Laudable Linkage

Posted on September 12, 2026 by Barbara Harper

Here are some of the blog posts that spoke to me this week:

I Joined a Violent Chicago Gang. Then a Church Moved onto the Block, HT to Challies. “I questioned how I had gotten to this point. How had I thrown my life away for people who had no regard for me? My situation was hopeless. I knew there was nothing I could do to change it. But all of a sudden, it occurred to me that God could change my situation. For years, I’d had conversations with church people about a God who could raise the dead to life. I thought of all the times a certain youth pastor had shared the gospel with me. And so, closing my eyes to my reflection, I prayed.”

Pleading My Righteousness? HT to Challies. When David prays for God to act according to David’s righteousness, what does he mean? And how does that gel with the Bible’s teaching that we’re not righteous in ourselves, only in Christ? I don’t think I have ever seen this dealt with, though it’s something I have wondered about. I think this article gives a good explanation.

How to Pray When You Feel Like You Pray the Same Thing Every Day, HT to Challies. “If you don’t want to pray the same things all the time, praying Scripture might be helpful. When we pray Scripture, whether it’s a psalm or any other passage, we have fresh ideas to fuel our prayers each day. And it helps us ask for things according to God’s will (1 John 5:14–15) because we’re praying God’s word back to him.” Courtney then gives a few examples of what that

Five Ways God’s People Minister Grace to Each Other, HT to Challies. “God has provided our counselees with Christian brothers and sisters—fellow church members—as vital means of God’s grace to help them know Jesus initially and grow in Jesus continually.”

The Ministry of Saying Less, HT to Challies. Though this is written primarily about preaching, I think it holds true for blogging, writing, teaching, even commenting during Sunday School or Bible Study. “In preaching, teaching, counselling, and leadership, there is something to be said for saying less. I am not suggesting that we become aloof and mysterious. But there is a danger that we can say so much that people start to miss what they most need to hear.”

Why Don’t We Ask God for Big Things? “Scripture and experience make it clear that God is not a genie in a bottle who is obligated to give us whatever we ask for. He is an omniscient deity who has His own counsel, will, and plan. Yet in mysterious ways known fully only to Himself, God invites humans into those councils and listens to their requests.”

Don’t Let AI Steal Your Blessing, HT to Challies. “What we lose in the process is blessing from God. ‘But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing’ (James 1:25). Who is it that receives the blessing? The one who ‘looks’ and ‘acts’ gets the blessing. If I let AI do all the looking, then I’m missing a crucial piece of the blessing.”

Taking Time Off Takes Humility and Faith. “Maybe you wrestle to slow down, delegate, or admit you’re weary and empty. Perhaps, like me a few years ago, you’re currently in a season where the brokenness of the world—and of life right under your feet—has become a heavy weight on top of you. Circumstances God has allowed are confronting you with your weakness, limitations, and, let’s call it what it is: your humanity! He is inviting you to trust and love him by stepping aside for a time—perhaps even stepping out of current responsibilities—for the sake of rest, recalibration, and renewal.”

The world is indeed full of peril, and in it there are many dark places; but still there is much that is fair, and though in all lands love is now mingled with grief, it grows perhaps the greater.–J. R. R. Tolkien

Laudable Linkage

Posted on September 5, 2026 by Barbara Harper

I wasn’t online much this week, with family visiting and spotty Internet coverage due to our provider’s work in our area. But I found a few good reads to share:

When Unhealed Illness Brings Shame, HT to Challies. “As a Christian, as one who sincerely believes that God can and does heal in miraculous ways, I know that the God who worked wonders in the past is still working wonders today. If he wills it, he can heal me (Matt. 8:1–3). Which leads to the question for those who don’t get a miracle: Why does God not will my healing?“

Put It Somewhere Visible. “In our day of prolific productivity tools, one of the biggest battles we face is resisting the urge to overcomplicate everything.”

