Your fears can keep you from trusting God. “God won’t care for me.” “I’ll never be married.” “I won’t survive the cancer.” “I won’t make enough to provide or to get us out of debt.” Your worries roll around in your heart and mind, telling you to trust in yourself and in “your own understanding,”... Continue Reading

 If we don’t taste the realities of the age of death and decay, we can hardly touch the triumph of the day of grace that has come, is coming, and will surely come. If we don’t know it to be the enemy it is, and instead romanticize it, we might think we can avoid our... Continue Reading

I was surprised when I first saw that my deepest struggles have become stepping-stones to my greatest revelations of God. As I reflected more, however, I saw that same theme woven through Scripture. Paul tells us that our “light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison” (2 Corinthians... Continue Reading

If the evil Assyrians can repent en masse – at least in one big city – there may be hope yet for pagan nations today. Of course in this case a prophet of God was specifically raised up to bring the message. And it took a while for that message to finally get delivered!  ... Continue Reading

According to scripture, anxiety is not treated by acquiring some new hope that our earthly situation will soon change or new proofs that it will be more stable than we expected. Scripture teaches anxiety is treated when the Word and Spirit grant us to see the eternal God more clearly, whose love for his people... Continue Reading

If we are left to ourselves with no proper oversight and accountability, then we won’t have anyone to call us back when we go astray or to correct us when we make a wrong turn (whether formally or informally). The Christian life is a struggle, as we wrestle with the world, the flesh and the... Continue Reading

You see we cannot take our sin lightly. We must not take our Lord’s grace for granted and believe that we can repent whenever we are ready. No, it does not work that way. God grants repentance and His desire is that we live holy and righteously being conformed unto the image of the Son.... Continue Reading

The uncertainties and troubles of life must ultimately pale in comparison to the sovereign and powerful work of God, who by His Spirit actually dwells with us. Christians throughout the centuries have faced the worst of circumstances with this enduring hope, that being united to Christ in His death and resurrection brings with it the... Continue Reading

It is not sinful to desire God’s justice or the justice of the governing authorities that wield God’s sword (Rom. 13:1-7) or Christ’s justice through biblical discipline in the local church (Matt. 18:15-20). But, when justice is not rendered, we must trust that vengeance is God’s, He will repay, says the Lord (Rom. 12:9). In... Continue Reading

I too am ravished by sublime splendor of Nature, and I envy Rob Bell’s ability to surf with dolphins on a daily basis and rejoice in the sheer beauty of their form. But I will not pretend that I can banish the shadows of the Fall by idolizing them. I have no desire to be more... Continue Reading