We don’t speak of it in polite conversation. We don’t think of it as a spiritual topic. No seeker climbs to the top of a mountain in the Himalayas to ask a Guru about it. Wall calendars with photos of sunsets and rainbows will never feature a poetic line on this theme. Yet, Jesus spokeContinue reading “That One Distasteful Subject. Isaiah 48:17.”
Author Archives: Steven Wales
Observing the Idol Worshipper in His Native Habitat. Isaiah 44:12-20.
Image: Long-Billed Curlew, by John James Audubon, one of 435 life-sized, realistic watercolor paintings in his BIRDS OF AMERICA, 1838, a staggering masterpiece of documentation. A naturalist is a kind of hybrid scientist-reporter-artist-categorizer, such as John James Audubon, John Muir, and Jane Goodall. They publish their findings in books with simple titles like THE REDContinue reading “Observing the Idol Worshipper in His Native Habitat. Isaiah 44:12-20.”
When the Breaking News is Terrifying. Isaiah 36 and 37.
[Imagine the following newspaper story.] ASSYRIANS WARN OF COMING INVASION: Foreign Diplomats Speak Hebrew to People of Jerusalem, Warn Them Not to Trust King, Promise Warm Welcome in New Land. Jerusalem. 701 B.C. Three top officials from Assyria arrived today with a message for King Hezekiah: Surrender to King Sennacherib of Assyria and you andContinue reading “When the Breaking News is Terrifying. Isaiah 36 and 37.”
Leadership Problems. Micah 3:3.
My dad used to threaten my brother and me with a joke: “I’ll skin ya’ alive!” We barely knew what that meant. We just knew he was being silly, tickling us and teasing us. He would never have said such a thing in anger. If we were behaving badly, he would be serious and handleContinue reading “Leadership Problems. Micah 3:3.”
When You Are Online: Don’t Cast Your Pearls Before Swine. Isaiah 39:4-6.
I am trusting and open. I tell everyone everything. My wife is the same way. We are talkers and deep communication draws us together. Indeed, communication is essential to all relationships. But social media does not play by the normal rules. On Facebook, I share more victories than defeats. Does my online presence create anContinue reading “When You Are Online: Don’t Cast Your Pearls Before Swine. Isaiah 39:4-6.”
The Bible is the Story of Human History. Hebrews 4:12.
The Bible is not some dusty, ancient book about some forgotten land, none of which is relevant today. The Bible is a cross-section of human history, a cross-section of humanity. When we get to heaven and look back on all of human history, we will see the Bible differently: it is a detailed record ofContinue reading “The Bible is the Story of Human History. Hebrews 4:12.”
Psalms: a Book About the Heart. Psalm 149:4.
Do you ever think about how easy life is in the United States? We find ourselves on the wrong side of a political decision and say we are being persecuted. Yet we know nothing of real persecution. Or we wallow in a bad mood (I’m in a funk today!), never realizing how mild an AmericanContinue reading “Psalms: a Book About the Heart. Psalm 149:4.”
The Ringing Voices of Ten Thousand Maniacs on Social Media. Psalm 118:5-6.
Image generated with A. I. Scrolling through social media is something like walking through a carnival: There are crowds everywhere, people of all ages, all types. Some beautiful, some that make you cringe, some violent and dangerous. There are artists and writers and thinkers and experts and there are clowns and buffoons and scumbags andContinue reading “The Ringing Voices of Ten Thousand Maniacs on Social Media. Psalm 118:5-6.”
Love Him … in the in-Between Time When You Feel the Pressure Coming. Job 19:25-27.
The title is a line from an excellent song from 1974: “All Day Song (Love Him in the Morning)” from the album Still Life, by John Fischer (a credited founder of “Jesus Music”). The image is Mr. Fischer in more recent years. https://johnfischer.bandcamp.com/track/all-day-song-love-him-in-the-morning Have you ever prayed or spent time praising God or worshipping Him, yetContinue reading “Love Him … in the in-Between Time When You Feel the Pressure Coming. Job 19:25-27.”
Praise: Talk to God About His Greatness, Part 2 of 2. Job 19:25-27.
Suffering is a universal truth of life. Everyone suffers, whether rich or poor, powerful or weak. As Jesus said, “He … causes the rain to fall on the just and the unjust” Matthew 5:45. Suffering does not become easier as you get older. When it hurts, it hurts! But handling suffering becomes easier—because with experience,Continue reading “Praise: Talk to God About His Greatness, Part 2 of 2. Job 19:25-27.”
Household Words: 