Words
Ecclesiastes 12:9-14
"A word fitly spoken," wrote the wise Solomon, "is like apples of gold in settings of silver" (Proverbs 25:11 KJV).
God doesn't have to explain Himself
Psalm 139:1-6
Even in the midst of disappointment, surprise, and mystery, you will discover an amazing thing. You will discover how very reliable and trustworthy God is—and how secure you are in His hands. And oh, how we need that in this day of relativism and vacillation, filled with empty talk and hidden behind a lot of semantic footwork. In the midst of "Spin City," it is the Lord who talks straight. It is the Lord who has preserved Truth in black and white in His Word. And it is the Lord who has the right to do as He wishes around us, to us, and in us.
Salt and light
Matthew 6:1-16
Ours is a tough, rugged, wicked world. Aggression, rebellion, violence, cutthroat competition, and retaliation abound. Not just internationally, but personally. What is true in the secret council chambers of nations is also true behind closed doors of homes. We are stubborn, warring people. Outside of riots and war, studies have concluded, the most dangerous place to be is in the American home! With domestic violence and child abuse on the rise in our hard, hostile society, one might wonder what possible influence the servants of Christ can have.
Helping each other up
Hebrews 10:19-25
Several years ago my family and I were invited to spend Thanksgiving weekend at a picturesque ski resort in Colorado with about five hundred single young adults, most of whom were staff personnel with Campus Crusade. I spoke all week on the subject of servanthood, emphasizing the importance of believers being those who help, encourage, affirm, and care for others.
A tree fell in Fullerton
1 Corinthians 10:11-13
One year a large section of a tree fell not far from where we had lived for over 22 years. Within minutes several of us had gathered to grieve the loss. As I stood there staring in disbelief, the thought struck me, This happened only minutes ago...but it's been in the process of happening for a long, long time. No tree just suddenly breaks apart. Once we were able to see beneath the thick bark at the break, it was obvious that some kind of killer disease had been at work for years.
The real thing
Galatians 2:20
Back in 1958 when I was a young marine stationed on the island of Okinawa, I became closely associated with a man I deeply admired. His name was Bob Newkirk.
I didn't know what it was exactly that first drew me to Bob. More than anything else, I guess, there was something refreshingly unpretentious about him. He was devoted to the things of the Lord, no question, but it was never on parade, never for the purpose of public display. And I loved that.
The secret place
Psalm 27:8; Psalm 91:1
The psalmist said, "He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty" (Psalm 91:1).
Do you have a place of shelter where you seek only His face? Do you spend time in that secret place?
Have you given prayer the priority it deserves? And when you pray, do you remember that it is the Lord's face you seek?
The safest place on earth
Genesis 6
The longer we walk with the Lord, the more we realize that we really don't know what each new day may bring. A phone call can come in the middle of the night shattering our joy. Suddenly everything changes. It's amazing what a knock at the door can bring or what the opening of a letter can do.
I don't say these things to conjure up fear in our hearts, but simply to remind us that God alone knows our future. And there's no safer, no better, no more rewarding place to be than in the nucleus of His will, regardless of where that may be.
Trust God to remember you
Lamentations 3:25-29
If you want to trust God to remember you, stop running and start waiting! "The LORD is good to those who wait for Him" (Lamentations 3:25a). Stop running! Wait patiently.
Next, start seeking Him. "The LORD is good to those who seek Him" (v. 25b). So, instead of ignoring Him, return to His open arms and start seeking Him again.