This contains Devotional posts by Wayne Stiles.
Many people see the Bible only as a book of bad news. After all, it lists everything we do wrong and reminds us how much God hates sin. But bad news is only half the message.
(Photo: Unsplash)
Because nobody likes hearing bad news, we often slam the book shut before we hear the good news that always follows. In fact, without bad news, we have no good news.
The bad news comes only as the essential first step to the best news you’ll ever hear.
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Thumbing through our Old Testament, we often come across references to people or objects being “unclean.” What in the world does that mean?
(Photo by Photodune)
From our perspective, when we come across something unclean we toss it in the dishwasher, clothes washer, or garbage can. And if a person is unclean, they simply step in the tub and scrub away the grime.
Problem solved.
We hear “unclean” and we think of something as contaminated, tainted, or unhygienic. But in the Old Testament, “unclean” had a different meaning—one that affected one’s walk with God.
What did it mean to be unclean in the Old Testament? (And why we should care about it today?)
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Do you know what one, primary, personal hope drove Jesus’ life? What He looked forward to the most? It’s important we do know, because the same hope should drive our lives.
(Photo: Kiriath Jearim church statue of Mary standing on Ark of the Covenant. Courtesy of the Pictorial Library of Bible Lands)
As we read the gospels, we see Jesus’ goal was not merely the cross. And even as great as the resurrection was, Jesus still had another hope beyond that.
It’s good news you can apply by the end of this blog post—and then for the rest of your life.
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It’s tough to work hard at something, only to see your efforts eventually leak out through life’s cracks. Sometimes, however, that frustration can turn into a surprising blessing.
(Photo: Anathoth looking east toward the wilderness. Courtesy of the Pictorial Library of Bible Lands)
Standing in his hometown of Anathoth on a wet, wintry day, the Prophet Jeremiah could look east and see grain fields lush with life. But just beyond those fields stretched the bleak and barren Judean wilderness—a land not sown with seed.
The Lord used a similar image when He told the Israelites how they had started out as a devoted people: “following after Me in the wilderness, through a land not sown” (Jer. 2:2), but then had turned from His ways.
The lesson Jeremiah wrote about from these simple elements is one we must never forget.
But too often, we do. Here’s how we can remember it.
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For most of us, our day begins when we wake up. According to our clocks and calendars, however, a new day begins at midnight. But when God created the world, He had something else in mind.
(Photo: Sunrise over Jerusalem. Courtesy of the Pictorial Library of Bible Lands)
God actually created the new day to begin at evening—not at morning. Remember?
And there was evening and there was morning, one day. —Genesis 1:5
Odd, isn’t it, to begin the “day” with evening activities like family time, dinner, and—of all things—sleep? This mindset feels totally foreign to westerners, but many Jews still abide by it today.
Honestly, I have no idea why God did this. But I have discovered beginning the day in the evening has its productivity benefits.
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The ordinary days of life far outnumber the extraordinary ones. That imbalance can get discouraging. But as we look at the lives in the Bible, we see the same pattern. Thankfully, they were normal like us.
(Photo: Elah Valley, where David fought Goliath. Courtesy of the Pictorial Library of Bible Lands)
Like us, the biblical lives show years of routine interrupted by occasion moments of excitement. But if we look, we see God at work in the ordinary day just as much as in the extraordinary.
David’s fight with Goliath in the Elah Valley is the perfect example.
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You make decisions each day. Make the same decisions often enough and they becomes habits—powerful, God-given gifts to help you walk with God and stay healthy.
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Imagine if you had to relearn to tie your shoes, drive a car, or find your way to work each day. God designed our brains to search for and create patterns of efficiency—to move into “autopilot” so that our conscious brain can focus on other choices.
In Charles Duhigg’s book, The Power of Habit, he notes a researcher from Duke University discovered that more than 40 percent of the actions we do each day aren’t decisions—but habits.
All our life, so far as it has definite form, is but a mass of habits. —William James
I have discovered 15 habits that have transformed my spiritual life. They can do the same for you.
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If you want to grow in your relationship with God, there’s one thing you can do this year that will make more difference than anything. Read the Bible. Here’s why.
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Did you know? Research shows that someone who reads the Bible 4 or more times each week is:
Bottom line? A person who reads the Bible will have a life that looks different from one who doesn’t—even as a Christian. Perhaps this is why Peter wrote:
Like newborn babies, long for the pure milk of the word, so that by it you may grow in respect to salvation (1 Peter 2:2).
I’ll be reading the Bible this next year. I urge you to join me!
Here are some easy ways you can do it.
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It’s a good thing we have holidays. Without these forced pauses in our hurried schedules, we would plow through life with only a headstone to stop us.
(Photo by Photodune)
Christmas certainly offers us a time to take a break from work. It’s also a time for family to reconnect. But most importantly, the holiday reminds us of essential truths in our spiritual lives.
Here are 7 Christian Christmas readings from Scripture with suggested themes for personal reflection or group discussion.
You can also download these Christian Christmas Readings if you prefer to print them.
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The songs play it. The movies portray it. Even our church services have their part to play. “It’s the most wonderful time of the year!” Yeah, well what if it isn’t? For many people, holidays bring up painful memories.
Sore spots from childhood or the loss of loved ones hit hard during this sentimental season. While many people celebrate the joys of Christmastime, others suffer lonely holidays.
During one of the most desperate times of King David’s life, the anointed future king of Israel found himself running from two separate enemies—hardly a time to celebrate. With the Philistines to the west and King Saul to the east, a distressed David sought refuge in the cave of Adullam (1 Samuel 22:1–2).
David felt very alone.
His situation offers encouragement to us during lonely holidays.
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