Living By The Word

  “For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away.” (James 4:10) “If I could save time in a bottle…” wishfully pondered the late pop singer Jim Croce in a classic 1970s song. That lyric line speaks of the reality that time is a fixed resource that can slip away before we realize it’s gone. Thus, we should seek to be good stewards of each of the fleeting moments with which God blesses us each day. The brevity of life demands that we seek divine guidance in order to make the most of every opportunity to love and serve God and other people. Reflecting on our Christian lives, all of us have faced hardships and trials that God often uses to test our faith and help us to grow spiritually. Nevertheless, we’ve all been richly blessed by a gracious God who loves us more than our human comprehension can grasp. Our earthly lives are indeed a vanishing vapor, but God has promised believers that by faith in Jesus Christ, we c...

“But the  Lord  is in His holy temple. Let all the earth keep silence before Him.”  (Habakkuk 2:20) It has become increasingly difficult to find peace and quiet in a world polluted by the noise and clamor of 21 st century life. Blaring music, honking horns, blasting sirens, riotous confrontations, blatant political rhetoric, babbling gossip, harsh language, and piercing alarms are among the myriad of noisy distractions that are common in the rush of today’s fast-paced, bustling world. The deafening, decibel-soaring roar that is commonly heard in many football stadiums or other sports venues is an appropriate way for a massive crowd of avid fans to inspire the home team, but it is not conducive to seeking God and discovering His will which is essential in our daily walk of faith as Christians. “And after the earthquake a fire,  but  the  Lord   was  not in the fire; and after the fire a still small voice.” (1 Kings 19:12) In the m...

  “Yours, O  Lord , is the greatness, the power and the glory, the victory and the majesty; For all that is in heaven and in earth is Yours; Yours is the kingdom, O  Lord , and You are exalted as head over all.” (1 Chronicles 29:11) When I look skyward on a starry night and consider the incomprehensible vastness of the universe; when I survey the panorama of picturesque mountaintop vistas; when I am awestruck by the relentless power of the ocean waves crashing onto sandy beaches; when I see a grateful mother gently caress her newborn babe with loving arms; when I behold the stunning beauty of all of God’s magnificent works, I marvel not as much at the creation as I do the Creator. My eyes are enchanted, my soul is stirred, and my heart is humbled by these breathtaking natural wonders that irrefutably proclaim God’s timeless existence and His matchless glory. “What is man that You are mindful of him,   and the son of man that Yo...