Help! My Child Is Entering Puberty, HT to Challies. “Though we love our children deeply, many of us feel unsure about how to talk about bodies, development, privacy, safety, and growing up. We want to be honest without saying too much and clear without sounding clinical. We want to protect our children without making them afraid. And some of us are trying to offer our children something we did not receive ourselves: calm, faithful words about the body.”

When Your Child Moves Out as an Unbeliever, HT to Challies. “I had developed some ideas about what this day would look like throughout the years, but as it draws near, I have to accept that he will be moving out as an unbeliever.”

How Do I Respond to My Gay Family Member? “I gave my students the chance to ask any question, and one student basically asked, ‘What do I do at Thanksgiving if my sibling living a gay lifestyle shows up?’ I had confidently told them I would answer all their questions in class, so I was stuck. It was a hard question, and I didn’t know that I had any nice, clean, easy answer. So I did what any good assistant pastor worth his salt would do, I went to my church’s senior pastor and asked him what he would say. His advice was spot on, as is often the case for senior pastors.”

16 Stunning Animal Images From the Wildlife Photographer of the Year Awards, HT to Challies. This is the 62nd year of this competition, and the photos are amazing.

“Our Lord in His infinite wisdom and superabundant love, sets so high a value upon His people’s faith that He will not screen them from those trials by which faith is strengthened.”
— C.H. Spurgeon

Laudable Linkage

Posted on August 29, 2026 by Barbara Harper

Some of the good reads that stood out to me this week:

We Need Humility to Study the Bible. “The very existence of the Bible should fill us with gratitude. How wonderful that God has made himself known! It should also kindle humility within us—we need him to reach to us because we could never reach him ourselves. Humility must be the beginning—indeed, the ongoing foundation—of Bible study. But it is also necessary in each stage along the way.”

Why Good Stories Have Bad Examples. “To be sure, stories can be written in such a way that presents negative behaviors in a positive light. In such cases, wise parents will talk with their kids about the issue or choose to pass over the story in favor of others that more clearly illustrate the good, true, and beautiful. And yet, let’s not be too quick to dismiss that a ‘negative example’ equals a negative effect on your child.”

Why Walking in Faith Can Be Our Place of Greatest Victory. “I understand why believers need supernatural help to soar. And to run. But why would we need God’s help to walk? Compared to flying or running, walking requires much less strength and stamina. Or does it?”

Young Woman, What’s Your Legacy? “When we hear the word legacy, our minds often go to older women––the wise ones at church with white hair and Bibles so well-loved that the gold edges have faded, pages have yellowed, and words that were once jet black have turned gray. We might think of the teachers and professors who have shaped us, the mentors who have poured into us, and the church leaders who have faithfully loved the Lord and His people. But when is the last time you took a minute to think about your legacy?”

Of Love and Keychains. “Sometimes those with the highest confidence and well-honed social skills hide a deadly insecurity underneath. Celebrities have 3 to 10 times the rate of depression vs. the general population. These are people who are beautiful, wealthy, and adored.It’s not just you and me. So where do we go with this inner ache? This hunger to belong? To be loved?”

Why the Internet Is Making Men and Women Hate Each Other, HT to Challies. “The Internet is, of course, very interested. And the way particular social media platforms and groups are participating in the discourse illustrates again one of the most important things anyone can realize about the modern Internet: It’s a place where each sex is learning to loathe the other.”

Advice for Parents of New College Students, HT to Challies. “But what about the parents? There’s plenty out there for all we’re supposed to do for the years, months, and weeks leading up to dropping them off to college. Yes, start that 529 savings account early. But my experience is that while a lot of parents are prepared for the lead up to “launch,” few have given much thought to what happens after.”

