Category Archives: Spiritual Nuggets

He’s Dead, But You Can Be Alive “My servant Moses is dead” (Joshua 1:2). Imagine the shock of this moment for Joshua, Moses’ right-hand man. He probably already knew about Moses’ death before God told him (Deuteronomy 34:1–8), but it’s … Continue reading →

Operating Standards Sometimes I operate on the premise that if I’m honoring God and following Him, I don’t have to be concerned with what other people think. But carrying this too far is just as faulty as basing my identity … Continue reading →

It’s Actually Quite Simple “May my teaching trickle like the dew, my words like rain showers on tender grass . . . For I will proclaim the name of Yahweh; ascribe greatness to our God! The Rock, his work is … Continue reading →

Bold Requests Psalm chapter 44 is bold. Who asks the Lord to “wake up”? Who asks Him why He is sleeping? The psalmist doesn’t stop with these questions. He makes claims regarding God that seem like accusations: “you have rejected … Continue reading →

I’ll Take the Arrow “Better is an arrow from a friend than a kiss from an enemy.” When I first heard this saying, I was struck by what a truism it is. It wasn’t until years later, though, that I … Continue reading →

Tearing Down to Build Up It’s difficult to take rebuke, especially when it’s unsolicited. We feel exposed and embarrassed when our sin is brought to light. And if we don’t have the humility to accept rebuke, the experience can leave … Continue reading →

The Curious Thing About God’s Work Doing God’s work is a curious thing. It requires both mad rushes and patiently waiting. Christ followers are meant to think like the psalmist did: “I waited patiently for Yahweh, And he inclined to … Continue reading →

Costly Grace When we say something hurtful to a friend or a family member, we know we can’t just ignore the harm we have caused (we should know, anyway). In order to repair the relationship and earn back trust, we … Continue reading →

Curses, the Old Testament, and Freedom “And if a man commits a sin punishable by death, and so he is put to and you hang him on a tree, his dead body shall not hang on the tree, but certainly … Continue reading →

Tent Making for Eternity Paul, the tent maker, knew the temporal nature of human-made structures. For someone who made and probably repaired tents, he knew all their flaws and tendencies for wear. So it’s not a stretch for him to … Continue reading →

The Global Reset Button When I was a kid, I loved playing Super Nintendo—especially Donkey Kong. Despite my love for it, it would just make me angry at times. When I couldn’t handle the way the game was panning out, … Continue reading →

Compelled to Worship When we experience God’s mercy, it shows. Our instincts change and our priorities shift from gratifying our own ego to making much of God. We stop fearing what others think of us and find our identity grounded … Continue reading →

An Irrational Life Love is irrational. It requires doing things that compromise every survival instinct. Moses tells God’s people to have a memory of what God has done among them and to love Him as a result: “And you shall … Continue reading →

A Letter of Recommendation We file letters of recommendation from pastors, past supervisors, and teachers that highlight our skills, attitude, and work ethic. They present us as ideal candidates, glossing over the things we lack and the ways in which … Continue reading →

Treating the Symptom I regularly predict that something will only take me an hour when it actually ends up taking two. I’m beginning to think that this is a sign of a larger issue: the tendency to underestimate the severity … Continue reading →

Forgive, Forget, and Comfort There is a subtle type of grudge that festers. When we extend forgiveness, the challenge isn’t necessarily in the moment of reconciliation. It’s extending that moment and letting it permeate the interactions that follow. In 2 … Continue reading →

Your Inner Self “Did I leave the burner on?” “Did I lock the door?” “I feel like I’m forgetting something.” Forgetfulness is a syndrome we all experience at one time or another. Many of our forgetful moments end up being minor inconveniences. … Continue reading →

The Final Say Having the final say in an argument is more satisfying than I’d like to admit. By default, I’d like to be right, even if I have to be pedantic. I wish I could say this was limited … Continue reading →

Moving On “You have stayed long enough at this mountain. Turn now and move on” (Deuteronomy 1:6–7). We have a terrible tendency to stay in one place or keep doing one activity longer than we should. Our meetings run long, … Continue reading →

Gifts and Grace “Yahweh spoke to Moses on the desert plains of Moab beyond the Jordan across Jericho, saying, ‘Command the children of Israel that they give to the Levites from the inheritance of their property cities to live in; … Continue reading →