On Valentine’s Day, I took my wife to a restaurant that I thought was going to prove insanely busy. I called in advance and learned they were no longer taking reservations. It seemed like it was going to take a lot to . . . Continue reading →

We tread carefully when we enter an important space. Moses stopped cold and removed his shoes when he came near the burning bush. Israel’s high priests knew they stepped on hallowed ground as they entered the holy of holies. We too tend . . . Continue reading →

Since purchasing a home, the world of do-it-yourself repairs and upgrades has hit me hard in the face. I often find myself with a vague sense of how to complete the task in front of me, yet I know I cannot do . . . Continue reading →

Building a fire requires balancing. Specifically, you have to balance the use of kindling with the use of longer burning fuel. Kindling gets hot and bright fast, but it also fizzles quickly and fades. Fire has to be fed by sustaining fuel. . . . Continue reading →

“Keep your eye on the prize.” “Don’t take your eye off the ball.” We say these sorts of things for situations when we know that focus is extremely important. We miss hitting the ball when we are looking elsewhere than the pitch . . . Continue reading →

Psalm 17 is about focusing on satisfaction in God even amid our greatest troubles. We find the psalmist here in great distress, calling to God to vindicate him against the wicked. Psalm 17 records his prayer declaring that he was in the . . . Continue reading →

The time when I felt closest to death was years ago as I was swimming in the Gulf of Mexico, trying to get back to shore. The trouble occurred while I was still a long distance from shore and felt this horrible . . . Continue reading →

What motivates us to give thanks? It is when we realize the gravity of some good given to us. Psalm 18 is about the thanks that grows out of God pulling his king from death’s jaws. The previous article looked at how, . . . Continue reading →

What David says in Psalm 18:20–30 is a little bit startling, and his statements should probably give us pause before we are willing to say them in reference to ourselves. Continue reading →

We use the phrase, “when the stars align,” as a way to express when everything comes together in just the right way, even though it seemed like an unlikely outcome. Every factor that needed to be in agreement for a particular result . . . Continue reading →

The last-minute arrival of the hero is one of the great suspense breakers in good stories. When all hope seems lost against the rising tide of enemy forces, hope reignites as reinforcements arrive to carry the heroes forward. The civilian ships unexpectedly . . . Continue reading →

One thing I have realized about home repair projects is that the whole job is not done just because you finish the job you set out to do. You may complete the main task, but cleanup is still a feature of a . . . Continue reading →

In 1815, the Duke of Wellington led his British army against Napoleon Bonaparte at the Battle of Waterloo. As Wellington defeated his enemy, the British attempted to send a message back to England using a system of light signals. Because of a . . . Continue reading →

Good reasons undergird why we might want to have bodyguards in uncertain situations. Some circumstances could feel troubling if we were on our own. These same circumstances feel much safer if we happen to have along with us a huge guy carrying . . . Continue reading →

What is, at least in experience and emphasis, the pivotal moment in a wedding ceremony? When the bride enters and walks down the aisle. What is the most discussed aspect of our culture’s superficial awards ceremonies? The red carpet. What is the . . . Continue reading →

The previous installment in this series reflected on the significance of making an entrance. We see in Psalm 24 the importance of an entrance before God since God’s presence is where blessing is found forevermore. In considering Psalm 24:1–2 about God as . . . Continue reading →