I have learned why my soul blesses the Lord.
David understood this too and says…
All in Protection
Fighting Back
What battles have you faced recently? A dispute with a friend or co-worker? A fight with a family member? A health fear?
Hemmed In
Walking the paved dam between two small lakes, I noticed a family of ducks paddling toward shore. Noticeably, the mother duck led the family while the father duck anchored the end of the line. Several ducklings swam effortlessly between the two.
Blink!
“Don’t blink,” cautioned the technician at the ophthalmologist’s office, all the while flashing a light directly in my eyes, making it almost impossible not to blink. I could not stop thinking, “Just how much longer will this misery last?”
God Surrounds You
My ten-year-old loves playing the game Battleship with her dad. They both have quite different approaches to trying and mastering the game.
In But Not Of
I have friends who like to scuba dive. They put on their equipment and plunge into a different world under the sea. The sea isn’t an environment suited to man naturally. However, with the right equipment, it is possible to breathe and explore fascinating things God has created.
Angelic Protection
The thought of God charging angels to “keep watch over you” comforts me, especially since I mostly think of angels watching over children. When my young son fell out of a tree, his sister ran into the kitchen screaming for help. As I headed out the door, he passed me on his way in.
God as my Deliverer
I noticed it in the inner courtyard of a home in North Africa’s Atlas Mountains. Its intricacy reminded me of a Tinker Toy creation. What a surprise to discover it was a handmade stick trap for snaring small birds—a common pastime for local boys while tending their goats.
GUARDED
Do you sometimes feel alone in your Christian faith while the world around you takes great pleasure in criticizing your beliefs? It is challenging to stand firm during these days of turmoil in our world…
Words Both Good and True: Day 2
In Psalm 11:3, David asks, “If the foundations are destroyed, what can the righteous do?” and these days of upheaval and outrageousness in the most foundational of our country’s institutions, a lot of Christians are asking the same question.
Historical scholars would tell you that our present turmoil is nothing exceptional. What is truly unusual is the era of peace and prosperity that most of us have experienced as our norm.
When Less Is More
Too many men: God, what are you thinking? The enemy are 135,000 strong (Judges 8:10) and Israel has a mere 32,000 (7:3). You want all who are afraid to turn back? And guess what—22,000 did just that. Oh Lord!
Write
Do you journal? Write?
I use writing to process my thoughts.
God can use it to show you something that He wants you to see.
God told Jeremiah to write down His message for a purpose… for change…
Safe Under God’s Wings
Driving through Oklahoma, I glimpsed an adult bald eagle perched prominently atop an evergreen tree. The sight flashed by as we sped on, but he was forever etched in my mind. I haven’t seen one in nature, only in captivity. His “bald” head of vibrant white feathers radiated authority and power. Unmoved by his surroundings, weighty in presence, he portrayed unrivaled protection and peace—what my fearful heart most craves. Secured. Defended. Watched over. Sustained. Sheltered.
Gone in a Moment
On December 26, 2015, an EF-4 tornado hit Garland and Rowlett, TX. Several died. Many homes and businesses were destroyed.
I was in Garland almost two months later and drove by an astonishing site I will never forget. It was a massive heap of rubble collected from the path of the tornado. Several other piles just like that one existed. Those piles were composed of what had once been the treasured possessions of many people. Those possessions were snatched away in a moment!
The Lessons of Job: We May Never Know Why
The Lord’s speech out of the whirlwind is over. Only once has He stopped for a breath and Job dared to speak: “I am unworthy—how can I reply to you?” (40:4).
The Lessons of Job: Don’t Be a “Foolish Woman” or a “Miserable Comforter”
Exit stage left Satan, off to do mischief somewhere else.
Job had indeed passed Satan’s tests without sinning (1:22; 2:10), but the suffering he continued to experience was surreal. His children had been crushed in a whirlwind (1:19), his livestock raided or burned by fire from the sky (1:15-17), his servants put to the sword (1:15,17), his skin afflicted with sores from head to toe (2:7).
The Lessons of Job: The Devil Can’t Make Me Do It
By reputation, Job’s character was exemplary: Job was honest inside and out, a man of his word, who was totally devoted to God and hated evil with a passion (1:1, MSG). There was “no one on earth like him” (1:8). Now that’s saying something.
Take My Hand, Dear One
“Take my hand, Claudia, I will keep you safe crossing this road.” I cannot count the number of times my parents said this when I was a child.
GUARDED
Do you sometimes feel alone in your Christian faith while the world around you takes great pleasure in criticizing your beliefs? It is challenging to stand firm during these days of turmoil in our world while this long-lasting pandemic has become a reality and has robbed us of normalcy.
God Has Us Covered
Eleven blankets. One perfect covering.
Numerous throws at home for snuggling beneath. They’re trendy and sometimes I want to be comforted and hide from the cruel world.