Basic Truths | Finding God in Everyday Life

  We live in an area with thick clay soil. The soil expands and contracts dramatically depending on how much water it has absorbed. After we lived in our house for a few years, we started noticing some shifting within the house and some cracks in the exterior. We called in the foundation experts and they told us that our foundation was shifting because of the soil it rested on. Their solution was to place support pilings underneath the foundation which reached down to the bedrock underneath the soil. We haven’t had any further foundation problems since then. With the current drought we have been in, you can see signs that the foundation is being supported even though the surrounding soil is compressed.   There is a spiritual truth to this. Jesus told us in the Sermon on the Mount that we need to be sure that our lives are anchored in the bedrock of God’s word. “Everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the ...

  Every summer we hear in the news about someone who fell out of their boat and drowned in one of the area lakes. I always find these reports sad, largely because the deaths are so preventable. All   the person needed to have done was wear a life preserver. Sometimes it can be hard to see the danger in not taking advantage of your safety equipment. Sometimes it’s easy.   Firefighters will always wear their fire suits before going in to fight the flames because they know the danger that lies ahead.   God promises to be with us in our trials. “When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned.”   (Isa. 43:2). God doesn’t promise that He will solve all our problems or that He will keep us from having any problems. He does promise to be with us and to help us make it through. His infinite unconditional love requires that He want only the...

  Probably all of you have heard the phrase, “There’s no such thing as a free lunch”. Over the years, we had a number of pharmaceutical representatives bring lunch to whatever clinic I was working at. The lunch wasn’t really free because you needed to listen to a presentation about whatever medication they were promoting.   Our salvation is freely given to us. Jesus won it for us by His death on the cross. But Christianity isn’t a free lunch. There is a cost that we need to be willing to pay in living the Christian life. We live in a world that is steadily growing more antagonistic to Christians and their beliefs. We need to be willing to stand up for what we believe in, even when there is a cost to it.   Jesus made some remarks to the crowds following Him that must have startled them. “If anyone comes to me and does not hate his father and mother, his wife and children, his brothers and sisters – yes, even his own life – he cannot be my disciple. And anyone who d...

  Our school’s football team had a game last Friday night. It was televised but we couldn’t watch it at the time. We unplugged from all media so that we wouldn’t know the final score until we could watch the game the next day. If you know what the final score is, you don’t get very excited during the game. You don’t worry if your team falls behind if you know that they are going to win in the end.   As Christians, the game of life has already been won and we know the final score. We don’t have to be worried about all the trials and tribulations that may come about because we know that we are on the winning side and we know where we will be spending eternity.   God has a plan for us to live victorious lives. We need to remind ourselves of this from time to time when everything just seems to be a mess.   Paul encouraged the Romans in the midst of their trials. “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or ...

  I took two Tylenol the other day for some muscle soreness. As I did so, I realized that it had been quite a while since I last took any pain medication. That’s quite a blessing for someone who has arthritis like I do.   It made me think about all the blessings I receive each day that I don’t even think about.   We’ve all heard the phrase, “Count your blessings”.   I usually hear it in the context of “Stop complaining”,   but I think it has other uses as well. When we think of all the ways we are being blessed, we are reminded of God’s love and His providence.   God is the source of all good things and He loves to share them with us.   He has given us families as well as friends and loved ones who support us. We have homes to live in and many other material blessings. The list goes on and on. We also have countless little blessings each day, things that help us or make us smile. Above all these, we are blessed to be called children of the loving G...

  My wife and I enjoy watching Antiques Roadshow. It’s fascinating the things people bring in to be appraised. I usually try to guess the value before the appraiser gives their opinion. I’m usually somewhere in the ballpark but occasionally I’m way off from the official appraisal. Sometimes it happens because I think an object is beautiful, but it has a low value because it’s common. On the other hand, I see objects that I think are pieces of junk that carry a high value because of their rarity. There is a disparity between the value that the object has for me and the value it has for someone else.   Jesus made some strong statements about what we should value. “No servant can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money” (Lk 16:13). He went on to say, “What is highly valued among men is detestable in God’s sight” (Lk 16:15). At another time, Jesus stated, “The kin...

  It’s a beautiful day today. It’s warm, the sun is shining, and there is a nice breeze blowing. The forecast is for storms tonight. I’m going to prepare for the storms, i.e. bring some of the plants inside and make sure there aren’t any loose items in the yard, but I’m not going to worry about them just yet. I’m going to enjoy the beautiful day.   We can worry so much about the future that we forget to enjoy the present. Jesus warned us about this, “Do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself” (Mt 6:34).   Some of our worries are unavoidable. If you or someone you love is facing a serious illness or just lost a job, it’s natural to be worried. We can go to God and ask Him for His help and comfort in these situations.   On the other hand, some of our worries are self-inflicted. We may put ourselves into situations, be they financial, social, or personal, that make us very uncomfortable. We can still ask God to help us with our proble...

  My father-in-law was meticulous in caring for his tools.   Everything was clean, sharp, in perfect condition, and put in its proper place.   When he passed away, we inherited some of his tools. I have always given them special attention, in his honor.   Paul wrote to the Ephesians, “Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes” (Eph 6:11).   Our armor includes “the belt of truth…..the breastplate of righteousness,,,,, feet fitted with the readiness of the gospel of peace…..the shield of faith,,,,, the helmet of salvation….. and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God” (Eph 6:14-17).   We have received the armor of God for our defense.   We need to put on the full armor or we will be vulnerable to attack at our weakest unguarded place. It is our responsibility to keep our armor in good condition.     How do we put on and care for our armor? 1.      ...

  We’ve had a birdbath in our backyard for well over 20 years. We never noticed any birds using it so I eventually stopped filling it with water and just let it be there for decoration. Now that I’m retired and have more time on my hands, I’ve been trying to keep it filled again. The birdbath has become popular lately. We’ve seen blue jays, robins, cardinals, doves, and several other birds (as well as a few squirrels and our cat) drinking and splashing about.   I suspect that the drought has caused a lot of the other water sources in the neighborhood to dry up and so our birdbath has become an oasis of sorts for the local wildlife.   I’ve never been to the desert but I imagine that the sight of an oasis in the distance is a welcome one for the traveler. The springs bring life and refreshment to those who are dry. We all will experience dry times in our lives, times when all the joy seems to have gone out of life and it seems like it is all we can do to just keep plodd...