Grains of Sand

Google Images “ When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted ” (Matthew 28:17). Come on! How can it be possible to see Jesus in the flesh after His death and doubt Him? It’s easy to criticize—at least until I look into my own heart and realize that I am often guilty of the very same thing. I’ve been reading a book by Larry Crabb, titled, Finding God . In it he talks about our tendency to try to “fix” things ourselves when God doesn’t deliver what we think He should, when we think He should deliver it. That’s doubt—we doubt that He will meet our needs, that He is sufficient to meet our needs, and that, even if He doesn’t meet our needs, it’s all okay because He is good and He is God, and that is enough. The followers of Jesus saw Him, but perhaps the events of the days and weeks that had gone before made them reluctant to trust. Sure, He was there. But He was going away again and what would happen to them then? Why didn’t He stay and lead them? Who would heal them...

Google Images The world is supposed to be coming to an end any day now. Some people thought it was to happen on December 12; others are waiting with not-so-bated breath for December 21. One thing is for certain, the end will come. It’s highly doubtful that it will be December 21. The Scriptures are quite clear that no one knows the day or the hour (Matthew 25:13). But it will come. As it happens, I was reading about this very event this morning in Second Peter. Here’s what the apostle had to say about the subject: “ But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything in it will be laid bare ” (2 Peter 3:10). Like a thief. Unexpected. Unprepared for. And it’s this last issue of preparation that Peter addresses. How does one prepare for the unexpected? “ Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godl...

" The Lord gave them rest on every side…Not one of all the Lord's good promises to the house of Israel failed; every one was fulfilled " (Joshua 21:43, 45, NIV). Israel had to take the journey before she saw the reward. Giants to be conquered, enemies to be fought, obedience to be tested, defeats to be turned into victories—it was only at the end when the battles were over that God's people would be able to look back and realize that God had never failed them. That's easy to forget when the enemy has a knife at your throat. The good thing about a journey with the Lord, this battle to take another "hill," is that we can always look back at the last "hill" He took for us. While conquering the land of Canaan, Israel could look back at Egypt, and the wilderness. God took her over those "hills" and none of His promises failed. Now, as Israel looks back on this new "hill" that has tested, and proven, God's faithfulness to Hi...