JOY

PSALM 92 The Lord gives us a new day every single day. We can declare with the psalmist that it is good to praise the Lord, proclaiming His faithfulness at night and His love in the morning (Psalm 92:1-2). Despite life’s challenges, God allows us to sing for joy. Joy comes from God’s creation, His Word, … [Read more…]

THE OPINIONS OF EXPERTS?

JOHN 5:31–40 There is an “uncanny ability of experts to get things hopelessly, cataclysmically wrong,” according to Boston Globe columnist Jeff Jacoby. A review of some events may give us a picture of why he holds to that opinion. For example, the renowned inventor Thomas Edison once predicted that talking pictures would never take the place … [Read more…]

LIKE A YOUNG CHILD

MATTHEW 18:1-5; 19:13-14 A mother was taken aback by a question one evening many years ago after she had prayed a good night prayer with her daughter, then two years old. Her daughter asked, “Mom, where is Jesus?” The woman said, “Jesus is in heaven, and He is everywhere, right here with us.” “And if you invite … [Read more…]

PUSHING FORWARD

PHILIPPIANS 3:7–14 I was astounded to discover a beautiful flower sprouting up through a crack between the concrete slabs covering the ground as I walked past one of the office building’s outer walls. In spite of its poor conditions, the plant managed to take root in the harsh crack and was now thriving. Later, I … [Read more…]

BIG WORLD, BIGGER GOD

COLOSSIANS 1:12–17 As we passed the mountain, the woman said, “It is unbelievable how big the world is!” We discussed how small we are and how big the world is. Still, our little planet is but a mote of dust amid the vastness of the universe.  If our world is so big and the universe is bigger, how … [Read more…]

GENTLENESS

EPHESIANS 4:1–6 Although life’s difficulties sometimes cause us to become irritable and out of balance, we should never put up with these episodes of poor behaviour since they can break the hearts of the people we care about and bring pain to everyone in their path. Until we have mastered the art of being amiable, … [Read more…]

GREATER THAN A HERO

JOHN 1:1–5, 9–14 Amidst the excitement that surrounded the global release of Episode 8, “The Last Jedi,” by fans of Star Wars, CNNMoney media reporter Frank Pallotta said many people who yearn for “a new hope and a force of good at a time when the world needs heroes” found a connection with Star Wars. Israel’s people … [Read more…]

WITH GOD’S ASSISTANCE

JOSHUA 14:7–15; PHILIPPIANS 4:13 As we become older, we could feel overwhelmed by the challenges of being senior citizens at times, and we might endure more joint pain, especially in the colder months.  The protagonist of the story is Caleb, a spy sent by Moses to seek out Canaan. Only Caleb and Joshua provided positive testimony after … [Read more…]

IT IS NOT ME

1 CORINTHIANS 15:1–11; GALATIANS 2:20 One of the twentieth century’s most renowned orchestral directors, Arturo Toscanini, is renowned for his commitment to giving credit where credit is due. At the conclusion of a rehearsal of Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony, David Ewen in Dictators of the Baton recounts how the players of the New York Philharmonic Orchestra stood … [Read more…]

EXTRA STEPS

LUKE 19:1–10 A woman was walking through a crowd of people when she lost sight of her small boy. It goes beyond saying that the event was horrifying. She frantically called out his name, trying to find her little child by following her own path. Her son, happily, broke free from the crush and ran … [Read more…]