Just recently, I was asked to speak at church in my area. I was asked before everything was shut down. So I just assumed the date had been cancelled. Five days before I was scheduled to speak, my friend called to confirm. I had nothing… I was busy with work, so I had very little time to prepare. But I felt as if God wanted me to say yes to...
Don’t Waste Your Pain
This statement immediately caught my eye this morning as I began reading: “For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is going to be revealed to us. For the creation eagerly waits with anticipation for God’s sons to be revealed.” Romans 8:18-19 CSB I could not help but apply this scripture to our current situation. The teacher within me always...
Digging Wells
The story of Isaac is resonating with me this morning. Isaac was blessed by God. The Bible said he was abundantly blessed and grew richer and richer. The blessing of God was evident in his life. But this made people around him jealous of him. The Philistines began to try to sabotage Isaac. They filled the wells Abraham had dug with dirt. Finally, the King asked him to leave. If...
Celebrating Victory
In our Bible Study, Redefined, we have been sharing our testimonies. It is encouraging to see how much God has blessed us, how He has redeemed some very difficult, ‘didn’t think I was going to make it’ circumstances. We have come through our fiery trials without even the smell of smoke. But sometimes we need to remember the pain, the questioning, the wondering, the sleepless nights we endured so that...
What Were You Thinking
I awoke this morning and the enemy was trying to convince me that people were against me. How was he doing that? Thoughts. How do I know my thoughts were not the Holy Spirit? The thoughts were accusatory and made me feel rejected, defeated, and guarded. The Holy Spirit always leads us to hope. How do I know the thoughts were not mine? I have the mind of Christ. My...
We Rise
I was listening to an old Donnie McKlurkin song the other day. The lyrics declare, “We fall down, but we get up.” It’s basically saying, sometimes, we as Christians, miss the mark. We sin. We make mistakes, But we rise again knowing we are forgiven and redeemed, knowing we are the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus (II Corinthians 5:21). But you know, sometimes life pushes us down as well...