“And the king appointed them a daily provision of the king’s meat, and of the wine which he drank… Now among these were of the children of Judah, Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah: Unto whom the prince of the eunuchs gave names…” (Daniel 1:5–7, KJV). “Be on guard. Stand firm in the faith. Be courageous. Be strong” (First Corinthians 16:13, NLT). Most of us know the story of Daniel—the young man taken captive to Babylon and chosen to serve in King Nebuchadnezzar’s royal court. Far from home and surrounded by a foreign language, strange customs, and idol worship, Daniel and…
“I will instruct thee and teach thee in the way which thou shalt go: I will guide thee with mine eye” (Psalm 32:8, KJV). “The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord: and he delighteth in his way. Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down: for the Lord upholdeth him with his hand” (Psalm 37:23–24). Finding Direction in a Lost World In a world filled with complexity, shifting values, and uncertain choices, we all long for direction—something steady to help us navigate life’s crossroads. Sailors depend on a compass to cross uncharted seas. Pilots rely on instruments that align them with true north. In the same way, believers need a spiritual guide that keeps us from drifting off course. God’s Word is that compass. His Spirit is the true north of our souls. When we surrender to His guidance, He gently aligns our hearts to His will, even when we feel lost. Throughout Scripture, we see God’s divine navigation at work. His compass guided Noah to build an ark in a corrupt world, led Moses through the wilderness, and directed the disciples to preach salvation to all nations. The same guiding presence that ordered…
Prayer affects all aspects of our lives; therefore, Scripture admonishes us to pray without ceasing. Jesus declared, “I desire that my people commune with me. They with me and I with them.” Communication The primary purpose of prayer is to commune with God. Commune means to focus on Him, to converse frequently with earnest vigor, and to engage in intimate communication marked by trust and respect. Psalm 145:18 affirms this truth: “The Lord is nigh unto all them that call upon him, to all that call upon him in truth.” God desires that we commune with Him regarding the plans He has for our lives. When we seek God regarding His will for the children with whom He has blessed us, we acknowledge that we are stewards of His heritage. Therefore, we commune with Him and submit to His will for their lives. It is easy to imagine what or who we want our children to become. However, it is imperative that we pray, not my will, but “Thy will be done in earth as it is in heaven.” Jeremiah 33:3 declares, “Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and show thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not.” Relationship…
Living here in Canada, we have a famous coffee shop that many Canadians visit daily: Tim Hortons. Because of its popularity, it’s not unusual to see this chain referenced online. One meme in particular caught my eye. It said, “In Canada, we don’t say ‘I love you.’ We say, ‘Goin’ to Tim’s, want anything?’ and it means the same thing.” It gave me a chuckle, but also resonated with me. How I say “I love you” isn’t always by vocalizing those three little words. Early in our marriage, my husband and I set some boundaries based on the principle of…
I grew up as a self-professed “daddy’s girl.” In my eyes, he was bigger than life. He wasn’t a large man by most standards, maybe 5 feet 10 inches tall, medium build, probably pretty average by most measures—but to me, he was my hero and a giant. I feel blessed that even as I grew up, through my teen years and beyond, he remained a constant in my life and someone I continued to admire and turn to for answers to life’s complex questions. But sometimes, in certain situations, familiarity breeds contempt. We often don’t value enough those who are closest to us. We can take for granted that they will always be there, or even discount their opinions or advice in favor of outside influences. God Himself came in flesh to earth, but because He was familiar—Mary and Joseph’s son, James’ brother—He was unable to do any great works in Nazareth, aside from healing a few sick people. They were skeptical and unable to believe Him for the miracles, signs, and wonders He wanted to perform among them. I have an interesting question for you today: Do you keep God in a box? God is infinite and beyond our…
When I sit down to read my Bible, I am not simply spending a dutiful fifteen minutes. Instead, I am on a treasure hunt. With a pencil or highlighter in hand, I read with anticipation, waiting for something to speak to my spirit. Underlining or highlighting those words makes the experience more personal and helps etch them in my heart. This small action trains me to expect discovery—to uncover the nuggets of truth that the Word of God is so rich with. This process came to mind recently as I listened to our administrative assistant address our team. Nastasia shared that, in her role in upper management, she tries not to focus solely on what needs correction—though that is certainly part of her job. Instead, she intentionally looks for what is going well and for reasons to celebrate. She encouraged us to always have something to celebrate. As someone who is usually looking for a reason to throw a party, I quickly embraced that concept. I decided this year I would look for the good. With “highlighter” in hand, I want to anticipate what God has for me this year. I am convinced that we too often miss the joys found…