Read: Nehemiah 1:4-11 In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. —John 14:2 A thousand strands of time, events, and people weave into a tapestry we call place. More than just a house,...

Read: Matthew 4:1-10 [Jesus said,] “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.” —Matthew 4:4 During recent elections in my country, one struggling mom I know exchanged her vote for a bag of diapers. We had discussed the benefits of...

Read: James 1:2-12 My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. —James 1:2-3 Recently my wife, Marlene, and I received a panicky phone call from our son and his wife. The night before, they had found two...

Read: Proverbs 10:2-15 A good name is to be chosen rather than great riches. —Proverbs 22:1 Charles Ponzi’s name will be forever associated with the financial fraud scheme he elevated to a way of life. After some minor financial crimes and brief times in jail, in early 1920 he began...

Read: Psalm 5 My voice You shall hear in the morning, O Lord; in the morning I will direct it to You, and I will look up. —Psalm 5:3 The day before Billy Graham’s interview in 1982 on The Today Show, his director of public relations, Larry Ross, requested a...

Read: Exodus 20:18-26 The people stood afar off, but Moses drew near . . . where God was. —Exodus 20:21 Imagine standing at the bottom of a mountain, elbow-to-elbow with everyone in your community. Thunder and lightning flash; you hear an earsplitting trumpet blast. Amid flames, God descends on the...

Read: Philippians 2:1-5 [Bezalel] made the laver of bronze and its base of bronze, from the bronze mirrors of the serving women. —Exodus 38:8 When Moses gathered the children of Israel together to begin work on the tabernacle (Ex. 35–39), he called on Bezalel, a gifted artisan, to help make...

Read: Psalm 19:1-6 The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament shows His handiwork. —Psalm 19:1 When I was in elementary school my friend Kent and I would often spend time looking at the night sky with a pair of German-made binoculars. We marveled at the stars in...

Read: Romans 8:14-17,24-26 You received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, “Abba, Father.” —Romans 8:15 When John F. Kennedy was president of the US, photographers sometimes captured a winsome scene. Seated around the president’s desk in the Oval Office, cabinet members are debating matters of world consequence. Meanwhile,...

Read: Ruth 2:11-20 The Lord repay your work, and a full reward be given you by the Lord God of Israel. —Ruth 2:12 Drew, young and enthusiastic, was leading the singing for the first time in a large church. Lois, a long-time attender, wanted to encourage him, but she thought...

Read: John 10:1-10 I am the door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture. —John 10:9 My husband, Jay, and I have a new family member—a 2-month-old tabby cat named Jasper. To keep our new kitten safe, we’ve had...

Read: Romans 6:14-23 Pursue peace with all people, and holiness, without which no one will see the Lord. —Hebrews 12:14 We often see surveys that ask people if they are happy, satisfied with their work, or enjoying life. But I’ve never seen an opinion poll that asked, “Are you holy?”...