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Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke fits perfectly, and the burden I give you is light.” – Matthew 11:29-30

A jewelry merchant and a tool seller simultaneously checked into a hotel. The jewelry merchant had his small case, filled with diamonds, emeralds and pearls. The tool seller had a trunk filled with hammers, saws, drills and other kinds of tools.

Both were served by the same porter. The jewelry merchant proceeded up to his room and the porter soon arrived…  ( Click for more )

“…Go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” - Matthew 19:21.

Awiya was renowned as a great hunter. People far and wide talked of his exploits and craftiness. Being part pygmy, he stood barely five feet tall, but he did not rely on his strength or speed to catch his prey. He knew his quarry well and caught them by using their weaknesses.

One day, he went into the jungle to catch a monkey. He went to a coconut tree and found a nut. Drilling two holes into the nut (one larger…  ( Click for more )

“He who has ears to hear, let him hear.” - Matthew 11:15

I am slowly and inexorably going deaf. I finally admitted this a couple of years ago. I got tired of pretending to hear what people were saying; tired of people getting aggravated with me because I simply nodded and smiled when I failed to catch what they had said, and then didn’t show up when I was supposed to. My wife ended up being the deciding factor. “You’re hard of hearing.” She explained as though to a child. “You need hearing aids. It’s not the end…  ( Click for more )

Hold unfailing your love for one another, since love covers a multitude of sins. - 1 Peter 4:8

A young boy was once offered a paper route. It didn’t pay much money, but he knew having a job would build good character, so he took it, good character being important to fourth graders.

He began lingering on the front porch of one of his customers who was an elderly widow. She’d watch for him to come down her street, and by the time he’d pedaled up to her house, there’d be a slushy bottle of Coke waiting for him. He’d sit and…  ( Click for more )

You are my God. I worship you. In my heart, I long for you, as I would long for a stream in a scorching desert. I have seen your power and your glory in the place of worship. You love means more than life to me, and I praise you. – Psalm 63:1-3

“I love you.” We think of our first grade school crush. We demonstrate it by punching her or pulling her pony tail if we’re male. If we’re female, we ignore him or call him names. “I love you,” we tell our lover as we show them the ring. In our search for their hearts we seek first their hands…  ( Click for more )

If another believer sins, rebuke him; then if he repents, forgive him. 3" target="_blank">Luke 17:3

Forgiveness is first granted, then felt. Christians frequently raise the objection that if you act forgiving without really feeling it, you are guilty of hypocrisy. But we find in Luke 17 that feelings are not a necessary ingredient of obedience. Jesus began with a warning in verse 3: “Be careful of yourselves.” The warning was necessary; there are many ways to err about forgiveness. The warning is pertinent to many Christians who are caught up in the easy rationalizations…  ( Click for more )

I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am. I know how to get along with humble means, and I also know how to live in prosperity; in any and every circumstance I have learned the secret of being filled and going hungry, both of having abundance and suffering need. I can do all things through Him who strengthens me. – Philippians 4:11b-13 There is an old Jewish story that says that a king’s son grew very ill. The king sent for the country’s wise men, looking a cure. After much research, they determined that the only way to help the boy was…  ( Click for more )

If you only get the foundation laid and then run out of money, you’re going to look pretty foolish. Everyone passing by will poke fun at you: ‘He started something he couldn’t finish. – Luke 14:29 A couple years ago, I was involved in a big construction job that involved a lot of remodeling. Consequently, there was a lot of dirt. The construction equipment tracked inordinate amounts of mud on the formerly pristine streets of this upper class neighborhood and so it was decided that we would borrow hoses from the fire department, attach them to the fire…  ( Click for more )

Your duty is to go and preach the coming of the Kingdom of God. – Luke 9:60

There is a village on the Gold Coast of West Africa, called ‘Achimota’. It lies seven miles from the infamous Christianborg castle where slaves were held for the slave ships. Across a wooded hill above the village runs a path trod by thousands of slaves headed for a life of misery. This hill was the last chance of escape before they reached the dungeons from which they would be shipped across the Atlantic. Sometimes slaves would manage to escape the chains and would be cared for by…  ( Click for more )

Then Moses lifted up his hand and struck the rock twice with his rod; and water came forth abundantly, and the congregation and their beasts drank. But the LORD said to Moses and Aaron, “Because you have not believed Me, to treat Me as holy in the sight of the sons of Israel, therefore you shall not bring this assembly into the land which I have given them." – Numbers 20:11-12 In a lifetime of patient, faithful service, Moses lost his temper once and it cost him his chance to set foot in the Promised Land. This was his life’s goal and he missed it for losing…  ( Click for more )

Abraham came near and said, "Will You indeed sweep away the righteous with the wicked? Suppose there are fifty righteous within the city; will You indeed sweep it away and not spare the place for the sake of the fifty righteous who are in it? Far be it from You to do such a thing, to slay the righteous with the wicked, so that the righteous and the wicked are treated alike. Far be it from You! Shall not the Judge of all the earth deal justly?" – Genesis 18:23-25

God revealed to Abraham His plan to destroy Sodom and its surrounding area. Abraham’s shocked…  ( Click for more )

Just as the body is dead without a spirit, so also faith is dead without good deeds. – Js. 2:26

Nehemiah had a great job. He worked for the king and got to eat like one. He had an easy job and didn’t particularly suffer from any want or persecution. But he got a burden for Jerusalem. He prayed and prayed and the burden only became greater. Finally, he did something about it. It was risky. It was foolhardy. It was downright foolish. But God answered amazingly and provided.

