Guru Joseph

You are my friends if you do what I command. John 15:14 Raleigh looks like a powerful dog—he is large and muscular and has a thick coat of fur. And he weighs over 100 pounds! Despite his appearance, Raleigh connects well with people. His owner takes him to nursing homes and hospitals to bring people … Read more

“Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will send you out to fish for people.” Mark 1:17 Jacob Davis was a tailor with a problem. It was the height of the Gold Rush in the 1800s American West and the gold miners’ work pants kept wearing out. His solution? Davis went to a local dry … Read more

Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path. Psalm 119:105 A young man I know has a habit of asking God for signs. That’s not necessarily bad, but his prayers tend to seek confirmation of his feelings. For instance, he’ll pray, “God, if You want me to do X, then … Read more

Carry each other’s burdens. Galatians 6:2 Volunteers from a local church spent a frigid evening distributing food to people in a low-income apartment complex. One woman who received the food was overjoyed. She showed them her bare cupboard and told them they were an answer to her prayers. As the volunteers returned to the church, … Read more

Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves. Philippians 2:3 “Do you have a few items you’d like me to wash?” I asked a visitor to our home in London. His face lit up, and as his daughter walked by, he said, “Get your dirty clothes—Amy’s doing … Read more

He will drink from a brook along the way, and so he will lift his head high. Psalm 110:7 High in a fold of Jughandle Peak in the mountains north of our home in Idaho lies a glacial lake. The route to the lake goes up a steep, exposed ridge through boulders and loose stones. … Read more

That is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God. 1 Corinthians 6:11 A young Japanese man had a problem—he was afraid of leaving his house. To avoid other people, he slept through … Read more

My kingdom is from another place. John 18:36 Most of us hope for good government. We vote, we serve, and we speak out for causes we believe are fair and just. But political solutions remain powerless to change the condition of our hearts. Many of Jesus’s followers anticipated a Messiah who would bring a vigorous … Read more

Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith. 1 Corinthians 16:13 My desk sits close to a window that opens into our neighborhood. From that vantage point I’m privileged to watch birds perch on the trees nearby. Some come to the window to eat insects trapped in the screen. The birds check their immediate … Read more

The name of the Lord is a fortified tower; the righteous run to it and are safe. Proverbs 18:10 During a walk at a local park, my children and I encountered a couple of unleashed dogs. Their owner didn’t seem to notice that one of them had begun to intimidate my son. My son tried … Read more

He has given us new birth into . . . an inheritance that can never perish. 1 Peter 1:3–4 When I asked a friend who is about to retire what she feared about her next stage of life, she said, “I want to make sure I don’t run out of money.” The next day as … Read more

Samuel said, “Speak, for your servant is listening.” 1 Samuel 3:10 I felt like I was underwater, sounds muffled and muted by a cold and allergies. For weeks I struggled to hear clearly. My condition made me realize how much I take my hearing for granted. Young Samuel in the temple must have wondered what … Read more

Holy Father, protect them by the power of your name, the name you gave me, so that they may be one as we are one. John 17:11 The obituary for Alan Nanninga, a man in my city, identified him as “foremost, a dedicated witness for Christ.” After a description of his family life and career, … Read more

How precious to me are your thoughts, God! Psalm 139:17 My son is learning to count from one to ten. He counts everything from toys to trees. He counts things I tend to overlook, like the wildflowers on his way to school or the toes on my feet. My son is also teaching me to … Read more

He will drink from a brook along the way, and so he will lift his head high. Psalm 110:7 High in a fold of Jughandle Peak in the mountains north of our home in Idaho lies a glacial lake. The route to the lake goes up a steep, exposed ridge through boulders and loose stones. … Read more

That is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God. 1 Corinthians 6:11 A young Japanese man had a problem—he was afraid of leaving his house. To avoid other people, he slept through … Read more

Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves. Philippians 2:3 “Do you have a few items you’d like me to wash?” I asked a visitor to our home in London. His face lit up, and as his daughter walked by, he said, “Get your dirty clothes—Amy’s doing … Read more

My kingdom is from another place. John 18:36 Most of us hope for good government. We vote, we serve, and we speak out for causes we believe are fair and just. But political solutions remain powerless to change the condition of our hearts. Many of Jesus’s followers anticipated a Messiah who would bring a vigorous … Read more