Who Do You Worship? A common practice in the United States (and perhaps globally) is to take parts from different religions and philosophies, mashing them together to form a personal belief system. Doing so is extremely consumer-centric: keep the...
Do You Worship Work? Do you worship your work? Of course you would say “no.” But consider that what you make sacrifices for is that which is important to you. Do you make sacrifices for work? Do you sacrifice family time to complete work...
Is Self-sufficiency Your Strength? To be self-sufficient is to not require outside aid, support, or interaction for survival. It is a primary intent of much of today’s Western culture. A Google search for “self-sufficient” produced 13.7...
My Favorite Verse It is about an honorable man who prayed—and then “God granted his request.” This is a simple phrase and seemingly not profound, but it is most encouraging to me. There is often a mystery to praying: when God answers, how he...
Forgive Us as We Forgive Others When you pray, be careful what you pray—I’m serious, be very careful. In the prayer that Jesus taught his disciples (also called “The Lord’s Prayer” or the “Our Father”), one part says: “Forgive us our debts...
God Says, “Wait For It” A reoccurring gag in sitcoms is what I call the “wait for it” bit. It goes like this: Something that is expected to occur, doesn’t. With a knowing look, one character confidently states, “Wait for it.” There is a suitable...
The Feet that Bring the Good News of Peace As I read the prophetic book of Nahum, I see a familiar sounding passage:“Look, there on the mountains, the feet of one who brings good news, who proclaims peace!” (Nahum 1:15). I find a similar text in...
Nineveh, Part II The prophetic book of Nahum is essentially a sequel to the book of Jonah. Both focus on the people of Nineveh. Jonas proclaims doom and destruction on them; they have a change of heart (repent); and God relents. A century...
Micah’s Personal Prescription As the prophet Micah gives a series of stinging rebukes against the nations of Israel and Judah, he takes a pause for some personal reflection. As if keeping a journal, he wonders how he should approach God. With...
Micah, Stop: The Prophet Speaks Truth, but the People Won’t Listen The prophet Micah gives some strong words from God to the people. Although his proclamation (prophecy) should convict them, instead they take offense. At one point the people even...