To be meek is to have a sane and proper estimate of one’s place in the scheme of things. Elisabeth Elliot, from Let Me Be a Woman

Laudable Linkage

Posted on August 22, 2026 by Barbara Harper

I haven’t been online as much this week, but here are some of the noteworthy articles I found:

The Sweetest Reasons to Read the Bible, HT to Knowable Word. “If we’re honest, we neglect the Bible for the same reasons: because we find something either more desirable or more delightful than God’s word. Sure, the consequences may not be as spectacular as Achan’s or Samson’s, but, if we’re honest, our excuses are just as lame. I’m too busy. I’m not feeling it. Understanding is hard. I just can’t focus. These are no better than Ooh, shiny! or Oh, sweet! They share the same tragic taste.Thanks be to God that the Bible itself cultivates our taste for something far better.”

This Old Prayer Changed the Way I Read My Bible. “Mindless prayer is always a danger, but particularly so when we recite memorized prayers. But one day I discovered a prayer that inspires me to slow down and ponder as I pray rather than speed up. This old prayer has become my new favorite to pray before reading my Bible.”

Store Treasure in Clay, HT to Challies. “The Clay Pot Conspiracy reminds us: our lives exist to showcase the worth of the gospel, not the strength of the vessel. When I appear strong, my progress says something about me. But when I’m cracked and still standing, still serving, still pressing on—it says something about God.”

15 Resolves for Maintaining Spiritual Balance in Severe Interpersonal Conflicts, HT to Challies. “The pain of interpersonal conflict may seem too acute to bear. Sometimes we see these conflicts erupt suddenly among families, or between church members, or at work or school. They may involve serious allegations that tend to rip people apart in ways that seem irreparable. In these most severe ruptures of confidence, when the necrosis of sin is eating up the lives of those involved, is it possible to rise above and maintain a spiritual composure? Certainly that must be so. But we have to apply biblical principles ruthlessly, without wavering.”

Family Prayer Is Inconvenient and Worth It, HT to Challies. “This happened most every night in our home. Everyone at the table prayed — out loud. Not just Mom. Not just Dad. It didn’t matter how old the kids were. If you could talk, you got to pray. Different than a dreaded duty, prayer was a valued habit around our table. My parents showed us what a privilege and joy it was to talk to our all-powerful God, who hears every prayer.”

Are Images of Christ OK? “Throughout history (especially in premodern times), visual representations of biblical stories have fostered biblical literacy. But there’s also a long history of opposition to biblical images. This opposition is largely rooted in the belief that the second commandment prohibits visual depictions of Jesus. Yet not all depictions of Jesus serve the same purpose. An icon, designed for veneration, doesn’t work the same way as an illustrated Bible storybook or a biblical show (like The Chosen).”

Lord, may we not allow circumstances to gnaw on our faith. Patsy Clairmont

Laudable Linkage

Posted on August 15, 2026 by Barbara Harper

Some of the good reads found this week:

Faith Over Fear: Meeting Christ in the Middle of the Storm, HT to the Story Warren. So many good observations here. “The disciples are caught in a situation they did not choose. They are doing exactly what Jesus told them to do—getting into a boat and crossing the Sea of Galilee—when trouble finds them. The wind rises, the waters churn, and progress becomes painful and slow (Mark 6:48). They are experienced fishermen, not novices, yet skill offers no relief. Darkness surrounds them. Exhaustion sets in. Control slips away. This matters because it confronts one of our most common assumptions about faith: that obedience guarantees smooth sailing. It doesn’t. Sometimes obedience places us directly in the path of difficulty. Faithfulness does not exempt us from storms, and competence does not shield us from fear.”

Does Rejecting Hell Really Set You Free? “We’ve separated eternal judgment from the larger story of Scripture and held it up in isolation, sometimes with devastating results. But the misuse of a doctrine does not make it false, and reshaping reality to ease our discomfort won’t bring us peace or freedom.”

Do I Resent the Life God Gave Me? HT to Challies. “Though I hate to admit it, resentfulness is a subtle but very real temptation in my heart, especially during times of deep pain and sorrow. Over time, I’ve learned how important it is to recognize this temptation when it comes, so that when I start to go down that path, I can take steps to realign my heart with the truth.”

