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Yahweh, reveal to me the end of my life and the number of my days. Let me know how transitory I am. - Psalm 39:4 There are times in our lives when it seems that physical sickness is everywhere. Of course, the larger the group of acquaintances (Facebook?), the greater these occurrences seem. I once knew of at least seven people with cancer (or suffering the results of cancer) at one time. I did what I could to encourage them, but ultimately I think I was the one who was encour

Dear friends, if our hearts do not condemn [us] we have confidence before God.... - 1 John 3:21 For all the criticism that one may hear against healthcare in America, it is decades (even a century) ahead of the basics we saw when we lived in Africa. Where this truth was most evident was among the mentally ill. For example, there was one man who walked the streets of our large city completely naked. He apparently survived on handouts and good will, but was totally oblivious t

My heart grew hot within me; as I mused, a fire burned. I spoke with my tongue: "Yahweh, reveal to me the end of my life and the number of my days. Let me know how short-lived I am." - Psalm 39:3-4 "Tell me, Doc. How much time do I have?" If not for the harsh reality that some must daily face due to a life-consuming illness, it might be easy to make light of such a melodramatic question. We have heard it repeated in multiple dramatic venues and it has even (perhaps) lost its

... because if our hearts condemn us, God is greater than our hearts and knows all things. - 1 John 3:20 Jeremiah once said that the heart is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked, then he asked (rhetorically), "Who can know it?" Certainly, or so it would seem, a person can know their own heart! I mean, how many times have you heard someone say (or said yourself) in the context of justifying an action, "I think I know my own heart!" But do we? Really? Your heart

The mouth of the righteous utters wisdom; his tongue speaks what is just. The instruction of his God is in his heart; his steps do not falter. - Psalm 37:30-31 I once heard someone jokingly speak of another public figure, saying, "He has a lot to say, but then again he doesn't really say much." This made me wonder, if everything I said in a single year was placed on a scale would it lean more heavily toward foolishness, wisdom, or just irrelevance? How can I ensure that my s

... we must not love in word or speech, but in deed and truth; that is how we will know we are of the truth, and will convince our hearts in His presence.... - 1 John 3:18-19 Love, a word that warms older hearts and makes youthful hearts giggle. Love, a verb that we just can't wait to hear from that "special" someone and also have a need to hear (frequently) the rest of our lives. Love, an action that, if experienced emerging from a Holy God who sent His only Son to die for o

Refrain from anger and give up your rage; do not be agitated -- it can only bring harm. For evildoers will be destroyed, but those who hope in Yahweh will inherit the land. - Psalm 37:8-9 Most of us are usually angered by a perceived injustice, be it personal or upon someone (or something) we care about. I am grieved the most when anger exists between brothers and sisters in Christ. Of course, though we all get angry from time to time, it rarely serves God's purposes. So, ho

Little children, we must not love in word or speech, but in deed and truth.... - 1 John 3:18 In one of my previous "working" lives, I was an accountant at a nuclear power plant. My big boss was an ex-Navy submarine commander and he ran the organization with military precision. I once came to his office with a problem and before I could even finish describing it he told me to get out. When I asked why, he smiled and said, "You are not paid to bring me problems. I have a lot

Do not let my deceitful enemies rejoice over me; do not let those who hate me without cause look at me maliciously. For they do not speak in friendly ways, but contrive deceitful schemes against those who live peacefully in the land. - Psalm 35:19-20 Even though we may follow Jesus, this does not mean we're always right. Yeah, it surprises me sometimes, too! For example, passion for the mission of reaching the lost can occasionally blind us to the physical needs of others. At

If anyone has this world's goods and sees his brother in need but shuts off his compassion from him — how can God's love reside in him? - 1 John 3:17 When in Africa, we lived behind a wall. Theft and home invasion are a reality in all under-developed countries and since ours was the second poorest in the world, we took all the necessary precautions. In addition to the wall, our company provided a night guard and our house-helper doubled as a day guard. These men controlled o

