THINK ABOUT IT

God is a lover of beauty. He creates various beings to display different aspects of His love and different types of beauty. He made the fish for the water, the birds for the air, human beings for the earth, and angels for heaven. Each part of creation is guided by a specific set of rules, all of which tie back to the great Law of Love. A fish is beautiful in its habitat in the ocean; a bird is beautiful to behold while flying through the sky. An eagle cannot survive long underwater because it wasn’t made for the sea, and a fish cannot survive long on dry land because it wasn't made for the shore. Imagine that one day, a whale decides, "I have been living in this ocean for too long. The world is a big place; why does God restrict my freedom to the water? I believe I can have a more fulfilling life on land. I can reach my full potential by going wherever I please. This ocean is a restriction to my liberty." After much deliberation, the whale leaves the ocean and begins maki...

If I were to ask you, "What is the goal of life?" what would your response be? Some might say it is to reach your full potential; others would say it is to travel the world, or simply to eat, drink, and be merry. Religious folks might say the goal is to serve God. Some seek a spouse who will make them happy, while others do everything they can just to escape pain and suffering. For everyone, the goal of life is different. What is yours? I once read about a football player who said one of the worst moments of his life was the day after he finally achieved his life’s goal and won the Super Bowl. He felt an overwhelming sense of emptiness and despair. Many of us experience this. We have a goal that we think will make us happy, but when we finally reach it, we realize its promises were deceitful. Unless we immediately set a new goal, we sink into despondency. This is why people say, "It’s about the journey, not the destination"—because the destination usually disappoin...

 "I need a spouse as soon as possible; a spouse will complete my life and make me whole. I need money—lots of it. My life is miserable because I have no money; I must do whatever it takes to get it to provide safety and security for myself. The more money I have, the more leisure time I will enjoy. Speaking of leisure, I need to start planning my vacations for the next two years. Life is short; I need to have a grand time because I only have one life to live. And what am I going to do for fun this weekend?" These thoughts represent the modern mindset, but Scripture gives us a warning: "As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. For in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark. And they were oblivious, until the flood came and swept them all away. So it will be at the coming of the Son of Man." ( Matthew 24:37-39 ) Friends, we are here. As the end ...

"There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death." — Proverbs 14:12 Many people cannot discern the hidden dangers or the fearful ending of the path that seems to them the way of happiness. The direction you are taking in life today may feel like it leads to joy, but if it is a way contrary to God, disaster will be the result. A strange thing about human beings is that we are often ignorant, yet we think we know everything. It is amazing that the less we know, the more stubborn we become. Young children can be incredibly headstrong. Teenagers, who have barely experienced life, are often rebellious. Even adults living disastrous lives will resist any attempt to be told that their own choices brought that disaster upon them. No wonder the Bible says, "For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry" ( 1 Samuel 15:23 ). We all desire what is good, but not every lifestyle leads to a good end. A person may...

 War has broken out once again between the Israelis and the Palestinians—the latest flare-up of violence in a long-running struggle. This recent conflict exploded when Hamas militants from the Gaza Strip launched a devastating raid on Israeli border towns, resulting in a tragic loss of life. In response, the Israeli government retaliated with airstrikes, leading to further heavy casualties among Palestinians. Hamas named their mission "Operation Al-Aqsa Flood," referring to the Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem, the third-holiest site in Islam. The mosque is built upon the Temple Mount, the very location where the biblical Temple stood before it was destroyed by the Romans in 70 AD. While Muslims believe the Prophet Muhammad ascended to heaven from this location, Jews hold the site sacred as the foundation of their ancient Temple. Both Palestinians and Israelis claim Jerusalem as their capital city. This competing claim to the same holy ground is at the heart of the conflict. The I...