Cost and Rewards In the New Testament we see the story of Jesus unfold and follow the work of the apostles. Reading through the letters we can tend to focus on the principles to live by and skim over the suffering of those who taught and shared the gospel. In our own lives, we know it comes with a cost, and I think we do the same thing. We skim over the costs as reasons why we quietly live instead…
Is God good? Is God kind? In rough seasons of stress and anxiety, seeing God’s goodness and kindness becomes difficult. We become blind to the truth of God, because God is good and God is kind. How I See God’s Kindness I grew up in rural Kentucky, but don’t think a farm family. We lived surrounded by tobacco and cows, but the closest we dealt with farm life was calling the neighbor when a cow got out. We lived on…
The gravel slowly became more washed out four wheeler trail than road. Out the driver window, you could reach out and touch a steep dirt wall and out the passenger side, you could look down the edge of a sharp drop off. At one point, the wheels of my 2002 Ford Mustang were turned towards the wall as we slid down a hill, trying to avoid the drop off.
I almost missed these moments because I feared consequences instead of resting in the character of God. I have seen God work in my hesitations and processing; I have felt the weight of consequences for disobedience. That is the graciousness of God – giving life when we deserve death and he allows suffering because of his desire to see us become more like him.
I really love the story of Joseph, it’s what encouraged me to start writing. Joseph shared two dreams with his brothers and as an only child, when I first read the story I really didn’t understand why his brothers got sooooo hostile about it. Then I spent some real time around siblings and it all came together. Joseph, insecure about being the youngest or emboldened by being the favorite or both, shared his dreams to shake things up. Joseph’s brothers…
Jesus, who knows grace – the type of grace which serves dinner to his traitor; the type of grace which suffers the cross; the type of grace which leaves linens folded in a tomb after being falsely arrested, scourged, and crucified – that type of grace.
I promise, you can do more in 6-days with God than you can do in 7-days without.
God used my hesitation. My jaw dropped as I read his response. I didn’t know about the meeting and I couldn’t seem to process the feelings of “wow, I really heard God speak” because only He can orchestrate those puzzle pieces into place in such perfect rhythm – even when I already conceding to messing it up by hesitating.
Some time may be passing and you can’t see a finish line. You may feel forgotten. Stay close to the steadfast love of God. He holds you close, not for some time, but for all time.
In middle school I remember a lie someone started about me – it was wild and far from true. Even though I knew the truth, the lie existing gutted me. My middle school confidence never hit a real high point (it’s middle school… does any one have great middle school confidence?), but nothing tanked my confidence as this lie. Did people believe it? With only 14 people in my class, I assumed everyone already heard (especially with one very talented…