“The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.” John‬ ‭10‬:‭10‬ ‭ESV‬‬ Reflection: what was the last thing the devil stole from you?  Most people invest a lot in all sorts of anti theft tools and devices, to deter and prevent thieves access to our valuable stuff. We protect our houses and cars, our bank accounts and investments, and the newest, valuable asset being our personal data. Everything we do on the internet, every small click or...

“Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever! Let the redeemed of the Lord say so, whom he has redeemed from trouble and gathered in from the lands, from the east and from the west, from the north and from the south.” Psalm‬ ‭107‬:‭1‬-‭3‬ ‭ESV‬‬ Reflection: how is it possible to exist in two places at once?  This idea of being at two places at once requires a bit of mental gymnastics. We are so used to thinking only of our physical existence, that we often forget...

“Praise the Lord! Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever!” Psalm‬ ‭106‬:‭1‬ ‭ESV‬‬ Reflection: what do you consider “good”?  It sounds like such a simple question. But when you spend just a few minutes thinking about it, you will probably find that it is actually complicated, and that we might have a pretty messed up understanding of what good is. Let’s take a very simple example. How would you define “good” food? For some, perhaps for many, it might be...

“The Lord is good to those who wait for him, to the soul who seeks him. It is good that one should wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord.” Lamentations‬ ‭3‬:‭25‬-‭26‬ ‭ESV‬‬ Reflection: do you like to wait?  Sitting at the airport waiting for the next plane. A 5 hour layover. I’m sure you have noticed too that the time can almost seem to stand still when you are waiting for something. The time waiting can sometimes seem so wasted, in a way. We just want to get on with the next thing. Whether...

  “Glory in his holy name; let the hearts of those who seek the Lord rejoice! Seek the Lord and his strength; seek his presence continually!” Psalm‬ ‭105‬:‭3‬-‭4‬ ‭ESV‬‬ Reflection: what does it mean to “seek the Lord”?  A few years ago we had decided to build a new house. Having built 3 houses before, we had a pretty good idea of what we wanted in terms of size, living space, architectural style, and so on. But even with all our past experience and knowledge, it took a lot of time and effort to...

“I will sing to the Lord as long as I live; I will sing praise to my God while I have being. May my meditation be pleasing to him, for I rejoice in the Lord.” Psalm‬ ‭104‬:‭33‬-‭34‬ ‭ESV‬‬ Reflection: what around you do you give God honor and glory for?  There is something deeply satisfying about studying nature, and the natural order of everything around us. To try to understand how it actually works, where everything just seems to know what to do from its very beginning to its end. How all of nature...

“But the steadfast love of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting on those who fear him, and his righteousness to children’s children, to those who keep his covenant and remember to do his commandments.” Psalm‬ ‭103‬:‭17‬-‭18‬ ‭ESV‬‬ Reflection: after Jesus, why do we need to fear God and follow his commandments?  Let’s say you have totally ignored traffic laws since you started driving. And from your reckless driving, you have been picked up by police numerous times, given warnings and even...

“He has broken my strength in midcourse; he has shortened my days. “O my God,” I say, “take me not away in the midst of my days— you whose years endure throughout all generations!”” Psalm‬ ‭102‬:‭23‬-‭24‬ ‭ESV‬‬ Reflection: what are your perspectives on life?  Around 1998, I attended a conference and trade show in New York City. One afternoon, a group of us decided to head over to the World Trade Center. While I had been there once before, it was difficult to prepare for that experience. The sheer...

“I will sing of steadfast love and justice; to you, O Lord, I will make music. I will ponder the way that is blameless. Oh when will you come to me? I will walk with integrity of heart within my house;” Psalm‬ ‭101‬:‭1‬-‭2‬ ‭ESV‬‬ Reflection: who are good intentions for?  Let’s say you step on the scale one morning, and a number is staring back at you that you don’t like. Even the mirror tells you, confirms that you have to lose some weight. But how? The changed you starts with a desire to weigh...

“Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.” Hebrews‬ ‭13‬:‭8‬ ‭ESV‬‬ Reflection:  When Jesus said, “love your enemies”, did he introduce something new?  Because of our physical lives and minds being so very finite and limited, we have a very difficult time wrapping our minds around the idea of something “eternal”, including something that is never changing. That God existed before time, and will always exist, and that He never changes. So let’s challenge our understanding...