The Waiting Place
“Waiting for the fish to bite or waiting for wind to fly a kite. Or waiting around for Friday night . . . . Everyone is just waiting”—or so Dr. Seuss, author of many children’s books, says.
So much of life is about waiting, but God is never in a hurry—or so it seems. “God has His hour and delay,” suggests an old, reliable saying. Thus we wait.
Waiting is hard. We twiddle our thumbs, shuffle our feet, stifle our yawns, heave long sighs, and fret inwardly in frustration. Why must I live with this awkward person, this tedious job, this embarrassing…
“. . . And In All Things Charity”
Augustine said, “In essentials unity, in non-essentials liberty, and in all things charity (or love).” That’s a good rule to live by. And today, the Discover the Word team turns to the book of Romans to see how we can learn to accept one another in our differences. Begin week two of their series “Why […]
Do You Worship The Work?
We are God’s fellow workers… —1 Corinthians 3:9
Beware of any work for God that causes or allows you to avoid concentrating on Him. A great number of Christian workers worship their work. The only concern of Christian workers should be their concentration on God. This will mean that all the other boundaries of life, whether they are…
The Secret of Peace
Grace is a very special lady. One word comes to mind when I think of her: peace. The quiet and restful expression on her face has seldom changed in the six months I have known her, even though her husband was diagnosed with a rare disease and then hospitalized.
When I asked Grace the secret of her peace, she said, “It’s not a secret, it’s a person. It’s Jesus in me. There is no other way I can explain the quietness I feel in the midst of this storm.”
The secret of peace is our relationship to Jesus Christ. He is our…
Do Worship Styles Matter?
I was raised in a small, old-fashioned Pentecostal church in New York, USA. Singing simple hymns every Sunday grew my appreciation for those century-old classics used to praise God. I enjoyed the straightforward and doctrinally sound lyrics, as well as the simplicity and clarity of the music. I began to think that traditional hymns were […]
The Light That Never Fails
We all, with unveiled face, beholding…the glory of the Lord… —2 Corinthians 3:18
A servant of God must stand so very much alone that he never realizes he is alone. In the early stages of the Christian life, disappointments will come— people who used to be lights will flicker out, and those who used to stand with us will turn away. We have…
God in the Details
When my “chocolate” Labrador retriever puppy was three months old, I took him to the veterinarian’s office for his shots and checkup. As our vet carefully looked him over, she noticed a small white marking in his fur on his left hind paw. She smiled and said to him, “That’s where God held you when He dipped you in chocolate.”
I couldn’t help but laugh. But she had unintentionally made a meaningful point about the deep and personal interest God takes in His creation.
Jesus tells us in Matthew 10:30 that “even the very hairs of your head are all numbered.” God…
Don’t Hurt the Lord
Have I been with you so long, and yet you have not known Me, Philip? —John 14:9
Our Lord must be repeatedly astounded at us— astounded at how “un-simple” we are. It is our own opinions that make us dense and slow to understand, but when we are simple we are never dense; we have discernment all the time. Philip expected the future revelation of a tremendous…
Introverts Can Evangelize Too
For a long time, I could not imagine myself sharing the gospel. When I was a new Christian, I did not like telling people that I was a Christian because I was afraid that they would ask me about my faith.
Anywhere
As I flipped through a box of my old wedding photographs, my fingers stopped at a picture of my husband and me, newly christened “Mr. and Mrs.” My dedication to him was obvious in my expression. I would go anywhere with him.
Nearly four decades later, our marriage is tightly threaded with love and a commitment that has carried us through both hard and good times. Year after year, I’ve recommitted my dedication to go anywhere with him.
In Jeremiah 2:2, God yearns for His beloved but wayward Israel, “I remember the devotion of your youth, how as a bride you loved me and followed…
Can a Saint Falsely Accuse God?
All the promises of God in Him are Yes, and in Him Amen… —2 Corinthians 1:20
Jesus’ parable of the talents recorded in Matthew 25:14-30 was a warning that it is possible for us to misjudge our capacities. This parable has nothing to do with natural gifts and abilities, but relates to the gift of the Holy Spirit as He was first given at Pentecost. We must never…
Gaining God’s Heart While Following His Law
When a student decides to become a lawyer, they hit the books! A lot of books. But today, the Discover the Word team sums up God’s law in one sentence. And while it’s easy to state, living it out sure isn’t. So how do we gain God’s heart and follow His laws? It’s another way […]
The Art of Forgiveness
One afternoon I spent two hours at an art exhibit—The Father & His Two Sons: The Art of Forgiveness—in which all of the pieces were focused on Jesus’s parable of the prodigal son (see Luke 15:10–31). I found Edward Rojas’s painting The Prodigal Son especially powerful. The painting portrays the once wayward son returning home, wearing rags and walking with his head down. With a land of death behind him, he steps onto a pathway where his father is already running toward him. At the bottom of the painting are Jesus’s words, “But when he was yet a great way off,…
What is the danger of comparing?
Many of us can’t help but compare ourselves with the people we know. We look around us and see lifestyles, looks, abilities, family and achievements that we long for. When we compare ourselves to others, don’t we sometimes feel like we’ve been short-changed by God?
This is what Asaph was wrestling with when he wrote Psalm 73. He saw people…
What is the danger of comparing?
Many of us can’t help but compare ourselves with the people we know. We look around us and see lifestyles, looks, abilities, family and achievements that we long for. When we compare ourselves to others, don’t we sometimes feel like we’ve been short-changed by God?
This is what Asaph was wrestling with when he wrote Psalm 73. He saw people…
