“The Israelites walked through the sea on dry ground with the waters a wall to the right and to the left. The Egyptians came after them in full pursuit, every horse and chariot and driver of Pharaoh racing into the middle of the sea. It was now the morning watch. God looked down from the Pillar of Fire and Cloud on the Egyptian army and threw them into a panic. He clogged the wheels of their chariots; they were stuck in the mud. The Egyptians said, “Run from Israel! God is fighting on their side and against Egypt!” Exodus 14:22-25 MSG The Israelites were…
“Do not be afraid of the terrors of the night, nor the arrow that flies in the day. Do not dread the disease that stalks in darkness, nor the disaster that strikes at midday. Though a thousand fall at your side, though ten thousand are dying around you, these evils will not touch you.” Psalms 91:5-7 There are so many things to be afraid of. We can all list the more common fears, those being the dark, spiders, heights, germs, and so many more. Fear can paralyze us sometimes, causing our adrenaline to spike but our bodies to remain frozen. Fear is multifaceted, in that it can activate either your fight or flight response. Do you turn and flee when confronted with something that terrifies you, or do you remain stoic and fight? Fear, in and of itself, is not always a bad thing though. When faced with a life-or-death situation, fear can wake reflexes and intuitions that do not function in our day-to-day lives. Your heart begins to pump, adrenaline will shoot through your veins, and unimportant organs for survival will be neglected for the short amount of time needed to escape the situation. It is your body’s natural…
“But you, God, break out laughing; you treat the godless nations like jokes. Strong God, I’m watching you do it, I can always count on you. God in dependable love shows up on time, shows me my enemies in ruin.” Psalms 59:8-10 MSG In moments of suffering and struggle, it can be so challenging to declare that we see God working it out – but that is exactly what faith requires of us. Trusting in God won’t always feel like we are on the mountaintop, admiring the view of victory. Rather, it is more often than not us trudging through the mundane and looking up from the valley, desperately searching for the slightest glimmer of hope. There is beauty to be found in our desperation though, and we can take heart in the act of gazing up from the floor of the valley. Psalms 121:1 gives us some great advice “I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help.” You go where you look. So look up today, set your gaze and mind on things above. You can proclaim, even if you don’t necessarily feel the emotion behind it, that God is strong and that He…
Age is a number. That is all. But it is not just years. It’s moments in time—strung together like beads on a string. The string is not endless. It’s just so many mornings and so many evenings—sunrises and sunsets. It’s so many cups of coffee, pieces of toast, slices of pie—just so many egg rolls, enchiladas, and schnitzels. So many miles driven, steps taken, lawns mowed, weeds pulled, pencils pushed, timecards punched, degrees earned, dishes washed, and loads of laundry. It’s a certain number of log ons and log ins—of books read, letters written, conversations held, questions asked … and…
Have you heard of the “Antiques Roadshow”? My hubby and I try to decide ahead of time if the item that is brought to the appraiser is valuable or not. More often than not, we get it wrong! Sometimes, it’s hard to determine the worth of something without knowing the creator’s name and history. I had a dream a few weeks ago that I had somehow discovered a vase passed down from my mother. In my dream, I was sure that it was a vase from the time of the Ming Dynasty and it would be worth tens of thousands! As I try to remember the details of the dream, I also remember that the year 1948 was mentioned. Of course, that is many centuries later than the Ming Dynasty. But what significance does this year have regarding my mother and my family? In my heart, I felt like the dream had a spiritual meaning. I began to trace the history of when Mom came to know Jesus and have a relationship with him. My siblings are significantly older than I am, so I questioned my sister. She was very young and does not recall that time accurately. We are…
Now behold, an angel of the Lord stood by him, and a light shone in the prison; and he struck Peter on the side and raised him up, saying, “Arise quickly!” And his chains fell off his hands. Then the angel said to him, “Gird yourself and tie on your sandals;” and so he did. And he said to him, “Put on your garment and follow me.” (Acts 12:7-8, NKJV) I’m guessing most of us haven’t been physically struck by an angel of the Lord. Imagine the confusion Peter must have felt! But he rallied well, and when the angel released him from his chains and told him to follow, he did. He immediately went to where they were praying for him to tell them what had just happened. Peter didn’t just walk into the house after his release from prison. He had to knock several times before someone answered the door, and he had to identify himself amidst the door answerer’s disbelief. Then, once he was let in, he had to explain how the angel of the Lord had led him out of prison. They had difficulty believing what they were praying for because it came a different way…