When God’s Plans Seem Inconsistent with His Promises, HT to Challies. “What we see in God’s instruction to Abraham seems to show that there will be times when God asks things of his people that feel deeply confusing, yet we can be confident there is always more happening than what we can understand. We learn that God will allow trials in our lives that seem to contradict his promises, yet we can be sure he is steadfast and faithful beyond what we can see or understand in the moment.”

Canadian Family Claim Christian Grandmother Was Euthanized Against her Wishes, HT to Challies. This is alarming. “A family in Canada has alleged that their 83-year-old grandmother was euthanised despite her stated Christian beliefs and lack of mental capacity to consent to the procedure.”

Peace Is Better. “I’m not advocating for being silent about the great injustices of our society. We have to speak the truth when it’s needed. But I am saying that most of the things we want to create conflict and confrontation about in this world are just ways for us to personally feel that we got to say our piece, for us to get some sort of validation that we’re right, or for us to let someone else know that they’ve wronged us or made us feel sad, angry, or disappointed. I would argue that in most instances, the better path is the one where we pray and ask the Lord to soften our own heart, forgiving the person who slighted us or made us feel a certain way, and moving on with our day in peace.”

You Are Not Enough (And That Is Not Failure), HT to Challies. “‘You are not enough. Not enough. Not enough.’ Those hard words have been the mantra accompanying me as I’ve parented our children into adulthood. However, I am continually and graciously reminded to embrace the freedom found in their somber tone. Words that once felt like a condemnation of me as a mother have become a necessary reminder of the One who is enough and abundantly more than enough. His burden, I’m reminded, is easy and light (Matt. 11:30).”

What to Do When Your Spiritual Leader Falls. “Hopefully we realize that if we get close to any of our spiritual heroes, we will begin to see cracks and flaws. But what happens when spiritual leaders fail in big ways, ways that ruin lives and bring dishonor to the name of Christ? What do you do when someone you look up to falls?” I would add one more point to the excellent ones Ben listed: remember grace. A sin that may disqualify a man from spiritual leadership doesn’t mean he is no longer useful to God and must become a pariah in Christendom. God has marvelously forgiven and used people who grievously sinned and repented in Scripture.

Worship is not an experience. Worship is an act, and this takes discipline.We are to worship in spirit and in truth. Never mind about the feelings. We are to worship in spite of them. Elisabeth Elliot

Laudable Linkage

Posted on August 8, 2026 by Barbara Harper

Lots of good reads found this week:

Three Ways to Know I Am a Real Christian, HT to Challies. “It is a common question from earnest and sincere people: how can I know I am a Christian? There are all sorts of answers we might give, some probably more helpful than others. But it would make most sense to look at the scriptures and see some of the signs it would highlight. So, to that end, here are three biblical signs that you are a genuine Christian.”

I Was Helped by a Hypocrite, HT to Challies. “I’d been a believer for a year when I met Walt. He captivated a crowd when he preached. His counsel was pivotal in my life, and God used him to strengthen my young faith. But Walt turned out to be a hypocrite. After proclaiming God’s glory, he’d visit prostitutes on his way home to his wife. After his divorce, he stole another man’s wife. Walt’s downfall disoriented me. How could I be so helped by a man who was such a hypocrite?”

The God Who Suffers with Us and for Us. “Some of my most enjoyable conversations over the past two-plus decades have centered on the colossal question, ‘How can you believe in a God who allows bad things to happen to good people?’ In fact, some of my favorite convos have been with those who disagree with me over this question—not because I possess any powers of persuasion but because I’ve lived at the crossroads of suffering and faith for so long, I welcome the chance to talk about the elephant in the room (and the pain behind the question).”

Long Suffering: A Longer Look. “Dear reader, are you carrying a heavy burden that you can’t yet put down? Are you wearied by the ‘too far’ and ‘too much’? Perhaps you’ve wondered as I have—How do I keep going? How can I keep a tender heart of hope when I’m tempted to give in to the weariness, despair, and bitterness?“

Please Don’t Pray for Me, HT to Challies. What’s a parent to do when child who isn’t walking with the Lord says, “Please don’t pray for me. I don’t want your prayers.” Some good answers here.

