We cannot change the past. We can, however, choose how we live and respond to the world around us today.

Few of us are called into situations like Esther’s, where we participate in a great act of heroism, but all of us are called to make small sacrifices throughout our days for the well-being of the people around us.

Maybe they don’t want to understand the message about a messiah who suffers and dies, or maybe they don’t want to seem ignorant.

We live in a world of instant- and self-gratification. It takes work and commitment to slow down long enough to consider the source and the motivation of what we say and do.

The scriptures are meant to be life-giving. They are meant to nurture so that those who are listening develop deep roots in the love of God and bear fruit for the nourishment of the world and the people around them.

Read Proverbs 31:10-31. This is an ode of praise for an idyllic, imaginary woman who sets a very high bar. She is trustworthy, hard-working, capably attends to tasks at home,…

Today, we reflect on an entry from Oswald Chambers timeless devotional, My Utmost for His Highest.

Here, the author speaks of the power of the tongue. Most of us were raised on the phrase, “Sticks and stones can break my bones, but words can never hurt me.” We know that is not true.

The first part of this psalm paints a picture of creation, perfectly in balance and perfectly in harmony with the order in which God made it.

For the author of this letter and for many theologians who have followed, good works are not what ensure our salvation. Instead, good works are the outflow of our faith.