Looking through my binoculars does not increase the size of the distant mountains or trees or birds. They only make the objects I’m looking at appear larger. I see them more clearly. And my sense of awe increases. In a similar way, the psalm writers invite us to “magnify” the Lord. “Oh, magnify the LORD…

The Masai tribe in West Africa has an old custom of saying thank you. When they express thanks, they bow, put their foreheads on the ground, and say, “My head is in the dirt.” Members of another African tribe will express gratitude to an individual by sitting for a long time in front of the…

“There is nothing quite so stirring in the matter of moving us to pray as being thankful to God for what he has done for us and with us.” This saying from E.F. Hallock tells us, especially when we don’t know what or how to pray, begin with thanks. David began with a spiritual inventory…

When a teacher asked the class to make a list of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World, one little girl wrote these seven wonders: Seeing, Hearing, Tasting, Touching, Running, Laughing, Loving. How often do we forget to enjoy the simple gifts of life? A bed to sleep in. A place to live. Food to…

People look at the future in three different ways. Some say everything will stay the same. This view states that everything has always been much the same as it is now. Reincarnation probably fits this view. Life doesn’t actually have an end, but just goes on and on in an endless loop. Others say that…

Expectancy characterizes our spiritual journey. Abraham expected God to fulfill his promise to bless him and all peoples on earth through him (Genesis 12:1-3). When God tested him in offering Isaac as a sacrifice, Abraham held on to God’s promise, even expecting God to raise Isaac from the dead if necessary (Hebrews 11:17-19). David, in…

The Christian life is a seeking life. As God’s people seek after God, they are energized, permeated, and controlled by God’s Spirit. The apostle Paul commands us to be continuously “filled with the Spirit” (Ephesians 5:18). When we think of the word “filled”, we might think merely of filling an empty container. Yet the intended…

“But each of you has your own gift from God; one has this gift, another has that” (1 Corinthians 7:7). These spiritual gifts are above and beyond our natural abilities or the exercise of grace gifts that all Christians exercise, such as, faith or wisdom. Many Christ followers don’t seem to be aware that these…

John D. Rockefeller made this observation: “Singleness of purpose is one of the chief essentials for success in life, no matter what may be one’s aim.” Regarding Olympic athletes, Beth Daley added: “How fast someone runs, swims or rows; how high or long they jump; how accurately they hit a target; how well they balance;…

Our obedience to God flows out of our relationship with God. As Jesus said, “If you love me, keep my commands” (John 14:15). We learn what God wants through his Word. The Holy Spirit makes it clear to us. We resolve to do it. “Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves….