Daily encouragement for Christians
My dad raised me to believe that anything worth having is worth working for. I wonder if that thought was in Naaman’s mind as he traveled to Israel seeking a cure for his tzara’at (leprosy). After first being given no hope from the king of Israel, who declared only God could do such a thing, […]
Do you know what the word shalom means? It can be used as a simple greeting–hello or goodbye, but when used in the Bible it goes much deeper. Many translations use the word “peace” in place of shalom. Do you ever think about how deep God’s peace is? Shalom is defined as peace, harmony, wholeness, […]
Have you ever considered how beautiful and peaceful the Garden of Eden must have been before the fall of Adam and Eve? The first garden was planted by God. There were no weeds and the soil was rich, full of all the nutrients needed for proper growth. “A river went out of ‘Eden to water […]
“Moreover, I tell you, whoever acknowledges me in the presence of others, the Son of Man will also acknowledge in the presence of God’s angels.” ( Luke 12:8) Do you struggle to declare God’s goodness in front of other people? Perhaps it’s not difficult among like-minded Christians but what about those you are unsure of? […]
“So God created humankind in his own image; in the image of God he created him: male and female he created them.” (Genesis 1:27) He also created humankind with an emotion that, in my opinion, He does not possess: surprise. Many of our emotions were brought on through the fall of Adam and Eve, but […]
“Whoever is unsure of himself turn in here!” (Proverbs 9:4) Those are the words of Wisdom. If you’re traveling on the road with me, be prepared to take evasive action as I slam the brakes and crank the wheel, proving how unsure of myself I truly am. It didn’t take long for my temper to […]
I believe someone needs to see this today: Have you been affected by suicide? Over a decade ago the World Health Organization reported about 3,000 people take their own lives and another 60,000 may attempt–per day, and those numbers just keep climbing. The highest risk age group is fifteen to twenty-five, but my brother was […]
Do you practice forgiveness? It’s one of God’s most glorious gifts–forgiveness. It’s what makes it possible for us to be joined with Him, for His Spirit to be able to live within us peacefully. We thank God for being faithful to forgive when we admit we did wrong and many of us are able to […]
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 […]
In 1970 Edwin Starr recorded a song titled “War.” He asks the question, “What is it good for?” His answer is, “Nothing, absolutely nothing.” To many of us, war seems to be a senseless waste of human lives. After all, we are civilized people who should be able to work things out without fighting. When […]
