Daily encouragement for Christians
From the archives: I have an old dog who is losing his hearing and vision. A screen door, which has not yet been rehung, leans against my house a few feet from the entrance. My dog has been confused lately. He stands at the screen door and barks to be let in. I stand at […]
Years ago a friend said to me, “If you love your kids too much, God will take them away from you.” I became instantly angry! What kind of a god would take my kids from me because I love them too much? For many years I fumed about that thought. I was a prodigal daughter. […]
“But may all those who seek you be glad and take joy in you.” (Psalm 70:4) Think about what it was like when you first began to truly seek the Lord. If you’re like most I know, including myself, you probably began to notice significant difficulties you didn’t expect. Why? When you chose to follow […]
Are you aware that “faith without works is dead”? (James 2:26) What kind of things keep us from showing our faith in ways that make a difference? Selfishness is a big one. We don’t like to admit it but most of us have a selfish streak that rears its ugly head saying, “I don’t […]
A blast from the past: “Look what I found at the bottom of the stairs,” announced my brother holding a large bag of groceries. I was so thankful for I knew my mom had trouble navigating my stairs–so I assumed she, knowing I had no food, had been the one to leave the bag. We […]
I saw an acquaintance post on social media about a major life event. She was asking for prayer and on her own she prayed to God, Buddha, Zeus, and to all the other gods, just to cover her bases. How well do you think that prayer went over with God? The God I choose to […]
Written November 18, 2020 In November 2018 the news reported that due to wind currents, the California wildfires could be smelled in Michigan. At that time, the deadliest fire season in history–for the United States–was devouring everything it could wrap its flames around, running ahead of the men and women with the hoses. It was […]
From the archives: Have you ever considered the stress Moses was under as he led more than 1.5 million people through the desert? Let’s talk pressure and imagine you were the one chosen to lead. As still happens today, “the crowd that was with them grew greedy for an easier life. ‘If only we had […]
“This will let you know that I am ADONAI [ the Lord].” (Exodus 7:17) In the first five plagues, God instructed Moshe (Moses) to hold out his staff. It looked like any other ordinary staff and it was, with one exception–God was using it to send a message. God is able to take an ordinary […]
A reminder, as we prepare to enter into a new year of uncertainty, that God is still working on our behalf. “Some twenty-first birthday this is!” he said. The young man had just purchased his first legal twelve-pack of beer and was headed home to celebrate. But God had other plans. As he sat on […]
