A friend in recovery recently told me, “I thought I hit rock bottom, but it was the Rock of Ages.” For many of us, it was when we hit bottom that we found God. James said it like this: “Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you” (James 4:10). No matter how deep…
Two politicians had locked themselves out of their car, with important papers inside. They needed those papers for a meeting, which was to start in a few minutes. One said, “Let’s open the door lock with a coat hanger.” The other replied, “We can’t do that; it will look like we are breaking into someone’s…
One of my favorite singing groups was The Carpenters, whose easy listening style filled the air waves at a time when heavy rock ‘n roll was taking over the world of music. Their signature song sat atop the charts for seven straight weeks in 1970. Karen and Richard Carpenter are still singing it in my…
Charles Fuller was born to a furniture merchant in 1888. Until the age of 35, he was a fruit packer. That all changed in 1917, when he stepped into the Church of the Open Door in Los Angeles to hear the preaching of Paul Rader. That night, Fuller committed his life to Christ. He and…
For those living in America, today is Independence Day, which marks the birth of the nation. When I celebrate today, two thoughts come to mind. “Our citizenship is in heaven” (Philippians 3:20). “What the people want is very simple – they want an America as good as its promise” (Barbara Jordan). We have daily readers…
A man loved to play golf. But one Saturday, he returned home from a game with a friend much earlier than expected. His wife asked him why his game ended so soon. The man answered, “Would you want to play with someone who whines about every shot, complains constantly about the course, and makes obnoxious…
“Be instant in season and out of season” (2 Timothy 4:2). Those were Paul’s words to his closest disciple, in the final chapter of his final letter. He was telling young Timothy to do the right thing, whether he felt like it or not. Oswald Chambers wrote, “If we do only what we feel inclined…
Are you living in God’s sweet spot? Are you walking in the will of God? The answer may not be as clear as you think. Francis Chan said, “It is true that God may have called you to be exactly where you are. But, it is absolutely vital to grasp that he didn’t call you…
“Joab defected to Adonijah, though he had not defected to Absalom” (I Kings 2:28). Joab had withstood his greatest test, remaining faithful to King David by not following after the fascinating leadership of upstart Absalom. Yet, toward the end of his life, Joab turned away to follow the less attractive leader, Adonijah. He overcame to…
A pastor, a doctor, and an engineer went out for a round of golf. It wasn’t long before they caught up to a group playing ahead of them, that was very slow. When they asked the groundskeeper why the other group was so slow, they were told that all three golfers were blind. The pastor,…