Sometimes the most profound experiences of God’s presence occur within the ordinary places of over lives. God comes amid the regular and routine, catching us unawares. This is no truer than in the story of Jacob.
God knew the moment Adam ate the fruit, sin would enter the world, and nothing would ever be the same again. For this reason, it is crucial to understand the impact of sin and how it can impact your walk with the Lord.
Comparison leads to feelings of jealousy, discontentment, and ungratefulness. It can hold such a tight grip on our hearts that it ultimately shapes everything we do.
Has chatter of possible future food shortages caused you to feel anxious, stressed out, and worried? Are headlines causing you to store up staples, basic supplies, and favorite foods to help get you and your family through possible lean times? If so, it’s okay to create a storehouse but make sure it isn’t motivated by fear but led by God’s wisdom because “The Lord does not let the righteous go hungry, but he thwarts the craving of the wicked" (Proverbs 10:3).
How does thinking about Jesus’ sacrifice on a tree put you in awe of God’s redemptive plan from the Garden of Eden? In what ways is God calling you to die to your sin and live for Him? How can you celebrate the eternal healing that Jesus has given you by His wounds?
No walk matches the pathos and power of that footpath from Pilate’s kangaroo court to Golgotha. The Via Delarosa—the way of the cross—is the ultimate walk of love. This is the love we are to imitate: dying to self to live for God, and in doing so, knowing the fullness of joy in Christ.
Life is hard. It may not be hard now, but at some point, everyone experiences something that rocks them to their core, challenging beliefs and identity.
What kind of fruit are you producing in your life? If you’re not seeing the kind that comes from loving God more than the world, ask God to examine your heart. Ask Him to reveal the truth to you.
My children can ask some seriously tough questions. Sometimes it’s hard because the answer is straightforward, but the truth is difficult to comprehend. Other times, there isn’t a clear explanation; God didn’t choose to reveal it to us in Scripture. While driving in the car, my five-year-old announced she had a question.
The Scriptures make it clear that believers in Christ are to be on our guard because the enemy is against God, so He, too, will attack the Father’s children. We are part of a spiritual battle that many days we wake up forgetting is going on. When our lives are consumed with the temporary, we forget the eternal.
Whatever you are facing today, rest assured that you can release it to the Lord in prayer. No matter how trivial, we can present our requests to our Heavenly Father, who cares for us deeply.
Because Christians have no need to fear death, we have the opportunity to share with family, friends, neighbors, co-workers, and even strangers how they can live fear free, too, and pass from life to life.
Temptation wears many faces and makes many promises, but they’re all the same. False. Jesus spoke the truth over the deceit Satan offered Him. And Satan fled.
Contentment is not a static state of being. It's the active pursuit of the life God has just for YOU. It's being ready to be obedient to God’s guidance in every season.
