James Rush Manley – Writer

Isaiah said, “Do not be afraid, O worm Jacob, O little Israel, for I myself will help you, declares the LORD, your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel.”

Great metaphor, Isaiah. It is nice to know that the Lord cares for us, and exaggeration does make a good illustration. But, worm? A little heavy on the condemnation, don’t you think? We are, after all, created in His image. How about something we can identify with, something more like us?

Indeed. How about the common house dust mite (Dermatophagoides farinae)? This eight-legged creature inhabits carpets and bedding, consuming the three-tenths of an ounce of skin cells we shed every day. The old ones live a month and grow to 16-thousandths of an inch long. That makes us 4,500 times bigger than the average mite. If they were six feet long, we’d be over five miles tall. Neither knowing nor caring, we feed them, yet they have no clue we exist. We’re more like God than like mites. read more ...

Jacob watched his father eat. Even blind, he refused help, attacking the haunch with a grin unhidden by his gray beard. Wish he showed that kind of enthusiasm for me. Well, I’ll show him. Someday, he’ll be proud of me, too. Besides, the blessing’s mine. Esau didn’t want it. So, I’m just collecting what’s already mine.

“So, my son, come here and kiss me so that I can bless you,” Isaac said, suddenly setting the stripped bone aside.

Jacob’s forehead popped wet beads. Lowering his voice to his brother’s deeper timber, he replied, “Yes, my father,” as he shuffled forward in the ill-fitting suit. What was that furrow between the old man’s sightless eyes? Did he suspect? Before he could evade, his father embraced him with surprising strength. Isaac said nothing, buried his face in the stolen tunic, and inhaled deeply. Heart pounding in ears, Jacob held his breath. Then, slowly, his father relaxed the iron grip, sighed contentedly, and said, “Ah, the smell of my son …” read more ...

God works on our behalf full-time, not just when:

Life flows badly; we fear the worst; the worst arrives; life flows well; we seek the best; the best arrives; we plead; we act right; we think right; we dream right; we pray; we sacrifice; we give; we love others; we love him; we follow him faithfully; we backslide; we repent; we try hard; we try harder.

God doesn’t:

Get distracted; get overbooked; get confused; get tired; get tired of us; get too busy; get bored; forget us; forget to care; forget to act; forget the time; forget the context; forget the details; lose sight of us; lose us in the crowd; lose interest; have blind spots; have bad days; go on vacation; go somewhere else; go home; go away; go nuts; give up on us. read more ...

In the hangar, he pulled the torque wrench, steadily increasing pressure until it clicked. “250-inch pounds exactly,” he said to himself, confirming both instrument and manual. But deep satisfaction evaporated as he remembered the evangelist’s words, all too clear even in this newly acquired language. His stomach turned again, picturing going door-to-door with the congregation. “Lord,” he implored, looking up, “why did you bring me here?”

Across town, his wife asked her neighbor over tea, “But I don’t understand yet. What finally gave you the courage to turn away from tradition and follow Jesus?” read more ...

At least he wasn’t chained, not that it mattered much. Crashing water punctuated the wind’s constant howl. The deck he lay on slid, jumped, fell, and rose again—sometimes with regular purposeful beat, other times mad and crazy. Paul wasn’t sure how long since he’d eaten. Wonder if there’s anything dry anywhere? Dry? There was an interesting thought. What was dry? Was there anywhere dry, or was the entire universe just a malevolent, bucking gray sea twisted with angry gray sky? He thought he’d been on his way somewhere for some purpose, some really important purpose, but now … read more ...