It is evening on the first day of the week. The resurrection has already happened, but hope has not yet caught up with reality. The disciples are together, but not openly. John tells us why. The doors are shut. Fear has taken charge. This is not a gathering planned for prayer or praise. It is …
Continue reading When Fear Locks the Door and Jesus Still Comes Through
Hidden in the long lines of Psalm 119 is a short sentence that reshapes how we hear God’s Word: “Thy statutes have been my songs in the house of my pilgrimage” (Psalm 119:54). The psalmist does not speak of obligation or endurance. He speaks of joy. God’s statutes, the very commands many resist, had become …
Continue reading Statutes into Song: How to Find Joy in Obedience
The first sip told me something was wrong. I had poured a glass of ice-cold water from a filtered pitcher, raised it confidently, and immediately regretted it. My taste buds objected. I rinsed the cup and tried again. Same taste. I switched cups. Still there. After a third attempt, the truth became unavoidable. The problem …
Continue reading When Life Turns Bitter: What Proverbs 4:23 Says About the Heart
In 1962, the world came closer to nuclear war than most of us realize. During the Cuban Missile Crisis, a Soviet submarine slipped beneath the ocean, cut off from communication with Moscow. Above it, the U.S. Navy dropped depth charges. They were not intended to destroy the submarine, but to force it to surface. Inside …
Continue reading The Power of Saying No: Biblical Self-Control in Everyday Life
A Good Word 