Last Tuesday, in 'Oceans Deep, Part 6', we saw that God doesn't penalize us when we aren't quite ready to take that extra step in faith and abandon our safety nets. Nonetheless, the rewards of taking the opportunities He gives us to grow our faith are beyond...
One of the big things I struggle with every time I'm going through trials is the question, ‘Why?' I'm sure I'm not alone in this, for it is innately human to want to understand things, and somehow, it makes what we're going through easier when we understand the ‘why'...
I was alone, seated at the dining room table in the house who hosted me during my trip to Quito, Ecuador. The chair moved a bit. I thought it was my imagination. Then the table moved from side to side. I jumped to my feet and my heart beat fast. What flashed through...
Last Thursday, in "Understanding the 'Why', Part 1", we saw that though it makes it a lot easier to go through trials when we understand why, we can trust God to know why, even when we don't see it. We can take comfort in the fact that God is always in control. Is it...
Today in the concluding part of series on truth in each of the three cardinal Christian doctrines, today we shall focus on the truth regarding... Glorification... "However, no one knows the day or hour when these things will happen, not even the angels in heaven or...
"He has made everything beautiful in its time." (Ecclesiastes 3:11) Snow-on-the-mountain shrubs are beautiful when sporting new growth. The leaves unfurl pink and white before turning deep green. Unfortunately our lovely bushes looked like spindly sticks fit for...
Over the last 7 devotionals, we've been looking at the story of Jesus--and Peter!--walking on water. We've seen: 1. How God has indeed called each of us out upon the waters, into situations where ‘our feet may fail'! But it is there that we find Him in the mystery,...
Last Saturday, in "Preparing the Mango, Part 2", we saw that we get through our trials, not by focusing on them, but by surrendering them to the God of the universe. This frees us to focus on the needs of others, and when we do, our own troubles shrink back to a...
"the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts." (Isaiah 55:9) We had been in the midst of a tropical depression. Lots of gray, soggy clouds were sitting there not going anywhere. Day after day the rains...
Over the past 8 devotionals, we've been taking a close look at the story of Jesus and Peter walking on water; but this story is so concrete. The disciples were in the midst of a literal storm, and they were in a real boat. Our storms aren't the kind that would tip...