Marching Forth!

Naomi was a woman in the Bible who suffered the loss of her husband and two sons in Moab, having left Bethlehem due to a famine.  She returned home bitter and empty years later with daughter-in-law Ruth.  The people of Bethlehem hardly recognised the grief-stricken woman whose only companion was a foreigner.  Though Naomi had forgotten happier days, God had not forgotten Naomi.  He would provide for her abundantly in unexpected ways, and her mourning would be turned to joy. Ruth went out to glean in a field and was kindly greeted by the owner named Boaz.  He was kind to Ruth, having been appraised of her loyalty towards her mother-in-law and the God of Israel, and invited her to remain in his field throughout the harvest.  When Ruth returned home carrying a large amount of grain, Naomi was pleasantly surprised with her success.  After Ruth divulged she had gathered in a field belonging to Boaz, consider Naomi's response  Ruth 2:20 :  " The...

A wholesome diet and regular exercise are fundamental to good health.  Being discerning about what and how much we eat has a far greater impact than mere outer appearance.  Quality nutrition helps our bodies grow, repair, boosts our immune system, aids digestion, and has many other benefits.  Exercise strengthens muscles, burns fat, increases flexibility, and is good for the heart and brain.  Our attention to diet and exercise is voluntary.  For the most part we make the decision to go for a walk, eat vegetables, limit our intake of processed sugar, drink more water, or avoid alcohol. Knowing food is more or less healthy - or honestly not healthy at all - does not mean making these personal decisions are easy.  It is hard to restrict ourselves when it comes to diet, and it can be difficult to maintain motivation to exercise.  Sometimes we are determined and dedicated to meet our goals, and other times we have no goal except to eat what we want at ...

When people request prayer, it is usually to seek help in time of need.  So many problems we face in life are bigger than our ability to solve or fix, and God has graciously invited all who believe Him to make our requests known to God.  We can make requests with thanksgiving and through Jesus enter into His rest, knowing God hears us and is able to accomplish all that concerns us today and always. Have you noticed the frequency, duration, and fervency of our prayers typically rise in times of trouble?  It struck me recently how God uses trials and difficulties to prompt us - even drive us to pray for people normally who are not in our thoughts.  When we hear of tragedies and atrocities across the world we are moved to pray for people we do not know and will likely never meet.  Prayer has the capacity to invite God's aid into every corner of the globe and beg Him to minister on behalf of people who do not even know Him.  How glorious and generous God is,...

In God is great consolation.  We need not despair even in trying times of suffering, for God is gracious and full of mercy.  Our trials do not test God in any way, as if anything is difficult for Him, but we are tested by trouble God allows.  God has a miraculous ability to use great pains to accomplish His redemptive purposes. Paul wrote in  2 Corinthians 1:3-6 , " Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, 4 who comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. 5 For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation also abounds through Christ. 6 Now if we are afflicted, it is for your consolation and salvation, which is effective for enduring the same sufferings which we also suffer. Or if we are comforted, it is for your consolation and salvation ."  God allows difficult...

It is good for every child of God to acknowledge we cannot safely be neutral towards sin in our lives.  Imagine if the children of Israel had remained "neutral" towards the existence of Jericho and tried to enter the land of promise!  This would not have made the inhabitants of the land supportive, helpful, or friendly.  Even a small city like Ai would have grown into a fortified stronghold where the enemy gained strength to subvert the efforts of God's people.  To win even a simple game strategy is employed, and the enemy of our souls does not play:  he fights for keeps. Carelessness is a killer.  I have a friend whose brother is a hunter and after decades of handling firearms he blew his finger off.  My dad, who has been a skilled woodworker for most of his life, pushed the tips of two fingers into a tablesaw.  Both of these preventable accidents had life-long physical consequences.  I had mowed lawns for decades before my foot slipped u...

Yesterday I heard a song refrain which repeated, " Lord of glory, make us worthy to possess your name ."  I read that artists and painters can be poor expositors, and on occasion Christian lyrics can fall into this category.  The most melodic music and uplifting harmony, from a biblical view, is only as good as its adherence to sound doctrine.  Whilst there is freedom in Christ and creativity in expression, it is good for all followers of Jesus to examine the words we hear and sing. My ears perked up at the phrase, " make us worthy ."  Is this something God ever promises to do, to make us worthy of Him?  In my study of scripture man is deemed worthy of many things - like punishment, discipline, and death.  The fact God greatly values man does not mean there is intrinsic worthiness in us.  If we in any way are worthy of God or to be a partaker of His glory by ourselves or efforts then our salvation is not of grace.  We are saved by grace throug...

It is always exciting for me to discover new connections in the Bible.  The God who designed this universe has also crafted the remarkable tapestry of history, revealing His handiwork throughout.  History is not filled with what some might mistakenly call coincidences, but signposts directing us to what God later did and even causes us to look expectantly to God for the future. The city of Jerusalem in Israel, situated on ancient Mt. Moriah, is an amazing biblical site.  Probably one of the most famous instances regarding the site is it is the location Abraham took his beloved son Isaac at the command of the LORD to present him as a burnt offering.  Abraham believed the promises of God to make of him a great nation yet did not hesitate to do what God commanded him.  He laid the wood in order, bound his son, and took the knife to slay Isaac.   Genesis 22:11-12 says, " But the Angel of the LORD called to him from heaven and said, "Abraham, Abraham...