Devotions

One day, our little boy found his mother in a somewhat pensive mood. Sensing this he asked, “Mommy, what’s the matter?”“Oh nothing,” she replied, forcing a smile, “Just a little blue!”“Oh,” he said as he patted her on the cheek and began dancing silly on the floor “Me make you purple”. It is the beginning […]

He lives in South Dakota where the summers are short and hot, and the winters are long and cold. Snow piles up to many feet, making travel difficult and dangerous. It is winter, and it is cold. John lives on an American Indian reservation. He is walking to school. In the middle of this bitter […]

A dirt courtyard floor and a worn thin mat was his resting place. The skin on his feet was cracked and calloused, no doubt from years of wandering shoeless. He wore what they all wore: a faded, patched gown. Why he pulled his mat to that place to sleep, I do not know. Perhaps he […]

There is a train trestle which crosses over a road I frequently travel. The clearance of the train trestle is clearly marked: 12 feet 3 inches. In a three year period, five truckers attempted to drive under that train trestle, only to discover that it was not 12 feet 4 inches, nor 12 feet 3 […]

“Are your eyes tired and irritated…do they feel strained …?” The commercial coming over the car radio continued, “…then perhaps you have moisture poor eyes.” CONSIDER “moisture poor” eyes and think of the shortest verse in the Bible, “Jesus wept.” I thought of the woman washing Jesus’ feet with her tears. I thought of Paul […]

“Call the Bomb Squad!” screamed the woman after coming across a strange looking package. Ever so carefully the package was carried away to be blown up. Then it made a noise, but not the “ticking” noise you might expect. When the package was opened, there inside was a newborn baby. If the baby had not […]

A house, once a home where people lived. A front porch, where people sat and visited with neighbors. A yard, where children played and trees and bushes were planted. Empty and abandoned, set afire by the city to make room for a new post office, it was now a raging inferno. The smoke, black and […]

While making my way though the narrow downtown streets of Pittsburgh, I saw on a nearby street corner a crowd of people waiting to cross. Approaching the corner was a man being led by his seeing-eye dog. The dog was ever so skillful in weaving his master in and out of the busy sidewalk traffic. […]

“There it is,” yelled a boy perched high upon the pier. An exhausting struggle by the fisherman and his fish was coming to an end. The fish surfaced and for the first time we all got a glimpse of it. It was not a prize winning marlin, but a giant manta ray – a huge […]

I reached down and pulled from my garden something which grows abundantly in Cincinnati: a dandelion. This pesky little plant – flower to some, weed to most – is difficult to control. It has a long and slender root which grows down into the ground as deep as two feet. If just a fragment of […]

“I can take it down now,” he said with the chainsaw in his hand, “or you can let the wind do it, in which case, it’ll probably end up on your house!” The tree in question was a beautiful maple which was packed full of eighteen years of fond memories of my children playing in […]

One day I heard someone say, “Yes, it is true. With God all things are possible. But, we need to realize, God does not choose to do all things!” So often we find ourselves wanting things or perhaps setting out on a “mission impossible” without consulting with God or feeling that it is necessary because […]

Slowly I entered the cholera ward. The stories I had read of the disease wiping out entire populations did not comfort me. Knowing that cholera, if caught in time, was quite treatable did not alleviate my fears. However, to adequately assess the hospital’s needs, the visit was necessary. The most memorable experience from this particular […]

I raised my camera only to lower it. “I cannot,” I sighed and shook my head. “I cannot intrude on this poor man’s grief or his child’s pain.” “But you must,” insisted the doctor accompanying me through the hospital. “It is the only way people will know of our situation.” I looked at the young, […]

One of the nuisances of the language disorder call dyslexia is, first of all, trying to spell dyslexia. Another is letter reversals. It can make for some most interesting words at times. Usually they are unintelligible and impossible to pronounce. Secretaries delight in trying to decipher them. Well, one day, to my great delight, my […]

The honey bee and the gadfly – both are just as active, but not nearly as productive. First, there is the honeybee. It carries a honey sac. In order to fill that sac it has to make between 1,000 and 1,500 trips to different clover flowers. About 60 bees, with their sacs full, make about […]

A young friend came up to me one Sunday after morning worship and began telling me about a problem she was having at school. I listened rather impatiently and gave her some easy answers to her problem. She sensed that I was too busy greeting others to talk so she moved on. I didn’t give […]

