her shoes, you totally understand what she was experiencing. Eventually she became pregnant but, sadly, at the same time, her husband was battling what turned out to be terminal cancer. The good part to her story is that before her husband passed away, she gave birth to a healthy baby boy.
Police chaplain Dick Johnson recalls a night when he was doing his regular radio show on a station in Okinawa, Japan. He was playing Christian music and speaking words of encouragement, when the phone rang and a listener shared, "My life is being drained with difficult experiences, and my strength is gone. The comments you made and the music that followed led me to call and ask for help."
Gail's aunt Georgia, a widow who taught handicapped children, knew what it was to experience tragedy. She had married Walter Dickens, a railroad train conductor, and after several months she became pregnant. But their baby died soon after birth. While she was still in the hospital recovering from the delivery, she was notified that Walter had been killed in a train accident.
With our world being in the state it is in these days, heaven looks more and more attractive. Sometimes I can hardly wait to go there. Who doesn't like to the read the Bible's description of streets of pure gold, and of gates each made of a single pearl! Even more, I like to read that in heaven "God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away" (Revelation 21:4 KJV).
Professor and author C. S. Lewis said most human beings sell themselves short in this life when they could have so much more. Wrote Lewis,
We are half-hearted creatures, fooling about with drink and sex and ambition when infinite joy is offered us, like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in a slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at sea. We are far too easily pleased.[1]
[1] C. S. Lewis, The Weight of Glory, https://www.goodreads.com/work/quotes/1629232-the-weight-of-glory, accessed February 21, 2021.
Are you at a crossroads in your life right now? You're faced with a decision regarding your future? Perhaps you've been laid off your job and don't know where to go from here. Or perhaps you're thinking of getting married but you're not entirely sure if you've truly met Mr. or Miss Right-for-you. God has promised in Psalm 23 that He leads us "in paths of righteousness for his name's sake." But just how do you find that path that God wants you to take?
What is the difference between faith and hope? Both words are used in the Bible quite frequently. Do you remember that 1 Corinthians 13 says, "Now abide faith, hope, love"
NKJV. "The word faith is used in the sense of ' trust ', whereas the word hope is used in the sense of 'anticipation'."[1] Hope always involves waiting for something that is as yet unseen but something we can count on. Romans 8:24 says, "Hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what they already have?" NKJV. Yes, hope always involves waiting, but hope means we can wait patiently and confidently, knowing that what we are anticipating will eventually be reality. "Hope is a confident expectation that naturally stems from faith. Hope is a peaceful assurance that something that hasn't happened yet will indeed happen."[2]
[1] https://www.differencebetween.com/difference-between-faith-and-vs-hope/, accessed 1/26/2021.
[2] https://www.gotquestions.org/difference-faith-hope.html, accessed 1-26, 2021.
My all-time favorite fruit is the Filipino mango. While mango trees can live for 300 years, how do they stay standing when typhoon-force winds blow? There's only one answer: their roots. The taproot of a mango tree can go down twenty feet deep into the soil, and, in addition, mangoes grow wide-spreading feeder roots that penetrate deeply.
When as a parent you have young kids, it's as if you're in God's waiting room. You're anticipating the day when the "rosebuds" will mature and bloom. You nurture the plants, feed them, and care for them, but you can't make your kids "bloom." But eventually God will--if you leave the timing to Him.
Ever see sunflowers growing in someone's garden? Or perhaps by the side of the road? You probably noticed that they almost always face toward the sun. In the morning, young sunflowers face east, slowly turning west as they keep their faces toward the sun throughout the day. Then during the night, they reverse themselves so they are ready to do it again the next day. Why do they do this? Because they innately know that the more sunshine they get, the better they will grow. When sunflower plants are grown indoors, in a short time they stop this habit of always trying to face the sun, and consequently they grow at a slower pace.
In the last verse of the last chapter of the last book the apostle Peter ever wrote, he gave us some valuable instruction. He said, "But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ" (2 Peter 3:18 NIV). What did Peter mean about growing in grace and the knowledge of Jesus?
