“Bodily exercise profits a little, but godliness is profitable for all things.” I Timothy 4:8. If athletes can sacrifice so much to achieve rewards on the earth, rewards that will eventually be forgotten, how much more effort should followers of Christ exert to gain an imperishable crown? Athletes’ sacrifice and determination are rewarded with medals, […]
“You eat, but do not have enough;…you clothe yourselves, but no one is warm; and he who earns a wage, earns wages to put into a bag with holes.” Haggai 1:6 The Israelites who had returned from Babylon discovered that man cannot find happiness when he lives only for himself. They ignored the fact that […]
“My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” II Corinthians 12:9 The loss of what is old is an opportunity to discover something new. God may use hardship to get us to give up a bad habit or learn a new virtue. He used a thorn in Paul’s flesh […]
“When you fast, do not be like the hypocrites.” Matthew 6:16 Jesus taught that we should not draw attention to ourselves when we fast. It is a private act of sacrificial worship that should not provide any room for religious pride. Jesus then reminded his disciples that, “Your Father who sees what is done in […]
“I did not withhold my heart from any pleasure…all was vanity and grasping for the wind.” Ecclesiastes 2:10-11 Ultimately pleasure is not found in the short-lived thrills our world offers, but in the long term joy from a deepening intimacy with our Lord. Solomon, in his wisdom, warned that, “He who loves pleasure will be […]