Today’s Walk in the Word

Jesus wept. —John 11:35 There’s a misguided notion that Christians should always be happy, never morose—and it creates a boatload of guilt. Happiness and joy are not the same. Jesus wanted his disciples to be full of joy (Jn 15:11)—yet, it was an unhappy time for them, for he was leaving them. Both joy and […]

Laying his hands on each one, he healed them.    —Luke 4:40 Jesus drew big crowds. Sick people came to him in droves—sometimes on their own and sometimes brought to him by those who loved them. He could have pulled off a crowd-curing miracle, healing hundreds at the same time with a single word. But […]

[Jesus] sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven.        —Hebrews 1:3 “Day after day every priest stands and performs his religious duties; again and again he offers the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. But when this priest had offered for all time one sacrifice for sins, […]

I sought the Lord, and he answered me; he delivered me from all my fears.                     —Psalm 34:4 In Matthew 8, there are stories about two men who came to Jesus for help. One was a helpless leper, the other a powerful centurion. The leper wanted […]

Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man.    —Matthew 8:3 Fires and floods. Tornadoes and tsunamis. Hurricanes and hunger. Overexposure to suffering threatens to numb your compassion—triggers a throw-up-your-hands helplessness. The need is too big and your resources too small. Jesus didn’t feed all the poor, heal all the sick, help all the […]

O Lord, please send someone else to do it.      —Exodus 4:13 As I mentally run down the list of well-known names in both Old and New Testaments, I don’t find one who was in any earthly way qualified to do the job they were called to do. Moses was past middle age when […]

If we confess our sins, he will forgive our sins.          —1 John 1:9 I hope you’re not making the mistake of living in the past—brooding over decisions, words, and actions that you’ve come to regret. That’s time and mental energy wasted because you can’t undo the past. Don’t be so hard […]

Your love has given me great joy and encouragement.           —Philemon 7 This won’t take long and won’t require anything you don’t already have: a note card, a pen, an envelope, a stamp, and a kind thought. Jot a note. A line of appreciation to someone who has blessed your life. […]

Ask in faith, never doubting.                  —James 1:6 In Acts 12, Luke reports a thrilling incident—with a sidebar of irony. On this night, Peter was in prison, chained to two soldiers. Herod planned to behead him in the morning. A jailbreaking angel rescued Peter, and he made a […]

Turn to God . . . that times of refreshing may come.                                                —Acts 3:19 Remember the Old Milwaukee beer commercial, “It doesn’t get any better than this”? After a day of fishing—away […]