obsession
Return me to the cross
and let me be completely lost
in the wonder of the love
that You’ve shown me.
This is everything I want.
This is everything I need.
I want this to be
my one consuming passion,
everything my heart desires.
Lord, I want it all to be
for You, Jesus.
Be my magnificent obsession.
These lyrics…
persistence
It was Henry Wadsworth Longfellow who said, “Perseverance is a great element of success. If you knock long enough and loud enough at the gate, you are sure to wake up somebody.” I don’t know if Longfellow had the persistent widow in mind when he wrote those words, but I believe he’s right.
In Singapore, where I live, 85 percent…
a destructive god
There are two essential spiritual truths that we ignore at our peril. The first is that a variety of “gods” seek our allegiance. The second is that we take on the qualities of the gods we worship. Jesus described money as one of these alternative gods, and the secular world is now telling us how worshiping this god affects us.…
blessings on the mourners
A man with whom I attended college committed suicide recently. He killed himself on the 3-year anniversary of the day his wife died. He left behind a video in which he told how heartbroken he had been and of the many ways he had attempted to assuage his sorrow. I’m sad for my friend. I’m sorry for his pain and…
highly contagious
I rolled up my sleeve and looked away. The injection of immunoglobulin was going to sting, and I knew it. I knew, however, that it could prevent a battle with Hepatitis A. One of my family members had been exposed to the highly contagious disease—which karate- kicks the liver—and health authorities had recommended vaccinations for everyone in my household.
There’s…
you choose Q: do our problems always occur for God's glory?
Q: We read of Paul’s thorn-in-the-flesh in 2 Corinthians 12:7-10. Does the apostle Paul mean that whenever a born-again Christian experiences a problem (e.g sickness), that it is to the glory of God? —Michael
A: We live in a sinful and fallen world. Sickness, suffering, and pain are very much a direct and indirect consequence of sin (Genesis 3:17-19, 4:11-12;…
reversal
The Erie County Correctional Facility recently experienced a role reversal in guard-inmate relations. It took place when an inmate broke up a fight between two correctional officers who were fighting over a bag of potato chips!
For many years, storytellers and audiences have enjoyed stories that include reversals—tales that follow characters from one extreme to the other. The Bible is…
rejoicing in thorns
Amy McDonaugh, a 34-year-old mother of three who is completely blind in her right eye and has severely impaired vision in her left eye, fought off 1,775 competitors to win the Flying Pig Marathon—a popular and enjoyable race. Participating in only her fourth contest, McDonaugh not only beat her fellow runners, but she also showed that her physical challenge would…
God has been there
Psalms 139:7-10: I can never escape from Your Spirit! I can never get away from Your presence! If I go up to heaven, You are there; if I go down to the grave, You are there. If I ride the wings of the morning, if I dwell by the farthest oceans, even there Your hand will guide me, and Your…
dark night
There’s something about the twenties that causes some of us to experience a dark night of the soul. Maybe it’s dealing with stuff from our past or the uncertainty of the future. Oswald Chambers, author of the bestselling devotional My Utmost for His Highest, fell into a deep darkness during his twenties.
So did I. For 3 years, I was…
redeeming illness
It’s easy to miss today’s short passage when reading the book of Galatians. We rightly focus on Paul’s important teaching that salvation is a gift from God, and nothing but faith (rather than keeping the Jewish law) is needed in order to receive it. These few verses in chapter 4, however, have a beauty all their own.
It seems that…
June 20, 2011
How do you feel modern psychology and biblical theology function together and how should they not intersect?
Jesus' peace
Matthew 6:25: “That is why I tell you not to worry about everyday life—whether you have enough food and drink, or enough clothes to wear. Isn’t life more than food, and your body more than clothing?”
When you read the writings of Jesus, it won't take long for you to realize that He has a different outlook on life than…
depression and healing
The first time I laid my eyes on my daughter Sophie, I was stunned. So sublime was her beauty that I couldn't believe that she was mine. Also stunned, but for a completely different reason, was my wife Jane. We had planned for three children, and Sophie being the third, this meant that she would never have a son.
Boys…
frantic
I was just a few minutes away from major surgery. Nurses circulated through the room and I was hooked up to all sorts of monitors. Suddenly, a computer screen started blipping wildly. What was happening? Would I be all right? A nurse glanced at the readout and announced that it was monitoring my heart rate.
I needed to calm down! I’m…
