James Rush Manley – Writer

Right tools bring joy, but wrong tools fail. Dust china cabinets with feathers, not brooms. Pound nails with hammers, not screwdrivers. Wash dishes with sponges, not grinders. Eliminate flies with swatters, not shotguns. God’s kit includes every tool we need for life.

So, for example, we manipulate creation with strength, not wishing. Twist a lid, open a jar. Burn gasoline, fly a plane. Keep running, complete a race. Work hard, make money. Outmaneuver the competition, win a lover. If we change things by strength, can we change more things with more strength? Christ our Lord is strong, but so is our enemy, Satan. If the stronger devil beats us, does Christ beat him by even greater strength? Even God says, “Go in the strength of the Lord.” read more ...

Life seems simple when you fly. Takeoff, turn to 135 degrees, and climb to 5,500 feet. After thirty minutes Copataza slides under the left wing. Turn right, follow the river, and in another five minutes, pass over Mashient. Gently lower the nose until the vertical speed indicator settles on a 500-foot-per-minute descent, and clock nine minutes more. Voilá, Charapacocha appears magically out of the jungle with the plane at pattern altitude. A clear lesson emerges. Fly straight enough to hold heading, climb high enough to miss hard things, keep track of the time, and you will reach your destination. You can’t get lost. read more ...

Hiding places abound. Samuel anointed Saul as king of Israel. God gave him free rein saying, “Once these signs are fulfilled, do whatever your hand finds to do, for God is with you.” Saul clearly saw God’s certain ability and purpose. Did Saul hiding among coronation-day’s baggage reveal humility or unbelief? Neither. God gave Saul victories, but also granted the deepest desire of his heart—his own way.

Rahab hid three times. She covered the spies and then concealed family while her Jericho life fell around her. She, too, saw God’s plan, when she confessed to her guests, “The Lord your God is God.” Then, He gave her freedom to expose her heart. She rejected her experience with fierce, lusty warriors and the solid, unassailable might of their stone walls. Instead, she chose to hide in the promise of a God she’d never seen. read more ...

The pilot finally had his chance. The fresh brake pads on the C-185 needed a “burn-in” before earnest use at a short strip. He’d seen others dance power and brakes, taxiing with tail in the air. He knew that too much brake would push the prop into the ground, not enough and the tail rolled boringly on the ground. He also knew that too much power pushed the plane too fast and not enough left the plane sitting there. After trial waving up and down he found the sweet spot and taxied, tail high to the far end of the 3,000-foot runway. The professional felt good mastering the esoteric heights of his trade. He turned and finessed the throttle and pedals to return on just the two main wheels. read more ...