God does not use formulas to meet our needs or solve our problems
God is faithful. He’ll always help. But often his answers to our prayers will come in ways we never would have expected.
All hope of being saved was finally abandoned. And then God spoke.
Shipwreck was inevitable. Death seemed certain. Hope was gone. And then God told Paul what would happen next.
How to cope when there’s so much you can’t control or influence
Even before the pandemic, each of us was faced with situations we just couldn’t control. In such moments, especially for the leader, focusing on mission is vital.
What to do in a tight spot or between a rock and a hard place
Everyone gets in a tight spot sooner or later. Two Bible examples give insight into how to cope.
The prayer of Jabez is interesting, but not the model for me
I’ll take the prayer of Jesus over the prayer of Jabez. I’ve learned some things about prayer from Paul, too.
Everyone has the same decision: What will be your next steps?
We all have a decision to make about our present circumstances and our next steps. It’s all about our focus and our faith.
Don’t underestimate the power of your words. Solomon didn’t!
This is not a devotional about dental hygiene. It’s all about the words we speak. I’m also not writing to discuss proper grammar or the importance of a good vocabulary. This is about how your words can literally change the direction of a community.
How to keep from giving up and giving in when you face hard times
Very seldom will someone just give up at the first indication of struggle or pain. It’s when it persists for very long that discouragement creeps in. Before you realize it, the negative self-talk begins. But it doesn’t need to continue.
You can raise them well, but they still have to make their own choices
Sometimes we wish we had a formula that would guarantee the kids grow up successful,, full of faith, and without pain. Eventually we realize our children are free to make their own choices. I thought of this when I read today about Eutychus.
Sometimes we all might need to be reminded, “Just keep going!”
When I someone says, “I have a situation,” often this means they are in the middle of a difficultly or, worse, a crisis. We all have situations, and today’s passage gives clues for getting through them.
How do you decide to stay, when escape to freedom is so possible?
Given the chance to escape our captors, which one of us wouldn’t have decided to leave? Maybe we can learn something from Paul’s decision just to stay put.
I don’t know about you, but I just don’t like to stand still
God and I have had many conversations on this topic. I’ve gotten better at stillness. But these daily devotionals convict me. I have to fight simply to listen.
From the ordinary, to the remarkable, to the sadly spoiled by fear
It’s a sad story, one that could have been so inspiring, one that we don’t have to repeat in our lives.
The verse we’d rather not read, the reality we’d rather not experience
You won’t find this verse on a Hallmark card. It probably isn’t posted on Instagram or Facebook, either. But maybe we need to consider it and remember its truth.
What to do when “in due time” doesn’t seem like the right time
Waiting is frustrating. Waiting on God sometimes seems unfair or unending. But here’s a story where God answered the petition of the one who had been waiting for years.
Hunger and harvest, shortage and abundance—God is in them all
Since the beginning of time we’ve seen famine. And throughout the ages God has used his people to provide in times of need.
A pattern repeating through centuries, a cycle God will help us break
It's a pattern we see in the Old Testament: blessing, pride, repentance, and then blessing again. So is sad to watch, but so easy to replicate.
How would things have turned out if Joshua had a YouTube channel?
When storytelling faltered, faith failed. What stories are we telling the generation behind us?
A family with a shameful past, brothers setting a hopeful example
They were descended from a disobedient family slain by God in his displeasure. But they rendered service still blessing us today.
God’s work is sometimes surprising, and it always brings change
We see big changes as we read the earliest church history in these chapters from Acts. They may give us a pattern for change in our world today.