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For All Who Would Be Wisemen
And the Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him, the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord. Isaiah 11:2 Calling all ye foolish, all ye confused... your camel is ready! For all who would be wisemen, Christmas is your holiday. At Christmastime, Wisdom and Knowledge came in person. Do you wish you had the wisdom to make the right decisions… Read More
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Bearing Fruit From the Old Root
Out of the stump of David’s family will grow a shoot— yes, a new Branch bearing fruit from the old root. Isaiah 11:1 The gnarly, knotted olive tree must have been at least 100 years old, planted by the grandfather of the two sons who built our house in the ancient walled city. Evidently, at one time, its main trunk was chopped off, leaving a stubby stump still joined at the base of the… Read More
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Hold On
The Lord shall fight for you, and you shall hold your peace. Exodus 14:14 The holiday story is told of a little boy, face sticky with peppermint, cheeks punctuated with two clean streaks of tears caused by his big brother. The big boy wanted the little boy’s candy and made a grab for it. But the little boy held fast to his sweet, refusing to let go. Big brother then had an idea. Punching the air… Read More
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Not Anymore
My soul is bereft of peace; I have forgotten what happiness is. Lamentations 3:17 To be bereft is to be deprived of or lacking something. In particular, it describes the sadness and loneliness accompanying the death or departure of someone dear. We who follow Jesus have the peace that surpasses all understanding available to us through Christ, indeed (see Philippians 4:6-7). But loss can blot out the truth; grief can loom between us and that… Read More
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Come Fill This Valley
This is what the Lord says: I will fill this valley with pools of water. 2 Kings 3:16 God could have created the world’s surface flat and smooth; He could have made it impenetrable, transparent, polished, sleek, silky, solid. Yet He allowed the surface of the earth to be pliable, malleable, whippy, springy, bendy, impressionable. Some say ice age glaciers created the chasmic valleys of the earth today. Once-level land lies ruptured, wildflowers spilling over… Read More
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Oh Good, Your Feet Stink Again!
Let them sacrifice thank offerings. Let them talk about what he has done as they sing with joy. Psalm 107:22 I never thought I’d be thankful for stinky feet. That fateful evening, just before I left the house, he sat on the sofa stretched out long, poking me with his bare feet as he tried to persuade me to let him try a new recipe. Even as I pushed those stinky toes away, I loved… Read More
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The Dirty Truth About Life and Death
Then the Lord God formed a man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being. Genesis 2:7 As a father has compassion on his children, so the Lord has compassion on those who fear him; for he knows how we are formed, he remembers that we are dust. Psalm 103:13-14 You and I are made of clay. Our origins are dust.… Read More
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When it is an Act of Faith to Face the Day
Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you. Luke 10:19 Jesus loves me, this I know For the Bible tells me so. Little ones to Him belong; They are weak, but He is strong. Sometimes, with bruised hearts, weary bodies, and minds harried by the cares of life, it is an act of faith… Read More
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Either Or
The plans of the Lord stand firm forever, the purposes of his heart through all generations. Psalm 33:11 If it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that. James 4:15 God is either sovereign, or He is not. There is no middle ground. Suffering taught me that. I learned it on a dark night when I wasn’t sure of the morning. When I wasn’t sure what this wild God of… Read More
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Treasure These Things
For all mothers everywhere. But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. Luke 2:19, NIV Among my most precious earthly possessions is an old trunk. Scratched and battered, it sits squat and square by my desk. On the front, just below the scuffed brass latches, is the hand-lettered name and address of one of my life-mentors. This trunk was all she carried with her almost a century ago when she… Read More