Does your love for God make your heart sing? The psalms, many of them, were written as songs of worship. King David, in particular, loved to sing praises to His Lord. Whether he was tending his flock under a night sky, or sitting in his palace in Jerusalem, David had a heart for the Lord. Psalm 104:1 says, “Praise the Lord, my soul. Lord my God, you are very great; you are clothed with splendor and majesty.” In this kind of worship, we feel especially close to God. It is then we focus on His maj...
May 31, 2019•2 min•Season 1Ep. 260
Are you struggling right now? Are you listening to this while gripping the steering wheel, wondering how you’re going to go on? You have so many burdens! First Thessalonians 5:23 says, “May God himself, the God who makes everything holy and whole, make you holy and whole, put you together—spirit, soul, and body—and keep you fit for the coming of our Master, Jesus Christ.” He has a purpose for you; He really does. God wants to use you for things no one else can do. And He wants you to do it while...
May 30, 2019•2 min•Season 1Ep. 259
In the last century, a 4’10” woman from England answered the call of God to become a missionary in China. Her accomplishments there, especially in saving orphaned children during war and conflict, have made her sort of a legend. Near the end of her life, Gladys Aylward gave an interview in which she said the most amazing thing, something that could only have come from the heart of a truly humble servant: I wasn’t God’s first choice for what I’ve done for China. There was somebody else…I don’t kn...
May 29, 2019•2 min•Season 1Ep. 258
If you’ve been fortunate to hold a newborn, you know what it’s like to be thunderstruck by the delicate features. Everything in miniature. And then the eyes open. You’re in love. Jeremiah 1:5 says, “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you.” A baby is a blessing and gift from the Lord. All life is precious; it doesn’t matter if the parents are famous or completely obscure. In that warm bundle is a whole lifetime waiting to unfold. Will he be adventurous? Will she run the country? Man is capabl...
May 28, 2019•2 min•Season 1Ep. 257
Most of us feel a deep respect in our hearts for those who have sacrificed so that we can remain free. Loving those who have paid the ultimate price is just something we do as a people. We pause to remember each year. Isaiah 56:5 says, “To them I will give within my temple and its walls a memorial and a name better than sons and daughters; I will give them an everlasting name that will endure forever.” God instituted the concept of maintaining memorials. He remembers, and so do we. Maybe you’ve ...
May 27, 2019•2 min•Season 1Ep. 256
The Mona Lisa by Leonardo da Vinci is widely looked upon as the most famous painting in the world. By some historical estimates, the Mona Lisa took as many as 16 years to finish! Capturing Mona Lisa’s famous smile on a poplar plank was no hack job; Leonardo accepted a commission for the work in the year 1503, and completed his masterpiece around the time of his death in 1519. Clearly, this level of artistic achievement takes time. When you hear the word “masterpiece,” what do you think of? A fam...
May 24, 2019•2 min•Season 1Ep. 256
When you think of ships, whether you’re thinking of the Titanic, pirate ships of yore, or trading vessels crossing the vast ocean to bring goods and services from one country to another, you probably picture them with an anchor — a heavy metal hook designed to catch on the ocean floor and keep a boat or ship in place. Wikipedia says this about anchors: There are two main types of anchors: temporary and permanent. A permanent anchor is called a mooring block and is not easily moved. A temporary a...
May 23, 2019•3 min•Season 1Ep. 254
Watching little kids perform on stage at school or at church is the best, isn’t it? There are always a couple of shy violets, but many of them sing their hearts out, fidgeting with excitement and performing actions to accompany the songs with gusto. If Grammy awards were doled out based on sheer enthusiasm, kids in elementary and Sunday School programs would win every year. They simply can’t contain the feelings in their hearts when it’s time to make a joyful noise. Psalm 111:1 says, "Praise the...
May 22, 2019•2 min•Season 1Ep. 253
Have you ever had a power outage and pulled out your favorite flashlight, only to discover the batteries are dead? Bummer, am I right? How about light bulbs? For some reason, they all seem to go at the same time, leaving you in the shadows and looking for that flashlight — you know, the one with the dead batteries! Light bulbs burn out, tires go flat, umbrellas turn inside out on a windy day, and batteries die. Many of the things we use on a frequent basis are designed to be temporary — and some...
May 21, 2019•2 min•Season 1Ep. 252
Have you ever visited a construction site, or lived near one? A construction site is a unique kind of mess. Dirt and mud mingle with piles of wood, shingles, and other building materials. Utility flags poke up from the ground like man-made weeds. Trampled grass and dirty sidewalks give further evidence of the work at hand. Eventually, what began as an empty field will grow into something more: a business, a medical facility, or a home. Jeremiah 29:11 says, “‘For I know the plans I have for you,’...
