Making the Effort

The Bible says that if you draw near to God, He will draw near to you (James 4:8). This requires effort on our part. That’s the thing about relationships. Both parties must make an effort for it to work. In our relationship with God, surrender and obedience is necessary. This is what proper worship is … Continue reading Making the Effort →

Sacrifice Requires Something

Sacrifice requires something. If there’s not a something, there’s not a sacrifice. David was adamant that he would make a purchase for an offering, that it would cost him something. In 2 Samuel 24:24, we read: “But the king said to Araunah, ‘No, but I will buy it from you for a price. I will … Continue reading Sacrifice Requires Something →

Thoughts and Motives

The Word of God exposes our thoughts and motives. This is a scary and awesome truth. I’ve heard many people make comments like “you don’t want to know my thoughts” or “it’s a scary place inside my head.” Yet at the same time, we live expecting people to know what we are thinking and oftentimes … Continue reading Thoughts and Motives →

How the Mighty Have Fallen

In 2 Samuel 1 we read about the death of Saul and Jonathan at the hands of the Philistines. David is told this news and he lamented. He writes this long lamentation that says “how the mighty have fallen” three times (vs. 19-27). It is such a beautiful collection of words as a tribute for … Continue reading How the Mighty Have Fallen →

I Have Sinned

Everyone sins; everyone falls short (Romans 3:23). That’s the bad news. But the good news is that Christ Jesus has built a bridge over the gap that was created by sin. God is holy and He can’t stand sin—sin is anything against God. So as we sin, we are moving ourselves away from God. The … Continue reading I Have Sinned →

Swollen Lips

I decided to reward myself with a cool dessert and pulled open the freezer to retrieve the ice cream. I chose the Peanut Butter Swirl kind and started to enjoy one of my favorite ice creams, though it was not a brand I typically eat. After a few bites, my lips started to feel strange. … Continue reading Swollen Lips →

Replacing Trust with Statistics

David committed an awful sin when he counted the people. The Bible says that he was “replacing trust with statistics.” With taking a census, David was able to see how many people he had at his disposal and he could then put his trust in those great numbers. We do the same thing all the … Continue reading Replacing Trust with Statistics →