Man was designed for friendship–with God and with other people. In the beginning, these friendships would have been based on upon total trust and fidelity. Think of the wonder of the whole planet being united in dependence, submission, relationship and purpose. That would be nothing short of joy on the earth. But as you know, because of the Fall, we will have to wait for heaven to see that reality fully worked out. We see only glimpses now of what could have been in our human relationships, and we live with the reality of just how tragic and destructive human relationships have become. Despite these obstacles, people are still looking for friendship. But without God, friendship is sought for selfish […]
Monthly Archives: August 2017
12 posts
A few days ago a tropical storm weakened as it approached the coast of the Yucatan Peninsula. But when the system reemerged into the Gulf of Mexico it began to move towards the coast of Texas and grew quickly into a powerful category 4 hurricane named Harvey. Do not allow the public media to deceive you into thinking that mythical Mother Nature birthed Harvey. This storm is not merely the random result of an intense area of low pressure coincidentally interacting with 2 high pressure centers that will potentially result in portions of the Texas coast receiving over 30” of rain, destructive winds and storm surges. Mother Nature has nothing to do with Harvey! This is the work of the […]
Proverbs commends the excellence of wisdom. This is no secret! But familiarity too often breeds neglect—if not contempt. It is helpful to stop for a moment to consider what the pursuit of wisdom looks like today. To set the stage, here are some basics about wisdom: No one is born wise. Therefore, the first prerequisite for being wise is to come to a saving relationship with Christ. If one is to be wise, it must come from a diligent and relentless pursuit of wisdom. The pursuit of wisdom is not natural or easy. Biblical wisdom is unlike anything that can be achieved by human effort. Your children will be dominated by foolishness unless they desire and pursue wisdom above all […]
NASA says that there are at least 2 or 3 eclipses of the sun every year and 2 total eclipses every 3 years. But this one is huge because so many people will be in the path of totality as it crosses the United States. What are you to make of this cosmic display? Beyond the unique setting and the wonder of the eclipse, the most important story that this eclipse tells is God’s story. God asks Job a question that at once reveals Job’s limitations and God’s infinite power: Where does light come from, and where does darkness go? Can you take each to its home? Do you know how to get there? (Job 38:19-20) This is a profound […]
Do your children feel led or pushed? Are you as a parent dominated by love or frustration? The two questions are tightly connected. Leading is born out of love and pushing is born out of frustration. As parents we may tell our children that we demand obedience and speak sharply because we love them and only want the best for them. Most likely our children are not buying this explanation. It feels to them as if they are being manipulated into doing what mom and dad want. But God has better way. Proverbs 16:20-21 calls it pleasant words. Whoever gives heed to instruction prospers, and blessed is he who trusts in the Lord. 21 The wise in heart are called […]
Solomon makes an important observation about your facial expressions. Yes, words matter. They must be used with skill and grace. But you have other significant ways that you communicate with your children. One of them is by your countenance. Positively or negatively, the look on your face makes a difference. Proverbs 16:15 describes it this way: In the light of a king’s face there is life, and his favor is like the clouds that bring the spring rain. In countries ruled by kings, a king’s smile was a big deal. A king had absolute authority. He literally had the power of life and death. So, the smile of the king was a welcome sight to his subjects. In Israel if […]
The gospel is about grace; school is about performance. The gospel is about receiving compassion; school is about earning grades. The gospel is about resting in the power of Christ in failure; school is about trying to avoid the shame of failure. The gospel is about acceptance in Christ regardless of performance; school is about gaining acceptance because of performance. Skilled and loving teachers and parents will work hard to bridge the gap illustrated by these comparisons. However, it is important to grasp that no matter how sincere one’s efforts may be, children can easily think that performance is more important than the gospel. There is a biblical balance to be deployed when considering the tension between the gospel and […]
There are times when we think we have God figured out. Then he does the unexpected. God follows his own counsel, not our dreams or longings or expectations. There is a huge mercy to be found in trusting the God of perplexity. A person who has followed God faithfully becomes terminally ill. A teenager struggling with life and her faith, becomes chronically sick. You can faithfully know and embrace sound theology and wind up not being able to make any sense out of what God is doing. The bottom line is that the time will come when you and I will have problems with God’s ways. He will be the God of perplexity. For example, Abraham had taken God at […]
Anger and joy are not directly connected to circumstances. They are directly connected to your understanding of God’s faithfulness to you. Joy and anger are choices. Good or bad circumstances by themselves are not reason for joy or anger. If I think a circumstance is bad or unfair, I may become angry. But this is a choice I am making. I could just as easily choose to return good for evil instead of becoming angry. I could also choose to be joyful because I know that evil will not defeat God’s purposes and that I can trust him to bring good even from the worst circumstances. Joy is part of the Holy Spirit’s fruit. That fruit is not connected to […]
Solomon did not have a web page. He didn’t blog. He didn’t tweet. He wasn’t on on Snap Chat or Instagram. But he can still help you navigate the seas of social media. Here are three important terms to know when using the internet: Verify, Verify, Verify! In the world of social media, little is as it seems. You must verify that what you read and see is not just a half-truth or flat-out deception. Proverbs 18:17 says: The first to present his case in a dispute seems right, until his opponent comes and cross examines him. It is easy to accept texts, tweets, posts, emails, etc., at face value. Don’t! This isn’t cynical, but just realizing that the Bible […]