The LORD your God is with you, the Mighty Warrior who saves. He will take great delight in you; in his love he will no longer rebuke you, but will rejoice over you with singing. Zephaniah 3:17. One of the most beautiful moments I will forever cherish as a mom is when I can soothe my daughter or son’s crying by picking them up, and whispering, “mommy is here.” As I hold them close, they will melt into me, their breathing will slow down, and their heart rates will regulate. They feel secure in my embrace as I quietly sing…
Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path. Psalm 119:105 I remember the exact moment when I finished reading though the Bible for the first time. I was in my second year at Bible College and I was snuggled in bed. Up to this point I had tried to finish reading my Bible through in a year, but without success. However, something shifted in me when I became resolute to know God more, I became addicted to reading the Bible every chance I had. The moment I checked off the last box in my Bread Calendar, I felt as if I had just finished running an Olympic Marathon. I was elated beyond words! Do you know that feeling of butterflies you get when you fall in love? Well, that is exactly how I felt. I fell madly deeply in love with God and the love letters He wrote for me. I remember taking my Bible, hugging it and telling God, “Thank you for Your Words of life.” Falling In Love Ever since that moment, I have fallen more in love with God and His word. The Bible is unsearchable—it will always have something fresh for…
“He (Elkanah) had two wives; one was called Hannah and the other Peninnah. Peninnah had children, but Hannah had none.” 1 Samuel 1:2 Hannah was set apart, but not in a way anyone would desire. Being barren during this era was a disgrace upon women and considered a divine judgment from God. Her society viewed her as an unfit wife and misunderstood her predicament as God’s disapproval rather than seeing the panoramic view of God’s master plan. “In her deep anguish Hannah prayed to the Lord, weeping bitterly. And she made a vow, saying, “Lord Almighty, if you will only look on your servant’s misery and remember me, and not forget your servant but give her a son, then I will give him to the Lord for all the days of his life, and no razor will ever be used on his head.” 1 Samuel 1:10-11 There may be an impossible situation that you are facing right now and you have been weeping bitterly before God. You’re heart may feel like it’s in a million pieces and it seems impossible to ever feel whole again. But, God Is Able I know a God who can pick up the pieces of…
Some friendships can shake our world because we realize their motives were not pure. Even King David encountered false friendships like this in the Old Testament. He writes, “It is not an enemy who taunts me, I could bear that… Instead, it is you—my equal, my companion and close friend. What good fellowship we once enjoyed as we walked together to the house of God… His words are as smooth as butter, but war was in his heart.” Psalm 55:12-14, 21, NLT. I have experienced the unfortunate displeasure of having a friend pulverize my confidence. In the beginning of this particular friendship…
“Create in me a clean heart, O God, And renew a right spirit within me. Cast me not away from thy presence; and take not thy holy Spirit from me. Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free spirit.” Psalm 51:10-12 Renew – Restore – Uphold. These three words are lavished with peace and power. Do you remember how excited you were when you started living for God? I was fifteen-years-old when I received the Holy Ghost and I told everyone I could about the love of God; my friends, the barista at Starbucks, people waiting at the bus terminal … everyone! Over the years my excitement has been ignited and quenched. The fire that once blazed vibrant in my life has been stomped out by people’s opinions, criticisms, and even by my own insecurities and sin. My once effervescent passion for God has been tainted by the everyday happenings of life. Have you been there before? Maybe you are at this place right now. If you feel like you have lost your fervent adoration for God, there is hope. I encourage you to read and pray Psalm 51 out loud—God is able to…
And Jesus, looking at him, loved him, and said to him, “You lack one thing: go, sell all that you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.” Disheartened by the saying, he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions. (Mark 10:21-22, ESV) By the world’s standards, I am not a wealthy person. I do, however, feel very blessed as I consider how God supplies my daily needs. I have housing, food, transportation, and money to pay my bills. God is good to me, and I am content. Most of us are more blessed than we even realize. As I began reading the story of the rich young ruler, several questions flashed through my mind. My first thought was, “Isn’t that an extreme request by the Lord? Why would He ask that young man to give everything away? Can we not serve God if we are rich?” The longer pondered the story, I thought perhaps this isn’t really about money as much as the attitude of our heart—how we feel about our material possessions. What I do know is that the young man chose money over discipleship and turned away…