“With all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, making every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace” (Ephesians 4:2-3, New English Translation). Humans can be exasperating at times. Other people, that is, not me. I’m levelheaded, reasonable, even-tempered. Oh,…
“For the Lord disciplines the one he loves and punishes every son he receives” (Romans 12:6, Christian Standard Bible). It was a bright, sunny Saturday morning, and a friend and I were on vacation at a beautiful spot near the shore. What better way to start our morning than to…
“Then He said to them, ‘Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men’” (Matthew 4:19, New King James Version). Have you ever wondered what it would have been like to live at the same time as Jesus? I have. Sometimes as I read the Bible, I try to…
“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth” (Acts 1:8, English Standard Version). I sat in my usual pew on a recent Sunday morning,…
“The oppressed and the poor look for water, but there is none; their tongues are parched from thirst. I, the LORD, will respond to their prayers; I, the God of Israel, will not abandon them. I will make streams flow down the slopes and produce springs in the middle of…
“For He knows our frame; He remembers that we are dust” (Psalm 103:14, New King James Version). My friend trusted me with her secret. Because of a family emergency, she left town suddenly. In her rush, she needed someone to pack her apartment so her things could be shipped. She had…
“The righteous person is cautious in his friendship, but the way of the wicked leads them astray” (Proverbs 12:26, New English Translation). I just watched my friend walk to her car and head toward home. Last night I hugged another friend goodbye before she left town. The three of us…
“So then, whenever we have an opportunity, let us do good to all people, and especially to those who belong to the family of faith” (Galatians 6:10, New English Translation). November 13 of each year is celebrated as World Kindness Day. Although it has “world” in the title, only certain…
“You ought to say instead, ‘If the Lord is willing, then we will live and do this or that.’” (James 4:15, New English Translation). A good friend and I live about fifty miles apart. It’s not a great distance, but meeting for lunch requires extra planning. We don’t just run…