Hearing Wisdom

When there are so many challenges in life, it can be difficult to determine the right answer. There are times you may wish you had the wisdom of Solomon. Yet at the heart of wisdom is one simple fact — you must be humble enough to hear what God’s word is telling you. In 1 […]

Abiding in God Under Pressure

So many words I wanted to say, hurtful words, as he lashed out at me. Yet something inside constrained me. It was just another encounter with him screaming at me, trying to get me to lash out at him. But for some reason I remained calm; for some reason I could see that this man […]

A Guiding Hand in the Storm

There’s an interesting thing I noticed when I was reading Matthew 14:22-32. This is the passage where the disciples set out in a boat to go to the other side ahead of Jesus. While crossing, they are buffeted by wind and waves. Then they see Jesus walking on the water and are scared, thinking it’s […]

God Pleaser

“Delight yourself in the LORD; And He will give you the desires of your heart (Psalm 37:4, NASB).” It seems like a simple statement, but how do we delight in the Lord? Isaiah 58:13-14 provides some guidance: “If because of the sabbath, you turn your foot From doing your own pleasure on My holy day, […]

Delegating God’s Statutes and Law

It is one thing to read scripture, to hear God’s command, but a far different thing to live it out. This is what Moses discovered as he led the Israelites out of Egypt. In Exodus 18, Moses’ father-in-law Jethro observes Moses spending the day judging disputes among the Israelites. When Jethro asks why Moses alone […]

God’s Yield in the Vineyard of Life

God has placed us in His vineyard to cultivate the vines so they produce fruit. The theme of bearing fruit is repeated throughout the Bible. In Luke 20:9-18, Jesus tells a parable that talks about a man sending one of his servants “so they would give him some of the fruit of the vineyard (verse […]

The Lord is on Your Side

There are times in life when I feel overwhelmed by the evil in the world. It seems that I will be overtaken by those who pursue me with false accusations and malicious words. At these times, David’s words in the Psalms resonate with me. Psalm 35:1-3 is one example: “Plead my cause, O LORD, with […]

Loving Less to Love More

Jesus often used strong words to make a point. Luke 14:26 is no exception: If anyone comes to Me, and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be My disciple (NASB). Hate is a word that jumps out […]

Counting Against God

How do you assess success? Is it by the number of people who attend an event you planned or the amount of money collected for a fundraiser? Do you determine success by the wages you receive, the amount of money you have saved or the value of your home? Sometimes it’s hard not to look […]

David Schemes as Saul Once Did

It is no small thing to have the Spirit of God depart from you as Saul discovered. When the Spirit of God departed from Saul and fell on David, Saul became tormented by evil spirits (1 Samuel 16:13-14). He was no longer under the protection of God. He fell prey to his own designs. His […]