And God was displeased with this [reliance on human resources], and He smote Israel. – 1 Chronicles 21:7, Amplified Bible Most Christians don’t have a clue how irritated God gets when we rely on ourselves rather than on Him. Consider 1 Chronicles 21. In this passage, King David instructed his captain, Joab, to take a… Continue reading God’s not terribly excited when you rely on yourself.
Category: Trials
God wants to be your refuge when the storm hits.
On May 20, 2013, an EF5 tornado cut a 20-mile path of destruction in and around Moore, Oklahoma, a southern suburb of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. The EF5 category is the strongest category of tornadoes measured. This particular twister was approximately 1.3 miles wide and possessed winds between 200 and 210 miles per hour. The day… Continue reading God wants to be your refuge when the storm hits.
Why don’t you wait until God can join you?
Then they were quite willing and glad for Him to come into the boat. – John 6:21, Amplified Bible We make the Christian life harder than it needs to be. In John 6, Jesus had just finished feeding the five thousand. In order to avoid being seized and made king after this miracle, Jesus withdrew… Continue reading Why don’t you wait until God can join you?
Hold on to God while the fog clears.
Life can be confusing at times. Although we can be confused when good things are happening to us, the confusion surrounding such times isn’t problematic; it’s welcome. It is the confusion that surrounds the hard times in life that is difficult to bear, and when assaulted by such confusion, we need something sure to hold… Continue reading Hold on to God while the fog clears.
Joy is a choice.
This is the day which the Lord hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it. – Psalm 118:24, KJV When trouble comes, it is never welcome. Trouble comes to us all, and it usually comes upon us as a thief in the night – unexpectedly, suddenly, and without mercy. No matter how hard… Continue reading Joy is a choice.
Be happy and glad-hearted at all times.
Be happy [in your faith] and rejoice and be glad-hearted continually (always). – 1 Thessalonians 5:16, Amplified Bible From the most fragile blade of grass to the most brilliant star in the sky, all things share the same fate: death. Some things dies more slowly than others, but all things in this universe will face… Continue reading Be happy and glad-hearted at all times.
God will be there to encourage you in your darkest hour.
…for the journey is too great for you. – 1 Kings 19:7, Amplified Bible Be on your guard after a great spiritual victory, for it is immediately following a great spiritual triumph that you are most susceptible to falling into the darkness of despair. In 1 Kings 18, Elijah experienced his greatest spiritual victory. In… Continue reading God will be there to encourage you in your darkest hour.
It’s time to have a heartcry meeting with God.
And when he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to cry out, and say, Jesus, thou son of David, have mercy on me. – Mark 10:47, KJV Based on a true story, the movie Faith Like Potatoes chronicles the spiritual conversion and growth of a young farm family forced to move from… Continue reading It’s time to have a heartcry meeting with God.
Don’t look behind you.
Jesus said to him, No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back [to the things behind] is fit for the kingdom of God. – Luke 9:62, Amplified Bible It is so easy to look back, and we do it all of the time. God gives us a work to do, and… Continue reading Don’t look behind you.
Let God be your light at the end of the tunnel.
For You, O Lord, are my Lamp; the Lord lightens my darkness. – 2 Samuel 22:29 Not long ago I, my wife, and my children visited a mountain cavern tourist attraction in Western, NC. During a tour of the cavern, our guide turned out all of the lights illuminating the path we were on. She… Continue reading Let God be your light at the end of the tunnel.