God does some of his best work from a distance. Hebrews teaches us that God’s people received God’s promise “from a distance” (Hebrews 11:13) God promised a son to Abraham in the distance. God promised rain to Elijah in the distance. Abraham kept doing the right thing, and eventually, his son was born. Elijah told…
You’ve probably been to a restaurant where – after a wonderful meal – the waiter brought out a lavish dessert tray. No matter how full you were or how disciplined you meant to be, when that tray appeared, it was hard to resist. What does that irresistible tray look like for you? Chocolate cake? Cheesecake?…
“Although they knew God, they did not glorify him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened” (Romans 1:21). The darkest heart is like a spooky basement at the bottom of stairs that get darker with each step downward. The first step is ingratitude, where we…
In the picturesque enclave of Lake Arrowhead, California, three men attempted the crime of the century. They dressed up in bear suits and ravaged their own expensive cars in full view of security video. Then they filed claims totaling $140,000 for the damages. But the California Department of Insurance wasn’t convinced of the veracity of…
There were two prophets to Nineveh – Jonah and Nahum. We all know about Jonah, but no one remembers Nahum. Let me help you. His message was succinct. Six words. Nahum 1:15 “The wicked will be completely destroyed.” Not partially destroyed. Completely destroyed. In warfare, nations employ any of 55 offensive strategies in an effort…
“They will come and shout for joy on the heights of Zion; they will rejoice in the bounty of the Lord – the grain, the new wine and the olive oil, the young of the flocks and herds. They will be like a well-watered garden, and they will sorrow no more” (Jeremiah 31:12). When we…
Restraint. You probably never think of restraint as a part of recovery. But holding back, saying nothing, and remaining calm – are some great signs of maturity. And recovery. Mark Batterson wrote, “Sometimes the greatest miracle is restraint: holding your tongue or resisting temptation or keeping your anger in check. Jesus set the standard before…
Read this verse with fresh eyes. Ask yourself what Jesus did just before he blessed the bread. “Now as they were eating, Jesus, having taken bread and having blessed it, broke it, and having given it to the disciples, he said, ‘Take, eat; this is my body’” (Matthew 26:26). What God blesses, he first breaks.…
It was the first prayer I learned. We prayed it every night before dinner: “God is great, God is good; let us thank him for our food. Amen.” We hear these same three words at church every Sunday, from a multitude of lips “God is good.” When our prayers are answered (our way), God is…
There are a lot of things that were once accepted as truth that turned out to be a lie: Mark Twain said, “A lie can travel halfway around the world before the truth gets its shoes on.” He also said, “When you find yourself on the side of the majority, it is time to pause…