“Lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled” (Hebrews 12:15). I may be one of those rare people who actually enjoys grocery shopping. You will find me wandering the aisles, reading labels, and looking for new items. I also enjoy the array of fresh fruits and vegetables on display, but I pause before buying high-priced, out-of-season fruit. It does not compare with the aromatic sweetness of locally grown summer fruit. growing sweet fruit Our lives also produce fruit. When we allow our lives to be controlled by the Spirit, that fruit may be sweet,…
“The heart of man plans his way, but the LORD establishes his steps.” (Proverbs 16:9, ESV) One summer a few years ago, I was forced to change my route to work. The city planned to replace a small bridge over a creek. I was not happy; that street was the most direct way to my office. Although it probably only added five minutes to my drivetime, I did not look forward to the change in my morning routine. Detours are inconvenient as we find ourselves traveling in unfamiliar areas. I spent several days trying first one street and then another in my search for the quickest route with the fewest stop signs. I gradually adjusted to the change and soon learned to enjoy my new route. Each day, I checked the progress of an old house being rehabbed and tried to see what had been done since the previous morning. Around another corner, I observed the beautiful landscaping of several yards. On another street I viewed tidy homes with neatly trimmed yards. Soon, instead of impatience, I felt relaxed as I drove my new route. life’s detours Life will sometimes take us on detours as well. All will be going smoothly…
Isaiah 40:31 NIV “But those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.” I’ve always loved the idea of being a runner. I often wondered what it must be like to wake before the rest of the world and step out into a cool, foggy morning with the sole purpose of running. I’ve never experienced what that cool air must feel like as it floods into your lungs. How your muscles must grow weak, yet you push on. I’m more of a walking type of girl. As I was reading the above verse, what stood out to me was the progression from soaring, running, and then walking. I spent a few moments reflecting on my walk with God, and how it has been filled with many highs and many lows. One important lesson I have learned along the way is that seasons change, and with that, my relationship with God may look a little different in each season. To explain further, there are times when I feel as though I can soar to the mountaintop. I feel victorious,…
1 Samuel 17:34-35 NLT “But David persisted. “I have been taking care of my father’s sheep and goats,” he said. “When a lion or a bear comes to steal a lamb from the flock, I go after it with a club and rescue the lamb from its mouth. If the animal turns on me, I catch it by the jaw and club it to death.” I am amazed at how fearless David was. I can visualize David as he spent a normal day tending sheep and suddenly realized that a lion was heading his way with only one intention in…
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…