Each night at dinner we join hands around the table for prayer. Several days ago, Clare, my youngest, said, “Oh Timmy,” as she pulled her hand away from her brother with a grimace, “I don’t want to pray with that hand!” Clare had a splinter in her finger and she was afraid Timmy holding her […]

My mornings are greeted with a number of sights and sounds: the gentle rays of the rising sun filtering through our bedroom curtains; the search by one of our children for that exclusive “other” sock; kitchen noises made by mother preparing breakfast and fixing school lunches; and two clocks! One clock tells me that it […]

They swayed to and from in the gentle spring breeze, their yellow beauty a delight to each passing motorist. They had pushed up through the thawing sod unnoticed, and blossomed into a blanket of spring flowers, adding color and charm to the front of our church for Easter. Suddenly the weather changed. Freezing rain and […]

There they stood. Each tightly clutched their boxes, bags, containers of all kinds filled with silver coins, soon to be redeemed for 2000% over their face value. Their three hour wait in line was a small price to pay for such a large return on their investment. Watching through the window of the coin shop, […]

“Lazarus, Come out.” (John 11:43) I was watching a gardening show on television. A viewer sent in the following question: “I have a little plot of ground, but it is in the shade all day. It receives no direct sunlight at all. What vegetables can I grow there?” The garden expert answered the question this […]

One Sunday afternoon I was standing in the checkout lane of a department store. The man ahead of me pointed out to the cashier that she had overcharged him. Reviewing the transaction, she agreed. She informed him he would have to go to the customer service for a refund. The man said that was unfair. […]

One day while I was watching television I accidentally brought in an out-of-town station. After considerable effort I managed to bring in a reasonably good picture. The picture kept fading in and out, so I had to sit with one hand on the aerial and the other on the knobs. Well, the more I struggled […]

One of the musical highlights of the Ohio Baptist Convention was the playing of a marimba. Much like the xylophone, the marimba is a “percussion instrument consisting of a series of bars, graduated in length to sound the musical scale, and sounded by striking with wooden hammers”. The woman playing it was truly a master […]

When my son, Aaron, was seven years old, he was confronted with his first real theological dilemma. He had lost another tooth and was frantically searching the linen closet for the tooth fairy pillow. Once found, he promptly deposited the tooth in the little pocket and placed it under his pillow. In the morning the […]

Jesus had a lot to say about failure and how to deal with it. CONSIDER how Jesus told His disciples that “whenever you enter a town, and they do not receive you, go to the street and say, ‘Even the dust of your town that clings to our feet we wipe off…’” When failure comes, […]

In 1982, soul singer Teddy Pendergrass was in an automobile accident which left him paralyzed. One of the good things to come from the accident said the entertainer is, “It has given me a chance to catch up with a lot of praying time. For years I was running”, he continued. “I might have wanted […]

One year, the unseasonable warm weather gave me the opportunity to finally wash my car. One of the items needed was a long extension cord for the vacuum cleaner and a place to plug it in. The nearest socket already had the freezer plugged into it. As I unplugged the freezer I said to myself, […]

Standing in line before us were two little boys. Their arms were loaded down with empty soft drink bottles, and their hands were skillfully clutching onto what must have been a sample of every kind of candy in the store. They stepped up to the counter and unloaded their hopeful transaction before the cashier, a […]

It was one of those days filled to overflowing with meetings, appointments, and a sundry of other things making the twenty-four hour day about twenty hours too short. Coming home in a cloud of dust from one meeting, sitting down to a hurried dinner on my way to another meeting, I began to gobble down […]

There are many reasons why driving behind a truck is not a real treat. Two which come to mind: on city streets they are slow, and secondly, you can’t see much of anything else. The truck I found myself behind for about twenty minutes the other day was monstrous in size and “monstrously” slow. When […]

Mom and Dad penguin do have their hands full when old Mr. Stork decides to pay them a visit. First, their young come by way of egg, which has to be sat upon for weeks. After the “big day” mom and dad have to stay on land with their baby until it can swim in […]

I attended a meeting and the subject of wills came up. A lawyer at the meeting said that it’s usually the one who does the most for someone who gets taken out of wills. A minister there said he had just that day counseled with a parishioner about taking someone out of her will. “But […]

