Do you know what is the secret of boldness? It’s the same reason why the apostles were so bold in proclaiming the gospel. It’s the same reason why Christians all over the world dare to do things out of their comfort zones. It’s the same reason that keeps you and me going when things get tough. This I declare about the Lord: He alone is my refuge, my place of safety; he is my God, and I trust him. (Psalm…
I have been in love of Psalm 19 a few days now. I am going to share it with you and explain why it feels so precious to me right now. Read it and let the Holy Spirit read you while you are at it. This is how the Living Word of God works! The revelation of God is whole and pulls our lives together. The signposts of God are clear and point out the right road. The life-maps of…
Are you interested in doing the will of God? If you are reading this I assume that’s the case. With the words of Elizabeth Elliot “The will of God is not something you add to your life. It’s a course you choose. You either line yourself up with the Son of God…or you capitulate to the principle which governs the rest of the world.” Hence doing the will of God is following Christ. Mary DeMuth helps us to understand better…
Impatience seems to be the beginning of anxiety, right? Waiting for God’s guidance and timing is not easy, especially when we have all kinds of wild thoughts racing through our mind. What are the next steps God wants me to take? Should I wait or proceed? How can I be sure I am not missing God’s guidance? This morning I stumbled upon this Dietrich Bonhoeffer quote: “Waiting is an art that our impatient age has forgotten. It wants to break…
I’ve always thought that we should only serve one God and we should not have idols. God should be number one in our lives. I had thought those possible idols would be other people or work or hobbies, somebody or something else than me. But then I read this from Isaiah: “Why do we fast, but you do not see? Why humble ourselves, but you do not notice?” Look, you serve your own interest on your fast day, and oppress…
Have you ever envied the wise men? I have. Sometimes discerning God’s will is not that easy. Wouldn’t it be wonderful to have a huge sign on the sky declaring heavenly guidance “This Way!” Having your own star would be helpful, don’t you think? Then the star appeared again, the same star they had seen in the eastern skies. It led them on until it hovered over the place of the child. They could hardly contain themselves: They were in…
If you’ve ever needed proof that God’s thinking is not the way the world thinks, here it is. Just read the story of the great commission and be amazed: Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus told them to go. When they saw him, they worshipped him, but some doubted. Jesus came near and spoke to them, “I’ve received all authority in heaven and on earth. Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing…
This week we’ve been searching for God’s will. We can be certain that God wants to be found and he will personally teach us how to live in his will. Jesus said, “Don’t bicker among yourselves over me. You’re not in charge here. The Father who sent me is in charge. He draws people to me—that’s the only way you’ll ever come. Only then do I do my work, putting people together, setting them on their feet, ready for the…
This week we’ve been pondering on what it means to “Live well, Live wisely, live humbly” (James 3:13, MSG) as we search for God’s will for our lives. Today we concentrate on how ‘living wisely’ can help us on our quest for God’s will. What could living wisely be? Maybe it’s recognizing what in life has eternal value and embracing it with everything we’ve got. Don’t love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world,…
Today our quest for what it means to “Live well, Live wisely, live humbly” (James 3:13, MSG) continues. We started our quest yesterday. Today we talk about how ‘living well’ can help us on our quest for God’s will. And, yes, you guessed it, tomorrow we tackle ‘live wisely’ and the day after tomorrow ‘live humbly’. In essence, following God, being a disciple of Jesus Christ and living in the Holy Spirit, is what leads us to find God’s will….
