Bethany McIlrath

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

Category: Faith

  • 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…

  • 25 Days of Beholding the Lord

    25 Days of Beholding the Lord

    There’s a lot to be said (and done!) in December.   Comfort for the lonely during this time of constant reminders of family and togetherness. Wise reflections on the arrival of Christ and His impact on our lives. Advice for traditions, planning, and keeping up with the busy schedule. Celebrating and preparing for winter as…

  • The Battlefield of the Heart is the Lord’s

    The Battlefield of the Heart is the Lord’s

    Photo from: Pixabay Oh, that her heart would change. That his heart would turn from bitterness to joy. Even that my own heart would be more patient. I try. We try. But we come to the battle with no weapons save our own will. Paul knows a thing or two about how effective a weapon…

  • Saved From Self-Condemnation

    Saved From Self-Condemnation

    Photo from: pixabay.com “This is how we know that we belong to the truth and how we set our hearts at rest in his presence:” -1 John 3:19             Oh, those words. That verse. How enticing it is to our souls. To mine, at least. A person naturally quite keenly aware of her sin, it’s…

  • Letting “It” Be

    Letting “It” Be

    Photo from: weheartit.com Moving from a place of resignation to the holy space of accepting God’s sovereignty joyfully and humbly isn’t easy. One of the benefits of resignation is that we get to give up responsibility and keep complaining anyway. We get to say “it is what is” and then harbor bitterness and doubt. That’s…

  • It Is(n’t) What It Is

    It Is(n’t) What It Is

    Photo from: www.armstrongeconomics.com The phrase has been floating around for years. It came to my attention as friends of mine from different circles and walks of life spoke the words. I noticed the phrase on television and the radio. Then I saw it on decorative signs in a couple of stores. So I tried it on…

  • We Need to Witness to Believers Too

    We Need to Witness to Believers Too

    Photo from: Pixabay “Witnessing” and “testifying” are words generally reserved for evangelizing. It is by hearing a testimony that many people become interested in the Lord. Through the witness of Christians, many have been convicted by the Spirit and accepted Christ as their own. But there is also a place for witnessing to other believers….

  • The Nuts and Bolts of Building Your Faith

    The Nuts and Bolts of Building Your Faith

    Photo from: pixabay.com You know the monumental moments of your faith. When you take the first step of faith and your foundation is laid in Christ.  Days, months, years later when crucial decisions arise and you find that you indeed want to live with Him as your cornerstone, it’s big. There are moments of obvious…

  • HE is More Than [Fill In the Blank]

    HE is More Than [Fill In the Blank]

    Photo from: Piaxbay We need to “love the Lord, not just the idea of the Lord” said my dear friend (SkillzUSA). AKA: Don’t reduce God to some idea you have about Him and miss out on His whole person as a result. Our ideas tend to address issues in reactionary ways, focusing on what isn’t…