Weekly Devotions

27 Sep

Posted at 18:00h in Weekly Devotions

Because these verses are just a summary of two battles between the Israelites and the Philistines, it’s easy to miss the subtle, poetic contrast here. Notice—the Philistine soldiers had to carry their gods with them into battle, lifeless idols of wood and stone that had to be faced in the direction of the fighting to “support” their men. Then the soldiers had to lug their gods back to camp. By contrast, the LORD went before the Israelite army to rout their enemies. They didn’t lug their God along; they followed his mighty train and merely mopped up the detritus left by fleeing soldiers. ...

20 Sep

Posted at 18:00h in Weekly Devotions

Early one morning I was groaning under an anvil of anxiety. Though gazing directly at the brightening horizon, I was blind to the brushstrokes of glory that God was layering in the heavens. I suddenly experienced an irrational fear that the sun would not rise. It was ludicrous, and yet it was very real to me in that moment. ...

13 Sep

Posted at 14:00h in Weekly Devotions

Old, experienced Christians still make mistakes; and Samuel was no exception. Even though Saul looked as kingly as any man could—tall, handsome, and impressive in his royal armor—he was a regal dud. Samuel had experienced that firsthand on multiple occasions. ...

06 Sep

Posted at 18:00h in Weekly Devotions

Near the end of the cinematic version of “Prince Caspian,” there is a powerful scene in which Lucy, the tiny child with enormous faith, faces the ferocious Telmarine army alone on a bridge, standing defiantly between them and escape with nothing but a dagger in her hand. She looks helpless, even silly. But then the camera pans away from the scene of this solitary kid soldier as Aslan, the mighty Lion, strides up beside her. You quickly realize that Lucy is not bold because of faith in herself but because of the unstoppable force beside her, a divine Lion who controls the rivers, the trees, and the wild animals. This scene vividly conveys the beauty of the famous quote, “One with God is a majority.”...

30 Aug

Posted at 18:00h in Weekly Devotions

I love to read history books as an adult; but when I was a kid, I hated history class, unless the teacher was talking about battles.  I didn’t care who the president was during the Great Depression or who the first Holy Roman Emperor was.  Give me lightsabers and magic spells, not Puritans and the Mayflower Compact! ...

23 Aug

Posted at 18:00h in Weekly Devotions

A dear sister agonized over her dilemma. She had experienced multiple miscarriages, and doctors were a bit concerned about her health. She and her husband began to investigate adoption, but now, they were in a spiritual quandary: was it God’s will for them to continue trying for a natural birth or to pursue adoption? This poor child of God was tortured by the thought of wandering outside the boundaries of God’s will. ...

17 Aug

Posted at 17:32h in Weekly Devotions

If you ever visit Thailand, you can take a longtail boat out to Kao Ta Pu, aka “the James Bond rock.”  This colossal pillar of stone, standing at noble attention in the ocean, was featured in “The Man with the Golden Gun.”  Thousands of people visit it every year....

09 Aug

Posted at 18:00h in Weekly Devotions

The young couple is broke; their marriage is a mess; their stress level skyrockets. They ask a good question, “What do we need to change to make things better?” But their solution—“Let’s get a puppy!”—is way off, and things only get worse: the puppy needs expensive medicine; she’s up half the night; and the couple is still nitpicking each other to death. ...

02 Aug

Posted at 18:00h in Weekly Devotions

A sickly man stumbles into the ER, breathing heavily, each step leaden. He is rushed immediately to see the doctor; the nurse who accompanies him looks worried. Ten minutes later, the man is standing outside the entrance to the hospital, a clean bill of health in his hand. ...