Today’s Walk in the Word

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 […]

Your will be done.   —Matthew 6:10 Patience is often a missing ingredient in our prayers. Waiting may not be your long suit—you want an immediate response when you pray. But God’s answer may require some repair work on your relationship with him. It’s a submission issue. Until you get to the point where you […]

Be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord.      —Psalm 27:14 Wait! Now there’s a word that makes you want to scream. You’re busy from dawn ’til dark. Not enough hours in the day. There’s no room for “Wait” on your to-do list. What’s the longest you’ve ever had to wait for […]

Lord, is it I? —Matthew 26:22 As Jesus presided at the Passover meal with his disciples—and instituted the Lord’s Supper—he said something that devastated them: “One of you will betray me.” Their reaction causes my admiration for them to soar, for instead of pointing fingers, they looked inward: “Each of them began to say to […]