Bethany McIlrath

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

Tag: faith

  • The Sore Loser

    The Sore Loser

    My competitive side was getting the better of me. As far as we were into the game, it was clear I wasn’t going to win. I’d tried, strategizing my way through, but there was no doubt who would have the victory (not me.) The temptation? To pick up the whole stinkin- board game and shake…

  • Leave God-Room

    Leave God-Room

    “Leave room for Jesus.” That’s what we’d tease dating friends who always seemed to want to be close to each other. It was a light-hearted way to remind them that God’s way is better than our way. The principle applies to much more than just purity in relationships though. Franklin Graham, in his autobiography Rebel…

  • That You May

    That You May

    Though the preposition in the phrase changes, there is such certainty in God’s words: “that you may”. We encounter the phrase throughout Scripture. These 3 little words are pivotal in directing our feet on His path.  Rebekah, in Genesis 27:10, tells Jacob to bring food to Isaac so “that he may” bless Jacob. In Deuteronomy 5:33, the…

  • The Opportunity You Can’t See Yet

    The Opportunity You Can’t See Yet

    You look around and nothing seems promising. The only way ahead, it would seem, is to keep trudging along. It feels wrong and it sounds hopeless. No opportunities have come up and you’re running out of ones to dream of. Hang in there. Nothing is impossible with God. That means that when there is no…

  • A Silly Question and an Insightful Answer

    A Silly Question and an Insightful Answer

    It was our first trip away together post-honeymoon. We’d driven all day, stopped to see a friend, and had been on the road for hours again. Since it was pitch black in the wilderness of Vermont and he was driving, I wasn’t watching the road closely until I felt the slam of the brakes. Looking…

  • The Value of Asking “Why Me?”

    The Value of Asking “Why Me?”

    Why Me? Reading straight through Scripture, I knew the book of Job was coming next. Sighing to my husband, I began to prepare myself. Job is one of those books that I stiffen up reading. His story begins like a fairytale- prosperity, happiness, abundance. That almost makes what happens next worse. Satan comes before God….

  • If You Had a Superpower…

    If You Had a Superpower…

    You’ve probably answered the question before: if you could have one superpower what would it be? That’s a fun question, and it’s one that many of us have an equally fun answer for. “I would fly” you say. She might say that she would make herself able to freeze time, whereas her husband might suggest…

  • A Sure Foundation

    A Sure Foundation

    One by one. Ever so carefully. We stacked the pieces with fingers crossed. The tower stood tall, having occupied myself, a teenage helper, and several nursery kiddos for most of our time together. All it took was one wide-eyed, deviously grinning four year old. He slipped through our grasp, and, with one swift kick, it…

  • Spring Starts With a Thaw

    Spring Starts With a Thaw

    Some seasons feel like just getting by. Though God provides what we need, we receive His gifts coolly. Like the frozen ground in winter, we see the blessings drifting down as a mere covering until at last the sun comes again. We’re numb with the cold of same old, same old. Habituated to our hurts…

  • To Rest or…Is It Rest? That is the Question.

    To Rest or…Is It Rest? That is the Question.

    4 o’clock. I weighed the choice in my mind. It had been a long day, and I wanted to rest. TV is a go-to when I want to relax. But I knew I had more to do. I knew if I watched TV immediately, I’d lose time with my guy catching up on my to-do…