The Old Testament Israelites did their graduate training in the wilderness for 40 years. Perhaps they could have finished earlier, but they kept retaking the same class: Contentment 101. Moses gives us a peek into their course work in Deuteronomy 8. Yes, he humbled you by letting you go hungry and then feeding you with manna, a food previously unknown … Read More
The world that you and I pass through daily is fraught with spiritual challenges. In our mundane day-to-day existence, itâs easy to forget that. A friend of mine shared recently that there are five Dâs that Satan uses to attack us. The five words are: doubt, discouragement, diversion, defeat and delay.  Here they are with brief definitions, and a few … Read More
I grew up in a church in rural Indiana. As a child I remember the uniqueness of the Sunday night before Thanksgiving. I remember that it was one of the few services that the pastor didnât preach. Instead I vaguely remember two microphones down front, and that people would just get up and share what they were thankful for. I … Read More
“Why am I hungry, Mamma?” the little boy’s voice pierced the darkness. His mother sighed. “Yahweh has provided manna for us; it comes from God’s very hand.” “But I’m tired of manna. It’s all we ever have, and itâs not very filling.” Again the mother’s sigh. “You sound just like your father, always wanting what you do not have.” The Old Testament Israelites did their … Read More
Iâve often wished I could crawl into H.G Wellâs time machine. Perhaps you have too, but our bodies anchor us to the present. Moving back in the past or getting a peak at the future is only available in science fiction. Yet while we are physically bound within the limitations of time, our thoughts, emotions, and choices are not. For … Read More
AÂ quick summary of Jesusâ famous Sermon on the Mount will reveal that he contrasted the internal with the external. In essence his message was, âJust because everything appears right on the outside, is no assurance everything is right on the inside.â Jesus points out this truth by looking at three elements that are initially hidden to even your closest of … Read More
The apostle Paul knew his past and he knew his future. His past was filled with regret, and his future would be filled with suffering. Howâs that for a combination? He knew both of these to be true within moments of meeting Jesus. Notice the account in Acts: And falling to the ground he heard a voice saying to him, … Read More
This final principle may be the most essential of all when it comes to gaining victory over anxiety. I like to call Psalm 37 the âdonât worry Psalm.â Three times in Psalm 37 we are told not to worry (37:1, 7, 8). The New Living Translation captures the opening verses well. Donât worry about the wicked or envy those who … Read More
There are certain things in this life which we can control, and others which God alone is to handle. For instance, while we are to control how we respond to others, we cannot control how they respond to us (Rom. 12:18). We are to control how we react to authority, but we canât control how they react to us (Rom. 13:17). Those who … Read More
When we choose to battle our anxiety we soon realize that it isnât simply a battle with anxious feelings, but also with anxious thoughts. You will not see victory over the ingrained habits of worry without addressing the way you think (Phil. 4:8). I refer to this second principle as: change your mind, not your circumstances. Most of us have very … Read More
