HAVE YOU HEADED OUT WITHOUT JESUS? After a frantic, three day search, Mary and Joseph found twelve year old Jesus with the teachers in the temple. Mary asked why He had done this to them, causing them such worry, searching for Him. They didn’t understand Jesus’ reply at the time, but Mary continued to ponder
SINGING PRAISES TO GOD TO START YOUR DAY David wrote, “I will sing.” He had decided in advance to begin his mornings singing praises to God. Singing praises to God puts our hearts and heads in alignment with His. When we are weak, recognizing God as our strength and stronghold in song, strengthens us to
THE LORD’S CALLING AND A FATHER’S BLESSING When it came time for John the Baptist to be born, his father Zechariah prophesied over him. Zechariah had been mute since he first heard from an angel that his barren wife would soon have a son in her old age. The Lord made him mute as a
THE SYMBOL OF OUR SIN AND SUFFERING This is one of the more bizarre stories in the Bible. The Israelites were once again grumbling against God and Moses because of the lack of water and variety of food in the wilderness, so God sent poisonous snakes among them. God hates grumbling. Grumbling is the
IN GOD WE TRUST David wrote this psalm while he was on the run from King Saul and nearly captured by the Philistines in Gath. Everywhere David turned, enemies pursued him. Yet, he trusted in God, determined not to live in fear. He asked the rhetorical question: “What can man do to me?” Which
WHERE DO YOU PUT YOUR BURDENS? David’s psalm sounds similar to Christ’s invitation to “Come unto Me, all ye that are weary and heavy laden and I will give you rest” (Matt. 11:28). But rather than giving our burdens to God, we struggle and worry over things too heavy to bear. We lose sleep. We
SECRET FOLLOWERS NO MORE A prominent member of the Sanhedrin named Joseph of Arimathea went to Pilate to ask for the body of Jesus after He was crucified. At great personal risk to his own reputation and huge financial cost, Joseph bought linen and spices to prepare Christ’s body for burial and then placed the
WORLDLY WEALTH WON’T HELP ON THAT DAY Wealth is useful when facing human justice. It pays for attorneys and even judges of a certain type. Yet, riches do not profit when we face the judgment seat of God. All the treasure in the world is useless on that day. As one has said, “You never
BE CAREFUL WHO YOU CRITICIZE Moses often had to endure the grumbling of the people, but it must have been even more painful when they spoke against his new wife. Even his own sister and brother, Miriam and Aaron, spoke behind his back concerning the “Cushite” woman (She was probably from Ethiopia or Sudan). And
G.R.A.C.E. GOD’S REDEMPTION AT CHRIST’S EXPENSE According to the inscription, David wrote this psalm after being confronted by the prophet Nathan for committing adultery with Bathsheba. The psalm is David’s written confession and prayer for forgiveness. Notice that he asked for God’s grace and forgiveness according to God’s “faithful love” and “abundant compassion.” David knew