Worrying is like a rocking chair. It gives you something to do but it gets you nowhere. Glenn Turner, New Zealand athlete.This past winter has been trying and I sat too long in that “rocking chair,” worrying over life situations.* I had several major, expensive...
Each spring, the melting snows flow into the Madawaska River. From its source in Algonquin provincial park, it spills from lake to lake, punctuated by hydro dams along its course, until it meets at last the Ottawa River. The lakes rise and break their chains of...
"Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you." (1 Peter 5:6-7 ESV) "And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life?"...
"Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you." (1 Peter 5:7 NIV) The Greek word for anxiety is "merimna" which means to be distracted or divided, to fall apart or to be split into pieces. It is a good description of something that we all experience when...
"Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him and he will make straight your paths." (Proverbs 3:5-6 ESV)"And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are...
“Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” (Isaiah 41:10 ESV) "Getting-through times”, those times we go through that we have not chosen and...
You've likely heard the phrase, “It's against my religion”, used as an excuse to avoid unpleasant tasks. You'll also know that religions tend to have forbidden practices. That's true across the branches of Christianity. Can you think of any that apply to you now? Or...
"The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?" (Psalm 27:1 ESV) "You shall not fear them, for it is the Lord your God who fights for you." (Deuteronomy 3:22 ESV)Wake up sleeper, open your...
I don't know why certain things make me nervous, but they do. Take, for example, the little dinner party I had planned for our neighbours yesterday. When I awoke yesterday morning, I was literally shaking, even though I had already done all the work in advance! And...
"Besides everything else, I face daily the pressure of my concern for all the churches." (2 Corinthians 11:28 NIV) Like most pastors, I often wake up in the middle of the night thinking about and worrying over people in the congregation that I serve. I guess that...