How to get ready for the walk that pleases God and helps us most
The psalmist tells us God was preserving his life even as he walked through troubles. And he shows us how we can do the same.
Choosing to look for God’s long arch and ultimate, perfect purposes
We tend to want what we want, when we want it. But those who discover God’s wisdom also learn to wait for him to act according to his ultimate purposes.
Trust, victory, and grace: an experience of Elisha to help us today
When we walk in unity with God’s purposes and are led by the Holy Spirit, we know God is with us and around us and will not allow anyone intent on disrupting God’s purposes to defeat them.
We read her story and wonder how she could claim, ‘All is well’
“All is well.” That’s what she said. Was she in shock? In denial?=And how and where do we find the boldness, the faith to say “all is well” when what we can see does not appear to be good at all?
It’s not about us, and we’re never alone (no matter what we think)
There will always be benefit to us when we worship, but our worship is not about us. And we are never alone.
When will we experience the pleasant goodness that comes with unity?
“Behold, how good and pleasant it is when brothers dwell in unity!” No one disagrees with that, so why must we hold on to so many disagreements about so much else?
There’s great value in leaving home to see and worship with others
Technology can’t replace the mental and physical shift that happens when we move and walk, drive, and gather together face-to-face in worship.
Discovering the right attitude to bring to the worship of God
Psalm 131 describes the proper posture the ancient Jews brought to God in worship. We can learn from their example.
Why remember all the times of trouble when the bottom fell out?
Is it worth remembering the times in your life when “the bottom fell out” or when you were in “the bottom of the barrel”? Today’s Psalm says yes.
Words spoken by us all: ‘It has been a struggle all my life’
When you experience affliction for a long season, it is hard to re-emerge without some scar tissue. The writer of Psalm 129 seems to have this in mind.
What is our part in discovering the wonderful blessings of God?
Have you noticed the number of people around you who say “Bless you” or “Have a blessed day”? For those of us living in the South, there seems to be a lot of blessing going on.
Each new day offers a new challenge to seize each new opportunity
The gift of each new day brings us an opportunity to join the Lord in extending his kingdom, but that’s not all. As surrendered saints, we share a requirement to stay focused on God and to invite him to do his work in and through us.
Memories and hope, stories of restoration, strength to carry on
We can help ourselves and the next generation by recalling and retelling the times God has intervened in our seasons of struggle and desperation.
Feeling safe? Are security systems and trillions of dollars enough?
Have you noticed that even as we spend untold amounts of money and build elaborate systems to create safe environments, we seem never truly to create a world that is safe enough?
The right side? Believers know God wants to be by their side
The enemy was and is about division. The enemy of God wanted a separation, a distinction of sides. Humankind took the bait.
A psalm of praise and pain and hope. A prayer we can pray, too
In just four verses the psalmist expresses praise and pain that might be on any of our lips.
Our wonderful promise and purpose: The now and then of eternal life
Eternal life with God also means we share eternal life with each other—starting today!
Encouragement from God to get our eyes up and off our screens
‘I lift up my eyes to the hills. From where does my help come? My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth.’
Going home, a song of comfort and hope for every believer’s journey
I am on a pilgrimage. My journey on earth is short, and our purpose is to bring glory to God and extend his kingdom on earth as it is in Heaven.
All of us can claim the followers I value most (Psalm 23, Part 5)
I don’t pay much attention to how many social media followers I have. But I always need the two followers listed at the end of Psalm 23.