Some people wish that God were like Santa. He’d give us what we want. But the problem is: we don’t know what is best for us. Some people do think God is like Santa. And when they don’t get what they want, they throw God over board. But God is not like Santa. Or a cosmic bellboy. With the words of Harry Emerson Fosdick “God is not a cosmic bellboy for whom we can press a button to get things”….
Have you ever wondered how do we know that Jesus is God? The quick answer is that the Bible tells us so. And we know that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding so that we may know him who is true; and we are in him who is true, in his Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life. (1 John 5:20, NRSV, emphasis added) But there’s so much more to know….
How great it is to be alive! We are so blessed. Life is a gift. And even that is not the end of God’s gifts to us. He sent his only Son to get us out of trouble. Because of Jesus we can exchange our shame, pain, and guilt to freedom, joy, and everlasting life. Therefore if anyone is in Christ [that is, grafted in, joined to Him by faith in Him as Savior], he is a new creature [reborn…
Do you have any projects on the back burner? Or have you abandoned some all together? Sometimes that happens. We start something with great enthusiasm but then life happens, there’s not enough time or energy to complete what we begun, so we quit. That’s very human, I think. That’s why we might assume that God would do the same to us. That he’d be excited about us for a while and then give up when we’re not that promising after…
Do you know that God chooses you? Time after time. No matter what, God chooses you. This kind of grace-filled love empowers us, don’t you think? Especially when we know that God said yes to us before we’ve said yes to him. God’s yes is pure grace. God chooses us because he loves us, not because we’d be so perfect or other wise noteworthy. Whatever God has promised gets stamped with the Yes of Jesus. In him, this is what…
Here’s what you need to know today and every day for the rest of your life: you are God’s beloved. Nothing will ever change it. You are God’s beloved, that’s your identity. For the Lord your God is living among you. He is a mighty savior. He will take delight in you with gladness. With his love, he will calm all your fears. He will rejoice over you with joyful songs. (Zephaniah 3:17, NLT) David G. Benner writes “What a…
Do you know how precious you are? Do you know your worth? Do you know how loved you are? I hope you do. Because you are all that and even more. You’re not a mere mortal, you are an eternal being called into life by God himself. You find your true worth and identity in Christ. God sent Jesus to die for us so he could save us and then lavish us with the immeasurable riches of his grace in…
Yesterday, I was going through old photos, letters and my own diaries. It was so fun to see pictures of fellow camp counselors and college friends. I also went through some writings of my own and realized that every experience I’ve gone through has taught me a lot. I wouldn’t be the person I am today without those experiences and those people along the way. I’ve learned to hang in there no matter what. God is always at work behind…
Many times I’ve shared how reading just a few Bible verses rekindles our faith and readies us for the challenges of the day. The verse of the day from Biblegateway packs a powerful punch for all of us today. In just a few verses we are reminded of God’s goodness and awesomeness. And how blessed we are to be his. What you say goes, God, and stays, as permanent as the heavens. Your truth never goes out of fashion; it’s…
As you might know, I started reading through the Bible once again the first of July. I’m following a reading plan to do it in six months. This means that lately I’ve been reading a lot about God’s instructions for the construction of the tabernacle, the priestly vestments, the altar and its appurtenances, the procedure to be used to ordain the priests, and the daily sacrifices to be offered. You’d think there’s nothing for today’s reader. At least, nothing spiritual,…
