God is mightier than the uncontrolled chaos around you and even that which is, perhaps, raging within you: “The Lord reigns; He is robed in majesty. The Lord is robed; He has put on strength as His belt. Yes, the world is established; it shall never be moved. Your throne is established from of old; You are from everlasting. The floods have lifted up, O Lord, the floods...
“I’ve read the entire driver’s manual! I know everything there is to know ABOUT driving. Now all I need to learn is HOW to drive!” I laughed as my almost-16 year old son went on to describe all that he knew about driving yet how much he still had to learn about how to drive. He had the knowledge; he needed the experience. We went on to discuss how that parallels life and...
“He trains my hands for war, so that my arms can bend a bow of bronze” (2 Samuel 22:35). In this exuberant psalm of praise and thanksgiving, David declared the mighty and powerful acts of God, who saved him from all of his enemies (verse 1). While verse 35 is just one of the many recountings of the Lord’s faithfulness, two little words stuck out to me: “so that.” Clearly David was praising...
“And by faith even Sarah, who was past childbearing age, was enabled to bear children because she considered Him faithful who had made the promise” (Hebrews 11:11). She considered Him faithful. She carefully thought about, and concluded, He was trustworthy and would do what He said He would do. His faithfulness: what a thought for us, too, to not only consider but allow to wash over our hearts...
As I walked into the kitchen, I saw that flour, measuring cups, and mixing bowls covered the counter: my daughter had been baking again. I exhaled a heavy sigh as I wondered, “When will these kids clean up after themselves?!” As I got closer, however, I noticed her signature smiley face drawn into the layer of flour dusting. I couldn’t help but smile as I thought, “She left her...
Download Scripture Cards "God is God. He knows what He is doing. When you can't trace His hand, trust His heart." - Max Lucado What exactly is His heart? How can we know it? Through the Word of God! The Bible has been called God's love letter to us. In it, we read that He is "compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love" (Psalm 103:8). As we know Him more, we find we trust Him...
Waiting. Not giving up. Staying steadfast in hope. These are all easier said than done and easier to speak about than to live out. As I washed the dishes one afternoon, my youngest son burst into the kitchen from the backyard and shouted, “My flower bloomed! My flower bloomed!” What?! In the middle of October?! The flower that he planted months ago in the spring? The flower that didn’t grow when...
“Why did you say that, Mommy?” my son asked after I exclaimed, “Thank you, Jesus!” I explained that his sister had almost fallen off the bench she was standing on, so I thanked Jesus for watching over her. A moment later my other daughter, who was also standing on the bench, lost her balance, fell, and began to cry. Without hesitation my son said, “Well, I guess Jesus wasn’t watching over HER!”...
Excitedly and optimistically, my sister-in-law’s family agreed upon the perfect name for their new puppy: they would call her “Hope.” Imagine her surprise when she realized the frequency in which she needed to yell, “No Hope,” on any given day! We laughed at the irony. Yet I wonder if we utter those same words or perhaps believe that because of a certain situation, difficulty, or disappointment...
“And now, again, is the minister’s time; and now is the time for all of you who love souls. You may see men more alarmed than they are already; and if they should be, mind that you avail yourselves of the opportunity of doing them good. You have the Balm of Gilead; when their wounds smart, pour it in. You know of Him who died to save; tell them of Him. Lift high the cross before their eyes. Tell...