Tagged: faith

For Celeen, a meditation on Psalm 34   I will bless the Lord at all times; His praise will continually be in my mouth Even as bombs destroy my home and the provision of my people.   My soul makes its boast in the Lord; Let the humble hear it and be glad As the bells ring over Beirut Above the chaos of hope disappointed.   Oh, magnify the Lord with me, And let us exalt his name together! Over the burned landscape of our dreams.   I sought the Lord, and he answered me And delivered me from my fears. Rise, little one, go to your mother’s room where you’ll be safe.   Those who look to him are radiant, And their faces shall… Read More

Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the east came to Jerusalem, saying, “Where is he who has been born king of the Jews? For we saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.” Matthew 2:1-2 Jesus’ birth ushered in a new beginning for humanity. But with new beginnings comes the need for wisdom. Even the holy family needed wisdom. Jesus, the Savior of the world, was their child. But this did not exempt them from total dependence upon God for wisdom. It made their need for wisdom more critical. There are seasons in life when we are sojourners. A sojourn is a temporary stay, a time of… Read More

In the region of Abruzzo, Italy, amidst rolling hills of vineyards and olive groves, is a fountain. It flows with new red wine and is free to anyone who finds it. The fountain intentionally sits hidden along what is known as Il Cammino di San Tomasso, or, The Path of Saint Thomas. Pilgrims may stop for a drink on their way to the Basilica of Saint Thomas the Apostle, a beautiful twelfth-century church sitting beside the sea in the quiet town of Ortona. In 1258, a captain brought the remains of Thomas the apostle of Jesus there to be venerated and protected deep within its walls.  Thomas is famously remembered as the Doubter. Honest pilgrims will admit The Way of the Doubter is a well-worn… Read More

And He will be the security and stability of your times, A treasure of salvation, wisdom and knowledge; The fear of the Lord is your treasure. Isaiah 33:6 Stable instability: the state of security experienced by those who trust in God when life is unstable. If we trust God, we will find the strength to persevere even during times of instability.  Strength comes through training.  When I was a beginning runner, I ran on pavement. Solid, thick asphalt. Every slam of my foot on its firm surface was met with stubborn force. Immovable, the ground did not absorb my footprint. I ran on stable ground. Then, I discovered trail running. What delight! Combining two of my greatest joys, running and nature, trail running became my… Read More

God never gives us more than we can handle. Nowhere 1:1 How enriched are they who find their strength in the Lord; within their hearts are the highways of holiness! Even when their paths wind through the dark valley of tears, they dig deep to find a pleasant pool where others find only pain. He gives to them a brook of blessing filled from the rain of an outpouring. They grow stronger and stronger with every step forward, and the God of all gods will appear before them in Zion. Psalm 84:57 She was no more than two feet tall. Wrapped in a bright orange, purple, and yellow cloth folded twice to fit her tiny frame, the little girl balanced a plastic jug on her… Read More

Take heed, and be quiet; do not fear or be fainthearted. Be still, and know that I am God. Did I not say to you that if you would believe you would see the glory of God? He will not be afraid of evil tidings; his heart is steadfast, trusting in the Lord. His heart is established. -Isaiah 7:4, Psalm 46:10, John 11:40, Psalm 112:7-8 “He will be fine,” said the innkeeper, “Mothers always worry the most.” You don’t know our story, I thought wearily as I set my luggage down. Five hours and three hundred miles earlier I’d been sitting in a parking lot, immobilized. Unable to leave my youngest son behind until I’d made a decision. Would I trust the Lord? After a… Read More

To read Part One of this series, click here. After they had crossed over, they came to land at Gennesaret and anchored there. As they got out of the boat, people immediately recognized Jesus (Mark 6:53-54). When the winds of the storm alter your course, you may be tempted to think you’ve failed. Not only does Jesus send us into storms, but He also allows storms to change our plans. To bring us to an entirely different destination than the one originally intended. In Mark 6, Jesus made the disciples get into the boat and go ahead of Him to Bethsaida (see Mark 6:45). After an exhausting, terrifying night straining against the oars, Jesus came to them, walking on the raging sea. When they finally… Read More

And he shall be the stability of your times (Isaiah 33:6). In the mountains where I grew up, there is a mile-high bridge stretching across a mountain between two rocky cliffs. Only the brave dare cross through the frequent dense clouds and high winds that make the narrow bridge swing and sway far above the security of the solid earth below. I once stood in the middle of the bridge, gripped the cables on either side and closed my eyes, trying to overcome my fear of heights. The metal panels that form the crossing wobbled unsteadily beneath me as the wind howled, cruelly mocking my courage. The only thing that held me steady was imagining the immovable stability of the towering rock just ahead of… Read More

Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured…so that you will not grow weary and lose heart (Hebrews 12:2-3). I discovered an early Christmas gift this week, tucked away in the pages of Hebrews. Jesus wrapped it Himself for each of us in His own humanity when He was born on Christmas Day. And this is a gift we need now more than ever. Jesus learned Endurance from the moment He took his first frosty breath as a newborn, gulping in the frigid night air of a stable in Bethlehem.… Read More

[caption id="attachment_3700" align="aligncenter" width="596"] For my mother-in-love, a Master Gardener who taught me the fruitful practice of hard pruning.[/caption] I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful (John 15:1-2). Well, it seems we are all going to have a holly, jolly, pruning Christmas. The Oxford Languages Dictionary defines pruning in various degrees: trim (a tree, shrub, or bush) by cutting away dead or overgrown branches or stems, especially to increase fruitfulness and growth. cut away (a branch or stem). reduce the extent of (something) by removing superfluous or unwanted parts. December is a bit… Read More