The Transforming Word of God

    I stand in awe of our God who is able to work so many details together in my life and in yours and in so many other lives—all at the same time and sometimes using the same details for totally different purposes.     One of those details is the love of Scripture that God instilled in me from an early age. Probably a grandfather who quoted Bible verses for every situation influenced my desire to memorize more and more portions. Of course, that old adage “use it or lose it” applies, which is why most of us forget references or don’t recall those passages word for word. Yet, I find reciting a memorized passage helps me go to sleep at night, especially if my mind is still too busy with other things.     The added blessing of memorizing Scripture is that it is available when you need it. There are times when I don’t recall where my verses are found, although I usually remember what book it is in or the general location. For this post, I h...

Have you ever felt as though you were in a whirlpool of activity, a whirlpool that was sucking you down, down, down? Or perhaps it was more like you were being carried downstream in a rush of responsibilities over which you had no control, unable to fight the currents that were swiftly carrying you toward the falls and eventually plunging you to self-destruction? I have. During those times, I continue to read and study my Bible. I even have prayer times, albeit rushed or while lying sleeplessly in my bed at night.  Recently, when panic won out over sleeplessness, I left my husband snoring away on his side of the bed and escaped to the other end of the house, where I cried out to God for His peace in the midst of it all. Remembering a verse I memorized a long time ago—"Be at rest once more, O my soul, for the Lord has been good to you"—I opened my Bible to Psalm 116:1-9:  I love the Lord, for he heard  my voice; he heard my cry for mercy. Because he turned his e...