On the 3rd of July I lost my new earring. It wasn’t an expensive gem, but I really liked that it was lightweight and pretty. I checked online and bought what I thought was a duplicate. It wasn’t. In retracing my steps from that day, I knew it had to be somewhere in the house because I hadn’t gone anywhere, although I did water the garden and the grass. After I stewed about it for a few days, I sent…
Matthew 9:6 (Jesus said) “But in order that you may know that the son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins”—then He said to the paralytic—“Rise, take up your bed, and go home.” The religious leaders of the day scoffed at Jesus when he told a paralytic his sins were forgiven. Jesus knew their unspoken evil thoughts against Him. He asked those leaders which was easier to say, “Your sins are forgiven,” or to say, “Get up and…
Mark 5:36 But Jesus, overhearing what was being spoken, said to the synagogue official, “Do not be afraid any longer, only believe.” A synagogue official sought Jesus for healing. His daughter lay dying. On the way to the official’s house, a messenger arrived with the awful news. “Your daughter has died. Why trouble the Teacher anymore?” (Mark 5:35) Jesus turns to the father and says the scripture for today. The word “afraid” here is , “to put to flight by…
I Corinthians 4:20 For the kingdom of God does not consist in words, but in power. In this scripture, Paul writes to those in Corinth who are arrogant. He tells them he will come soon for a visit if the Lord wills. He’s going to look at their fruit to see if they are spouting empty words or if their ministry is accompanied with signs following. Those signs could be anything from people being healed of various diseases, delivered from…
I Samuel 17:47 and that all this assembly may know that the Lord does not deliver by sword or by spear; for the battle is the Lord’s and He will give you into our hands. Here, David, a small shepherd boy sent by the Lord, faced Goliath. He was a giant over nine feet tall armed with a sword, a spear, and a javelin. David’s armament—his shepherd’s staff, five smooth stones, and a slingshot. Goliath swore at David by his…
Acts 1:8 but you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be my witnesses both in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth. After Jesus rose from His grave, He met with His disciples. He told them to wait in the city until they were baptized with the Holy Spirit. He told them at that time they would receive power. They were to open…
Psalm 147:3 He heals the brokenhearted, and binds up their wounds. This scripture not only refers to individuals. It also includes nations. Do you know any person or nation that is a wreck; is crushed or ruptured? Some come to mind immediately. They need more than a band-aid and a couple of aspirin. They need a major overhaul. No amount of human effort is going to bring healing to these wounds. Only Jesus, the All-powerful God, can restore, heal, bind…
Psalm 91:11 For He will give His angels charge concerning you, to guard you in all your ways. In God’s Little Miracle Book III, I share a story of a woman whose very abusive husband made several attempts to take her life. One day as she swam in their pond near their rural home he waded in after her with the intent to drown her. She cried out to the Lord as she had done many times before. When he…
This past weekend I attended the Heart of America Christian Writers Network Conference here in Kansas City. One of the activities we enjoyed was a drama by Karen Morerod. She portrayed Queen Esther from the Bible from the book of the same name. Queen Esther saved her Jewish people from annihilation. Her uncle told her God placed her in the palace “for such a time as this.” I wonder if each of us are aware we too, are placed by…
Our God is a just God. He hears the cries of the afflicted and delivers those who cry out to Him. Psalm 46:1 says “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.” After the Israelites left Egypt after 400 years of captivity, they found they had the Red Sea before them and Pharaoh’s army in chariots behind them. They were trapped. There was nowhere to go. They couldn’t outrun the army, even if there was someplace…