When [Joseph’s] brothers saw that their father loved him more than all his brothers, they hated him and could not bring themselves to speak peaceably to him. Genesis 37:4 For the last ten years or so, I have read through the entire Bible each year at least once. And every year when I get to…
What happens when a wife faithfully submits to her husband, even if he is ridiculing, demeaning, or sexually abusing her?
“Resurrection is the central tenet of the Christian faith. And it isn’t something we just celebrate on Easter. Resurrection is something we celebrate every day in every way. Prayer has the power to resurrect dead dreams and give them new life—eternal life.” Mark Batterson (The Circle Maker, 41) Have you ever really thought about the…
Have I told you about my son’s pigs? For the second year, my son has chosen as an extra-curricular activity pigs. Yes, live, eating, drinking, pooping, smelly pigs. Cole decided to join Future Farmers of America (FFA) last year, and he is absolutely excelling! He shows pigs. He judges livestock. And he is surrounded by…
Have you ever wondered how God defines a super hero? As I was reading through Judges recently, I found a passage in which God refers to Gideon as a hero. The angel of the Lord appeared to [Gideon] and said, “Mighty hero, the Lord is with you!” Judges 6:12 The story of Gideon has always…
Labels. We all wear labels. Some labels are good; some not so good. Some have a negative impact on the way we view ourselves, on the way we think others see us. Others give us the confidence to walk forward, believing we are worthy of the good things in life. Some tell us we have…
Father, my heart grieves for our country. You tell us that any kingdom divided against itself will be ruined, and a house divided against itself will fall (Luke 11:17). Our country is so divided, and it pains me to think of our nation falling. But I know we cannot stand without you at the center….
Life falls apart. Unfortunately, it’s simply part of this…life. For example, Job lost everything. He lost his wealth, his servants, his children. Wave after wave of loss hit him, without time to even breathe between crises. He was left mourning, devastated, in despair. When Job’s life first fell apart, however, he was blessed with some…
The sound of the phone startled me awake. “Hello,” I managed, struggling to wake from a deep sleep. “Something’s wrong with Cassie,” came the frightened voice on the other end of the phone. I bolted from my bed and rushed to her room. There sat Cassie’s friend who was spending the night, terrified. And there…
Grief. Grief accompanies all kinds of losses. Some grief is short-lived. Other times, it lasts a lifetime. Sometimes it’s overwhelming. Other times, it seems to be fading. Maybe it’s grief from divorce. Or sickness. Or death. Or, maybe like us, you are overwhelmed by grief from all of these losses. Last week was the six…
Now the gates of Jericho were tightly shut because the people were afraid of the Israelites. No one was allowed to go out or in. Joshua 6:1 The Israelites had spent 40 years wandering in the desert. Now, it was time to possess the Promised Land, a land flowing with milk and honey. God had…
O God, you are my God; I earnestly search for you. My soul thirsts for you; my whole body longs for you in this parched and weary land where there is no water. Psalm 63:1 I received a message from a friend recently. “What do you do when the bad stuff just keeps coming? Not…