When we read this part of [Moses’] epitaph and think of all the mighty power and all the miracles that Moses did, many of us tend to think, Moses is in another league. I can’t touch him.
Read MoreCategory Archives: Death
Those Final Moments
Despite his age and infirmity, Jacob’s memory was nothing short of remarkable. He could name each one of his boys, and he could describe their individual natures and recall with pertinent detail the lives they had lived.
Read MoreA Hope Transfusion
Easter and hope are synonymous. That special day never arrives without its refreshing reminder that there is life beyond this one. True life. Eternal life. Glorious life.
Read MoreThe Reality of Hell
A particular story Jesus once told comes to my mind every time I think of life after death. Because it is descriptive and brief, we are able to get a fairly uncomplicated picture in our minds of this subject of hell.
Read MoreSorrow and Hope
If tears were indelible ink instead of clear fluid, all of us would be stained for life. The heartbreaking circumstances, the painful encounters with calamities, the brutal verbal blows we receive from the surgeon or an angry mate, the sudden loss of someone we simply adored, riding out the consequences of a stupid decision—ah! Such is the groan and grind of life.
Read MoreWriting with Thorns
In pain, grief, affliction, and loss, it often helps to write our feelings . . . not just feel them. Putting words on paper seems to free our feelings from the lonely prison of our souls. It was C. S. Lewis who wrote: Her absence is like the sky, spread over everything . . . . No one ever told me that grief felt so like fear. I am not afraid, but the sensation is like being afraid.
Read MoreHow Do We Handle Troubles?
The third question about troubles flows from James’s answer to the first two. We can’t avoid the various troubles in life, but we can accept that God has purposed them for our good. We’re to view them as opportunities for rejoicing in the work He’s doing in our lives—challenging us so He can change us. But how do we keep the trials designed for our good from crushing us?
Read MoreWhat Is the Purpose of Troubles?
When the inevitable troubles of various kinds come, remember the second truth about them—they have a purpose. We’re not just tossed into the crowd and left to fend for ourselves as God runs the world from a distance. The various troubles that occur are all part of His plan. When we accept this, we can view them as opportunities for growth.
Read MoreWho Will Face Troubles?
As James begins his discussion of troubles, notice his word choice: “when troubles . . . come your way” (James 1:2, emphasis added). His use of “when” here tells us troubles are inevitable for all of us. James doesn’t say “if troubles come” or “when troubles come to somebody else” or “in the unlikely event that a trouble or two crosses your path.” It’s when, not if.
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