The eyes of Yahweh are on the righteous, and His ears are open to their cry for help.... Many adversities come to the one who is righteous, but Yahweh delivers him from them all. - Psalm 34:15, 19 Two great truths emerge from this psalm. One is that righteousness does not prohibit adversity, trial, or suffering. In fact, it seems to guarantee it. The second is that God knows the plight of the righteous, because His eyes and ears are open to their cry. In light of these two po

This is how we have come to know love: He laid down His life for us. We should also lay down our lives for our brothers. - 1 John 3:16 Isn't it time that you laid down your life? John said that we have come to know true love, because Jesus laid down His life for us. In light of this truth, isn't it time we laid ours down for someone else? We don't really have to physically die to do it, you know? We have to be willing to die, but we can lay down our lives without experienci

Then I acknowledged my sin to You and did not conceal my iniquity. I said, "I will confess my transgressions to Yahweh," and You took away the guilt of my sin. - Psalm 32:5 I have thought for a long time that there is a lot of power in transparency. No, not as in a cloak of invisibility (though that would be cool). What I have considered is that a person does not need to be perfect, just transparent (open) before God, because when we are vulnerable before Him, the Holy Spiri

Everyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life residing in him. - 1 John 3:15 The opposite of love is hate. They are competing actions. This is why I chuckle a little when people say, (and yes, I have said it) "I am in a love-hate relationship with (whatever)." You can supply the person, job, country, situation, etc., but honestly it is just not possible to love a person and hate them at the same time. On the other hand, you can

When I kept silent, my bones became brittle from my groaning all day long. For day and night Your hand was heavy on me; my strength was drained as in the summer’s heat. [Selah] Then I acknowledged my sin to You and did not conceal my iniquity. I said, "I will confess my transgressions to Yahweh," and You took away the guilt of my sin. - Psalm 32:3-5 If Psalm 51 is King David's prayer of confession, then Psalm 32 must be considered God's answer to that prayer. In these few sim

We know that we have passed from death to life because we love our brothers. The one who does not love remains in death. - 1 John 3:14 When I was 16 years old I was in an auto accident, because the brakes failed on my mom's car. I actually passed out at the wheel (from fright, I guess), clipped a power pole, and ended up at the bottom of a small ravine. When I "came to," I was lying on the driver's side door, and immediately wondered if I was truly alive! I stood up, then pi

How happy is the one whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered. - Psalm 32:1 King David began his song of repentance by expressing the blessing received by a person who has known God's forgiveness. His words painfully reveal how miserable he must have been when he tried to hide his sinful tryst with Bathsheba from an omniscient God (as if that could ever be possible). But then David also recorded for us the sweet release he felt when he openly admitted to God wha

Do not be surprised, brethren, if the world hates you. - 1 John 3:13 In biblical terms, "world" can have both spiritual and physical meanings. Physically, or perhaps geographically, it refers to the known regions of the globe inhabited (or not) by humanity. In this context, Paul spoke of taking the gospel to the entire "known" world as Jesus had commanded all of His disciples before His ascension. Spiritually-speaking, "world" refers to a system of thought or philosophy espo

When I was secure, I said, "I will never be shaken." Yahweh, when You showed Your favor, You made me stand like a strong mountain; when You hid Your face, I was terrified. - Psalm 30:6-7 Security is a somewhat fleeting concept. Just think about it. We may think ourselves secure when the reality may be something entirely different. We are "secure" one minute before the doctor delivers the devastating results of our routine blood work. We are "secure" thirty seconds before the

... unlike Cain, who was of the evil one and murdered his brother. And why did he murder him? Because his works were evil, and his brother's were righteous. - 1 John 3:12 It is most likely true that every day, somewhere in this fallen world, a Christ-follower dies for simply following Christ, for worshiping the one, true God. It is also a foregone conclusion that since we are now penetrating the hardest edges of unbelief around the world, as worshippers increase, persecution