Candy wrote,
"Today I lost my wallet! And I put a big bald spot in my husband's hair! Do you ever have those days where your brain is just not functioning properly???!!! This was me today.... but amidst it all, kindness shone so bright that I have to share about it."
The young boy grabbed his lunch, tucked it in his tunic and took off for the countryside to spend the day listening to the Teacher, Jesus of Nazareth. We don't know if he packed his lunch himself or if his mother prepared those five barley loaves and two fish for him. But you can be sure he had no idea that soon his simple lunch was going to be used by Jesus to feed an estimated 15,000 people—5000 men plus women and children.
Author Elizabeth George writes,
Here’s a question to think about: If someone asked you to describe the quiet time you had this morning, what would you say? This is exactly the question Dawson Trotman, founder of The Navigators ministry organization, used to ask men and women applying for missions work. He once spent five days interviewing candidates for overseas missionary service. He spent a half hour with each one, asking specifically about their devotional life. Sadly, only one person out of 29 interviewed said his devotional life was a constant in his life.[1]
[1] Elizabeth George, A Woman After God’s Own Heart (Eugene, OR: Harvest House Publishers, 1997), 30.
Dark periods in life come to all of us—times when all you know about God is being put to the test. The Apostle Paul had an experience like that. It started when he had a vision of a man begging him, "Come over to Macedonia and help us" (Acts 16:9). Sensing this was God directing him, Paul and his helper Silas immediately went to Philippi, a leading city of that area.
Mention any date since 1980 to Jill Price, and she can tell you what happened to her on that day—"what time she got up, who[m] she met, what she did, what she ate. In effect, she is a human diary," writes Barry Wigmore.[1]
Temptation comes to all of us in one form or another. Who at one time or another has not felt an intense desire to do something you really knew you shouldn't do?
When he was in his later years, Dr. D. James Kennedy, wrote the following:
Now, I know that someday I am going to come to what some people will say is the end of this life.... I don't want them to cry. I want them to begin the [memorial] service with the Doxology and end with the Hallelujah chorus, because I am not going to be there, and I am not going to be dead. I will be more alive than I have ever been in my life, and I will be looking down upon you poor people who are still in the land of dying and have not yet joined me in the land of the living. And I will be alive forevermore....[1]
[1] http://65.240.226.104:8080/
Too many people who have had a wrong done to them have "built a memorial to the event and placed it smack dab in the center of the living room of their life, going there every day to worship"--so says a minister.[1] A memorial to a wrong done in the past! I had never thought of it that way, but I think he's right.
[1] Quoted by Dr. Laura Schlessinger and Rabbi Stewart Vogel, The Ten Commandments (New York, NY: Cliff Street Books, an imprint of Harper Collins Publishers, 1998), 44.
When life throws at us circumstances we can't understand, we have two choices: question God or trust Him. Lisa Beamer learned that lesson--twice.
Sometimes I wonder if we are so busy accomplishing certain things every day that we miss opportunities to bless the people around us. God's quiet voice may not be heard as He points us to where He has something special for us to do—a loving touch, comforting words, even a short prayer with someone who is hurting.
Pastor Glenn Burris tells that one of the ways he helps around the house is to haul the large garbage containers out to the street for pickup—a five-minute job. But one time, he relates, the simple task took on an unexpected twist.
John's phone rang. It was the call that all parents hope they will never receive. His teenage daughter, who had recently received her driver's license, was involved in an accident. Would John come?
One time Jesus said to a busy woman, "Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things" (Luke 10:41- ck. NIV). I can certainly relate to Martha. How about you? If you're like most women, you don't worry about just one thing. Because we're good at multi-tasking, we usually have a whole collection of things we're anxious about.
Many, many children today are growing up in one-parent homes. Maybe when you were a child your father turned his back on your mother for another woman, and your home was torn apart. You may not think you're worth very much or surely your dad would have stayed with the family.
A fighter jet pilot flying upside down at tremendous speed became disoriented. Confused as to which way was up and which was down, he pulled the flight stick in the wrong direction. A few moments later, flaming wreckage was all that remained.
