Bible at Home

When the great patriarch Jacob died, eleven of his sons were worried and downright frightened that Joseph, the one they had thought first to murder, then settled for selling him as a slave, would now take revenge for the harm they had meant for him. The brothers concocted a message they claimed came from Jacob,…

“For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of God.” (Matthew 5:20) This powerful remark made by Jesus in his sermon on the Mount has puzzled me, partly because I can’t picture what the Pharisees and teachers…

Good Things Last The greatest thing since the wonderful birth of Christ, foretold hundreds of years in advance, the greatest thing in the universe for humanity, was Jesus’ resurrection, now about two thousand years ago. The good things of God, made known in His son, have lasted and continue to last for eternity. Isaiah began…

When Abraham sent his servant to visit Abraham’s brother’s family in order to find a wife for Isaac,his son, the servant was surprised to find Rebekah at the first place that he stopped to inquire. The servant had relied upon Abraham’s God for the journey, and then for discovering the very young woman he was…

One day when I was grocery shopping, I carried my purse in the cart I was pushing. It was open on the top rack of the cart. My wallet was perfectly visible in the purse, and I was carelessly turning my back on it to look at produce and other groceries. When I arrived at…

Jack, my husband, told this story about going to lunch with a friend from work. He and his friend went to an Italian restaurant where his friend ordered spaghetti, and at the end of the meal he said, “This was good spaghetti, and on top of that, it’s the first time I’lve had spaghetti and…

“When you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to yourFather, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.” (Matthew 6:6) Some people find that being alone in nature inspires them to pray. The sights, sounds, and fragrances of the natural world seem to…

This is Christmas Day, the culmination of all the planning and anticipation and preparation. For Mary and Joseph it was the culmination of a nine month time of wonder and trust, and the fulfillment that accompanies the living bundle that is first placed in a parent’s arms. It is a deep and quiet joy that…

The birth of Isaac to Sarah, Abraham’s wife, was surely a well known miracle in their life times. The very fact of Isaac’s name, meaning “laughter,” testifies to the phenomenon that this birth was to both the family and to the world. Sarah, after all was too old to conceive and Abraham had already acquired…