The branch of the vine does not worry, and toil, and rush here to seek for sunshine, and there to find rain. No; it rests in union and communion with the vine; and at the right time, and in the right way, is the right fruit found on it. Let us so abide in the Lord Jesus. […]
To those devoid of imagination a blank place on the map is a useless waste; to others, the most valuable part. ―Aldo Leopold, author and environmentalist The Lord said, “I have surely seen the affliction of My people who are in Egypt, and have given heed to their cry because of their taskmasters, for I am aware of […]
The air is beginning to chill. The leaves are turning spectacular colors as they die and begin to fall. Soon the howling winds of winter will cause snow to drift in my driveway. But it won’t last–spring will eventually bloom! Somehow there’s just something special about living in a geographical area blessed with four specific […]
I’ve thought long and prayed hard in an effort to understand the secret of the Apostle Paul’s contentment. Could it have been the awareness that God causes all things to work to the good of those who love Him? Or perhaps the glorious reward Paul would receive in heaven some day? While I don’t think […]
Psst. Do you know the secret? Ever so quietly, our Creator speaks. There are times when God appears in grandiose style, although for the most part His interaction with people is but a whisper, like a gentle breeze quietly blowing across one’s check. The wind of the Spirit is almost always blowing, but also almost […]
Desolate places. Perfection of faith. Purification of desires. Indeed, God’s desire is to use the wilderness to grow us into the image of Christ, to prepare us for the next phase of our calling, to make us more usable for His purposes. But there’s another element to a wilderness journey that is almost always overlooked! […]
Sing it with me: “All I Want is You, Jesus. All I want is You.” How many times I remember the band Isaiah Six leading us in worship with this song at B.A.S.I.C. College Ministry conferences. They were powerful mountaintop experiences in the presence of God! LIARS! LIARS! LIARS! Every one of us! At those […]
Have you ever asked, “Why?” I often wonder why God does some of the things He does. Some people mistakenly think that God is the source of natural disasters and every type of human tragedy. News flash: God doesn’t have a cruel streak! At the same time, however, our Heavenly Father does have this tendency to […]
I’ve decided to change the title of this blog mini-series to “Wondering in the Wilderness” because that’s what we tend to do upon finding ourselves in desolate territory—wonder what happened to God and his promises. It is this very tendency toward doubt that God is trying to kill off from our lives. Our heavenly Father […]
Have you ever noticed that sometimes God leads us into places that we wouldn’t necessarily choose for ourselves? Think of Moses and the nation of Israel. Deliverance from bondage in Egypt: emotional high! Trapped by the Red Sea: frightening low. The parting of the waters: jubilation! Journey into the wilderness: discouraging, unending dryness. When I […]
