Pastor's Devotions by Tim Harris

The other day I was in a supermarket when I spotted a woman at a little station giving out free samples. I slowly made my way towards her, trying not to look like I was too excited about the possibility of getting some free food. When I got there she had two different food samples for the customers to taste. One I had no interest in. The other was a fruit and nut mix which was OK. I was, however, hoping for something a little more exciting—maybe a small slice of pizza or a cup of chocolate pudding or some chicken curry! If you’ve been to one of those big wholesale stores where one buys things in bulk, you know that throughout the store there are usually lots of little stations for tasting some of what they are trying to market. In fact, for me that is one of the best parts about going to those stores. Like most people, I love going from station to station tasting all the different foods. Of course they are hoping you like the taste so much that you will crave more—to the point that y

As we’ve watched the news this past week, we have all been saddened and amazed at the destruction that has taken place in Japan. It was bad enough that an earthquake hit the nation, especially one as strong as that which took place. But even worse, so it seems, was the tsunami that followed. (Not to mention the problems with the nuclear power plants.) It was unbelievable to see the ocean move across the land with the force and speed that it did. The waves of the tsunami overwhelmed everything that stood in their way, destroying everything in their path. One news report noted, however, the way in which the waves of the tsunami came far onto the land, but only so far. The report showed how almost a whole neighborhood was destroyed, but beyond a particular point everything else remained standing. It was as if a line had been drawn and the water was told it could go so far and no further. Of course, it most likely had to do with the speed and force of the water combined with the altitude

With all the rain and the melting snow we’ve had this past week, the brooks, rivers, and streams are full and even spilling over their banks, often wreaking havoc on roads and neighborhoods. However, in spite of the difficulties that these roaring rivers cause, they are quite a spectacle to behold. As I passed by the Pascack Brook this morning, it was running at full capacity, no longer looking like a mere brook but like a full-fledged river. During the spring and the summer, my family and I often enjoy taking hikes to places that have brooks, streams and rivers running through them, sometimes even with a waterfall. The fuller the river or stream, the faster the water is running, and the more beautiful it is to watch. I’m reminded of how the prophet Amos used a full and roaring river as a metaphor, as he cried out to God’s people, “But let justice roll on like a river, righteousness like a never-failing stream!” (Amos 5:24 – NIV) The people of Amos’ day had become caught up in th

As of this past weekend, my family and I are temporarily living with Kim’s parents. The bedroom that Kim and I are using has one large window that faces east with an upper pane that has no blinds on it. As you can imagine, as the morning sun rises it shines brightly into our room. And, once the sun gets high enough in the sky, its light floods the whole room completely outshining any lamps that may yet be turned on. I find it interesting that when the room is dark, the lamps in the room seem so effective in lighting up the room. However, once the brighter, more intense light of the morning sun shines in, those very same lamps have little or no affect. The greater light outshines the lesser lights, rendering them useless. It seems to me that in this life we have become quite used to living our lives in the brightness of lots of lesser lights. Our philosophies, achievements, good works all of these are good and bring some light into our world. The pleasures we experience, the relatio