Futility

Athaliah’s Evil Reign in Judah

Shifting to the events in Judah we find Athaliah, the daughter of Ahab and Jezebel in control. She came to Judah in a marriage alliance, and established a power base during her husband Jehoram’s role and continued to hold this power during the brief reign of her son, Ahazi …

Why is Life so Hard?

In this chapter Job talks to God about the seeming futility of his life. He questions as to why God should keep him alive. What is all this suffering accomplishing? Job says, “If I am a great sinner, either pardon my sins or take my life. Either way I will find some pe …

IllustrationMan Who Found His Watch in The Sawdust

Before refrigerators, people used ice houses to preserve their food. In winter, when lakes were frozen, large blocks of ice were cut, hauled to the ice houses, and covered with sawdust. One man lost a valuable watch while working in an ice house. He searched for it, carefully rak …

IllustrationA Thief Risks His Life to Steal Money Where There is None

One night a thief broke into the single-room apartment of French novelist Honore de Balzac. Trying to avoid waking Balzac, the intruder quietly picked the lock on the writer’s desk. Suddenly the silence was broken by a sardonic laugh from the bed, where Balzac lay wa …