Zephaniah is considered one of the minor prophets—“minor” because the book presents a brief message, but it’s certainly not minor in importance! Zephaniah delivered a message of judgment, but some passages carry hopeful optimism that speak of God’s great ability to forgive and restore. Zephaniah speaks of “the day of…
I confess, there are some days I don’t much feel like praising. When disappointment or discouragement or heartache strikes, praise is the last thing on my mind or heart. But you know something? When I begin lifting His name, my dark mood lifts. My situation might not change, but my…
Humility is recognizing we aren’t “all that and a bag of chips.” It isn’t self-criticism but self-awareness. All of us have certain gifts and talents, and God expects us to use those gifts for HIS glory rather than our own. After all, He is our Creator. Why should the prairie…
HYMN DAY! When I was a child, I loved the flowing tune of “Wonderful Words of Life” by Philip P. Bliss. I still love the tune, but at my current age, the words are so meaningful. There are no more beautiful words than God’s words that lead us to life…
Are you a cloud-watcher? I can’t remember when a time when I wasn’t fascinated by clouds. I took this photo one evening when we were driving home from church. I couldn’t help being lost in the formation that seemed to form a frame for the tiny sliver of moon (look…
We’re called to be righteous, but there’s no way we can walk morally upright on our own. The world and its temptations constantly pull at our human minds. Good news? We don’t have to walk in our own strength. The Holy Spirit indwells us and gives us what we need…
The meaning of “making the most of the time” is kind of interesting. In the Greek, it refers to acts of commerce—actively buying up every available opportunity. “Time” points to suitable circumstances or opportunities. I don’t think I need to expound upon “because the days are evil.” We see evidence…
Careful attention could be interpreted as “intentional diligence.” Living out our faith requires diligence because there are so many opinions and belief systems in the world. We’ve got to keep our ears and heart tuned to the Holy Spirit’s voice. If we proclaim Christianity, our lifestyle should reflect that we…
To “participate” means to involve yourself or become an accomplice in an activity. “Works” are activities. God calls us to works of moral integrity and rightness; fruitless works are actions that don’t reflect God’s laws and character. When we see fruitless works performed, we have an obligation to expose those…
Spiritually, darkness and light symbolize the only two realms in which we live. Whichever realm we occupy empowers our thinking and behavior. Darkness is synonymous with evil (separated from God either out of ignorance or rebellion). People who are separated from God aren’t IN darkness; they ARE darkness. Once we…
