When We Don’t Understand  “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the Lord. Isaiah 55:8 Read Isaiah 55:6-13 Although I depend on technology every day to get my job done, I don’t understand much about how it works. I turn my computer on, bring up a Word document, and get to work on my lesson. Yet my inability to comprehend how microchips, hard drives, Wi-Fi connections, and full-color displays actually function doesn’t get in the way of my benefiting from technology. How does the printer connected wirelessly, grab my word document out of the […]

Five-Finger Prayers Pray for each other James 5:16 Read James 5:13-18 Prayer is a conversation with God, not a formula. Yet sometimes we might need to use a “method” to freshen up our prayer time. We can pray the Psalms or other Scriptures (such as The Lord’s Prayer), or use the ACTS method (Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving, and Supplication). I recently came across this “Five-Finger Prayer” to use as a guide when praying for others: • When you fold your hands, the thumb is nearest you. So begin by praying for those closest to you—your loved ones (Phil. 1:3–5). • The […]

Go Fever Rest in the LORD, and wait patiently for Him; Do not fret because of him who prospers in his way, Because of the man who brings wicked schemes to pass. Psalm 37:7 On January 28, 1986, after five weather-related delays, the space shuttle Challenger lumbered heavenward amid a thunderous overture of noise and flame. A mere 73 seconds later, system failure tore the shuttle apart, and all seven crewmembers perished. The disaster was attributed to an O-ring seal known to have vulnerabilities. Insiders referred to the fatal mistake as “go fever”—the tendency to ignore vital precautions in the rush […]

The Great Healer Read: Genesis 2:7-15  I am the Lord, who heals you. —Exodus 15:26 The doctors I know are smart, hard-working, and compassionate. They have relieved my suffering on many occasions, and I am grateful for their expertise in diagnosing illnesses, prescribing medication, setting broken bones, and stitching up wounds. But this does not mean that I place my faith in physicians rather than in God. For reasons known only to God, He appointed humans to be His partners in the work of caring for creation (Gen. 2:15), and doctors are among them. Doctors study medical science and learn how God […]

When You’re Down Read: Psalm 6  Depart from me, all you workers of iniquity; for the Lord has heard the voice of my weeping. —Psalm 6:8 Sometimes it doesn’t take much to get us down, does it? An unkind remark from a friend, bad news from the auto mechanic, a financial setback, or a misbehaving child can put a cloud of gloom over everything, even on the sunniest day. You know you should be joyful, but everything seems to be against you, making simple tasks a struggle. David must have been feeling that way when he wrote Psalm 6. He felt […]

Read: Psalm 73 I was envious of the boastful, when I saw the prosperity of the wicked. —Psalm 73:3Have you ever felt that life is unfair? For those of us who are committed to following the will and ways of Jesus, it’s easy to get frustrated when people who don’t care about Him seem to do well in life. A businessman cheats yet wins a large contract, and the guy who parties all the time is robust and healthy—while you or your loved ones struggle with finances or medical issues. It makes us feel cheated, like maybe we’ve been good […]

Searching And Finding Read: Jeremiah 29:1-14  Youwill seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart. —Jeremiah 29:13 God will make Himself known to anyone who sincerely desires to know the truth. Do you really want to know God? Search for Him“with all your heart” (Jer. 29:13). Look in His Word and be quick to do what He says. Put your trust in His Son. Then you’ll truly know God. Seek, and you will find. —Matthew 7:7 Man gropes his way through life’s dark maze,To gods unknown he lifts his praise;But when he seeks to know […]

Servant or Master Lu 16:13 “No servant can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.” It is utterly impossible to live for things and for God at the same time. If we are mastered by money, we cannot really be serving the Lord. In order to accumulate wealth, we must devote our finest efforts to the task. In the very act of doing this we rob God of what is rightfully his. It is […]

Proverbs 16:9-A man’s heart deviseth his way: but the LORD directeth his steps. We don’t know what even the next second brings, but God is graciously able to use any situation for good. May God give us grace to walk with Him expectantly into His appointments for us today Our lives are better off in God’s hands than in our own..

Our Changing World Read: Psalm 102:25-27 I am the Lord, I do not change. —Malachi 3:6 My brother in law and I were having lunch today and the subject came up of our changing world. Unfortunately or fortunately depending on how you look at it, Change is one thing we can be sure of in this life. Our relationships change as we move to new places, experience illness, and ultimately face death. Even the cells in our bodies are always in the process of change. When cells wear out, most are replaced by new ones. This is especially noticeable with […]