Paul Ramos

In the Narnia Chronicle The Horse and His Boy, Bree is a talking horse. He considers the boy, Shasta, a “foal” who is badly in need of training. Often the horse’s arrogant opinions reflect an air of superiority. He thinks of himself as a brave warhorse, possessing great skill and courage. Yet, when he hears the roar of a great lion, he flees and leaves the other members of his party unprotected.

Later, Bree meets Aslan the lion, who is king of Narnia. The horse admits that he has been an arrogant and frightened failure. Aslan praises Bree for admitting his shortcomings.

The Bible tells us: “Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall” (Prov. 16:18). Life has a way of exposing the flaws of our own personal vanity. But learning the hard lesson that “pride goes before destruction” can become a turning point in which we intentionally shift our focus away from exalting self. Then, as we adopt a humble spirit before God and man, we can become channels of wisdom to others. “When pride comes, then comes shame; but with the humble is wisdom” (Prov. 11:2).

Promoting our own importance leads to stumbling. But focusing on glorifying God and meeting the needs of others gives us the perspective of the wise. —Dennis Fisher

I like to read, and I enjoy buying books. But I don’t like it when publishers refer to me as a “consumer.” The word consume can mean “do away with completely” or “spend wastefully.” It brings to mind forest fires that devour acre after acre of vegetation, leaving behind only scorched remnants of trees and homes. When we read books, we don’t consume them in that sense, for they don’t cease to exist after we’ve used them. In fact, quite the opposite is true. They become a part of us; they change us.

This is especially true of the Bible. When the words of Scripture remain in us, they keep us from taking the destructive way of sin (Ps. 119:11). Jesus said that when His words abide in us, we will bear much fruit (John 15:5-8). In other words, we will be creators, not consumers; givers, not takers.

The apostle Paul referred to Christians as “God’s fellow workers” (1 Cor. 3:9), who are to build things that cannot be consumed in the fire of God’s judgment of their works (vv.13-15). Later he urged readers to excel in gifts that build up the church (14:12).

As Christians, let’s be known not for the goods we consume but for the good fruit we produce. —Julie Ackerman Link

During a baseball game in the summer of 2006, Boston Red Sox centerfielder Coco Crisp made a spectacular play. David Wright of the New York Mets hit a ball toward left centerfield. The ball was moving away from Crisp as he raced after it. Just as it began to fall to the ground, Crisp dove headlong toward it. With his body flying through the air, he stretched his gloved hand as far as possible—and caught the ball. Some called it the best catch they had ever seen.

What were his thoughts as the ball sliced through the air? Crisp said, “I didn’t think I could get there. I decided to go for it. I took a leap of faith.”

In Hebrews 11, we read of what Abraham discovered “by faith.” God called him to leave his country and family and go “to a land that I will show you” (Gen. 12:1). By faith, Abraham obeyed.

Is God calling you to do something difficult? Perhaps to take a missions trip to help people in need. Or to witness to someone throwing her life away with bad decisions. Or to show kindness and love in a relationship that needs encouragement. If you aren’t sure you can do it, ask God to help you. Then, trusting your loving heavenly Father, dive toward that goal. It could be the best play of your life. —Dave Branon

When Megan was in third grade, she kept coming home from school without her winter gloves. It drove her mom crazy because she had to keep buying new ones, which the family couldn’t afford. One day Mom got angry and said, “Megan, you’ve got to be more responsible. This can’t go on!”

Megan began to cry. Through her tears she told her mom that as long as she kept getting new gloves, she could give hers away to kids who didn’t have any.

Now at age 18, Megan’s hobbies include volunteering in the community and mentoring inner-city kids. Referring to her desire to help people, she said that it “felt like that was the kind of thing I was supposed to be doing.”

As Christians, we too are to have a heart of giving. James tells us to listen to the Word and do what it says (1:22-23). But he doesn’t stop with just telling us to obey. He gives us specific instructions about what we must do. Then he gives us a practical way we can give of ourselves: “Visit orphans and widows in their trouble” (v.27).

Ask God for a heart like Megan’s. Out of love for God, obey what He tells you to do. It’s what we’re “supposed to be doing.” —Anne Cetas

For decades, astronomical artists have painted scenes of the universe based on a combination of scientific information and their own imaginations. But photographs from robotic space probes and the Hubble Space Telescope have redefined these artists’ view of reality. In a Los Angeles Times article, space artist Don Dixon said the first pictures of Jupiter’s moons Io and Europa “turned out to be much more exotic than anybody imagined.” Dixon now considers 70 percent of his space paintings to be “dated concepts” because reality has become more awesome than imagination.

