I love how God talks to us through daily occurrences and divine coincidences. I usually read some chapters from both the Old and the New Testament but I am not right now using any specific reading plan (other than reading the Old Testament chronologically). Today I was reading from Ezekiel and Romans. You would think they have nothing to do with each other. But they both talked about people “who have eyes to see but do not see, who have…
We’ve all been in situations that seem hopeless. We just can’t see how things can ever work out again. And sometimes this period of fogginess lasts weeks, months, even years. Kurt Bubna writes about this in his new book Epic Grace, Chronicles of a Recovering Idiot “Our perspective is so limited. Our vision is so imperfect. Our ability to see the bigger picture is incredibly restricted and inadequate. We live so often in a fog. The hills are still there,…
Somehow I had always felt sorry for Leah because she was the unwanted bride. Her relationships with her father, her sister, and her husband were difficult to say the least. But as I dug into the story of Leah little deeper, I found out that there was no need to be sorry for her. Leah was quite a woman of faith despite of all the rough circumstances in her life. When the Lord saw that Leah was hated, he opened…
Why does God test us? What do you think? The Bible is pretty clear about this. This is how Moses answered: The Lord your God is testing you to see if you truly love him with all your heart and soul. Serve only the Lord your God and fear him alone. Obey his commands, listen to his voice, and cling to him. (Deut.13:3-4; NLT) Kurt Bubna states in his new book Epic Grace, Chronicles of a Recovering Idiot “God will…
What makes you yield into temptation? If we know this, we are more likely not to yield into temptation. Because then we know for what to pray. And that’s the key to living well. When we invite God into our lives, we are empowered to victorious living. That’s why the chapter ten of Mary DeMuth‘s new book The Wall Around Your Heart concentrates on this very important matter. Mary gives us a new way to look at temptations. She writes…
Forgiveness is hard. Living forgiveness is ever harder. But we don’t have much choice if we want to have tender hearts and live fully. And the Bible is pretty adamant about forgiving too. This is what Jesus told us: “Be alert. If you see your friend going wrong, correct him. If he responds, forgive him. Even if it’s personal against you and repeated seven times through the day, and seven times he says, ‘I’m sorry, I won’t do it again,’…
Do you feel like a has-been? Are you afraid that you will forever be just a wannabe? Do you feel like a failure? I have good news for you. There’s plenty of grace for has-beens and wannabees. In God’s eyes and in the ways that really matter you always are a star and you will be cherished forever and ever. Don’t take my word on it but see what the Bible has to say about God’s love for you. Scripture…
How to build our lives on God? That’s the question. By following the example of Christ is the quick answer. But let’s try to find some blueprints for building our lives on God. The sixth chapter of the letter to Romans give us some advice. For by the death He died, He died to sin [ending His relation to it] once for all; and the life that He lives, He is living to God [in unbroken fellowship with Him]. (Romans…
Are you broken? What do you think? Could there be any beauty in brokenness? Yes, there can be. Especially if we surrender all the pieces to God. He is ready to create something new out of the messes of our lives. We are confident that God is able to orchestrate everything to work toward something good and beautiful when we love Him and accept His invitation to live according to His plan. (Romans 8:28, VOICE) Kurt Bubna in his new…
Do you know it is possible to hope even when there is no hope? I was stunned by this discovery as I was once again reading the fourth chapter of the letter to Romans. That’s where Paul reminds us of Abraham as an example of faith. How Abraham did not focus on his impotence but on God’s competence. Even when there was no reason for hope, Abraham kept hoping (NLT). Hoping against hope, he believed (NRSV). For Abraham, human reason…
