Miles from the nearest town, a watchful shepherd, watches over his flock of grazing sheep. The animals, heads down in the grass, focus on eating. That’s their priority. Meanwhile, the gentle shepherd is alert to lurking dangers that could harm or even kill his sheep. That’s his job. The flock is his top priority. As […]

I was reading Joshua 6 and 7 this morning. That’s the story of the Israelite victory at Jericho and the near-immediate defeat at tiny Ai next door. As usual, men do not have all the facts. Joshua didn’t either. When Ai rolled to victory after the great victory at Jericho, Joshua couldn’t believe it. Had […]

She rises to our view in 2 Kings 4 and quickly fades back into obscurity. Who is this mysterious woman who spends but 30 verses on the pages of our Bibles? More importantly, why is she here at all and why did the Holy Spirit include this story in the Bible? Who is the Shunammite […]

Don’t you admire the Old Testament prophets? They came out of obscurity and were never very popular; their message was ignored, and they endured hardships that often led to death. Despite the struggles, they stood for God. It was His message, and they did not tamper with it. The Spirits of the Prophets must have […]

The strength of the Christian does not come from the inside. It comes from the outside of the individual. It comes from God. When we seek God in prayer, he answers and always gives us precisely what we need in the moment. So, if you are struggling and weak, get on your knees now Christian! […]

Gratitude to Robert Frost for the title idea. In his 1915 poem, “The Road Not Taken,” Frost described a diverging woodland path. The two trails were similar, yet the outcome of his choice was most pleasing, and “that has made all the difference,” wrote the esteemed poet. His implied lesson is that the other road […]

I heard a loud thud. It sounded like a package delivery hit the front door. I checked. On the ground lay a beautiful, bright red cardinal. He had flown into the glass doors. I watched for a moment hoping he was only stunned. He wasn’t. Suddenly, it hit me. God knew he had fallen. There […]

The beginning of a year brings a strong desire to change ourselves. It’s like we have to re-create ourselves every 12 months. I weary of New Year resolutions. Instead, I’ll aim for Goals that are linked to any date or event. When I discover something that needs to be improved, then I’ll do it, whether […]

I recently had a spat with my pharmacy. When they could not fill my prescription, I went somewhere else. When I upgrade my cell phone, I go to the store dressed for battle. I want to come away with the best possible deal. The church consumer is also looking for a deal. He needs to […]

I get it. Nobody likes to talk about sin, but sometimes we need to. The turmoil of the 21st century has obscured our view of sin with the result that there is now The Forgotten Sin. Some sins seem to reach out and grab us by the collar. The in-your-face wickedness makes us angry. But, […]