Pain
2 Corinthians 4:7–10
They called him “Old Hickory” because of his tenacity and grit. His mother chose “Andrew” on March 15, 1767, when she gave birth to that independent-minded South Carolina rebel. Wild, quick-tempered, and disinterested in school, Andrew answered the call for soldiers to resist the British invasion at age thirteen. Shortly thereafter, he was taken prisoner. Refusing to black an enemy officer’s boots, he was struck with a sabre—Andrew’s introduction to pain.
The shadow of the giant, part two
Ephesians 6:14-18
Yesterday, we visited David as he faced off against Goliath. Refusing to accept his brothers’ rationalizations or listen to the giant’s threats, David saw through the Philistine strategy and withstood it through sheer, solid faith.
You know the outcome. With a well-worn leather sling and a smooth stone, and unbending confidence in his mighty God, David introduced Goliath and all the Philistine hordes to the Lord of hosts, whose name they had blasphemed long enough. The account concludes with a profound statement:
The shadow of the giant, part one
1 Samuel 17:50
Goliath reminds me of the cross-eyed discus thrower. He didn’t set any records...but he sure kept the crowd awake!
The cry from a cave
Psalm 18:30-36
The Cave of Adullam was no Holiday Inn.
It was a wicked refugee camp...a dark vault on the side of a cliff that reached deeply into a hill. Huddled in this clammy cavern were 400 losers—a mob of miserable humanity. They came from all over and wound up all together. Listen to the account:
Everyone who was in distress, and everyone who was in debt, and everyone who was discontented gathered.... There were about four hundred men. (1 Samuel 22:2)
Operation Arrival
Luke 1:68–75
Start where you are, part two
Hebrews 10:15-25
One of the most encouraging things about new years, new weeks, and new days is the word new. Webster reveals its meaning: “refreshed, different from one of the same that has existed previously...unfamiliar.”
Best of all, it’s a place to start over. Refresh yourself. Change directions. Begin anew.
Start where you are, part one
Jonah 1–4
To start over, you have to know where you are. To get somewhere else, it’s necessary to know where you’re presently standing. That’s true in a department store or a big church, on a freeway or a college campus...or in life, for that matter. Very, very seldom does anybody “just happen” to end up on the right road. The process involved in redirecting our lives is often painful, slow, and even confusing. Occasionally, it seems unbearable.
Persistence, part one
James 1:12
Persistence pays.
It’s a costly investment, no question about it. But the dividends are so much greater than the original outlay that you’ll almost forget the price. And if the final benefits are really significant, you’ll wonder why you ever hesitated to begin with.
Is trauma terminal?
Matthew 11:28–30
The definition reflects devastation:
Trauma: An injury (as a wound) to living tissue caused by an extrinsic agent...a disordered psychic or behavioural state resulting from mental or emotional stress.