Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go. (Joshua 1:9 NIV) Yesterday I was emailing with a friend who is juggling a lot—raising her late-teen sons, running a business, and managing the complex execution of her aunt’s estateContinue Reading
Gray hair is a crown of glory; it is gained in a righteous life. (Proverbs 16:31 ESV) Have you ever noticed that when you go to the doctor and fill out a health history form, no one ever asks what’s going right? They only want to know what’s wrong. There’s noContinue Reading
Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain. (1 Corinthians 15:58 ESV) I was thinking about oxen this week. No, I do not regularly think about oxen. However, last week I wasContinue Reading
Declare his glory among the nations, his marvelous works among all the peoples! (Psalm 96:3 ESV) The soldiers at the checkpoint yelled and brandished their machine guns at the approaching car. In the car, an international missionary, his adult son, and a pastor/missionary from the area looked at each otherContinue Reading
For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. (Ephesians 6:12 NIV) [I can’t verify the authenticity of this story I saw on social media, but I doContinue Reading
The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit. (Psalm 34:18 NIV) I waited patiently for the Lord; he turned to me and heard my cry. He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; he set my feetContinue Reading
Like the rest, we were by nature deserving of wrath. But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. (Ephesians 2:3-5 TPT) Amazing grace will always be myContinue Reading
Every way of a man is right in his own eyes, but the Lord weighs the heart. (Proverbs 21:2 ESV) Sunday in Michigan a man with a truck, an explosive device, guns, fire accelerant, and an evil intent rammed his car into a church where people were gathered, shot intoContinue Reading
There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. (Galatians 3:28 ESV) Have you ever noticed that sometimes godly, talented, called and blessed people can hear a message from the Lord and thenContinue Reading
Neither do people pour new wine into old wineskins. If they do, the skins will burst; the wine will run out and the wineskins will be ruined. No, they pour new wine into new wineskins, and both are preserved. (Matthew 9:17 NIV) God, my heart is heavy for two ofContinue Reading