“So Mephibosheth ate at David’s table like one of the king’s sons” (2 Samuel 9:11 NIV).

Who in the world is Mephibosheth and what possessed his momma to give him such a name?  Well, I can’t answer the second question, but I can shed some light on the first. Mephibosheth was a man who was living way below his potential.  He was the grandson of King Saul and the son of Prince Jonathan, but he lived like a pauper.  When he was a boy, his nurse dropped him while fleeing from their enemies.  As a result, he was crippled in both feet (2 Samuel 9). Read the rest of this entry

Leviticus 12:8 (NIV) If she cannot afford a lamb, she is to bring two doves or two young pigeons, one for a burnt offering and the other for a sin offering. In this way the priest will make atonement for her, and she will be clean.’”Luke 2:23 (NIV) (as it is written in the Law of the Lord, “Every firstborn male is to be consecrated to the Lord” a), 24 and to offer a sacrifice in keeping with what is said in the Law of the Lord: “a pair of doves or two young pigeons.

Mary and Joseph were obviously poor people. They could not afford a lamb for the ceremonial sacrifice, so they purchased a dove. This young poor couple left what little they had, to travel far away. They traveled to Bethlehem in obedience to the Roman law. While the Romans were in charge, God was in control. Today for example, we make work in jobs where someone else is in charge, but God is always in control. Read the rest of this entry

Genesis 1:1 (NIV) In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.

Have you ever had the dreadful experience of having your car run out of gas or even the spurting of the motor as you try to coast your way to the gas station? Have you noticed that you can only coast for so long unless, of course, you are coasting down a hill? This reminds me of me on my old skateboard (yes I used to skateboard). I would coast down our neighbor’s driveway, yet I would pump my feet back up the hill. When we run out of spiritual “gas” and when we quit “pumping,” we coast downhill. Read the rest of this entry

Psalm 42:2-3 (NIV)

“My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When can I go and meet with God? My tears have been my food day and night, while men say to me all day long, ‘Where is your God?’”

In life troubles and loss threaten to overwhelm us all too often. It is an unfortunate part of living in a sinful world. We often feel helpless in the face of our trials and tribulations. It can be a traumatic event, or a secret, inner pain that gnaws at the soul, allowing no respite or relief. We all have our occasional valleys of shadows we try to get through on the road of life. We each experience at some points in our lives walks through dark, gloomy tunnels where fear and distress permeate the walls and create thick fogs that hide the light at the end. Read the rest of this entry

“He did not seek to drown grief in oblivion, but to exalt and dignify it through hope. A dry eye goes with a dead soul.”

— Victor Hugo, Les Misérables

The hope is that in considering contentment and satisfaction we might be able to own our sorrow and longing and that they might lose some of their venom.

The hope is that in confessing the truth of our need to one another we can walk in freedom and not fear that the entire world has passed us by or is judging us. Read the rest of this entry