Have You Ever Wrestled with God?
“Yes, he wrestled with the Angel and prevailed. He wept and pleaded for a blessing from him”— Hosea 12:4 (TLB). If you’ve never wrestled with God, you’re missing out. Why would I make that statement when struggling spiritually leaves us feeling alone, overwhelmed, and at times ready to give up? Yet, even biblical heroes like Jacob wrestled with God. Christian writer Amanda Williams calls it ‘holy wrestling,’ and says, “This profound experience has deepened the faith of many over the centuries.” Since I began my journey with Jesus over 20 years ago, I’ve wrestled with God more times than I …
Finding Your Strength Through Christ
“ I can do all this through Him who gives me strength”— Philippians 4:13 (NIV). Writing in my journal this morning, I poured out my heart to God. I was feeling like a failure. Hoping to accomplish some major tasks in 2024, I’d made four goals at the beginning of this year. I had set deadlines for three of the four goals. So far, I’d accomplished zilch. That isn’t completely true. Before I gave up, I’d memorized 15 scriptures about God’s promises. My goal was to memorize 52—one a week—before the end of this year. I’ve also completed an online writing …
What Can Storms and Trials Teach Us?
“I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world”— John 16:33 (NLT). Since an EF-3 tornado tore through our Oklahoma county last month, people have been dealing with the clean-up of debris and the trials of surviving without electricity. While most have had power restored, others are waiting for electricians to replace destroyed electrical boxes or reconnect the city power to their houses. I was blessed. My property was not damaged. Others weren’t so fortunate. My …
Finding Refuge in the Lord
The next morning, I was reading one of my daily devotions in The Upper Room. That day’s scripture was the same one the Holy Spirit whispered to me during the storm. “[The Lord] will cover you with His feathers, and under His wings you will find refuge” (Psalm 91:4).
Giving Glory to Our Father in Heaven
“In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven”—Matthew 5:16 (ESV). I was having difficulty locating the product I wanted while shopping at a local home improvement store. The item was on sale and the sale ended that day. As I sought help from a store associate, I became frustrated. The big box store was closing in an hour. I was tired. All I wanted was to find the item, check out, and go home. I’d had a long day. I …
Springtime Brings Spiritual Renewal
“Praise the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavens. For He chose us in Him, before the foundation of the world, to be holy and blameless in His sight”—Ephesians 1:3-4(MSG). My heart sank when I saw the empty nest. Just the day before, I’d peeked inside to check on the four perfect blue-green eggs. The young robin who’d laid the eggs had meticulously built an elaborate nest in the limbs of my Prairie Fire Crabapple tree. When I first discovered the egg-filled nest, I was so excited …
An Encounter with the Living God
“Consider it wholly joyful, my brethren, whenever you are enveloped in or encounter trials of any sort or fall into various temptations”—James 1:2 (AMPC). A friend recently posted the following on social media: “One encounter with God can change your whole life.” She added, “I’ve personally experienced many God encounters that created a 180-degree change in my life.” Her post led me to ponder my own “God encounters.” My earliest childhood memories of experiencing God were in nature. I grew up in southwestern Louisiana, where I spent many hours outside inhaling His creation in the branches of a Mimosa tree …
When Decisions Lead to Defining Moments
“The Lord’s word came to Zechariah: The Lord of heavenly forces proclaims: ‘Make just and faithful decisions; show kindness and compassion to each other!’”— Zechariah 7:8-9 (CEB). Looking back on your life, can you remember a choice leading to a life course change? At some point in our Christian lives, we’ve either faced or will be faced with crossroad decisions. Crossroads decisions are defining moments. Those decisions influence or change our lives and affect our future. Imagine a fork in the road. Depending on the moment, and how you react to it, your life can go in one direction or …
Finding God’s Peace in the Unplanned Moments
“I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world”— John 16:33 (ESV). A recent trip to the zoo with our youngest granddaughter was more memorable than we’d anticipated. We expected to experience the sights and sounds of the wild animals through a five-year-old’s eyes—which we did. However, we didn’t expect unplanned events to lead to delays throughout the day. The first delay was easily solved when the women’s restroom was shut down as we waited in line. Two toilets overflowed …