The troubles of life often cast darkness upon us, leaving us defeated and depressed. A thick fog of doom covers the light, and it’s tempting to just submit. It’s obvious that we need to break through the dark fog, but how? What does it mean to hope? And how do you embrace that perspective while cowering in a bleak corner of your mind? Isaiah chapters 19-23 offer insights to encourage and guide us today. As God’s judgement looms over powerful, idolatrous nations of the world, ...
Is your heart burning for God? Is your heart consumed with Him? Many things detract from our passion for God. In the book of Hebrews, we see a church struggling to keep their focus on the Lord and His mission for them amid the persecution and suffering of Roman rule. Roman armies are encroaching on the city, and life is hard. It's tempting for them to turn back to their old lives and revert to Judaism--to safety. Is it not similar for us today? Do we not feel the pressures, t...
All Christians experience bouts of discouragement that are short-lived and draw attention to a spiritual need. In this way, discouragement serves a purpose and delivers a benefit if you seek God diligently, asking Him to guide in addressing the need. A simple definition of discouragement is the loss of confidence or enthusiasm. And for Christians, the root cause of this is almost always a lack of faith in a given area. Every time you work with God to address the issue your fa...
It is so easy to slip into routine, check-the-boxes Christianity, but that isn’t what God wants from your Christian life. When this happens, we aren’t taking our Christian lives nearly as seriously as we should. God calls us to much more than going through the motions and living our daily lives with Him as an accessory. The Lord calls all of His children to live this life as heirs of a spiritual inheritance, and with that comes great responsibility, even a mission. And when ...
In the big picture of life, who is Jesus to you? And why should you trust in Jesus’ name? Why should anyone obey Him, pray to Him, put confidence in Him, and place their hope for the future in Him? Is this Jesus trustworthy? And if so, why? It all hinges on one moment in time, one crowning achievement that says it all. One thing deems Him worthy of a “name above all names,” and it’s not the act of Creation. It’s the Cross of Calvary and His resurrection from the death it wrou...
Does your life matter? Ever ask that question? Finding purpose in life isn’t easy as we grapple with all the popular philosophies, difficulties, and distractions surrounding us. But getting right to the point–there is no purpose in life outside of God’s purpose for you. Literally. None. Emptiness is all you can expect. Why? Jehovah God is the Creator, Savior, Sustainer, and Restorer of all things. He holds the universe in His hands. So…you can’t escape Him. You can ignore Him...