The Furnace of Affliction
See, I have refined you, though not as silver; I have tested you in the furnace of affliction. Isaiah 48:10 According to the words of Isaiah, God would have given the Israelites peace and protection if only they had obeyed God: I am the Lord your God who teaches you what is best for […]
God’s Promises
Praise be to the LORD, who has given rest to his people Israel just as he promised. Not one word has failed of all the good promises he gave through his servant Moses. I Kings 8:56 After the Lord delivered David from his enemies, he sang praises to the Lord, As for God, his […]
Act of Worship
Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God – this is your spiritual act of worship. Romans 12:1 God’s mercy, having redeemed us from the world, now demands a response – a response of nothing less than the offering of […]
Intimacy with Christ
If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose. Philippians 2:1-2 Jesus gives the disciples a very poignant […]
Moving Forward
Nehemiah was a Biblical figure, cup-bearer at one time to the King of Persia and governor of Jerusalem. He led a team of Jews in the enormous task of rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem that had been destroyed 70 years prior. Many people have never heard of Nehemiah but ever since I read Nehemiah in […]
Stationed at the Lowest Point
Therefore, I stationed some of the people behind the lowest points of the wall at the exposed places, posting them by families, with their swords, spears and bows. Nehemiah 4:13 As the enemy spread unsettling rumors, I imagine that Nehemiah consulted with the Lord many times. He did not allow fear or the concern […]
Count It All Joy
Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. James 1:2 James writes to the twelve scattered tribes who were being persecuted for […]
Commander in Chief of Our Lives
David said to the Philistine, “You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the LORD Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. I Samuel 17:45 One of my favorite stories in the Bible is the one where David, […]
Transformation Through Worship
Come, let us bow down in worship, let us kneel before the LORD our Maker. Psalm 95:6 The people of Israel turned from their Creator, choosing to worship other gods. Isaiah 44 describes the idols that the people made: They know nothing, they understand nothing; their eyes are plastered over so they cannot see, […]
Ministers of Reconciliation
All this is from God who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. 2 Corinthians 5:18-19 In Paul’s letter to the Corinthians, […]