“That is, that we may be mutually encouraged by each other’s faith, both yours and mine.” (Romans 1:12, ESV) I received a text message last week that said, “We need to get tea on the calendar.” I understood the message immediately. It meant we hadn’t talked in a while, and she was ready for some friend time. But with a cup of tea and an hour’s chat we were both ready to face the challenges of a new day. That’s what friends are for. One of my frequent prayers is to thank God for the wonderful friends He has placed…
“And I will give you shepherds after my own heart, who will feed you with knowledge and understanding.” (Jeremiah 3:15, ESV) One of my earliest childhood memories is of the little white country church that sat on a hill not far from our home. It’s been many years, and I was only a toddler, but in that memory, I see a tall (to me at least) man who stood behind a modest pulpit and preached the Word. My first pastor. I was blessed to have godly parents who faithfully attended church and instilled in me a love for God. I was doubly blessed because of the God-fearing pastors, including one lady pastor, who nurtured my faith and watched for my soul. Through the years, these pastors baptized me when I was old enough to understand its significance, drove me to rallies and youth camps, involved me in various church ministries, and later sent me off to Bible college. They prayed over me, advised me, and taught me. They believed in me, loved me, and challenged me. As a child growing up, I never really understood the heavy responsibilities a pastor carries. I did not understand the hours spent studying and…
The LORD said, “I will surely return to you about this time next year, and Sarah your wife shall have a son.” And Sarah was listening at the tent door behind him . . . So Sarah laughed to herself, saying, “After I am worn out, and my lord is old, shall I have pleasure?” (Genesis 18:10, 12 ESV) Sarah laughed. There was no sound—only an inner response to the improbable words she heard. She stood just inside her tent, hidden from the view of the visitor talking with her husband Abraham. Have a baby? At ninety years of age? Yes, once her heart had stirred at God’s promise that she would bear a son. But now? Twenty-five years of waiting had eroded her hope. Her silent laughter came not from joy but from doubt and despair. Sarah has many daughters. Our disappointments are most likely different from hers, but the wait seems so long. Months, even years, may have passed since God whispered words of promise to our heart. Now we wonder, “Did He really say … ? Perhaps I misunderstood. Was it my own desire, not His voice?” Proverbs 13:12 tells us that “Hope deferred makes the heart sick,…
“Many are the plans in the mind of a man, but it is the purpose of the LORD that will stand.” (Proverbs 19:21, ESV) My friend laughs at my list-making and calendar-keeping ways. She does neither. Oh, she sometimes tries to write things down, but just as frequently she forgets to pick up her list as she heads out the door. When she does remember, she will proudly announce, “I have a list!” For the truly structured person, an interrupted schedule can be frustrating. Interruptions will come; that’s just life. When our plans go awry, we can let it irritate us…
“And seek the peace of the city where I have caused you to be carried away captive, and pray to the LORD for it; for in its peace you will have peace.” (Jeremiah 29:7, NKJV) What is your community like? Is it a pleasant place to live? Do you feel safe and secure? Why did you choose to live there? Most of us have a choice about where we will live. Sometimes a new job or other change of circumstance will bring about a move, and then we have decisions to make. Where can I find an affordable, well-kept, and friendly neighborhood? Is the area safe? Is the school district good? How convenient are the stores and services I will need? All these things are important, but covering our city with prayer is vital to peaceful, happy living. The people of Judah did not have an option. They were forcibly removed from their homeland and relocated to a foreign land. After being taken captive by the Babylonian invaders, they were moved hundreds of miles and dropped into unfamiliar surroundings with a different language and culture. How easy it would be to allow despair and defeat to consume them. But God instructed…
“He shrouded himself in darkness, veiling his approach with dark rain clouds.” Psalms 18:11 NLT How often do we believe the lie that God has left us to suffer in our circumstances? That quiet and loneliness must be a sign that God is absent and unaware of our troubles. We often struggle with frustrated thoughts and emotions at what we have to endure in this life, at least I do. In my self-pity it’s so easy to crumble under the pressure, and cry out “Where are you God, and why have You left me?” But what if I intentionally sought Him out in the storm? What if His arrival won’t appear as though I thought it would? I do not know everything, nor do I know what is truly best for me. I understand that His ways are higher than mine, so why do I assume to fathom how He will show up, and work it all out? Psalms 18 tells an intense story of distress and how God responded. It says He covered Himself in darkness and veiled His approach with dark rain clouds. When we see a storm brewing, we automatically assume it will get dark and nasty…