May 12, 2017
Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord rises upon you. See, darkness covers the earth and thick darkness is over the peoples, but the Lord rises upon you and his glory appears over you. Nations will come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your dawn. Isaiah 60: 1-3
Our world is increasingly dark. Through the aid of traditional news sources, online and social media, the darkness seems to be growing more dense and pervasive. The result is a climate of Anger. Fear. Hatred. Persecution. Prejudice. Violence. Immorality. Danger. There is a spirit of oppression. Agitation. Uncertainty. As I have pondered the global condition, I’ve wondered if it really is worse than the 1st century A.D. when armies were mobilizing, nations were shifting, the people were cowering, and the men who were leading bordered on the insane… yet held absolute power.
Therefore let everyone who is godly pray to you while you may be found – Psalm 32:6
The Psalmist implies that there comes a time when God cannot be found. A time when God hides Himself. A time that may have begun in America.
February 20, 2017
Jesus answered, “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give [her] will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give [her] will become in [her] a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” John 4:13-14
Most American women are decent. Caring. Hardworking. In many ways we are the backbone of our nation. I am quite certain we are the backbone of the Christian church. Yet I’m alarmed. We are under attack. And we seem to be unaware of it.
January 22, 2017
The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding. Proverbs 9:10
My oldest granddaughter, Ruth Bell, just turned fifteen. She is spectacularly beautiful, with a sweet, strong spirit. One of the birthday traditions in our family is that each of us gives the one who is being celebrated a Bible verse. The verse can be one of blessing, challenge, instruction, promise, or exhortation. My selection of the verse I felt led to choose for Bell this year was affected by what I saw on news reports the day after the Inauguration of the 45th President of the United States.
January 21, 2017
May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you a spirit of unity among yourselves as you follow Christ Jesus, so that with one heart and mouth you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Romans 15:5-6
The inaugural address of the 45th President of the United States was unlike any other that I can remember. With three former presidents sitting behind him, Donald J. Trump laid down the gauntlet. Actually, he flung it down like a warning shot across the bow. The old way of doing things has ended. A new era has begun. While we may disagree with what he said, we have to agree that it took enormous courage to say it in that setting and on that occasion.
