Lord have mercy on me, a sinner. You call me first to abide IN You, not work FOR You. You teach me that service is an outflow, not an engine; a result, not a cause. Forgive me for looking at my life and the lives of others through the lenses …
TOPICS: abiding, accomplishment, achievement, communion
I am surrounded by water. A sky of cobalt is above me, rays of morning sun stream through the space between downtown high rises, and all around this concrete jetty are the black lapping waves of the Caloosahatchee River. A cool breeze nudges the tinkling wind chimes on the deck …
TOPICS: contemplation, nature, Observations, prayer, water
“Serve the Lord with fear and rejoice with trembling.” – Psalm 2:11 “Rejoice with trembling”? Doesn’t that seem like sort of an oxymoron? I mean think about it, how can you rejoice (def. “To feel joyful; be delighted”) with trembling (def. “To feel fear or anxiety”)? Actually, it’s pretty simple. …
TOPICS: fear, Psalms, rejoicing, roller coasters
All around me are people, squished and squeezed and packed in tightly, seat by seat, row by row, waiting for takeoff. The woman next to me looks so lost, like she’s frightened a bit and just wishing the trip was over. It seems she knows no English, and I am …
TOPICS: communication, language, Observations
Lord, thank you for overwhelming me with the power and beauty of your presence. You move me to tears and silence when your Spirit touches mine. The closer you approach across the vastness of your eternity, the smaller I feel. I tremble in spirit at the thought of your majesty, …
TOPICS: abba, love, majesty
“I wait for the Lord, my soul waits, and in his word I hope; my soul waits for the Lord more than watchmen for the morning, more than watchmen for the morning.” -Psalm 130:5-6 (ESV) I walked in to the sanctuary of the large Korean Assemblies of God church and …
TOPICS: church, contemplations, expectation, hope, missions, Psalms, waiting
Small to mid-sized towns have a certain charm about them. Perhaps it’s the sense of homey community, or the feeling of history behind each landmark. With big cities, it’s easy to get so focused on the new things and the energy of mass population that you lose sight of the …
TOPICS: art, Observations, photos
“The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning, great is your faithfulness.” Lamentations 3:22-23 Two days ago I returned home from an incredible and inspiring summit of leaders in children’s ministry from around the world. For me, coming …
TOPICS: coming home, coping, faithfulness, Lamentations, missions
I’m sitting in a straight-back chair with a fastened safety belt, 35,000 feet up on a hot summer day. All around me are clouds; the white, puffy, cotton-ball clouds that give young imaginations the best fodder you could ask for. I remember clouds like this from summer afternoons as a …
TOPICS: Observations, perspective
“Why didn’t any of the gospels describe what Jesus looked like?” Ever get one of those strange questions that just makes you stop and say “hmm”? I was sitting at a cafe doing some devotional reading when I got this text message from a good friend of mine; “Very important …
TOPICS: heart, idolatry, image, Jesus, value
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