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Have you ever faced criticism? Have you ever been mocked? It’s bad enough when those happen in the everyday things of life, but when you encounter them as you serve and worship the Lord it can be extremely more difficult and discouraging. In Psalm 123, the psalmist expressed Israel’s constant persecution, contempt, and ridicule. Remember,…
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It’s one thing to be in “a cave” and quite another to be in “the cave”. That’s how David introduced Psalm 142. “The cave” refers to David’s hiding from King Saul in caves in Adullum (1 Samuel 22) and En Gedi (1 Samuel 24). King Saul was trying to murder David. On the run and…
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There are a lot of reasons today not to be happy. It’s more than just having a bad day. Things like sickness, pain, death, heartache, crime, sin, and disappointment are almost inevitable in this world and can all leave you distraught. “Pastor, that’s not very positive. Can you be more positive?” Sure – I’m positive…
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Happy 24th anniversary to us! Marriage is a blessing, but so many marriages today are ending in divorce. But yours doesn’t have to! As a biblical marriage counselor, I’ve heard every reason in the world while couples are separating. The most common reason is there is usually someone else in the picture. Some are infatuated…
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Anyone need some peace? Peace is something Jesus brings us, as He is the Prince of Peace (Isaiah 9:6). His peace has no end (Isaiah 9:7). As I stared at the word peace on our counter top one Christmas, I thought about the peace I need from the Lord in a few things (I can…
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A Scripture commonly taken out of context today is “judge not lest you be judged” (Matthew 7:1). The correct interpretation of that passage (Matthew 7:1-6) is cautioning wrong judgment, not no judgment at all. For instance, verses 3-4 instruct someone to consider the plank in their own eye before rendering judgment on the speck in…
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Writing in the sand can be relaxing. I’m not the best artist, so it’s a good thing God erases it and gives a blank canvas to try again. As I walked along the beach one morning I thought about the two times Jesus stooped down to write in the sand. John 8:1-11 tells us a…
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Because of their rebellion and disobedience, the Jewish people were taken captive into Babylon for seventy years (Jeremiah 29). There is always consequence for sin, the biggest being separation from the Lord. When we feel that separation and desire to be restored to the Lord, repentance is beginning to take place in our hearts. It…
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A hole in your roof is never a good thing. Several years ago, when we first got our camper, it already had a small pencil eraser-sized hole in the back corner of the roof. I patched it, and it never leaked again. Little did I know the damage had already been done. I began painting…
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“They cheated on me. They were caught in adultery.” What is the first thing you think about when you hear those statements? Do you want to condemn, judge, or hate? Perhaps you feel hurt, in denial, or even desire revenge. In John 8:1-12, we see a woman caught in adultery that was brought to Jesus.…
stephen R Harrison 