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Similarities between Elisha’s and Jesus’s miracles
It was a time of famine in Israel, and Elisha the prophet fed a large crowd with only twenty loaves of bread. And there was a bunch left over. Does this event in “The Miraculous Life of Elisha” sound familiar? Today on “Discover the Word,” we will tie Elisha’s miracle to when Jesus fed a crowd of thousands with five loaves and two fish. You’ll find fascinating similarities between the two today at on “Discover the Word”!
Faith, disappointment and doubt
Have you ever been the victim of a cruel joke? Well, today’s study of “The Miraculous Life of Elisha” on “Discover the Word” takes us to a woman who may have felt like the victim of a cosmically cruel joke after her young son suddenly died. Join us as we discuss how repeated disappointments in our lives can cause us to doubt, even in the midst of our faith. A revealing conversation today on “Discover the Word”!
Storms on the Horizon
Our son, Josh, is a commercial salmon fisherman in Kodiak, Alaska. Some time ago he sent me a photograph he took of a tiny vessel a few hundred yards ahead of his boat moving through a narrow pass. Ominous storm clouds loom on the horizon. But a rainbow, the sign of God’s providence and loving care, stretches from one side of the pass to the other, encircling the little boat.
The photograph reflects our earthly voyage: We sail into an uncertain future, but we are surrounded by the faithfulness of God!
Jesus’ disciples were surrounded by a storm, and He used the…
Cultural expectations of a man
We all have a script we’d like to see work out for our lives. And Joseph of Nazareth likely had one too. But you can be sure his script didn’t include having his teenage fiancée come to him claiming she was pregnant–by God! Today on “Discover the Word,” the group and author Carolyn Custis James continue their study called “Malestrom” by exploring how Joseph battled the Malestrom and his culture’s expectations of what he should do as a man. Join us today on “Discover the Word”!
Unconventional Tactics
In 1980, a woman hopped on a subway during the Boston Marathon. No big deal, except for one small detail. She was supposed to be running the marathon! Later, witnesses saw her jump into the race less than a mile from the finish line. She finished well ahead of all the other female runners, and oddly, she wasn’t winded or even sweating much. For a brief time she looked like the winner.
In a conflict long ago, a people who were losing a battle found a more honorable way to win. When messengers told King Jehoshaphat, “A vast army is coming…
How I Got Rid of Self-Pity
I have many reasons to feel sorry for myself. The biggest one is my physical disability: I was born deaf. I could not speak until I was seven years old, when my parents sent me to a special elementary school for handicapped people.
Take Heart!
I like to watch birds at play, so years ago I built a small sanctuary in our backyard to attract them. For several months I enjoyed the sight of my feathered friends feeding and flitting about—until a Cooper’s Hawk made my bird refuge his private hunting reserve.
Such is life: Just about the time we settle down to take our ease, something or someone comes along to unsettle our nests. Why, we ask, must so much of life be a vale of tears?
I’ve heard many answers to that old question, but lately I’m satisfied with just one: “All the discipline of…
His Plans or Ours?
When my husband was 18 years old, he started a car-cleaning business. He rented a garage, hired helpers, and created advertising brochures. The business prospered. His intention was to sell it and use the proceeds to pay for college, so he was thrilled when a buyer expressed interest. After some negotiations, it seemed that the transaction would happen. But at the last minute, the deal collapsed. It wouldn’t be until several months later that his plan to sell the business would succeed.
It’s normal to be disappointed when God’s timing and design for our lives do not match our expectations. When…
3 Life Hacks from Moses’ Life
Have you ever been asked to do something you didn’t want to do? Was it because you were afraid and felt it was beyond your capabilities, or because there were too many restrictions?
When Did You Last Try to “Fix” Yourself?
It’s a bad day at work. One of the kids is acting up again. This time, he’s putting his legs up onto his chair. Regardless of how many times I tell him to put them down, he refuses. Each time I repeat myself, it sounds like I’m nagging.
Too Close
I grew up in Oklahoma where severe weather is common from early spring through the end of summer. I recall one evening when the sky boiled with dark clouds, the TV weather forecaster warned of an approaching tornado, and the electricity went out. Very quickly, my parents, my sister, and I climbed down the wooden ladder into the storm cellar behind our house where we stayed until the storm passed by.
Today “storm chasing” has become a hobby for many people and a profitable business for others. The goal is to get as close as possible to a tornado without being…
What’s in the Dark?
Ghosts, bogeymen, monsters, and other scary creatures were all part of my childhood (and perhaps yours too!). Somehow, it was embedded in my mind that in the dark, something scary would be lurking around the corner.
The Darkest Day of My Life
Darkness. We encounter it every day—when we sleep, when night falls, or when we simply close our eyes. Yet, there’s something about darkness that we dread. It speaks of the unknown, it engulfs us, and it grips us with fear.
2 Ways to Build Trust in God
“Trust in the Lord.” You’ve probably heard this phrase countless times, especially when you’re going through challenges or uncertainties, or facing momentous situations or decisions in life.
Strangers and Foreigners
I parked my bicycle, fingering my map of Cambridge for reassurance. Directions not being my strength, I knew I could easily get lost in this maze of roads bursting with historic buildings.
Life should have felt idyllic, for I had just married my Englishman and moved to the UK. But I felt adrift. When I kept my mouth closed I blended in, but when I spoke I immediately felt branded as an American tourist. I didn’t yet know what my role was, and I quickly realized that blending two stubborn people into one shared life was harder than I had anticipated.
I…
