Back in 1866, when the founding fathers of Confederation were discussing naming Canada, Sir Samuel Leonard Tilley was reading the Bible one morning. While reading Psalm 72, he was inspired by the words of today's verse. His suggestion that the new nation be named "The Dominion of Canada" was accepted.

Engraved on the walls and appearing in the stained-glass windows of the Parliament Buildings in Ottawa, Ontario, are at least 25 Scripture verses. Over each of the arched exterior windows of the Peace Tower, the following Scriptures from the King James Version are inscribed:

• Over the east window: "He shall have dominion also from sea to sea." (Psalm 72:8)
• Over the south window: "Give the King thy judgments, O God, and thy righteousness unto the King's son." (Psalm 72:1)
• Over the west window: "Where there is no vision, the people perish." (Proverbs 29:18)

As the Evangelical Fellowship of Canada points out:

The largest bell [in the carillon] is the one that is heard ringing in the new hour. Of particular interest is that on this largest bell [is] inscribed … the Scripture verse announcing the birth of Jesus Christ to the shepherds, "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will to men" (Luke 2:14). While politically correct thinking occasionally attempts to dilute the true meaning of Christmas, every hour of every day there is a reminder of the angelic message proclaiming the Messiah's birth. (christianity.ca)

In many legislatures and schools, however, the Bible is now considered hate literature. We live in an anti-Christian political climate, where some people are trying to destroy Christianity and family values, and others are engaging in lawless demonstrations and riots with destruction of property, looting, and setting buildings and businesses on fire. Many of our brothers and sisters around the world live in fear of being persecuted and killed because of their Christian faith. To be caught with a Bible can mean beatings, being sent to a forced-labour camp, or death. Many governments throughout the world have dictators who do not want religion to influence their country. Many people fear what lies ahead of us, so we need to turn to the Lord with our prayers for all nations and all of God's people in all corners of this world and seek Him to help us through these troubling times.

Let us turn to our Bibles and be inspired by God's words.

Psalm 56:3-4 – But when I am afraid, I will put my trust in you. I praise God for what he has promised. I trust in God, so why should I be afraid? What can mere mortals do to me? (NLT)

Prayer: Most gracious Father, we pray that all nations throughout this world would come to respect the values and message of the Bible, just as the wise leaders did who brought together the Dominion of Canada from sea to sea. We pray that You would put a stop to the killing and persecution of Christians all over this world. In Jesus' name, we pray. Amen.

In 1984, my wife Dana had headaches so bad that some days she could not walk upstairs to the bedroom. These headaches came and went for about two years until the pain was so extreme that she had tests done to see if she had brain cancer. Dana prayed to the Lord for help. A suggestion to see a chiropractor who was a Christian turned into a 30-year friendship. At her first appointment, he identified two pinched nerves in her neck, and his treatment helped to alleviate the pain.

Another time, Dana had a lump in her breast. After a number of visits with specialists, they decided to remove this lump. Dana asked our pastor to organize the elders to come together and pray over her while being anointed with oil in the name of the Lord. After an exhaustive scanning at the hospital, there was no lump to be found. The doctor said, "I do not understand this." My wife informed him of the prayers and laying on of hands at church, and the doctor said, "It does not happen like that."

After having knee surgery, Dana was left with a blood clot, and the specialists set a date to remove it. Once again, Dana requested the elders to pray over her as the pastor anointed her with oil in the name of the Lord at our Sunday worship service. At the hospital, they scanned and scanned using ultrasound, but they could not find the blood clot. The doctor was puzzled and said that he did not have the answer. Dana explained the church service on Sunday and how they had laying on of hands and anointing with oil in the name of the Lord. Once again, the doctor said, "It just doesn't happen that way." Dana had faith, believed in the Lord, turned to God's Scripture for help, and her prayers were answered. God bless our Lord!

Three times, my wife put faith into practice, in obedience calling for the elders to anoint her and to pray; three times God's gracious mercy in healing was manifested and received. "Three times" the apostle Paul sought God's healing for his "thorn in the flesh", but instead was assured, "My grace is sufficient for you." (2 Corinthians 12:8-9 NIV)

Let us embrace the whole counsel of God. James calls us to faith and obedience and promises God's blessing of healing. Paul reminds us, "In view of God's mercy … offer your bodies as living sacrifices … be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer … rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn." (Romans 12:1,12,15 NIV)

Prayer: Heavenly Father, we have a great desire that You would bless us and heal us. May our faith be strong, and may we not be afraid to turn to You for the help that we need. In Jesus' name, we pray. Amen.

