Integrity is doing the right thing, even when no one is looking. Dishonesty is the opposite. But, justice rules in the end. No one likes to think of God as an angry, mean God, but He will not let sin go unpunished. History shows that justice will eventually come to all. Because of the law of justice, we receive blessings when we obey God’s commandments. The law of justice also demands that a penalty be paid for every sin we commit. Jesus paid that penalty for us. Do the right thing, always. Trust in God to bring the justice …
Always Guiding You
“I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you my loving eye on you.”–Psalm 32:8 Do you sometimes think that you do not know what to do? Are there times when you find yourself unsure of what to do next? Before the great flood, God guided Noah on how to build the ark, and Noah obeyed, and he finished building the ark on time. God also guided Moses as he led the Israelites out of Egypt, and Moses was successful. King Solomon, the wisest man on earth as he was, was …
Monkey Bars Faith
This morning I remember how the playground was so much fun at school. One of my favorites was the monkey bars. Swinging from one bar to another to get across with your feet dangling in the air was so much fun. But you had to get the rhythm right. You had to let go of one bar to get swing to the next. Anyone who held onto two bars at once usually ended up dropping to the ground in defeat. Oh beloved, life is a lot about letting go of one thing to move on to the next. For sure …
The Platter
When I was making the most recent birthday cake I had a particular platter that I wanted to put it on. Try as I might to look for it I could not find it anywhere. I could even remember putting it somewhere but couldn’t quite remember just where. Then while I was texting my precious cousin sister friend in faith, I told her to please pray that I would find that platter. She prayed right there on the text. And I told her I would text her as soon as I found it. I returned to the search with a …
God Gives Evidence
We have enjoyed what has been a pretty mild summer so far. No temps over 100 degrees yet at all. I like that. I could do without the usual soaring thermometer readings altogether. But the weather people are saying this week is going to be tipping if not over 100. I’m glad that those in charge of weather reporting can warn us when a storm is brewing, when a hurricane is forming and when the temps will soar. We can be prepared at least somewhat. Or can we? Oh beloved, don’t hold your breath for everything you have heard to …
Choosing to Trust God
Even in a time of great suffering and affliction, David begins his worship with a declaration of his trust in God:In you, Lord my God, I put my trust. What if we chose to do the same? How easy it is to declare our trust after the crisis, after the provision, after God has answered our prayers, and after He has provided all we need. It requires little faith to declare we trust Him after—but a great deal of faith to trust in advance (and in the midst) of the crisis. Perhaps it is a mindset that comes …
Time to Trust
“Trust in him at all times, you people: pour out your hearts to him, for God is our refuge.” Psalm 62:8 The Psalmist instructs us to trust at all times. “All times” includes: Times of plenty and times of want Times with and times without Monday morning and Friday night Anxiety and peace Debt-free and bankrupt Benign and malignant Rough waters and smooth sailing All means all. Life tells me that believers run to God in times of difficulty but tend to “drift” when all is well. Has that been your experience? Looking over my shoulder, I …
Trusting That He Knows
“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” Jeremiah 29:11 God has a plan for us. It is a plan for our good. His plan includes prosperity and hope. Is it enough that we know that He knows what the plan is? Do we insist on knowing all the details in advance? Knowing that He knows and being okay with not yet knowing ourselves is choosing to walk by faith. By its definition, faith includes an element …
Trust Brings Overflowing Hope
“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” Romans 15:13 Overflowing hope. Hard to ponder the magnitude of what that means. Hope on steroids? Hope beyond imagination? Hope that defies the imagination? Perhaps it is all that and more. And it can be ours … it is ours! This overflowing hope is one of the many by-products that come to those of us who trust in Him. To trust in God is to rely upon Him. …
Trusting Him for Then…and for Now
When they heard all he was doing, many people came to him … those with diseases were pushing forward to touch him. Mark 3:8a, 10b As word of His ministry spread, Jesus was forced more and more to retreat and pull back from the crowds. They pressed in and followed – not because they wanted to hear His teaching, but because they wanted to experience and see the miracles He could perform. They wanted the blessings…but they didn’t necessarily want HIM. It sounds a bit like the prosperity gospel teachers of today who try to “market” Jesus with promises of …
Love — Protects, Trusts, Hopes, Perseveres
Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. I Corinthians 13:6-7 If asked to define love, many of us would use words like joy, delight, and acceptance. Some might describe butterflies in the stomach, floating on air, or extreme happiness. But when Paul wrote to the Corinthians, he talked more about what love does than about how it feels. And he also used an extreme qualifier: always. He tells us that love protects, trusts, hopes, and perseveres. And he added that love always does these things. In …
A Pregnant Pause
Have you been wondering lately what God is trying to convey to you in this season we are all in or is it just me? I had a recent conversation with a group of friends that I pray with every Thursday evening and I mentioned that I felt like I was on pause and needed prayer in order to learn the lesson that I need to learn to graduate to the next level that God is taking me to. Although there is so much happening all around us and its literally hard to keep track of what is the latest …