Which is more valuable–old treasure or new treasure? Imagine a visit to a wealthy couple we will call Mr. and Mrs. Howell. They live in a three-story mansion with Greek columns and dormer windows. Once inside, a remark about an autographed baseball jersey leads to stories about favorite possessions, and suddenly our hosts decide toContinue reading “Which is Better, Old Treasure or New Treasure? Matthew 13:52.”
Category Archives: Read the Bible
LAYERS. Matthew 1:17; Luke 3:38.
I just finished my eighth reading of Holman’s Chronological Bible (READING GOD’S STORY: A Chronological Bible, 2011, Nashville). The Bible is so deep, so rich, so LAYERED with meaning—you can keep reading the Bible all your life and ALWAYS learn something new. You may become a master of the scriptures, but you will never stopContinue reading “LAYERS. Matthew 1:17; Luke 3:38.”
Don’t Crush God’s Feelings. Ezekiel 6:9
Does God have feelings? How does God feel about our sin? I was crushed by their promiscuous hearts that turned away from Me and by their eyes that lusted after idols. Ezekiel 6:9 Your sin, your lust, hurts God. He is crushed by promiscuous hearts, by lust, by idolatry. Repent and confess your sins. (See?Continue reading “Don’t Crush God’s Feelings. Ezekiel 6:9”
Is the Bible Too Long for You?
There’s a fascinating verse at the end of the Gospel of John: And there are also many other things that Jesus did, which, if they were written one by one, I suppose not even the world itself could contain the books that would be written. John 21:25. What a way to end the story! It’sContinue reading “Is the Bible Too Long for You?”
RESPECT THE WORD. Jeremiah 33:3.
I always thought grownups were a little silly about Bibles: don’t drop it, don’t set it on the floor, don’t wrinkle the pages, don’t let it get wet, etc. But that comes from a good motive. Most people in history had no Bible or shared one, and had to treasure it. And consider this: whenContinue reading “RESPECT THE WORD. Jeremiah 33:3.”
EAT YOUR DINNER. Jeremiah 15:16.
How many times a day do you eat? How many meals and snacks? Do you open the refrigerator and stare into the cold, waiting for inspiration? At night, my children trail in and out of the kitchen, often leaving with a snack hidden in the upstage hand, not wishing to discuss that third popsicle. ImagineContinue reading “EAT YOUR DINNER. Jeremiah 15:16.”
How Can We Know Anything About God? Jeremiah 15:16.
Today I found myself engaged in an online conversation about particle physics. My friend Jim wrote that 99% of matter is nothing, and because God is everywhere, God is 99% nothing. First, I attempted to correct his physics—because though space is mostly nothingness, matter itself is never nothing. But I’ve had discussions like this withContinue reading “How Can We Know Anything About God? Jeremiah 15:16.”
WHAT IS GOD LOOKING FOR? Isaiah 66:2.
I once overheard a conversation between women. One wanted a man who was tall. The other wanted one with a deep voice. They talked about traits: is he a family man? Can we laugh together? Is he patient? Honest? Kind? Strong? A good listener? A nice dresser? But what does God look for? In Isaiah,Continue reading “WHAT IS GOD LOOKING FOR? Isaiah 66:2.”
TREMBLE. Isaiah 66:2.
I remember the fear I felt one night when I was a little boy. We were in a fourth-floor apartment in New York City visiting my aunt and uncle. My brother and I had gone to bed and the lights were off. Suddenly I looked at the window and saw a man on the fireContinue reading “TREMBLE. Isaiah 66:2.”
Drought. Isaiah 55:10-11.
Remember the drought of 2011? Remember the fires all over Texas? Even at our house? Remember the way fields turned brown, grass died, fertile soil turned to dusty sand? Rain is not convenient, but it is so important. We realize it as soon as things turn brown. And the earth has PLENTY of water. TheContinue reading “Drought. Isaiah 55:10-11.”
Household Words: 