Consider the Clouds
One day many years ago my boys and I were lying on our backs in the yard watching the clouds drift by. “Dad,” one asked, “why do clouds float?” “Well, son,” I began, intending to give him the benefit of my vast knowledge, but then I lapsed into silence. “I don’t know,” I admitted, “but I’ll find out for you.”
The answer, I discovered, is that condensed moisture, descending by gravity, meets warmer temperatures rising from the land. That moisture then changes into vapor and ascends back into the air. That’s a natural explanation for the phenomenon.
But natural explanations are not…
Experience Us Live!
“Standing at the Crossroads”
We all have to make decisions. But when you find yourself “Standing at the Crossroads” of a decision, how do you determine which way to go? Today on Discover the Word, we kick off a new series about the prophet Jeremiah and explore ancient wisdom that helped him make godly decisions. Listen to Discover the Word, today!
Frapping the Boat
Gerald Cornelius
Hebrews 4: 14-16
I must confess that I am a landlubber. I love the solid ground beneath my feet. Consequently, I know very few nautical terms. Port, starboard, stern, bow and amidships are foreign terms to me. I was intrigued to find several nautical terms used in Scripture. In the original Greek, the word is found in only two places - Acts 27:18-18 and Hebrews 4:16. The Acts passage describes Paul’s shipwreck and the sailors shoring up the boat’s hull. The Hebrews passage uses the word differently. Hebrews 4:16 ASV says, “Let us therefore draw near with boldness unto the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy, and may find grace to help us in time of need.” This same seafaring word is translated “need or aid.” The actual term is “frapping the boat.”
Why use this nautical term? When a boat was in danger of sinking, the crew would strap ropes or chains around the hull to keep it from falling apart. With this added support the boat would have a good chance of surviving the stormy water. They frapped the boat. The writer of Hebrews was expressing an important truth. God can shore up our lives in order to withstand any storm.
In the tempests of life we may feel God has abandoned us to face these terrible trials alone. When we approach our High Priest with our seemingly impossible trials, He fraps the boat, that is, He shores us up like the boat in a storm. He doesn’t remove us from the storms but gives us the grace and mercy to withstand them.
Every test that you have experienced is the kind that normally comes to people. But God keeps his promise, and he will not allow you to be tested beyond your power to remain firm; at the time you are put to the test, he will give you the strength to endure it, and so provide you with a way out. 1Corinthians 10:13 GNB
Father,
When we are buffeted about by various trials and difficulties, help us to rely solely on our High Priest who will wrap us with His powerful ropes of love and protect us from the storms which would harm us. Amen.
My Job Hunt Led Me to Something Else
Nobody ever told me that life after graduation would feel like this. I thought graduation was about getting myself a job. But as my job hunt dragged on longer than I expected, I started to feel increasingly anxious and lost. Not finding a job after graduation felt like a form of failure.
Nothing Is Useless
In my third year battling discouragement and depression caused by limited mobility and chronic pain, I confided to a friend, “My body’s falling apart. I feel like I have nothing of value to offer God or anyone else.”
Her hand rested on mine. “Would you say it doesn’t make a difference when I greet you with a smile or listen to you? Would you tell me it’s worthless when I pray for you or offer a kind word?”
I settled into my recliner. “Of course not.”
She frowned. “Then why are you telling yourself those lies? You do all those things for me…
Postures of the Heart
When my husband plays the harmonica for our church praise team, I have noticed that he sometimes closes his eyes when he plays a song. He says this helps him focus and block out distractions so he can play his best—just his harmonica, the music, and him—all praising God.
Some people wonder if our eyes must be closed when we pray. Since we can pray at any time in any place, however, it might prove difficult to always close our eyes—especially if we are taking a walk, pulling weeds, or driving a vehicle!
There are also no rules on what position our…
Finding Waldo
Waldo is the cartoonish star of “Where’s Waldo,” a now-classic best-selling children’s book series. Waldo hides himself in the crowded painted scenes on each page, inviting children to find where he’s hiding. Parents around the world love the moments of sweet discovery when their children’s faces signal they’ve found Waldo. They also enjoy the occasions when they’re invited to help find Waldo.
