“For you have been given not only the privilege of trusting in Christ but also the privilege of suffering for him.” (Philippians 1:29, NLT) Contrary to what we would like to believe, bad things really do happen to good people sometimes. This becomes evident as we read the Book of…
Thereafter, Hagar used another name to refer to the LORD, who had spoken to her. She said, “You are the God who sees me.” She also said, “Have I truly seen the One who sees me?” (Genesis 16:13, NLT) Hagar really didn’t have much going for her in life. An Egyptian…
“Rejoice in hope; be patient in affliction; be persistent in prayer.” (Romans 12:12, CSB) When we pray for a need in our life, do we pray once? Twice? Three times? When do we give up? Do we have the persistence to hold on until the answer comes? Is our trust…
“And when the feast was ended, as they were returning, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem. His parents did not know it . . . After three days they found him in the temple, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions.” (Luke 2:43 and 46,…
“Set a guard, O Lord, over my mouth; keep watch over the door of my lips!” (Psalm 141:3, ESV) As I passed a lady in the grocery store aisle, I overheard a snippet of her phone conversation. “Now I’m going to tell you this, but please don’t share it . .…
“For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” (Matthew 6:21, ESV) When I graduated college and began to live on my own, my job paid monthly. As a new grad, I had no real savings and lived in a new city alone. Oh, I also had no…
“You will be enriched in every way to be generous in every way, which through us will produce thanksgiving to God.” (II Corinthians 9:11, ESV) Just a few short verses in Acts 9 tell us the story of Tabitha. Most of us know her as Dorcas. This faithful disciple in…
“Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love.” (I John 4:8, ESV) First impressions are not always correct. I was reminded of this while eating a late lunch in a fast-food restaurant. Just from a quick glance at the clothes and general appearance of a…
“There is that maketh himself rich, yet hath nothing: there is that maketh himself poor, yet hath great riches.” (Proverbs 13:7) The Bible has such a marvelous way of turning its spotlight on a seemingly insignificant event or unknown person to teach us a timeless lesson. Mark 12:41-44 is one…