ARE YOU BETTER AT smothering than loving? That’s why you are blown away with the thought of relaxing your gargantuan grip on the things and people you love the most. Letting something precious go is, on occasion, unbearable. The parting cannot happen without inward bleeding. It’s hard to let go. Turning loose heightens our stress.
Read MoreCategory Archives: Worry
Be Still and Know
AS I WRITE THIS, the thermometer registers in the nineties. The air is still and heavy. The dog is panting at my feet, the sun is high, and the birds are silent and still. Within a matter of hours night will fall, the dark sky will be ablaze with moon and stars, and sleep will force itself on me. As I slumber, life will continue uninterrupted. Appreciated or not, the canvas of nature will go on being painted by the finger of God.
Read MoreHoping and Waiting
AT LONG LAST I AM FINALLY discovering that that stuff about Rome not being built in a day is true. And speaking of Rome, Paul’s words to the century-one Christians who lived there are truer than ever. We believers also groan, even though we have the Holy Spirit within us as a foretaste of future glory, for we long for our bodies to be released from sin and suffering. We, too, wait with eager hope for the day when God will give us our full rights as his adopted children . . .
Read MoreYanking the Thorns
WHAT DO THORNS REPRESENT IN SCRIPTURE? Prickly issues that steal our joy, confidence, and progress in our faith. Jesus’ own words describe the menace of thorns to our spiritual vitality. The seed that fell among the thorns represents others who hear God’s word, but all too quickly the message is crowded out by the worries of this life, the lure of wealth, and the desire for other things, so no fruit is produced.
Read MoreGive Yourself Permission
Since most humans suffer from a lack of balance in their lives, our best counsel on living a steady and stable life comes from God’s Word. In Paul’s letter to the Christians in Ephesus, he includes this most unusual command:
Read MoreBeyond Our Expectations
AS ABRAHAM and Isaac headed up the mountain, before Abraham knew how God would intervene, he assured his son that God would provide the sacrifice.
Read MoreUnanswered Prayers
LONG AFTER Abraham and Sarah had given up hope of experiencing this joy, they held their very own son in their arms. It would have been easy for them to lose hope.
Read MoreMake Leisure Part of Your Day
How do you get good at getting the rest God said was good for you? How do you get good at leisure? We can, of course, nod in agreement to all we’ve discussed in the past couple days about how important it is to rest.
Read MorePeace Amidst an Uncertain Future
If you live intimidated by people, then you need to come to terms with your lack of peace. God is bigger than any person. You don’t need to dread tomorrow. You don’t need to dread your uncontrollable circumstances. It’s a decision that’s called “a frame of mind,” otherwise known as leaning on the everlasting Rock. That’s what we’ve been learning from the life of Paul as we’ve considered Acts 19:21–31 in Parts One through Three.
Read More