A call from the garage, however, informed me that it needed a few more things that would cost $1,500 plus safety check, plus tax. I gave them the go-ahead to fix everything that was needed.

The next day, however, the vehicle would not start. Only a GMC service provider with the correct passcode had the right to get it started. Now, it required a tow truck to take it to the dealership. The diagnosis was $499, the rear differential clutch module was $599, and the labour to replace the clutch module and set up the programmed module was $625. Wow! Now, my bill was $3,519.88.

Some people advised me that I was selling the car too cheaply, and that because of the high cost of repairs, I should charge more for the vehicle. They said, "Just explain what it cost you for repairs."

I believe that God has a way of educating us through real-life experiences. What I learned from this occurrence is that when I upgrade a vehicle and want to sell the old one, I should get a safety check done before I commit to a selling price.

I had made a commitment through my spoken words. I agreed to a price and said that it would be certified roadworthy. My word means more to me than trying to make excuses about why I should charge more for the vehicle.

I believe that Christians need to act like God, for "the word of our God stands forever" (Isaiah 40:8b NKJV) and "the entirety of Your word is truth" (Psalm 119:160 NKJV) The Bible is God's Word. His instructions never change, and His promises are never broken. Have faith in His Word and obey it. Treasure the Lord's Word, "for the word of God will never fail." (Luke 1:37 NLT)

How many times have we made promises to our children and had to break them? Before we make any promise, we need to consider carefully the consequences of not living up to our word.

People judge us — and our Christian faith — based on the truth of our word. The words that we speak are indications of our character. Can we be depended upon to do as we say?

Prayer: Dear heavenly Father, remind us always to live by our word. Give us the wisdom to think it through before making a promise, and give us the strength to carry through. Thank You that Your inspired words in the Bible can guide us to a better life. May we listen carefully to Your instructions and teachings and be guided by Your Word. May we keep Your Word close to our hearts. In Jesus' name, we pray. Amen.

Years ago, a company in Kitchener, Ontario, Canada, was in full operation making cookies, but within the first hour of start-up, there was a fire on the production line.

The company shut down the production line and sent home over 100 employees. The position of the company was that the fire was an "Act of God", and that the employees would not be paid a minimum of four hours' pay.

The union filed a grievance, claiming that all employees sent home should receive pay as per the collective agreement.

An arbitrator was appointed, and the union's position was, "Don't blame God when it's not His fault."

The evidence showed that a valve was not in the right position, causing the fire. A witness testified to seeing a supervisor turning this valve, putting the valve in the wrong position.

The arbitrator ruled that the fire was not caused by an "Act of God" and that the employees sent home should be paid a minimum of four hours' pay.

How many times people blame God for things going wrong in their lives! When Job was going through severe trials and tribulations, did he blame God? No!

When we lose and suffer in this life, we need to learn to be more like Job, who worshipped God and said, "The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord." (Job 1:21b NKJV)

We should use adversity in life to cherish God more, knowing that God is in control of all situations and that all things work together for good. Instead of looking for every excuse to blame Him, let us trust in Him at all times.

When we stop trusting God, we will start to harbour bitterness in our hearts toward Him and question His goodness. Let us never give up on God, because He has never given up on us.

When bad things happen, even if it's our own fault, let us use the circumstances to grow as Christians. God has promised that He will work in our lives and help us through trials as Christians, and He will do just that. Let's not just tell God that we're going to trust Him; let's actually do it!

Proverbs 19:3 – People ruin their lives by their own foolishness and then are angry at the Lord. (NLT)

Galatians 6:5 – For we are each responsible for our own conduct. (NLT)

Prayer: Heavenly Father, when things do not always go right, may we not blame You, but instead, give us the strength to accept our responsibility and pray to You for Your help through our trials and tribulations. In Jesus' name, we pray. Amen.

The phone rang, and when dad answered it, he was knocked to the ground by the electrical surge through the phone lines caused by the lightning. Dad said that he lay there a short time, and when he got up and tried to put the phone back on the hook, he got another powerful jolt which threw him backwards and knocked him to the ground again.

I remember mom telling us to sit on the couch and stay away from the windows. As I huddled on the couch with my older sister and brother, I remember crying and being so scared. Meanwhile, mom kept looking out the window worrying why my dad had not come to the house, when suddenly, she saw my dad crawling on his hands and knees towards the house. Mom yelled instructions to my older sister to keep us all on the couch, and she ran to help my dad get into the house. I remember my dad lying on the kitchen floor and some volunteer fire fighters being there helping my dad. I worried that he might die, but he recovered.