Bill wore a t-shirt with holes in it, jeans, and flip-flops--his wardrobe for literally his entire four years of college. Admittedly, a bit strange, though very bright, Bill had become a Christian while attending college.
In Bible days, each Jewish man 20 years and older was expected to contribute voluntarily a two-drachma tax every year for the upkeep of the temple in Jerusalem—that’s about a third of a dollar.
It's pretty common these days for people not to answer their phone calls until they know who is calling. But the person who refuses to return phone calls is just plain—well, rude. It's as if the caller is not important enough to deserve a return call.
Recently someone asked me, "How do you decide what ministry opportunities to accept and what ones you should say 'No' to?" The question is fair enough. My husband and I receive many invitations to minister each year—more than we can fulfill. We have to make hard decisions whether to say "Yes, we'll be there," or "No, I'm sorry we won't be able to do that." Here are some principles that help us determine God's will and will perhaps help you in your priorities as well.
For a long time now I've been fascinated by a verse I found in Psalm 131. It's the second verse, where the psalmist writes, "…I have stilled and quieted my soul; like a weaned child with its mother…is my soul within me."
"Why? Why did Dennis have to die?" The question screamed in Jean Galang's mind. This 14-year old boy had all of life ahead of him. So many hopes, so many dreams. But now, in the church's summer camp, of all places, Dennis had drowned in the swimming pool. In a daze of disbelief and heartbreak, the camp was shut down and everyone went home.
The disheveled man had been washed up on a small, uninhabited island—the sole survivor of a shipwreck. Every day he prayed feverishly for God to rescue him. And every day he scanned the horizon for help, but to no avail. Eventually he managed to build a little hut out of driftwood where he could store his few possessions and get some protection from the sun and rain. At least now he somewhere to call "home."
People still talk about a sermon illustration my Dad used many years ago. As people walked into church that Sunday morning, they saw a small table sitting beside the pulpit. On it were some small food cartons, a bowl, a measuring cup and a large spoon. What in the world was all of this doing in church?
She lived in Joppa, a coastal town on the edge of the sparkling Mediterranean. Day after day after breakfast she picked up her needle to create coats and garments that she had envisioned in her mind. The Bible tells us her name was Dorcas, and she "was always doing good and helping the poor" (Acts 9:36). Actually, we don't know if she made clothing for the poor or rather used the profits from selling her handiwork to help them. But we know from scripture she was called a "disciple." And probably she was a widow, for when she died, the widows of the area came to mourn her death.
For years my mother faithfully subscribed to the homemaker's Better Homes and Gardens magazine. I used to look forward to turning to the last page of each issue to read a column that Bill Vaughan wrote under the penname Burton Hillis. His witty observations of everyday life touched a warm spot in the hearts of his readers.
A mother whose name we don't know wrote the following,
My little girl went out the door;
I hugged and squeezed her just once more,
Reminding her as oft before,
"Remember to say thank you."
And then the thought occurred to me,
I'd better check again to see
How long since I on bended knee
Remembered to say thank you.[1]
[1] Eugene L. Clark, My Hope (Lincoln, NE: Back to the Bible Publication, 1979), 119.
I wonder if your past is keeping you from being your best right now, in the present. Past sins do that, you know. David Eckman writes,
Sin walks us into a huge warehouse filled with video clips of us and says, “This is your life. We have thousands of clips of your failures. Many of them are so embarrassing that you wouldn’t want to show them to your children. That is all you are, and we have the record of it. So you might as well surrender to sin within, because you can’t be better than this. You are these [video] clips—and nothing else.”
Strolling through the mall one day, I caught sight of a T-shirt with a catchy slogan that read, "The future is so bright, I need shades."
Usually we think of "patience" and "waiting" as passive terms. If you were to define waiting, you might say that waiting is "doing nothing until something happens." And you might define patience as "being willing to do nothing until something happens." Right?
A pastor tells about the time his young son burst into his office after the morning session at the church's preschool.
