A feeling of finality came over me as I thumbed through, then closed my 2016 monthly planner. December 31. Another year ended . . . By the grace of God it had been a good year, despite some unexpected challenges and changes. He had seen us through. We are grateful. As I open my new 2017 calendar I pause to admire its clean pages. Each one an empty slate, soon to be filled in with day-to-day happenings, appointments, and special occasions. A new year brings hope. A sense of new beginnings. A time to redefine goals and sharpen our focus…
Nothing is as satisfying as a good meal when you’re hungry. Most of us are blessed to have full refrigerators and stocked pantries. It’s easy to grab a snack any time of the day the stomach growls. But what about spiritual hunger? Jesus said if we believe on Him and go to Him we would never go hungry, for He is the “bread of life.” “And Jesus said to them, ‘I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst.’” (John 6:35) Any time we find ourselves…
When circumstances threaten to swallow us up with despair, will we be pulled under, or rise above? The answer lies largely in how we’ve been training. It’s the training in peacetime that prepares a soldier for when the battle rages. Does he stand in the front lines of combat without knowing how to use his weapons? Of course not! Why should we expect to be strong and prepared spiritually, if we haven’t been devoting time to “training”? Ephesians 6:12 gives us the crucial reminder that the “fight” we’re in is not person against person, but spiritual. Life is a spiritual…
Last summer I had the joy of sitting in a class at the Montrose Christian Writers Conference taught by James Watkins. I immediately sensed him as a man who deeply loves the Lord and desires to live for Him. This month I’ve been enjoying a new book compiled and edited by Watkins called The Imitation of Christ: Classic Devotions in Today’s Language by Thomas à Kempis. For five hundred years à Kempis’ devotional classic has brought wisdom and comfort to millions of readers in over fifty languages—second only to the Bible in sales! Watkins’ new paraphrased version has “modern and inclusive language…
With holiday time in full swing, it’s interesting to consider the traditions associated with Christmas. What do decorated trees and wreaths, yule logs, Santa Claus, Christmas cookies, and jingle bells have to do with the birth of Christ? Answer: Nothing! What does December 25 have to do with the birth of Jesus Christ? Answer: Nothing! Research reveals that Jesus was actually born in the fall of the year. Almost all the customs of Christmas stem from ancient pagan festivals honoring other gods, and didn’t begin until some 300 years after Christ’s death. And although the Bible records details about the…
