“I desire mercy and not sacrifice” The American culture can be highly driven, performance, and productivity-based. Being surrounded by this intense pace makes any attempt not to be affected challenging to avoid. We push through, keep going, and take on more than we can handle. We feel trapped in our weariness cycle. Is there a…
“The Sabbath was made for the good of people.” Do you want the current season of your life to close out so the next season can begin? When we rush from event to appointment to event, and every inch of the calendar has something scheduled, we tend to look ahead, placing our hope in what…
“I have labored in vain.” Have you ever said something like, “I have worked, but how hopeless it is! I have used up my strength, but have accomplished nothing” (Isaiah 49:4, GNT)? When our efforts on the relationship, the craft we have felt called to, or the thing we have emptied our heart and soul…
“…who loved me and gave himself for me.” Do you know who you are? The search for identity is often lost in what we do, what has been done to us, or labels like sexuality, gender, race, political affiliation, economics, popularity, followers, or likes. I wonder what you would add to the list. What if…
“…on the realities of heaven…” Is your life super busy, feel your life is full, and that many things in your life are going well? Still, you sense that something is missing and that there could be more? Many of us live with an awareness of purpose in our life, like loving our families, doing…
“He was despised and rejected…” Despised, rejected, avoided, ignored, bullied, and no one cared. Do any of these descriptive words touch a sensitive place in your heart? Alone is another word we could add to the list. Alone closes around this list of feelings with a tight, suffocating squeeze and whispers, “No one can help…
“…I will never abandon you…” Has there ever been anything in your life that was never? The ironic part of this question is we can only give a current answer, “No, not yet.” Never is an eternal word, without end, something we might anticipate, but the very nature of never means the thing has most…
“…the cornerstone, the tent peg, the bow for battle…” Do you have a left hook? Boxing moves are not frequently used in my exercise routine, but I know what a left hook is. The left hook is a short, sideways, inside punch which often lands on an opponent’s jaw. Left hooks are a smart move…
“Together they shall be like warriors… Is God not enough? In my struggle with depression, when I had utilized the first two battle techniques, The Ask and Acceptance, the prayer for help, and the ability to see the truth blew open my doors of isolation. I was willing to step out of my quarantine mentality…
“They will be like mighty warriors…” What does acceptance have to do with fighting? In my battle with depression, after I had utilized the first battle tactic, “The Ask,” God moved my heart to accept that I was depressed. While on the surface, admittance may sound like I was giving into depression, surrendering, or admitting…