Tag: Christian Living
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How Can I Rejoice in the Lord?
How Can I Rejoice in the Lord? Devotional thoughts on Habakkuk 3:17-18 “Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls, yet I will…
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Pressing On Toward the Goal
Devotional thoughts on Philippians 3:13-14 “Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 3:13-14). Artist Mary Engelbreit is widely believed to have said, “Don’t look back, you’re not going that way.” You…
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Why Is Sin Serious?
Devotional Thoughts on Matthew 18:8-9; Matthew 15:19; James 1:14-15; Romans 7:24-25; and Ephesians 2:4-5 “If your hand or your foot causes you to stumble, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life maimed or crippled than to have two hands or two feet and be thrown into eternal…
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Christian Recovery: Finding Help and Hope
Struggling with addiction or other destructive patterns can be difficult to talk about, especially when we feel like we should be able to handle our struggles on our own. For Christians, guilt and shame can make that even harder. We know what God’s Word says about sin, but we can still find ourselves returning to…
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Turning Our Hearts Away From Selfish Gain
Devotional Thoughts on Psalm 119:36-37 and 1 Timothy 6:6-10 “Turn my heart toward your statutes and not toward selfish gain. Turn my eyes away from worthless things; preserve my life according to your word” (Psalm 119:36-37). In his commentary on Psalms 73-150 in The People’s Bible® series, Professor John F. Brug wrote that the verses…
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Be Kind and Compassionate
“Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you” (Ephesians 4:32). The verse above reminds me of Jesus’ parable of the unmerciful servant. The servant owed an impossible debt to his king. Because he could not pay it, the king ordered that the servant, his wife, and…
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When Guilt Weighs You Down
When I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long. For day and night your hand was heavy on me; my strength was sapped as in the heat of summer. Then I acknowledged my sin to you and did not cover up my iniquity. I said, “I will confess my transgressions…
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What Does It Mean to be a Christian?
“Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it. What good will it be for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? Or what…