“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.” (Matthew 5:6, ESV) It’s January, the beginning of a fresh new year. For many, it’s a time to reflect and reset. Some make resolutions while others set spiritual goals. Many start a new Bible reading chart, ready to check off the passages read each day. While some do carry through in their determination to “read more, pray more, and do more,” others grow overwhelmed by the fast pace of everyday life and falter in their goals. I think all of us desire to draw closer to…
“And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns.” Philippians 1:6 God began his work in my life the moment I was conceived. He continued to work in my life while I ran from him, turning a deaf ear to his whispers. He was working in my life when I faced heartbreak, loss, and suffering. He was also working when I was succeeding and prospering. God started the work, and I have seen repeatedly that He will also finish it. The scripture above tells us that his work in us won’t be finished until he returns. That means there’s always today and tomorrow to allow him to do something incredible in your life. His plan and purpose for our lives are perfect. He knows best, and he only wants what is best for us. Allow him to work in your life today. Allow him to create something new in you, to heal and restore. Surrender your past and take a step forward today, His grace is enough. Prayer: God, I give you all of me today, take every part of…
“But when they saw him walking on the water, they cried out in terror, thinking he was a ghost. They were all terrified when they saw him.” Mark 6:49-50 NLT In this story found in Mark, we can see that the disciples are in quite a predicament. To understand how they ended up there we must go back in time. John the Baptist had just been beheaded and the disciples had buried his body. The disciples then told Jesus what had happened to his beloved cousin. Upon hearing the news, Jesus left the group to spend time alone. Upon arriving at his destination, Jesus sees a crowd gathering and begins to minister. Come evening, the disciples realized that they had no means of feeding the multitude so they suggested to Jesus that they send them on their way so they can find food for themselves. We know after this that Jesus performed a miracle, feeding a crowd of 5,000 with only 5 loaves of bread and 2 fish. Afterward, Jesus sends the disciples on their way so that he may attempt to spend time alone again. While far from land, the disciples encounter a storm and find themselves battling strong winds…
In Exodus 25, God instructed the Israelites to build the Ark of the Covenant to house within the Tabernacle during their time in the wilderness. He provided detailed instructions for constructing the Ark: Here are the specifications: Two and a half cubits in length One and a half cubits in width One and a half cubits in height (a cubit is about eighteen inches) Overlayed inside and outside with gold Rings on each side for the staves—wooden rods used to carry the Ark The mercy seat sat on top, and two cherubim covered the mercy seat with their wings These…
“Better is the end of a thing than its beginning, and the patient in spirit is better than the proud in spirit.” Ecclesiastes 7:8 ESV Growing up, I understood pride to fall into one category, vanity. To me, pride was to look in the mirror and admire your beauty, intelligence, and strength. I’ve learned, though, that pride is a tricky thing and usually shows up in ways less subtle than staring into a mirror. One example of the subtly of pride is the belief that we know more about our lives than God does, and because of this, we disregard His timing. C.S. Lewis wrote this concerning pride, “According to Christian teachers, the essential vice, the utmost evil, is Pride. Unchastity, anger, greed, drunkenness, and all that, are mere flea bites in comparison: it was through Pride that the devil became the devil: Pride leads to every other vice: it is the complete anti-God state of mind…” The above scripture reads “The patient in spirit is better than the proud in spirit.” To be patient in spirit is to trust that God’s plan is perfect and His timing is absolute. We tend to get ahead of ourselves, trusting in our understanding…
“Then the Assyrian king’s chief of staff told them to give this message to Hezekiah: “This is what the great king of Assyria says: What are you trusting in that makes you so confident?” 2 Kings 18:19 NLT As I read this chapter of 2 Kings, this verse stood out to me. The Assyrian king spent a lot of time mocking and taunting Hezekiah and no matter what price Hezekiah offered to pay, it was never enough. Another battle was just on the horizon. The question is then posed to Hezekiah “What are you trusting in that makes you so confident?” What would your response be if someone asked you that same question? Would you boldly and honestly say God? Perhaps something or someone has taken His place in your life, and your answer would not be Him. We can easily become distracted and place our trust in earthly things such as finances, our career, or even our spouse. God is the only one we can ever truly trust our future with. He is always working on your behalf, He loves you with everlasting love and His mercies are new every morning. God knows the end from the beginning and…