This blog is designed to create community for believers and provide support for seekers. I encourage all readers to share their faith in an effort to lift and encourage one another.
“Can you worship a God who isn’t obligated to explain His actions to you? Could it be your arrogance that makes you think God owes you an explanation?”
— Francis Chan
Well, this quote certainly requires some heavy thought.
Lord, take away my arrogance. Teach me to trust you completely. Who am I to question your actions?
Such a beautiful verse. Something to contemplate. How do we imitate Christ’s love? He gave himself up for us, so what do we give up for him? What do we sacrifice that can be a fragrant offering to God?
Thank you, Jesus, for your ultimate offering, pleasing to God and saving us. Show us the ways you want us to sacrifice, ways that will be pleasing to you.
Such a wonderful verse and such a great reminder that God loves all his children, even when we appear unlovable to others.
Lord, help me to remember that You love ALL Your children, even ones who don’t appear so nice. Help me to see them through Your eyes and to offer them Your grace, love, and peace.
Dropping the Stones
Caught in the act, they dragged her into the temple courts.
Head down, hands trembling, she avoided the eyes of the angry men surrounding her.
The men couldn’t wait to pass judgment on her.
Their faces turned hard as the stones they longed to throw. After all, that was God’s law.
But the man who wrote on the ground, the pure man, the innocent one, the creator, savior, shepherd of men. He spoke to the crowd.
“Let him who is without sin throw the first stone.”
Angry muttering ceased.
Hearts of stone softened.
Angry fists opened.
Stones thudded to the ground.
One by one, with empty hands, the men turned away.
No stones were thrown that day.
So why do I harden my heart?
Why do I look for stones to throw?
Why do I feel the weight of these stones in my hands and on my heart?
I, too, am a sinner.
I am not the sinless man drawing on the ground.
Creator, shepherd, savior, teach me to open my heart and my hands. Teach me to drop the stones of judgment. Teach me to accept your grace and to offer it to other sinners.
“Jesus tells us to set our hearts on the kingdom. Setting our hearts on something involves not only serious aspirations but also strong determination. A spiritual life requires human effort. The forces that keep pulling us back into a worry-filled life are far from easy to overcome.”
Henri Nouwen
Lord, help me to keep my focus on You. Show me how to put you first, and I know all other aspects of life will fall into place. Thank you for your love and your grace.
This verse came up in Sunday’s sermon. Oh, the humility of John, deferring attention from himself to his Savior.
Father, make me humble like John, always bringing the attention to the Lamb of God, the one who has saved me and gifts me with so many wonderful spiritual gifts. Praise God!
“Life has a way of testing our anchors and tempting us to drift. Nevertheless, if our anchors are correctly place in the rock of our Redeemer, they will hold no matter the force of the wind, the strength of the tide, or the height of the water. Dieter F. Lichicterf
Father God, help me to stay anchored in your word. Keep me from drifting away from You. Only You can keep me safely anchored in the raging storms of life.
What a wonderful day that will be!
Thank you, Lord, for your promises. I ask you to grow my faith, so that however life’s circumstances may appear to be, I will always trust in You and Your plans.
First Kiss
Frost has kissed the forest. Leaves and grasses have succumbed to its deadly touch. Yellow and brown leaves flutter from the trees. The stream is littered with autumn’s golden snowfall. As I wander off the soft, sandy trail, my feet crunch noisily through the leafy debris. Looking up, I see trees lifting dark, barren branches skyward. Others sport a few green and yellow leaves, but these too are destined to drop to the forest floor.
It’s silent here. No birds call. No animals chatter to their mates. High above in the treetops the wind blows, rustling the remaining leaves. This rustling soon grows to a roar as the wind rushes past barren branches. So much around me seems dead, lifeless. Yet, I know the forest lives. As I walk, I hear crackling in the dead leaves and know small animals run and hide from this human invading their territory.
I stop a moment at the stream, listening to the rushing waters bouncing over the rocks. The sound soothes my soul. I look at the brown grass and the barren trees around the stream and I imagine their roots digging deep into the soil. Above the soil they appear dead, yet their roots continue to draw nourishment into the living plants.
So it is with my soul. At times it becomes brown and looks lifeless. Life is difficult, and I struggle from an unresponsive spirit and lack of enthusiasm. But then I go to a still place and listen. Just like the wind rushes through the trees, God’s voice rushes through my soul, giving me peace. I listen. I learn. I allow the roots of my soul to draw up spiritual nourishment. I rejoice, waiting patiently for that first green blush of spring to sprout in my soul.
Thank you, Father, for giving reassurance of Your soul-lifting presence, even when life appears drab, dreary, and lifeless.
Psalm 30:5b NIV “Weeping may remain for a night, but rejoicing comes in the morning.”
“Let your cares drive you to God. I shall not mind if you have many of them if each one leads you to prayer. If every fret makes you lean more on the Beloved, it will be a benefit.”
― Charles H. Spurgeon
Lord, I thank you for those cares and concerns that have driven me to you.
Growing Our Faith Together 