I tend to be a picky eater. Oh, I try to convince myself I’m not, but the truth is I kind of am, particularly when it comes to things that once were alive. Seafood? Not a chance. Pork? Nope. Duck? Yuck. Chicken? Yes, but only off the bone. You get the idea. And several things I don’t like are things I should be eating—or drinking. For example, I don’t really like water (unless it’s in…
Last night, I was running one of my favorite trails when WHAM, a gnat flew right into my eye (ok it wasn’t quite that dramatic, and more likely than not I ran into the gnat). At any rate, I’ve been a runner for enough years that this is not entirely unusual. And generally, the offending little bug will just make its way out in a couple seconds. Not this time. No, this little creature decided to…
Yesterday, a well-known and politically polarizing figure passed away. Public response was swift, passionate, and, sadly, overwhelmingly indicative of our brokenness as a people. While some mourned this figure’s passing, celebrated his incredible philanthropy, and offered condolences to his family, others rejoiced over his death, claimed “good riddance” and piously gloated that he would now have to face his maker (whom at least one person claimed was Satan). These comments, though aimed at the individual…
“We do not know what to do, but our eyes are on you.” (2 Chronicles 20:12) This verse came to my mind this evening as I was out for a run. I love it both for its simplicity and its honesty. In this chapter of 2 Chronicles, the Moabites, Ammonites, and Meunites had come to wage battle against Jehoshaphat, king of Judah. As Jehoshaphat considers the fight before him, he stands in the midst of…
Today, I watched as hundreds of people spent 20 minutes and more staring at a hole in the ground. I admit I was one of them. We sat or stood in anticipation, waiting for Old Faithful to spew its fount far into the sky. For those who don’t know (as I didn’t until recently), Old Faithful is, indeed, consistent but not to the minute. And predictions are offered with the “+ or – 10 minutes”…
Have you ever had the wind knocked out of you? Maybe you fell, collided with someone or something, or simply got sucker punched. That resulting feeling of needing air—and needing it now—is hardly enjoyable. Imagine if, in that moment, someone approached you and cautiously attempted to explain the relevance of air to your livelihood. For fear of giving offense, this person might first spend 10 minutes assuring you of his understanding that you may not…
Have you ever been to a concert, or a rally, or a dinner reception where the music and background noise are so loud you have to shout to be heard and you can barely hear the person next to you? As I think of modern American culture, the phrase that comes to mind is “so much noise.” And I don’t just mean the obvious—cell phones ringing, horns blaring, etc. But there’s so much emotional noise that…
Joshua 23-24 record Joshua’s final words and warnings to the Israelites as he nears death, after leading the Israelites into ever-increasing victory in the Promised Land. Speaking to Israel in what he knew would be one of his last times, Joshua reminds them of all God has done for them and admonishes them to be obedient to God’s commands. But then he delivers what I believe is really the crux of his message—not only to…
“Your words were found, and I ate them, and Your word was to me the joy and rejoicing of my heart.” (Jeremiah 15:16) At first glance, this seems like an odd verse, until we recall that Jesus Himself is the Word (John 1:1, 14-16) and the Bread of Life (John 6:35). In Jeremiah, the word translated “ate” is akal. While, simply put, it means to eat (literally or figuratively), it’s also used in Scripture to convey…
Psalm 119 has much to say about the beauty of following God’s laws and statutes. In verses 1-2, we read, “Blessed are those whose ways are blameless, who walk according to the law of the Lord. Blessed are those who keep his statutes and seek him with all their heart.” In this chapter, we ready how to keep ourselves from sin: “I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you” (v. 11) And we see…