“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous! Do not tremble or be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” Joshua 1:9 The story of Joshua’s faith is one of my favorite stories. He must replace Moses as the leader of Israel. That had to be a daunting task. He will lead the nation into war with other nations. They were not exactly an army. He would have to keep these people focused…..
“‘Even, though these three men, Noah, Daniel, and Job were in its midst, by their own righteousness they could only deliver themselves,’ declares the Lord God.” Ezekiel 14:14 God said these words as Ezekiel was pronouncing final judgment on the Southern Kingdom of Israel, specifically Jerusalem. The presence of these three men could not save Jerusalem. I am intrigued that God named these men. I am equally intrigued with whom he did not name. When I think of Old…..
“These people come near to me with their mouth and honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. Their worship of me is based on merely human rules they have been taught.” Isaiah 29:13 (NIV) The New American Standard version says, “their reverence for Me consists of tradition learned by rote.” I instantly wondered if that is true of us as well. Are we teaching people the rules of worship only? Is our worship tradition by…..
“Therefore, since we receive a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us show gratitude, by which we may offer to God an acceptable service with reverence and awe;” Hebrews 12:28 I have been pondering how this verse might apply today in my life and your life. And, it has made me think about earthquakes. The kingdom we have received while living in these earthly bodies reside in our hearts. It is a faith kingdom. It is faith in God Who…..
It is Spring and with it comes weeds. In the case of my yard, lots of weeds. As I have been pulling the weeds out of the ground, I am amazed at how the root systems of the different weeds get entangled. It is like they are helping each other stay rooted. I had to pull several out at a time because of the way they held onto each other. Then I would have to dig to find the roots that got…..
“O taste and see that the Lord is good; How blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him” (Psalm 34:8)! As I read this verse, I instantly think of those taste stations at the grocery story. There are actually traffic jams in the aisles as everyone waits to get a sample. To be quite honest, there are some foods we now eat in my home because of those samples. The psalmist is encouraging us to taste the Lord and see that…..
“By faith Abel offered to God a better sacrifice than Cain, through which he obtained the testimony that he was righteous, God testifying about his gifts, and through faith, though he is dead, he still speaks” Hebrews 11:4 (NASB). I had learned that it was Abel’s animal offering that made Abel more acceptable to God than Cain. Yet, Hebrews 11:4 tells us that it was his faith. It wasn’t Abel’s offering of an animal sacrifice that obtained God’s testimony. It…..
“And the serpent said to the woman, ‘You surely shall not die! For God knows that in the day you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.’ When the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was desirable to make on wise, she took from its fruit and ate…” Genesis 3:4-6. When we look…..
“If we are faithless, He remains faithful; for He cannot deny Himself” 2 Timothy 2:13 (NASB). This verse actually cross references one of my other favorite verses about the steadfast faithfulness of God…Numbers 23:19. I love the three words, “He remains faithful.” Who in our lives has remained faithful while we have been faithless? Everyday it seems that I am asking the Lord to help my unbelief. Every day I seem to have gaps in my faith. Yet, God remains…..
A friend had asked me to write an evangelistic tool that she could use as she witnessed with people. What started as a tool for a friend, has become a published tool for everyone. It is a short 24 pages of text (3,180 words). The goal was a succinct presentation of the gospel message. It is available free electronically on Smashwords.com. The link is https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/551751. I hope to have the link active on my website soon. I am currently working…..