“Be strong and take heart, all you who hope in the Lord.”This was David’s concluding exhortation, as expressed in the last verse of Psalm 31. How could he so confidently say this, while dealing with his own adversities? Because of what he reminded himself of previously in the psalm. You see, David declared: “You are my rock and my fortress…” “…You are a faithful God.” “I trust in the Lord.” “I...
Three simple questions for us to ask, as David did, that will settle our hearts and give us proper perspective as it relates to God, other believers, and ourselves, whether we are facing difficult situations, difficult people, or deceptive lies. 1) "Who is like you, Lord?" (Psalm 35:10)2) "Who is like your people?" (2 Samuel 7:23)3) "Who am I?" (2 Samuel 7:18)In Psalm 35, David was surrounded...
We stood there together, the elderly man and I, watching the sun slowly fade upon another day. We had just met, yet within minutes, “connected” over our adorable dogs, our appreciation of correct grammar, and most of all, our admiration of sunsets. As we gushed over the beauty before us, the shared sentiment that there’s just “something” about sunsets, and the agreement that sunsets...
Have you ever tried to find your way through a dark room? What happened? Did you bump into a piece of furniture, despite it always having been there? Did you extend your hands out in front of you in order to cautiously feel your way around? It truly is impossible to see in the dark. Jesus Himself said, “Those who walk in the darkness cannot see where they are going.” Of course - He was not...
Cooler weather. Cozy sweaters. Fall decor. Pumpkin spice - I LOVE September and the onset of fall. I also love getting back into a routine - the pulling out of schoolbooks, sharpening of pencils, setting up of school desks. But with the onset of routine can come the drudgery of the mundane. The sharpened pencils become dull. The school desks become messy. And so begins a cycle of...
After returning home from a retreat, a friend and I compared pictures. Friends - yepBeautiful surroundings - yep Our pictures were almost identical. Until she showed me a picture of a gecko. And then a picture of a framed painting of the most beautiful cross. I thought, “How did I mess the gecko and the cross?” They were right in front of me, yet I didn’t notice them. And...
“Grace to behave as His child.” Andrew Murray said to remind yourself of this when walking through difficult times: “God will keep me here in His love and give me grace to behave as His child.” If we’re honest with ourselves, “behaving as His child" is often the last thing we tend to think of while going through difficulties. Instead, we tend to point the finger at others' behavior or make...
Anguish. Distress. Grief. Those were the emotions David experienced (and more!) when he returned to the city of Ziklag (see 1 Samuel 30) only to discover that the city had been invaded, attacked, burned, and the women (including his wives) and children had been taken captive. Think for a moment how you would respond - or how you DO respond - in moments of...
“Then Jesus was approached by some Sadducees…” As they presented an unlikely scenario in Mark 12 (verses 18-23), it is the response Jesus gave that made me pause: “Your mistake is that you don’t know the Scriptures, and you don’t know the power of God.” In considering those profound words, I am reminded that I, too, will head towards error and mistakes - of any kind - when I...
It has been said that the sovereignty of God (the fact that God is in control) is one of the most comforting doctrines to the Christian. Spurgeon said if we would only remember that He is sovereign, a “holy calm” would come over our minds. I realized not only would I experience His calm but also His comfort…and so much more.I began to scribble down the affects upon my heart, my mind, my...