Darkness welcomed me as I walked through the door. Pausing to allow my eyes to adjust to the red low-wattage glow, I smiled, anticipating the day. Although working in the darkroom sometimes meant no light at all, I liked the discoveries I knew lay ahead. Chemicals, wash, paper—all were light-sensitive but the best images resulted from the dark. The room was a …
“In the crushing, In the pressing, You are making new wine.” (Lyrics to Brooke Ligertwood’s “New Wine”) Personally, I cringe at the thought of the crushing. Pressing hurts the fruit. So, given the choice, I prefer to avoid the process. Yet, as I ponder the operation of wine production, there is no product without a winepress. As I researched, I found …
The Apostle who walked on water, testified to Jesus’ deity, and saw the Son of God transfigured was also the very one targeted for turmoil (Matthew 14:29; 16:16;17:1-4). With a violent upheaval, Satan demanded to overthrow Peter’s faith (Luke 22:31). Of course, Peter resolutely rejected this idea. His experiences with Jesus were too many. His love for Him was too …
Holy Father, Thank You that You are Light, and in You, there is no darkness at all (1 John 1:5). Your Face is like the sun in all its brilliance, and the essence of Your glory illumines everything around You (Revelation 1:16, 18:1). Your radiance is like sunlight with beams shining from Your Hand (Habakkuk 3:4 ISV). Thank You, Father of Lights, …
Darkness has developed a new swagger. For a while, we pretended that hunkering down would protect us from harm, but fear, discouragement, and hopelessness has crept under the door. Despite my conviction that capitulating to fear is a darkened response, the struggle to live in power and love is real. Maintaining a sound mind isn’t as easy as I would …
There is more to Christ than I wanted. In the early days of our relationship, I basked in the gentle qualities like His love, peace, and comfort (1 John 4:18; Ephesians 2:14; 2 Corinthians 1:3). He and I would go on dates where He proved to be my Joy, Hope, and Help. My quiet times with Him were like picnics …
Holy Father, Thank You for being a God Who keeps Your promises (Joshua 21:45). Unlike people who make promises without follow-through, You fulfill what You say when You accomplish Your plans (Lamentations 2:17). You are attentive to Your Word so that it actualizes Your purpose (Jeremiah 1:12). Amid our pain, You’ve provided a promise for every problem. As we meditate …
Holy Father, While the world seems to spin out of control, we purposefully quiet our hearts before You, our supreme King. As we pause, we remember that all governments are on Your shoulders, including those hostile to Truth (Isaiah 9:6). You are the conclusive authority over every kingdom of the earth (Isaiah 37:16). Despite evil’s flex of muscle, every dominion …
“O Lord, revive Thy work in the midst of the years, in the midst of the years make known; in wrath remember mercy” (Habakkuk 3:2 KJV). Habakkuk’s day was not too different from our own. Evil lies and unchecked violence pervaded his news also. He urgently appealed to the Lord because Habakkuk knew the nation’s awakening could only come from …
Sometimes, a path of righteousness leads directly into the shadow of death. This is a shock to most of us, but our childhood Psalm outlines this very outcome clearly. “He guides me in the paths of righteousness…I walk through the valley of the shadow of death” (Psalm 23:3-4). Without any blatant “wrong-doing” on our part, without a misstep, we will …
