It’s hard to read the book of Esther and not be impressed by her courage. Her people were in danger of annihilation. Her adoptive father Mordechai encouraged her to approach the King to intervene. Sounds simple enough. But if she approached without an invitation she could be killed. (I’m glad I don’t live in a … Continue reading You can’t threaten a man with heaven

Have you ever wondered if you should have been born in another time? Perhaps 19th century France or even in the pioneer days? I realize that it’s fun to dream. But God isn’t that haphazard. God’s people were chosen before the foundation of the world (Ephesians 1:4). He fashioned us in our mother’s wombs and … Continue reading For such a time as this

Providence is the invisible hand of God. It is God directing, guiding and providing for his people, even when you can’t see him. Some people say they trust in God’s providence, and then they use that as an excuse for not responding to God’s call on their lives. They think to themselves, ‘Well, God is … Continue reading Don’t use providence as an excuse

I recently came across a correspondence between the Reformer Martin Luther and a friend. in The Voice, Keith S. Lindley sets the scene like this:  “In July of 1530, Martin Luther penned a letter to his dear friend, Jerome Weller. During a season of depression, Weller began to doubt the reality of his salvation, and … Continue reading Laughing in the Devil’s face

Corrie ten Boom tells the story about an old Russian woman she met during the Cold War.  She was a woman of faith, but Bibles were not allowed. It was a time of persecution for Christians. The woman was so sick she couldn’t get off her couch. But she had one finger she could still … Continue reading Good out of bad

A lot of people “give up” things for Lent. The biblical—and therefore, accurate—word for this is fasting. If you’re going to fast it’s important to know the reason. Going through the motions is of limited value if you don’t know why you’re doing it. One example of fasting is found in Ezra 8:21: “I proclaimed … Continue reading Fasting in a world of self-indulgence

Today is Ash Wednesday. It’s the official start of Lent, the forty day period (excluding Sundays) leading up to Good Friday and Easter. [It’s also Valentine’s Day. If you’re curious about who Valentine was, see the link at the bottom of this devotional for a short explanation.] Back to Ash Wednesday. Some Christians put ashes … Continue reading Prepare to meet thy God

[For a short post which explains the meaning of Shrove Tuesday, see the link at the end of this post.] “Now the king was attracted to Esther more than to any of the other women, and she won his favor and approval more than any of the other virgins. So he set a royal crown … Continue reading God is working, behind the scenes

The word “doctrine” has received a bad name. I once saw a social media comment which captured something of the spirit of the age: “People should spend less time thinking about doctrine and more time actually loving like Jesus did.”  I get where that person is coming from. If people spend all their time debating … Continue reading Doctrine and action aren’t opposities

Right from the start, Wayne Gretzky was a hockey genius. He had a rink in his backyard. He also had an overflow of natural talent. But he also had supportive, smart parents. There’s a story about something Wayne’s father Walter did which gave his son an added advantage.  While watching some games, Walter took a … Continue reading Being where you need to be (a tip from Walter Gretzky)