When my son was in second grade, his teacher had the most fascinating family story. They immigrated to the US from the Netherlands, but during the Second World War, her grandparents had harbored Jews in their very home. It was obviously a huge risk for their entire family, their house was even searched by Nazi […]

We can hardly imagine anything good resulting from the story we read in 2 Kings 5. A young girl, forcibly taken from her home (most probably as people, including her father, were killed in mass) and taken to another country as a slave. It was a terrible situation, to say the least. God saw it […]

In Philippians 4:12, Paul wrote, “I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want.” The Shunammite woman, found in 2 Kings […]

Now that he’s in the fourth grade, my son is starting to think seriously about his future. “Mom,” he asked me recently, “do you think I should go to the NBA or the NFL?” I said, “Clayton, I think that you should find out what God wants you to do and then do that. If […]

During an average day of plowing, Elisha had the most extraordinary experience. The prophet Elijah met him in the field and threw his cloak over Elisha’s shoulders. Elisha knew exactly what that meant. He had been chosen to be the next prophet of Israel. As Elisha stood there wearing Elijah’s cloak, he had a decision […]

The Law of First Mentions is the theological term that describes when something monumental happens in the Bible for the very first time and each one is significant. The story of the Widow of Zarephath, found in First Kings 17, has two of them and they are huge. First, when God sent the prophet Elijah […]

Every summer while our family lived in the South, I went to battle against my arch rival- the Japanese Beetle. These obnoxious little critters appeared en masse one day each July and decimated my green bean crop, shredded my roses and generally wreaked havoc on my garden. I loath them. While researching how to control […]

I grew up with a family whose father demanded complete respect at all times. He made every decision in their house. To prove his absolute authority, this man created rules that applied to one child but not another. His rules were subject to change without notice. What was acceptable one day might not be acceptable […]

The Queen of Sheba is an exotic and mysterious character who has captured the imaginations of storytellers for thousands of years. An Ethiopian legend claims that after visiting Solomon she returned to her kingdom carrying his child, who later brought the Ark of the Covenant back to Ethiopia where it has been ever since. (Someone […]

The time in between the devastation of Jesus’ crucifixion and the elation of his resurrection must have been the most bewildering hours of his followers lives. Of course, there would be confusion and sadness, but I just wonder if any of them felt something different. I wonder if any of them felt any expectation. I […]