"The time is short,yet the road it seems so longwhen I look into the troubles of my life." Sometimes the road seems long and hard. Daily trials, hardships, and mistakes can compound, leaving me to wonder, "Where are you, Lord, in all of this?" Paul speaks of pressing on, and James says to count it all joy, yet I find it hard to identify with those words and ideas. I don't always have the resolve to endure. This time of unknown is where faith kicks in – doing something when I don't feel like it. I can trust God even though I don't see a solution. The following excerpt from “Daily With The King” captures a difficult season of life...
“Now you have every spiritual gift you need as you eagerly wait for the return of our Lord Jesus Christ. He will keep you strong to the end so that you will be free from all blame on the day when our Lord Jesus Christ returns. God will do this, for he is faithful to do what he says, and he has invited you into partnership with his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.” - 1 Corinthians 1:7-9 As citizens of heaven, we know we have been redeemed by the precious blood of Jesus, our sins are forgiven, and we have been adopted into the family of God as co-heirs with Christ. Sometimes, even more often than I like to admit,...
“Oh, that we might know the Lord! Let us press on to know him. He will respond to us as surely as the arrival of dawn or the coming of rains in early spring.” - Hosea 6:3 People often feel like they are not doing enough for the Lord. They desire to have peace and clarity in their lives, but are stuck and paralyzed by indecision and apathy. They want to feel close to the Lord which they interpret as feeling a sense of peace or happiness. Jesus declared it is the Father’s will that He would not lose one believer. (John 6:39 NLT). Our salvation is dependent upon the perfect sacrifice of Jesus and our faith in Him. No...
“…and they cried out to the Lord,… So Judah defeated Israel on that occasion because they trusted in the Lord, the God of their ancestors.” 2 Chronicles 13:14b, 18 We see the character of our Heavenly Father throughout the scriptures. In 2 Chronicles 13 Israel was divided, and the northern kingdom of Israel was attacking the southern kingdom of Judah from both sides. In verse 14 it is recorded that King Abijah of Judah and his people looked to the Lord and cried out for help. Even though Abijah was a very evil king, he looked to the Lord in a time of deep crisis and the Lord answered. Look at the willingness of our God to respond swiftly to...
“Dear friends, I warn you as ‘temporary residents and foreigners’ to keep away from worldly desires that wage war against your very souls.” - 1 Peter 2:11 In a season of new beginnings and pursuits, there is a danger of being consumed with the events and influences of our culture. So many things can serve as distractions for us from the eternal. From entertainment and current events to arguments and deep pain, the range of interruptions that overtake our attention is unrelenting. This tension is what led Paul to encourage Timothy to endure as a good soldier and not get entangled in the affairs of civilian life. (2 Timothy 2:3-4) Likewise, Peter warned believers to keep away from worldly desires...
