Basic Truths | Finding God in Everyday Life

  It doesn’t take much to make our cat happy. A little tuna in the dish, a few scratches behind the ears,   some pets and tummy rubs, and Shadow is one contented kitty. Unfortunately, that contentment doesn’t last for long. Pretty soon after we stop, he wants more.   We live in a society that discourages contentment, that tells us we need more and should want more. We are bombarded with ads to buy something newer, bigger, or better. We are pushed to the limits of what we can afford, and beyond. We are encouraged to be “successful”, even if that success is achieved at the expense of those around us.   Most of us probably don’t give much thought to how important contentment is. If you’re content, the likelihood is that you are happy and at peace. It is discontent with our current situation that tends to rob us of our peace and joy.     Paul wrote to the Philippians, “I have learned the secret of being content in every situation, whether well fed o...

  I know it’s a generalization to say that husbands can’t find anything and their wives have to find everything for them, but it’s true in our household. Many is the time that I have searched for something and given up, only to have my wife find it in a matter of seconds. Sometimes the object is right in front of me and I somehow overlooked it.   We can fall into the same trap spiritually. We can go about our daily lives being tossed to-and-fro by events around us, our thoughts and emotions controlled by circumstance, up with the good, down with the bad, all the while overlooking all the ways that God is showing His love for us and making Himself known to us. When we recognize God’s presence and acknowledge Him, we find it easier to live in the peace and joy and love of His Spirit.   Jeremiah wrote to the Israelites after they were carried off into exile. The book of Lamentations is filled with grief, but Jeremiah also had hope because he knew God’s love and care ...

  We traveled to France last year. While we were there, we saw the Bayeux Tapestry. It is 230 feet long and was created in the 11 th century to tell the story of the events leading up to the Norman Conquest in 1066. It is quite an achievement!   I am amazed that it has survived for almost a thousand years.   When I see a tapestry, I think about how God views our lives. He exists outside of time. He can see our past, present, and future all at the same time, as if it were a tapestry laid out before Him. Since he can see our future and knows what it holds, He can be sure about what is best for us. He told the Israelites, and He tells us as well, “I know the plans I have for you, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future”   (Jeremiah 29:11).   Most of us tend to worry about the future to one degree or another. We know that Jesus tells us not to worry about tomorrow. He also said, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give ...

  I suppose I was like most kids growing up in playing make-believe. There weren’t any high-tech gadgets back in the day so we had to use our imagination. I don’t recall ever being an astronaut or a pirate but I do remember striking out a batter in the bottom of the ninth with the bases loaded to win the World Series! Once we get to be adults, we tend to be more concrete in looking at and dealing with the world around us although most of us occasionally visualize some situation or interaction that is on our mind.   We can read a Bible passage a hundred times without ever putting ourselves into the scene. Stop for a minute and visualize Jesus in front of the crowd of thousands of people. He asks Philip to give them something to eat. Philip throws his hands up in the air saying that it can’t be done. Andrew calls out to the crowd to ask if anyone has food. None of the adults in the crowd respond, but a little boy comes forward and offers what he has, five small barley loaves...

  We were reminiscing about Christmas presents the other day. One of my favorite childhood toys was the Etch A Sketch. For those of you who haven’t played with one, it looks something like an old TV screen in a plastic box with two dials at the bottom. When you turn the dials, it draws a line on the screen. When you have finished whatever you are doing and want to draw something new, you just shake the screen and it erases your drawing and you are ready to start over.   As we start the new year, we can close the books on the old year and start fresh. Many of us make resolutions for the new year to try to do better in some area(s) of our life that we are not satisfied with. If you are wanting to start over, take a minute to visualize the Etch A Sketch drawing of your past, give it a good shake, and begin to write the next chapter of your life.   Oswald Chambers wrote, “Our yesterdays hold broken and irreversible things for us. It is true that we have lost opportuni...