100-199 words

Your Bible

[173 words] A young child watched her mother reading from the Bible for a few minutes each morning. Finally one day she asked, “Aren’t you ever going to get finished reading that book?” The mother replied, “No honey, we never get finished with this Book. It always has something that helps encourage, challenge, and make…

Worse Before It Gets Better

[193 words] Standing up for what’s right can make things worse before they get better. Like when Moses went to Pharaoh and said it was time to let the people go. I’m sure the enslaved Israelites were thrilled that someone was sticking up for them. But not for long. Pharaoh’s response was to make their…

Keep Seeking the Kingdom

[176 words] I was a new minister right out of college, and I was performing my third wedding ceremony. It was one of those days like Murphy’s Law when everything that could go wrong did. I forgot a couple of cues. The groom could not remember the lines he had planned to say. The ring…

Make Good on Your Promises

[191 words] “Whoever falsely boasts of giving Is like clouds and wind without rain” (Proverbs 25:14). Over the past few weeks, the afternoon clouds have gathered with pregnant possibility. The smell of rain has come and the cool wind has blown promising my scorched yard some relief. Yet, for weeks, the clouds with such promise…

The Changing Seasons

[157 words] One of the times of year I like the most is fall. The leaves begin to change colors. The weather becomes cooler. It reminds me of what the Psalmist wrote: “The heavens declare the glory of God; And the firmament shows His handiwork.” (Ps.19:1 KNJV). God indirectly speaks to us through nature. When…

Do You Believe the Bible?

[162 words] The late Batsell Barrett Baxter once told the story about the 19th century agnostic, Robert Ingersoll, who often displayed animosity toward the Christian faith. One noted denominational preacher wanted to debate Ingersoll, but the atheist refused every challenge. Then, one day, the two met by accident. The preacher said, “Mr. Ingersoll, some months…

Harmony with One Another

[180 words] In some ways, being a Christian would be easier if you didn’t have to deal with people. You could just study God’s Word and have a personal relationship with God. But that lifestyle (isolation) isn’t what being a Christian is all about. If we are truly “Christ-Like” we must interact and have relationships…

Faith Despite Persecution

[186 words] Approximately 64 A.D., The Great Fire of Rome devastated the city. If you were alive during that time, it would have had the sort of shock value that we all experienced in our own national tragedy. Before then, Christianity was growing. However, it was thought of as “just another religion” in the mixing…

Christ the Friend We Need

[124 words] Oft my heart has bled with sorrow,Not a friend my grief to share;But I yielded, Christ to follow,And He took my load of care. Once I sighed for peace and pleasure,Felt a painful void within;Life was gloomy, death a terror,Till my soul was saved from sin. All this world is dark and dreary,And…

Reasons for Enduring Trials

[185 words] When trials hit, we can do one of two things concerning our faithfulness to God: give up, or continue on. Paul knew what it was like. In fact many times in trials, he felt like he was between a rock and a hard place (2 Cor. 4:8), yet he continued remaining faithful to…

Lord Make Me Good – Period

[176 words] Many people who want a relationship with God often add qualifiers to the mix. They want the Lord to make them good, but with a stipulation added. Here are a couple of examples: “Lord, make me good, but not yet.” These people want to live in sin as long as possible. They want…

Mr. Lincoln’s Tears

[157 words] The story is told that near the end of his presidency, a woman came to the While House to present Abe Lincoln with a basketful of baked goodies—cakes, pies and breads. “Is there something you want, Madam?” the president asked. “No sir,” she replied, “I only wanted to tell you thank you for…

Beating Worry

[187 words] Time has a way of improving the conditions of daily lives. What posed as hardship for my grandparents are today’s luxuries. Surrounded with gadgets and gizmos to make life easy, why can’t they invent something, anything that will remove worry from our lives? Volumes have been written to abate the damage worry causes.…

The Master’s Will, for This I Pray

[119 words] The Master’s will, for this I pray, Whatever it may be!I do not want to miss Your best; Reveal it, Lord, to me. My own desires may lead me wrong, I must consult my God;His counsel will be justified, When all the way I’ve trod. O soul of mine, delight in Him! His…

What the Lord is to Me (from the Psalms)

[120 words] The LORD is my rock and my fortress (Psa. 18:2). He is my solid foundation and will never let me down. The LORD is my shepherd (Psa. 23:1). He is my provider and guide through life. The LORD is my light (Psa. 27:1). He is my revealer of all truth. The LORD is…

Love the Unknown?

