Are you suffering from afflictions? We all do. This year I have suffered with allergies, a twisted ankle that took months to heal, an apparently arthritic elbow that has bothered me for over a year and only seems to get worse. Things on the job have been unusually difficult due to a recent merger, andContinue reading “Do You Have Afflictions? Romans 5:2-5.”
Category Archives: Adversity
My Favorite Verse. Romans 8:28
I suppose most of us have a favorite Bible verse. Since high school I have considered Romans 8:28 my favorite. “For we know that God causes ALL THINGS to work together for good in the lives of those who love God and are called according to His purpose.” I love the reassurance—no matter what happens,Continue reading “My Favorite Verse. Romans 8:28”
JARS OF CLAY. 2 Corinthians 4:7.
Few buildings rival Solomon’s Temple. It included the Outer Courts, the Holy Place, and the Holy of Holies. Within the temple, God instructed the people to use candles for light—ten “golden lampstands” with seven candles on each one. That’s 70 lamps burning pure olive oil. These beautiful menorahs were huge, each made of 75 poundsContinue reading “JARS OF CLAY. 2 Corinthians 4:7.”
COMFORT. 2 Corinthians 1:3-5.
Have you hurt so deeply nothing could mend it? Has grief, disappointment, or loneliness made you question everything? Have you failed so badly, you lost all hope? Have you wondered whether life was worth the trouble? If not, thank God—and pray for compassion toward those who have. Young people may be tempted to dismiss thoseContinue reading “COMFORT. 2 Corinthians 1:3-5.”
AN ACCOUNTING LESSON. James 1:2-3
Since Adam began naming animals, humans have categorized everything in nature: evergreens and hardwoods, volcanic rock and sedimentary rock, mammals, birds, reptiles, fish, amphibians. The 19th-century saw the world briefly explode with naturalists. Explorers and artists like John James Audubon traveled with sketch pads, measuring tools, and boxes of specimens, seeking undiscovered animals to name,Continue reading “AN ACCOUNTING LESSON. James 1:2-3”
PAIN IS WEAKNESS LEAVING THE BODY. Acts 14:22.
I once made daily trips to LA Fitness. The people-watching was entertaining—not only do some “gym-rats” develop odd physiques because they work out one part of the body to the exclusion of all others, but some have peculiar habits, such as spending three-solid hours on the stair master machine, a circular spray of sweat puddlingContinue reading “PAIN IS WEAKNESS LEAVING THE BODY. Acts 14:22.”
Do You Have a Strategy for Dealing With Hard Times? James 1:2-3.
I hate to suffer. Don’t you? It’s the worst. But the Bible says “Consider it all JOY my brethren, when you encounter various trials, because the testing of your faith produces endurance” James 1:2-3. Have you ever considered suffering to be joy? When you lose or fail, do you think of it as a positiveContinue reading “Do You Have a Strategy for Dealing With Hard Times? James 1:2-3.”
God’s Plans are Never Predictable. Matthew 4:1-11.
Think of the string of surprises in store for Mary and Joseph: 1. An angel tells Mary she will have a virgin birth. 2. An angel tells Joseph the same. 3. Mary’s aunt prophecies over her, saying, among other things, that her child (John) jumped when she heard the voice of Mary. 4. Mary isContinue reading “God’s Plans are Never Predictable. Matthew 4:1-11.”
BAD THINGS HAPPEN TO GOOD PEOPLE. Luke 1:6-7; Romans 8:18.
Consider the elderly parents of John the Baptist. They did not deserve to be barren: “They were both righteous before God, walking blamelessly in all the commands of the Lord. And they had no child because Elizabeth was barren, and they both were now well stricken in years” Luke 1:6-7. I watched a 40-minute videoContinue reading “BAD THINGS HAPPEN TO GOOD PEOPLE. Luke 1:6-7; Romans 8:18.”
THINGS ARE GONNA GET BETTER! Psalm 30:5; Psalm 126:1-2,5-6.
Sometimes life is hard. It just is. There is the grief of emotional loss. There is the pressure of responsibilities. There are health concerns and disappointed hopes and crushed dreams. You gained weight when you were trying to lose it. You gave up three walks when you had a chance to strike them out. AnotherContinue reading “THINGS ARE GONNA GET BETTER! Psalm 30:5; Psalm 126:1-2,5-6.”
Household Words: 