What the Spurgeon Family Scandal Teaches Us About Failure, HT to Challies. “This unlikely ground zero for the greatest preacher of the 19th century reminds us of wonderful truths.”

“This I Call to Mind,” HT to Challies. “Our sins they are many. It is tempting to start here when we come to God in prayer. We think, sometimes, that much groveling will somehow lift us up to a place of forgiveness, that if we can just grasp the muchness of our sin, we will then grasp the muchness of God’s mercy.”

The Lie of Optimization. I had not heard of “optimization” as a buzzword until this week, where I have heard it twice. “In so many ways, improvement is a noble goal, and we should keep pursuing the better. Christians have a word for changing for the better: we call it sanctification. But sanctification means becoming more like Christ, and it has very little to do with how you wrapped the present for the baby shower or whether or not those dairy products in your fridge are organic.”

Pastoral Time Guilt, HT to Challies. Though this is written to pastors, I think that feeling of never being able to meet all the needs is also felt by parents, teachers, and others. “Our greatest problem is not that we lack time but that we often fail to steward it according to God’s purposes. We cannot add a single hour to our lives (Matt. 6:27). Instead, we are called to walk wisely, ‘making the most of the time’ (Eph. 5:15-17). Every sermon, counseling session, leadership meeting, family dinner, and unexpected interruption exists within God’s providential design. He has already prepared the good works we are to accomplish (Eph. 2:10), and there is ‘a time for every matter under heaven’ (Eccles. 3:1). Paul even connects wise stewardship of time with faithful gospel witness, urging believers to ‘walk in wisdom toward outsiders, making the best use of the time’ (Col. 4:5).”

From the Joy of Japan: How One Family’s Passing Stirred Thousands, HT to Challies. The impact of the deaths of a family who were on their way to serve in Japan.

Love God with All Your Imagination: A Call for Christian Storytelling, HT to the Story Warren. “Beyond offering mere childish entertainment, stories shape minds and hearts, linger in the imagination, and depict virtues that we can grasp, savor, and turn in our hands. In fact, Tolkien, the father of modern fantasy literature, believed that the best stories thrill us because they resonate with gospel truth.” (I disagree with the last sentence of a quote by Humphrey Carpenter here, but otherwise loved this article.

Within Thy circling power I stand;
On every side I find Thy hand;
Awake, asleep, at home, abroad,
I am surrounded still with God.

Isaac Watts

Laudable Linkage

Posted on August 1, 2026 by Barbara Harper

Here’s some of the good reading found this week:

How to Hold onto Faith When You Feel Disappointed. “Do you sometimes feel as if life and maybe even God has disappointed you? We picture ideal scenarios for our lives, and sometimes (usually) our reality falls short of our hopes and expectations. Sometimes it’s our fault, and other times, despite our best efforts, life goes sideways. We end up feeling hurt, disappointed, and even betrayed by God. We know He is all powerful and can order the circumstances of our lives any way He chooses, so why this?”

You Still Have to Eat on Vacation, HT to Challies. “When life takes a turn, or when we leave town, most of us tend to push Bible reading aside until our circumstances return to normal. If we’re not able to sit down at our kitchen table for a quiet hour of in-depth study, we don’t even crack open God’s Word. Somewhere along the way, we’ve told ourselves that if we’re not able to feast, we shouldn’t eat at all, not realizing that a handful of almonds in the middle of the night is far better than allowing our souls to starve.”

When You’re Looking for Substantial Devotional Reading. I don’t usually put reviews here to books I have not read, because I don’t want to recommend something I haven’t checked myself. But I love what Michele wrote in the first few paragraphs here about devotions and devotionals. (Plus, I have read one other book from each of the authors she mentioned, so I think they are probably all right.)

