Wed // Grit :: Perseverance
Title: Call out Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us… Hebrews 12:1c Typically, I abstain from corporate motivational posters. The one exception: A majestic sunrise, underscored with, “PERSEVERANCE: Our greatest glory is not in never falling, but in rising each time we fall.”Honestly, there are moments I am tempted to give […]
Sun // Sacrifice :: Exalt
Title: High above us Exalt the Lord our God and worship at his footstool; he is holy. – Psalm 99:5 Proportionately speaking, a footstool is a small accessory compared to a throne. Picture it: God is on the throne (big), and we are welcome to approach His footstool (small).While many Scriptures emphasize God’s immanence (nearness), […]
Tue // Fuel :: Listen
Title: Chaos He says, “Be still, and know that I am God; – Psalm 46:10a. There’s some pretty powerful imagery in Psalm 46. Amid cataclysmic natural disasters of summer blockbuster proportions, God’s dwelling place holds firm and is unshakeable. During ancient warfare, God shatters the bows of trained archers and the spears of the best […]
Thu // Warrior :: Engage
Title: Spiritual Forces For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenlyrealms. – Ephesians 6:12 As boys, many of us were convinced of scary things lurking under the bed, in a closet, or even in the bathroom plumbing? As we aged, we learned how “irrational” these suspicions were, taught to ignore fear and taught us only what is perceived with our five senses. “Nonsense,” we concluded. […]
Thu // Warrior :: Defend
Title: Represent God’s Character “Defend the cause of the weak and fatherless; maintain the rights of the poor and oppressed.” – Psalm 82:3 The saying, “The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing” comes to mind upon studying the above verse, especially in its context. God is […]
Tue // Fuel :: Spirit
Title: Spirit or Flesh So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. – Galatians 5:16 Oil and water. Similar poles of a magnet. Light and darkness. The natural laws in physics teach us that some things are just not designed to “coexist.” They oppose. They resist. […]
Fri // Steel :: Integrity
Title: Don’t hand it over I will not deny my integrity. – Job 27:5b I periodically utilize a method designed to reinforce someone’s resolve to resist old beliefs about themselves and begin thinking anew. It involves identifying a truth they wish to uphold and then handing them a couch pillow.“We’re going to play a little […]
Fri // Grit :: Example
Title: It can be done Set an example for the believers in speech, in life, in love, in faith and in purity. – 1 Timothy 4:12b A few years ago, I presided at the funeral of my closest and dearest aunt, my mother’s only sister. While she was in no way “outspoken” about her faith […]
Tue // Fuel :: Spirit
Title: Repetition and practice So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. – Galatians 5:16 Play to win. Don’t play to lose. For anyone who’s ever competed in sports or any other type of contest, you know the difference. Think about it too long, hesitate, second-guess […]
Mon // Surrender :: Idols
Title: It’s up to us. Those who cling to worthless idols turn away from God’s love for them. – Jonah 2:8 I believe that to the degree you and I turn and cling to would-be substitutes for God’s loving provision, we experience its absence. Conversely, to the degree we turn and cling to God Himself to […]