Orpah Kissed Naomi, But Ruth Clung to Her

True faith leads us to abandon our idols, give up our gods of self-sufficiency and illusions of control, and turn to the one true God. Ruth clung.

Will You Be the Tree or the Shrub This Year?

Do you want to experience a “happy” new year? Psalm 1:1-6 makes it very clear what will determine that, by giving us two pictures of contrast.

Advent Devotions (Week 4): Love and a Prostitute

On the fourth Sunday of Advent, we reflect on scriptures from the Old and New Testaments about God’s love for us. God’s love undergirds the whole Bible.

Advent Devotions (Week 3): Joy and Rejoicing

The third week of Advent is Joy. Of course, joy and happiness are two different things. Happiness is an emotion that is contingent upon circumstances.

Advent Devotions (Week 2): Peace and Shalom

Christ, the divine embodiment of Shalom, is the only thing that can bring this world true and lasting peace.

Advent Devotions (Week 1): Faith and Expectancy

Waiting is the embodiment of faith—a faith that must learn to trust God’s character, His intentions, and His timing.

Staying Faithful to God in Lonely Times

It’s been said that “loneliness” is a feeling of separation. Like Frodo, the Old Testament prophet Jeremiah was required to walk a lonely road.

When the Most Wonderful Time of the Year is a Mess

The most wonderful time of the year can be quite a mess. I look around and recognize that there’s not a whole lot of “happy” left in the holidays.

Dietrich Bonhoeffer: Advent Is Like a Prison Cell

In 1943 German theologian Dietrich Bonhoeffer wrote a letter from Tegel Prison as he prepared to live out the Advent season from a jail cell.

Guideposts for Wandering Souls

In ancient times, when travelers had to traverse unknown territories they would leave behind guideposts to help them find their way back again.