[111 words] The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge and wisdom. These are exhortations from Proverbs. In addition to that, he who loves instructions loves knowledge (Prov. 12:1). What this translates to is this: he who loves the Lord will take time to know the Lord, learn from His will and apply…

Hey There Delilah 

[158 words] I don’t know what Samson saw in Delilah, but whatever it was it was enough to destroy him. I don’t think we can hold women like this as a positive example expect maybe in one aspect: persistence. This woman was able to do what no man ever could: She brought down Samson. She…

The King of Us All

[179 words] God is the rightful King of us all. As Acts 17:24 says, “The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth.” Since God made you, and all you have is because of Him, He is your King. I encourage you to be okay with that,…

God Asks, ‘Where is the Honor Due Me?’

[190 words] Using the language of his times, the prophet Malachi spoke words from the mind of God to His people. God asked this question, “‘A son honors his father, and a slave his master. If I am a father, where is the honor due me? If I am a master, where is the respect…

‘The Church Has Let Me Down’

[115 words] Does this describe the way you feel? If it does, let me warn you. Don’t expect to get more out than you put in. If you choose to stand aloof from the church, refusing to participate in her programs of work, fail to support her financially, and only occasionally attend worship services, the…

Take Time

[100 words] Take time to laughIt is the music of the soul.Take time to thinkIt is the source of power.Take time to playIt is the source of perpetual youth.Take time to readIt is the fountain of wisdom.Take time to prayIt is the greatest power on earth.Take time to love and be lovedIt is a God-given…

If God Should Go on Strike…

[192 words] How good it is that God abovehas never gone on strike,Because He was not treated fairin things He didn’t like. If only once, He’d given up andsaid, “That’s it. I’m through,I’ve had enough of those on Earthso this is what I’ll do: I’ll give my orders to the sun,cut off the heat supply!And…

A Hymn of Morning Praise

[135 words] O God, inspire our morning hymnOf love and gratitude;Oh, bless the sacrifice we bring,Thou Source of every good.Thy miracle of love so sweetPreserved us all secure;While helpless in unconscious sleep,Thy presence kept us pure. ’Tis blest to rise, O Lord, and joinWith nature’s minstrelsy;To hymn Thy praise at early morn,And offer thanks to…

Paradoxical Commandments of Leadership

[136 words] People are often unreasonable, illogical, and self-centered.Forgive them anyway. If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish ulterior motives.Be kind anyway. If you are successful, you will win some false friends and some true enemies.Succeed anyway.  If you are honest and frank, people may cheat you.Be honest and frank anyway. What…

When You Are Blessed

[195 words] How do you respond when you are blessed? Do you respond gratefully when someone says something nice to you, or does something for you? Picture a wife who spends two hours making a delicious meal for her husband because she wants to give him something special. The husband eats it without comment and…

Let All Creation Bless the Lord

[130 words] Let all creation bless the Lord,till heaven with praise is ringing.Sun, moon, and stars, peal out a chord,stir up the angels’ singing.Sing, wind and rain! Sing, snow and sleet!Make music, day, night, cold, and heat:exalt the God who made you. All living things upon this earth,green fertile hills and mountains,sing to the God…

Today

[123 words] I shall do so much in the years to come,But what have I done today?I shall give out gold in princely sum,But what did I give today?I shall lift the heart and dry the tear,I shall plant a hope in the place of fear,I shall speak with words of love and cheerBut what…

