Prayer is a significant part of our lives.However, when God doesn’t seem to respond in a way we want or expect, we can start to question him.When that happens—and even when it doesn’t—we need to trust in God’s wisdom and timing. He truly knows better than we do.A helpful verse that reminds us of this … Continue reading He can answer our requests in a better way
wisdom of God
A biblical definition of sin
“Everyone who makes a practice of sinning also practices lawlessness; sin is lawlessness” (1 John 3:4).When I was young and we went to church I would usually go to Sunday School.Before too long, however, I wanted to be up in the service with the adults so that I could hear the sermon.I remember the preacher … Continue reading A biblical definition of sin
Mid-course corrections and moving forward
In yesterday’s devotional I highlighted a Chinese proverb: “A millimeter discrepancy leads to a thousand mile loss.” To explain it, Christopher Yuan tells the tragic story of Korean Airlines flight 007 which veered off course. A problem had occurred with the autopilot. At first, a few degrees wasn’t such a big deal. But after a … Continue reading Mid-course corrections and moving forward
A Christian one-liner that makes you think
Recently someone sent me an email with some “Christian one-liners” (Thanks Eileen!) Perhaps you’ve seen some of them. They usually highlight comical aspects of the faith or funny things that kids say. One of them in particular grabbed my attention. It was funny, but also provided a reason to pause and reflect on how we … Continue reading A Christian one-liner that makes you think
Knowing everything, being perfect and solving every problem
I attended a conference where Don Carson was talking about faith. In the New Testament faith is about its object. In other words, faith is about trusting IN someone—namely God. This turns the focus from us to him! Let’s consider a few of the implications. Faith isn’t about knowing everything, but trusting in the one … Continue reading Knowing everything, being perfect and solving every problem
Garth Brooks, un-answered prayers, and the will of God
There is a song by country music icon Garth Brooks. In it, he sings about how, at a football game, he and his wife ran into his “old high school flame.” Years earlier when he was in high school he had prayed so hard that God “would make her mine.” As we listen to the … Continue reading Garth Brooks, un-answered prayers, and the will of God
Ordinary means for extraordinary measures
How often have we wanted some bit of direction, wisdom or insight from God? But since we don’t see a blazing angel come directly down from the sky with a fiery scroll in his hand we don’t think God hears or responds to us. There’s a scene in a Jim Carrey movie called Bruce Almighty … Continue reading Ordinary means for extraordinary measures
Not TO us but FOR us
“Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says” (James 1:22). I once heard someone speak dismissively about the 10 Commandments. They thought they were just a bunch of random rules. It got me thinking about how the wisdom and commands of God are not something he does TO … Continue reading Not TO us but FOR us
What if God was Einstein and we were ants
Imagine a small child wandered into an operating room at a hospital only to discover their daddy cut open on a table, surrounded by doctors holding knives and wearing weird masks. Oh, and there’s blood all over the place. Naturally, the child would scream out, “Nooo! Stop hurting daddy!” The child simply didn’t realize that … Continue reading What if God was Einstein and we were ants
