Why Are You Silent?
Read: Habakkuk 1 Why do you idly look at traitors and remain silent . . . ? (v. 13) One of the legacies passed down from American slavery is the musical tradition known as spirituals. Spirituals often lamented the conflict between Christianity and slavery. If God was a just liberator, why were the lives of […]
I Told You So
Read: Jonah 3:1-5; 4:1-11 That is why I made haste to flee to Tarshish. (4:2) In 2002, my husband and I took our godson to see the VeggieTales children’s movie Jonah. Based on the title character’s story in the Old Testament, Jonah is depicted as not wanting to share God’s warning message with the people […]
Why Was I Born?
Read: Jeremiah 20:7-18 Why did I come out from the womb to see toil and sorrow . . . ? (v. 18) At the start of the 2020 pandemic, many workers in hospitals did not have the proper personal protective equipment (PPE) to keep themselves safe from exposure to the COVID-19. As their hospitals began […]
Do Not Lie
Read: 2 Kings 4:16-17, 25-37 Then she said, “Did I ask my lord for a son? Did I not say, ‘Do not deceive me?’” (v. 28) As part of our tradition on Christmas, my extended family plays the white elephant gift-giving exchange. During this highly energetic and fun game, the hardest thing to watch is […]
I’m All Alone
Read: 1 Kings 19:9-18 I, even I only, am left, and they seek my life, to take it away. (vv. 10, 14) One of my favorite poems is “Footprints in the Sand.” As I read it, I love the reassuring imagery of God in the flesh walking right next to us. Conversely, I shudder at […]
Call Me Mara
Read: Ruth 1:3-9, 16-22 Do not call me Naomi; call me Mara, for the Almighty has dealt very bitterly with me. (v. 20) Recently, I became aware of a concept called “Class Reunion Syndrome.” In Psychology Today, Dr. Mary C. Lamia writes, “It’s common for high school reunions to trigger anxiety about appearance and status.” […]
Show Me a Sign
Read: Judges 6:15-17, 36-39; 7:1-7 Show me a sign that it is you who speak with me. (6:17) In the 1984 classic movie Karate Kid, one of the best scenes is when the teen star, Daniel, is getting beat up by five bullies from his high school. All of a sudden, his elderly neighbor, a […]
July Prayer Guide 2021
BHUTAN — A Bhutanese church leader shared the following update with us: “It’s been many months that I am getting the privilege to share the Word of God during Sunday fellowship in our local church. I am preaching mostly from Words of Hope’s YouTube sermons because they are not only consistent, but also very relevant […]
Do You Believe God?
Read: Hebrews 11:1-12 And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him. (v. 6) In the classic movie Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, Indiana embarks upon a search for the Holy Grail. When he […]