A Liturgy with a Pause–for the Killing, HT to Challies.”Picture this scene: A person is sitting in a room. A member of the clergy is with them, offering them communion, with the classic formulation: “The body of Christ (given for you). The blood of Christ (shed for you).” Some other prayers are said. A few moments later, a nurse or doctor administers a lethal injection, killing the person. Is this a scene from some disturbing dystopian movie? Sadly, no—it is the disturbing reality of the state of the Anglican Church of Canada.”

10 Reasons to Avoid Sexual Immorality. “Easy sex will keep you from being wise. To make this point, Solomon lists ten consequences of sexual immorality in Proverbs 6:24-35. Before reading my list, I urge you to read the passage yourself and see how many consequences you can observe. Perhaps making your own list will help you to remember these things when you face temptation.”

We Weren’t Always This Way. “I’ve been surprised by the friendships that begin right now, the ones where we step into each other’s lives with decades behind us already—decades in which we did not know each other. Decades we can describe only in summaries and stories. We bring all these years with us into the conversation, yet we sometimes forget that not everyone was alongside us for them.”

Better than Me, HT to Challies. “What is my greatest weakness? A few weeks go by and I know the answer. As I sit on the couch and scroll through my phone I notice an icky feeling bubble to the surface. Social media used to provide inspiration, but it now breeds comparison. I compare myself to others and my past self, able to do more—and do it faster, better, and stronger. I used to fit into smaller clothes, do more jumping jacks, or stay up later. Despite my accomplishments, there’s always someone who performs better.”

What Is a Woman? The Question Our World Is Afraid to Answer. “Between ‘be exactly like a man,’ ‘fit this narrow mold,’ and ‘make it up as you go’—you’re caught in the crossfire. The confusion is real. The answers seem impossible to find. Everyone claims to know the answer, but their answers conflict. But what if, among all these competing voices, there’s one you can actually trust? . . . There is. It’s the voice of the One who made you.”

When Christians Don’t Get Along: How the Gospel Calls Us to Unity. “I don’t know about you, but the thought of being personally named in Scripture because you were causing division in the church is a horrifying prospect. Yet this passage also gives us a powerful reminder: the Lord cares deeply about the unity of His Church, and the gospel is far greater than our differences, preferences, or personal agendas.”

Long-View vs. Short-view Leadership. “Call me simple, but my capacity to absorb ‘revolutionary tips for transformative change’ has a pretty low threshold. And I don’t have much patience with Christian resources that seem to be driven more by marketing than by Scripture. That said, God has graciously allowed me to stumble on some life-altering principles along the way. I call it Long View Leadership.”

No Christian can afford to neglect his Bible. If he does, he will be stunted and dwarfed in his spiritual life, and he will be a prey to doubts and fears, and may be carried away by every wind of doctrine.–Harry A. Ironside

Laudable Linkage

Posted on July 25, 2026 by Barbara Harper

Here are a few posts that stood out to me this week:

Goodness That Grants and Denies. “I am voicing my confidence that God will respond to my prayers with an expression of his goodness. That goodness will be revealed in one of two ways: by granting the petition or by denying it. Whether he gives exactly what I ask for, whether he gives me nothing at all, or whether he gives me something else entirely, I can be confident that he will give what is good and what is best.”

End of Life Decisions and the Christian Family. “This event was traumatic for our family, especially for me. I know we are not alone. End of life experiences can put families in very difficult situations. They receive advice from medical professionals that can often be more harmful than helpful. I cannot give all the answers for the questions families have in such situations, but I do think there is some biblical wisdom that applies. Here are some things to remember.”

Intrusive Thoughts and Gospel Hope, HT to Challies. “Intrusive thoughts are a silent struggle for a growing number of people I talk with. Not that I think that more and more people are struggling with intrusive thoughts; I’m just hearing it from more people who, after knowing me for a long enough period of time, are willing to open up about it.”

