Many Afflictions of the Righteous and Sorrows of the Wicked
“Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivers him out of them all” Psalm 34: 19. I believe a big reason the righteous are often afflicted is to teach us to live by...
Manasseh: How Judgment Leads to Mercy Then and Now
“Therefore the Lord brought upon them the commanders of the army of the king of Assyria, who captured Manasseh with hooks and bound him with chains of bronze and brought him to Babylon. And when he was in...
Take the Narrow Path to Freedom
“Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard...
Evil or Affliction: You Have to Choose
“Take care; do not turn to evil, for this you have chosen rather than affliction..” Job 36: 21. Most everyone, religious or not, is familiar with Job, the patron saint of unjust suffering. In this...
He Has Made EVERYTHING Beautiful in Its Time
“He has made everything beautiful in its time” Ecclesiastes 3: 11a. He has made everything beautiful in its time. Not just being born, planting, healing and building up. But also: Dying. . .plucking up. ....
How Perseverance Produces Character Through Adversity
“This God is my strong refuge and has made my way blameless” 2 Samuel 22: 33. But how does God make our way blameless? Does He just put it on us without any effort on our...
Don’t Grow Weary: Be Refreshed by the Wine of the Spirit
“. . . and the wine is to refresh those who become exhausted in the wilderness” 2 Samuel 16: 2c. The wilderness in an exhausting place, whether literal or figurative. It’s hot and dry with...
When God Speaks a Blessing, and You Experience Bain Instead
“But when he who had set me apart before I was born, and who called me by his grace, was pleased to reveal his Son to me, in order that I might preach him among the Gentiles, I did not...
How to Reap a Harvest When Plowed by Painful Trials
“In plowing time and in harvest you shall rest” Exodus 34: 21b. This passage is actually talking about the sabbath, but I want to focus on this idea of plowing and harvest for a minute....
Why Trust in God When It’s Easier to Trust in Yourself?
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths” Proverbs 3: 5, 6. My dad leaned on his own...