“And as soon as those bearing the ark had come as far as the Jordan, and the feet of the priests bearing the ark were dipped in the brink of the water (now the Jordan overflows all its banks throughout the time of harvest), the waters coming down from above stood and rose up in a heap . . .” (Joshua 3:15-16, ESV). The trip should never have taken that long. Not at all! The journey from Egypt to the Promised Land that should have been eleven days had stretched into four decades of wilderness living. (Read Deuteronomy 1:2-3.) The…
“And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men.” (Colossians 3:23, NKJV) Have you even known someone who seemed to do just enough to get by? No more, no less, just the bare minimum. It happens. A student does only enough to pass the course. An employee fakes busyness but produces little work. We even find them within the church. They show up, sit in the same pew week after week, and then disappear until the following Sunday. There is little actual involvement in the mission of the church. A SPIRIT OF EXCELLENCE As I thought about some of my favorite Bible characters, I realized the common quality displayed in each of their lives was a spirit of excellence. Joseph may have been sold as a slave in Egypt, but he showed diligence in everything he did. Daniel was taken as a captive to Babylon, but he never compromised his integrity. Because of his excellent spirit, he advanced to a high government position. Jeremiah, the prophet, suffered at the hands of his own countrymen, but he never allowed their actions deter him. He stayed true to God’s calling. These, as well as many others…
“If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him.” (James 1:5, ESV) In II Chronicles chapter 1, we read of the newly crowned king of Israel. The man was Solomon, son of King David, and the weight of his new responsibilities lay heavy upon his shoulder. The Lord appeared to Solomon in a dream and said to ask for whatever he desired. How Solomon responded says much about his character. He could have responded in so many different ways—requesting wealth, honor, success, or more. But instead, he only asked for wisdom and knowledge. “Give me now wisdom and knowledge to go out and come in before this people, for who can govern this people of yours, which is so great?” (II Chronicles 1:10, ESV) Solomon’s answer pleased the Lord. Because he desired wisdom over worldly success, God blessed Solomon with many of the things he could have requested but did not. Solomon recognized his greatest need was godly wisdom to lead the nation. “Because this was in your heart, and you have not asked for possessions, wealth, honor, or the life of those who hate you,…
“Wickedness never brings stability, but the godly have deep roots.” (Proverbs 12:3, NLT) Several homes in my neighborhood, including mine, have very tall and very old trees. When the area was developed, the builder saved these beautiful old trees, and I’m glad. Someone had also planted a small, decorative tree in my front yard. It produced lovely blooms in the spring, but it had shallow roots. A storm damaged that small tree, and I had to remove it. It was too weak to survive. However, the large old tree with deep roots still stands. Oh, it may lose a dead…
“Show hospitality to one another without grumbling.” (I Peter 4:9, ESV) My mother loved having guests for dinner. She was an old-fashioned country-style cook, and the table would overflow with good things to eat. Like most children, I knew how to embarrass my parents without even trying. This incident happened when I was probably about four or five years old. Once again, Mom had invited guests for Sunday dinner. I had this hospitality thing all figured out, so I took it upon myself to offer our guests a helpful little tip. I thoughtfully explained to them, “We had you to dinner today, so it’s your turn to have us come to your house.” This was NOT something I’d overheard Mom say and was then repeating! My brilliant little mind just decided that if we do something nice for you, then you owe us back. I suspect some might have that same attitude today. THE MEANING OF HOSPITALITY Luke 14 tells of a time when Jesus ate the Sabbath meal in the home of a Pharisee. The parable He told them that day taught the true meaning of hospitality. It isn’t about position and power. It is about kindness and love.…
“No human wisdom or understanding or plan can stand against the Lord.” Proverbs 21:30 We like to make plans. Our schedules are always filled with upcoming events, birthday parties, soccer games, etc. We like to do the same thing when it comes to our spiritual lives, always chasing the next big thing and pursuing dreams that perhaps aren’t meant to be. No plan can stand against our Lord, and we must learn the art of patience when it comes to the will of God for our lives. Do you struggle with this as much as I do? I don’t like to slow down or have curveballs thrown my way. I want to keep moving forward and to feel like I’m accomplishing something. Patience is key, and learning to be still can benefit our ministries immensely. Being still doesn’t mean doing nothing; rather, it means to keep pressing on but not stepping outside of His will. God has called me to certain things and avenues of ministry, but they aren’t meant to be for right NOW. So I will work at what I can – teaching Sunday school, worship leading, serving the church, and being a helping hand to my pastor…