Category: Faith
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The Gift That Satisfies
We have an unfortunate tendency of focusing on gaining satisfaction, especially during the Christmas season. From gift-giving to maintaining traditions “just so,” we seem to think we’ll feel full if we treat ourselves to “enough.” Yet the gifts Jesus gives focus on our fulfillment or completion in Him, not on a temporal feeling or fleeting…
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In Case You Thought There Wasn’t Enough
A massive crowd gathers and listens to lectures for hours. As the hour gets later and later, they begin to get hungry. You have just a small amount of food to offer. Would you organize them by neediest? By the most vulnerable, feeding children and the elderly first? Maybe, because they should have brought food,…
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The Promise of Presence
A promise. Several generations passed. 400 years of captivity. 40 years wandering the desert. The Promised Land in sight, then out of sight, then in it again. Amazing victories. Devastating losses. Seasons of sin. Periods of rejoicing and serving the Lord. Finally, the death of Moses. It wouldn’t be long. All they’d waited for was…
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The Instrument’s Purpose
Whew. What a flute. What a paintbrush. What a keyboard! …Said no one awed in a concert, enjoying an art show, or mesmerized by a book. The plate, my goodness, it’s spectacular. What a fork! Said no satisfied diner. Ever. Those Christians. So good and righteous and flawless. What a bunch! Said too many people.…
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Making Molehills Out of Mountains
We build our molehills into mountains. We heap on worry and doubt. Carefully balancing the worst case scenarios we conjure up, we suspend them on high ominously. Our manmade foothills are comprised of carefully devised backup plans. But God. God takes our man-made mountains and returns them to their molehill size. He dissolves our backup…
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3 Biblical Responses to Others’ Struggles
Jesus’ words are clear: “in this world you will have trouble” (John 16:33). Often, harder than facing our own troubles is watching those we love struggle. We don’t always know how to help. 1. “Weep with those who weep” (Romans 12:15 NLT) When Lazarus died and his sisters mourned, Jesus wept. Standing with His friends,…
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What Can Separate Us?
Words like those in Romans 8:35-39 tend to come to mind and comfort us in deep hardship, like when facing death, demons, uncertain futures, and the depths suffering. But it isn’t just the “negatives” of life we feel keep us from God. “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?….. For I am convinced that neither…
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When Your Manna Tastes Bland
Last year, I had my wisdom teeth removed *gag.* The surgery went well, but there were complications during my recovery. I’ll spare you the gory details. Suffice it to say, I ate the same bland soft foods for about a month. Let me tell you: diversity of diet is a spiritual need. Maybe that’s an…
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How Facebook Made Me a Secret Admirer
Do you remember the middle school concept? When someone left notes in our friend’s locker signed “your secret admirer,” there were usually lines about wanting to know her more or how great she was. We would all embark on a quest to discover the identity of her secret admirer. It was somewhere between inspiringly sweet…
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The Milestone That Wasn’t
In Genesis 27, we read about a milestone that should have been, but wasn’t. Imagine what Esau looked forward to the day his dying father told him to get ready to receive the blessing. Esau, Isaac’s older son, had been expecting to receive this blessing from his father for his whole life. It was an…