May 20, 2019•2 min•Season 1Ep. 251
Spring is the season of new life. As we finish up our series on the Psalms, we come to the most famous one of all. Psalm 23:1,2 says, “The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing. He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, he refreshes my soul.” This psalm contains some of the most famous words ever written. It has everything: beautiful language, a man’s raw honest heart for God, and a universal theme of love that God has for all people. It echoes in the universe. Think...
May 17, 2019•2 min•Season 1Ep. 250
One of the things that sets God apart from all others is His ability to tell us what is going to happen. We read about this in Isaiah 46, where He says only He knows the end from the beginning. An amazing example of this is found in Psalm 22, and it’s almost surprising how many people are not aware of it. Psalm 22:11 says, “Do not be far from me, for trouble is near and there is no one to help. If you read the entire chapter carefully, you begin to realize that this is a conversation that Jesus ...
May 16, 2019•2 min•Season 1Ep. 249
From the time he was a young shepherd in the wilderness, David had deep relationship with God. He escaped enough dangerous situations to know that God was always with Him and was his deliverer. Psalm 91:1,2 says, “Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, ‘He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.’” This psalm is famous for its descriptive language. We can see a picture of this in our minds. And the specific th...
May 15, 2019•2 min•Season 1Ep. 248
Nothing is more basic to life than creation itself. The Bible tells us that God alone has the power to truly create, and the beauty of language in Psalm 139 explains this fully. Some believe the psalmist was writing in part about the creation of Adam. Psalm 139:1-3 says, “You have searched me, Lord, and you know me. You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar. You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways.” The writer marvels at the way...
May 14, 2019•2 min•Season 1Ep. 247
One of the greatest gifts God has given us is the collection of songs known as “Psalms,” originally written as music for worship, especially in the Temple in Jerusalem. Today we celebrate them as prayers for the most part, and they give us a beautiful picture of who God is. Psalm 1:6 says, “For the Lord watches over the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked leads to destruction.” Traditional authorship is assigned mostly to King David, who loved to worship God with music and even danci...
May 13, 2019•1 min•Season 1Ep. 246
Hers is the greatest motherhood story of all time. You know who she is. Magnificent Mary! Her story has been told many times, but how grateful we are that it’s recorded in Scripture. Whatever God’s reasons for choosing this particular woman to give birth to Jesus, we know that she must have loved the Lord with all her heart. And just think how her head and heart must have been spinning when the angel visited her and told her the special job God was going to give her! Luke 1:46-48 says, “And Mary...
May 10, 2019•2 min•Season 1Ep. 245
Have you ever wondered what it would have been like to be close to Jesus when He was on the earth? It would have been amazing to be in His inner circle. We know of a remarkable woman, a family member, who would have been able to be around to watch the most amazing life unfold. Her name was Elizabeth. An aunt of Jesus. We read in Luke that everyone thought that the time for Elizabeth to become a mother was passed. In those days people thought sin prevented pregnancy, so this godly woman went thro...
May 09, 2019•2 min•Season 1Ep. 244
Are you a woman blessed with the gift of a wonderful mother-in-law? We can hardly think of a more important relationship. Through the ages, this mentoring friendship has sealed families and nurtured them. Likewise, we easily see the pain inflicted when this relationship isn’t good. In the Old Testament, we read of a really remarkable mother-in-law. She showed great kindness to a young woman at just the right moment. After returning home to Bethlehem after a famine is over, Naomi wants the best f...
May 08, 2019•2 min•Season 1Ep. 243
We don’t even know her name, but we know what she did. Let’s just say there was great strength in her household! Known only as the wife of Manoah, from the Israelite tribe of Dan, this godly woman was unable to have children. But then, in a kind of foreshadowing of another, more famous visit by an angel hundreds of years later, she was told by the Angel of the Lord that she would become pregnant and have a son. Samson! Judges 13:24 says, “The woman gave birth to a boy and named him Samson. He gr...
May 07, 2019•2 min•Season 1Ep. 242
She’s not well known even though she’s, you know, in the Bible. But Jochebed…who’s heard of her? Raise your hands. This great woman deserves a bigger story in our culture, because she modeled what it means to act with bravery, and to value all life. Exodus 2:3 says, “But when she could hide him no longer, she got a papyrus basket for him and coated it with tar and pitch. Then she placed the child in it and put it among the reeds along the bank of the Nile.” Jochebed, you see, was the mother of M...
