As a child, I broke rules and tested boundaries. I considered rules challenges to be overcome. How do you think that worked out? Poorly, I can assure you. I spent most of my time in trouble, learning everything the hard way. My younger brother, on the other hand, employed keen powers of observation: he learnedContinue reading “The School of Hard Knocks.”
Author Archives: Steven Wales
Can You Rest With God?
Our world buzzes, a hive of activity. Watch morning television: four anchors, stories about war, the economy, weather, business, sports, entertainment, consumer advice, cooking, movies, music. The cycle repeats every hour. On the radio people shout news and politics. Phones blow up with viral videos, courtroom dramas, phishing scams. There is no peace. The greatContinue reading “Can You Rest With God?”
Don’t Bury God’s Word Under Empty Distractions. Job 38:2.
Begin your day with God’s word. Don’t let TV and social media fill your head with the noise of the anxious, fighting world. Begin your day with God’s voice. End your day with God’s voice. Imagine: You’ve lost your riches, your status, your health, and your children. Your farm and ranch operation is destroyed. OnceContinue reading “Don’t Bury God’s Word Under Empty Distractions. Job 38:2.”
Who is This Who Questions God?
What if God came to you and said, “WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE?” Can you imagine that? That’s what He said to Job. Job suffered greatly; everyone agrees. And he complained greatly. For 37 chapters, God listened silently to Job’s bitter complaints, most of which could be summed up as “I wish I hadContinue reading “Who is This Who Questions God?”
Boss.
JOB was a boss. He owned fantastic wealth. The Bible calls him “the greatest man among all the peoples of the East” 1:3. He understood lawsuits; he knew how to secure justice. When young men saw him they backed away, older men stood, city officials and noblemen stopped talking. “Men listened to me with expectation,Continue reading “Boss.”
God Will Rescue You–But Not Always in the Way You Might Have Hoped.
A friend turned his back on God thirty years ago. Today he is suffering a terminal illness. Another friend is convinced God may be using the illness to reach Doug, to bless him, in fact. What do you think of that? Can God “Bless you” with a disease that kills you? Can a terminal illnessContinue reading “God Will Rescue You–But Not Always in the Way You Might Have Hoped.”
How Does God Speak to You?
Job’s friend Elihu makes an interesting comment about the way God speaks to people. God later rebuked Job’s friends for speaking wrongly about God, but there is some question whether that rebuke applies to Elihu. I no longer exempt him; I believe he too failed and was rebuked. Nevertheless, his statement about dreams is interesting:Continue reading “How Does God Speak to You?”
Motormouth.
I was proud of my childhood nickname. My mouth WAS a motor, running uninterrupted, 16 hours a day. My dad would say, “Steven, you’re a good kid. But your mouth is going to get you into a lot of trouble.” He was right. The Bible says it too: “When there are many words, sin isContinue reading “Motormouth.”
Hold Your Tongue.
Have you ever had something you were BURSTING to say? It happens during deep conversations with friends, or perhaps during a Bible study when something suddenly makes sense and you just HAVE to share. Job’s friend Elihu knew that feeling: “I am full of words, and my spirit compels me to speak. My heart isContinue reading “Hold Your Tongue.”
Can You Control Your Eyes?
Yes. You can. Some people act like it is not possible. But of course, that is ridiculous. You can make good decisions. Job says he made a covenant with his eyes. That’s like a contract. He negotiated a contract or signed a deal with his OWN EYES. “I have made a covenant with my eyesContinue reading “Can You Control Your Eyes?”
Household Words: 