2 Samuel 6:13 And when those who bore the ark of the Lord had gone six steps, he sacrificed an ox and a fattened animal. How do you react when things go south? What you hoped for, prayed for, believed for, collapses before the finish line. You’re left standing in a lane of confusion Continue Reading…
Psalm 46:1-3 God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear though the earth gives way, though the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam, though the mountains tremble at its swelling. Selah. I’m wearing my “Asheville, North Carolina” sweatshirt today. But I Continue Reading…
1 Samuel 14:6 Jonathan said to the young man who carried his armor, “Come, let us go over to the garrison of these uncircumcised. It may be that the Lord will work for us, for nothing can hinder the Lord from saving by many or by few.” Great victories can be won by only a few Continue Reading…
Romans 13:8 Owe no one anything, except to love each other, for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law. I’m in debt! And it’s a debt that won’t go away no matter how many Dave Ramsey classes I take. If you follow Christ, you, too, have an enduring debt. Continue Reading…
Isaiah 5:3 He was… a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief Parting is such sweet sorrow penned Shakespeare. Waving goodbye to my son, daughter-in-law, and little grandson, I walked through the doors of the Nashville airport. After a wonderful weekend, I couldn’t help but feel a little sad. Goodbyes have never Continue Reading…
John 11:21-22 Martha said to Jesus, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. But even now I know that whatever you ask from God, God will give you.” Even now…. She had lost her brother, Lazarus, four days earlier. All hope for his recovery had vanished as the mournful reality Continue Reading…
Romans 8:23-24 And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. For in this hope we were saved…. Peter, Paul and Mary’s iconic folk song recorded in the 60s was Continue Reading…
2 Timothy 2:20-21 Now in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and silver but also of wood and clay, some for honorable use, some for dishonorable. Therefore, if anyone cleanses himself from what is dishonorable, he will be a vessel for honorable use, set apart as holy, useful to the master Continue Reading…
1 John 4:16 And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them. [NIVUK] What does it mean to know God loves us? Brennan Manning once said, “Did you know I loved you?” is the most Continue Reading…
Ephesians 4:22-23 to put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, and to be renewed in the spirit of your mind and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness. Transformation takes time. We recently met a couple Continue Reading…