Praising God on Empty
“Even though the fig trees have no fruit and no grapes grow on the vines, even though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no grain, even though the sheep all die and the cattle stalls are empty, I will still be joyful and glad, because the LORD God is my savior.” (Hab 3:17-18) […]
“In Jesus’ Name.” What Does It Actually Mean?
A father took his young son and fourteen of his son’s friends to the carnival for his son’s birthday party. He bought a roll of tickets and stood in front of every ride and handed his son and the fourteen friends their tickets. A little boy who he had never seen before came with his […]
I AM WHO I AM
One of the most profound exchanges in all of Scripture. Moses wanted an assurance of who God was. God gave a simple answer: “I AM WHO I AM. Tell them I AM has sent me to you. That is my name forever.” (Exodus 3:14-15) The Great I AM remains the same. He is faithful and […]
Is Not All Human Life A Struggle?
Some of our deepest reflections happen when we find ourselves in the searches of life. Those are times when we learn invaluable lessons and make sober reflections over the meaning and value of life. (Job 7:1-21) Struggles are common to humanity. The greatest of God’s servants and even Jesus Himself went through untold trials. We […]
Sometimes, Your Presence Is All A Friend Needs
Sometimes, our presence is all that is needed. We all will go through difficult challenges in this life. In those trying situations, we need others to stand with us and comfort us. Sometimes, all we need from those friends and well-wishers is just their presence. Sometimes our silent presence is more effective than a lot […]
God Doesn’t Need Anymore Messages
“I don’t need any more messages; I need Sam to become the message. Understand what you are carrying. You are carrying LIFE inside you.” (I received this word yesterday morning from my dear friend, Marvin Harrell.) When you LIVE a story, you obtain profound ownership of the journey. Every challenge you overcome leaves its own […]
Healing The Brokenhearted
“…He has sent me to comfort the brokenhearted and to proclaim that captives will be released and prisoners will be freed.” (Isa 61:1) The word for broken used here, actually means “shattered into separate pieces”. The body cannot fully heal while it is still reflecting the inner pain of unhealed trauma. When a person is […]
Trauma Affects the Whole Person
Trauma is a side-effect of events that happen to us which are beyond our control. None of us can ever plan for such events and by their very nature we are always unprepared for them. There can be both short-term and long-term consequences of traumatic events. How we are affected by them can depend on […]
When God Tests Us, He Wants To Trust Us
Some of us will go to great lengths to test things out before we purchase them. Interestingly, God tests us through the circumstances from time to time, to see what is in our hearts. And when we pass the tests, He puts His stamp of approval on us and is then able to entrust us […]
Stop Believing God To Fulfill Promises He Never Made
One of the best things we can do is trust God to fulfill the promises He’s made. One of the worst things we can do is to trust Him to fulfill promises He never made. We can become angry and bitter as a result. We think it’s God’s plan, but it’s actually our plan. You’re […]