Bethany McIlrath

First and Second: Perspective On What Matters Most (Matthew 22:36-40)

  • 8. BEHOLD: The Healer

    8. BEHOLD: The Healer

    Along with the Christmas season comes the cold season. And the flu season. And the season for strep throat, pneumonia, exhaustion, etc. Those are just the physical illnesses that plague the holidays. With Christmas, for many, comes disappointment. The heartache of loneliness and loss seems exacerbated by the twinkling lights and appearance that all is…

  • 4 Biblical Strategies for Honoring Your In Laws

    4 Biblical Strategies for Honoring Your In Laws

    You’re probably familiar with Exodus 20:12 –“honor your father and mother”. While fumbling over “Nan-uh, Mrs., uh, Mom?” it isn’t always obvious that this command applies to your relationship with your in laws too. According to the current stereotype, in laws are common household enemies. There’s even the popular mantra “you don’t just marry him…

  • 7. BEHOLD: The Bearer

    7. BEHOLD: The Bearer

    I have 60 people on my Christmas card list this year. There are more than 10 people to buy for. That’s just Christmas stuff. The Lord blessed me with a new job a few months ago. The more people I get to know there, the longer my prayer list grows. That’s on top of the…

  • The Lord Erases Our Regrets

    The Lord Erases Our Regrets

    This post is also shared on Purposeful Faith along with many other bloggers sharing about the Lord’s work in their life. Click the link to read others : )   I’m a know-needer. It’s not that I think I know it all, but that I want to know it all. The “what-ifs” of life are maddening to…

  • 6. BEHOLD: Our Home

    6. BEHOLD: Our Home

    After holiday festivities, you just want to get home. People traveling far and wide for Christmas celebrations know the nostalgia of wanting to get to their own place –or even just the familiar, beloved place they are headed. When Jesus was born, it wasn’t in His own place. But He still had a place to…

  • 5. BEHOLD: Our Beholder

    5. BEHOLD: Our Beholder

    It’s easy to get too busy during the Christmas season. Many of us have a ton to do, people to see, plans to complete, and the deadline of each celebration to face. In the midst of the busy, it’s just as easy to peel our eyes from Christ to gaze instead at our many lists…

  • 4. BEHOLD: The Victor

    4. BEHOLD: The Victor

    A downside of the Christmas season for many of us is the tensions that arise. Wars fought in families surface and emerge during holiday celebrations. Emotions are heightened as a “perfect Christmas” backdrop stands in stark contrast to what many actually face. Culture wars are waged over the different types of celebrations (and holidays) that…

  • 3. BEHOLD: The Restorer

    3. BEHOLD: The Restorer

    “Now may the God of peace, who through the blood of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep, equip you with everything good for doing his will, and may he work in us what is pleasing to him, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory…

  • 2. BEHOLD: The Promise Keeper

    2. BEHOLD: The Promise Keeper

    There’s something about December that draws up the dreams in our hearts. Maybe it’s the sappy music and the happy advertising everywhere. The nostalgia of beloved traditions, fine decorations, and lights glowing everywhere stirs up joy -and hope. In this season of dreaming, we’re apt to make promises and ask for them. “Promise you’ll come…

  • 1. BEHOLD: Our Comforter

    1. BEHOLD: Our Comforter

    “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort” –2 Corinthians 1:3 As the weather gets colder and the season busier, we tend to seek out creature comforts. Big, soft blankets get piled on couches. Rooms are decorated and dimly lit to…