Have you ever experienced the sweetness of God? Because that is the essence of God. We only get little glimpses of it at this side of eternity but it’s real. It’s real, sweet, and wonderful. Knowing God is to know his sweetness. Being loved by God means being enveloped in his sweetness. Living in the Spirit is about enjoying the sweetness of God. The sweetness of God is readily available for all his children. It’s not magic but too often…
Do you know how much God loves you? Do you know that you are God’s beloved? Because that is your true identity. Don’t believe me? Read on. God’s favorite word is yes. God says yes to you. Over and over again. And God’s yes is not valid just when you are doing well. God loves all of you. The bad and the ugly. The good and the beautiful. Everything. God speaks yes to you in Jesus. Whatever God has promised…
Have you let the pursuit of leisure, success or security turn you away from God? Do you feel that the world persuades you to lower you standards? Are you failing to live as though God mattered? These are questions that were piercing my heart this morning. And I let the Holy Spirit do its work in me throughout the day. Everything that keeps God’s will from happening in my life needs to go. For you say, ‘I am rich, I…
Do you remember the story of vineyard workers(Matthew 20:1-16) who got paid the same no matter what time they started their labor? The workers who had labored the whole day and got the same pay as the ones who started late in the afternoon complained. I used to see this unfair, too. Why on earth would the master pay everybody the same? The logic behind this is fair: there is plenty of grace for everyone. The workers who started early…
Do you feel worn out? Beaten? At the end of your rope? Just know that God has reserved a place for you in his arms. I just love knowing that the downcasted will be treated with extra special care. For the weakest God has reserved a place closest to his heart. Doesn’t that comfort you? You don’t need to handle everything. You don’t have to be strong and knowledgeable. You can come as you are. God will cherish you. You…
The Bible is full of miracles and advice to stay alert for God’s wonders: Keep your eyes open for God, watch for his works; be alert for signs of his presence. (Psalm 105:4, MSG) Don’t burn out; keep yourselves fueled and aflame. Be alert servants of the Master, cheerfully expectant. (Romans 12:11, MSG) We are children of an awesome and almighty God and we are called to pray boldly and expect great things. Why don’t we then do that? Why don’t…
Do you know that God knows you by name? To God you are not a nobody. To God you are his beloved child. To God you are a very special person. Hosea put it well: I’ll call nobodies and make them somebodies; I’ll call the unloved and make them beloved. In the place where they yelled out, “You’re nobody!” they’re calling you “God’s living children.” Isaiah maintained this same emphasis: If each grain of sand on the seashore were numbered…
The daylight is getting shorter and shorter, the darkness is all around us. This is the time of year when the Bible verses telling us that Jesus is the light for all people are even more precious. Or maybe it is easier to understand how much we need Jesus in the midst of all this darkness. Because of Christ the darkness will not have the last word. In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and…
Prayer is such an awesome gift for us. We just neglect it too often. We somehow don’t believe enough in its power. But can we afford not to pray? I don’t think so. I have written a post about my reasons why I can not live without prayer. Prayer simply invites God into our lives. Hence prayer enables us to be human and leaves everything else to God. Prayer is also an antidote for anxiety and a power tool in God’s…
I always find it delightful when science can explain something of faith. This past week I’ve been in awe of the research findings of Dr. Andrew Newberg (from Myrna Bring Center for Integrative Medicine at Thomas Jefferson University and Medical College.) who has been studying how prayer and meditation affect brain activity. (The 3 minute video is well worth watching.) In a recent study, Dr. Newberg injected subjects with a harmless radioactive dye. Then, while they engaged in prayer or meditation, he…
