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Setting the Heart to Seek the Lord
Setting the heart to seek the Lord is hard for inconsistent people like me. Once in early autumn I prayed, “Do not let spring come and find me the same.” There was a reason for this prayer. Year after year, Christmas approaches and in a breath is gone. Spring arrives and quickly vanishes. After barely…
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Thoughts on Walking as Jesus Walked
“As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him: Rooted and built up in him, and stablished in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving” (Colossians 2:6-7). That’s a high standard. My first thought: impossible! But let’s think about this. How did Jesus walk? He walked…
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You’re Invited to My Party…It’s a Pity Party
I’ve decided to throw a party–a pity party. You’re welcome to attend—but you’ll need to wear a mask and practice social distancing. Hope that made you smile! Because there isn’t much to smile about these days. I’m so glad our joy doesn’t depend on circumstances but on our amazing Lord. Whatever happens, we know our…
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Have You Ever Asked God Why?
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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A Conversation with the Lord
Skimming old journal notes, I found this. I do not remember the circumstance that prompted the conversation, but perhaps my working through the challenge will encourage you today. Lord, have I learned the lesson? Have I learned to rest? Have I learned to pray? I only know I have made a choice today, to set…
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Believing God in Hard Places
What if you knew that, in your hard place, God would meet your needs and bring you through the challenge in an amazing display of his faithfulness? Would believing that change anything? Someone in a hard place sent this: “I was reading over some of my many verses the Lord has given me during this…
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What Does It Mean to Be Found Faithful?
Have you wondered what it means to be found faithful? Webster defines faithful: “steadfast in affection or allegiance…firm in adherence to promises or in observance of duty.” Thesaurus uses these words to enhance the meaning: authentic, loyal, devoted, trustworthy, dependable, reliable, dedicated, committed. My understanding: being found faithful means being a good steward of the…
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Grace…Freely Giving What We Freely Received
Grace. Got plenty. And you do, too. Enough to give to those who need it. Grace is the tagline of the Christian faith. But what is it? The New Compact Bible Dictionary notes that biblical writers used the term with a variety of meanings: “that which affords joy, pleasure, delight, charm, sweetness, loveliness” “good will,…
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Trusting God when Your Hands Are Tied
You’ve been there, haven’t you—that situation you desperately wanted to fix but your hands were tied? Most of us are doers. We fix stuff. My hubby is the best fixer on the earth. In our more than fifty years of marriage, he has only hired a repairman for house projects two times—once for a plumbing…
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Isn’t It Time to Let Down Your Nets?
The last thing a weary fisherman wants to hear is “let down your nets.” The Lord told Simon Peter after a disappointing fishing trip, “…Put out into deep water, and let down the nets for a catch” (see Luke 5:1-11). A crowd had gathered around Jesus by the Lake of Gennesaret to hear his teaching.…