“Now therefore, O our God, hear the prayer of thy servant, and his supplications, and cause thy face to shine upon thy sanctuary that is desolate, for the Lord’s sake.” Daniel 9:17 KJV “So listen, God, to this determined prayer of your servant. Have mercy on your ruined Sanctuary. Act out of who you are, not out of what we are.” Daniel 9:17 MSG Humanity can be quite a mess at times. We struggle to learn from history and our mistakes. We interject ourselves into situations thinking that we have all the answers—selfishness and ego fuel many of our decisions.…
“Be patient, therefore, brothers, until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, being patient about it, until it receives the early and the late rains. You also, be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand.” James 5:7-8 ESV It’s important to know your strengths and weaknesses. For example, I do not know how to build a house. The best I can do is possibly, more than likely not, hang a picture on the wall. My husband would testify to this and show multiple holes in the…
“Who is wise and understanding among you? By his good conduct let him show his works in the meekness of wisdom. But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast and be false to the truth. ” James 3:13-14 ESV What are we seeking after? What does your heart desire? Is it status and position? Is it accolades and praise of men? Do we desire power and authority? C.S. Lewis writes, “Something deep in the human heart breaks at the thought of a life of mediocrity.” While there is nothing wrong with despairing at the thought…
“Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.” James 1:2-4 ESV I’ll be honest: something was stirred up when I read the word “steadfastness” in the above scripture. It was not righteous indignation, nor was it steadfastness itself. My flesh revolted against God asking me to be joyful in trials. In case you haven’t picked up on it, finding joy in life’s lowest moments is not something that I excel in. To…
“And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:7 ESV I’ve always had big feelings and emotions. I have also been blessed with a very active imagination to accompany my feelings and emotions. You can only begin to imagine the wild stories I have conjured up in my mind over the years. I also grew up in a generation that loves inspirational quotes, one being “Follow your heart.” As a young woman, I was fed this lie repeatedly in the form of literature, media, music, and pop culture.…
“And it came to pass, when the vessels were full, that she said unto her son, Bring me yet a vessel. And he said unto her, There is not a vessel more. And the oil stayed. Then she came and told the man of God. And he said, Go, sell the oil, and pay thy debt, and live thou and thy children of the rest.” 2 Kings 4:7 The woman in the above story was a widow who fell into financial trouble after her husband’s passing. When Elisha passes by she calls out to him that her husband is dead,…