We need the “quiet waters” of life where we can “drink in” the peace and comfort of God. In Psalm 23:2 you’ll notice that it’s only after we have rested and meditated that we can be restored and refreshed. If we have the appropriate time with God to contemplate His majesty and glory, we will experience and notice His goodness and mercy in our lives.
As Christians, even with the best of intentions, we can become distracted and easy prey to temptation. However, when our focus is on God, we can be unstoppable! God’s Word tells us to be single-minded in purpose, focusing our thoughts on what is good, and sticking with it!
As we peered out the window into the blackness of night, we could see the searchlights of a rescue helicopter that responded to our transponder. Once again, I realized that my salvation (both physical and spiritual) is was due to the mercy and grace of God Almighty.
Of all the miracles of Jesus recorded in Scripture, the one that seems most unusual to me is when Jesus walked on water. All His other miracles have intrinsic value—healing the sick, feeding the multitudes, casting out demons, even turning water into wine at a wedding. Forgive me for saying so but walking on the lake to His disciples almost sounds like—well—showing off! But of course, showing off doesn’t sound like Jesus at all. So, what was going on?
In Scripture the Lord invites us to call upon Him. Don’t ever think that your issue is too insignificant or trivial for the Lord to address. He wants us to “cast all our cares on Him.” (1 Peter 5:7) And He delights in coming to our rescue.
Astronaut Col. Michael Anderson died in the Columbia space shuttle tragedy. Mike’s death was a great loss to His family, friends, and this nation. His family has not only been comforted, but over the years, they have used this tragedy and their great faith to comfort others. Tragedy is inevitable in our broken, sin-sick world. But God uses tragedy to draw us to Himself and He offers us comfort and encouragement.
On what basis do we live our lives, conduct business, or engage in ministry? Do we live as though we’re confined and limited by our circumstances or by others? Or do we live and work knowing that our Lord possesses all authority and all resources? When I write about “living large,” I’m not writing about a prosperity gospel. I’m writing about trusting a BIG God for BIG results.
On a hike with his grandson, Jim’s friend Rob Fischer realized an important lesson: We can become so weighed down by all our stuff, and stressed-out our over-booked schedules that we become distracted and unfruitful. Read his insightful story.
How we view the world affects how we experience life. How we answer the big questions in life determines how we approach life. Is life just a big free-for-all? Grab what you can while you can and have a good time? Is it about leaving the world a better place?
Let’s not wander through this life confused, discouraged, and lost. Let’s stop and listen and depend on the teaching and guidance of the Holy Spirit to show us the way. Often, God’s ways are not what we would choose, but they’re always what’s best for us!
After lunch that afternoon, Rob excused himself and told his parents he was going out to drum up some business with the neighbors. That afternoon, Rob landed three weekly lawn-mowing jobs that would more than cover his pledged $4.00 each week.
Shortly after taking off, the co-pilot guided our craft towards the notorious pass. Within minutes it became very apparent that the limited visibility would not let us proceed. We would’ve been flying blind. Beads of sweat began to pop out on my forehead as the plane became engulfed in clouds.
For thousands of years, farmers have created new fruit trees using grafting methods. The fact that a limb from another tree can be grafted into the host tree is an amazing process. Once the branch is properly grafted on the root stock or tree, it will begin to receive nourishment from the host, so that it becomes a permanent part of the host and can bear fruit.
I enjoy the beautiful, award-winning photography of Idaho photographer Tim Christie. He has a way of capturing the outdoors on film that truly honors and glorifies the Creator. Of course, capturing these shots can be quite an adventure… sometimes more than he bargained for.
Today, many people focus on their fears instead of the rich promises of God. We fear financial ruin because of recession. We fear the loss of our jobs because of a declining economy and devaluation of U.S. currency. As I write this, the whole nation and world is fearful of the coronavirus and its global impact.
As he began the final piece one of the strings on his violin snapped. In his genius, Paganini was able to continue playing the piece on the remaining three strings. A moment later, a second string snapped. Still, Paganini continued playing the concerto on the remaining two strings. And then, a third string snapped, but still Paganini continued. He finished the piece, note for note, with one string on his violin.
For America and the world one day this will all be over. The early church was no stranger to plagues, epidemics, and mass hysteria. According to both Christian and non-Christian accounts, one of the main catalysts for the church’s explosive growth in its early years was how Christians navigated disease, suffering, and death.
