In The Word For Today

A friend and I were talking one day about the different pressures we were facing — deadlines on projects, family concerns, new opportunities that were presenting themselves — and she asked me how I paced myself…how I refreshed my mind and recharged my batteries for the next push. And because she’s getting to be a good friend, she didn’t laugh when I said, “I watch cooking shows.” It’s a natural th...

We’ve all been there, haven’t we? Life is good. Plans are on track…it looks like we might even finally get ahead a bit. Then something we didn’t anticipate arises and we are brought up short. Stopped in our tracks....

Bartimaeus used to sit on the road between Jericho and Jerusalem — a fairly popular spot for a beggar to set up shop. Many wealthy people lived in Jericho where the weather was a bit nicer, and catching them as they left the city to head to Jerusalem was actually a pretty shrewd tactic. Heartstrings could more easily be plucked as pilgrims traveled to and from their spiritual capital city!...

Jesus has the most remarkable way of saying in one short sentence enough to bring you up short and change the direction of your life! One of those sentences is found in Luke 9:62 where He says, “No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God.”...

Some time ago a good friend of mine went through a very difficult circumstance that I knew she would find very painful to talk about. I loved her and wanted to help, but I also wanted to allow her the space she needed to process and come to terms with how she was feeling. So I sent her a short letter to say that I was there for her and was willing to talk as soon as she felt she was ready.I didn’t...

In Romans 5:1 Paul reveals that: “… since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ….”Since the fall of Adam, we have been separated from God. It is as if mankind has been at war with God and His wrath has been upon us because of our sin. Though I did not realize it at the time, the Holy Spirit began to draw me to the Word of God before I gave my li...

Paul reveals in Romans 5:3-5 that though we would not willingly choose to suffer, our trials do have a purpose. He declares that we can “rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us….”...

Last time we began to learn wisdom from even some of God’s smallest creatures in Proverbs 30:24-28: “Four things on earth are small, yet they are extremely wise: Ants are creatures of little strength, yet they store up their food in the summer; coneys are creatures of little power, yet they make their home in the crags; locusts have no king, yet they advance together in ranks; a lizard can be caug...

James talks about how vital perseverance is when it comes to facing the many different kinds of trials that come our way. In fact, he encourages us in James 1:2-4 to “Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters,whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance....

In Romans 12 Paul encourages us to “never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord.”He says we are to “be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.”...