While the Bible tells us what Jesus said and did, it doesn’t describe how He looked. Our mental picture of Him has likely been influenced by art and illustrations in Sunday school materials. But one day, our image of Christ will be forever changed when we meet Him face to face. “Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is” (1 John 3:2). That hope will produce in us a pursuit of purity (v.3).

Not only will we see our Lord as He is, but we will also be like Him. What an astonishing reality that will be more than we ever imagined! —David C. McCasland

Suzanne Bloch, an immigrant from Germany, often played chamber music with Albert Einstein and other prominent scientists. She said that Einstein, though an accomplished violinist, irritated his fellow musicians by not coming in on the beat. “You see,” Bloch explained, “he couldn’t count.” Einstein could project revolutionary theories about the cosmos, but he had difficulty with rhythmic counting. Despite his limitation, he remained an enthusiastic musician.

Do we sometimes lament our limitations? We all have abilities, but we are also afflicted with inabilities. We may be tempted to use our limitations as an excuse for not doing the things God has enabled us to do. Just because we may not be gifted to speak in public or to sing in a choir doesn’t mean that we can sit on the spiritual sidelines doing nothing.

When we realize that all of us have limitations, we can move forward by seeking God’s guidance in using our gifts. Surely we can pray. Surely we can show kindness to others. We can visit the lonely, the sick, the elderly. We can tell with effective simplicity what Jesus means to us. Paul said, “Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, let us use them” (Rom. 12:6). —Vernon C Grounds

Since 1968, the characters in the comic strip The Lockhorns have been exchanging barbs of bitter wit and marital contempt. Currently syndicated in more than 500 newspapers, the cartoon entertains millions of readers as Leroy says things like this to Loretta: “Sure we can talk now. Just don’t stand in front of the television.” Loretta, at no loss for words or jabs, is just as likely to say something like, “Sure I spend more than you make. I have confidence in you.”

While laughing, we might catch a glimpse of ourselves. Sarcasm is all too common, and far more serious than we might want to believe. Heartless sarcasm can be more harmful than physical bruises. Solomon said there are people who use words like a sword (Prov. 12:18), and that evil words can crush the spirit (15:4).

Controlling our speech isn’t easy, because the real problem is not our words but our hearts. Behind the insults, we are likely to find in ourselves an insecurity, fear, or guilt that tempts us to protect ourselves at the expense of another.

Is there an upside to abusive words? No, unless we take them as a warning that we’re not in step with Christ. In His embrace and grace, let’s not lash out at one another in an effort to protect ourselves. —Mart De Haan

During the Depression era in the 1930s, Little Orphan Annie was a popular comic strip and radio program. Years later, it was the basis for the musical comedy Annie. The opening scene shows Annie in an orphanage where the girls are forced to clean and scrub in the middle of the night. Expressing their feelings of helplessness, they sing: “It’s the hard-knock life for us. No one cares for you a smidge when you’re in an orphanage. It’s the hard-knock life.”

When we talk about “the school of hard knocks,” we’re referring to the difficult experiences in life that have instructed us. Although it’s part of human nature to avoid pain, the believer can learn from painful circumstances.

The psalmist wisely said, “It is good for me that I have been afflicted, that I may learn Your statutes” (119:71). His particular heartache was the slander of his good name (vv.69-70). Yet even in this, the psalmist realized that his circumstances could teach him to value the Word of God.

What problem are you facing today? Hand it over to the Lord in prayer. Then meditate on Scripture and thank God for the life lessons you are about to learn. The Lord of heaven and earth is sovereign—even over “the school of hard knocks.” —Dennis Fisher

Not long ago, I traveled to the Democratic Republic of Congo to lead a Bible conference. I took in the beauty of the Nyungwe Forest and Ruzizi River, which separates Congo from Rwanda. I experienced the amazing hospitality of the Congolese people, and I was moved by their sincere faith in God’s provision.

Because unemployment, poverty, and malnutrition are serious problems there, the people often don’t know where their next meal will come from. So each time they sit down to eat, they thank God and ask Him to provide the next meal.

Their prayer sounds a lot like Jesus’ prayer in Matthew 6:11, “Give us this day our daily bread.” The word bread refers to any food. The phrase “this day” indicates provision that came to them one day at a time.

