“The lowliest person in the kingdom of heaven is greater than the greatest person here on earth.” (Matthew 11: 11)
Your value doesn’t come from what you own but rather from whose child you are.
You Can Be the Greatest
July 12, 2021 by
God Promised
June 7, 2021 by
“Jesus fulfilled the prophet Isaiah’s message: ‘He took our sickness and carried away our diseases’.” (Matthew 8: 17)
What God promises he will fulfill.
Power in Your Weakness
March 25, 2019 by
“Lord, give me your mercy for I feel faint, heal me for I feel in agony.” (Psalm 6: 2)
When we come to the end of our strength that’s when we find God’s.
Lord,
Sometimes I feel at my end, so weary I can’t go on.
Yet, that’s when I see you most clearly,
And feel your presence most closely.
Come to me with your strength in my weariness,
Fill me up with your power in my weakness,
Comfort me with your presence in my loneliness.
Amen
Full and Bubbling Life Everyday
June 4, 2018 by
“Anyone who drinks the water I give him will never thirst again. The water I give is a bubbling spring flowing into real life forever.” (John 4:14)
Jesus, thank you that you fill me with your bubbling life giving water. And that you give it to me forever. Fill me with your life giving water particularly when I feel most thirsty. In my desert places help me to look first rather than last to you for your life giving water. Then I’ll be filled, satisfied and never need to thirst again. Amen
Are You Tired of Religion? Would You Like Peace Instead?
May 15, 2017 by
I’m tired of religion, even Christian religion. I give up. I can’t keep all the plates spinning.
Do you ever feel that way?
Worn out doing all the things that hopefully will tip the scale in your favor with God.
But then not knowing for sure how you measure up. Whether God’s happy with you or not. Whether you’ll attain Heaven or not.
I’m pretty sure the scale is tipped way over in my case and not to the positive.
Well, I’ve got some good news and bad news.
The bad news is your scale probably looks similar to mine.
The good news is that’s exactly the place you need to be to find God’s love and peace.
Jesus said, “Come to me and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble and you will find rest for your souls.”
That’s it. No five steps, no slavish sacrificing, no self denigration.
Just come and learn.
Then you find soul deep peace and rest. The quest to prove your self-worth to God has ended. He accepts you blemishes and all.
He says, “Sit with me for a while and take a rest. Then walk with me and learn how to really live.”
Now that, even I can do.
And I’m still tired of religion.
*Matthew 11:29
Are You Feeling Overwhelmed and Tired? Discover Peace!
May 10, 2017 by
Do you ever get really tired? I mean, deep down in your bones dog tired?
We all run at a frenetic pace don’t we? Then add on top all the challenges that seem to pop up constantly.
Do you ever have days it seems the faster you run the behinder you get? I do for sure.
That’s why I love what Jesus promised.
“Come to me, all of you who feel weary and overwhelmed and I will give your rest.”
Wow, exactly the prescription we need isn’t it?
And the thing I love about it is, there’s no five step list. Like you need more to do anyway?
No just simply come to him. And if you already have he says, “Keep coming back into my rest.”
He promises you’ll find peace deep in your soul that will give you rest. You’ll find confidence that he is still in control of the challenges of your life even if they seem out of control to you.
In that confidence you will find rest, deep soul level rest. And you can let the challenges fade until another day.
I’ve discovered the truth of this promise over and over.
Sometimes I just don’t know why it doesn’t stick better.
*Matthew 11:28
You Can Have the Emptiness Inside Filled Up with Love
May 1, 2017 by
I gave into lunch with an acquaintance who, as a self proclaimed atheist, wanted to debate religion. I told him, “I don’t debate religion, but I will share what I believe.”
He finally agreed to those terms then promptly flipped to a debate.
We enjoyed a nice lunch and he enjoyed the debate. He didn’t convince me nor do I imagine I convinced him.
On my drive home, I thought, “How depressing to feel that your existence is a cosmic mistake. That you are utterly alone. And when you die that’s it.”
That’s what I love about what I believe and have experienced. That God, miraculously, came to earth as Jesus because he wants to have a relationship with me.
John writes, “The Word became human and lived among us. We have seen his glory, of the One who came from the Father full of grace and truth.”
That alone fills the core emptiness people carry deep inside.
God wanted to live in a relationship with you so much that he sent his son here so people could see, hear and touch him. 2000 years later you still can.
All you need to do is ask.
Now, that’s worth believing.
And no, I still have no interest in debating.
*John 1:14
Find Healing When You’ve Lost Someone You Love
April 12, 2017 by
We’ve been on a run lately of people we know passing away. My wife said, “I’m ready for a break.” The problem is too they seem to be getting closer to my age.
I know you can relate and have felt the hurt of losing someone you love. All the encouraging words and hugs help but the empty hole remains.
Nothing you can do ever completely heals the wound.
If there was no other reason for wanting a relationship with God than that it would be enough.
David writes, “The days of the blameless are known to the Lord, and their inheritance will endure forever.”
Aren’t you glad? No matter how much God promises to bless you in this life he promises even more in the next. And those loved ones you’ve lost wait to greet you. How much better could it be?
That gift is given not to those who are perfect because none of us are, even David who wrote these words. Rather the blameless are those who come to God and say, “Forgive me and accept me.”
Then he says, “You are forgiven. You are my child. Live with me forever.”
I’m glad. But I still wish people would quit dying closer and closer to my age.
*Psalm 37:18 (NIV)
Find Power in the Midst of When You Feel Overwhelmed
March 15, 2017 by
I’ve heard said, “The problem with life is, it’s so daily.”
At times it can seem like series of challenging puzzles coming one after another. And the biggest problem is often you don’t get one solved before next one hits.
You tirelessly work day after day. And frankly after a while you can start feeling, “If this thing called life just wasn’t so daily I could get some rest and get on top of it.”
It’s what I love about what David writes, “The lions may grow weak and hungry, but those who seek the Lord lack no good thing.”
We all have days when those those lions seem like a step up don’t we?
Yet, into the midst of this daily grind God brings his goodness. And when you stop and seek his answers a feeling of renewal comes.
Renewal based on believing that God sees your struggle and knows the answer. He sees your need and has the solution. And when you feel overwhelmed he mysteriously gives you his peace.
When the challenges of life become too much for today, you can rest in him and find the strength to go on tomorrow.
So welcome to life. Be careful out there, it’s gonna be daily.
*Psalm 34:10 (NIV)
Are You Feeling Smashed? Time to Unleash Power?
March 10, 2017 by
Most everyone I know feels smashed.
We’re called the sandwich generation. I’d call us the flat tire generation. We have a crisis blowout concerning our kids and before we get it fixed another happens with our parents.
Friends have said, “We’ll get together when things settle down.” Two years in we’re still waiting.
But it can leave you feeling crushed with no ounce of reserve left.
I was refreshed though last night when I read a favorite verse again.
Zechariah writes, “‘Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit,’ says the Lord Almighty.”
Wow! All my chasing and crashing often accomplishes little more than stress. But when I settle back into trusting that God will accomplish everything I need I find his power again.
No matter what crunch you’re facing right now, just take the time to give it back to God. Settle down into the rest he wants to give you.
Then you’ll discover a peace in your heart and mind that will help you think clearly. You’ll find renewed strength in your body. And you’ll see God’s power enter into your pressure cooker life and release the steam.
Personally, I think I’ll go sailing. I’m going to let God have his shift for a while.
*Zechariah 4:6 (NIV)
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