Providence, Rhode Island; Providence Hospital; the hand of Providence — all these are just some of the ways the word providence intersects our culture. It is a familiar word that has lost its meaning. Today providence has been replaced by the word “news.” Webster’s Dictionary defines providence as: “God conceived as the power sustaining and guiding human destiny.” Western culture no longer sees God as the One who shapes and controls the events of each day. Today we call Providence, news. This shift leads to public cynicism and discouragement. News stories are reported as random events. Paul reminded the pundits on Mars Hill that it is God who is in control of life’s events, even to the point of determining […]
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Communication is part of everyday life. Perhaps nothing else brings such a combination of joy and frustration than the way we communicate with each other. Here are some biblical guidelines to make your commutation more productive and effective. Check your Heart Attitude: Consider others more important than yourself. Philippians 2:3-5 Let love be in control: Love is patient, love is kind. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. It always protects, always trusts. From 1 Cor. 13:4-7 This passage is not a test to apply to your spouse as a defense, but a reality check for your own heart. Be an Epic Listener: Don’t answer with your words or […]
Josiah became King of Judah when he was eight years old. At the time, Judah could not have been more of a spiritual and cultural disaster. Manasseh and his son, Amon, had just concluded 57 of perverse years of leadership. Manasseh set a new standard of wickedness during his reign and his son, Amon, picked up where his father left off. These were dark, dark times. Amon had been king just two years when he was assassinated. Apparently, the people had had enough. They made his young son, Josiah, king. By combining the narratives of Chronicles and Kings we see that even as a teenager, Josiah began to bring reform to a wretched and wicked land. The prophetess Huldah provides […]
The sky displays the glory of God. You can see the amazing power of God in the sky each day. But most of us are too busy to take much notice of the daily display of the glory of God. Vacations are more likely opportunities to notice the work of God above. But what about Monday morning? What about today? Moms, Dads, kids, teenagers—all of us will be encouraged if we will just look at the power of God on display above us. This day and every day God declares his majesty in the skies. Psalm 19:1 tells us this is so: The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. The photo in […]
It is easy to get drawn into the negative side of social media. But it doesn’t have to be that way. Here are some positive guidelines to avoid the negatives and thus benefit from your use of social media. Social media is like the rest of life, exercising wisdom is always essential. When you post: use good judgment, use biblical restraint, do avoid gossip, do speak only what is good and building, do show genuine care for others, remember many people you don’t know may read your words, and do have courage to speak truth. When you view or respond to posts: be patient, show love not irritation, show kindness, don’t bully or mock, determine not to be judgmental, and […]
Humans always seem to have a better way. If there is a law, there has to be a way around it. If there is a barrier, it must be broken. If there is a plan, an alternative must be found. This pretty much sums up human history. In the garden there were only two trees in all of creation that were off limits. So, Satan had a better way and tempted Eve with the injustice of such an unfair restriction. Abel honored God in a way than Cain did not. The obvious solution, follow Abel’s example. Cain’s solution: kill Abel. God commanded that men should spread out across the earth and have dominion over it. The folks at Babel didn’t […]
“I’m sorry” or “please forgive me” — does it make a difference? Aren’t they just two different ways of saying the same thing? Not really. “I’m sorry” can lead to regret, which leads to enslavement. “Please forgive me” leads to repentance, which leads to freedom. Saying I’m sorry doesn’t really require a change of heart. For example, one child takes another child’s toy truck without permission. He is caught in the act. He is told to go to his brother, give the toy back and say he is sorry. He does this, but inside he is still unhappy he doesn’t have the toy. His brother, on the other hand, is happy to have the toy back, but he is upset […]
Every August the debris from a comet enters into the earth’s atmosphere producing a spectacular light show. The debris appears to come from the constellation Perseus, so this meteor shower is called the Perseids. Meteor showers speak of reality beyond the air that we breathe, realities far beyond human control. The streaking beauty across the night sky speaks to the magnificence of God’s creation. But not all acknowledge that it is the hand of God that hurls these lights before our eyes. Instead of bowing before the awesome power of God, random chance or some set of arbitrarily selected laws of science is given the credit. Of course there are advantages to denying God’s presence and his control of the […]
School has started. School is about performance. Report cards and grades are the measure of success. There are tests to be taken and teams to tryout for. But evaluating performance is not the true measure of a child’s worth. No child can bear the weight of thinking he has to measure up to a standard in order to be appreciated and have worth. Academic pursuits are not a true measure of worth. Neither is academic excellence. Do your children know this? Do you believe this? It is one thing to say that your children are a blessing to you and that you delight in them. It is another for them to actually believe this. Don’t misunderstand, failing to discipline and […]
Looking out onto my back lawn the sun is shining brightly and deep rumbles of thunder mix in with the sound of falling rain. Rain, sun and thunder. Each has valuable lessons to teach you and your children about how the world works. Paul told people in Lystra who were trying to offer sacrifices to him and Barnabas about the God that they were neglecting to worship. He told them that the God that he served had shown his kindness to them in ways that made the difference in their everyday lives. He brought them the rain and sun-light to grow their crops so that they would have food to eat. Often we take the rain for granted except when […]