Roots by the River

Here are five biblical passages on joy: “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness” (Galatians 5:22). “Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will be joyful in God my Savior” (Habakkuk 3:17-18). “The LORD your God is with you, the Mighty Warrior who saves. He will take great delight in you; in his love he will no longer rebuke you, but will rejoice over you with singing” (Zephaniah 3:17). “Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me. Then I will teach transgressors your ways, so that sinners will turn back to you” (Psalms 51:12-13). “The seventy-two returned with joy and said, ‘Lord, even the demons submit to us in your name.’ He replied, ‘I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. I have give...

"All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work. In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who will judge the living and the dead, and in view of his appearing and his kingdom, I give you this charge: preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage, with great patience and careful instruction" (2 Timothy 3:16-4:2). "Until I come, devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to preaching and to teaching" (1 Timothy 4:13). There was a time when there were very few Bibles, even in cultured lands. There were no printing presses, and most of the people were illiterate. If people received the Word, it was through the public reading of Scripture by people who could read and had the Scriptures. Now in the church today in this country, we can read, and we each own at least one Bible. A year ago* ...

Dear Mary, Your good letter arrived today, and I thought it need an immediate reply. I am glad to see that you really saw the change in Susie’s relationship with her parents when she took the action she took of writing letters of respect and love to them. Then you said that you did not take that same action, and in fact, you were not sure that you wanted their love. And the more you prayed for them, the less you felt attached to them, and this included your whole family. Well, you are doing things backwards. You do not want their love, you pray for them, and you feel less attached to them. Listen, God did not give you those unloving feelings. The enemy gave you those unloving feelings. Since God did not give them to you, and you decided to have them from some other source, you are going to have to repent of those feelings. Repent of your not wanting their love. You will not be able to grow in the Lord without taking this action. You might learn more, and you might not get really ...

“Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the Lord your God is giving you” (Exod. 20:12). Of the many talks I frequently give, those which have received the most favorable response and the most fruitful application among young and old alike are “How to Be Free from Bitterness” and “Relationships with Parents.” Right now, I am sitting in a study room at the Illinois Street Residence Hall at the University of Illinois. Last week, at Urbana ’93, I conducted a workshop on relationships with parents. Only about 50 students attended the workshop. The shock, the incredulity, the rebellion, and the impossibility of putting this teaching into effect showed in the tears, the questions, the comments, and the follow-up conversations. That is why I am here writing it down. I would first like to draw your attention to two passages in the Old Testament. I will comment on them, then make a few suggestions for applying these Scriptures in your life. “You shall not ...

The 102 nd Psalm has some wonderful truths: “Let this be written for a future generation, that a people not yet created may praise the LORD” (v. 18). We are one of those future generations. “In the beginning you laid the foundations of the earth, and the heavens are the work of your hands. They will perish, but you remain; they will all wear out like a garment. Like clothing you will change them, and they will be discarded. But you remain the same, and your years will never end” (vs. 25-27). Isn’t this wonderful? The heavens are going to wear out like old clothes which we throw away or give to Goodwill.   This post coordinates with today's reading in the To the Word! Bible Reading Challenge . If you are not in a daily reading plan, please join us at TotheWord.com . We would love to have you reading with us.

“And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work” (2 Corinthians 9:8). Notice the alls in the sentence: ·        all grace ·        all things ·        all times ·        all that you need Pay attention also that all grace abounds and that you will abound in every good work. This is either true or false. If true, then thank God! “Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen” (Ephesians 3:20-21). We cannot write a check on God’s bank account that He cannot cover. His checks do not bounce. This post coordinates with today's reading in the To the Word! Bible Reading Challenge . If...

As we celebrate the many wonderful stories of Olympic triumph and victory,* I am reminded of God’s teaching about attitude and triumph. “But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumphal procession in Christ and through us spreads everywhere the fragrance of the knowledge of him. For we are to God the aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing. To the one we are the smell of death; to the other, the fragrance of life. And who is equal to such a task? Unlike so many, we do not peddle the word of God for profit. On the contrary, in Christ we speak before God with sincerity, like men sent from God” (2 Cor. 2:14-17). Paul teaches an amazing truth! He says that God always (not sometimes or even most of the time) leads us in victory. This is what our attitude should be. This is how we can “give thanks in all circumstances” (1 Thess. 5:17). Just as the Olympic athletes overcome adversity to compete and triumph, God does not want our circumstances to ...

Today, I am giving an assignment. You do not need to turn in your homework or papers for grading. It is an open-book assignment. 1. Read chapters 1 through 3 of Ephesians several times, listing everything that the believer has in Christ . Thank God for each of them. 2. Do the same thing with Colossians 1 and 2. 3. After you are fortified with all of this wonderful truth and are rejoicing in it, then read Ephesians 4-6 and list all of the commands. 4. Repeat with Colossians 3-4. You will find that the commands are not impossible because of where you are in Christ. This post coordinates with today's reading in the To the Word! Bible Reading Challenge . If you are not in a daily reading plan, please join us at TotheWord.com . We would love to have you reading with us.