Mary Hamilton
If you’ve never read through the gospels in chronological order, I encourage you to find a chronological Bible or a listing of the harmony of the gospels and read the life of Jesus in order. Each gospel writer emphasized different aspects of Jesus’ ministry, often grouping circumstances together for effect. Reading in chronological order reveals …
“I hope it doesn’t rain tomorrow.” “I hope ________ makes it home safely.” “I hope my team wins.” When we say we’re hoping for something, it usually means acknowledging there’s a chance it won’t happen. What we’re really saying is, “I wish it not to rain tomorrow.” Or “I strongly desire ________ makes it home …
Have you ever wondered how the Hebrews could walk through the middle of the Red Sea and a short time later, start complaining about their living conditions? Time after time, they grumbled about the lack of water, lack of food, Moses’ leadership, etc. These are the people God condemned to wandering in the wilderness for …
Someone once commented on the way we approach reading the Bible. We tend to read certain chapters more than others, shying away from those that seem hard to understand or boring. We pick and choose sentences, verses, passages, but never read the book as a whole the way we do other books. How much would …
Today, on my morning walk, I noticed the clouds and thought, “God could have made a cloud and said, ‘That’s enough. I’m done with clouds.'” But no, He did so much more. He made flat clouds that stretch across the sky like elastic, and sometimes He added ripples. He made fluffy clouds that sail across …
Have you seen this plant? When I was growing up, I recall my parents having a gnarled old plant like this in a metal bucket. Most of the year, it looked thorny and ugly. But when it bloomed with small round flowers all over, it was beautiful. The Crown of Thorns is associated with Passion …
For several weeks now, I’ve been studying different prayers recorded in the Bible. Last week, I spent some time on the Lord’s Prayer in Matthew 6:5-15. It’s so familiar–like the 23rd Psalm and the creation account–that it’s easy to gloss over it and think I already know everything there is to know about it. But …
Not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God so clothes the grass of the field which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not also clothe you–O you of little faith? But …
Have you ever studied the prayers of the Bible? We have much to learn from the men and women whose prayers were recorded for us. Moses, David, Solomon, Nehemiah, Jonah, Paul, and even Jesus himself.. One of the first things I notice in these prayers is the immediate focus on the character of God. I …
Dramatic stories of how people came to faith grab our attention. It’s exciting to hear how God turned someone’s life around, gave them hope in a hopeless situation, or rescued them from danger or harm. As a storyteller, I understand the attraction to conflict and resolution that makes those testimonies so appealing, so interesting. But …
“All sin is based on a lie.” I heard that statement in a Bible study last night. It seems so basic, but it struck me as profound. Every time you and I give in to temptation and sin, we are believing a lie. Makes me feel awfully gullible. Maybe this hits home to me because …
“All sin is based on a lie.” I heard that statement in a Bible study last night. It seems so basic, but it struck me as profound. Every time you and I give in to temptation and sin, we are believing a lie. Makes me feel awfully gullible. Maybe this hits home to me because …
I thought the dream was dead. It died a slow death, giving me time to look around for a new one. At last, I felt ready to put the old one to rest and move on. Move forward. And then… Boom! I met an editor at a writers’ conference who expressed a strong interest in …
I thought the dream was dead. It died a slow death, giving me time to look around for a new one. At last, I felt ready to put the old one to rest and move on. Move forward. And then… Boom! I met an editor at a writers’ conference who expressed a strong interest in …
“I will sing of your love and justice; to you, O Lord, I will sing praise.” Psalm 101:1 Love and justice. We don’t often put those two words in the same sentence. Love feels warm and cozy and friendly. Justice feels cold and impersonal and stern. But when you think about it, is it possible …
“I will sing of your love and justice; to you, O Lord, I will sing praise.” Psalm 101:1 Love and justice. We don’t often put those two words in the same sentence. Love feels warm and cozy and friendly. Justice feels cold and impersonal and stern. But when you think about it, is it possible …