In Robert Morgan's small but very practical book called The Red Sea Rules he tells about a time when he was exceptionally worried about a situation that faced him. While reading his Bible, he came upon the words "Leave room for God's wrath" (Romans 12:19). The context is that we shouldn't try to get even when someone harms us, but instead leave room for Him to settle the score.
Years ago I noticed that a preacher had chosen as his sermon topic "God's Salad Bowl." When I saw the title, I wondered what on earth he was going to talk about. But when I listened to his sermon, I found out. He spoke about the many times the phrase "let us" is used in the New Testament—such as, "Let us stop passing judgment on one another" (Romans 14:13) and "Let us be alert and self-controlled" (1 Thessalonians 5:6).
The scene took place in Bethany at the home of Simon—in the Bible he's called "Simon the Leper," perhaps because Jesus had healed him of that horrible disease. At any rate, he was giving a dinner party for Jesus just days before Jesus would give His life on the cross. We don't have the entire guest list, but we know that Lazarus and his sisters, Mary and Martha, were present, along with at least some of the disciples, including Judas.
Sue Augustine writes, "I had to chuckle when I read what Elisabeth Elliot said about our words: 'Never pass up an opportunity to keep your mouth shut!'"
Then Sue continues,
Over the years, I have learned to pray, "Lord, walk beside me with one hand on my shoulder and the other over my mouth!" On days when my emotions threaten to rage out of control, my family members often overhear my hollering. "Oh, Lord—please shut my mouth before I say what's on my mind!"[1]
[1] Sue Augustine, When Your Past Is Hurting Your Present (Eugene, OR: Harvest House Publishers, 2005), 143
"Is it wrong for a Christian to grieve?" Daisy Catchings asks in her book Under God’s Umbrella. "Are tears a contradiction of faith? Or is faith supposed to eradicate tears?"[1]
[1] Daisy Catchings, Under God’s Umbrella (Palm Springs, CA: Umbrella Ministries, 1999), 105.
Some people say, “All roads lead to God, so it doesn’t matter which religion you follow so long as you’re seeking God.” But a famous prophet in Old Testament times strongly disagreed. He declared that the God of the Bible is different from all other gods. He asserted that no other god exists who acts on behalf of the one who believes in Him.
When we lived in Asia, one of the surprises was that when we gave someone a gift, that person might or might not say the words, "Thank you." Since saying "Thank you" is such an automatic response in the western world, I was uncomfortable when I didn't hear those words of response. Did the person not like the gift? Did I choose the wrong time to give her the gift? Or was it wrapped in the wrong color of paper?
A young woman in her twenties commented to me that she really has no choice but to obey God, because when she doesn’t obey Him, she is the loser. Actually, she’s right. At a young age she had figured out the very important principle that God’s will, as difficult as it may be, is always the best for us.
"A bit of juicy gossip is very satisfying," says wise King Solomon. The Living Bible puts it this way: "What dainty morsels rumors are. They are eaten with great relish!" (Proverbs 18:8).
When Chris Haggai's visitor arrived at the door, Chris was feeding their adult son Johnny, who had cerebral palsy because of negligence on the part of the attending doctor when he was born. The visitor had come to take a look at a refrigerator the Haggai's had just purchased because she was thinking of buying one like it. But the woman became so curious about Johnny that she almost forgot the real purpose of her visit.
I've told you before how much I admire my pastor friend Eric Denton, who every Sunday night takes a group to Los Angeles to feed the street people and pass out jackets to those who need them to stay warm. But one December evening was special.
After our grandson Christian was born, I gave his mother, Cheryl, a soft robe. Within a few months, however, Christian had decided that her new robe was what he wanted to hold when he needed comfort. Now, Cheryl still wanted her robe, so she simply cut 12 inches or so off the bottom for Christian to enjoy, which meant she still had a robe to wear. The problem was that while Christian was okay with having "little robe" with him in the car, he wanted "big robe" in his crib when he went to sleep at night. Being the grandma, my solution was to buy Cheryl another robe.
