MATTHEW 18:15–20; JAMES 5:20 An older brother in the neighbourhood urged a younger sibling to listen to him. Clearly, the older child was better equipped to make decisions. Many believers have resisted the advice of mature family members, but Jesus’ words in Matthew 18:15-20 provide guidance on how to handle offences within our spiritual family. This family, … [Read more…]
2 CHRONICLES 20:2–3, 14-22 Competitive bodybuilders undergo a rigorous training cycle, initially focusing on size and strength, then losing fat and consuming less water to expose muscle. Despite appearing powerful on the day of competition, the competitors are actually at their weakest due to the decreased consumption of food. In 2 Chronicles 20, King Jehoshaphat … [Read more…]
MARK 14:1–9 Lilias Trotter, a missionary and artist, got a vision of a celestial chariot just before she passed away. “Are you seeing many beautiful things?” a friend questioned, according to her biographer. “Yes, many, many beautiful things,” she replied. Throughout her life, Trotter, a gifted artist, reflected God’s beauty by choosing to serve Jesus as … [Read more…]
JOHN 4:7–14, 39–42 The neighbourhood has high concrete walls with electric barbed wires to ward off robbers. However, frequent power outages render the front gate bells useless, preventing visitors from entering during harsh weather conditions. The fence walls serve a purpose but can also become walls of discrimination, even when the visitors are not intruders. Jesus encountered … [Read more…]
JONAH 3:10–4:4 Migaloo, Australia’s first albino humpback whale, which was first spotted in 1991, is thought to be over forty feet long and so uncommon that Australia has enacted legislation to protect him. The Bible describes a rare “huge fish” that swallowed a runaway prophet, Jonah. God instructed Jonah to take a message of judgement to … [Read more…]
GALATIANS 6:1–10 It might be draining at times to attempt to do the right thing. We can question whether our well-meaning words and deeds actually have any impact. This was the kind of experience I recently had when I sent a well-considered email intended to uplift a friend and received an angry reply. I was … [Read more…]
PSALM 8 The human race has spent a great deal of time and money studying the vastness of the universe, and some people have even given their lives in the process. However, there is far more proof of God’s majesty compared to what our senses can detect. We can comprehend why the psalmist David extols the Creator … [Read more…]
HABAKKUK 3:16–19 Hinds Feet on High Places is a classic allegory of Christian life, based on Habakkuk 3:19. It tells us about Much-Afraid, who is scared and asks the Shepherd to carry her. The Shepherd told her that if he carried her to the High Places himself, she could not develop hinds’ feet. Much-Afraid echoes the … [Read more…]
LUKE 6:37–38 I was in a hurry as I entered the post office but encountered a very long line. I was getting ready to wait for at least thirty minutes when an elderly stranger approached me, complaining about his car. I decided to help, quickly fixed the issue in ten minutes, and returned to the service … [Read more…]
JOSHUA 10:6–15 Because sailors required a way to communicate extreme distress, the Morse code signal, or SOS, meaning save our souls, was developed in 1905. In 1910, the signal became famous after it saved the lives of all forty-six passengers on board the sinking steamer Kentucky. The urgent cry for help is an ancient human need, as … [Read more…]
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