“I decided to walk out to the edge of the sea and head north to look for seals, knowing that if I did that, and whether I saw seals or not, all kinds of other things would cross my path. I knew that, because they always do. “ – Jim Crumley, The Nature of Autumn,…
Tag: Psalms
Psalm 107
As I read through the Bible, particularly the Psalms, familiar chapters and passages feel almost like friends. There’s always something new that I hadn’t seen before, no matter how many times I’ve read it. Every time I read Psalm 107 though, I’m struck by the beautiful picture of the Lord’s goodness, providence, and faithfulness. What…
Four Things I’ve Been Loving Lately
This book: The Weary World Rejoices, edited by Melissa Kruger and published by The Gospel Coalition. Yes, it’s for Advent, and I do realize that season is over until next winter, but I’m going to talk about it now because it’s never too early to start planning ahead. It brought a depth of meaning to…
The Heritage of Those Who Fear Your Name
There are certain passages of Scripture that never fail to bring to mind particular individuals. Psalm 94:19 always reminds me of an older woman who shared with me how precious that verse became to her after the tragic death of her granddaughter. When I read Psalm 40, I think of a teenager at church, who…
A Call for Discernment
Last week I briefly touched on the “Instagram worthy” Scripture quotes, and this week I’m going to take a hard look at another that I’ve seen cropping up more and more often over the last couple years. You’ve probably seen it too, and I will freely confess that it sounds great: “The Lord will fight…
On the Psalms
My companions have become darkness.1 Not the cheeriest of phrases by any means, and not likely the expectation for the closing of a conversation (which it is – a conversation with God), or the topic of a sermon preached on Mother’s Day. (Nor is that a hypothetical example; a pastor, who shall rename nameless and…
Oh Be Careful Little Eyes
One of the most popular storybooks when my kids were too young to read was a treasury of farmyard tales. It wasn’t just preferred by my kids; I loved it too, not least because there was an accompanying CD of all the stories, so I could push play and find a few minutes’ space to…
A Contrast in the Psalms
As has been fairly well established over the course of the last 2 years, my reading tastes – and listening too, throwing podcasts and audiobooks into the mix – might be described as eclectic, varied, and broad. In feeding those tastes recently, I’ve been listening to some retellings of the Greek myths, and one feature…
As Is Your Way
My daily Bible reading rotation has had me in Psalm 119 for the last few days. The whole chapter, every single one of the 176 verses, is good sustaining food for thought, and I’ve returned to it often over the last 8 years in particular. There’s always deeper depths to plumb in all of God’s…
White as Snow
I’m not much of a fan of snow, ice, cold, or really any part of winter in northeast Ohio. I don’t like driving in snow (an increased commute to work has increased that distaste), I don’t like being cold, I don’t like heating bills, and I don’t like freezing air that hurts my face every…