The Bible often charges Christians to wait patiently for the Lord [e.g. Lamentations 3:26]. The Hebrew word translated patiently in many Bible translations suggests enduring patience in the person waiting that is also silent or quiet. Take the context of the verse above as an example. The author is lamenting the destruction of his beloved …
Four times the Bible says: “…the just shall live by (his) faith” [Habakkuk 2:4], and elsewhere, it also says: “…for we (believers, or the just) walk by faith, and not by sight” [2 Corinthians 5:7]. These are just some of the many verses in Scripture emphasising the truth that faith is an essential virtue in …
It takes time to know God. Sadly, investing time and effort to develop beneficial relationships is anathema to our modern ears. We want instant returns on our investments, and often we aren’t interested if that isn’t the case. The God of the Bible is one of principles and patterns [Jeremiah 6:16, Leviticus 6:9]. Therefore, a …
I’m currently reading an excellent book by John Mark Comer titled Live No Lies. He’s the author of The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry, another book I highly recommend, especially for those of us who are perennially busy. In Live No Lies, John Mark provides definitions of truth, reality and ideas, which I found very helpful. …
There are several places in the Bible where God promises to go ahead of His people or a chosen person into a particular reality. One of the more famous verses is Jesus promising to go and prepare a place for us in His Father’s kingdom [John 14:2-3]. I rarely paid attention to this promise until …
Hang around Christians long enough, and some well-meaning person is going to tell you to “just have faith” when you’re in a quandary. Is it just me, or are there others who find that a little vague? Faith in what? That what I want to happen will happen? I know we’re meant to walk by …
I’ve been thinking of the lyrics of Be Magnified recently. The song begins with the lines: “I have made You too small in my eyes, o Lord, forgive me. I have believed in a lie, that You were unable to help me. But now, o Lord, I see my wrong”. I find those words convicting …
One of the many blessings in my life is having a workstation that looks out onto a field. During the winter months at the beginning of the year, the land was barren. It turned green in the autumn, shortly after the farmer planted wheat. By the middle of the summer, the field was golden. The …
Sometimes, we Christians are terrible at acknowledging reality. We act as though we’re exempt from the consequences of living in a fallen world, something Jesus categorically refutes [John 16:33]. The truth is that we live in dual realities, often at odds with each other. That’s the tension we must acknowledge and deal with. God is …
The longer I remain a Christian, the clearer it becomes that no one can fake following God. Life doesn’t give any of us that option. While becoming a Christian is easy, living out an authentic Christian life is certainly not. Life will test our commitment to the hilt and how we respond is ultimately the …
