“Joshua told the people, ‘Consecrate yourselves, for tomorrow the Lord will do amazing things among you.’” Joshua 3:5 (NIV) I was stunned the other day by a verse I read in Exodus. I was reading the story of Moses and the burning bush – a story I’ve heard countless times! And yet, this time, a small, unassuming detail really stood out to me. Here are the verses: “When the Lord saw that he had gone over to look, God called to him from within the bush, “Moses! Moses!” And Moses said, “Here[...]
At face value, the word 'submission' usually sounds negative – especially in today's time and culture. And to be sure, in the wrong hands, submission can be an ugly and damaging thing. But God's ways are higher than ours, and His kingdom is upside down compared to ours. And in the same vein, this idea of submission is a pretty crucial in our walk with Jesus. In fact, I don't think it's possible to walk with Jesus unless we submit. Jesus Himself submitted to God perfectly in all things, so why should we not[...]
I once asked my mom why we had to pray with our eyes closed. I was a little girl then, and I wondered if God only answered prayers if our eyes were closed or if there was something extra holy about closing our eyes somehow. That was a long time ago, but I still remember her answer. She said there was nothing special about praying with our eyes closed or open. God didn’t mind either, but we closed our eyes to remove distractions while we talked to God. In our fast-paced world, we have endless supplies of di[...]
“Come to me. (…) Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.” Matthew 11:28-30 (MSG). Many years ago, I had a very vivid dream. I dreamed I was sitting on the ground among the branches of a bush in the middle of a forest. All was quiet until I heard footsteps from a distance. My view was obstructed by the branches and the leaves of my little sheltering bush, but I immediately knew that God was coming this way! All I could see were His feet, the hem of His flowing robe and His sh[...]
"Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understand; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight." Proverbs 3:5-6 (NIV). I tend to be decisive when ordering at a restaurant, but I always seem to have the most indecisive friends. I have developed the habit of helping my "indecisive" friends work through all the options on the menu so they can find what most appeals to them – I know, it's a weird skill set to have. But we are faced with so many decisions and op[...]
“I will bring him near, and he will come close to me - for who is he who will devote himself to be close to me?’ declares the Lord.” Jeremiah 30:21b (NIV) As human beings, we have a terrible tendency to go astray and seek out something other than God. In the garden of Eden, we sought knowledge in a forbidden fruit. In the wilderness, we sought a man-made golden calf. And in the promise of a messiah, we sought a human hero to lead us... Long ago, the people of Israel had been given a great promise whi[...]
"But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us." 2 Corinthians 4:7 (NIV). We fail, we fall. We are all vulnerable. But the last few years have brought a string of cringe-worthy episodes featuring well-known Christian leaders being caught doing what they should not be doing (to say the least). Many of us worriedly wonder which great Christian leader will fall next. Big names who once received international applause saw sad endings. But this trend[...]
“We love because he first loved us.” 1 John 4:19 (NIV). The words “loving yourself” and “self-care” are buzz words in the mental health field. Some people even go so far as to say that it is impossible to love others without loving ourselves first. But it’s often a struggle to know how to do this practically. From a Biblical perspective, in Mark 12:29-31, we see Jesus stating that the first most important commandment is to love God with all of our heart, soul and strength, and the second is to[...]
"For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast." Ephesians 2:8-9 (ESV). I spent a solid 20 minutes trying to explain the concept of God's grace to someone who was terrified that if they made a mistake, God might smite them somehow. This had been a longstanding fear of theirs. But unfortunately, after I talked in circles for a while, my friend's face just showed confusion and mixed feelings rather[...]
"The Lord will surely comfort Zion and will look with compassion on all her ruins; he will make her deserts like Eden, her wastelands like the garden of the Lord. Joy and gladness will be found in her, thanksgiving, and the sound of singing." Isaiah 51:3 (NIV). The first glimpses of warmer weather and sunshine are so encouraging after a heavy and long Canadian winter! It makes us want to dust off the cobwebs and air out the house after being cooped up inside for so long. On a larger scale, after two years o[...]