“If only you had been here, my brother would not have died” John 11:21 If only– Lazarus is dead. Too late for Lazarus, but not too late for Martha to proclaim her lost hope. She runs to Jesus as he approaches the house, saying, “If you were here.” “If” – the word of exquisite hindsight. …
“May He grant you your heart’s desire and fulfill all your counsel!” Psalm 20:4 Counsel – “Free advice is worth exactly what you pay for it.” How often have you heard someone belittle your counsel because you didn’t charge him for it? That, by the way, is the secret of consulting. Give advice and charge…
“May He grant you your heart’s desire and fulfill all your counsel!” Psalm 20:4 Desire – When it comes to matters of the heart, the Psalms are rich with metaphors. But just like English, the idea of “heart” often has nothing to do with the organ that pumps blood. In Hebrew, levav is used most…
“May He grant you your heart’s desire and fulfill all your counsel!” Psalm 20:4 Grant – Why do parents feel so good about the birthdays of their children? It can’t be because the day is so relaxing. Birthdays usually mean lots of preparation, organization and coordination. Running around stuff. It’s not because everyone is in…
“we had the boldness in our God to speak to you the gospel of God amid much opposition” 1 Thessalonians 2:2 Boldness – Star Trek and Freedom of Speech. They are tied together. We make a big deal out of the “right” to free speech. It is central to our political system, although there are…
“Now all these things are from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ” 2 Corinthians 5:18 Reconciled – Bankruptcy! Most of us have emotional reactions to that word. We think about the damage to our credit, the embarrassment and the endless negotiating that will follow. Jesus used these feelings to give us a picture…
“And the hand of the Lord will be made know to His servants; but he will be indignant toward His enemies.” Isaiah 66:14 Indignant – Ever see an animal crazy with rage? What you will notice (if you have time while you are running for your life) is that the animal is foaming at the…
“The heart is more deceitful than all else and desperately sick; who can understand it?” Jeremiah 17:9 Sick – The Big C. Health issues today seem to revolve around the fear of Cancer – the Big C. No matter how tiny the infection, cancer is lethal. It is literally cells of the body destroying themselves…
“For He has not despised or abhorred the affliction of the afflicted; nor has He hidden His face from him;” Psalm 22:24 Hidden – Sometimes when we read the Old Testament we run across verses that simply shout the story of Jesus. This Psalm is one of those passages. It describes the passion of the Christ…
“For then you will delight in the Almighty and lift up your face to God.” Job 22:26 Lift up – Faces don’t lie. We might hear lying words, but we rarely see lying eyes. If you look carefully, most people reveal all you need to know just in the face. It’s a natural reaction. You…
