In the spring of 1985, our family of four drove to Baton Rouge to see my grandfather one last time. The man was born in a house in the woods in 1897, and doctors said he had little time left. After nearly a fifty-year career in the world’s largest oil refinery, the emphysema had takenContinue reading “Deathbed Speeches and Uneven Blessings. Deuteronomy 33.”
Category Archives: God is the Giver of Blessings
Athletic Gifts and Fitness Come From God. 2 Samuel 22:8-18, 30-40.
Pictured: Marshall Wales, NCAA Division 1 playoffs, spring of 2023. Sam Houston vs. Oregon State. God is the first and greatest athlete. Don’t think so? What weight can He not lift? What speed can He not travel? What target will He fail to hit? Surely the best-known athlete in the Bible is David. And DavidContinue reading “Athletic Gifts and Fitness Come From God. 2 Samuel 22:8-18, 30-40.”
Do You Need God’s Blessings? Luke 14:11.
If you need to be blessed by God, humble yourself. He blesses the humble—but not the proud. “For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled and the one who humbles himself will be exalted” Luke 14:11. Consider the prodigal son—he failed, but he did not fail at repentance. And the father killed the fatted calfContinue reading “Do You Need God’s Blessings? Luke 14:11.”
God Will Bless You During Judgment. Jeremiah 17:7-8.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, I listened to a Christian speaker who argued God was sending judgment beginning with Covid-19. It put me in a dark mood. But when I look back at 2020, I have to admit God blessed our family. Bad things happened, but we were not sick or hungry or impoverished. I didContinue reading “God Will Bless You During Judgment. Jeremiah 17:7-8.”
Your Dreams Can Come True.
How? Consider Psalm 37:4-5: “Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the Lord, trust in Him, and He will make it happen. Don’t be anxious or upset when someone else’s dreams come true. Instead, be silent before the Lord; wait expectantly for Him.”Continue reading “Your Dreams Can Come True.”
Jesus Gives Clues About Your Gifts and Calling.
How do you see Jesus? In high school, my now-wife astounded me with her insightful suggestion that the way we see Jesus may be a clue about the way He sees us. That is, if you picture Him preaching or teaching, maybe you are called to preach or teach. If you see Him loving theContinue reading “Jesus Gives Clues About Your Gifts and Calling.”
Time Flies When You’re Working Hard.
Imagine sitting in a dungeon all day, nothing to do, nothing to read, no one to talk to. Time crawls. Joseph was sold into slavery at 17. He served Potiphar, was falsely accused, spent years in prison, then was elevated to second-in-command of Egypt. But Joseph had never stopped working. God did not send himContinue reading “Time Flies When You’re Working Hard.”
The Blessing of God.
In Egypt, Joseph gave his sons names that indicated God had blessed him “in the land of my affliction.” Genesis 41:51-52. But Joseph was not the only one who knew God’s hand was on him. It was obvious to Egypt’s idol-worshipping pagans: “And his master saw that the Lord was with him, and that theContinue reading “The Blessing of God.”
Household Words: 