"And he will be called...Mighty God." (Isaiah 9:6b) Many of us have heard the old proverb about power and might coined by Lord Acton in the 19th century: “Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely.”[1] We know that power and might can be dangerous. In some ways, we all want to be mighty …
Wrestling Lessons with Job: encountering God in our suffering
In Shakespeare’s powerful drama King Lear there is a moving scene where King Lear, bereft of the daughter he loves most, Cordelia, and being controlled by his two other self-serving daughters, Goneril and Regan, rushes out into a tempestuous storm.[1] As the dark storm rages about him, Lear rages about his own suffering and loss. …
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Are We Brokenhearted for God?
I still remember the year that I did not make the cut for the little league baseball team when I tried out. I could catch, throw, and run, but, to be honest, my batting skills were not something to marvel at. I wanted so badly to be a part of that team with my friends …
Living in the Waves
One of the most well-known stories in the New Testament must be when Jesus invites Peter to walk on water in Matthew 14:22-33. Peter is often held up as either an example of bold faith in stepping out of the boat or faltering faith in sinking into the waves. However, there is another part of …
When Blessing Atrophies [Psalm 1, part 5]
While the first three verses of Psalm 1 provide us with a description of God's blessing, the last three verses offer an alternative vision that is distressing. 4 Not so the wicked!They are like chaffthat the wind blows away.5 Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment,nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous.6 …
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Matthew Erickson 