In 1938, as Bill and Mildred Dillon were sailing to England for ministry, a storm developed, and Mildred was scared.
Robert McQuilkin was serving as president of Columbia Bible College when his wife, Muriel, began to develop Alzheimer’s disease. Slowly she became more and more confused, until at last she could form only one sentence: “I love you.”
Jacob was dealing with a disaster. In the middle of a famine, his sons had just returned from Egypt with bad news. If he wanted to buy food from Egypt, Jacob would have to allow his favorite son, Benjamin, to go to Egypt as required by the Pharaoh’s second in command, who controlled all food sales. Jacob had already lost his son Joseph, whom he believed to have been killed by wild animals. The truth is that his brothers hated him and had sold him into slavery. None of them knew Joseph had become second in command in Egypt—next to the Pharaoh.
I recently heard an old hymn that, to tell the truth, I had forgotten. It may be an old one, but it is certainly fitting to our present culture and the circumstances you and I find ourselves in. The lyrics go like this:
In times like these you need a Savior, In times like these you need an anchor; Be very sure, be very sure, Your anchor holds and grips the Solid Rock!
This Rock is Jesus, Yes, He's the One, This Rock is Jesus, the only One; Be very sure, be very sure, Your anchor holds and grips the Solid Rock![1]
[1] Ruth Caye Jones
Nearly every household appliance comes with an instruction booklet. Though we usually try to figure out how to use the appliance without consulting the instructions, if we really get stuck, as a last resort we will refer to the manual.
Not long ago a friend asked me how to find rest in busyness. That’s a very practical topic that most of us find ourselves dealing with quite often. And the interesting thing is that about the same time I got this request, I came across a verse in Psalm 68 that applies to that very situation. Verse 19 (NLT) says, “Praise the Lord; praise God our Savior! For each day He carries us in his arms.” I had never even given thought to the fact that God carries us in His arms. And notice that He says He holds us “each day.” Yes, every single day!
What makes a house a home? When I googled that question, I read this:
A home is a place where you feel warm and cozy…. Most of all you are surrounded by people you love and who love you. A family makes a house a home by living in it and making it special.
That’s not a bad definition. That’s why the physical house you live in here—whether a chateau in France, a farmhouse in Kansas, or a yurt in Mongolia—makes very little
Dr. Glenn Burris tells about the time that he stopped by an airport kiosk, and his attention was caught by a nifty earpiece that conveniently collapsed into a very small, convenient-to-carry size. He bought it. After paying for the item, the vendor added that for eight dollars more he could buy a two-year replacement agreement. Although he didn’t buy the extended warranty, the thought stuck in his mind. He reflected on how nice it would be if in life we could pay just a little extra and buy some certainty concerning everything in our lives.[i] But it just doesn’t work that way.
[i] Dr. Glenn Burris, Jr., “Journey of Faith” Prayer Guide, November 30, 2009
When circumstances are tough, our natural tendency is to focus on the problem. We struggle to get ourselves out of the dilemma we're in. And in trying to solve our difficulty, the problem begins to occupy nearly all of our attention. Soon we hardly believe that even God can fix it. We forget that Psalm 23 tells us, “The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.”
Sometimes God allows painful experiences in our lives, and we simply don’t understand why. You know that God can heal, yet at times He allows your illness to continue. Perhaps you have a problem that lands you in court, and although you ask for God’s help, you don’t win the lawsuit. You have a financial need, yet you don’t get hired at that new job you applied for. Those are the times when our faith is tested.
Once when we were walking through the ruins of Petra in the country of Jordan, a woman in our group became dizzy and lay down on the sandstone floor. I stayed with her while the rest of the group continued the tour. In a short time, a number of the local men came and sat nearby. I could see compassion on their faces, though they never said a word.
On January 12, 2020, Taal Volcano in the Philippines erupted. Our friends Len and Mari Cris Faustino had developed a farm located 16 kilometers from the volcano--filled with crops, fruit trees, coffee trees, rare plants and a number of animals. When the volcano erupted, Mari Cris posted pictures on Facebook of the gray, ash-coated farm that looked as if they had been taken with black-and-white film, and we wondered if the farm would ever again produce the beautiful crops for which it had become well known.
