Month: March 2025

Fear will wrap up our mind, causing us to be unreasonable and not think clearly. It will give us racing thoughts and far from rational thinking as our mind goes immediately to every worst-case scenario there is. A fearful mind will also not allow us to sleep at night as the “what ifs” swirl around and around in our brain like bats swooping and diving. Proverbs 28:1 describes this fear-filled mind like a person fleeing, when there is no one pursuing them. But God didn’t give us a fear-filled mind, but rather one that is sound (II Timothy 1:7)… and a sound mind is logical, sensible, and reasonable… not allowing fear to rule over it, as it makes good and wise decisions.

The Puritan Preacher, Charles Spurgeon once wrote, “No doctrine in the whole Word of God has more excited the hatred of mankind than the truth of the absolute sovereignty of God.” As humans, we don’t like to be told what to do…and we surely don’t like someone bossing us around. All you have to do is look at a toddler and their independent resistance. That’s because ever since the Garden of Eden, mankind has opposed and defied the universal authority and supremacy of God…all the while refusing to admit that they have absolutely no control over the workings of the Sovereign Lord. Sadly, we’d rather deny God’s supremacy than accept it and obey…all to our detriment.

We know from Scripture that suffering, trials, and persecution are not to be viewed by the Believer as unusual or strange. But accepting it all as commonplace or expected can be rather difficult at times. But James 1:12 reminds us that we are to suffer well for Christ by remaining steadfast under these trials, knowing that in the end we will receive the biggest blessing of them all…the blessing and reward of the Crown of Life.

We either live by the Spirit or live by the flesh. For when the Holy Spirit is indwelling within, it’s a sign that we are part of God’s Covenant people. But when we live according to our own corrupt inclinations, we are far from God’s plan and purpose for our life. (II Corinthians 5:17) So as the Apostle Paul exhorted Galatian Believers, we are to “keep in step” by following and adhering to God’s constant guidance and influence and listening intently to that still small voice of the Holy Spirit.

James pinpoints the importance of prayer in times of affliction, hardship, and suffering. We are to pray in all circumstances when heavy ladened…seeking God’s comfort as a refuge…or as the old Hymn expresses, “Prayer is the burden of a sign, the falling of a tear, the upward glancing of an eye, when none but God is near.” And these prayers don’t need to be long… for the mind and body may be too weak, ill, or overwhelmed. But ever in the power of any beleaguered Christian is the ability to utter a cry to God… or as Augustine called them, “Arrows for the Lord’s deliverance, shot out with a sudden quickness”

Paul is exhorting the Galatians that no matter how carefully they follow the Law or attempt to gain favor with God by good works – justification comes only through God’s grace by faith in Jesus Christ alone. This term “Justification by Faith” was declared by Martin Luther, and alone is the doctrine upon which the Protestant Reformation stands. Justification by Faith means we cannot be made righteous by what we do, for it is only through faith in Christ, not our goodness or good deeds that save us. (Romans 3:20) This faith that justifies is called living faith and is not some empty profession, but rather a personal trust that clings to Jesus as our Lord and Savior.

By Chapter 13 of Job, his friends have been offering lots of opinions, feelings, and judgments. And finally, Job as had enough of their worthless counsel, argumentative tone, and refusal to listen and hear what he was saying to them. These three men had traveled to comfort Job but instead were bent on confrontation and conflict. Mother Teresa once said, ” Be selective in your battles, sometimes peace is better than being right.” And as I care for my 92-year-old father in our home, I have learned this axiom well. I now pick my battles with him as he desperately tries to maintain his independence. I ask myself, “Am I willing to spill blood over this?”…And if the answer is no, I use prudence, diplomacy, and good sense to ensure he still stays safe.

As God’s creatures, we are required to do what is right… to live according to God’s moral law, and to obey Him…all of which are plainly revealed in His Word. And as Spurgeon wrote, there is no expiration date on God’s commands. They are just as applicable to our life today as they were for Paul or Timothy…and just as relevant to our struggles as they were to Simon Peter. Nothing has changed with God’s Word, we are still to love one another, walk in His ways, believe and trust in Him as our Lord and Savior, and obey His commands.

To take offense is becoming angry or upset by something that another person has said or done. We feel injured, humiliated, and threatened when someone expresses something negative about us. For the natural response to any threat is to take offense…with even a casual or offhand remark gnawing at us. Those who find themselves easily offended; will tend to have a false perspective of their security. That’s because our security cannot be rooted in ourselves…it must be in our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. As Proverbs 19:11 tells us, when we cover an offense, we give grace and empathy to the offender. And when we choose to overlook an offense, we give ourselves a valuable gift – the reminder that our security is not based on others’ opinions of us, but on the security, we have in Christ. (Ephesians 1:5-7)

God will intentionally bring people across your path that are in a battle where you’ve just come from. Now our first reaction is to not share our story, for it’s still too new and it hurts to talk about it. But be brave, for God has mercifully brought you through…and you have prevailed victoriously, so speak. Yes, it may be scary to return to those dark times, but you are the very best person to bring water for the blaze they’re currently in the middle of. That’s because the water you bring is the Living Water of God’s Word…filled with truth, light, and your undeniable testimony of how the Lord quenched the flames that were trying to overtake you.