Category Archives: Life In Focus

God’s Unfailing Mercy – Our Only Hope WHAT has been the deepest, darkest experience in your life, the time when you felt the worst emotions, perhaps to the point of utter despair? For Jeremiah and his contemporaries in Judah, it … Continue reading →

Feeling Wicked Satisfaction! DO you celebrate the misfortunes of your enemies, especially when you feel that they are only getting their “just deserts”? It’s a natural human tendency to gloat over the downfall of the high and mighty. But is … Continue reading →

The Peril of Ignoring Consequences FROM time to time newspapers carry tragic stories of people who have fallen into serious trouble by failing to consider the consequences of their actions. Often they admit to the error of their ways with … Continue reading →

Words of Judgement, Words of Hope JEREMIAH announces specific judgments that the Lord vowed to bring on nine nations (Jeremiah 46–51). In reading these sobering words, it is important to remember two truths: God’s wrath was not without cause. There … Continue reading →

Everybody’s Doing It! PEOPLE sometimes excuse or justify their immoral behavior with the attitude that “everybody’s doing it.” But that notion is false. Not everyone is doing it. Not everyone is giving way to popular opinion. Some people maintain their … Continue reading →

Sin is Sin JEREMIAH presents a sobering message, both to the people of his day as well as to people today: God is against all sin. His judgment of wrath falls on the sin of all individuals and all nations, … Continue reading →

Which Way Are You Headed? FAITH is not a one-time, sensational event in one’s life, neither is it a state of moral and spiritual perfection to which a handful of super-saints attain. Faith is a dynamic, lifelong journey that each … Continue reading →

Evangelism Through Repentance JEREMIAH’S third chapter is a call for the nation of Judah to turn away from idols. In verses 9-13, the people are described as: committing spiritual harlotry and adultery; being treacherous; backsliding; transgressing against the Lord; and … Continue reading →

New Work for a New World DID you know that in the world to come you will have work to do, and that your work will be gratifying, fulfilling, and enduring? According to the glimpse of the future that Isaiah … Continue reading →

Worship and Service WHAT is your concept of worshiping the Lord? Attending a church service at which you sing hymns, read Scripture, recite prayers, listen to a sermon, and partake of holy communion? All of these practices can lead to … Continue reading →

The Dangers of the Tongue PEOPLE tend to be known by what they say. Words may strike fear in others, they may reveal the speakers to be foolish, or they may be a source of help or comfort to other … Continue reading →

God Helps Young People at Risk YOUTH is supposed to be a time of energy and vitality. But what happens when extreme circumstances sap the life out of young people, robbing them of enthusiasm and rendering them too weak to … Continue reading →

Justice in the Wilderness PERHAPS like many people you think of the countryside as a gentle, quiet refuge from the complications of urban life. However, in Bible times, rural areas were generally places without law and order, where “everyone did … Continue reading →

What’s the Hurry? PERHAPS you feel rushed or caught on a treadmill, always focused on a deadline, always thinking about what is happening next rather than what is happening right now. The people of Isaiah’s time were consumed with anxiety … Continue reading →

The Wasteland DAMAGE to the earth’s environment seems to be on the rise today. Yet current ecological difficulties pale in comparison to what the world will experience someday under God’s judgment. Isaiah envisions a virtual wasteland in which nothing remains … Continue reading →

Be Careful of Counsel AS you make decisions and strategize plans, you’ll do well to gain counsel from wise, trusted confidants. In fact, Proverbs says that utilizing input from many counselors offers safety (Proverbs 11:14). Their variety of opinions tends … Continue reading →

A Leadership Vacuum Leads to Public Crisis HOW important is the character and quality of a nation’s leaders? Extremely important, according to Isaiah. At the time when Isaiah 3 was given, the nation probably was prospering under the wise, godly … Continue reading →

Old Age Comes to All YOUNG people commonly think and act as if they were going to live forever. For that reason, Ecclesiastes 12 paints a picture of old age and introduces it to young people with the warning, “Remember … Continue reading →

Four Benefits of Companionship PEOPLE these days often celebrate the myth of rugged independence, praising the self-made, self-reliant individual. Yet whatever feats people may accomplish on their own, far greater achievements are won by dedicated, united teams working together toward … Continue reading →