Nobody wants to waste his or her life, don’t you think? We all know life is precious because it is so short and fragile. So we are to embrace it and make every moment count, right? If you ask different people how not to waste your life, you get varied answers depending on their values. How would you answer? I would probably have said something along the lines of Jesus “If you try to hang on to your life, you…
Our God is an awesome God. For real. I just experienced it myself this morning. I was a bit out of sorts as I started my morning devotions. But God picked me up by showing me he is the God of miracles as I read about Jesus feeding the crowds with two fish and five loaves of bread (Mark 6:30-44). The Holy Spirit whispered to me that God will be also my moment-by-moment sustainer. And just like that, I was…
Sometimes I am accused of being too joyful and hope-filled. But come on! Is there such a thing as being too hopeful? Not in my book because my hope is in Christ and there is not such a thing as having too much Christ. You see, my joy or hope is not based on circumstances, wishful thinking, or denial of pain. My hope is based on God and his Word telling me God will have the last word and not…
It seems everyone is seeking peace and joy for themselves. And they are good things. But they are byproducts of obedience and faithfulness and not something we can reach on our own. How then can we go about them then? Simply put, when we seek Christ and keep him in our lives center, we are blessed with peace and joy. Paul Tripp has said, “Putting yourself in the center and making life all about you never leads to peace and…
Work is a blessing because it gives us purpose, a rhythm for our days, and, of course, a means of living. But even if we love our work, we can burn out. Hence proper rest is a necessity. Even God rested, why wouldn’t we? Sometimes rest is out of our reach and that is hard. But sometimes fear keeps us from seeking rest and renewal. As you know, fear is not a good guide. Fear usually leads us astray. Only…
As I was preparing to move to Ethiopia, I was reflecting on the story of the burning bush. God told Moses to remove his shoes because the ground he was standing on was holy. I get that. But I don’t think God’s only purpose was to teach Moses some religious etiquette. He had some deeper meaning behind the order. What could it be? Let’s use some Biblical imagination. Maybe it was all about coming home to God. Now Moses was…
When you walk with Jesus, you can’t hide your inner joy even though the world around you might not recognize the source of your strength, peace, and joy. If people are happy with superficial living, and just splashing on the surface, they will never find the treasures of deep grace diving. That’s a shame, don’t you think? Mainly because they can never find the pearl of deep-sea, Jesus. If you keep my commands, you will live in my love, just…
This week I have been touched by these words of Jesus: “Peace be with you”. This is how he greeted his disciples after his resurrection (John 20:19-). He knew they needed relief from fear as they were taking in his resurrection and all the changes therefore happening. Jesus also knew they needed new courage to face future challenges and eternal hope to carry them through some difficult times ahead. All this was inclosed in the word of peace. Jesus always…
What’s your takeaway from Easter celebrations? For me, it is the radical hope we are now offered for free. Because Jesus walked out of the tomb, we have hope everlasting. Eternal life is now open for all who believe in Jesus. This is radical, life-changing, and liberating. But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. 21 For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man. 22 For as in Adam all…
I don’t know about you but I feel like my bones are dry and my spirit is weary. Truly, I need God to revive me, to give new life to me. I need the power of resurrection to renew my spirit. How about you? Are you standing in the need of Jesus? Because without Jesus, we have no hope. Then he said to me, “Son of man, these bones represent the people of Israel. They are saying, ‘We have become…
