ROMANS 7:14–25 The great artist Michelangelo left unfinished sculptures, including the Bearded Slave, Atlas Slave, Awakening Slave, and Young Slave, after his death. These sculptures, though seemingly unfinished, depict the feeling of eternal enslavement, as intended by the artist. Michelangelo created figures stuck in marble, allowing their bodies to emerge but not completely, with muscles flexing … [Read more…]
JOHN 13:33–35; PROVERBS 20:6 My friend struggles to trust people due to hurt and rumours spread about him in the past. His stand strikes a sad chord in me because it brings up memories of unanticipated betrayals in my own life. Scripture really gives a very honest account of our nature. The author of Proverbs 20:6 expresses … [Read more…]
JAMES 2:14–26 A friend noticed a woman walking on the side of the road and offered her a ride. She was saddened to learn that the woman didn’t have money for a bus and had to walk home in hot and humid weather. She had also walked several hours that morning to go to work. My … [Read more…]
LUKE 13:1–9 Last year, John almost removed the rose bush in his backyard due to its insufficient flower production and creeping branches. Life got busy, and his gardening plan was delayed. However, a few months later, the rose bush burst into bloom, bursting with fragrant flowers that filled his yard and adorned the ground. The revival of … [Read more…]
GENESIS 14:17–24 Samuel Foss’s quote, “Let me live by the side of the road and be a friend to man,” encourages us to be friends with people. We should stand by the way, waiting for weary travellers and those who have been wronged. We should nourish and refresh them with encouraging words, leaving them with … [Read more…]
MATTHEW 13:1–9, 23 A woman sent an email expressing her fondness for her teacher, my mom, who taught her class the 23rd Psalm in 1958. This was the only contact she had with the Bible until 1997, when she became a Christian. Jesus shared a parable about a farmer who sowed seeds on different types of ground, … [Read more…]
DANIEL 6:19–28 At a museum, I viewed a large mural-type image of a winged lion symbolising Ishtar, the Babylonian goddess of love and war, one of 120 similar lions that lined a Babylonian pathway between 604 and 562 BC. According to historians, the Hebrew prisoners in Nebuchadnezzar’s empire would have encountered these lions following the Babylonians’ conquest … [Read more…]
MATTHEW 6:10 Someone once said, “The rogation days encourage the Anglican priest to dirty his vestments.” Rogation Days, a lost tradition for some, are four days—the sixth Sunday of Easter and three days thereafter. Rogation is derived from the Latin verb ‘rogare’ which means ‘to ask.’ Rogation Days invite Christians to ask God to bless the earth, asking … [Read more…]
PSALM 78:1–8 The phrase “Prepare the child for the road, not the road for the child” is frequently used on parenting websites, suggesting that instead of removing obstacles, we should equip children to handle the challenges they may face. The psalmist talked of teaching the next generation about the praiseworthy deeds of the Lord, His power, … [Read more…]
PHILIPPIANS 1:21–26 Monica, an elderly woman in a hospital, smiled as teenagers visited her. Despite the hot, sticky air, she sang a song: “I am running the race to meet my redeemer!” Those surrounding her started crying as she swung her arms back and forth like she was running. Monica’s singing demonstrated her devotion to … [Read more…]
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