Then the man said, “The woman whom You gave to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I ate.” And the LORD God said to the woman, “What is this you have done?” The woman said, “The serpent deceived me, and I ate.” (Genesis 3:12-13, NKJV) I am always amazed at the number of special days that are commemorated in any given month. This month we can celebrate World Teachers Day, National Mule Day, and Treat Yo’ Self Day—just to name a few of the multitude of special days. If you aren’t all celebrated out by the end of the month, in November you can observe National Deep Fried Clams Day, World Jellyfish Day, and Use Your Common Sense Day. (I like that last one!) However, the one thing we probably all observe, even without realizing it, comes on June 13. It is called Blame Someone Else Day. Human nature being what it is, we learn at a very early age to declare, “Not me. I didn’t do it.” We inherited this trait from many generations back. In the Garden of Eden Adam excused himself to God by saying, “Not me! It’s this woman you gave me. She gave me the fruit…

So he departed from there and found Elisha the son of Shaphat, who was plowing with twelve yoke of oxen in front of him, and he was with the twelfth. Elijah passed by him and cast his cloak upon him. And he returned from following him and took the yoke of oxen and sacrificed them and boiled their flesh with the yokes of the oxen and gave it to the people, and they ate. Then he arose and went after Elijah and assisted him. (I Kings 19:19, 21, ESV) A plow, twelve pairs of oxen, and a cloak. These very different items are all part of the story of two men, Elijah and Elisha. It’s the story of a hated prophet and a farmer. It’s a story about making choices. Elijah was a prophet of the Lord and a man of miracles. He boldly declared to King Ahab  that a drought would come to the land. Later, we see him in a showdown with the prophets of Baal on Mount Carmel. Yet when wicked Queen Jezebel threatened to kill him, he fearfully ran for his life. (Read I Kings 18 and 19.) God instructed Elijah to find Elisha and anoint…

“And I will give you shepherds after my own heart, who will feed you with knowledge and understanding.” (Jeremiah 3:15, ESV) One of my earliest childhood memories is of the little white country church that sat on a hill not far from our home. It’s been many years, and I was only a toddler, but in that memory, I see a tall (to me at least) man who stood behind a modest pulpit and preached the Word. My first pastor. I was blessed to have godly parents who faithfully attended church and instilled in me a love for God. I was doubly blessed because of the God-fearing pastors, including one lady pastor, who nurtured my faith and watched for my soul. Through the years, these pastors baptized me when I was old enough to understand its significance, drove me to rallies and youth camps, involved me in various church ministries, and later sent me off to Bible college. They prayed over me, advised me, and taught me. They believed in me, loved me, and challenged me. As a child growing up, I never really understood the heavy responsibilities a pastor carries. I did not understand the hours spent studying and…

The LORD said, “I will surely return to you about this time next year, and Sarah your wife shall have a son.” And Sarah was listening at the tent door behind him . . . So Sarah laughed to herself, saying, “After I am worn out, and my lord is old, shall I have pleasure?” (Genesis 18:10, 12 ESV) Sarah laughed. There was no sound—only an inner response to the improbable words she heard. She stood just inside her tent, hidden from the view of the visitor talking with her husband Abraham. Have a baby? At ninety years of age? Yes, once her heart had stirred at God’s promise that she would bear a son. But now? Twenty-five years of waiting had eroded her hope. Her silent laughter came not from joy but from doubt and despair. Sarah has many daughters. Our disappointments are most likely different from hers, but the wait seems so long. Months, even years, may have passed since God whispered words of promise to our heart. Now we wonder, “Did He really say … ? Perhaps I misunderstood. Was it my own desire, not His voice?” Proverbs 13:12 tells us that “Hope deferred makes the heart sick,…