“Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit” (John 12:24, esv). In God’s economy, “fruit” is the evidence of a life changed by Jesus Christ. And when it comes to bearing fruit—bearing “much fruit,” in […]
So to keep me from becoming conceited because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to harass me, to keep me from becoming conceited (2 Corinthians 12:7, ESV). God allows bad things to happen to good people. The phrase “good people” is a […]
“Incline your ear and come to Me. Listen, that you may live; And I will make an everlasting covenant with you, According to the faithful mercies shown to David” (Isaiah 55:3, nasb). A covenant is like a turbo promise. When God declared His covenant with His people, He was reminding them of His everlasting hesed—His covenant love, His mercy and kindness. It […]
A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity (Proverbs 17:17, esv). The Christian life is not a solo venture. It requires teamwork. God has given us an incredible resource in our brothers and sisters in Christ. We desperately need each other so that when we want to quit, we can’t, […]
The Lord appointed a great fish to swallow up Jonah. And Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights (Jonah 1:17, esv). The part that doesn’t often get noticed in Jonah’s well-known, underwater adventure is the connection between the moment when “the Lord spoke to the fish, and it vomited […]
“The good person out of the good treasure of his heart produces good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure produces evil, for out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks” (Luke 6:45, esv). According to one of Aesop’s fables, a man and his grandson were traveling to town. The old […]
“And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up” (John 3:14, esv). God takes our attitudes seriously. We see this clearly in another wave of murmuring recorded in Numbers 21. Forty years after the first round of grumbling, the wilderness rebellion at Kadesh Barnea, the […]
But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and […]
He said to him the third time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” Peter was grieved because he said to him the third time, “Do you love me?” and he said to him, “Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Feed my sheep” (John 21:17, esv). […]
When Jesus had crossed again in the boat to the other side, a great crowd gathered about him, and he was beside the sea. Then came one of the rulers of the synagogue, Jairus by name, and seeing him, he fell at his feet (Mark 5:21–22, esv). We have so many reasons not to pray. […]