Gal 4 In several cultures there is a rite of passage by having ceremonies and lavish parties. I can remember our granddaughter had her quinceañera when she turned 15. It is both a religious and a social event and much went into the planning of this. For the Jewish boys it is the Bar Mitzvah […]
James 1 In times of testing, we can sit idly by or seek God’s comfort. We can seek understanding, and we can, through it all, be joyful. The fruit of our testing is endurance. It is also seen in how our heart has been touched and our motivations altered. We are no longer seeking just […]
Psalm 40 Our world is a confusing place at times. There are those who call evil good and good evil. [Is 5:20] They substitute lies for the truth and expect us to accept it readily. If we challenge that thinking, they slander us. Yet, this is true: God is God, and there is none to […]
Job 38-39 God Reveals His Majesty Finally, Job hears from God but is it what he expected? Listen to God: Who is this who darkens counsel with words without knowledge? [Job 38:2] Get ready, Job, because I am going to question you. So now, God asks Job over 59 questions. Why the authors did not […]
Prov 4-7 Parenting Responsibilities Once a parent, always a parent. It begins before birth and ends only when you, the parent, pass on into eternity. [If you are a grandparent reading this, know that the next generation will also recall your counsel as good or evil.] Just as when Solomon wrote these words long ago, […]
Psalm 71 and 78 The psalmist is writing from his perspective of being “old and gray.” His words resonate with the aged, and he wants us to know that until one leaves this earth, God has work for us to do. Senior citizens have much to offer the younger generation about the lessons gleaned from […]
Job 1-4 A Blameless Man God takes our worldview and our way of life seriously. Job is a central character that epitomizes his faith-filled life that not only lived by faith but was an example of that to the surrounding community and his family. Although his story is one of multiple tragedies, he excelled in […]
Jeremiah 20: Have you ever had one of “those” days when nothing goes right? There is a story about a boy named Alexander whose life seems like that. His day begins with gum getting stuck in his hair, and the rest of his day is all downhill. It really is one of those “Terrible, Horrible, No […]
Ezekiel 15 to 18 In the NT, Jesus told three parables about things or people. Ezekiel’s four parables, earthly stories with a heavenly purpose, mirrored these stories in many ways. Parable: #1 In the branch parable, we see a branch full of life thrown into the fire. Life without God is like the fires of […]
Daniel 4 to 6 Daniel, the righteous, served under several kings. With each, he had developed a relationship by which he could give them wise counsel. Daniel told each of them to renounce the gods of silver and gold. But, as they say, hindsight is a better teacher. Nebuchadnezzar was given a dream […]