Six Ways to Shepherd Kids Through Loss, HT to Challies. “Shepherding our kids through pain and suffering is hard. For parents, it can feel like we carry a double portion of grief—our own and that of our grieving kids. Whatever may come, as parents we are called to lovingly ‘train up [our children]’ whom God has entrusted to our care through every high and low (Prov. 22:6). What a privilege to walk with them, pointing them to Christ, despite the pain that often accompanies this calling.”

The Remarkably Ordinary Church, HT to Challies. “It’s also a challenge for those of us who attend such churches. Sometimes we show up with unspoken demands that things impress us. Instead, we end up listening to imperfect preachers and average sermons, sometimes leaving disappointed. Stop focusing on what doesn’t matter. Aim to be easily edified. Show up with the intention of glorifying God and being fed by everything available in that service.”

For Such a Time as This: Faithfulness Where You Are. “It’s easy to read Esther’s story and assume that ‘for such a time as this’ applies only to extraordinary moments. Will we boldly speak up in our secular workplace when we see wrongdoing? Will we tirelessly defend the defenseless, call for righteousness, and speak the truth even when it costs us? Yet I wonder if we’ve unintentionally overlooked a broader application.”

What Your Social Media Feed Is Teaching You About Love (And Why It Is Not the Whole Truth), HT to Challies. “The Bible does not romanticise human relationships. It presents them honestly—fractured, imperfect, and often costly. This is not a bug in the design. It is the ground within which love is meant to be practiced.”

My Infertility Didn’t End in Pregnancy. HT to Challies. “There have been times when, as a writer and a Bible teacher, I’ve been asked to meet with this young woman or to email that young woman to give some advice and hope to them regarding their infertility. The truth is, no woman wants to hear from me on this. She doesn’t want my advice. I am her worst nightmare. I am the one the doctors warned her she was unlikely to be.”

A Pastor and a Salesman Get into an Uber. HT to Challies. “Christian neighbors invited them to church in 2025, but the first seeds were planted inside his car.”

“Activity in the King’s service will not make up for neglect of the King.” — Derick Bingham

Laudable Linkage

Posted on July 18, 2026 by Barbara Harper

Here are some of the good reads found this week:

A Godly Grief. “Have you ever done something you said you’d never do? If your answer is yes, you aren’t alone.”

Does the Day End in Night, or the Night End in Day? HT to Challies. “Every day ends in night, and every night ends in day. These cycles have been circling for longer than anyone can remember, and they will continue long after our own lives are forgotten—but they cannot continue forever. Someday, the cycles must finish. And will they finish with an everlasting day, or a never-ending night?”

The Real Reasons We Don’t Read the Bible, HT to Knowable Word. “If we’re honest with ourselves, a lot of modern American excuses boil down to one: I’m just too busy right now. Really? Am I really too busy to hear from God? Am I too busy to have my soul revived by his living and active word? Am I too busy to receive the wisdom I desperately need in all of my busyness? Am I too busy to have my dim eyes awakened again to ultimate, spiritual reality? Am I too busy to have my easily distracted mind focused on the most important things? Am I too busy to taste the sweetest honey and receive the finest gold?”

Could Your Devotional Material Be Hindering Your Spiritual Growth? HT to Challies. “The danger is not that Christians read devotionals. The danger is that we begin to treat them as a substitute for reading Scripture itself. The danger is that we slowly become content with someone else’s digested thoughts about the Bible, while rarely learning to feast on the Bible for ourselves.”

What’s Really Holding You Back? A Biblical Look at “Limiting Beliefs.” “In the self-help world, it is common to hear the term “limiting beliefs.” Limiting beliefs are defined as any negative thoughts or assumptions that are holding you back from the life you want. More and more, however, I am hearing this phrase on the lips of Christians. And I have some concerns.”

