GENESIS 3:5-13,22-24 At the Phipps Conservatory in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, huge crowds came in August 2013 to see the tropical plant known as the corpse flower bloom. Its flowering is a spectacle because the flower is indigenous to Indonesia and only blooms sometimes over a number of years. The enormous, spiky, gorgeous crimson bloom stinks like … [Read more…]
DANIEL 6:10-23 Despite being extremely busy, a friend found time to stop by my family for a quick meal for a half-hour. We appreciated having him visit, but as I was eating, I reflected, “We only got the crumbs of his time.” Then I realised how frequently God only receives the crumbs of our time. Daniel had a … [Read more…]
PHILIPPIANS 3:7-14 One prize is regarded as the pinnacle of achievement in every field of endeavour. Among “the big prizes” are an Olympic gold medal, a Grammy, an Oscar, or a Nobel Prize. However, there is a greater prize available to everyone. The first-century athletic competitions in which participants gave their all to earn the prize … [Read more…]
PSALM 107:23–32; NAHUM 1:7 The largest island in Saginaw Bay, in the Lake Huron waters of Michigan, is Charity Island. The island has long offered seafarers a safe harbour and a lighthouse for navigation. The island was given its name because sailors thought it was there “through the charity of God.” We occasionally have to make our … [Read more…]
PROVERBS 1 10:19–21 Someone made the lovely observation that “shallow streams make the most noise,” a delightful twist on the adage “Still waters run deep.” In fact, he meant that loudmouths typically lack much to say. The book of Proverbs makes the speech its centerpiece (Proverbs 10:19–21; 15:1-4,23,28; 16:24, 27–28; 18:7-8; 21:23). According to Ecclesiastes 3:7, “a time … [Read more…]
ACTS 4:5-20 A church organisation asked a speaker to address their gathering. “Talk about God,” the coordinator told him, “but leave out Jesus.” “Why?” the man questioned, startled. “Well,” the coordinator added, “some of our prominent members feel uncomfortable with Jesus. Just use God, and we shall be fine.” Accepting such directions, however, was a difficulty for the … [Read more…]
GENESIS 29:14-30; PSALM 37:34 Perhaps you have seen the video of the young child finding out he has a new sister. He laments, “It is always girls, girls, girls, girls!” in the midst of his meltdown. Although the story provides a humorous peek into human expectations, disappointment is not amusing. It is all around us. One particular … [Read more…]
JOHN 14:15-21; ACTS 1:1-12 Most young children weep on their first day of nursery school because they feel abandoned and helpless. There are adults who have separation anxiety too. We experience times of separation from the people we love at every stage of life, sometimes due to distance or even death. Even though we may feel abandoned … [Read more…]
EXODUS 4:10-17; PSALM 144:1 Before a game, it was reported that former NBA player David Wood read Psalm 144:1 and exclaimed, “You see? It is as if God has written this verse just for me! He trains my hands to catch rebounds and my fingers to shoot!” David had discovered that God accepts us as we … [Read more…]
1 CORINTHIANS 11:23-34 People seldom ever saw themselves in the past, before the creation of mirrors or shiny surfaces. One of the few places they could see their reflections was in puddles of water, streams, and rivers. Mirrors, however, altered that. And the development of cameras heightened people’s interest in our appearance. We now have enduring … [Read more…]
RECENT COMMENTS: