I the LORD search the heart, I try the reins, even to give every man according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings. — Jeremiah 17:10 When I worked as a paramedic years ago, there were many times that I would go out on an emergency call where it involved someone’s heart. Perhaps they were having chest pain or shortness of breath, or they just knew that something was wrong. Many times, it ended up being something wrong with the person’s heart. But in the ambulance, we didn’t have the ability to look inside that person’s chest to see what was wrong. I couldn’t physically examin ..read more

What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us? — Romans 8:31 Many years ago, I used to love playing team sports. I loved to play anything where I could get outside and burn some energy. But in each of the sports that I played, I was part of a team. There were a group of us there, and the idea is that we would all be working toward a common goal: to win. Unfortunately, as with any team sport, there were always times when people would get other ideas. Perhaps they would start focusing on themselves, more than the team. They were more interested in making a name ..read more

For God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble. — 1 Peter 5:5 We live in an interesting time in our society. Years ago, there was little interest among people to make a name for themselves. Most people were interested in taking care of their family, getting by as best they could, but in the end, being a good human being. Now, with the rise of social media and the internet, everyone wants to claim their minute of fame. They just want a viral photo or video, so they are seen as having accomplished something in their life. Not long ago, I remember having a conversation with someone ..read more

Which stilleth the noise of the seas, the noise of their waves, and the tumult of the people. — Psalm 65:7 Several years ago, my wife and I took a cruise. We have been on a few cruises over the many years we have been married, but this one was different. On this cruise, we ended up finding ourselves in the middle of a storm. I’ll never forget looking out one of the windows and seeing a water spout just a short distance from the ship. But more than just the sights of the storm outside the window, we could feel the storm raging inside. The ship was rocking back and forth. You could barely walk ..read more

And they continued stedfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers. — Acts 2:42 Whether we like to admit it or not, we are all creatures of habit. I am the first one to admit that about myself. Were it not for my wife, I would probably do many of the same things every day. It is not uncommon for me to eat the same lunch all week. I wear nearly the same clothes every week. When I find something I like, I usually stick with it. Maybe you are not that habitual, but there’s no doubt you still have certain habits. Maybe you take the same way to work ev ..read more

But now when Timotheus came from you unto us, and brought us good tidings of your faith and charity. — 1 Thessalonians 3:6 Since moving away from the area that I grew up in, it isn’t uncommon for someone to call me to share news. For example, a friend or family member will often call and say something that starts with, “Do you remember?” followed by someone’s name. There are many times that someone calls to share good news, but far too often it is bad news. While I may not always see those people day to day, it is always nice to hear how they are doing. They were an important piece of my life ..read more

Incline not my heart to any evil thing, to practise wicked works with men that work iniquity: and let me not eat of their dainties. — Psalm 141:4 This is our third day in this verse of Psalm 141. The verse has spoken volumes for Christians about how they live their lives and associate with those around them. We have learned about temptation and the effects of those around us on our Christian reputation. However, David has one other thing that he talks about that is worth noting. The statement he makes is unique in the King James translation above. “Let me not eat of their dainties.” This is n ..read more

Incline not my heart to any evil thing, to practise wicked works with men that work iniquity: and let me not eat of their dainties. — Psalm 141:4 As many of us do, I recall growing up reciting the Lord’s Prayer. While it was given as a model for prayer, it has long been used to teach kids the good habit of prayer. There is one key point in the Lord’s Prayer that has always caught my attention. It’s when it says, “Lead us not into temptation.” Temptation is powerful enough that Jesus knew it must be called out specifically. But the concept of temptation was nothing new. In fact, many of Jesus ..read more

Then assembled together the chief priests, and the scribes, and the elders of the people, unto the palace of the high priest, who was called Caiaphas. — Matthew 26:3 Several years ago, long before the invention of doorbell cameras, I remember looking through a window to see who was at our house. You might hear a doorbell or a knock at the door, and you would peek out the window or a small hole in the door to see who was on the other side. You wanted to see if it seemed safe to open the door. Nowadays, many people simply look at their phones and the cameras. But the idea is the same. You want ..read more

Ye did run well; who did hinder you that ye should not obey the truth? — Galatians 5:7 Our lives have changed tremendously with cameras on everyone’s cell phones. Now, it is not uncommon for someone to have a phone recording and capture some interesting things on video, especially at sporting events. Not long ago, I was watching a video that someone sent me of children playing at a sporting event when a unique situation was caught on camera. One child was running down the field as fast as they could run, but someone came off the sidelines and onto the field. It appeared that it was a coach or ..read more