“O LORD, you are my God; I will exalt you; I will praise your name, for you have done wonderful things, plans formed of old, faithful and sure.” (Isaiah 25:1) This “exalting” of God is what we long to...
Esteem
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Purpose
Becoming
“But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 3:13-14) As...
Little Things
“For whoever has despised the day of small things shall rejoice.” (Zechariah 4:10) Our expectations soar when grand developments, great accomplishments, and large gatherings are the norm. God’s...
Unthinkable
“Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to John, to be baptized by him.” (Matthew 3:13) When Jesus approached John with this appeal, John didn’t think this was entirely a good idea. Feeling...
Beautiful
“Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him, rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving.” (Colossians 2:6-7) At...
Cheer Leader
"Therefore encourage one another with these words." (1 Thessalonians 4:18) I remember him cheering from the bleachers. James’ full throttled, all-encompassing, top-of-the-lungs, hooting and hollering...
Vital
“So, leaving them again, he went away and prayed for the third time, saying the same words again.” (Matthew 26:44) On the way to the cross, Christ faced what we can hardly comprehend: unbearable...
Preserve
“Preserve me, O God, for in you I take refuge.” (Psalms 16:1) Life preserver! Flawless picture of our God and how he encircles us with his own life-saving reinforcement. Though “preserve” seems like an...
Appointment
“I thank him who has given me strength, Christ Jesus our Lord, because he judged me faithful, appointing me to his service.” (1 Timothy 1:12)...
Five More
“Give ear to my words, O Lord; consider my groaning. Give attention to the sound of my cry, my King and my God, for to you do I pray. O Lord, in the morning you hear my voice; in the morning I prepare a...
Storing Up
“They are to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share, thus storing up treasure for themselves as a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of that which is...
Beyond Bountiful
“The point is this: whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully.” (2 Corinthians 9:6) In all likelihood, nothing fits in a fist closed tight....