Tag: devotion
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How to Keep God’s Mercy From Feeling Routine
“Sing to the Lord a new song, for he has done marvelous things; his right hand and his holy arm have worked salvation for him” (Psalm 98:1). The psalm quoted above reminds me so much of an answer to the questions in King David’s heartfelt psalm: “How long, Lord? Will you forget me forever? How…
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No More Curse and No More Tears
“No longer will there be any curse. The throne of God and of the Lamb will be in the city, and his servants will serve him. They will see his face and his name will be on their foreheads.” (Revelation 22:3-4) The awful effects of sin have been present since humankind’s fall in the Garden…
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Should I Expect Persecution as a Christian?
Should I expect to be persecuted as a Christian? The honest answer that God gives in his Word is yes. God doesn’t hide that blunt answer in the Bible with fine print or invisible ink. He doesn’t bury it in the proverbial terms and conditions of being a Christian, hoping that his followers will just…
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Does God Really Care About Me?
Sometimes I forget who God is. I momentarily lose sight of who God is because I’m so fearfully fixated by some problem I’m facing in life. And to my shame, I wonder: Does God really care about me? That problem—whatever it may be—seems mountainous. It looms impossibly large, occupying my thoughts, my time, and my…
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What Does It Mean to Extol the Lord?
“Praise the Lord. I will extol the Lord with all my heart in the council of the upright and in the assembly” (Psalm 111:1). If you’re like me, extol is not a word you use every day (or maybe ever). When I came across it in the verse from Psalm 111 (quoted above), curiosity got…
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How Do I Forgive Myself?
We recently published a blog article, “How Do I Forgive Others?”, and received a question in the form of a comment on our related social media post: “How does a person forgive themselves?” Making it more personal: How do I forgive myself? This is a weighty question, one that we all wrestle with to some…
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How Do I Forgive Others?
“If your brother or sister sins against you, rebuke them; and if they repent, forgive them. Even if they sin against you seven times in a day and seven times come back to you saying ‘I repent,’ you must forgive them.” The apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith!” He replied, “If you have…
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How Do I Live as a Christian in This World?
“Woe to you who are complacent in Zion, and to you who feel secure on Mount Samaria, you notable men of the foremost nation, to whom the people of Israel come!” (Amos 6:1). Like many of the Old Testament prophets, Amos had a hard but necessary message to preach to God’s people. God’s charge to…