Shortly after Stephen, a deacon in the early church, was stoned to death for proclaiming Christ (see Acts 7), a widespread persecution broke out against Christians, causing many to flee Jerusalem. Another deacon, Philip, followed these fleeing Christians into…
I have many reasons to give thanks to God because he has been, the source of my strength. Through the years, I've watched my life blossom in so many times in so many ways. And that is because of God being so good and faithful to me. I can't even believe just how far that my God has literally brought me from being verbally and emotionally abused, nearly raped, nearly shot at and worst of all nearly killed 3 times in my automobile being it my first time ever, owning a car(or at least leasing it at the time) oh yes! You can say that I've been blessed to have survived all of that for some reason. God has something in his mind for me to do in after sparing my life through all of those frightening challenges and I do believe that he's not done with me yet.
My daily regimen of an early long distance running workout was somewhat interrupted by a mother duck and her two little ducklings. It was rather puzzling to me how all three of them were able to cross the busy street without getting hurt or, even, get hit by on-coming cars. Fortunately, Mama-Duck was smart enough to safely guide her ducklings to my side of the street and onto the sidewalk. It was rather unfortunate that she hopped onto the other side of a cement wall, leaving her two ducklings behind quacking for help. With overwhelming compassion, I was able to lure the ducklings to their Mama’s side and were reunited.
Three things came to my mind as I witnessed obedience and dependence, as well as guidance that these ducklings had upon their Mama-Duck. During my temper-tantrum and “youthful-Christian” days of trouble and hardship, I found myself putting up a wall in-between God and me; refusing to obey His instructions, which lead me to claim my independence and sought guidance from other individuals rather than from God. However, as I matured over the years, my dependence upon God has been non-ceasing, His guidance is the only thing that I seek daily and obedience to God is my highest priority.
King David was a man of obedience and his dependence upon God was his greatest strength when he was fighting God’s armies and hiding from King Saul as told in 1 Samuel 24. In Daniel 6, Daniel knew that God was the more powerful over King Darius, and told him that, “O king, live forever! My God sent His angel and shut the lions’ mouths and they have not harmed me, inasmuch as I was found innocent before Him; and also toward you, O king, I have committed no crime.” Daniel 6:21-22 (NASB) These are only two stories out of myriad of stories in the Bible about brave, courageous, and faithful servants of God who were obedient, dependent upon God, and sought God’s guidance at all times.
The Lord God is my strength, And He has made my feet like hinds’ feet, And makes me walk on my high places. Habakkuk 3:19
Job & Jesus and puzzling questions
Today on Discover the Word, the team concludes the series titled, “Job and Jesus”! And as they come to the end of Job’s story, they come across a puzzling question you may not have thought about before. It’s about his children. Join the team today for a thought-provoking discussion about “Job and Jesus,” today on […]
A Reason to Sing
Singing changes the brain! Some studies show that when we sing, our bodies release hormones that relieve anxiety and stress. Other research indicates that when a group of people sings together, their heartbeats actually synchronize with each other.
The apostle Paul’s writing encourages the church to speak to one another with psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs (Eph. 5:19). And the Bible repeats, “Sing praise” more than fifty times.
In 2 Chronicles 20, we read a story of God’s people demonstrating their trust in God by singing as they marched into battle. Enemies were heading toward the people of Judah. Alarmed, King Jehoshaphat…
How can I mature in my love for God?
God has called us to a joyful and victorious life in Him. While there’s no formula that delivers the ultimate faith-filled life, He has given us ways to daily strengthen our faith.
Should we care about Easter?
What would we find if we looked into the life, death and resurrection of Jesus? Are we prepared to think about Jesus seriously? After all, if Jesus' story is completely true, then His resurrection is true. And anyone coming back from the dead has got to be worth finding out about...
God Uses Ordinary People
God Uses Ordinary People: Lessons from the Life of Elisha. Elisha is an ordinary man called to extraordinary events, and there is much we can learn from him. Hear our speaker as he teaches us from this person in the Bible.
