For many of us who have been raised in the cities and suburbs of North America, autumn is about warm soup, brisk walks, colorful foliage, and hoping the winter snow will be manageable. But for those who have been raised in farm country, fall is the season of the harvest. In much of the world, and for most of human history, a good harvest means being able to provide for the family for another year. [...]
One of my favorite stories in the Old Testament takes place in Exodus when Moses has been leading God’s people through the wilderness. While Moses is away on Mount Sinai, the people rebel against God and compel Aaron to create for them an idol to worship – like they had when they were slaves in Egypt. After Moses comes down from the mountain and deals with the rebellion, Moses and God have a conversation. God [...]
If you have heard the story of the prophet, Jonah, you will probably immediately think of how he was swallowed by a whale. The story goes that God sent Jonah to the great city of Nineveh to warn the people that He would send destruction upon them because of their wickedness. But instead of doing what God had commanded, Jonah ran away. He boarded a ship headed in the opposite direction. God sent a great [...]
Have you ever had the experience of expecting things to turn out one way, but when it comes to it, it turns out to be very different from what you expected? Maybe it was a person. Someone you didn’t really know very well, or someone you had never actually met, but you knew about them. Somehow you had it all worked out in your mind exactly what they were like. But then, when you finally [...]
Though the LORD is great, he cares for the humble, but he keeps his distance from the proud. (Psalm 138:6 NLT) Did you ever wonder why God favors those who are humble? Both James and Peter are referring to this verse in the Psalms when they write, “God is opposed to the proud, but gives grace to the humble.” (James 4:6, 1Peter 5:5) Does God get satisfaction from seeing people tremble in fear at His [...]
Have you ever felt like you didn’t deserve God’s grace? Well, that’s kind of the point. Grace is not something you deserve. In fact, the whole point of grace is that it blesses you with goodness and kindness that you do not deserve and have not earned. It is integral to the nature of God to be gracious. By His grace, God showers His people with mercy and compassion and lovingkindness. In fact, He bestows [...]
O give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; For His lovingkindness is everlasting. (1 Chronicles 16:34) Where does one begin to declare the goodness of the Lord God? Can you imagine pure goodness, untainted by selfishness or evil in even the slightest degree? Can you imagine a God who is wholly good in all that He does, in His every plan and purpose, in every motivation of His heart, in every gift that [...]
Oh, what a glorious thing to be forgiven! To no longer carry the guilt of your sins! God’s willingness to forgive all who come to Him in true humility and repentance is an amazing thing. But I have found that the forgiveness of God is often misunderstood. On the one hand, there is nothing you or I can do to earn forgiveness from God. We receive God’s forgiveness based on what Jesus did on our [...]
The three-in-one or trinitarian nature of God is perhaps one of the most difficult concepts to grasp when we contemplate the nature of God. But when we begin to understand this very foundational facet of His nature, we also gain insights into our relationship with Him and with one other. I have found that the trinitarian nature of God explains the why of many things. What do we mean by the Trinity? Sometimes people seem [...]
Unless you have studied European Renaissance Literature, you may not know the name of John Donne. John Donne was born into a Catholic family in England in 1572. That may not seem significant to you, but due to laws previously passed by Queen Elizabeth I, anyone not faithfully attending the Church of England in those days was subject to fines, confiscation of property or imprisonment. In 1601, John Donne secretly married Anne More, grand-niece of [...]
