Jeremiah 33:25 “But this is what the Lord says: I would no more reject my people than I would change my laws that govern night and day, earth and sky.” I have always thought I understood what love was, but once I had my first daughter, I quickly realized that I knew very little about unconditional love. I adore my two sweet girls, but they wreck me. Ask anyone who knows me, when I start talking about my girls, I usually end up crying happy tears. When I read this verse, I was struck by just how much God loves us. We are infinitely loved by a God who is always pursuing us, even when we deserve it the least. It doesn’t matter what you have done in this life; He adores you. He wants a relationship with you. His love for you will never change. I saw a quote on social media that said, “He’s an ‘I don’t care how far you’ve run just come home’ kind of God.” If only we could fully grasp how Jesus feels about us. We are His daughters! If you have wandered farther than you wanted to, He is still as close as…

I told them how the hand of my God had been favorable to me and also about the king’s words which he had spoken to me. Then they said, “Let us arise and build.” So they put their hands to the good work. Nehemiah 2:18 NASB To better understand how Nehemiah arrived at this moment, we must first go back in time. We read in 2 Kings 25:1 how “Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon marched against Jerusalem with his whole army.” What follows in the coming days would lead to the destruction of Jerusalem and leave many of its people dead or in exile.  2 Kings 25:21 conveys the stark reality of what had transpired. “…So Judah went into captivity, away from her land.” Decades later, we arrive at the story of a man named Nehemiah. Nehemiah asks Hanani about the state of Jerusalem and how those who had survived are doing. And they said to me, “The remnant there in the province who had survived the exile is in great trouble and shame. The wall of Jerusalem is broken down, and its gates are destroyed by fire.” Nehemiah 1:3 ESV Nehemiah was immediately moved to tears. He spent the next days weeping, mourning, praying, and…

When the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he said to himself, “If this man were a prophet, he would know who is touching him and what kind of woman she is—that she is a sinner.” Jesus answered him, “Simon, I have something to tell you.” Luke 7:39-40 ESV In this story, we find that a Pharisee has invited Jesus to his home to share a meal. I’m unsure of the motive behind this, as Pharisees often attempted to trick and trip up Jesus; however, an invitation was extended, and Jesus accepted. While there, a local woman learned this gathering was happening and invited herself, along with a gift: an expensive alabaster jar of perfume. Many of us know the story, as Mary – “stood behind him at his feet weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears. Then she wiped them with her hair, kissed them and poured perfume on them.” (Luke 7:38) The Pharisee who invited Jesus to his home began to think to himself, “If this man were a prophet, he would know who is touching him and what kind of woman she is—that she is a sinner.” (Luke 7:39) Jesus, knowing the thoughts of the…

Jeremiah 31:21 MSG “Set up signposts to mark your trip home. Get a good map. Study the road conditions. The road out is the road back.” I’m a big planner, and I like to be prepared for any scenario when we travel. We don’t go too far from home because the unexpected can be too daunting. But when we do take a trip, I have multiple to-do lists that I start weeks/months before we ever leave. When you take a trip, not many people plan for the journey home, assuming it’s the same as the way there. On your travels, you usually take notice of landmarks, signs, and rest stops as you follow the map. Perhaps you’re old-school and have a good old-fashioned paper map, or maybe you pull up the map app on your phone and listen to the voice telling you when to turn right. You pay attention to curves, hills, and potholes as you navigate new roads on your journey. You’re prepared, and you know the way to go. Doesn’t that sound just like the journey we are all taking called life? We are always faced with new paths to take, and the terrain is usually unfamiliar…