Devotionals

One of the things we as a society have pretty much eliminated is the ability to delay our gratification. Whether it be a burger or a standard of living, we want what we want now! This attitude has had...

It is always harder to give up tomorrow's sin. Today's challenge is, well, here today. We are facing it and have the resources and presence of mind to focus on it and overcome it if we want to. Today'...

In the tenth chapter of his gospel, Mark describes a scene where Jesus heals a blind man who had been desperately calling out to Him for help. Once restored of his vision, the evangelist says that the...

The idea of taking the communion in order to "remember" the sacrifice of Jesus is a safe spiritual idea. It only requires us to commemorate what someone else has done for us, and not what we might be...

Dear Lord, I know why these things happen and that they happen even to us, your children. We are always in your hands and for better or worse, we continue to trust in you. This was the prayer our family...

Inasmuch as television mirrors our society, the recent quiz shows offering millions of dollars to contestants are accurate reflections of a nation obsessed with money. Whether it's by answering a few...

Every election produces a catchphrase that summarizes the political objectives of one party or the other. FDR's "New Deal" or Lyndon Johnson with the "Great Society" are examples to which it seems President...

I gave up on forced exercise at the age of fifty-four. It might have been because my laziness finally overcame my pride but I suspect that the main reason was guilt. I became tired not of the effort of...

In Ephesians 3:20, Paul says that God can do more than we dare ask. Have you ever wondered why we usually are timid in the things we ask God for? Perhaps some of the reasons: 1. Too Much Change We don...

By faith Noah, being warned by God about things not yet seen, in reverence prepared an ark for the salvation of his household, by which he condemned the world,- Hebrews 11:7a In discussing Noah and the...

Think of your worst sin. It could be that you aborted a child long ago. Perhaps you secretly harbor shameful thoughts or desires. Your worst sin could be a treachery against a loyal friend or partner....

I don't know anyone by the name, "Judas." It seems that no one wants to be associated in any way with the man who betrayed Jesus. This being the case, I wonder why so many try to save Judas posthumously...

Christopher Reeves, who played Superman in the movies, broke his neck in a riding accident. Doctors reported that he would probably be completely paralyzed. My first response was that morbid kind of curiosity...

Advertising used to be about making a product desirable or demonstrating why one was better than the others. Today, the product itself is irrelevant. Jean ads are about sex; shoe commercials define your...

One of my more selfish prayers has always been that God would spare me the experience of death. Talk about wanting your cake and eating it too, I want to go to Heaven and I want to avoid death in the...

The recent suicide bombings in Israel continue the rapid disintegration of both the Israeli and Palestinian people. The bomber surely caused a moment of malevolent satisfaction among the oppressed Palestinians...

It's a comforting thought that God will not place a burden on us that we can't carry. Paul put it this way, ...and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with...

Then Pilate took Jesus and had Him flogged. - John 19:1. When I try to imagine the reality of these words, I become indignant. What impudence, what arrogance, what monumental ignorance for a godless petty...

For the Jews, circumcision was a rite of passage that permitted them to claim all of the promises made to God's chosen people (Genesis 17:11-14). From Abraham to Jesus, every Jew was required to undergo...

The other day I found myself all in a flux over retirement. It seems that my pension wasn't what it was supposed to be. Investment specialists reminded me over the radio, through the mail, even at lectureships...

Recently, a research team studied the profiles of one hundred people who had scored highest on testing that measured personal happiness. Of all the traits among these successful, stable and highly content...

They said computers would simplify our lives. They didn't tell us that this would only happen if we kept up with the software upgrades. Seriously though, haven't you noticed that it's getting more and...

I never do enough. I mean that as a parent or husband or minister, I never do everything that needs to be done or ought to be done. Even though the basics get covered and I manage to get enough done to...

One day you pick up a box or a book and "snap", you join the legions of back pain sufferers. I experienced the usual therapy and advice from my doctor who said, "manage the pain as best you can". This...