There’s a war going on within all of us each and every day. It’s a battle between our own stubborn will and the will of God. News flash – He always wins. Proverbs 3:5-6 (NLT) says, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take.” Okay, that’s phenomenal counsel, right? But it’s so much easier said than done. And how does one even know God’s will? Thankfully, the Scriptures give us some insight. Take a look at Romans 12:2 (NLT). “Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world ..read more

The Psalms have always been a bit of an enigma to me. Maybe it’s because I’m not necessarily the artist type, and many of the Psalms are written as poetry or are meant to be sung. But lately, I’ve had a change of heart. I’ve indulged the Psalms, more than ever before, and I now find myself turning them into a focal point of my daily reading. In fact, Psalm 23, which is so short in length but powerful in message, has become a favorite of mine. I dare say it’s a favorite of so many who’ve read it. You know the first two lines, right? “The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want ..read more

We have an excuse for everything, don’t we? All we need is just a sliver of doubt to creep in and the excuses begin to pile up. Something I learned a long time ago was that there’s a million reasons not to do something. After a brief introduction, the prophet Jeremiah tells us what the Lord would have him do. “I knew you before I formed you in your mother’s womb. Before you were born I set you apart and appointed you as my prophet to the nations.” (Jeremiah 1:5 NLT) But immediately, Jeremiah has an excuse. Jeremiah 1:6 (NLT) reads, “O Sovereign Lord,” I said, “I can’t speak for you! I’m t ..read more

“You know better.” How many times, as a child, did you hear those words in your house? For me, it was a lot. Oftentimes the words were directed at my sister, but that’s a story for another time. All kidding aside, we do know better, don’t we? Although the lines between what’s right and wrong have been blurred, especially in today’s post-modern age, I believe that most people still know (in their heart) the difference between right and wrong. The letter of First Peter is a wakeup call to Christians. In 1 Peter 1:13-16, the apostle speaks to the idea of living a holy life. While grace allows us ..read more

Thanksgiving is unquestionably my favorite holiday of the year. All you have to do is show up, watch football, eat food, and spend time with your loved ones. What could be better, right? But on this holiday, it’s incredibly important to give thanks to God for everything that He has given to you. Remember, God placed us here in order to give Him glory and to give Him thanks. More than anything else, at this time of year, it’s important for all of God’s people to give thanks for our Savior and Lord, Jesus Christ. Or, as Paul describes it in 2 Corinthians 9:15, an “indescribable gift”. So while y ..read more

Fishing is one of my favorite things to do. As a kid, I used to wake up early on Saturday mornings, and my dad and I would head out to the lake with hopes of catching a boat full of largemouth bass. Several of Jesus’ disciples were fishermen. Simon (Peter) and Andrew and the sons of Zebedee, James and John, all fished for a living. Then, one day, Jesus was walking by the shores of the Sea of Galilee and called the four fishermen to follow Him. We read about it in Mark 1:16-20 (NKJV). “…He saw Simon and Andrew his brother casting a net into the sea; Jesus said to them, “Follow Me, and I wi ..read more

Why are we so afraid of the truth? People don’t want to hear the truth, but rather prefer for the truth to align with their beliefs. The Apostle Paul makes that very clear in 2 Timothy 4:3-4 (NASB). “For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires, and will turn away their ears from the truth and will turn aside to myths.” But why do we do that? Why would people rather chase what they want to hear rather than what is true? B ..read more

Probably my favorite thing when reading Scripture is coming across one of the many prophecies. Matthew’s Gospel is littered with prophecies foretold and prophecies fulfilled. Everything from the virgin conception of Jesus (Isaiah 7:14), His birth in Bethlehem (Micah 5:2), to the fleeing from Israel to Egypt (Hosea 11:1) were all predicted in the Old Testament. But the book that I can never close when I begin to read it is Daniel. While most folks think about Daniel in the lion’s den, his book is actually the journal of a Jew who was exiled to Babylon and forced to serve under at least five dif ..read more

Have you ever noticed how God’s timing usually doesn’t jive with our own? After all, it’s not as if God owns a watch. When I think about God’s timing, I oftentimes remember Romans 11:33 (NASB). Paul writes, “Oh, the depth of the riches, both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and unfathomable His ways!” The apostle tells us that His judgments are unsearchable. So often we ask ourselves, or even God, why? You could plumb the depths of this earth in search of the answer to that universal question and never come to a conclusion. Paul then tells us that His ways ..read more

The Psalms have always been a bit of an enigma to me. Maybe it’s because I’m not necessarily the artist type, and many of the Psalms are written as poetry or are meant to be sung. But lately, I’ve had a change of heart. I’ve indulged the Psalms, more than ever before, and I now find myself turning them into a focal point of my daily reading. In fact, Psalm 23, which is so short in length but powerful in message, has become a favorite of mine. I dare say it’s a favorite of so many who’ve read it. You know the first two lines, right? “The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want ..read more