“Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased.” (Luke 2:14, esv). I think we could all point to a lot of places today where we’re not exactly experiencing peace on earth, on our planet. But that’s not the kind of peace the angels were talking about […]
“For the Father himself loves you, because you have loved me and have believed that I came from God” (John 16:27, esv). God knows how to give good gifts to His children. Compared to our gift-giving (which isn’t too shabby, right?), God’s is infinitely better. “If you then, who are evil, know how to give […]
He asked for a writing tablet and wrote, “His name is John.” And they all wondered. And immediately his mouth was opened and his tongue loosed, and he spoke, blessing God (Luke 1:63–64, esv). Maybe nine months without being able to talk would be just the cure we need for whatever keeps us from praising […]
“Give us this day our daily bread” (Matthew 6:11, esv). A new blue bike, a skateboard, a light-up football, a U.S. soccer jersey, Xbox games, a fast sled, a trampoline, an iPad, a trip to Disneyland . . . Ever seen a child’s Christmas wish list that looked like that? Boundless consumerism in a little […]
“Truly, truly, I say to you, you will weep and lament, but the world will rejoice. You will be sorrowful, but your sorrow will turn into joy” (John 16:20, esv). What are the top five songs of Christmas? Take a wild guess. (Warning: you may start humming to yourself.) Check out this popular ranking: “Chestnuts […]
Trust in the Lord, and do good; dwell in the land and befriend faithfulness. Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him; fret not yourself over the one who prospers in his way, over the man who carries out evil devices (Psalm 37:3, 7, esv)! Rest is such an elusive thing. Our bodies […]
And Jacob was left alone (Genesis 32:23, esv). Time alone is key in the life of a believer. Time alone allows for God to confront you. Let me illustrate. Say you have a friend who’s watching what he eats. Your friend asks you to hold him accountable for any food that goes into his mouth, […]
Jesus immediately reached out his hand and took hold of him, saying to him, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?” (Matthew 14:31, esv). It was a dark and stormy night—like the cliché opening of a novel. In this case, it fits. Between three and four o’clock in the morning, the disciples got […]
“When you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you” (Matthew 6:6, esv). The secret to prayer is prayer in secret. Jewish tradition in Jesus’ day had reduced prayer down to a shadow of its […]
We give thanks to God always for all of you, constantly mentioning you in our prayers (1 Thessalonians 1:2, esv). Name one thing you “always” find yourself doing, something that’s “constantly” part of your day. How often would giving thanks be an honest answer to that? Perhaps you’d say you’re constantly talking on the telephone. […]