Devotionals

If you’re participating in a program to read through the Bible in a year then by now you have probably gotten through the wonder of the creation narrative and the subsequent flood, the emotional rollercoaster of the life of Joseph and the extraordinary account of Moses and the exodus. It is likely that you are wandering in the wilderness of Leviticus or Numbers and, [...]

My grandson turned six years old recently and on his birthday he told me he was six and a half.  I said, “No, you’re exactly six.  You’re not six and a half.”  Without bothering to look up he calmly replied, “I’m six and a half.”  Kids always seem to be in a hurry to grow up.  Teenagers push for more input into decisions about [...]

Have you ever been in a building that commands silence without anyone telling you?  A few years ago my wife and I toured a holocaust museum in Germany in which there was utter silence.  The gravity of what was revealed in that building prevented anyone from saying a word. Moses was instructed to build the tabernacle, a tent in which God would meet with [...]

Of all the signage you pass by there are probably few that you ignore more than refuge signs.  The federal government requires them and local governments post them accordingly.  They indicate where you can find shelter in severe weather, areas of rescue for the disabled and assembling locations when there’s a fire.  While traveling I remember chuckling the first time I saw a sign [...]

I think everyone likes a good whodunnit—mysteries with jaw-dropping cliffhangers and unpredictable plot twists. Stories with simpler plots have that one thing that took you by surprise. It’s the thing you keep to yourself so you don’t spoil it for others. The best narratives, however, are the ones that reveal something that makes you stop and think twice (or three or four times). They [...]

The new year is almost here and with it comes a sense of hope. Right about now the groans about all the challenges and failures of the current year hit their crescendo. People lament all the things they didn’t accomplish—weight loss, financial goals and habit changes. They recount the year’s unexpected setbacks and unforeseen misfortunes. Even if mostly symbolic, January 1 is a fresh [...]