Next to a chainsaw, the most dangerous tool you could find in my hand is a rhyming dictionary. The good news is I have not touched a chainsaw for months. The bad news is I recently dusted off New Rhyming Dictionary and Poetry Handbook. My subject is prayer so maybe, with much prayer, I can do more good than harm. A Child’s Prayer Writing Back To God made me reflect on the people and events God used in preserving my… Read More »If I Should Die Before I Wake
A lodestone is a natural magnet. Iron objects become magnetized when in contact with it. Our hearts are like that iron. We have no natural attraction for God or his kingdom. However, Christ is our heavenly lodestone who changes our affections to conform to his. Psalm 16 is the cry of a heart with a heavenly attraction. Its verses resonate with us because of our union with Jesus Christ. A Sustaining Refuge Preserve me, O LORD, for in you I take refuge.… Read More »Christ Our Heavenly Lodestone
One of the greatest hinderances to the gospel is the professing Christian who mistreats his fellowman. Psalm 15 describes a life that is in harmony with the worship of God. O LORD, who shall sojourn in your tent? Who shall dwell on your holy hill? (v. 1) To the Israelites, these questions would call to mind the journey up the ascent to Jerusalem where God’s sanctuary was located. That was the center of Israel’s formal worship. They had to make preparations… Read More »Psalm 15: A Life in Harmony with Worship
For woodworking projects, I try to select lumber that is straight and square. Sometime I can spot a board that is cupped or twisted. Other times a slightly skewed piece may look fine to the naked eye. Comparing one board with another does not help. I must utilize a straightedge and a square that perfectly conforms to the standard I am trying to meet. In Psalm 14, David laments the depravity of those who ignore God — they are so… Read More »Psalm 14: The Folly of Atheism
In Psalm 13, David poetically traverses the pathway of faith from the depths of his soul’s anguish to the heights of great joy and hope in his God.
In the middle of a pandemic, social distancing guidelines have forced us to make distressing sacrifices. Businesses and employees are facing economic hardship. Sport fans and theatergoers are going through withdrawal. We long for physical gatherings with children, grandchildren, parents, and friends. The whole world is learning what it means to lament. As Christians, we should be familiar with lamenting on a more profound level than economics, leisure, or even family. Our lament grows out of our faith in God. We… Read More »Psalm 12: Lamenting Corrupt Talk
I don’t have a bucket list — a list of things I want to do or accomplish before I die. Though not necessarily wrong, it would not be helpful to me. First, I might be disturbed to know how many are eager to help me complete it. Second (and more significant), it might become a short-sighted distraction. God wants me to live with a resurrection mindset. If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ… Read More »A Resurrection Mindset
The Rock of Gibraltar is the logo for Prudential Financial. That rock icon is meant to instill confidence that your investments are safe with them. The prophet Isaiah employs the same imagery to cultivate peace in those who trust God. It is a peace available today in the midst of pandemic. You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you.Trust in the LORD forever, for the LORD GOD is an everlasting rock. (Isaiah 26:3-4) Panic… Read More »Peace in the Pandemic
Winters in northern Indiana, though severe by Floridian standards, are mild enough to accommodate a wide selection of birds. I enjoy stocking feeders for these beautiful little creatures. But my, how skittish birds are! At the slightest hint of a possible predator, they scatter to find refuge in the nearest tree or bush. In Psalm 11, David draws on this imagery to tell us how a believer is not to act in the face of evil opposition. Rejecting Bad Advice In the… Read More »No Retreat
Raccoons! They are the scourge of campgrounds. They even look like bandits. Vicious and destructive, they prowl at night, rummaging in any container they can get their hands into. Psalm 10 is a cry of distress over the vicious destructiveness of a godless society. Yet, it has a message of hope in the midst of dark times and is a fitting prayer for our day. A Dark Providence When evil abounds, knowledge of God’s holiness and justice prompts the believer to… Read More »Night Vision: Hope in Dark Times