Many first-century workers were paid one day at a time, so a few days’ illness could spell tragedy. “Daily” could be translated “for the coming day.” The prayer would read: “Give us today our bread for the coming day.” It was an urgent prayer to those who lived from hand to mouth.

This prayer calls Jesus’ followers everywhere to recognize that our ability to work and earn our food comes from God’s hand. —Marvin Williams

Why plant flowers? You can’t eat them,” said my father-in-law after witnessing my spring ritual of filling pots with fragrant and colorful treasures from the garden store. Jay’s dad is an engineer—a practical sort of person. He can make anything work, but making it beautiful is not a priority. He values function over form, usefulness over aesthetics.

God created us with different gifts. Engineers who work for the glory of God design machines that make life easier. The Lord also created artists, who make life more pleasant by creating beautiful things for the glory of God and the enjoyment of others.

When we think of art in worship, we usually think of music. But other art forms have long had a role in glorifying God. The calling of Bezalel demonstrates God’s regard for fine art (Ex. 35:30-35). God commissioned him to beautify the first official place of worship: the tabernacle. God’s purpose for the arts, says Gene Edward Veith, is “to glorify God and to manifest beauty.”

When artistic talent is enlivened by the Spirit of God, it becomes an act of worship that then can become a witness to point people to Christ. God has greatly enriched our lives with beauty. And we in turn express our gratitude by displaying His glory in our art. —Julie Ackerman Link

Andrew Marton recalls the first time he met his future brother-in-law Peter Jennings, who was a top foreign news correspondent in 1977. He said he was so nervous that he acted like “a jittery fan in the presence of a journalistic hero whose personal wattage could light up Manhattan.”

Andrew looked up to Peter and tried to emulate him. He became a journalist too and approached his assignments the way Peter did—“he dove in and worked harder than everybody else.” Andrew tried to walk like Peter, to dress like him, and to have the same “aura.”

We all tend to follow the patterns of others. The Corinthians did too. But they shifted their focus away from Christ and onto individual leaders. Rather than emulating the Christlike qualities of these leaders, they let their allegiances lead to various divisions and contentions in the church (1 Cor. 1:10-13). The apostle Paul recognized their error, so he sent Timothy to remind them of his teachings and the importance of walking in obedience to the Lord (4:16-17).

We are to imitate Christ (1 Peter 1:15-16). It can also be helpful to have mentors who imitate Him. Those who walk in step with Christ provide a model for us to emulate. But our ultimate example is Jesus Himself. —Anne Cetas

Irritated with a young athlete who had accomplished little yet boasted about his ability, a TV commentator said, “Don’t tell me what you’re going to do—tell me what you’ve done!” Actions speak louder than words.

This principle is seen in Jesus’ life. In Matthew 9, a paralytic was brought to Him. Jesus’ response? “Your sins are forgiven.” When the religious leaders objected, He raised the question of the hour: “Which is easier, to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven you,’ or to say, ‘Arise and walk’?” (v.5).

The answer is obvious. To say He had forgiven the man’s sins was simple, because it couldn’t be proven or disproven. But, to say “Arise and walk” was different. It was instantly verifiable. So, to prove His authority to forgive sins, Jesus said to the paralytic, “Arise, take up your bed, and go to your house” (v.6). And he did!

Jesus’ actions supported His words, and so should ours. John wrote, “My little children, let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed and in truth” (1 John 3:18). What we say is significant to a watching world only if it’s consistent with what we do. As we tell people about Christ’s love, those words will communicate powerfully if surrounded by acts of love and kindness. Actions do speak louder! —Bill Crowder

Amy Beth was out in her neighborhood taking her dog for a walk when she saw a young man run into a nearby alley. A car followed. The young man grabbed a huge piece of wood from a dumpster and started swinging at the car. Amy Beth froze. She was caught in a gang fight.

Suddenly, the young driver of the car tried to get away by accelerating backwards. He slammed into Amy Beth. She landed on the trunk and was thrown into the street. Amazingly, she wasn’t seriously hurt.

Later, she tried to make sense of her experience and attempted to turn it around to make it seem good. She came to this conclusion: “Bad things happen—tragic and horrible things. Good things happen—amazing and miraculous things. And all this happens randomly to us. But it is not random to the God who cradles our aching hearts. He knows. . . . Suffering will come. But God is . . . larger than the events that seem to contradict God’s goodness.”

We will experience sickness, accidents, sorrow, and death. But we are not on our own. God is in control. “Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivers him out of them all” (Ps. 34:19). We can be confident that one day we will be safe with Him forever. —Anne Cetas