Thirties Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. … My sacrifice, O God, is a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart you, God, will not despise. ––Psalm 51:10,17 I once had a pastor who believed that everyone is 33 years old in heaven, complete with their new imperishable […]
Burn the Boats And if it seems evil to you to serve the Lord, choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord. ––Joshua […]
Jesus and the Three Trees To the one who is victorious, I will give the right to eat from the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God. Revelation 2:7 “Sometimes it’s hard to see the forest for the trees.” Remember the Seinfeld episode where the rabbi says that to Elaine and she says, “Yeah, […]
The Small Things … Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. ––Philippians 4:8 This quest may be attempted by the weak with as much hope as the strong. Yet such is oft the course […]
Truth Like a Lion For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of God’s glory displayed in the face of Christ. But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and […]
Resolutions Ponder the path of your feet, and let all your ways be established. Do not turn to the right or the left; remove your foot from evil. ––Proverbs 4:26-27, NKJV How did January go for you? Did you know that only 25% of New Year’s resolutions are kept after 30 days? I don’t really make resolutions […]
Beyond Your Grasp What no eye has seen, what no ear has heard, and what no human mind has conceived—the things God has prepared for those who love him—these are the things God has revealed to us by his Spirit. ––1 Corinthains 2:9-10 I don’t recall the first time I heard the expression, “A man’s […]
Strongholds and Strangleholds “No weapon formed against you shall prosper, And every tongue which rises against you in judgment You shall condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, And their righteousness is from Me,” Says the Lord. ––Isaiah 54:17 NKJV The strongholds in our heads are strangleholds that choke out the love of God in our hearts. The fullness of […]
Eight Good Kings But when this priest had offered for all time one sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God, and since that time he waits for his enemies to be made his footstool. For by one sacrifice he has made perfect forever those who are being made holy. ––Hebrews 10:12-14 Batting .400 in […]
Take Off Your Sandals There the angel of the Lord appeared to him in flames of fire from within a bush. Moses saw that though the bush was on fire it did not burn up. So Moses thought, “I will go over and see this strange sight—why the bush does not burn up.” When the Lord saw that he had gone over […]
