“By humility and the fear of the Lord are riches, and honor, and life.” (Proverbs 22:4) During your school years, you could probably name the student in your class considered most likely to succeed in life. They may have attained a high grade-point average, shown leadership ability, or been popular.…
“Now may the God of peace . . . equip you with everything good that you may do his will, working in us that which is pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen” (Hebrews 13:20-21, ESV) Some jobs are difficult! They can…
“Being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ.” (Philippians 1:6, NKJV) Sometimes I struggle to accept that the Creator of the universe—the One who hung every star, filled the oceans, and raised up the…
“Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding.” (Proverbs 3:5, ESV) How many decisions will you make today? Twenty? Three hundred? One thousand? Researchers estimate the average adult makes 35,000 decision each day. (Your first decisions today may have been whether to hit…
“For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him.” (Philippians 2:13, NLT) Recently, a friend left for a country where she feels God has called her to work. She was excited, joyful, eager to reach her new home. I was happy…
So when they had brought their boats to land, they forsook all and followed Him. (Luke 5:11, NKJV) So he left all, rose up, and followed Him. (Luke 5:28, NKJV) Have you ever wondered why Jesus chose the twelve men He did to become His disciples? What qualities did He…
“You ought to say instead, ‘If the Lord is willing, then we will live and do this or that.’” (James 4:15, New English Translation). A good friend and I live about fifty miles apart. It’s not a great distance, but meeting for lunch requires extra planning. We don’t just run…
“Then He spoke a parable to them, that men always ought to pray and not lose heart” (Luke 18:1, New King James Version). How long does it take before God answers a prayer? Is there a point when we just give up asking? Even if we find prayer—and how to…
“He is the one who saved us and called us with a holy calling, not based on our works but on his own purpose and grace, granted to us in Christ Jesus before time began” (II Timothy 1:9, New English Translation). Calling. It’s a small word but it has great…