The testimony of a young woman caught my attention. Her family practiced one of the major religions but not Christianity. She was brought up to do the same. The girl was going through a particularly hard season of life. An older co-worker, an older asked if she could pray for her. As the woman prayed, immediate peace come over the girl.
Have you ever felt deserted, betrayed, forgotten? Twice in this short book, Paul spoke of being abandoned. In 2 Timothy 1:15, he said, everyone deserted me. In 2 Timothy 4:16, he wrote, no one came to my support.
Once again, God’s Word is like a mirror to my corrupt heart. I read this morning, Am I now trying to win the approval of human beings, or of God? Or am I trying to please people? If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a servant of Christ (Galatians 1:10).
Sometimes it is the smallest of words, the tiniest breath of a phrase that hits like a truckload of bricks. This particular truth hit me, not like a load of bricks, but like the door in a dark room opening to the bright light of a brilliant day. It was blinding. It was beautiful. It was breathtaking.
“Where do birdies come from, Mama?”
Only God can make a birdie.
“But why, Mama?”
To teach us to sing in the morning.
“But why, Mama?”
It was obvious from far back in line that my five-year-old pig-tailed girl had not had a good day. As I waited for the teacher to put her in my car, I could see that she was deflated, alone and sad. By the time we pulled out of the school parking lot, she was sobbing. “I had to sit on the rock, Mama,” she cried.
I have seriously questioned the purpose of some things on earth.
Like termites. No one wants them. They will eat your house right down.
According to The Flat Earth Society, the earth is not round. Well, obviously, it’s flat. They even have the math equations and Bible verses to prove it.
Flatists, as they are called, have found reasons to believe the earth is flat.
Others might base truth on tradition.
Even as recent as last year, I wanted to take the easy way out. I wanted someone else to interpret scripture and give me the SparkNotes version.
After years of Bible study, I still didn’t know how to interpret some of the difficult passages.
love to see scientific studies back up Bible verses. While I’m not surprised, I just think it’s fun to watch science catch up.
Just today, I read an article on how complaining and negativity rewires your brain for anxiety and depression.
I like a good tomato.
As a child, I grew up on home-grown tomatoes (also known as vine-ripened) from Granny’s garden. Nothing compares.
On a mission trip in Africa, I visited Victoria Falls, the largest waterfall in the world. The thundering roar can be heard from twenty-five miles away. As you approach, you realize that even if your words could be heard, they would be inadequate to describe the beauty before you.
Have you ever watched a video that was filmed with time-lapse photography? My favorites to watch are those of blossoming flowers. A process that takes hours in real-time is shown in mere seconds. Subtle movements, not seen by the naked eye, are clearly displayed.
A much younger friend works out with me to help me improve my health. She regularly reminds me that I “pace myself” when I’m doing any given physical challenge. While she would like for me to exert myself fully throughout, instead I start slowly and gradually increase my effort. She says I hold back.
Have you ever stopped to help someone, but then later realized you were the one who was blessed?
My husband is a salesman. He walks in and out of hospitals all day in hopes of making connections that will ultimately save a patient’s life. He knows every back stairwell, fast elevator and good area for cell service.
Pythons like to slither into holes. A young Portland woman discovered this when her pet BART crawled into the gauge hole of her earlobe. She reported that before she knew what was happening, he was halfway through. After the fire department was unsuccessful in removing BART, the hospital emergency room coaxed him to freedom.
The deliberate “I am” metaphors in John culminate in a peek at the Jesus who not only provides life and light, but who produces fruit in those who believe in Him while they are still on earth.
Jesus’ “I am the gate”, and “I am the good shepherd” metaphors bewildered His listeners. At the Feast of Dedication (Hanukkah) their questions continued: “If you are the Christ, tell us plainly” (John 10:24). Again they tried to stone Him, and again He slipped away, across the Jordan, where many believed (10:31-42). He was there when news came that His friend Lazarus was sick.
The Pharisees bombarded the “light of the world” with questions, in total denial of His “I am” claims. When Jesus stated, “before Abraham was born, I am!”…they picked up stones to stone him (John 8:58-59). They knew He was claiming to be God; but it was not yet His time so He slipped away, continuing on to heal a man born blind. The man believed and worshipped Jesus; the Pharisees remained in their sin (9:1-41).
The crowd by the Sea of Galilee was mystified. First, they had been fed well the previous evening, all 5000 plus of them, from “five small barley loaves and two small fish” (John 6:9). Then Jesus had sailed across the lake without a boat—how in the world (6:22)? Miracles were foremost on their minds. Give us more they said, manna for this day too, "bread from heaven”, so we can believe you were really sent by God (6:29-31).
