In 1938, as Bill and Mildred Dillon were sailing to England for ministry, a storm developed, and Mildred was scared.

Robert McQuilkin was serving as president of Columbia Bible College when his wife, Muriel, began to develop Alzheimer’s disease. Slowly she became more and more confused, until at last she could form only one sentence: “I love you.” 

Jacob was dealing with a disaster. In the middle of a famine, his sons had just returned from Egypt with bad news. If he wanted to buy food from Egypt, Jacob would have to allow his favorite son, Benjamin, to go to Egypt as required by the Pharaoh’s second in command, who controlled all food sales. Jacob had already lost his son Joseph, whom he believed to have been killed by wild animals. The truth is that his brothers hated him and had sold him into slavery. None of them knew Joseph had become second in command in Egypt—next to the Pharaoh.

I recently heard an old hymn that, to tell the truth, I had forgotten. It may be an old one, but it is certainly fitting to our present culture and the circumstances you and I find ourselves in.  The lyrics go like this:

In times like these you need a Savior,

This Rock is Jesus, Yes, He's the One,

[1] Ruth Caye Jones

Nearly every household appliance comes with an instruction booklet.  Though we usually try to figure out how to use the appliance without consulting the instructions, if we really get stuck, as a last resort we will refer to the manual.

Not long ago a friend asked me how to find rest in busyness. That’s a very practical topic that most of us find ourselves dealing with quite often. And the interesting thing is that about the same time I got this request, I came across a verse in Psalm 68 that applies to that very situation.  Verse 19 (NLT) says, “Praise the Lord; praise God our Savior! For each day He carries us in his arms.” I had never even given thought to the fact that God carries us in His arms. And notice that He says He holds us “each day.” Yes, every single day!

What makes a house a home? When I googled that question, I read this:

A home is a place where you feel warm and cozy…. Most of all you are surrounded by people you love and who love you. A family makes a house a home by living in it and making it special.

That’s not a bad definition. That’s why the physical house you live in here—whether a chateau in France, a farmhouse in Kansas, or a yurt in Mongolia—makes very little

Dr. Glenn Burris tells about the time that he stopped by an airport kiosk, and his attention was caught by a nifty earpiece that conveniently collapsed into a very small, convenient-to-carry size.  He bought it.  After paying for the item, the vendor added that for eight dollars more he could buy a two-year replacement agreement.  Although he didn’t buy the extended warranty, the thought stuck in his mind.  He reflected on how nice it would be if in life we could pay just a little extra and buy some certainty concerning everything in our lives.[i]  But it just doesn’t work that way.

[i] Dr. Glenn Burris, Jr., “Journey of Faith” Prayer Guide, November 30, 2009

When circumstances are tough, our natural tendency is to focus on the problem. We struggle to get ourselves out of the dilemma we're in. And in trying to solve our difficulty, the problem begins to occupy nearly all of our attention. Soon we hardly believe that even God can fix it. We forget that Psalm 23 tells us, “The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.”

Sometimes God allows painful experiences in our lives, and we simply don’t understand why.  You know that God can heal, yet at times He allows your illness to continue. Perhaps you have a problem that lands you in court, and although you ask for God’s help, you don’t win the lawsuit. You have a financial need, yet you don’t get hired at that new job you applied for. Those are the times when our faith is tested.