Topic > Christian Living
A Fragile Gift
When we give a fragile gift, we make sure it is marked on the box that contains it. The word fragile is written with big letters because we don’t want anyone to damage what is inside.
God’s gift to us came in the most fragile package: a baby. Sometimes we imagine Christmas day as a beautiful scene on a postcard, but any mother can tell you it wasn’t so. Mary was tired, probably insecure. It was her first child, and He was born in the most unsanitary conditions. She “wrapped Him in swaddling cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because…
He Knows If You’ve been Knotty or Nice
“It can’t be done,” my friend said matter-of-factly. We were in the process of decorating our very own “Christmas tree”—made up of stacked Starbucks paper cups—and wanted to wrap glittery garlands around it.
The Drummer Boy
“The Little Drummer Boy” is a popular Christmas song written in 1941. It was originally known as “Carol of the Drum” and is based on a traditional Czech carol. Although there isn’t any reference to a drummer boy in the Christmas story in Matthew 1–2 and Luke 2, the point of the carol goes straight to the heart of the meaning of worship. The carol describes how a boy is summoned by the Magi to the scene of Christ’s birth. Unlike the wise men, however, the drummer has no gift—so he gives what he has. He plays his drum, saying,…
Reaching Out in the Darkness
Normally she doesn’t move or make a sound, but lately she’s been pawing us gently in the middle of the night. At first we thought she wanted to go outside, so we tried to accommodate her. But we realized she just wants to know we are there. She’s nearly deaf and partially blind now. She can’t see in the darkness and can’t hear us move or breathe. Naturally, she gets confused and reaches out for reassurance. So I just reach down and pat her on the head to assure her that I’m there. That’s all she wants to know. She…
Where’s the Joy This Christmas?
The weather has turned chilly. The sky is mostly overcast. Raindrops splatter the ground, as though someone forgot to turn off the sprinkler. December feels sorrowful.
Christmas Rest
As a boy I delivered newspapers in order to earn money. Since it was a morning newspaper, I was required to get up at 3:00 every morning, 7 days a week, in order to have all 140 of my papers delivered to their appropriate homes by 6:00 a.m.
But one day each year was different. We would deliver the Christmas morning newspaper on Christmas Eve—meaning that Christmas was the only morning of the year I could sleep in and rest like a normal person.
Over the years, I came to appreciate Christmas for many reasons, but one that was special in those…
What if there was no Christ in Christmas?
There was once a farmer who thought that the idea of God becoming a baby was absurd. His wife, however, was the opposite. She was a Christian and put her faith in the baby who was born that first Christmas.
The Importance of How
While attending Bible college, my friend Charlie and I worked for a furniture store. We often made deliveries accompanied by an interior decorator who talked with the people who had purchased the furniture while we brought it from the truck into the house. Sometimes we had to carry the furniture up several flights of stairs in an apartment building. Charlie and I often wished we had the decorator’s job instead of ours!
During Israel’s 40 years of wandering in the wilderness, three clans from the priestly tribe of Levi—the Kohathites, Gershonites, and Merarites—were assigned the job of transporting the Tent of…
Let’s Celebrate
After Ghana’s Asamoah Gyan scored a goal against Germany in the 2014 World Cup, he and his teammates did a coordinated dance step. When Germany’s Miroslav Klose scored a few minutes later, he did a running front flip. “Soccer celebrations are so appealing because they reveal players’ personalities, values, and passions,” says Clint Mathis, who scored for the US at the 2002 World Cup.
In Psalm 150, the psalmist invites “everything that has breath” to celebrate and praise the Lord in many different ways. He suggests that we use trumpets and harps, stringed instruments and pipes, cymbals and dancing. He encourages…
A miracle that demonstrates God’s provision
Today on “Discover the Word,” we wind up a couple of weeks on “The Miraculous Life of Elisha” talking about a miracle that demonstrates God’s provision in a very personal way. Elisha’s miracles were largely public events. Until a distressed widow boldly asked Elisha to help her and her two sons. As we’ll see, the widow did what she could and through Elisha, God performed a miracle of multiplication. Another chapter in “The Miraculous Life of Elisha,” today on “Discover the Word”!
Paradogs
I am amazed by the story of the World War II paradogs. In preparing for D-Day (June 6, 1944), the Allied troops needed the sharp senses of dogs to sniff their way through minefields and to warn troops of approaching danger. And the only way to get these dogs to troops behind enemy lines was by parachute. But dogs are instinctively afraid of doing this—and let’s be honest, they are not alone. Yet after weeks of training, the dogs learned to trust their masters enough to jump at their command.
I wonder if any of us trust our Master enough to…
Elisha’s miracle of displaying God’s mercy
It’s Christmas—a time when we sing about the three kings who came to worship Jesus. But today on “Discover the Word,” we’re going to discuss three kings of Israel who are not worth singing about—kings who worshiped pagan idols, yet still believed God would give them victory over their enemy, Moab. So why would Elisha perform a miracle displaying God’s mercy to them?
5 things I Want for Christmas
Christmas is a special time of the year for many people. Whenever December comes, I often hear my friends express their desires for this season, such as:
Just the Ticket
When a police officer stopped a woman because her young daughter was riding in a car without the required booster seat, he could have written her a ticket for a traffic violation. Instead, he asked the mother and daughter to meet him at a nearby store where he personally paid for the needed car seat. The mother was going through a difficult time and could not afford to buy a seat.
Although the woman should have received a fine for her misdemeanor, she walked away with a gift instead. Anyone who knows Christ has experienced something similar. All of us deserve…
