“Those who live in the shelter of the Most High will find rest in the shadow of the Almighty. This I declare about the Lord: He alone is my refuge, my place of safety; he is my God, and I trust Him.” Psalms 91:1-2 There have been countless times in moments of anxiety and worry that I have clung to these words “He alone is my refuge, my place of safety; he is my God, and I trust Him.” I have declared these statements over tragedy and loss, and I have whispered them through tears while struggling to believe them…
“But don’t be upset, and don’t be angry with yourselves for selling me to this place. It was God who sent me here ahead of you to preserve your lives. This famine that has ravaged the land for two years will last five more years, and there will be neither plowing nor harvesting. God has sent me ahead of you to keep you and your families alive and to preserve many survivors.” Genesis 45:5-7 I have always been fascinated by the story of Joseph. Things started great for him in life, but quickly took a turn for the worst. How awful it must have been, and how betrayed he must have felt to be sold as a slave by his brothers. The very ones who should have had his back and loved him the most became those who would hurt him the most. He endured countless hardships, from false accusations to years in a jail cell. He was forgotten, betrayed, and lied about. He is finally reunited with his brothers (who were unaware of who he was at first) and could have exacted his revenge on them by turning them away and sealing their fate to die of starvation. Instead,…
“But don’t just listen to God’s word. You must do what it says. Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves.” James 1:22 NLT I have two young children, so speaking to them and not truly being heard is a frequent occurrence in my home. They are busy, active children who have their minds set on their current task and anything beyond that is unimportant. Usually, I have to fight for their attention, just to be sure that they have indeed heard the words I spoke. Sometimes I’m guilty of doing the same thing. I can walk away from people having not genuinely retained anything from our conversation. I’m either distracted, exhausted, or watching my children in the background, which can make it difficult to listen and truly participate in what is being said. I’m following a bible reading plan for the year, as I’m sure many of you are too. It can become just another item to check off the to-do list though, just one more task to complete. The sad reality of “scrolling” through The Word is that it just isn’t sufficient, there has to be more. I can read through my assigned chapters for the day, but if I’m…
“Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children. And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.” Ephesians 5:1-2 ESV I have a young daughter who used to love to mimic people. If you laughed, she would laugh. If you made a silly face, she would make a silly face. If you clapped, she clapped. Watching her as she learned new things just by watching others was comical. We like to follow. Yes, there are people with leadership qualities, but everyone follows the example of someone else. It’s…
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take.” Proverbs 3:5-6 How often have you cried in frustration “I just don’t understand!” I’ve done it plenty of times, especially when my life wasn’t turning out how I thought it would. When I miscarried the first time, then the second time, and especially the third time. When my heart hurt so badly I wasn’t sure it would ever heal. I’m sure you have your memories flooding your mind right now of times when you cried out “I just don’t understand God!” This verse tells us not to depend on our understanding – and I’m so thankful for that. I do not know the end from the beginning, but my God does. I have no idea what tomorrow will hold, but he has already walked my tomorrow before me. He will show us which path to take if we seek his will in all we do. We can feel and experience peace in knowing which direction to take, even if it does not make perfect sense at that moment. God…
“Jesus knew that the Father had given him authority over everything and that he had come from God and would return to God. So he got up from the table, took off his robe, wrapped a towel around his waist, and poured water into a basin. Then he began to wash the disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel he had around him.” John 13:3-5 NLT Jesus was and still is the ultimate example of a true servant. As I have read through the gospels, I feel that God has been reminding me of this foundational truth – that to be an authentic follower of Christ, you must have a servant’s heart. Jesus knew that Judas had already been prompted to betray him and that this would be his last chance to be with all of his disciples before things dramatically changed. Jesus stood from the table, removed his robe, and wrapped a towel around his waist. This towel was essentially an apron that a servant typically wore, and to us, it does not seem fitting for a King to wear. Yet Jesus humbled himself and washed his disciple’s feet, even Judas. The very one who had it already in his mind…