A very elderly man was trying to buy alcohol at a gas station. The clerk asked for his ID. The man gasped in frustration, “Do you want to know my blood type, too!” The patient clerk pointed over to a man standing behind the counter—“That’s my manager standing right there. He won’t let me sell it without ID.” The manager…
I don’t remember how old I was the first time that I saw a graveyard on church property, but I remember being struck by the proximity of graves being side-by-side with a church building. There is certainly nothing wrong with it, but it was different than what I had known growing up. As I’ve gotten older,…
Jamie Owens-Collins penned some very meaningful hymn lyrics—meaningful to worshipers of all ages. It is a favorite song of many children, and the words ought to be a favorite of every adult. The beginning of the third verse comes to mind when reading about King Jehoshaphat in 2 Chronicles 20. Jehoshaphat was king of the southern kingdom of Judah for 25 years…
In our modern, flex-my-rights, you-can’t-tell-me-what-to-do, just-stay-out-of-my-way, I-know-better-than-you society, we don’t like the word “submit,” but we need to know what God has to say about that word, since He can tell me what to do and does know better than me! We like the idea that God’s enemies should “submit” to Him (Psa. 66:3; cf.…
Most Bible translations have a superscription at the beginning of Psalm 102 that reads something like this: “A Prayer of the afflicted, when he is overwhelmed and pours out his complaint before the Lord.” The psalmist truly does pour his complaint to the Lord in this psalm, but I want you to see His confidence, His…
When we pray for God to build a hedge around our families, does the Bible tell us anything about God’s activity in that regard? Jesus told a parable about a “certain landowner” (representing God) who “planted a vineyard and set a hedge around it” (Matt. 21:33) for protection. God protects His people like a hedge (cf. Job 1:10)—which is the point at…
Three times in Psalm 37, David calls upon followers of God, “Do not fret.” “Do not fret because of evildoers” (37:1). “Do not fret because of him who prospers in the way” (37:7). “Cease from anger, and forsake wrath; Do not fret” (37:8). The choices of others and their negative impact on us can often distract us, discourage us…
Is your storage room at home or your utility room or your garage like mine? Do you have a bunch of tools in it? Maybe some new ones and definitely some old ones? Maybe even some that you don’t know exactly what they do, but you have them? Yet, if you don’t use the tools, they cannot benefit…