“A bruised reed shall He not break, and the smoking flax shall He not quench; He shall bring forth judgment unto truth.” Isaiah 42:3 I love camping. There’s nothing quite like building a fire, roasting marshmallows, and creating the perfect ooey, gooey s’more—one that somehow still manages to drip chocolate down your wrist no matter how careful you are. But the real test of the fire comes in the morning. You wake up cold. Your bones ache. You unzip the tent, already dreaming of warmth, and walk over to the fire pit… only to find a sad pile of gray ash. No flames. No crackle. Just the remains of what used to be an all-consuming fire. It looks like all hope is lost. But if you’ve ever camped before, you know better. When you begin to stir the ashes, you’ll often discover red-hot embers still glowing underneath. The fire didn’t die—it just went quiet. Add a little kindling, blow gently, fan the flame, and suddenly that fire is alive again. That’s how it can feel in our walk with God. Some of you may feel cast aside, worn down, or like your spiritual fire has burned out completely. Maybe life…

“No one after lighting a lamp covers it with a jar or puts it under a bed, but puts it on a stand, so that those who enter may see the light.” (Luke 8:16, ESV) I like light. If you walk through my home, you will notice several lamps in each room. I also have plug-in nightlights, lights on timers, flashlights, and even rechargeable lights in case the electricity goes out. Outside I have motion lights and other lights on timers. I even take a nightlight when I travel. Without light, I’m apt to stumble in the dark. I feel much safer when there is light. A few months ago, a severe storm disrupted the power in several neighborhoods, including mine. For two days, I was without electricity. At night, I sat in the dark with one small oil lamp providing a little light. The flashlight batteries were weak, and the beam didn’t reach far. Hours later, learning of my predicament, friends brought some rechargeable lightbulbs. What a difference they made! The light was much stronger! LIGHT IS ESSENTIAL Light is important to our existence because light is life-sustaining. We have life on earth because we have the light and…

“Love is patient and kind . . . . “  (I Corinthians 13:4, ESV) The holiday season can be stressful. We’ve got places to go, things to do, and not much time to fit it all in. When stores are crowded and lines are slow, patience may be in short supply—mine, yours and everyone else’s. Maybe it’s time to pause, take a deep breath, and look at those around us. We never know the pressure and worries others may be going through. Let me tell you about an evening I once shared with a group of friends. We were celebrating a birthday and were looking forward to a nice time together. when things go wrong When we arrived at the restaurant, the hostess seated us. Then we waited. Eventually a waitress came and asked about our beverages. We waited. Our food orders were eventually taken. We waited longer. The food finally came—but was lukewarm. It had waited somewhere too. What was to have been a fun birthday celebration became an evening of endurance. But we were in a relaxed mood and decided to catch up on news and forget the poor service. No one even mentioned the cold food. At…

And the Lord said to him, “Rise and go to the street called Straight, and at the house of Judas look for a man of Tarsus named Saul, for behold, he is praying . . . But Ananias answered, “Lord, I have heard from many about this man, how much evil he has done to your saints at Jerusalem.” (Acts 9:11-13, ESV) Saul, the fierce persecutor of the early church, was on a mission. He was on his way to Damascus to hunt down more Christians, but his plans went awry as he traveled toward that city. Suddenly a bright light and a Voice stopped him there on the road. When Saul asked, “Lord, what do You want me to do,” he was instructed to go into the city and wait for a visit. Someone who would tell him what to do. It’s a familiar story to most of us. GOD’S MESSENGER The man God chose to reach out to Saul was Ananias, a disciple in the Damascus church. But who was this man? From the few details we find in Acts, Ananias was an ordinary man tapped by God to fulfill an unusual mission. Except for a brief description…