A Chance
“How could anyone abandon their baby?” my friend asked. We had just heard another sad account of an infant being discovered in a public restroom. This story, at least, had a happy ending—the baby was okay.
let go!
As the story goes, a man was hiking alone when he slipped and fell down a steep cliff. In desperation, he grabbed a tree limb and began shouting for help. Finally, he heard a booming voice answer, “Yes, I’m here.” The hiker was elated. “Who are you?” “It’s the Lord.” “Oh, thank you, Lord!” the hiker gasped. “What do you want me to do?” “Let go.” The terrified hiker couldn’t release the only security he thought he had, so finally he meekly asked, “Is there anyone else up there?” Life is tough. Circumstances often seem unfair, and there are times when we feel close to death. It’s usually in the midst of these moments of desperation that God urges us to “let go” of our feeble solutions and trust Him. In 2 Corinthians 1:8-11, Paul shares an intimate account of the difficult time he had in Asia and of how he felt close to death. He also reminds his readers, however, that God is our source of comfort and that we can use our growth through trials to help others (2 Corinthians 1:3-6).
the sustaining Word
Nine weeks into my first pregnancy, I started bleeding. The fear of losing our baby gripped my heart so tightly that I could barely breathe. That night, as I frantically searched the Scriptures to find some comfort, I opened my Bible to Genesis 26:24 (MSG): “That very night God appeared to him and said, I am the God of Abraham your father; don’t fear a thing because I’m with you. I’ll bless you and make your children flourish.” These few words calmed my panicked heart, and I slept peacefully.
we've got answers
While in college, I volunteered at a center that provided emergency housing assistance. One winter day, a distraught woman called to complain about her negligent landlord. She couldn’t stay in her rental home because of severe maintenance problems. In a panic, she asked what she could do to care for her children in the cold weather. I gave the standard…
the God who sees
Personal Locator Beacons (PLB) are distress devices built for people involved in land-based outdoor activities. They transmit radio signals that are detected by 12 Earth-orbiting satellites. The satellites relay signals to ground stations that process and determine the beacon location and to whom it belongs. The information is then relayed to search and rescue (SAR).
As useful as this device…