Scattered. “It’s a strange feeling when you shift from having a tight little family unit that moves through the world together to this scattered collection of human beings who wave to one another from a distance. In some ways it feels like I’m picking up pieces of a former life I once knew and trying to make them fit into a new puzzle. Those pieces don’t connect anymore, and my brain is trying to keep up with the change.”

3 Helpful Instructions on Keeping a Journal. “Having written a couple hundred pages of theologically-dense teaching on God’s providence, [John Flavel] closes with a simple plea to Christians to maintain a journal that records specific instances of God’s compassion and care. He does not advocate a tell-all diary, but a prudent, humble, and appropriate record of our experiences and observations of God’s providence. He suggests that keeping this kind of journal can benefit and enrich not only ourselves but also other believers.”

The deepest waters I’ve had to go through have taught me the deepest lessons.–Elisabeth Elliot

Laudable Linkage

Posted on July 11, 2026 by Barbara Harper

Some of the good reads found this week:

The Best Man in Hell, HT to Challies. “John is known all around town as an upstanding citizen. As we look into the future, John lives a long and happy life. And when John dies, he’ll be the best man in hell.”

“I’m Not Feeling It Today”: Bad Reasons We Neglect the Bible, HT to Challies. “By nature, I’m not someone who values discipline and routine. I despise dead ritual and lifeless liturgy. But my love for spontaneity has steadily drawn me over time to recognize, and appreciate, how the power of habit can serve spontaneous joy rather than replace or suffocate it.”

Rugged Love and Your Prodigal, HT to Challies. “Most of our wandering is routine, even predictable. We envy. We lust. We overeat. We nurse resentment. We grow impatient when life doesn’t unfold according to our plans. Then we confess, receive forgiveness, recalibrate, and move forward. This is ordinary sanctification. But there are times when ‘prone to wander’ takes a particularly obstinate and destructive turn.”

Mothers. Let Your Tears Water the Seeds Planted, HT to Challies. “Monica is the kind of mother that I have ministered to on a great many occasions. You know your God loves you. You know God loves your child. You see every sin. You see the pain caused by their actions. Augustine writes openly and honestly as a broken, lustful, and prideful man. Yet time and time again he returns to his mother’s heart and concern for him.”

Hope and Lament in Suffering. “A true biblical position on suffering is not binary; it upholds both hope and lament.”

The Discipline of Darkness. This was a message by Adrian Rogers that I heard part of on the radio one day. I thought it was so good that I looked it up online to read the rest. The link goes to an overview page, but there is a place to click to listen to it or to read the outline and transcript. “Sometimes, I think, we over-promise in order to somehow get people to come to the Lord Jesus Christ. There is a distorted idea that if you become a Christian, it will be all joy and all light and all sweetness, and just roses all through life. There’ll be no sickness; there’ll be no sorrow. We’re just going to go through life in an ever-ascending scale of health and success. And then, we’re going to die at a serene old age, and then have a glorious exit and go to Heaven. It would be nice if it happens that way; but, folks, it generally does not.”

Why Did God Give Us Mosaics? “If I were to hand you a box filled with shattered glass, another filled with shards of pottery, and a third filled with broken seashells, and then tell you to create something beautiful, you might scoff at me and doubt that it could ever be possible. You might laugh at the absurdity of it. Yet these mosaics prove that in the hands of a great artist, incredible beauty can arise from what appears to be little more than chaos, waste, and fragments.”

Cultural Enemies, HT to Challies. “Many Christians seem more intent on fitting into culture, or at least getting its affirmation, than opposing it. And the entire idea of being an enemy, or having one, seems out of sync with the Christ life.But it isn’t. Jesus made it very clear that He did not come to bring peace but a sword. Little wonder His own life did not end with a coronation but rather a crucifixion.”

Encouragement for Heading Off to College, HT to Challies. “If you are heading to university in the fall or if you love someone who is, I want to offer you a handful of lessons I have watched unfold in higher ed for decades. These lessons relate to a young person’s pursuit of wisdom, growth, community, and rest. These are the rails that keep life steady in this new season and beyond.”