There are times we believe we can go it alone. “I’ve got this, God,” we say. Life is going well and we think we don’t need God. We put God on a shelf and take Him down when we have a laundry list of ‘I wants’. The funny thing is that God isn’t really on that shelf. He is with us always; he never leaves us. How it must hurt him when we try to cope on our own and really mess things up. How much better the outcome would be if we would only include God from the …
The Rainbow
In ancient times, when God saw wickedness throughout his beautiful creation, he sent a flood to destroy everyone except a faithful few. Once the waters receded, God placed a rainbow in the sky as a sign of his covenant with Noah that he would never again destroy the earth by flood. I saw a rainbow yesterday and it reminded me of God’s promises. There are many in the Holy Scriptures. God’s promise to Noah is His promise to all of us. He doesn’t seek our destruction; he seeks our fulfillment in Him. As we admire the beautiful display of a …
The God of Comfort
Many times, when we think of God and his interactions with mankind, we remember some of the harsh punishments He inflicted such as when Moses was not permitted to enter the promised land because God was angry with the Hebrew people for their unfaithfulness, or the instances when invading nations were permitted by God to conquer the Hebrews because they had turned from God and were worshipping idols. Yes, God expects us to be obedient to Him and to worship no other gods, but God is compassionate as well. The Old and New Testaments are filled with examples …
God Equips Us
I took piano lessons from age nine to seventeen. I diligently practiced each piece my teacher gave me to learn, then moved on to the next and the next, and so on. By eighth grade, my piano teacher arranged for me to audition for a scholarship to a music conservatory. I played a Bach Invention and other pieces I can’t remember. The end result was an offer to study at the music conservatory as a full scholarship student. For the next three years, I studied and played the pieces required for entry to the conservatory once I graduated from …
God Will Never Leave You
As Joshua stood ready to lead the Hebrews into the land promised by God, the responsibility of the task must have weighed heavily on his shoulders. Moses was dead and the mantle of leadership was passed to Joshua. I can’t imagine what was running through his head as he stood atop the mountain before proceeding with the entire population of Hebrews. He had been a witness to the mistakes made by Aaron and Moses and he probably wondered if he was up to the task. God must have known this was true because he sought to reassure Joshua of his …
God Promises Everlasting Life
“For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have everlasting life.” John 3:16 Were there ever any more comforting or hopeful words written than these? God loves us so much that he sacrificed his own Son for our sake. Jesus came to us as Savior, Messiah, and teacher. Once his followers were ready to continue the ministry, Jesus went to the cross willingly. We read the words of John 3:16 frequently at church and in our own Bible studies. We even sing the words, but …
Facing Cancer
“Because he loves me,” says the Lord, “I will rescue him; I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name. He will call on me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble, I will deliver him and honor him.” Psalm 91: 14-15 This is an unbreakable promise from God. This promise may have been written hundreds of years ago for everyone. But right now, this promise could’ve been written today and just for me or for you. When facing cancer, I ran to God and sobbed on his shoulders. I didn’t know what all I …
God promises a King – a Redeemer
Psalm 118:1 “Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his faithful love endures forever.” (CSB) One of my favorite verses is found in Psalm 118. I’m sure it is very familiar to you also. Psalm 118:24 “This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.” Following on down, just a few verses, we find vs. 26 -“He who comes in the name of the Lord is blessed.” Let’s discover an Old Testament connection with the New Testament! In Matthew 21, we find the event we call the triumphal entry of …
Taking Flight
If you’ve lived long enough, you come to understand that you have one life. But as a Christian, you know and believe that God promises another life that never ends. That’s my hope. But even as I write this, it pains me to think of leaving my family, especially those who don’t know God. Just because I have a plane waiting doesn’t mean I’m in a hurry to leave. Make your life matter. Leave a legacy of love and service. Hebrews 6:10 – “God is not unjust; he will not forget your work and the love you have shown …
What Are We Holding Onto
We work, we save, we retire, then what? Some of us hold onto money like it’s going to save us in the end. Jesus taught to give to the poor, the needy. Are we doing that? We will all leave this world as we came in; with nothing. No money, no clothes, cars, etc. Only one thing survives in this world. Our souls. Give your life to Jesus; hold onto Him and His promises. 1 Timothy 6:10 – “For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the …
Confidence in God
Joshua’s first major task was to get the entire nation across the flooded Jordan River. Here in Arkansas, we have learned first-hand about flood waters this spring and readily recite the new motto, “Turn Around, Don’t Drown.” To enter the Promised Land required crossing the river. Joshua 3: 7-13 “And the Lord said to Joshua, “This day I will begin to exalt you in the sight of all Israel, that they may know that, as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. 8 You shall command the priests who bear the ark of the covenant, saying, ‘When you …