“Let brotherly love continue.” (Hebrews 13:1) When I’ve been out with friends from church, we are sometimes asked the question, “Are you sisters?” We usually just smile and answer, “No, just friends.” It’s amusing because often there is no physical resemblance between any of us, but the onlooker senses some connection they can’t quite define. When asked the “sisters” question, a more accurate answer might be no . . . but also yes. We are not biological sisters; we are sisters in the Lord. That similarity they sense but can’t pinpoint is the spirit of the God we share. His blood connects…
For I, the LORD your God, will hold your right hand, saying to you, ‘Fear not, I will help you.’ (Isaiah 41:13, NKJV) Life can be lonely. When we go through times of trouble, it’s easy to slip into the mindset that we are facing this battle alone. We become convinced that everyone has forgotten us or turned against us. When our world is in disarray, it’s so easy to become despondent and isolate ourselves even more. Here are the stories of three people who struggled with loneliness and distress. KING DAVID We don’t know what was happening in David’s life when he wrote Psalm 25, but we can tell from his words that it was a troubled time for him. He described himself as lonely, afflicted, in distress, and troubled. In his pain, he cried out to the Lord for help. “Turn to me and be gracious to me, for I am lonely and afflicted. The troubles of my heart are enlarged; bring me out of my distresses. Consider my affliction and my trouble, and forgive all my sins.” (Psalm 25:16-18, ESV) ELIJAH, THE PROPHET David wasn’t the only one in the Bible to go through times of loneliness and…
When Jesus heard that, He said, “This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God may be glorified through it.” (John 11:4, NKJV) Not long ago, a friend asked me a difficult question. It may be a question you have been asked or one that you have asked. My friend, who has served God all her life, is experiencing long-term difficulties because of an accident. In her frustration, she asked, “If God saw this was going to happen, why didn’t He stop it?” Have you ever thought something similar? I think most of us have at some point. Even Mary and Martha, who were close friends of Jesus, became distraught when He didn’t show up for them in their time of need. When He did come—four days too late in their opinion—they bluntly accused the Lord, “If You had been here, our brother would not have died.” (Read John 11.) Yes, God is all-powerful. He could if He would, we say. So why does the Lord allow bad things to happen to those He loves and who faithfully serve Him? That’s the age-old question of, “Why do bad things happen to good people?” We all…
Abigail’s story in I Samuel 25:2-42 is brief yet profoundly demonstrates the power we can wield, regardless of our circumstances. The story begins with David and his men hiding from Saul in the wilderness. Abigail is introduced in verse 3 as the wife of Nabal, a wealthy but harsh and foolish man. Her parents likely arranged the marriage, hoping Nabal’s wealth would provide for her and their future children. Abigail is described as intelligent and beautiful. At that time, it was customary for men living off the land to protect local shepherds and their flocks from harm. In return, they…
“The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD, and He delights in his way. Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down; for the LORD upholds him with His hand.” (Psalm 37:23-24, NKJV) I heard an interesting statement this week that caused me to pause and reflect. A speaker stated, “God not only orders our steps, He also orders our stops.” When I think about my own life, I realize this has been true. There were times when the Lord said, “Go.” At other times, He said, “Stop. I’m not ready for you to move in that direction yet.” OUR STEPS How does God order, or establish, our steps? Psalm 119:133 tells us that one way He gives us direction and teaches us how to live righteously is through His Word. “Direct my steps by Your word, and let no iniquity have dominion over me.” (NKJV) For this to happen, we must immerse ourselves in God’s Word. We must know what Scripture says before it can become effective in our lives. Otherwise, we are missing out on the wisdom we need to navigate life’s decisions and difficulties. Within the Word are basic principles that will guide us in…
“Now therefore, O our God, hear the prayer of thy servant, and his supplications, and cause thy face to shine upon thy sanctuary that is desolate, for the Lord’s sake.” Daniel 9:17 KJV “So listen, God, to this determined prayer of your servant. Have mercy on your ruined Sanctuary. Act out of who you are, not out of what we are.” Daniel 9:17 MSG Humanity can be quite a mess at times. We struggle to learn from history and our mistakes. We interject ourselves into situations thinking that we have all the answers—selfishness and ego fuel many of our decisions. We stumble often, dust ourselves off, and try again. It seems to be a constant war between what we should do, and what we decide to do. We do not have to despair today, we know a God that is still moving and working. I am grateful to know that God’s thoughts are not our thoughts, and our ways are not His ways (Isaiah 55:9) I am also thankful that when we need God to step into a situation to do supernatural work, He acts out of who He is and not out of what we are. Here are just…