March 28, 2021 | Exodus 2:1–10 DEVOTIONS This Month’s Issue Our adoption story is full of moments where God coordinated the timing. The most obvious example is that our kids’ adoptions were finalized on the exact same day. One three-year journey through the Chicago foster system and one six-year process through the China Center of […]
March 27, 2021 | Genesis 39 DEVOTIONS This Month’s Issue When teaching communication skills, I caution my students against the overuse of absolute descriptors. Words such as “never” and “always” should be used sparingly since they rarely reflect the reality of human action. However, Genesis 39 is filled with absolutes. First, we are told that […]
March 26, 2021 | Genesis 38 DEVOTIONS This Month’s Issue One of my writing professors often said, “Sometimes in order to tell one story well, you need to tell two.” Sometimes two narratives, when placed side by side, deepen the impact of each individual story. At first glance, Genesis 38 feels like an intrusion into […]
March 25, 2021 | Genesis 35:1–20 DEVOTIONS This Month’s Issue There are several popular shows today about how to organize your home. But before the experts can display your items neatly in clear matching bins, they have an important request: Edit! Go through all of your belongings and get rid of what you do not […]
March 24, 2021 | Genesis 34 DEVOTIONS This Month’s Issue “Revenge Plays,” like Shakespeare’s Hamlet, share key characteristics. A crime is committed (usually violent and against a family member of the avenger), but ordinary law cannot punish it. The protagonist seeks revenge, usually through complex planning. The avenger places him/herself outside the normal moral order […]
March 23, 2021 | Genesis 33 DEVOTIONS This Month’s Issue No salvation testimony could be more dramatic than Nicky Cruz’s, ex-New York City gang warlord who was pursued by a country preacher and the love of Jesus Christ. The Holy Spirit changed Cruz from a violent street thug to an outspoken evangelist. Humble yourselves, therefore, […]
March 22, 2021 | Genesis 31 DEVOTIONS This Month’s Issue My dad was a quiet man. His cerebral palsy made speech difficult. Consequently, most of what I learned from him I learned through observation. I absorbed some of his strengths and some of his weakness. From him, I learned tenacity and timidity, discipline and avoidance—none […]
March 21, 2021 | Genesis 29:31–30:24 DEVOTIONS This Month’s Issue When young couples engage in premarital counseling, they discuss topics like family, finances, communication, and—of course—conflict. Scripture is full of passages that can guide the newlyweds through difficult days, but Genesis 29:31–30:24 is not one of them. This passage records how God began to provide […]
DEVOTIONAL | SATURDAY, MARCH 20, 2021 THE CALL OF GOD AND FAMILY SCRIPTURE READING: Genesis 18:1-33 EXPOSITION: God calls a person for any divine assignment from a family. In most cases the person maybe the first in the family to be called by God to receive salvation and hope through Jesus Christ. How does the […]
March 19, 2021 | Genesis 27:1–28:5 DEVOTIONS This Month’s Issue In the Old Testament, the patriarchal blessing was not merely a father’s wish for his child. Rather, it was a permanent declaration, mediated by God, that often included an inheritance. When Isaac was old and blind, he asked Esau to hunt and prepare a meal, […]