We don’t often think of ourselves writing a true-life autobiography each day, but we are. Standing in the shadows is the Editor-in-Chief. He gets a say in the twists and turns of the storyline. The red-letter days happen when our story criss-crosses with His story. This story is one of those days. […]
“God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble” (Ps 46:1). If God is a very present help, He must want to help here and now. He wants to help you do what you can, where you are, with what you have. As He said to Moses, “What is that in your […]
Two drinking parties going on at the same time in the same town. They’ll soon connect. What could go wrong? The Persian emperor Ahasuerus (Xerxes I) ruled over a vast realm of “one hundred and twenty-seven provinces, from India to Ethiopia” (Est 1:1). The empire was divided into 20 satrapies, or territories, each governed by a satrap […]
My friend Barry served with the Brooklyn, NY, district attorney’s office. Once when I was visiting him, he was prosecuting an interesting case. Two sweet little ladies had been robbed by a young thug, it was alleged. They had just removed funds from an ATM when he supposedly accosted them and took their money. My […]
“But as for you, you meant evil against me; but God meant it for good…” (Gen 50:20). Instead of asking, “Who is to blame for this?” Joseph saw God’s overruling plan and asked, “What good can the Lord bring out of this?” That’s your winning game plan today. […]
“Behind a frowning providence, He hides a smiling face.” —William Cowper Meanwhile, back at the palace… The Book of Esther gives some of the historic events unfolding with the Jews in Persia, who hadn’t returned to Jerusalem with Zerubbabel, Ezra, or Nehemiah. The term “Ahasuerus” was a title, like Pharaoh or Caesar. The king called […]
“In all labor there is profit, but idle chatter leads only to poverty” (Prov 14:23). When all is said and done, more is said than done. Florence Nightingale wrote: “I think one’s feelings waste themselves in words; they ought to be distilled into actions which bring results.” […]
Nehemiah empathized with the people’s needs, emended their mistakes, and encouraged their success. After a discussion of various responsibilities concerning the temple service—caring for stored supplies, the singers and gatekeepers—and a reminder as to why Moabites and Ammonites especially were disqualified from joining Israel, Nehemiah turns to some reforms that had been effected during his tenure as governor. First was his […]
“And if it seems evil to you to serve the Lord, choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve…But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord” (Josh 24:15). Our future is not determined primarily by chance but by choice. Note! We choose for ourselves. We choose every day. Our only […]