Basic Truths | Finding God in Everyday Life

    I played golf earlier this week. Afterwards, I realized that my golf towel had fallen off of my bag some time during the round. I decided to go back to the golf course today to see if anyone had turned it in. I thought about just calling and asking someone to check but something told me that I should drive out there. When I got there and explained my situation, they told me that I could check the lost and found box. There, on top of the pile, was something else that had fallen out of my bag unbeknownst to me, something more valuable than the towel I was looking for.   It got me to thinking about how God often gives us much more than we expect. The crippled beggar at the temple who talked to Peter and John was hoping for some coins (Acts 3:1-8). Instead, he received the use of his legs. God is able to see beyond what we want and give us what we need.     We are told to pray for what we need, “Ask a...

  I’ve been struggling to keep my weight up this year. I exercise regularly and I’ve cut back a lot on junk food and fast food. As a result, I find that I have to eat more than I’m used to just to keep my weight stable where it is. And yes, I’ve had a checkup and tests and everything is fine!   We know that we have to feed our body to keep it functioning properly. We are designed to feel hungry when our body needs nourishment. We also need to feed our mind, especially as we grow older. Studies have shown that the best way to maintain your cognitive level is to occupy yourself with activities that stimulate the mind. We need to feed our spirit as well. We are starving our spirit if our only inputs are from the world, because they provide no nourishment to our spirit. We need to take in God’s word, spend time with Him in prayer, and worship Him regularly to keep our spirit well-fed. As Jesus reminds us, “Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mou...

    As I mentioned last week, we recently attended a reunion for my wife’s extended family. Her great-grandfather, along with his two brothers, emigrated from Germany to the United States in the 1870’s. They settled in a small farm community in Kansas. We visited the church that the community built in those early days. The interior of the church was beautiful and gave witness to the importance those early settlers gave to their spiritual life. We visited the family gravesites in the cemetery behind the church to honor those who were the founders of my wife’s family in this country. Everything that we saw and experienced at the reunion gave evidence to the tremendous spiritual heritage that has been passed down from one generation to the next.   On this Mother’s Day, we honor our mothers and thank them for their love and all the ways they have shown their love over the years. It’s also a good time to give thanks to them and to all the others who are responsible for o...

  We went to a reunion of my wife’s extended family last weekend. It was a huge affair, with over 350 people attending. We enjoyed getting together with family members that we hadn’t seen for years and visiting with distant cousins that we hadn’t ever met before and exchanging information about family history and common ancestors.   Some people couldn’t make it to the reunion and we missed not being able to see them again.   We will have a similar experience when we get to heaven. We will have the ultimate in joyful reunions with our family and loved ones who have gone before us. However, we will miss those loved ones who won’t be there.   Prayer for the salvation of our family and loved ones should be a high priority in our lives. We should also be ready to witness to them in the time and manner that God calls us to.

  A rear-view mirror is a handy feature when you’re driving but it has its limitations. It only shows you where you’ve been and not where you’re going. You wouldn’t drive very far without an accident if all you did was look in the mirror. Sad to say, many people live their lives that way. Maybe something bad happened to them and they never got over it. Maybe they made a bad decision. Perhaps they committed some sin that they never forgave themselves for. Whatever it may be, they constantly look back in sadness and regret over where they’ve been and are unable to look forward with hope for the future.   God wants us to always move forward in our lives. He allows us to “look in the rear-view mirror” to see where we’ve been but he wants us to concentrate on the road before us because He has a direction for us that will lead to our best lives. We don’t have to stay in sadness or bitterness over what has happened in the past.   Psalms 145 through 150 are all psalms of ...