WHAT WE CAN DO

PSALM 112; PROVERBS 14:26 A man described how his father, a second lieutenant in World War Two, was shot in the leg and suffered a serious injury. His dad never complained about it, and he never used it as a justification for not nurturing his family, despite the fact that he was never physically 100% again … [Read more…]

DEBITS AND CREDITS

JOHN 16:1-11; 16:33 A woman tested herself in accounting for fun to see how she would do. The outcomes were just not good. She was incorrect in all of her responses. She failed because she had a flawed understanding of a basic banking concept at the onset. Her debits and credits were reversed. We occasionally mix up … [Read more…]

TURN IT OFF

MARK 6:30-32,45-47 As we had settled into our hotel room, my friend began fiddling with the TV. “What do you do if you can only receive one channel and you do not like what is on that one?” he questioned angrily. I suggested, “You try turning it off.” That was not exactly the advice he had hoped for. … [Read more…]

WHEN IT DOES NOT GO WELL

ROMANS 8:28-30 When bad things happen, many people prefer to quote Romans 8:28. But in tough circumstances, it is indeed usually difficult to believe that. A man who had just lost his third son in a row asked, “How can this tragedy work for my good?” as we sat together. I was at a loss for … [Read more…]

FAULTFINDERS

PHILIPPIANS 1:1-11 I pay attention to grammar and spelling errors when I read a newspaper or magazine. I do not really look for mistakes; they just jump out at me! My typical response is to be critical of the publication and those who put it together. Why do they not employ a proofreader or use grammar checking? … [Read more…]

THE POWER OF WORDS

PROVERBS 18:1-8, 20-21 Nelson Mandela, who battled the South African apartheid regime and was imprisoned for almost three decades, understood the strength of words. He is often quoted today, yet while he was in prison, his words could not be quoted by the people for fear of being punished. Ten years after being freed, he declared: … [Read more…]

ROUTINE WITH A PURPOSE

1 CORINTHIANS 9:19-27 Someone once said a rolling-ball clock in the British Museum provided a striking example of how routine can weary a man’s mind. The steel ball made about 2,500 miles of back-and-forth travel each year, but it never truly went anywhere. When we are unable to discern a greater goal, it is simple for us … [Read more…]

INTERNET WISDOM

PROVERBS 26:1-12 Several online news websites have a “Comments” area at the bottom where readers can share their thoughts. There is no shortage of harsh rants, ignorant comments, and name-calling on even the most renowned websites. Despite being written over 3,000 years ago, the wisdom contained in the book of Proverbs is as current as today’s … [Read more…]

GOODNESS OF GOD

ROMANS 5:1-11; JAMES 1:2 Thomas has experienced a lot. He underwent open heart surgery. The doctors then had to do the surgery again a short while later because of complications. He had just started to recover with physical therapy when he had a bicycle accident and broke his collarbone. Furthermore, Thomas lost his mother at this … [Read more…]

CONFIRM THE TRUTH

ACTS 17:10-13 “People are dying in the US because of a dangerous jungle spider.” This rumor was going around. Plenty of technical terms and actual circumstances made the story seem plausible. But Jeff knew it was a web scam when he checked it out from reliable sources and discovered it was false. Only by consulting … [Read more…]