When I was a little boy, my father disciplined me frequently. Daily, it seems. Hourly, perhaps? It was so frequent! But I loved my daddy and I respected his authority. I feared the discipline (not gonna lie), but I never ran from it or fought it. I took my licks with a good attitude.[1] IContinue reading “Consider All Your Problems to Be God’s Discipline. Hebrews 12:5-6.”
Author Archives: Steven Wales
Where Do Hard Times Come From and How Should We Respond? Proverbs 3:11-12.
The discussion generated by the question above is complicated enough that I am going to begin with the answer: Hard Times come from several places, but God is in control no matter the origin. Because we trust God, we should embrace painful experiences and assume God is actively using adversity to help us grow moreContinue reading “Where Do Hard Times Come From and How Should We Respond? Proverbs 3:11-12.”
Being Single is Not So Peculiar (Don’t Skip the Footnote!). 1 Corinthians 7.
According to the Pew Research Center, as of 2021, 25% of 40-year-old adults have never been married. That number was only 20% in 2010, and only 6% in 1980! The number of single adults in the United States is the highest it has ever been—and yet, being single still feels like being a member ofContinue reading “Being Single is Not So Peculiar (Don’t Skip the Footnote!). 1 Corinthians 7.”
Hospice Care, “MAiD,” and End-of-Life Decisions: Scripture Addresses the Controversies of the Day. 2 Timothy 3:16.
“In those days there was no king in Israel: every man did that which was right in his own eyes” Judges 21:25. Which is better: to do what seems right to you, or to follow the leadership of a King who has given us 66 books of guidance? If God had given us a single page, the Ten Commandments,Continue reading “Hospice Care, “MAiD,” and End-of-Life Decisions: Scripture Addresses the Controversies of the Day. 2 Timothy 3:16.”
People are Not Simple. Genesis 33:4.
We like to think of people in simple terms: villains and heroes. Good guys and bad guys. But people rarely make it that easy to categorize them. First impressions will guide you, but once you get to know people, contradictions arise. One of my favorite villains is a character in THE MAN IN THE HIGHContinue reading “People are Not Simple. Genesis 33:4.”
Judgment in Context. Isaiah 47.
Have you ever walked into the room when a friend is halfway through a movie or television show? It is easy to draw conclusions based on a quick glance. But if you do not know the history—the context—your conclusions will be wrong. For example, there are several scenes in Peter Jackson’s LORD OF THE RINGSContinue reading “Judgment in Context. Isaiah 47.”
Cormac McCarthy and Wrath and Hope. Isaiah 34.
The Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 2007 was awarded to Cormac McCarthy for his apocalyptic novel THE ROAD. The dark novel tells the story of a gray, ashen world following some world-destroying disaster that is never explained. When I read the story of God’s wrath in the 34th chapter of Isaiah, I was reminded ofContinue reading “Cormac McCarthy and Wrath and Hope. Isaiah 34.”
The People Reap What their Leaders Sow: Pray for Leaders with Integrity. Isaiah 32.
The integrity of leaders matters. Honesty matters. Yet, with every scandal, a politician somewhere will argue that what happened behind closed doors does not matter—sort of the “what happens in Vegas” defense. But when you are a leader, what you do always matters. When President Clinton cheated on his wife with a White HouseContinue reading “The People Reap What their Leaders Sow: Pray for Leaders with Integrity. Isaiah 32.”
Plant, Prune, and Bear Fruit. Isaiah 27.
Your ancestors were probably hunters. Hunters and gatherers, nomadic people forced to roam every day.[1] Many of the earliest people did not build houses because they could not afford to stay in one place. They had to be free to move with the harvests and the herds. Farming changed all that. Someone invented plows andContinue reading “Plant, Prune, and Bear Fruit. Isaiah 27.”
Prophecies, Dreams, and Hope for the Remnant. Isaiah 17.
Bible Prophecy can read like a dream—you see elements that do not add up but clearly stand for something. There may be cause-and-effect problems. Words and scenes feel out of context. It can be baffling. Bible prophecy is not written in the linear, logical fashion to which Western readers are accustomed. This is not aContinue reading “Prophecies, Dreams, and Hope for the Remnant. Isaiah 17.”