“Do you see a man who is wise in his own eyes? There is more hope for a fool than for him.” (Proverbs 26:12, ESV) In track and field there is an event known as the hurdles. It is on a stretch of track where the runner must jump over some barriers. Often a runnerContinue reading “The Greatest Hurdle”
Tag Archives: hope
Climbing Out of the Valley
“The Lord is my portion,” says my soul, “therefore I will hope in him.” (Lamentations 3:24, ESV) One time I decided to climb a mountain with a group from the church. When I was in the military I trained in mountaineering while going through Army Ranger School, I was in peak physical condition. Yet atContinue reading “Climbing Out of the Valley”
House of Mirrors
6 Then I said, “Ah, Lord God! Behold, I do not know how to speak, for I am only a youth.” 7 But the Lord said to me, “Do not say, ‘I am only a youth’; for to all to whom I send you, you shall go, and whatever I command you, you shall speak.Continue reading “House of Mirrors”
The Monkey on Your Back
“Lord, how often will my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? As many as seven times?” Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you seven times, but seventy-seven times.” (Matthew 18:21–22, ESV) In 1822 Thomas Gillet published a collection of stories. One of them is titled “The Devil and the Doctor.”Continue reading “The Monkey on Your Back”
Our Pet Rocks
“And by that will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.” (Hebrews 10:10, ESV) Many years ago, a man named Gary Dahl came up with an idea. He created a fad called the Pet Rock. These were being marketed and sold in retail stores in theContinue reading “Our Pet Rocks”
Shedding the Load
“For godly grief produces a repentance that leads to salvation without regret, whereas worldly grief produces death.” (2 Corinthians 7:10, ESV) When I lived in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, I participated in an annual 5-K race on the fourth of July. Following the 5-K they had a 1-mile Survival Run where the participants ran in combatContinue reading “Shedding the Load”
Defeating the Blame Game
“So then each of us will give an account of himself to God.” (Romans 14:12, ESV) When I was a boy, my brother and I used to get in trouble a lot. We would be doing something that we should not have and possibly break something. My mother would try to investigate the problem. However,Continue reading “Defeating the Blame Game”
When Others Hurt With You
“So Satan went out from the presence of the Lord and struck Job with loathsome sores from the sole of his foot to the crown of his head . . . Then his wife said to him, “Do you still hold fast your integrity? Curse God and die.”” (Job 2:7-9, ESV) One evening as IContinue reading “When Others Hurt With You”
A Spiritual Training Center
“Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful. And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see theContinue reading “A Spiritual Training Center”
Spiritual Examination
“Test yourselves to see if you are in the faith. Examine yourselves. Or do you yourselves not recognize that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless you fail the test.” (2 Corinthians 13:5, CSB) With regards to our health, we often need to examine ourselves. We are told by doctors to be sensitive to changes in ourContinue reading “Spiritual Examination”
Renewing the Heart 