I’m sure you’ve heard of the fog of war, but have you ever experienced the fog of obedience? For twenty years Jacob worked for his conniving uncle, Laban. As the relationship deteriorated, God spoke: “Go back to the land of your fathers and to your relatives, and I will be with you.” (Gen 31:3). Read more…
Moses found himself in a bind. The people he led out of Egypt were complaining…again.
This time they were craving meat!
As I imagine the scene, Moses’ own sultry question shatters the commotion:
“How on earth am I supposed to provide meat when we’re stranded in this $#&(!@ desert?” (paraphrase of Num 11:13-14).
The people were so angry they threatened to oust God’s point man (11:15b).
Yet God’s response is incredible. He promises not just to provide a meal but enough meat for a month. In fact, they will be given so much meat that it will come out of their nostrils (11:19-20)!
Moses is incredulous. He can’t believe what he hears. “Would there be enough meat if whole flocks and herds and all the fish of the sea were cut up and put on a buffet line?”
To which God gives the famous answer:
“Is the Lord’s arm too short? You will now see whether or not what I say will come true for you” (11:23).
“Is the Lord’s arm too short?”
That question has dogged me for much of 2014.
As the year opened, we were staring down a double-barrel shotgun of two seemingly impossible goals:
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Nothing cuts deeper than the death of a loved one in his prime.
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So much expectation, potential, and promise are gone in a flash. Without warning, a car crash, terminal disease, or a bizarre, freak accident shatters unfulfilled dreams.
What follows is an empty pit in the stomach, a gut-wrench ache in the soul, a void where confusion and sorrow rush to fill. No words of solace can relieve the pain.
That was Mary and Martha’s reality one cold winter’s day in John 11. Their brother, Lazarus, lay sick on his deathbed. Doctors couldn’t help. (more…)
When you look down the road at the next twelve months, what do you see? What weights heavy on your mind for 2013? (Do you feel like this guy just thinking about these questions?) Is it… …more economic uncertainty? …concern over looming bills and less take home pay? …a move Read more…
The Christmas season is in full-swing, and yet a pause is necessary to the hustle and bustle. What if Jesus had never come to the manger in Bethlehem? Why is his coming so significant? If He had never come, He could never have gone to the Cross. If He had Read more…
Get off the hamster wheel for a moment, and take a trip with me down memory lane. Start with a breathtaking sunrise just over the rooftops–red, gold, purple, and pinks all mixing together and changing as you watch. Feel the cool morning air as you take a deep, relaxing inhale. Read more…
I read recently that “it is estimated that only five percent of those who say they have received a ‘call to missions’ actually make it to the mission field. The other ninety-five percent get sidetracked in some way” (Re-Entry, by Peter Jordan). For one reason or another, “life” has gotten Read more…
I have a lot of experience with roller coasters. When I was in high school, several friends and I had season passes to Six Flags. That was the bomb! I remember many late afternoons heading over to the park to take advantage of the hour before closing–that was the best Read more…
My heart is full tonight…full to overflowing really. God has blessed my socks off this week–all because I chose to keep showin’ up. Tonight, I walked away from my umpteenth visit with gals from our church, and I finally felt as though I am beginning to make some neat friends. Read more…