Job 37:3-4a – He unleashes his lightning beneath the whole heaven and sends it to the ends of the earth. After that comes the sound of his roar; he thunders with his majestic voice. (NIV)

When I was married with two wonderful girls, and we would get a storm in the middle of the night, I would get out of bed and get dressed in case lightning struck our house, so that I was ready to get everybody into the car if necessary.

All those years ago, I don't remember praying, but now, I have no problem, as I have learned to pray in all circumstances, for all things, and for all people. Yes, I had a fear of the power of the storm. Now, with the Lord in my life, I realize that I can seek comfort by counting on His protection for now and eternity.

Job 37:5 – God's voice thunders in marvelous ways; he does great things beyond our understanding. (NIV)

Let none be afraid to go to the Lord when a storm is coming and is all around, either physically or spiritually. Let us seek the Lord when we are having troubling times in life. Let us not sit on the couch and do nothing! Instead, let us turn to prayer, and ask God for help.

Prayer: Dear heavenly Father, when the storms of life are all around us, give us strength and protect us. May we turn to You and seek You in prayer. Amen.

At any time, the contestants could tap out by calling on a special phone and saying that they had had enough. Only one contestant, named Roland, made it to 100 days. Roland said that he now realized that he should spend more time with his family and appreciate them.

Mental weakness started to sap contestants of their strength, as on many days they fought off hunger pangs, very cold weather, and fear of dangerous animals like bears, wolves, and wolverines. Contestants missed their spouses, children, and parents.

The time and solitude with no one around to visit or talk to made contestants relive memories of what they were missing out on, back home.

Each contestant was trying this challenge to win the money, as they longed to make a better life for their families. Some contestants soon realized, however, that it was not the prize money of one million dollars that was the most important thing, but that they needed to get home and be with their families. It is not good to be alone.

Genesis 2:18 – Then the Lord God said, "It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper who is just right for him." (NLT)

Sometimes, when I went golfing or was going for a walk, somebody would comment, "I saw you were walking by yourself", or "I see you were golfing alone." My answer was, "No, I was not alone — God was with me." God is always with us, and we can talk to Him at any time.

Matthew 14:23 – After sending them home, [Jesus] went up into the hills by himself to pray. Night fell while he was there alone. (NLT)

When Jesus wanted to get away from the disciples or the crowds that were following Him, it was not to be alone, but to be with God. Jesus always used this time to pray and talk with God.

Matthew 6:6 – When you pray, go into a room alone and close the door. Pray to your Father in private. He knows what is done in private, and he will reward you. (CEV)

Go into that special place, close the door, listen to His voice, and seek His wisdom. Go for that walk, clear your mind, and talk to your Lord. You never need to be alone.

Prayer: Dear heavenly Father, may no one ever feel alone. When we go for a walk, may we open up to You and express the desires of our hearts. Thank You for spending time with us and hearing our prayers. Amen.

As I talk to others about their marriages, they say that it is the small things that either keep them together or end the marriage. A few poorly chosen words can make a spouse's mind spiral out of control, and voices can be raised. Sometimes, when blood pressures lower, each one tries to explain what they meant by what they said, as opposed to what the other one heard. Many times, a quick reaction was brought on by one partner thinking that the other meant something a certain way, only to find out differently when they explained what they meant. Then, they feel sorry for their reaction. It is the little things that mean a lot.

Little things — be they gestures, actions, or words — are the many small things that are natural expressions of our hearts. They are not always the result of preplanning but are spontaneous expressions of what we feel moved to do or say.

For years up to age 20, I used to play touch tag with my father. I would sneak up on him, touch him, and say, "Tag! You're it!" then run upstairs to bed. Many times, my father would wait until I was in bed, when he would come up and tag me. This may seem like a little thing to you, but it meant a lot to both my dad and me.

After 49 years of marriage, my wife and I still play touch tag with each other.

Little things mean a lot in a marriage to show our love, like blowing a kiss, writing a short "I love you!" note, or making a short phone call to say, "I love you!"

If we pay attention to the little things in the lives of our families, friends, and business associates, we cannot help but make a positive impact on all of them.

There is an old Gospel song by Kittie L. Suffield:

Little is much when God is in it!
Labor not for wealth or fame;
There's a crown, and you can win it,
If you go in Jesus' name.

I think that this song captures the essence of what Jesus was trying to say in His parables concerning the kingdom of heaven. Little is much when God is in it!

Prayer: Dear heavenly Father, show us how the little things in life can mean a lot. Give us love and patience with our loved ones. May we use words to express our love so that we can overcome hurtful words or words that hurt because we misunderstand them. We seek Your strength to help, O Lord. In Jesus' name, we pray. Amen.