All Those Idols
Read Luke 12:34
Idols take many forms.
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Insight for Today
Written by Chuck Swindoll, these encouraging devotional thoughts are published seven days per week.
The Un-bliss of Ignorance
Read 2 Timothy 4:1–2
During my pastoring days in New England, I heard of a teacher who quizzed a group of high school students on the Bible. The quiz preceded a Bible-as-literature course he planned to teach at the Newton (Massachusetts) High School, generally considered one of the best public schools in the nation. Among the most astounding findings he got from the students:
Sodom and Gomorrah were lovers.
Jezebel was Ahab’s donkey.
The four horsemen appeared on the Acropolis.
The Balance of Life
Read Psalm 78:70–72
Both adversity and prominence confront our equilibrium, but prominence is perhaps the more challenging test. The classic example is David.
[God] chose his servant David, calling him from the sheep pens. He took David from tending the ewes and lambs and made him the shepherd of Jacob’s descendants—God’s own people, Israel. He cared for them with a true heart and led them with skillful hands. (Psalm 78:70–72)
The Sinking Sand of Superstition
Read Matthew 7:24–25
The great plague stretched across London like a thick, drab blanket. It came as a thief in the night. The mortality rate was astounding.
Beginning Again
Read Proverbs 4:23–25
Instant replays have become old hat. We now expect them in all televised scenarios. Whether it’s a tennis pro’s impressive backhand or an in-store video camera capturing the sticky-fingered shoplifter or a squad car dashcam chronicling an officer’s every move! These days, we never should worry about missing it the first time around. It’ll be back again and again and, probably, again—splashed across cable news.
Be Ready and Make It Clear
Read 1 Peter 3:15-16
One of the toughest assignments in life is to communicate clearly what happened during a time when emotions were high. People who “fall in love” can hardly describe the details of the moment. Those who’ve endured a sudden loss or witnessed a tragic accident often convey the information in a confused manner.
The Small Stuff
Read Psalm 8:3-4
We often hear people say, “Don’t sweat the small stuff.”
Although sweating the small stuff can occasionally be a drag, there’s another side to that coin. Greatness and the attention to detail, in my opinion, are welded together. A great piece of music is like that—carefully arranged orchestration carrying out a majestic melody blending with the surrounding sound of harmony. Haunting chords, rhythm, and lyrics. The choral group that performs is also committed to the fine line. Not much room for “don’t sweat the small stuff” philosophy.
Stay in Circulation
Read Jude 1:20-23
During the reign of Oliver Cromwell, the British government began to run low on silver for coins. Lord Cromwell sent his men to the local cathedral to see if they could find any precious metal there. After investigating, they reported: “The only silver we could find is the statues of the saints standing in the corners.”
To which the radical, outspoken soldier and statesman of England replied: “Good! We’ll melt down the saints and put them into circulation!”
Slamming the Door to Lust
Read Proverbs 5:23
Samson was a he-man with a she-weakness. Although he was born of godly parents, set apart from his birth to be a Nazirite, and elevated to the enviable position of judge in Israel, he never won the battle with lust. Instead, lust eventually conquered him. Several things that illustrate his lustful bent may be observed from the record of his life, each one in the book of Judges.
After the Avalanche
Read Job 1:21-22
Job understood wounds. The words he used to describe them were more than patronizing platitudes and theoretical proverbs. He’d been there and back again. He could write about intense inner suffering in the first person because of his own massive ocean of pain.