Nehemiah was able to go to Jerusalem and start building. The book of Nehemiah is filled…  ( Click for more )

Then he said, "Oh may the Lord not be angry, and I shall speak only this once; suppose ten are found there?" And He said, "I will not destroy it on account of the ten." As soon as He had finished speaking to Abraham the LORD departed, and Abraham returned to his place. – Genesis 18:32-33 Abraham returned to his place? Why in the world did he do that? Why didn’t he grab a horse or something and get to Sodom and warn them of the coming destruction? Why didn’t he at least warn his relatives?

Instead, he haggled with the Lord, knowing…  ( Click for more )

Abraham came near and said, "Will You indeed sweep away the righteous with the wicked? Suppose there are fifty righteous within the city; will You indeed sweep it away and not spare the place for the sake of the fifty righteous who are in it? Far be it from You to do such a thing, to slay the righteous with the wicked, so that the righteous and the wicked are treated alike. Far be it from You! Shall not the Judge of all the earth deal justly?" – Genesis 18:23-25 Have you ever wondered why Abraham tried to argue with God? Did he actually think that one can prevail…  ( Click for more )

Then he said, "Oh may the Lord not be angry, and I shall speak only this once; suppose ten are found there?" And He said, "I will not destroy it on account of the ten." – Genesis 18:32 Teshuvah is generally translated “repentance.” However, English does not do the Hebrew word justice because teshuvah also carries within it the meaning “return.” Repentance implies a change of ways; a change of heart; a change of direction. But we can change from one bad direction to another bad direction. Teshuvah literally means returning to…  ( Click for more )

Then the men rose up from there, and looked down toward Sodom; and Abraham was walking with them to send them off. The LORD said, "Shall I hide from Abraham what I am about to do?” - Genesis 18:16-17 And they “looked down toward Sodom.” So much said in so few words. What an ominous, discomfiting statement! The angel’s look is rather like the glance given by the Master to Peter immediately after his third denial. What an impact those swollen, blood shot eyes must have had on the apostle! In fact, we see the power of that single look by Peter’s…  ( Click for more )

When arguing with fools, don’t answer their foolish arguments, or you will become as foolish as they are. When arguing with fools, be sure to answer their foolish arguments, or they will become wise in their own estimation. – Proverbs 26:4-5 Have you ever had to deal with a fool? You know – bull headed, ignorant, unteachable, absolutely convinced of the rightness of their cause contrary to all evidence and good sense, easily angered, thin skinned, and self-righteous – a fool. Of course you have – we all have. The Bible has sound advice for dealing…  ( Click for more )

Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about what happens to you. 1 Peter 5:7 Who doesn’t have cares? Who does not live with worries and concerns about the future? One of the many downsides to being finite is that we cannot foresee the future. We don’t even have a full grasp of the present! This doesn’t change when you become a Christian. You don’t just automatically become “Super Saint” and rest entirely on God. It is something that is learned. Many people seem to think that faith is a blind leap into the dark. It is…  ( Click for more )

…Be earnest and disciplined in your prayers…Pray at all times and on every occasion in the power of the Holy Spirit. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all Christians everywhere. 1 Peter 4:7; Ephesians 6:18 Most girls, when they fight, flail away wildly – hair falling in their eyes, eyes closed, they swing with great energy, but with little accomplishment. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve seen some phenomenal female warriors, but most girls fight like – well, girls!

We Christians are often guilty of fighting like girls. We…  ( Click for more )

Listen to my voice in the morning, Lord. Each morning I bring my requests to you and wait expectantly. – Psalm 5:3 I share a particularly close relationship with one of my nieces. She used to stay at my house almost every weekend when she was very small. I found her sleeping with my dog in the dog basket not once, but several times. Once there was a time when her parents denied her a request. She responded “I’ll just ask my uncle. He’ll get it for me.” Ah, the utter confidence of youth and love.

I am often guilty of going through the motions…  ( Click for more )

Once when Jesus had been out praying, one of his disciples came to him as he finished and said, “Lord, teach us to pray, just as John taught his disciples.” Luke 11:1 “Teach us to pray.” This disciple had a flash of insight. He realized that there were hidden depths, unrealized complexities to prayer that were eluding him. When audiences who are not familiar with the art of grappling watch two master wrestlers, they often think not much is happening. Because they have not tried wrestling themselves, they don’t see the nuances. They don’t notice…  ( Click for more )

Whatever I have, wherever I am, I can make it through anything in the One who makes me who I am. – Philippians 4:13 (The Message) There once was an old man who wore overalls and a straw hat. He smiled a lot and his smile matched his hat – old, crinkly and well worn. He never yelled at kids who played in his yard. His house sat on ten acres, and his life-goal was to make it a forest. He had some interesting theories concerning trees. He came from the “No pain, no gain” school of horticulture. He never watered his new trees. He said that watering trees…  ( Click for more )

The nations will see your righteousness. Kings will be blinded by your glory. And the Lord will give you a new name. – Is. 62:2 A great general was surrounded one time. He was in his tent discussing strategy with his subordinates when an aide came running in. “General, the enemy has surrounded us with eight regiments! We are outnumbered 20 to one!”

Everyone turned to the great man as he gazed calmly at the panicked aide. “Well that’s outstanding!” he replied “We’ve got them right where we want them. We can shoot anywhere and hit…  ( Click for more )

Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and wonderful results. - James 5:16

No man is an island unto himself. We are more like an archipelago – a chain of islands with interrelated ecologies. Everything you do affects others around you. Why not use this “ripple effect” to benefit those around you? Do not consider yourself separate. Do not pray only for yourself. Notice that in Christ’s example of prayer, He began by praying for the advancement of the Kingdom.…  ( Click for more )