“For the Lord does not see as man sees: for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” I Samuel 16:7 I know you haven’t been counting, but how many  times have you ignored or overlooked someone or a group of people based on how they looked?  It’s not something we want to own up to, but I think we all have to plead, “Guilty.” A number of years ago, I attended a conference with  a group of women. A few of us sat together for the evening session, eagerly awaiting the speaker’s presentation. When she came onstage, we looked at one another with raised…

“For the  Son of Man came to seek  and to save  the lost.”  Luke 19:10 (NIV) I heard the high-pitched call several times  and wondered who was making such a racket in our usually quiet neighborhood.  Shortly afterward, a car came around the circle.  It stopped at  my driveway,  and  a woman leaned out the window and asked whether I had seen a small dog in the street. I said I hadn’t seen her puppy, but promised to keep an eye out  for it. She kept driving around, calling out the puppy’s name in a desperate voice. The neighbor searched as long as it took, and when I saw her…

“Bear one another’s burdens, and  so fulfill the law  of Christ.” Galatians 6:2 (NKJV) The well-known question, “Am I my brother’s keeper?” is hinted at in today’s focus text, and, according to the apostle Paul,  the answer to the question  is Yes.  But, ironically, it’s hard to be our brother’s keeper if we don’t know what’s going on with one another. I’m sure you’ve heard these  self-effacing words at one time or another: “I didn’t want to burden you.” They’re said by parents, children,  and sometimes  good friends. How sad that some people, ourselves included, are unwilling to be vulnerable and allow a fellow Christian  the privilege of sharing their…

“Set a watch , O Lord, before my mouth;  keep the door of my lips.” Psalm 141:3 To begin a session of our Bible study class, the group leader distributed numbered slips of paper with Bible texts on them, all of which referred to speech. Most of the texts were from the book of Proverbs, where Solomon has some tartgeted advice  to help people  use words wisely. We took turns reading and analyzing the texts, noting their application to our personal  lives and our relationships.  At the end, I called attention to a verse that I liked but which  wasn’t among those that had been distributed. It is our text…

“Although the fig tree shall not blossom, neither shall fruit be in the vines; the labor of the olive shall fail, and the fields shall yield no meat; the flock shall be cut off from the fold, and there shall be no herd in the stalls; Yet I wll rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my salvation.” Habakkuk 3:17, 18 While talking by phone a few days ago with one of my overseas  friends,  I asked her about a mutual friend. “Oh,” my friend  said, “she’s having challenges, but she is so positive,” and she repeated a number of times later in our conversation,  with…

“When Jesus spoke to the people,  he said, ‘I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.’ ”  John 8:12 (NIV) Light, vital for all life.  Anyone who has ever been through a severe weather event  knows what it’s like to  be in the dark for days.  Once when I  lived in Jamaica in the early two thousands, a  devastating hurricane left us in the capital without  electricity for almost two weeks. When the lights finally came back on,  a collective shout of  gladness  was heard in our neighborhood. Light had come. We no longer had to…

“For I, the Lord your God,  will hold your right hand, saying to you, ‘Fear not. I will help you.’ ” Isaiah 41:13 (NKJV)   What were you afraid of when you were a child? I was afraid of many things, but, for a time, my greatest fear was turkeys. At about age six, I walked to school with my  older cousin and  had to pass a fenced yard with huge gobblers. The noisy  animals would spread their wings and sweep toward the fence as we passed by. I was terrified, but with my cousin’s confident hand and words,  I  walked past the dreaded spot. In Isaiah 41:13,  the picture…

“When the sun came up,  Jesus was standing on the beach, but they didn’t recognize Him.” John 21:4 (NIV) It has happened to many of us at one time or another.  We failed to recognize a friend or someone we knew well  at a social gathering, at the grocery store, or even in the street. That usually leaves us feeling sheepish. We sputter through an apology, but both we and the other party know that it was an embarrassing oversight. The disciples had had ample opportunities to recognize their risen Lord. It would seem that after the times He had  shown up unannounced in their midst, they would have been…

“The Lord bless you and keep you.” Numbers 6:24 The colorful wrapping paper and the gift bags quickly landed in the recycling bin, and the much-anticipated toys that received a lot of play-time  for a few days now sit neglected  in a corner of the den. As  with children, so it is with us adults. The new wears off pretty fast. Many of us  experienced the heady enjoyment of time spent  with family and friends during the holidays. The delightful musical programs and the specially planned church services all left us with  a warm, satisfying feeling that even prompted us to make bold  resolutions. Can we carry that bouyancy beyond…

Dear Friends: I am sharing with you an excerpt from my favorite devotional book, the  classic My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers. The final  words of the entry for December 31  provide a powerful thrust to launch us into the new year. May you be awakened to the joy of meeting 2024 with a secure  and courageous spirit. “SECURITY FOR TODAY:  ‘For ye shall not go out with haste.’  As we go forth into the coming year, let it not be in the haste of impetuous, unremembering delight, nor with the flight of impulsive thoughtlessness, but with the patient power of knowing that the God of Israel will…