“Train up a child in the way he should go—but be sure you go that way yourself,” says Charles Spurgeon. May I take some liberty with his profound statement? I hope so! Paul might write, “Train up a church in the way that it should go—but be sure to lead by your example.” If I were to encapsulate the point made in Colossians 4, it would be this one. The Apostle Paul zeroes in on the prayer life and...  Read More

The secret to your success lies in the unity of the church. Now, this opening sentence may seem to be outmoded in our contemporary age where individualism is preeminently prized; however, the passage we examine today is anchored by imperative verbs that are all stated in the plural. There was no such thing then as a lone warrior in full armor, nor is there to be something similar today. I find it ...  Read More

In the words of multimedia journalist, Brooke Kato, the term “cancel culture” refers to the “phenomenon of promoting the ‘cancelling’ of people, brands and even shows and movies due to what some consider to be offensive, or problematic remarks or ideologies.” One expert believes that the roots of cancel culture have been present throughout human history. Societies punished people for behaving in a...  Read More

I took him by the hand, but he had absolutely no idea where I was leading him that day. I knew precisely where we were going. He trusted and followed me into an entirely different life. I will explain in a few moments what I mean by this mysterious opening to today’s devotional, but, for now, I want us to turn our thoughts to where God is surely leading all those who are in Christ Jesus. Do you th...  Read More

John of the Cross once said, “Whenever anything disagreeable or displeasing happens to you remember Christ crucified and be silent.” I know why he recommended this approach to suffering, but embodying it seems extraordinarily difficult (1 Peter 2:23). I also know from personal experience that it certainly helps to have someone walk alongside of us when we endure hardship. The Thessalonians had end...  Read More

“Somebody help the boy!” This was the verbal cry of a young child when he had made a climb and then found that his feet were too short to reach the ground. He was in danger of falling! He was expressing his fear at the loss of safety in the form of a lament. Scholars identify Psalm 56 as an individual lament (Tyn; EBC; Handbook). This type of psalm often contains a unique feature defined as “impre...  Read More

Hannah Whitall Smith (1832-1911) once said, “It is wonderful what miracles God works in wills that are utterly surrendered to Him.” The American evangelist, reformer, and leader in the Holiness movement perhaps did not conceive of how significant her words were when applied to Christ’s prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane. The Savior models for us the type of trust that leads to full surrender to th...  Read More

If you take anything away from the devotional today, then it should be the focal verse. Imagine that you have written on a mirror so that it will be the first thing you see each day. How big are the letters? Perhaps I should state it this way: How big is your Savior? This question figures prominently in the middle sections of Matthew’s gospel. The gospel writer builds a strong case that Jesus is t...  Read More

“I do not like the tone in your voice,” has helped generations of children to be molded in appropriate ways to express their upset. I have benefited from similar words at times when I was a youngster. Sadly, as we grow up, we often fail to express our upset to the Lord. We have come to believe that it is inappropriate. Sometimes, the reason for our reluctance is our poor awareness of God’s desire ...  Read More

The psalmist declares that the cries of the oppressed grow louder by the day, and the Lord hears them. Our psalm today provides us with an individual lament in which the writer combines prayer with praise to give voice to God’s just rule over the nations (EBC). He cries out to God in his need because he knows that God hears his cry and answers him. How can this be so when there are many calls curr...  Read More

The business of doing God’s business carries with it much moral authority. It includes relating properly to him and to the people one is called to lead in his behalf. Our generation gravitates toward leaders who are able to “get things done” or exert a certain type of “influence” over those they lead. I understand the importance of these things; however, there is something much deeper at work when...  Read More

How does one emerge from horrific grief and loss to embrace victorious new life? This transformation may be summed up in one word, “Resurrection.” Friends, this core Biblical truth is recorded throughout the scriptures but too many today find it impossible to believe. These dear souls find it too difficult to believe in life beyond death, nor do they see how believing may strengthen them in the pr...  Read More