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Thanksgiving…an Everyday Lifestyle
Thanksgiving isn’t just a one-day observance. It’s an everyday lifestyle. And it’s sweet when we offer thanks without asking for anything. Gratitude spills from the heart as we maintain an on-going conversation with the Lord. Throughout the day as he pours out his love and mercy, we respond with thanksgiving. Or not. I admit my…
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Can You Trust God When He’s Silent?
Job is one of my favorite Biblical friends. No matter what Satan threw at him, he stood firm and maintained his integrity. His story is the chronicle of incomprehensible loss. He had questions. And he wished he’d never been born. But he didn’t cave. He lost everything that mattered. And God was silent. He felt…
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Why…the Question God Hears Most
Why, God…why did you let this happen? You could have done something! Why didn’t you? Heartbreak sends us to our knees, begging God for answers. If only we understood his purpose in heartbreak… Have you been there, devastated by calamity, crying out for an explanation? Well-meaning comforters sometimes pour on the guilt, saying we shouldn’t…
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Watch Your Step…There’s a Pit Ahead!
I need a safe place to confess…I fell into the pit again. The pit of discouragement. It’s a trap, and I do my best to avoid it. Didn’t even see that dark hole till I tumbled in. Then I knew exactly where I’d landed. I’ve been there before. The plunge happened while I was carrying…
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Trivial–When You Hear This Word, Be Careful
While giving self a lecture on the foolishness of allowing trivial matters to interrupt my fellowship with the Lord, I suddenly had a mental picture of the lush garden called Eden where Adam and his wife Eve enjoyed fellowship with the Creator. In this ideal setting the couple lived in peace, taking care of the…
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Afraid of a Few Lions? God Can Deliver!
Afraid of a few ferocious lions? No worries. God still delivers! Impossible circumstances call for divine intervention. Daniel knew all about that. His story captivates us still. Daniel was among the Hebrews taken captive to Babylon. He had “an excellent spirit” and King Darius showed favor, giving him a distinguished position in his government. Other…
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Who’s Able to Deliver? Only Our God!
Has God shown himself able to deliver you in threatening circumstances? Are you convinced he is able? Three young men who were among the Hebrews taken to Babylon refused to worship the king’s golden image, choosing instead loyalty to their most high God. For disobedience to his royal decree, King Nebuchadnezzar ordered the men brought…
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God Is Able, Isn’t He? Make up Your Mind!
Able. The word means capable, competent, proficient, skilled (thank you, Thesaurus). That’s what a child is saying when he insists, “Do it myself!” He thinks he is able. Unable, of course, means I can’t do it myself. When circumstances bring us to the end of ourselves and smack us in the face with our inability,…
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Tug of War Depicts Our Christian Life
Tug of war…remember that sport you played as a child? Two teams line up and grab opposite ends of a rope. Then each team tries to pull the other down. Do you sometimes feel that represents the Christian life? We grab the rope and take our stand confidently, knowing the Lord in all his strength…
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Forgive Yourself–Go Forward in Joy
Forgive yourself? Just can’t do it? We’ve talked about regret and learned from David, the king of Israel, who had a colossal failure. He slept with another man’s wife, got her pregnant, and tried to cover his sin by arranging for her husband to be killed in battle so she could become his wife. How…