My Kind of Prayer

Though I like the way Jonah prayed in Jonah 2:1 (“prayed”), I love the way he prayed in 2:2 (“called”). Let me explain. The Hebrew word “pray” in 2:1 has more of an official sense to it. Nothing wrong with this kind of praying (like … Read More

American Idol

Fox’s hit show “American Idol” just kicked off another season, and the title is more fitting to our country than most of us realize. Sure, Fox is spotlighting the next hidden music star – thus the title – but most of us do far more … Read More

But God!

I bet Jonah loves big fish! Oh, maybe he didn’t prior to being engulfed whole, but afterward? You know he did! How could he not once he realized that the one who swallowed him was actually his lifeline. Only hope. Salvation. A God-send of mammal-like … Read More

The End is Where It Begins

God hears us best when we are at our worst. And I’m sure the belly of a great fish was the worst praying environment Jonah could imagine. Yet, it was exactly where he needed to be: the end of his rope. That’s where God wants … Read More

Ways We Run

Running from God isn’t always easy to spot. It’s not like we wear a sign that says, “Running from God. Watch out!” So what does it look like in 2009? Perhaps we run by staying busy. You know, the ole’ overcommitted syndrome. Or maybe running … Read More

Why We Run (2)

When we run from God, it reveals something about us. It is an outward indication that something is wrong inside. What was Jonah running from? What was he afraid of? Success! And I don’t mean an external type of “I made it” image. I’m talking … Read More

Why We Run

What made Jonah run from God? Think about it – when he heard God call, he went the opposite direction of the place to which he was called. And fast! He ran from God’s will, not to God’s will. Without going into the details of … Read More

One Little Book…One Big Prayer

Jonah, one of 12 minor prophets in the Old Testament, is a book of only 48 verses. That’s shorter than some chapters in the Bible! Yet, this little book contains a massive message: God values people – all people – and he wants us to … Read More

This Year

Call them commitments. Call them decisions. I like to say that, for believers, new year’s resolutions are God’s continuing sanctification process in seasonal terms. That’s why we put the prefix ‘new year’ onto many of them. For me, I have been sensing God’s work in … Read More

Love That Toyota!

We were all set – all 5 of us – to leave for MI in our van. Yeah, the one that seats 7. Then, late on the evening before we were to leave as I was driving the van home from watching a movie with … Read More