Life's Inanities and Ironies

“And he spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint.”   —Luke 18:1 (KJV) Our Lord Jesus did not begin this familiar parable with a story. He began with a purpose. Before the widow ever stood before the unjust judge, Christ told His disciples *why* the parable was being given: that men ought always to pray, and not to faint. That single verse sets the entire tone. Prayer is not presented as an emergency measure or a last resort. It is presented as the normal, continual posture of the believer. The place of prayer is not first a geographic location—though a quiet closet is a blessed thing—but a settled determination of the heart that refuses to quit. Always Pray The word “always” leaves no room for seasons of spiritual neglect. It does not mean we are to walk about with our eyes closed and our lips moving every waking moment. It means that the channel between the believer and the throne of grace is never to be shut down. Communion with ...

  In the fifteenth chapter of the Gospel according to Luke, our Lord Jesus Christ sets before us three linked parables that reveal the very heart of God toward the lost. The chapter opens with the Pharisees and scribes murmuring because publicans and sinners drew near to hear Him. Their complaint was simple and revealing: “This man receiveth sinners, and eateth with them.” In answer, the Son of God unfolds the parables of the lost sheep, the lost silver, and the lost son. Today we turn our full attention to the middle parable—the story of the woman and her ten pieces of silver. Hear the words of the Lord again: “Either what woman having ten pieces of silver, if she lose one piece, doth not light a candle, and sweep the house, and seek diligently till she find it? And when she hath found it, she calleth her friends and her neighbours together, saying, Rejoice with me; for I have found the piece which I had lost. Likewise, I say unto you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of...

  In a world that glorifies independence and self-sufficiency, the Word of God calls every true believer to something far higher and far more demanding. We are not spiritual free agents. When the Lord Jesus Christ saved us by His blood, He placed us into His body—the local church—and bound us together with unbreakable cords of love and duty. We are members one of another (Romans 12:5). That truth carries weighty responsibility. The New Testament is filled with clear, repeated commands about how we are to treat our brothers and sisters in Christ. These are not suggestions for the especially spiritual. They are the expected fruit of genuine conversion. Let us examine several of these sacred obligations. 1. We Are Commanded to Love One Another as Christ Loved Us Jesus Himself set the standard on the night He was betrayed: “A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples...

  The first shock of the diagnosis has passed. The tears have been cried, the prayers have been poured out, and the church has rallied. Now comes the harder part—the long road. The treatments stretch on. The fatigue settles in. The future remains uncertain. What does a believer do when the crisis is no longer a sudden storm but a steady, grinding season? Scripture does not leave us without light for this path either.  1. Stay Near the Shepherd Every Single Day Psalm 23 was not written for the healthy and strong. It was written for sheep walking through the valley of the shadow of death. “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me” (Psalm 23:4).   Notice the wording: *though I walk*. Not “if I am carried.” Not “if I am instantly delivered.” The daily walk itself is the place where the Shepherd’s presence is most precious. Begin each morning by deliberately placing yours...