Try to make time this weekend to read the entire book of Job, for only then do you really see the true extent of Job’s honest dealings with God and his steadfast faith in the face of adversity.
Read MoreCategory Archives: Crisis
Handling Adversity
Step into the time tunnel with me, and let’s travel together back to Uz (not the wizard of, but the land of). Wherever it was, Uz had a citizen who was respected by everyone. Why? Because he was blameless, upright, God-fearing, and clean living. He had ten children, thousands of head of livestock, acres and acres of land, a great many servants, and a substantial stack of cash.
Read MoreSuffering
Of all the letters Paul wrote, Second Corinthians is the most autobiographical. In this letter Paul records the specifics of his anguish, tears, affliction, and satanic opposition. He spells out the details of his persecution, loneliness, imprisonments, beatings, feelings of despair, hunger, shipwrecks, sleepless nights, and that “thorn in the flesh”—his companion of pain. How close it makes us feel to him when we see him as a man with real, honest-to-goodness problems, just like ours!
Read MoreThe Pale Horse
The path of the pale horse named Death, mentioned in Revelation 6:8, is littered with bitterness, sorrow, fear, and grief. This ashen stallion started his lengthy journey ages ago and races through time with steady beat and dreadful regularity. As long as we exist in the land of the dying, we shall hear the somber knell of his hoofbeats.
Read MoreAdmitting Need
Asking for help is smart. So why don’t we? You want to know why? Pride. Which is nothing more than stubborn unwillingness to admit need. The result? Impatience. Irritation. Anger. Longer hours. Less and less laughter. No vacations. Inflexibility. Longer and longer gaps between meaningful times in God’s Word. Precious few (if any) moments in prayer and prolonged meditation.
Read MoreA Mighty Fortress: Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow
Recently, I led a tour through the ancient city of Jerusalem. Early one morning, I looked out across the skyline and read Psalm 46. You may know the first verse by heart: God is our refuge and strength, always ready to help in times of trouble. I thought of how God had shown Himself strong […]
Read MoreReframing Life: Beauty from Ashes
My world was rocked for the first time when I was four years old. We had recently moved to Southern California. Early morning sunlight had just begun to peek through the window in the room my sister and I shared upstairs when our beds began to shake. The matching white pom-pom trim on our bedcovers […]
Read MoreIn Times of Warfare
In practical terms, the message is, “Stay faithful to the Word of God—the sword of the Spirit (Ephesians 6:17), the two-edged sword (Hebrews 4:12).” Sickness and suffering have a tendency to weaken our faith if we fail to feed our thoughts with God’s Word. Praise, like a fragrant blossom, wilts quickly. The sufferer is encouraged to hold fast to the sword of truth—good counsel.
Read MoreIn Times of Suffering
This song of celebration, Psalm 149, is like a rallying cry, urging all of God’s people to praise the Lord regardless of their circumstances. That includes times when people aren’t naturally inclined to boast on God.
Read MoreAfter the Storm . . . Rebuild!
During the last few months, natural disasters have battered North America. Wildfires have ravaged Northern and Southern California and the Pacific Northwest. Death and destruction piled high as the ground shook in Mexico. Hurricane after hurricane tore through South Texas and other parts of North America, including all of Florida, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin […]
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