There is a Green Hill Far Away

[122 words] There is a green hill far away,outside a city wall,where our dear Lord was crucifiedwho died to save us all. We may not know, we cannot tell,what pains he had to bear,but we believe it was for ushe hung and suffered there. He died that we might be forgiven,he died to make us…

Nobody is a Nobody in the Family of God

[199 words] If you have ever read Romans 16:1-16, you will see a list of people Paul wished to commend for their work in the church. The vast majority of them are individuals of whom we have no additional details concerning their lives or service in Christ. But Paul wanted to honor them for their…

We’ll Praise the Lord

[124 words] We’ll praise the Lord for sins forgiven,Praise Him evermore;Till earth has passed away forever,Christ we will adore. We’ll praise the Lord for full salvation,Hearts made pure and free;We’ll praise Him for a blest infilling,And for victory. We’ll praise Him for a church triumphantHere on earth below,Where every soul is made, in Jesus,Whiter than…

A Servant’s Prayer

[166 words] Make me a servant, Lord. Give me a servant’s eyes,Able to see the slightest needs of those around me. Let me have a servant’s ears,Tuned to detect the softest cry of helpfrom the lowliest person. Give me a servant’s voice,One which speaks words of comfort andcheer to those in despair. Give me a…

In Sweet Communion

[116 words] In sweet communion, Lord, with TheeI constantly abide;My hand Thou holdest in Thine ownTo keep me near Thy side. Thy counsel through my earthly wayShall guide me and control,And then to glory afterwardThou wilt receive my soul. Whom have I, Lord, in heaven but Thee,To whom my thoughts aspire?And having Thee, on earth…

Living and Giving

[176 words] Whatever you give away todayOr think or say or doWill multiply about tenfoldAnd then return to you. It may not come immediatelyNor from the obvious source,But the LAW applies unfailinglyThrough some invisible force. Whatever you feel about anotherBe it love or hate or passion,Will surely bounce right back to youIn some clear or…

Two Things That Trouble Me

[182 words] There are a couple things that concern me when I observe some Christians in today’s times: How much of the world is in them and how little of the Bible is in them. I believe that there is a correlation at work here: the less of the Bible that one knows, the more…

Facing Our Own Monsters

[183 words] Did you know that Melville’s Moby Dick was loosely based on a true story? In 1819, the whaling ship, Essex, left port from Nantucket to sail to the Pacific Ocean via Cape Horn. The crew took several whales without incident. Then one day, a massive whale hit the ship head-on. The giant then…

A Deceptively Deadly Cave 

[185 words] In Southern Mexico is the Cueva de Villa Luz (cave). As you walk toward the cave, the trail takes your through a paradise of lush rain forest. The cave is fed by 20 or more underground springs. The cave itself is home to spectacular rock formations and beautiful ponds. The environment is interesting…

Who Cares?

[183 words] David once lamented, “no man cared for my soul” (Psalm 142:4). Have you ever felt that way? Do you think anyone really cares? There are those who are greatly concerned about you. Christians care. The Bible says we are “to do good unto all men” (Galatians 6:10). To love our fellow man with…

Pursue Righteousness

[151 words] Numerous times in Scripture the Lord encourages us to “pursue righteousness.” The term righteousness is variously used, sometimes referring to virtuous or obedient living and other times referring to the condition of being made innocent by God and thus acceptable to Him. The idea is this: The Lord expects us to live a…

All in All

[134 words] The song “You Are My All in All” has always been a favorite of mine. In part the song declares: You are my strength when I am weakYou are the treasure that I seekYou are my all in allSeeking You as a precious jewelLord, to give up I’d be a foolYou are my…

Don’t Say Anything If…

[152 words] 1. You are in the heat of anger (Proverbs 14:17).2. You don’t have all the facts (Proverbs 18:13).3. You haven’t verified the story (Deuteronomy 17:6).4. Your words will cause the weak to stumble (1 Corinthians 8:11).5. You are joking about sin (Proverbs 14:9).6. You would later be ashamed of what you said (Proverbs…
+ More