Recently, my wife Laura heard something on the radio. She shared it with me, and now I’d like to share it with you. It was about Chris Tomlin, the well-known singer of songs like How Great is our God, Glorious Day, and Whom Shall I Fear? When he was young, he got mononucleosis. As a result, he … Continue reading Waiting for the light to break
providence
Just because you can’t see him working
Ryan Skoog had a friend who went in a mission trip to Russia after the fall of communism. They went to a former gulag, a forced labour camp. Horrible things had happened in that location. Their mission was to deconstruct the prison and repurpose the stones to build a church. Their mission was to make something good … Continue reading Just because you can’t see him working
God’s Plan A for your life
I once heard John Ortberg make an analogy. He said that when people envision their future, they picture themselves standing before a series of doors. Let’s say there are ten doors. Which one will we choose? If there’s only one correct door, that can make us stressed. After all, we have a 90% chance of choosing … Continue reading God’s Plan A for your life
The darker the dark, the brighter the light
“…he [God] knows what is in the darkness, and the light dwells with him” (Daniel 2:22).The darker the dark, the brighter the light. Imagine being in a well-lit room in the middle of the day. There are a lot of windows. You hold up a torch. It will definitely bring extra light. After all, it’s a … Continue reading The darker the dark, the brighter the light
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
The trivialization of God
Donald McCullough has a book called “The Trivialization of God.”* You should never judge a book by its cover, of course, but the cover is particularly good. It shows a yellow pin-on button that says “God.”It’s the kind of button you might get at a political rally, or perhaps with the name or logo of … Continue reading The trivialization of God
Friday the 13th
“Yet not one of [these sparrows] will fall to the ground outside your Father’s care” (Matthew 10:29). Today is Friday the 13th. Oh no, lookout! Some people think that Friday the thirteenth is unlucky. Why? I never knew the reason. After a quick google search it seems that there isn’t a clear answer. Today provides … Continue reading Friday the 13th
September’s Fresh Start
Proverbs 19:21 is quite well-known: “Many are the plans in a person’s heart, but it is the LORD’s purpose that prevails.” Ultimately, God’s purpose will prevail. It cannot be thwarted or undone. His victory is past tense and present tense and future tense. It is both glorious and inescapable. When something is that certain, and … Continue reading September’s Fresh Start
Rarely does he let me see the script
In her book No Greater Love, Rebecca McLaughlin writes: “I thoroughly believe that God directs my life, but rarely does He let me see the script.”* Can I get an Amen?! Like McLaughlin, I thoroughly believe that God directs my life. Perhaps you also agree that God directs your life. When she says that God … Continue reading Rarely does he let me see the script
Because that’s what friends do
For the past few devotionals we have been reflecting on God’s providence. That’s his invisible hand, working in the lives of his people even when they can’t see it. Let’s continue with that encouraging theme. In World War One a troupe was engaged in trench warfare. A lieutenant told his men to sneak across a … Continue reading Because that’s what friends do