When I was a boy, we called them seventeen year locusts. I believe their scientific name is cicada. Regardless, every seventeen years they tunnel up through the ground, crawl upon anything which will support their “armor-like” shell, shed their shells, and take to the air with their newly acquired wings. High up in the trees […]

It lasted but a few seconds, this brief encounter I had, and yet it lingers still in my mind. I suspect it will continue to visit me in the years to come. The night was stormy, the morning was dreary and damp, but the afternoon was beautiful, radiant sunshine, and the air was pristine clear. […]

“Well, another one bites the dust,” said a nearby parent. “Gee, that’s two in two weeks.” What she was referring to were members of the Cincinnati Boy Choir becoming faint and passing out during a performance. The “flu bug” coupled with the stress and strain of performing make for ideal conditions for this to happen. […]

Taking an early morning walk, I came upon a restaurant near a golf course. Anticipating patrons taking a break between nines, the owner had put this sign above the entrance: “Please remove your cleats before coming in.” CONSIDER how one day I forgot my golf shoes, so instead of driving home to get them, I […]

I haven’t been in a toy store for some time. So it was rather nice and a bit nostalgic to be in one the other day. It was fascinating to see all the new toys and interesting to see that some old favorites are still around. There was one section; I suppose it could be […]

He was a person who always kept his distance from me. Oh, he was polite and we got along all right, but my attempts to become closer were always rebuffed. Maybe it was just me or perhaps he was someone who simply maintained his distance from people. No, he went out of his way to […]

Arise, shine; for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you. The sun shall be no more your light by day, nor for brightness shall the moon give light to you by night; and your God will be your glory. (Isaiah 60: 1,19) I was walking in the bright […]

“…and let me show you a more excellent way.” (1 Corinthians 12:31) The bridge was out. We needed to find another way home. A friend gave us directions. He said his directions would take us a new way and guaranteed better than the old way across the bridge. We followed his directions around the washed […]

he pastor said to the congregation, “We are going to take a silent offering right now. If you are going to put any change in the offering plate – so it won’t make any noise – wrap it up in some paper money.” He went on to tell a story about the time that Billy […]

“These right here,” I said, pointing to a tray of brightly colored flowers. “Dianthus,” replied the man working at the nursery. “What about them?” he asked. “Are they annuals or perennials?” I responded.“Annuals,” he said confidently. “That is if you bought them here!” he added. “Yes, I did, but they came back again this year,” […]

It is called the Tarpon Capital of the World. A relatively small strait of water running from the Gulf of Mexico where tarpon migrate each year to spawn. Tarpon season is from mid-April to mid-July and thousands of fishermen descend upon this tiny island during that period of time. The marina on the island stays […]

When I was a boy, we called them “helicopters”. They are the seeds from maple trees. Released in the spring, they whirl their way to the ground or find their way into gutters and downspouts. One day when I was doing some repairs on my roof I noticed something green sticking out of one of […]

The heart pumps enough blood in an average lifetime to fill 13 super tankers, each holding one million barrels. Our stomachs produce the equivalent of a new stomach lining every three days because of the strong digestive acids. Goose bumps are a temperature triggered device used by our bodies to produce protective body hair. And […]

“Mom,” complained Tim, “Aaron is bothering us.” “Yeah,” added Clare, “I can’t read with him making that noise.” “Aaron,” said mother, “the car is just too small. Please sing to yourself.” Many miles and minutes later, with the incident long forgotten, Aaron leaned forward and tapped his mother on the arm. “Mom,” said Aaron, with […]

The other day while eating at a restaurant, I happened to notice a sign on the door leading into the kitchen that read: LOOK BEYOND THIS POINT. Beneath this sign was a window where you could see the kitchen with its grills, refrigerators and serving counters. But more importantly, a waitress carrying a tray full […]

I found something the other day. Actually, I found three things: a set of keys, a little metal tag and a message from God. Reaching into my coat pocket I found an extra set of keys. Oops! Someone had put them in there by mistake (a long story I won’t go into). While examining the […]

As we were waiting in line for the elevator in a retirement home where we were visiting with a friend, my 3 month old son was asleep in his mother’s arms. Before we knew it, we were surrounded by some of the residents of the building. “Oh look at the little darling!” “Girl or boy?” […]

“Daddy, when are we leaving on vacation?” my daughter asked. “Tomorrow,” I replied. Very early the next morning she came into my bedroom and softly rubbed my cheek until I opened my eyes. “Daddy,” she whispered, “is today tomorrow?” CONSIDER how to children it must seem that life is a never-ending series of tomorrows. Everything […]

