Psalm 81 begins with miracles of God’s deliverance and ends with more He longed to do—except.  Except He couldn’t. Verses 11-12 tell us why, “But my people would not listen to me; Israel would not submit to me. So I gave them over to their stubborn hearts to follow their own devices.” God surrendered Israel to…

A beast lives in your home. Wary eyes watch every move. Fangs drip. Claws grip the ground as the beast gathers himself for an ambush. And his prey? You. God minced no words as he spoke to Cain about sin, “If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do…

I want to address an observation I’ve made as the culture gap widens in our country. In times past, though two parties differed, sound arguments could be made for both sides. Open debate where ideas could be expressed and examined from many angles helped us think through issues and, even if we disagreed, enabled us…

Remarkable things are happening in our country. Suddenly, character matters. New reports appear almost daily: Urban Meyer: He was held accountable for his knowledge of an assistant coach’s domestic abuse. Harvey Weinstein: His sexual misconduct against women propelled the #MeToo movement into existence. #ChurchToo: Scores of sexual abuse cases and their coverups have been brought…

Altars. For the modern believer, the altar represents a place of surrender, perhaps of petition, intercession, or a step of faith. For biblical characters, the altar meant sacrifice. And sacrifice meant death. Death and bloodshed. When Abraham and Isaac climbed Mount Moriah, it wasn’t for prayer. It wasn’t to rededicate their lives. It was to…

Hannah More spoke of dealing with sin. Specifically, small ones. Those little faults we brush off until they grow into big problems. “We must make certain that the infant shall never become a giant.” -Hannah More (1745-1833) Like algebra concepts, small sins build on one another. Give them room, and soon, they think they own the place.…

Weeds I hate them. They’d taken over the backyard to such an extent I was ready to cement it. Patches of weeds sprouted between decorative stone and invasive Bermuda runners held the flowers captive. I abandoned yard work when I started on my master’s degree. Thankfully, my husband thrives on such projects while I’m holed…

Sheep bleated. Doves fluttered. Tables slammed to the ground. People scattered before the man like the coins clinking and rolling across the courtyard. Within minutes, the crowded market fell silent before the solitary figure. “My house will be called a house of prayer, but you are making it a den of robbers.” (Matthew 21:13 NIV)…

Bang! The gun sounds. Runners burst from the blocks, and the race is on. All begin on equal footing, but soon the field spreads. Some surge ahead; others fall behind. Competitors battle for every inch, but, really, only one thing matters. The finish. A strong start or a bravely-fought middle mean nothing if you don’t…

Not for the first time, one of my children stood before me, caught in sin. Lines of Hershey’s syrup striped the beige carpet running the length of the couch. When faced with the question “Why?” or the ever popular “What were you thinking?” he answered, “I don’t know.” And you know what? That’s a scriptural…