May 06, 2019•2 min•Season 1Ep. 241
It’s kind of fun in those moments when the kids are in bed and the dishes are done, to think about the Big Questions. You know the list. Why am I here? What is the meaning of life? A question that people from ancient times to now have asked is, why in the world, literally, did God create people? We are a handful, as past generations used to say. We mess up. Sometimes we’re on our way to being smart then find ourselves flying down the Stupid Highway. God must get tired of us, right? 1 Peter 2:9 s...
May 03, 2019•2 min•Season 1Ep. 240
Have you ever been in such a dark place that you wondered if God cares about you, or even exists? Maybe it’s all some cosmic joke, right? We’ve all been there. Humans doubt. We doubt ourselves, we doubt product labels, we doubt our kids. We question everything. But that worst one is trying to figure out where God is in the middle of great difficulties. Sometimes the world is just flat-out mean and it seems like it’s an entity that’s trying to break you in half. That is the very moment God’s anci...
May 02, 2019•2 min•Season 1Ep. 239
As humans, we compartmentalize, don’t we? By that we mean, it is in our nature to rank priorities, then even lose sight of some of them. This can often lead us to confusion about which direction we’re supposed to go. This confusion even can extend to faith itself. We wonder, When am I supposed to pray, and when am I supposed to act on faith? Psalm 34:1 says, "I will bless the Lord at all times: his praise shall continually be in my mouth." When we get the Word deep in our hearts, we always have ...
May 01, 2019•2 min•Season 1Ep. 238
Scores of people today, even many in our churches, walk around aimless. They work their jobs and take care of their families, but struggle to understand what it is that God wants them to do. He’s told us in His word! As with every other situation, His Word speaks directly to our circumstances. Micah 6:8 says, "He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God." The Lord requires of us that we have the...
Apr 30, 2019•1 min•Season 1Ep. 237
Have you ever wondered what your place in this world is? Of course you have. That’s the human experience. Alone with our thoughts, we wonder who we even are, and what we are meant to do. It’s a mysterious journey, but the fog lifts and the way becomes clear when we get to know King Jesus. Ephesians 2:10 says, "For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them." You were made for something! You were made to do things for...
Apr 29, 2019•2 min•Season 1Ep. 236
Do you find it hard to trust someone? Anyone? Our society is full to the brim of people who have been hurt, wounded, devastated. It puts up a wall and we live behind it in silence and fear. After the fall of Saddam Hussein in Iraq, the people of that captive country were free for the first time to tell their stories. One woman said that she had been driven nearly insane by the dictator’s torture chambers, but when he was gone, someone shared the love of Christ with her. Her mind and spirit were ...
Apr 26, 2019•2 min•Season 1Ep. 235
In all the world, there are almost countless ways people try to find God. Some people are drawn to the mystical, while others chase after the practical. Does it work? God knew we would all look to fill the void in our spirits, the one put there when man first sinned. He also already knew what our escape route would be, the path back to Him. Romans 10:9-10 says, “If you declare with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it...
Apr 25, 2019•2 min•Season 1Ep. 234
Most of us assume that if Jesus had a driver’s license, his listed name would be “Jesus Christ.” That’s kind of funny, but as usual, our puny human perceptions can’t define Him and box Him in. The Bible tells us in fact that Jesus has many names, each a shining facet of Who He is. He is called the Alpha and Omega—the beginning and the end. Elsewhere He is referred to as the Prince of Peace. Romans 10:13 says, “For, ‘Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.’” His names are a remi...
Apr 24, 2019•2 min•Season 1Ep. 233
Humans have a fair amount of self-awareness. And if we’re honest, we all know our weak points. Those places where character is lacking a bit. One of our biggest weaknesses is that we just want stuff. Bigger house, more expensive car—that kind of thing. In those moments, we are missing out on the biggest prize. Our focus is wrong. Matthew 6:33 says, "But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well." The Bible—the Word itself—shows us exactly wha...
Apr 23, 2019•2 min•Season 1Ep. 232
Some scholars have believed that the suffering Job of the Bible was sort of a primate thinker who didn’t really understand much about the life beyond this one. But that isn’t true. Job 33:25,26 says, “Let their flesh be renewed like a child’s; let them be restored as in the days of their youth’—then that person can pray to God and find favor with him, they will see God’s face and shout for joy; he will restore them to full well-being.” The Bible tells us elsewhere in Hebrews that God spoke to an...
Apr 22, 2019•2 min•Season 1Ep. 231