John 3:16, the verse that probably more people know than any other in the Bible, tells us that if we believe in Jesus, we’ll not perish but have eternal life. That’s a wonderful promise. But there’s a verse in the 14th chapter of the book of John that somehow is of even more comfort to me. It’s verse 3, which says, “When everything is ready, I will come and get you, so that you will always be with me where I am” (John 14:3 NLT). In this verse Jesus promises not just eternal life, but eternal life with Him
Have you ever dreamed that you were trying to run in your sleep? Isn’t it frustrating? Try as you will, you can make very little progress. And if you are trying to run from some danger, the dream turns into a nightmare.
The man had been lame for thirty-eight years—so lame that although he lay right by the Pool of Bethesda, he couldn’t get himself into the waters. “When Jesus saw him and knew he had been ill for a long time, he asked him, ‘Would you like to get well?’” (John 5:6 NLT).
I’ve noticed that many of the Psalms repeat the story of the Israelites as they made their way from Egypt to the land that God promised them. Over and over you will read similar accounts of those same events. I used to wonder what the reason was for the repetition. Didn’t the Israelites know the story already?
A friend of mine had worked untiringly on a project, and finally it seemed there was a breakthrough and she would be able to put the project together. But then someone confronted her in a very abrasive manner and told her she was wrong, out of God’s will and that she should abandon the whole project. As the saying goes, she had the wind knocked out of her sails. Was God speaking to her through this person, or was this Satan trying to defeat the endeavor, she wondered.
“Grace” is one of those words that I find hard to define. In the Christian world, grace has often been defined as G-R-A-C-E, God’s Riches at Christ’s Expense. And that it is! God gives us His grace, or undeserved favor, at the expense of His Son, Who died on the cross to pay for our sins.
Notice this Bible verse: “There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear” (1 John 4:18). I don’t know why, but that verse has always been hard for me to grasp. “Perfect love casts out fear”? What is the writer saying? And how does it fit into my life?
Do you have a millennial living in your house—someone between the ages of 22 and 37? Or perhaps they’re your employee. Want to motivate them? Then ask them one question, says a popular business newsletter. The question is this: What is your dream?
Remember when you were a kid and you’d done something wrong? You knew when you got home you’d have to face your parents—and take the consequences, so you took the longest route home, dragging your feet all the way. You were miserable.
In her book Calm My Anxious Heart, Linda Dillow tells about a young bride who married a Marine, thinking that living in foreign countries and traveling the globe would be romantic and exciting. Two years later, lonely and deeply discontented, she poured out her complaints in a letter to her mother. She had no friends, she said. She couldn’t speak the language and didn’t think it was worth it to learn because at any time her husband might be transferred to another country. Worst of all, she said, her groom was never home. She ended the letter saying, “I can’t take this any longer. I’m coming home.”
There’s an old proverb that goes, “He who answers before listening—that is his folly and shame.” Yet, how many of us do just that! When people are talking to us, we’re watching for that split second when their lips clamp shut so we can start talking and give them the benefit of our great wisdom. In fact, sometimes we just interrupt. I guess that’s because what we have to say is so much more important than what they are saying, right?
You’re confronted with a crucial decision and you don’t know which way to go. You search your Bible—you pray—you look for God’s direction but you can’t seem to find an answer. You cry out, “God, I was following You. Where did You go? Where do I go now?” The crisis you face is like a vast ocean in front of you—and you know there are no paths to follow in oceans! You feel like a blind person groping your way.
You’ve probably heard the saying, “People don’t care how much you know--until they know how much you care.” It’s true, isn’t it.
In his painting “The Helping Hand,” French artist Emile Renouf portrays an old fisherman seated in his rowboat with a little girl next to him. Both the old man and small child have their hands on the large oar as they make their way across the water. From the look on the little girl’s face, you can see that she is intense in her efforts to help him row the boat, although, of course, it is really his strong arms that are doing the work.