The light flashed and the bell sounded. The elevator doors opened and I got on. Two cheerful passengers greeted me, and we quickly engaged in conversation about subjects of mutual interest. It was a brief but pleasant elevator ride. Soon the elevator stopped and the doors opened. I walked off, only to discover that I […]

Approaching my grandmother’s house I could see her sitting in her favorite chair. Now this was one of those overstuffed chairs that seem to swallow you up when you sit in it. She had it arranged in such a way that it enabled her to keep an eye on all the “goings on” in front […]

One early spring, as I tilled my garden, I added several bags of nutrients to the soil. A busy schedule and a lot of rain kept me from doing any planting for a few weeks. In that time, the garden was once again taken over by weeds. After weeding, I decided to use a product […]

While walking the mall after Christmas, I came upon the place where the children had been going to have their pictures taken with Santa Claus. It was all closed up and these words were printed on a sign, hanging on Santa’s chair: “Santa has gone back home to the North Pole. He will see you […]

A mother came upon what looked to her like a “knock down, drag out brawl” between her two sons. “What are you two doing? Get up from there before someone gets hurt!” she commanded. Slowly they unlocked arms, untangled legs and slowly made it to their feet. “Gosh,” said a rather bewildered son, trying to […]

After a season of riding the bench, it was finally little Bobby’s chance to get into the game. It was the last inning and his team was leading 23-2. “If the catcher drops your third strike,” optimistically instructed the coach, “You can run to first base.” “Sure coach,” said little Bobby as he stepped up […]

One day while feeling rather virtuous I CONSIDERED praying for “mine enemies” as Jesus told His disciples to do. There was one enemy in particular that I began to pray for. Oh, she was not an enemy in the sense that she was villainous or anything like that. She just kept saying and doing things […]

On a popular television quiz show the contestants are asked to complete a sentence the way they believe a panel of celebrities would. After one contestant completed the sentence given to her, a loud groan of disapproval came from the audience. The emcee turned to the audience and said, “Well, what would you have said?” […]

My heart was heavy laden. I went out to be alone with God and to seek His council. It was dusk. Tilting the Bible to catch the fading light, I fanned the pages of the New Testament. The pages came to rest and my eyes fell upon these words from Paul: “Finally, be strong in […]

During a church dinner we discovered that our table did not have any ketchup. Someone familiar with the church said that there was some in the kitchen and he would go and get it. When he returned, he opened the bottle and looked down at it. He smelled it, wrinkled his nose and remarked that […]

One day I watched as my youngest son, Aaron, climbed upon a kitchen chair, pulled open a drawer and proceeded to get out his mother’s measuring spoons to play with them. As he was playing, unnoticed by him, the littlest measuring spoon fell into the trash below. When he finished playing, he climbed down and […]

A minister friend of mine tells about a trip to the bank he made with his daughter when she was just barely able to see over the counter. There on the counter was a stack of dollar bills. “Wow!” she sighed, “I’ve never seen so much money before.” “Do you know how much there is?” […]

They call it “turning a phrase.” Two of the most popular are: “Plan your work and work your plan.” And “When the going gets tough, the . . . .” (What?) That’s right, “the tough gets going!” Not too long ago I heard a phrase which I have heard many times; I’ve said it myself […]

“Oh no” I moaned, standing in front of the open refrigerator. “No milk!” Next the cabinet, “no cereal!” A look at the fruit basket on the table. . . “No bananas!” You got it. “No breakfast!” Already running behind, I was off to the store, not in the most amiable moods. A few hurried moments […]

He had the reputation of being the best four leaf clover hunter in the neighborhood. It was incredible the way he could find those things! One day we were walking in the park. Suddenly he stopped, stooped down and picked a four leaf clover. “Gee, I can never find those things” said an amazed friend […]

As I turned the bend in the road, I thought at first, there was an accident up ahead. A number of cars were stopped and a large, a very large tractor-trailer truck was in the middle of the intersection. That truck was indeed a strange sight. Once I arrived at the intersection I could see […]

After visiting a dear bedridden friend, the ailing friend said, “I thank you so much for coming by to see me. Your visit has meant so much to me. I know I’m not getting around much anymore. It’s nice to be remembered.” He paused and said, “Thanks for keeping me on your list!” His friend […]

