Deuteronomy 6:4-9

"How do you know so many scriptures?" the troubled woman asked Penny. Out of Penny's purse came a palm sized, ornately stitched handmade bag. She loosened the drawstring and a large collection of well worn, tattered index cards fell onto the table. Each one contained a scripture that meant something to her o (continued)...

Exodus 14:13

The Israelites could smell the dust and feel the ground shudder as the chariots approached. They were no match for this army and they knew it. With the sea on one side and a vengeful army on the other, they were trapped.

Wasn't God a better military strategist than this? Surely He didn't deliver His chosen (continued)...

Exodus Chapter 16

"What is the greatest truth you've discovered in your cancer battle?" I asked Ellen, a successful businesswoman, wife, mother and cancer survivor. She went on to share with me a truth that I hear often from those whose lives have been forever changed by adversity. "God will give you just what you need to get th (continued)...

Genesis 12:1

When God gives us direction He often gives us the information we need to go in that direction one step at a time. We prefer that the whole journey be mapped out, in advance. God only told Abraham to leave. He didn't tell him where he was going, only that it would be a "land I will show you."

God gave me a real life (continued)...

Exodus 13:20-22

God led Israel in a unique and personal way. The pillar of cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night were the visible evidence of God's presence among His people. The pillar and cloud provided direction, protection and reassurance.

God has always guided his people in every generation, in every wilderness throug (continued)...

Genesis 17:15-19

The problem with pain is that it forces us to live in the moment, to deal with its ever-present, inescapable, unrelenting presence. That narrow, unpleasant perspective, like blinders on a horse, prevents us from clearly seeing the past - where God displayed His faithfulness to us, and the future - where (continued)...

Exodus 5:3-9

Moses, the divine deliverer, had arrived on the scene. He had spoken the Lord's words. But instead of deliverance all the Hebrews got was despair. Their workload actually increased. Dashed hopes. We've all had them, especially when we're in the valley of despair. We keep thinking we're climbing out only to find that the valley (continued)...

Exodus Chapter 2:1-8

How many of us could lay our 3-month old baby in a handmade basket to float down one of the largest rivers in the world? I can't imagine the pain in a mother's heart as she slowly walks towards the water knowing that she may never hold her child again, know where the river will take him, know if he survives at (continued)...

Leviticus 20:24

I didn't really need God. I'd always depended on my own abilities and my own drive, and I'd done pretty well with that. I thought of myself as a decent person. God received his due on Sunday morning. The rest of my life belonged to me. But God saw it differently. He divinely arranged for Byron Ballard to be my (continued)...

Numbers 9:6-8

"Wait until I find out what the LORD commands concerning you." I know I need to follow Moses' example and wait until I have the Lord's direction before making a decision. But I walk a tightrope that says on the one hand "God gave you wisdom and His Word to direct you. You don't need to ask Him about everything." The (continued)...

Numbers 9:15-23

As a person who loves order, schedules and lists, the wilderness was especially difficult for me. Because you are thrust into unfamiliar territory there is no apparent order. Because circumstances change constantly, maintaining any kind of schedule is ridiculous. And my to-do list was narrowed down to one entry; (continued)...

Numbers 16:1-11

Korah was, in modern terminology, occupationally dissatisfied. Being a Levite, one of the chosen who performed special priestly duties, wasn't enough. He wanted to be the big Kahuna, the head honcho. He wanted Aaron's job. He didn't understand that it is God Who imparts our gifts and our calling. He places us wh (continued)...

Deuteronomy 11:26-28

I have a friend whose daughter refused to go into their backyard. She used to go back there to pick flowers or play with the dog. But suddenly and without explanation she just refused to venture out the back door. Finally my friend came out and asked her daughter why she was avoiding the backyard. Her young daug (continued)...

Joshua 7

Weeds. They are a gardener's ongoing enemy. We mulch, pick and poison to contol them. And we must be diligent in this battle. A week or two of neglect and they can overrun a garden and mar it's beauty and bounty. And if further neglected, these unwelcome guests can blossom and produce seed - creating agricultural anarchy. (continued)...

Ruth 4:15

Ultimately, God brought great, surpassing blessing into the life of this poor widow who had seen so many days of sorrow. Yet her words coming into the land of Israel were haunting: "The Lord has afflicted me" (1:21). How can a good God allow his children to be afflicted? Notice that Naomi never asked this question. She ac (continued)...