Psalm 146. We have great connections

by slpcenglish

8–14 September 2019. Psalm 146 (click to read). As a foreigner, it’s interesting to see how important guānxì, or good connections, are in Taiwanese culture. There is a lot of wisdom in this. Each of us knows how unstable life can be and how hard it is to get through life’s challenges without the support […]

Psalm 139. God cares for our whole life

by slpcenglish

1–7 September 2019. Psalm 139 (click to read). It can be tempting for us to divide our lives in two, separating our faith lives from everything else and treating these as two different parts. We then tell ourselves that God cares about our faith, about our Sunday lives and worship, but that the rest of […]

Psalm 132. A little love brightens the whole world

by slpcenglish

25–31 August 2019. Psalm 132 (click to read). Doing something nice for someone is rarely easy. Making a special meal for someone we love involves long hours of preparation and cooking. Planning a family holiday means working hard all year, saving money, and not buying the little things we would like for ourselves. In our […]

Psalm 127. God cares for parents

by slpcenglish

18–24 August 2019. Psalm 127 (click to read). Children can be a wonderful blessing. Even though in ancient Israel’s culture people especially valued sons, today we know that all children are worthy of love and can be a great source of joy. But just because children bring blessings and joy, that doesn’t mean raising a […]

Psalm 121. God is always with you

by slpcenglish

11–17 August 2019. Psalm 121 (click to read). Each day brings with it a new set of challenges. There are new obstacles to deal with at work, difficult problems to face at school, and even constant challenges at home. With all of these difficulties, it can feel hard to cope on our own. Often we […]

Psalm 120. The power of words

by slpcenglish

4–10 August 2019. Psalm 120 (click to read). There is a widespread assumption in our society that it is only actions that are really harmful. To raise a hand against others, to hit others, to beat others, to use weapons to kill and cut is terribly wrong and severely punished. But simple words (so the thinking […]

Psalm 118. True loyalty

by slpcenglish

28 July – 3 August 2019. Psalm 118 (click to read). During a recent series of interviews I did with Taiwanese business leaders, I was surprised to find that so many CEOs had exactly the same complaint. One of the biggest problems in Taiwan’s workplaces, they told me, was a lack of company loyalty among […]

Psalm 111. Practicing Gratefulness

by slpcenglish

21–27 July 2019. Psalm 111 (click to read). Psalm 111 begins with a call to “Praise the Lord!”. This isn’t a suggestion or a recommendation, it’s a strong command to all of us. The rest of the psalm then gives us a list of many reasons why the writer personally wants to praise God so […]

Ezekiel 13–14. Did God really say that?

by slpcenglish

30 June – 6 July 2019. Ezekiel 13–14 (click to read). We live in a society where people are free to say whatever they like. And while free speech is a great blessing, it also brings with it a great danger. Out in the world free speech too often means that people, politicians, and leaders just […]

Romans 8:35, 38–39. Drawn into God’s Arms

by slpcenglish

23–29 June 2019. Romans 8:35, 38–39 (click to read). Life isn’t always easy. But take a moment to quietly think back over today, over everything that has happened. Take a moment to think back over yesterday, over this past year, and even over your whole life up to this point: Has anything been causing you […]