Life's Inanities and Ironies

  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...

  The phone call comes. The test results are back. The doctor looks you in the eye and speaks words that change everything: “It’s serious. It’s critical.” In that moment the room seems to tilt. Fear rises. Questions flood the mind. Yet for the blood-bought child of God, this is not the end of the story—it is the beginning of a deeper walk with the One who holds every breath. Scripture does not leave us guessing about how to face such news. From Genesis to Revelation the Word of God gives clear, unchanging counsel.  1. Immediately Acknowledge the Sovereignty of God The first response is not panic—it is worship. Job, upon receiving wave after wave of devastating news, fell to the ground and said, “The Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord” (Job 1:21). Hezekiah, when told to set his house in order because he would die, turned his face to the wall and prayed (Isaiah 38:1-3). Both men understood that life and death belong to the Lord alone (Deuter...

Reflections on My Last Day as Facilities Manager at Age 67 There comes a day when a man walks the grounds one final time, turns in the keys, and closes a chapter that has filled nearly twelve years of his life. Today is that day for me. After almost twelve years serving as facilities manager at the Miami County fairgrounds, I am retiring. I will miss the work. More than that, I will deeply miss being around the young people who fill those grounds with energy, laughter, and life. Their presence has been one of the quiet joys of the job, and walking away from that daily contact is harder than I expected. Yet the reason for this step is not simply the turning of a calendar page. For four years I have lived with kidney failure, spending long hours each week on dialysis while waiting for a transplant. Other health concerns have now pushed that hope further down the road. At sixty-seven, the body is speaking more loudly than the will. The Lord, in His perfect wisdom, has made it clear that t...