Fill-up on the Word of God
“For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart”—Hebrews 4:12 (NIV). Depending on what time of day you go to the grocery or big box store, you’ll find many shelves are empty or almost empty. Some individual’s carts are overflowing. Discussing this panic-buying trend, a friend and I agreed people were stuffing their pantries and shelves in fear of not having enough. Instead, shouldn’t we be filling-up on the Word of God, allowing scriptures to …
Does Anger Accomplish Anything?
“Human anger doesn’t produce the holy life God wants”—James 1:20 (NIV). As I write this, I’m taking deep breaths. My chest is tight. That’s what happens when I get angry. It’s not good for me, or anyone else, for that matter. However, righteous anger has led me to write this post. When I googled the number of scriptures about anger, the results varied. However, in an article by Pastor Jeremiah David, he writes, “I surveyed the number of times the words anger, wrath, and indignation (in all their various forms) are used in the Bible, and the number is more …
Unexpected Change: Will We Ever Be the Same?
“I the Lord do not change. So you, the descendants of Jacob, are not destroyed”—Malachi 3:6 (NIV). Unexpected change in the form of a pandemic has the world reeling. Constant news updates, newspapers filled with information, and social media posts leading to panic buying and hoarding are the new normal. Most of us don’t deal with change easily. We’re used to staying in our comfort zones and believing we’re in control. We’re not. God is. Those who haven’t trusted God for His protection and provision may find themselves even more uncertain during this rapid change. Trusting God’s Holy Word brings …
Anxious Thoughts Don’t Have To Weigh You Down
“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus”—Philippians 4:6-7 (ESV). Anxious (adjective) – full of mental distress or uneasiness because of fear of danger or misfortune; greatly worried; solicitous. Example used in a sentence: People are anxious (distressed, fearful, worried) about the Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19). While we should be concerned about what is now being referred to as a pandemic (prevalent throughout an entire country, continent, …
More Than a Pinky Promise from God
“Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; He will never leave you nor forsake you”—Deuteronomy 31:6 (NIV). Can you recall making a pinky promise with your best friend on the school playground? Maybe you promised to always be friends wherever life led you? Intertwining your pinky finger with your BFF, you made, what you thought, was a forever pact. But life happens. One of you moved away. Or maybe life just got in the way as you grew up and your lives took different directions. Whatever …
Don’t Be Ashamed to Share the Good News
“For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes: first to the Jew, then to the Gentile”—Romans 1:16 (NIV). Is it difficult for you to share the Good News of Jesus Christ? Does fear of ridicule stop you from sharing? Maybe you don’t share because you think only a pastor or evangelist, like Billy Graham, can be successful in the quest to tell others about the greatest news ever. You’re not alone. But God isn’t looking for all-stars. After her father passed, Anne Graham Lotz described her …
Change Doesn’t Need to Cause Fear
“For I the Lord do not change; therefore you, O children of Jacob, are not consumed”—Malachi 3:6 (ESV). Change in life is a guarantee. We can fear it, ignore it, gripe about it, become anxious, or we can embrace it. I’m struggling right now to embrace a forced transition from Windows 7 to Windows 10. My thoughts are “if it ain’t broke, why change it?” Waiting until the last minute to make the switch, I was thankful my techie brother-in-law was available to download and install the new operating system. It’s like going from crawling to walking in 60 seconds …
Finding True Love in God’s Arms
“For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life”— John 3:16 (NIV). In the early 80s, a popular Country Western song became one of the soundtracks for the movie, “Urban Cowboy.” The song, “Lookin’ for Love,” expressed the song writer’s feelings with these lyrics: “lookin’ for love in all the wrong places.” The song’s lyrics refrain “lookin’ for love in too many faces, searchin’ their eyes, lookin’ for traces of what I’m dreaming of…” is all too real for those dreaming of perfect …
What Scripture Can Do for Your Well-Being
“God has breathed life into all Scripture. It is useful for teaching us what is true. It is useful for correcting our mistakes. It is useful for making our lives whole again. It is useful for training us to do what is right. By using Scripture, the servant of God can be completely prepared to do every good thing”—2 Timothy 3:16-17 (NIRV). A commercial many of us are tired of hearing on TV is for a miracle facial product. It’s guaranteed to erase wrinkles and shrink under-eye bags right before your eyes. The product claims to work within 10 minutes …