Mildred leaned forward in her pew and touched the shoulder of Frances sitting ahead of her. “Oh hi, Mildred. It’s good to see you,” said Frances. “It’s been a long time,” Mildred responded. “We’ve especially missed you in Bible class.” “I know,” replied Frances. “My daughter’s son had a huge graduation party, and then he’s […]

Years ago, I visited an older parishioner of mine. While sitting and talking at her kitchen table, I looked out the window and noticed row after row of peonies with their large, drooping blossoms covering her backyard. Commenting on their beauty, she insisted that I take some for my yard. A few days later I […]

“Here he is folks,” said the emcee, “a truly great man. A man who does not remind you of someone else.” That was a clever introduction, but hardly a good measurement of greatness. CONSIDER the greatest man who ever lived and his introduction, “Here he is folks, a truly great man, a man who always […]

A friend recently took his family on a three-week long vacation. They had no sooner begun when his five year old daughter said, “When are we going home?” Throughout the next three weeks, the little girl would often pause at whatever she was doing, seek out her mother or father, put her head on their […]

I watched one day as two birds, locked in mortal combat, came crashing to the ground. They hit with a thud! One managed to fly away, noticeably wounded. The other flopped around for a few seconds, and then became still and died! I considered how they began fighting high up in the air, many feet […]

She had something she wanted to show me. She took me by the arm and led me away. After a brief walk she tugged at my arm and we stopped. “There,” she said. “Isn’t that something!” She pointed toward a rather humble looking rosebush, a Baby Ramble Rosebush to be specific. “Oh!” I said, forcing […]

It is something special to see the many volunteers who come to help out at Matthew 25: Ministries. One day I saw a group of children and their chaperones working hard in the Processing Center. One of the children jumped up from their work station and started heading towards the door. “Come back!” the child’s […]

I have noticed on several occasions this sign which appears on the many levels of the city’s downtown underground garage: GARAGE IS MONITORED. IN EMERGENCY, STATE LOUDLY AND CLEARLY LOCATION AND CIRCUMSTANCE. It is always comforting to know that deep within that dimly lit, carbon monoxide-filled underground garage, I am in voice contact with someone […]

They were bosom buddies – one a Baptist minister, the other a furry grey squirrel. A daily supply of nuts had won the minister his companionship and friendship. When the minister called upon his parishioners, the little squirrel could actually be seen following him, scampering through the large trees. The time finally came, as such […]

Our little granddaughter emerged from her bedroom after a five minute stay and said rather disappointedly, “Hey, how come you guys didn’t come and find me?” She had decided to play hide-and-go-seek, but didn’t tell anyone. She was hiding, but we did not seek because we did not know we were supposed to. I took […]

We purchased one of those “throwaway” flashlights. It cost just a little more than a couple of new batteries. So when the light goes out, no fuss, no muss, no bulbs to buy or batteries to replace, just throw the whole thing away and buy another all ready to go. Well, the light on our […]

I read a news article about a man who parked his car in a marina parking lot. While he was gone, the river rose and completely engulfed his car. That was terrible, but what happened while this occurred was even worse. The people who could have pulled the car to safety did nothing but argue. […]

It happens to all public speakers from time to time. It happened to me one Sunday. My microphone was not turned on. Trying to explain the situation, I found myself saying, “Gee, I’m plugged in, but not turned on!” Later that day, as I reflected on the service, I considered how that can also happen […]

As a pastor, I rode in many funeral processions. On one such occasion, we had to travel the interstate. We were proceeding along when all of a sudden a car came speeding onto the interstate. It ended up in front of my car and behind the hearse, which was leading the procession. We traveled a […]

I watched and listened unnoticed as a mother told her little girl not to get around the grill. As soon as the mother was out of sight, the little girl began poking a stick in the charcoal. She managed to pick up one of the pieces of charcoal and dropped it on the patio floor. […]

It was called a “moment of joyous participation.” It was the long awaited day little Katie received her artificial arm. Born without her left arm, Katie was unable to do all the things a little girl would like to do. Now she could, most of them at least, thanks to this new electronic device. After […]

Our boat left the choppy, troubled waters of the lake and entered the smooth, calm waters of the river. As we rode along, the quiet water parted before us, our wake rolled towards the peaceful shore behind us. I considered these two bodies of water. The lake was, indeed, vast but shallow. The river was […]