Today’s Walk in the Word

First I prayed to the God of heaven.             —Nehemiah 2:4 Nehemiah had a good job as the king’s cupbearer, but he was depressed. Jerusalem, where his ancestors were buried, was in shambles: its wall flattened, its gates burned, its citizens dejected. He wanted to go to Jerusalem and rebuild, […]

Happy are those . . . who don’t go where sinners go.         —Psalm 1:1 Maybe it’s because I live in Houston, Texas, where flooding isn’t a matter of “if” but “when,” that I found the name of a street in Santa Barbara, California, intriguing. The street name is “Salsipuedes”—Spanish for “leave […]

You will call out, and the Lord will answer. You will cry out, and he will say, “Here I am.”                               —Isaiah 58:9 Thirty-three-year-old Dr. Mark Ashton Smith, a lecturer from Cambridge University, capsized his kayak in treacherous waters off the […]

Everywhere we go, people breathe in the exquisite fragrance.    —2 Corinthians 2:14 Sitting on the outside deck of a café in Dover, England, author Rita Snowden was suddenly aware of a delightful smell. She asked her waiter where it was coming from. He said it was from some of the people walking by, who […]

If you are thirsty, come!   —Revelation 22:17 It’s deceptively easy to convince ourselves that God is number one in our life when the way we spend our time and resources says he isn’t. When we stray from him, he continually calls us back. If you’re feeling a spiritual hunger and thirst, here’s God’s invitation: […]

Our spirit . . . is made new every day.             —2 Corinthians 4:16 Graham Sutherland was commissioned to paint Winston Churchill’s portrait in celebration of his 80th birthday. Sir Winston hated the result, as did Lady Churchill—she said it was “alarmingly like him.” It pictured him slumped in his […]

Continue steadfastly in prayer.         —Colossians 4:2 “More things are wrought by prayer than this world dreams of,” wrote Alfred Tennyson. The apostle Paul opened his letter to the Ephesians by saying that he was praying for them (1:16) and closed it by asking them to pray for him (6:19). He was […]

O Lord, you have examined my heart and know everything about me.               —Psalm 139:1 Do you get the feeling that no one really knows you? They know your name, but not your needs; your face, but not your feelings; your history, but not your heart. Do you have […]

Show yourself in all respects to be a model of good works.           —Titus 2:7 If you’ve seen Chariots of Fire you know the inspiring story of Eric Liddell, who broke the world record and won the gold in the 400-meter competition in the 1924 Paris Olympics. Here’s the rest of […]

Let’s take a break and get a little rest.                      —Mark 6:3 Tommy Manning, a former member of the U.S. Mountain Running Team, advises athletes and exercise buffs to schedule rest days. “Rest is essential to recovery from rigorous training,” he says. When a team has […]