Today we celebrate the life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.—a man who had a gift to make his dream of equality among every person, regardless of someone’s skin color, age, or gender. Proverbs 18:16 says, “A man’s gift maketh room for him, and bringeth him before great men.” Dr.…
“He is not afraid of bad news; his heart is firm, trusting in the LORD.” (Psalm 112:7, ESV) Recently, a family in my church lost everything in a tragic house fire. Thankfully, all escaped unharmed. I’ve known others who have experienced tornadoes, hurricanes, or other natural disasters. These victims often…
“The ark of the LORD remained in the house of Obed-Edom the Gittite three months. And the LORD blessed Obed-Edom and all his household.” (II Samuel 6:11, NKJV) While reading II Samuel 6, I became caught up in the story of Obed-Edom and his family who unexpectedly found themselves as keepers of…
“I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have in tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33, ESV) We do not live in a peaceful world—far from it. At this very moment, numerous places are…
“And they shouted it with a loud voice in the language of Judah to the people of Jerusalem who were on the wall, to frighten and terrify them, in order that they might take the city.” (II Chronicles 32:18, ESV) Once again Jerusalem was surrounded by her enemies. An emissary…
“I delight to do Your will, O my God, and Your law is within my heart.” (Psalm 40:8, ESV) I think most of us would quickly agree that God has a plan for each of our lives. We are born with a purpose. In Jeremiah 1:5, the Lord told the prophet,…
“And you shall remember the whole way that the LORD your God has led you these forty years in the wilderness, that he might humble you, testing you to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep his commandments or not.” (Deuteronomy 8:2, ESV) Wilderness. The very word sounds…
“Never before had there been a king like Josiah, who turned to the Lord with all his heart and soul and strength, obeying all the laws of Moses. And there has never been a king like him since.” 2 Kings 23:25 Josiah was eight years old when he became king and…
“Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing.” (I Thessalonians 5:11, ESV) Joses, whom his fellow believers called Barnabas, was an encourager. That’s how he obtained his nickname. Barnabas means “son of encouragement.” He was the kind of person we would all appreciate having as…