Night Candle Meditations

For generations our nation has maintained a bulwark of hope and promise under the auspices of God-fearing leaders. Such leaders were guiding lights in the quest for world stability and peace. For the most part they stood before others as worthy examples and beacons to follow. Now there are fractures in the bulwark and many are left foundering in the rocky shoals as guiding beacons dim. While contending with the issues of life we recognize the advantage of following good examples set before us. Having competent counsel can be helpful in making the right decisions, but what happens when counsel is incompetent or has conflicting interests? We see examples of this as our own government makes wrong decisions that will have lasting negative impacts on our future well-being. Oftentimes history leaves lessons having parallels to the present. Solomon was rich, powerful, and so wise that other kings and world leaders went to him for counsel. But Solomon wasn't a good father when it came ...

He was traveling to the city with His usual entourage, but while pausing for rest a man approached saying, "Lord, I will follow You wherever You go." Jesus responded with a declaration of foxes having holes and birds having nests, but that He didn't really have a place to lay His head. It was then that He invited a few men to join Him and His disciples on their journey. Unfortunately, each of them offered excuses for not being able to follow at that particular time. Jesus then proclaimed that those who turn to follow Him but who keep looking back to the things of this world, will not enjoy eternity because they are "unfit for the kingdom of God." [see Luke 9:57-62] There can be no mistaking the impact of Christ's words on those determined to take the road less traveled when looking to the future. Another road appears to be going in the same direction and its multi-lane expressway has more traffic. Multimedia promotes the diverting attractions on the roadway...

We are now living in a world where evil runs rampant on city streets while alarms of war and terrorism invade our consciousness. For many there remains a lingering fear of pestilence and pandemic whether from Covid variations, monkey pox, or some new virus. Keeping a proper perspective of such matters and the affect on our lives is often difficult at best. In frustration, there are attempts to place the blame on something or someone. This blame game is common in the realm of identity politics. There appears to be a never-ending struggle for dominance in our world. We see this among nations, in business and sports, and especially in politics. Unfortunately, this quest for dominance is particularly strong among those not abiding in God's presence. Hannah, the mother of the prophet Samuel, recognized this struggle among men as she prayed (see 1Samuel 2:1-10) when relinquishing her son in service to God. She saw that God holds sovereign control over world events and our lives. Her clo...