There is one particular area on a route that I used to take regularly that is breathtaking on certain mornings. As the fog is lifting from the river valley, the cattle are grazing in the fields covered in dew. The bluffs above the river are barely visible, with wisps of…
“Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.” James 1:3-4 Tuesday did not start out particularly good. When I woke, I thanked the Lord for the day and asked His direction. I…
“And Sarai said unto Abram, Behold now, the LORD hath restrained me from bearing: I pray thee, go in unto my maid; it may be that I may obtain children by her. And Abram hearkened to the voice of Sarai.” Genesis 16:2 As Sarah reached her mid-seventies, her faith was…
Do you ever feel like there’s something standing in the way of your relationship with God? One day during my morning devotionals, I was trying to pray. Maybe you’ve had similar days, when you’re trying to actively seek His presence and hear from Him, but nothing seems to happen. The…
Exodus 3:9-10 MSG “The Israelite cry for help has come to me, and I’ve seen for myself how cruelly they’re being treated by the Egyptians. It’s time for you to go back: I’m sending you to Pharaoh to bring my people, the People of Israel, out of Egypt.” As I…
“For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise.” Hebrews 10:36 I’ve left this need until the last, because it is not the easiest thing to talk about. It has been said that we should never pray for patience,…
“Let your gentleness be known to all men. The Lord is at hand.” (Philippians 4:5, New King James Version) Gentleness. It’s listed in Galatians 5:22-23 as one of the nine attributes of the fruit of the Spirit, but I confess it’s not one I’ve thought much about until recently. When I…
Patience does not come naturally to me. It is a learned behavior. One of my earliest memories as a child is my father quoting Luke 21:19, “Karen, ‘In your patience possess ye your souls.'” The Bible is clear; we must have patience to receive the promise. “For ye have need…
“With all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, making every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace” (Ephesians 4:2-3, New English Translation). Humans can be exasperating at times. Other people, that is, not me. I’m levelheaded, reasonable, even-tempered. Oh,…