I am celebrating a landmark birthday this week, and such occasions usually prompt some introspection. Moses once prayed: “So teach us to number our days, that we may develop a heart of wisdom” [Psalm 90:12]. What does it look like to have a heart of wisdom? I believe this verse is prompting us to consider …
How would you honestly describe your relationship with God? Or better yet, how would those close to you describe your relationship with God? I’ve heard lots of cliché statements like “I’m sold out for Christ”, “Jesus is my all”, and the like. I don’t judge but if God gave you everything you ever asked for, …
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 …
If you have kids and they are anything like mine, you’ve probably had to deal with one or two big questions. I’ve been asked; “if God has all the power, why doesn’t He stop bad things from happening?” and “why did God put that tree in the garden if He knew that Adam and Eve …
In the letter to the Hebrews, the Bible says Jesus learned obedience through His suffering [Hebrews 5:8]. That’s a profound statement. I’ve often thought about its implication. How does God learn obedience? The best I can make out is that obedience is a choice, not a character trait. Jesus once described Himself as gentle and …
My posts for the last few weeks have been about surviving hard times. As a friend said recently, when you’re experiencing hard times, you’re in no mood for intellectual stimulation. You need something tangible to anchor your faith, not just information that makes sense. Such an anchor requires convictions which can withstand the hard times. …
As I wrote last week, I have been reflecting about surviving seasons of hardship. As such, I’ve been taking a closer look at the story of the Israelites who experienced hard times after they left Egypt. God intentionally led them into a desert when they left Egypt, even though there was at least one other …
“Who’s driving?” my 4-year old asks her 7-year old brother. “Daddy” he responds confidently. He then adds: “all we have to do is sit back and relax”. I smiled at myself because I’ve been reflecting on what it means to cast your burdens onto Jesus especially in difficult times. This was an object lesson. My …
Live long enough as a Christian and you will experience the wilderness. The wilderness is a place or season of trial. God often uses wilderness experiences to shape our character as He humbles us and test us to know what is in our hearts [Deuteronomy 8:2]. Such experiences, though often painful, can be instructive and …
