THE EYES OF FAITH SEE DISPROPORTIONATE REWARD ON THE OTHER SIDE OF TRIALS One of the truths that helps get me through hard times is the belief that every trial has something greater on the other side, either in this world or in the world to...
WHEN LIFE IS DARKEST, WE HAVE THE GREATEST OPPORTUNITY TO TRIUMPH For a number of weeks now we have been exploring the issue of coping with trials in the Christian life. When things are going relatively well for a Christian, this subject may seem academic or...
WE CAN DEMONSTRATE THE SINCERITY OF OUR LOVE FOR GOD BY CONTINUING TO SERVE HIM EVEN WHILE LIVING A DIFFICULT LIFE A wealthy person doesn’t want someone to marry them just because they are rich. They want the other person to marry them because the other...
GOD PROMISES TO REWARD THOSE WHO EARNESTLY SEEK HIM! A number of years ago a friend of mine asked his pre-teen son if he would rather receive hundred dollars a day for a month, or receive a penny on the first day of the month, and...
GOD RISES ABOVE THE LEVEL OF A MAD SCIENTIST BECAUSE OF HIS GOODNESS This week we're going to take another look at the theme of "coping with trials". In addition to understanding the temporal benefits and the eternal rewards of trials, it helps me cope with trials...
IT IS NOT ENOUGH TO KNOW HELPFUL VERSES; WE MUST MENTALLY REHEARSE THEM OFTEN ENOUGH FOR THEM TO TRANSFORM US. This week’s blog is the third and final post in the series on My Three Most Helpful Verses for Coping With Trials. In the first week, I...
WE CAN TAKE NOTHING WITH US, BUT WE CAN SEND IT AHEAD While we might not be able to say that we have suffered more than most other people, many of us would readily admit that we have suffered more than we expected to when we...
THE ROAD TO TRANSFORMATION ALWAYS GOES THROUGH THE TUNNEL OF TRIALS One New Year's Day, I was watching college football games with another family, including an alum of one of the teams playing. His daughter was looking forward to attending the school that fall. Her team...
PURPOSELY-INTERMITTENT JOURNALING MIGHT BE THE KEY! The palest ink, it is said, is more reliable than the strongest memory. I suspect that is true, but I would have to speculate on that, because my memory would never qualify as “the strongest memory.” So, it is even...
GOD GETS THE SAME THING OUT OF YOUR LIFE THAT YOU DO Dallas Willard was fond of saying, “The thing God gets out of your life is the person you become. And, the thing you get out of your life is the person you become.” This seems...