What do you think about when it rains?

What do you think about when it rains? (And we’ve had much opportunity to form an opinion about rain this month.) When I was a child, I thought “It’s raining it’s pouring…rain, rain, go away, come again another day…” When I was in seminary, working as a pool cleaner, I would wake up to the […]

Consider God’s servant Job

For the past couple of weeks, we’ve been making our way through Job in our daily Bible reading. Just reading the first couple of chapters makes one think of people who have suffered or reminds one of his own suffering. I’ve thought of numerous hospital visits and bedside prayers for people dying — children and […]

The Fight

On June 28, Mike Tyson and Evander Holyfield fought a rematch of a previous boxing match. Holyfield had won the first battle, but some questioned whether he could withstand the powerful punches of Tyson again. It wasn’t the punches of Tyson that floored Holyfield, but the biting of Tyson that shocked the world. Tyson bit […]

The grace of giving

This morning as part of our Bible reading, we read 2 Corinthians 8-9 — the account of the sacrificial and gracious giving of the Philippians and the corresponding exhortations by Paul to the Corinthians to cultivate similar habits of grace giving. One writer has counted at least 16 principles of giving in these chapters. Let […]

Too much success

He had all the trappings of 21st century, American success. He was a master builder — massive revitalization projects produced much income and resources for a struggling city. He was a motivating leader — thousands of men served underneath him and gladly followed him. He was a successful soldier — he led his nation out […]

Take heed

The chair was moved away from the table. A mother’s head peeked around the corner and saw that it had been pushed against the counter and used as a stepping stool for a pair of three-year-old legs. The quest was the cookie jar. And at just the most inopportune moment, with his teeth crunching excitedly […]

Building sanctified memories

Memories. The first day of school. The first date with your wife. The night your child was born. The funeral of your best friend. The aching regret of a mistake — a sin — that cannot be undone. Water skiing on the lake with friends. The smell of hot-dogs and popcorn that takes you in […]

Book Review: Biblical Principles of Sex

Title: Biblical Principles of Sex Author: Bob Smith Publisher: Timeless Texts, 2003; 51 pp. $8.00 Recommendation (4-star scale): This week, in our daily Bible reading program, we’ve finished reading the Song of Solomon. Much has been written and preached about this book in recent years — with a new interpretation that is much more literal […]

What grace have you received?

This morning I read a couple Psalms and an extended section in Hosea. Much of what I read carried the theme of “watch out, judgment is coming” for the nation of Israel. Reading of the coming judgment made parts of Psalm 95 stand out like bold-faced type: Come, let us worship and bow down, Let […]

Why genealogies?

We are in the midst of about 10 days of reading through the book of First Chronicles. Reading through endless lists of names that are difficult to pronounce for the English-speaking tongue and without having any references to any story to the majority of those names makes one wonder: just why does God list these […]

This is not an idle word

What is the last thing you might tell your teenager as he is about to leave for his first semester of college? What is the last thing you might tell your employees before you leave for a new opportunity? What is the last thing you tell long-time neighbors before you leave the neighborhood? What is […]

Count your many blessings

Today’s reading in the Psalms is a precursor to the hymn, “Count Your Many Blessings.” Many, O LORD my God, are the wonders which You have done, And Your thoughts toward us; There is none to compare with You. If I would declare and speak of them, They would be too numerous to count. Take […]

Are you satisfied with your inheritance?

With all the talk about the economy in recent days, many people’s minds are firmly on what they may or may not have in the future. Dwindling retirement accounts and diminishing potential inheritance bequests have stimulated no small amount of angst among many in our culture. Which makes you wonder what the Levites thought when […]

Self-examination and boasting

Self-examination will lead to boasting. At least that’s what Paul says. And he says such self-examination and boasting is good and beneficial: But each one must examine his own work, and then he will have reason for boasting in regard to himself alone, and not in regard to another. Two truths dominate this verse: the […]

Questions for Bible reflection

Thursday through Saturday serve as “days of reflection” on our church Bible reading plan. These may be days to catch up on missed readings; or, they may be an opportunity to think more deeply and broadly about some of the Scripture you have read in the past month. To help stimulate you in the process […]