Jeremiah 20:12 “for to you I have committed my cause.” It was one of my most embarrassing moments in front of an audience. I was speaking to a group of college students at a local university. It was my first time speaking there, and suddenly anxiety got the best of me. Continue Reading…
Jeremiah 9:23-24 “Thus says the Lord: “Let not the wise man boast in his wisdom, let not the mighty man boast in his might, let not the rich man boast in his riches, but let him who boasts boast in this, that he understands and knows me, that I am the Lord who practices steadfast love, Continue Reading…
Exodus 3:14 God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM. This is what you are to say to the Israelites: ‘I AM has sent me to you.’” Who’s in charge of your life? “I AM” or “I am”? The contrast between following God’s agenda or our own could not Continue Reading…
Matthew 11:28 “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” Overwhelmed! It’s a sentiment I’ve been hearing a lot of lately. It seems being overwhelmed has become a staple of our culture. I’m sure you’ve seen the pictures of thousands of migrants approaching Continue Reading…
Matthew 14:8 Prompted by her mother, she said, “Give me here on a platter the head of John the Baptist.” Injustice isn’t supposed to happen. God never created the world to be rife with it. He loves justice (Isaiah 61:8). All his works are just; not even a trace of Continue Reading…
Matthew 6:25 “Therefore I tell you, do not worry….” It is not harmless. It bears unsuspecting consequences. It sucks the life out of hope and stops faith in its tracks. Oswald Chambers says it is the first sign of infidelity. Jesus said not to do it. Yet most of us Continue Reading…
Psalm 37:7 “Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him….” Waiting. For most of us, waiting is not our favorite past time. We rarely see it as valuable or instrumental in our spiritual growth. We’re more likely to view it as something to endure, a harbinger for worry Continue Reading…
Psalm 115: 11 “You who fear the Lord, trust in the Lord! He is their help and their shield.” I’ve recently noticed a significant change in my life. When things don’t work out the way I expected, it doesn’t bother me as much as it used to. Disappointments don’t hang on me like Continue Reading…
2 Corinthians 1:9 “Indeed, we felt we had received the sentence of death. But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead.” After what seemed like a marathon of work—writing, editing, rewriting, re-editing—the manuscript for my 365-day devotional book was finally ready Continue Reading…
Proverbs 16:9 “The heart of man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps.” [ESV] If I ever questioned whether God could or would involve himself in my life, it was put to rest when I got my first “real” job. I was finishing my graduate work at the Continue Reading…