For as long as I can remember, I have been mesmerized by the night’s sky; star-struck in the truest sense. I bought my own telescope when I was 20 years old, and was even part of an astronomy club at one point in my life. When I drive in the country and see the Milky Way above me, I feel the grandeur of God and am in awe of His vastness. He is so great, and yet, chooses to care for each one of us with such tender care. Genesis 1:16 states, “And God made two great lights; the greater…
“Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.” (Matthew 5:48) Perfection. When I say the word, another quickly comes to mind: impossible. While I may be blind to some of my faults, I recognize enough of my shortcomings to realize that I am a long way from achieving perfection. That realization causes me to wonder if God is commanding me to be something that may be impossible to achieve. THE KEY TO PERFECTION Perfection does not come from our own efforts. It is not within our power to attain this alone. Job said, “If I justify myself, mine own mouth shall condemn me: if I say, I am perfect, it shall also prove me perverse” (Job 9:20). Nor did Old Testament law bring perfection. Hebrews 7:19 says, “For the law made nothing perfect, but the bringing in of a better hope did; by the which we draw nigh unto God.” From this we find that the key to perfection is “the better hope.” God’s Spirit operating in our lives gives us the power to grow into His likeness, to take on His flawless character. “For he hath made him to be sin for us,…
“When I am afraid, I put my trust in you.” (Psalm 56:3, ESV) Many people find storms frightening, and rightly so. They can exert tremendous force, resulting in great damage. Those living in coastal areas soon learn the dangers of hurricane season, while those in “tornado alley” keep an eye on the sky. Residents of storm-prone areas learn how to prepare and when to seek safety. Sometimes, however, the storm strikes unexpectedly, catching those in its path unawares. Mark 4:37-39 recounts a time when the disciples were caught in a life-threatening storm. And a great windstorm arose, and the waves beat into the boat, so that it was already filling. But he was in the stern, asleep on the cushion. And they woke him and said to him, “Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?” And he awoke and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, “Peace! Be still!” And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm. (ESV) STORMS CAN BRING FEAR Storms are noisy. The roar of thunder and raging winds cause us to fear. The disciples had sailed those same waters much of their lives, yet they became fearful as the storm’s fury erupted. They…
And Jesus said to him, “What do you want me to do for you?” And the blind man said to him, “Rabbi, let me recover my sight.” And Jesus said to him, “Go your way; your faith has made you well.” And immediately he recovered his sight and followed him on the way. (Mark 10:51-52, ESV) The beggar’s story The beggar sitting in the roadside dust was blind, but he heard the noise of a crowd approaching. When he asked what was happening, someone nearby told him, “It’s Jesus of Nazareth,” That was a name Bartimaeus recognized and he desperately began calling out for…
“When the Israelites set up camp, each tribe will be assigned its own area. The tribal divisions will camp beneath their family banners on all four sides of the Tabernacle, but at some distance from it.” (Numbers 2:2, NLT) In my Bible reading, one of the things I have noticed is the precision, the attention to detail, in everything God does. The pieces all fit together in a well-designed and orderly plan. Every element matters. We see an example of this in Numbers 2. There is nothing haphazard or random in the way God instructed the Israelites to set up their camp in the wilderness. There was absolute order. ORDER IN THE CAMP The Tabernacle, or Tent of Meeting, was always placed in the center of the camp. This strange-looking structure, made of skins and without outward beauty, contained wonderfully fashioned items of pure gold on the inside. Each tribe of Israel had an assigned place to pitch their tents around the Tabernacle. There were three tribes on each side. On the east were Judah, Issachar, and Zebulun. The three tribes on the south side were Reuben, Simeon, and Gad. On the west were Ephraim and Manasseh (the two sons of…
“Behold, the days come saith the Lord God, that I will send a famine in the land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the Lord” (Amos 8:11). Each year millions die from hunger and malnutrition. While most of us are not personally affected by it, we have seen photos and heard stories of extreme conditions in many parts of the world. There are numerous causes including poverty, war, natural disasters, and political instability. It’s difficult for those of us who have ample food to comprehend these extreme conditions. The statistics are heartbreaking. Available but Ignored But what is described in Amos 8 is not a shortage of food. It’s a famine of hearing the Word of God. How do we comprehend that, especially those of us who are blessed with religious freedom and who often own numerous Bibles? (Have you counted those in your home—four, eight, a dozen or more?) God’s Word is also found on numerous Bible apps and can be read in many languages. Yet most of those Bibles remain unread. A famine of the Word really does exist today, but this famine is not caused by scarcity.…