We saw His star in the east, and have come to worship Him. (Matt. 2:2) Have you ever worshiped a baby? I mean really worshiped one? Probably not. Of course, babies have a certain wondrous charm and innocence. What facial contortions and strange noises we are prepared to make to elicit a simple response like […]
It’s strange how we can repeatedly read a passage and miss a basic point. That happened to me with the story of Paul and Silas in prison when the earthquake struck. About midnight, Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns of praise to God, and the prisoners were listening to them; and suddenly there came a great earthquake, […]
Wrestling is surely the ultimate contact sport. Gripping an opponent in an arm or leg lock requires sweaty skin intimacy. Victory between equally matched opponents depends on intense and enduring focus. One lapse of concentration could end the match. For Jacob to wrestle a blessing from God’s messenger shows just how much he valued that […]
Deception spreads like a disease; the deceived become deceivers of others. An incident in the relationship between King David and Absalom his son illustrates that point. It also provides a warning about how Satan ambushes us as we approach God. David and Absalom had a difficult relationship. Absalom had murdered his brother Amnon in revenge […]
That’s me at the top of 10,358’ South Sister in Oregon. I look better than I felt. Even in August, the summit had an ice cap and a howling wind. I was exhausted by the long climb over energy sapping scree and my body needed more oxygen than the thin air could provide. Nonetheless, my […]
Spiritual revival on a large scale or as an individual usually follows a pattern. The revival under Judah’s King Hezekiah is typical: Hezekiah opened the doors of the house of the Lord and repaired them. He brought in the priests and the Levites and gathered them into the square on the east. Then he said to […]
A vehicle with a slightly imbalanced tire judders at certain speeds. It happens because the weight of the wheel is not centered on the axis of rotation. When my car wobbled, at first I thought the road surface was uneven, but then I realized my car had a maintenance problem. The Christian life is similar. […]
Encounters with the Lord should always have some practical effect on our lives. That was Isaiah’s experience. His vision of the enthroned Lord and the cleansing of his lips prepared him to respond to God’s call: Then I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for Us?” Then I […]
When Isaiah encountered God in all His glorious splendor, he also met himself. Just as he saw the Lord clearly, so he saw himself accurately. His words sum up his condition: Woe is me, for I am ruined! Because I am a man of unclean lips, And I live among a people of unclean lips; For my […]
In the year of King Uzziah’s death I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, lofty and exalted, with the train of His robe filling the temple. Seraphim stood above Him, each having six wings: with two he covered his face, and with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. And one called out to another […]