The Two Sides of Fear

Both of them saw the power of God through Jesus. Both became fearful after witnessing Jesus’ miracles, but how they responded was very different. It’s often how people still respond to Jesus today. In Luke 8:22-25, the disciples were traveling across a lake when a fierce gale met them. They see Jesus sleeping in the […]

When God Does Deliver

When they measured it with an omer, he who had gathered much had no excess, and he who had gathered little had no lack; every man gathered as much as he should eat. – Exodus 16:18 And they ate and were satisfied; and they picked up seven large baskets full of what was left over […]

When God Doesn’t Deliver

He was simply doing what God called him to do, but it seemed so far nothing was going the way he expected. By the time we read about Moses’ return to Egypt to free the Israelites from Pharaoh in Exodus 5, he has caused them to endure harsher labor. “Then Moses returned to the LORD […]

Deaf to God’s Word

They were so discouraged, so beaten down that they could not comprehend that freedom from their trials was at hand. They held a deaf ear to God’s word and the hope it contained. They were so used to living without hope, that it was hard to receive encouragement. Can you relate to that or do […]

Unplanned, Planned Events

The blessing of living more than sixty years is that I’ve had the opportunity to witness God act in some very unexpected ways. So many times I have been astounded by how certain events unfolded. There were times I questioned God, but his wisdom proved right in the long run. When I read Esther 6, […]

The Thief of Wholeness

It isn’t hard to see that we live in a broken world. The longing for healing is evident. Jesus still offers hope in our brokenness.

Heartbreak Etched in Sand

I was walking the beach last week and I came across a message etched in the sand that I’m still thinking about. It was one of those messages where at first you smile and say, “That’s nice.” A moment later your heart sinks as you feel the weight of the last half of the note. […]

Waiting on God

When I see something happening to loved ones, or see them making poor choices, I want immediate change. I pray fervently to God to change the situation. At times I don’t understand why God does not act immediately to change things for the better. Then, as I read His Word, I am reminded to wait […]

Patient Compassion

Over and over in the Old Testament, King after King did evil in the sight of the Lord. Even though God sent prophets to call them to account and return to worshipping only Him, they still rebelled. Yet God was patient with them. 2 Chronicles 35:15 is an example: “The LORD, the God of their […]

How Fertile is the Soil of Your Relationships?

How we relate to one another may determine how fertile the soil is for the seeds of the gospel. Shallow relationships may not allow for the roots of the message of Jesus to run deep. As Jesus explained it in Matthew 13:5-6, because there was no “depth of soil,” there was “no root” and the […]