Life Application Buts
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Surrounded, But
“All the nations surrounded me,but in the name of the LORD I cut them down. They surrounded me on every side,but in the name of the LORD I cut them down. They swarmed around me like bees,but they were consumed as quickly as burning thorns;in the name of the LORD I cut them down. I was pushed back… Continue reading
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Fearfully and Wonderfully Made; Intimately Known and Loved
Years ago, knowing how much I enjoy poking around dusty old Bibles and theological books, my sister Diann gave me a treasure she discovered in a used bookstore. It is called Reflections on the Works of God in Nature, written by Christoph Christian Sturm and originally published in German in the 1770s. My English-language copy was… Continue reading
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Planted
“Blessed is the one who does not walk in step with the wicked or stand in the way that sinners take or sit in the company of mockers, but whose delight is in the law of the LORD, and who meditates on his law day and night.”—Psalm 1:1–2 I should probably begin with a confession. Plants come… Continue reading
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Proverbial But O’ the Week: Teachable
He who ignores discipline comes to poverty and shame, BUT whoever heeds correction is honored. (Proverbs 13:18) Correction rarely feels like a gift when it arrives. Our first instinct may be to defend ourselves, explain ourselves, or quietly dismiss the person offering it. But Proverbs reminds us that wisdom isn’t found in never being wrong; it’s found in being… Continue reading
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The God Who Cannot Be Contained
“But will God really dwell on earth? The heavens, even the highest heaven, cannot contain you. How much less this temple I have built!” —1 Kings 8:27 It must have been breathtaking. After years of planning and construction, Solomon’s Temple was complete. This was the magnificent house David had dreamed of building for the Lord, and… Continue reading
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But Listen
An excerpt from Chapter 11. Jesus turned to the crowd and began talking about John. “What did you go out into the wilderness to see?” He asked. What was it about John that drew such crowds? Was it simply that he was unusual? After all, his clothing, his diet, and the certainty with which he… Continue reading
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Proverbial But O’ the Week: Discernment
Every prudent man acts out of knowledge, BUT a fool exposes his folly. (Proverbs 13:16) Wisdom rarely needs to announce itself. It listens, learns, considers what is true, and then chooses its response accordingly. But foolishness has a way of rushing into the room before understanding arrives—speaking too quickly, reacting too strongly, assuming too much, and unintentionally revealing what… Continue reading
