Does the eternal influence your life?
Before Jesus, no one came close to understanding what that truly meant; his resurrection revealed levels of reality that defied the understanding of the greatest theologians. What was a sudden change in course for God-followers like Paul was know by God before the beginning of time.
Defender, or Ambassador?
The use of the word “defense” in some translations of 1 Peter 3:15 leads many to suit up to fight for their understanding of God and Christianity, while not accurately representing the God and Christ of scripture.
Can hope exist amidst grief?
If there is nothing after death — no hope of something more — then grief is an understandable response. Scripture indicates a different reality: not only is death not the end, whoever believes in Jesus “will live, even though they die; and whoever lives by believing in [him] will never die.”
Is your hope in God, or money?
Most of us would not consider ourselves “rich”, largely because we are comparing ourselves to those wealthier than us; in reality, the fact you are reading this indicates that you are likely wealthier than most in the world.
9/11: A reflection
I was a freshman in college when the twin towers came down; how I experienced it then, and how I would today, are wildly different.
Will you always have hope?
We think praise is only to benefit God, but what if it is actually a gift to us? What if the act of praising Him halts our negative ruminations, shifts our gaze from lies to truth, and fills the void lift by hopes deferred?
Will you invite God’s love?
God seems to be the only option in which we should put our hope, and that could be the end of the story, even if He did nothing for us; however, the Psalmist knows that in addition to his holiness and power, His character also contains steadfast love.
You’ve known God longer than you realize
Whether you came to understand God as a toddler or discovered Him as an adult, His presence as our hope and confidence is not contingent on our awareness; He has been both since our youth, and at some point we will recognize it.
Waiting or Worship?
We typically “wait for God” as an act of passing the time until we get what we want; it is actually an opportunity to be still and give God the honor He deserves.
To fear, or not to fear
We are raised to believe fear is bad; what do we do, then, with the invitation to fear God?
What do we do when our souls are low?
In Psalm 42 and 43, the soul is confronted: “Why are you so downcast and disturbed?!” Our souls are not impenetrable; though spiritually attuned, they remain susceptible and must be emboldened.
Who’s word do we trust?
While the results of the word of anything else are often clear (though often bad), the results of the word of God can feel absent (though meant to be good.) How does the psalmist resolve to hope in God’s word when the other words seem more logical?