Don’t Hold Back!
Read: Isaiah 6:1-13 But Ahaz said, “I will not ask, and I will not put the Lord to the test.” (v. 12) In the spring of 2009, I lost my job as a high school music teacher. My district was closing several schools, and I happened to be one of the newest people hired. I […]
Joy and Sorrow
Read: Psalm 126 Those who sow in tears shall reap with shouts of joy! (v. 5) During Advent, we are deeply aware that we live in between Christ’s coming for the first time and his coming again. In this “already, not yet” time, we know that Jesus Christ came to begin his reign and invite […]
Here I am! Send Me
Read: Isaiah 6:1-13 Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? (v. 8) Life as a pastor’s kid can be tough. I was expected to be a model for all the kids at church and felt pressure that my behavior was a testimony to my parents’ abilities as pastors. But life as a […]
Living while Waiting
Read: 1 Thessalonians 5:1-2, 12-28 Hold fast to what is good. (v. 21 NRSV) Advent is the season of waiting. Waiting for the coming of the Messiah. Waiting for the day of the Lord. God’s people have done a lot of waiting. We’re waiting for the One who will put all wrongs to right so […]
The Unrestrained Mercy of God
Read: Psalm 40 Behold, I have not restrained my lips, as you know, O Lord. (v. 9) At the age of 39, a politically hopeful New York lawyer fell ill, struck with fever, nausea, and pain. Eventually, the affliction deepened, paralyzing him from the waist down. He nearly died, and likely felt like the psalmist, […]
Getting It
Read: Luke 7:28-35 [They] rejected the purpose of God for themselves. (v. 30) How did you “get it”? How did the good news of the gospel first come together for you? I was strongly influenced by the youth ministry of my church. I was bored silly watching filmstrips in Sunday school, and never quite understood […]
The Gift of Hope
Read: 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 The dead in Christ will rise first. (v. 16) It has been a long journey! My husband, Javier, has been waiting for a heart transplant for two years. This is a matter for prayer, but it’s hard to pray because someone has to die for my beloved husband to receive this […]
The Language of Lament
Read: Psalm 102 In my distress I groan aloud and am reduced to skin and bones. (v. 5 NIV) I don’t lament well, especially compared to people in some other cultures and countries, where weeping and wailing are on public display. I subscribe to a keep-it-between-you-and-your-Kleenex theology. Wipe away the tears as quickly as possible. […]
The Bible is Enough
There are a lot of ways to read the Bible. At Words of Hope, we approach the Bible as scripture.