When life is painful and discouraging, the Lord already knows what we need to remain steadfast in the midst of trials. The deeper my need is, the deeper His gracious provision will be. The more I understand how dependent I am on Jesus and His grace, the more I will see how He will prove… Continue reading Keep a List

“Two things I ask of you; deny them not to me before I die: Remove far from me falsehood and lying; give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with the food that is needful for me, lest I be full and deny you and say, “Who is the LORD?” or lest I be poor… Continue reading Not too Little, Not too Much

 “See to it that no one fails to obtain the grace of God; that no “root of bitterness” springs up and causes trouble, and by it many become defiled” (Hebrews 12:15) A weed starts off very small, just like any other plant. It may seem harmless in the beginning but if a weed is never… Continue reading The Power of One Bitter Thought

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.  (Psalm 43:1-3) It is easy to be fearful of the future… Continue reading Mourning Yet Hopeful

“I bless the Lord who gives me counsel- even at night when my thoughts trouble me.”  -Psalm 16:7 CSB We all have those nights when sleep doesn’t come easy, when our thoughts refuse to stop. As frustrating as sleepless nights can be, what if they are the nights the Lord uses our troubled thoughts to… Continue reading Don’t Waste Your Sleepless Nights

I am guilty of treating and interacting with God as a vending machine. I have this subtle expectation that if I put in the right things; in what I think, say and do, God will be more likely to do the things I want Him to do. The problem is, this attitude completely disregards the… Continue reading Not a Vending Machine

The Christian life is a day-by-day endeavor. Life happens in the moment-to-moment decisions. Godliness grows as we fix our eyes on Jesus step-by-step. My greatest desire for this new year is to start each morning on my knees in prayer asking the Lord to help me to love and serve Jesus as I should for… Continue reading Day-by-Day

My heart is filled with joy And I long to praise God with all my heart. For He has used many different things to humble me And to help me understand how great of a salvation He offers To those who call on the name of the Lord to be saved. God truly has blessed… Continue reading The Reason for our Joy

There is something deep within each of us that desires to know and to be able to control the future. The future can feel so frightening; like it’s a big black hole and we have no way of knowing what will come from it. The future is God’s way of reminding us that He alone… Continue reading Entrusting the Future

“It is not wrong to cry out and confess, ‘O wretched man that I am’.  Perhaps it would even be better if we said that more often. But it is wrong, dear Christian, to stop there.” (Stephen Vela) Each time we are reminded of our wretchedness, it is another opportunity to intently dwell on everything… Continue reading Mourn and Rejoice