When I ask people about their favourite Bible verse, many point to Matthew 11:28. That’s where Jesus says: “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.”He goes on to talk about his “yoke” which is easy, and his burden which is light. A “yoke” was shared with … Continue reading Come to me, and I will give you rest
Jesus Christ
Humility: weakness to the world, greatness to God
In the previous devotional I raised the topic of humility. In Daniel 4, the pagan king was full of himself. But God taught him a lesson and punished him for seven years. He was made to live like an animal and even eat like one.When he finally acknowledged God and was restored to his former … Continue reading Humility: weakness to the world, greatness to God
Humility—even when things get heated
“Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others” (Philippians 2:3-4).In the eighteenth century there was a very heated debate between two theological heavyweights—George Whitfield and John Wesley. It was … Continue reading Humility—even when things get heated
Devotion changes you
“Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life” (Proverbs 4:23).Writer Selma Lagerlöf tells the story of a knight from Italy. This was the Middle Ages, the time of the Crusades. He was a warrior, capable of dark things. When he got to the Holy Land he found himself at the … Continue reading Devotion changes you
He uses even our feeble efforts
“…put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness” (Ephesians 4:24).In “The Happy Hypocrite” Lord George was an immoral man with a bloated face. He fell in love with a lovely young lady. He figured that she would never love him back. So, as the story goes, he covered … Continue reading He uses even our feeble efforts
When the Lord rubs off on you
“…whoever says he abides in [Jesus] ought to walk in the same way in which he walked” (1 John 2:6).Tucker was in grade eleven. He was in an apprenticeship program to become a welder. He was working and learning under Bill, a retired teacher. Bill was known for three things: his sense of humour, his … Continue reading When the Lord rubs off on you
A perfect time to re-centre
“Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour” (Matthew 25:13).A dying boy wanted to meet Dwight Eisenhower, the 34th President of America, whose term occupied most of the 1950’s. Somehow his request made its way to the President. One day, low and behold, Eisenhower just showed up at his front door, unannounced. It … Continue reading A perfect time to re-centre
Not alone in your struggles
Dr. James Tour is a professor at Rice University. His church has a ministry to support families dealing with the challenges of cancer. People need treatment like chemotherapy for months at a time, so families from their church welcome these families into their homes.Sometimes, as we know, even children get cancer. In the midst of … Continue reading Not alone in your struggles
Born to die? Why?
I recently heard a story about an ancient King. He was known for being perfectly just and perfectly loving. It was discovered that someone was stealing gold from the royal treasury. The King said that the punishment would be ten lashes. The next week, more gold was taken. And more the week after that. Each time … Continue reading Born to die? Why?
You meant evil against me, but God meant it for good
Providence. John Calvin defined it as the invisible hand of God. It’s when God guides and directs what is happening in the world (and in our lives) even when we can’t see how everything fits together.One of the most famous biblical examples of this is Joseph. He was favoured by God, and also his biological … Continue reading You meant evil against me, but God meant it for good