When Roman historian Publius Cornelius Tacitus started recording the history of the first century AD, he wrote, “I am entering upon the history of a period rich in disaster, gloomy with wars, rent with seditions.” He went on to write of the devastation of the era: war, murder, adultery, hate, terror, betrayal. Concerning politicians, he …
Be compassionate and humble. —1 Peter 3:8 Those who think highly of themselves might be shocked to find that others aren’t all that impressed. No matter how rich and famous they are, the size of the crowd at their funeral will pretty much depend on …
Your arm has great power. Your hand is strong. —Psalm 89:13 Remember this song? He’s got the whole world in his hands. He’s got the whole wide world in his hands. He’s got the whole wide world in his hands. He’s got the whole world in His hands. It goes on for umpteen verses: …
Open my eyes that I may see wonderful things in your law. —Psalm 119:18 Every state in the U.S. has an Unclaimed Property program. Unclaimed property can be anything from a forgotten rent or utility deposit to an uncashed check, a dormant bank account, or an abandoned safe deposit box. …
Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have. —Hebrews 13:5 Two teenage girls were watching a TV commercial at Best Buy. I laughed when I heard one of them say, “I don’t know what it does, but I want …
You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you. —Isaiah 26:3 Helen Roseveare was a British medical missionary in the Congo. She built hospitals, a training center, and lived in a leprosy camp. During the Congolese civil war in 1964, Helen was arrested because of her intervention for villagers. In her …
If the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed. —John 8:36 Thomas Paine’s The Age of Reason didn’t—and doesn’t—sit well with Christians. The book hammered institutional religion in general and Christianity in particular. It contended that the miracle stories in the Bible are myths. Paine rejected the divinity of …
Continue steadfastly in prayer. —Colossians 4:2 You know him as Saint Augustine, but for a long time he was far from saintly. He ignored his pious mother’s pleadings and pursued a life of self-gratification and immorality. He took a mistress and fathered a child but considered marriage out …
The righteous and the wise and what they do are in God’s hands. —Ecclesiastes 9:1 On January 15, 2009, US Airways Flight 1549 struck a flock of Canada geese shortly after takeoff and lost power in both engines. Knowing he couldn’t get back to LaGuardia, Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger piloted the …
Many who are first will be last, and many who are last will be first. —Matthew 19:30 An incumbent politician has a huge advantage: name recognition, media access, fundraising edge. In every area—politics, sports, theater, business—the advantage belongs to the entrenched. We expect winners to keep …
