Encourage means “to put courage in.” But what good is courage if there are no battles to fight? “After this,” begins 1 Chronicles 18. After what? After the Lord had spoken to David and he replied to the Lord, “You have brought me this far” (17:16). But more, “You have also spoken of Your servant’s house for a great while […]
There’s a lesson to be learned from a wide receiver on the football field. […]
It would be hard to complain if we found that God was going to build US a house! Wait! He is! Three men, by their far-reaching influence for God, tower over many of the great women and men of Scripture: Moses, the Lawgiver; David, the Psalmist; and Paul, the Apostle. Only with Moses did the […]
If you’re a Christian, let me introduce you to one of your brothers. Tom was told he’d never change. He thought that was true—until he met Jesus. […]
God’s plans are far greater than our present disappointments and far richer than our personal desires. The plan was a good one, and Nathan had given his approval. David would build a house for God. God, however, had not been consulted. So that evening, the Lord asked Nathan: Would he be so kind as to […]
I was born in the deep south—of Canada, that is—although I’m an American citizen now, having lived here much of my life. Some people spell Canada like this: C eh? N eh? D eh? We’re often betrayed by our habit of adding “eh?” to the end of our sentences. Called an invariant tag, it’s inviting […]
A good thing is not always God’s will for you, but God’s will for you will always be a good thing. Here’s a good word for us in the midst of a self-indulgent society: “Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others” (Php 2:4). For example, […]
In many places, it’s rare to hear a whole congregation saying, “Amen!” But imagine a whole nation! As we come to the end of David’s mega-psalm (1 Chron 16:7-36), we read that “all the people said, ‘Amen!’ and praised the Lord” (v 36). “Amen” is the word that people use who want to co-sign a petition or […]