It’s one of those verses. Everyone quotes it, but few people know the reference, and even fewer people know the context. “God’s thoughts are not our thoughts, and His ways are not our ways.” This line gets trotted out when things happen that we don’t understand. Don’t know why you can’t get a job? Well, … Continue reading What Exactly Are God’s “Higher Thoughts”?
Category: Who Is God?
The Lord Counseled Me
You’ve probably been there. Lying in bed, unable to fall asleep, thinking, thinking, thinking about a situation, which has grown substantially (in your brain) since you crawled into bed. You try to pray about it, but your mind makes its way back to worrying or fretting or fuming. Something about the darkness can make the … Continue reading The Lord Counseled Me
The Warrior King
Satan's fiery darts fly at us from every direction these days. As if a worldwide pandemic weren’t enough, he’s launched the grenade of racial tension, a busy hurricane season, raging forest fires, and, oh yeah, a little election thrown in just for fun. The battle is on, and we know we need to fight; and … Continue reading The Warrior King
Is God Fair?
Part of the beauty of childhood is seeing things in black and white. For this reason, heroes in kids’ movies need not be flawed, and villains need not be redeemed. To a kid, right is right, wrong is wrong, with no gray in the middle. Because of this, kids quickly pick up on partial treatment. … Continue reading Is God Fair?
For the One Who Feels Invisible
Her name is associated with faithlessness, but not her own. Her master’s. She came to Abram and Sarai when they faithlessly went to Egypt to escape famine. Apparently, they purchased a slave for Sarai while they were there, or maybe she was a gift to Sarai from Pharaoh. Either way, Hagar now belonged to the … Continue reading For the One Who Feels Invisible
God’s Presence in an Age of Social Distance
If you're anything like me, you had never heard the term “social distancing” before this spring. Now it’s a phrase that is permanently part of our parlance. I read speculation that it will be named the word (phrase?) of the year, and I suspect that’s true. Even when the economy begins to open up again, … Continue reading God’s Presence in an Age of Social Distance
What Happens When We Cry Out to God
Frightening. Unprecedented. Tumultuous. Uncertain. You don’t need to read any farther to know exactly what I’m talking about. In the past week we’ve watched our world go crazy, not unlike it did one Tuesday in September nearly two decades ago. However, unlike the aftermath of September 11, 2001, when churches were bursting at the seams, … Continue reading What Happens When We Cry Out to God
I AM THAT I AM
Yesterday, I addressed the topic of fearing people. I finished by saying the antidote to that problem is fearing God. Today I'd like to share a poem I wrote for a children's program at our church. I hope that it will assist you in standing in awe of our incomprehensible but knowable God. I AM … Continue reading I AM THAT I AM
Not Just a Flannelgraph
When you think of Daniel (the Bible character), what do you think? Lions? Handwriting on the wall? The fiery furnace? (Wait, that wasn’t Daniel—or was it? I just remember the three guys. But they were Daniel’s friends, right? Where was Daniel?) Yes, Daniel was thrown into the lions’ den, and yes, he read the handwriting … Continue reading Not Just a Flannelgraph
