When we go through hard times, it is helpful to find a therapist, a biblical counselor, or a spiritual director who can walk with us through the issues. Point us toward resources that might open a door for help or provide an a-ha moment of illumination. It is also crucial to have praying people on […]
The Power of Words Read More »
Multiple times in the Old Testament, we find the imagery of God’s right hand. And in Psalm 18:35, it is that right hand that promises to sustain us. “You give me your shield of victory, and your right hand sustains me.” (NIV). For many of us, the right hand is dominant, especially useful for situations
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We do not know her name, but she was obviously attuned to God’s voice. We only know of her location and of how she remains an integral character in two Old Testament stories. The widow of Zarephath took care of Elijah, God’s prophet. Her home was in the middle of a coastal town where Baal
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It has been seven years since I first began bringing my request to God. So far, no direct answer. Only silence. Isaiah reminds us how God sometimes answers in the silence. “Truly you are a God who hides himself” (Isaiah 45:15 NASB). It is in the silence that God hides. Speaking no reassurances. Giving no
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As God sustains us and we allow his inner work into our souls, stability becomes our watchword. In fact, stability is also a physical necessity. Exercises that strengthen the core keep us stable as we age, eliminating dangerous falls that can break bones and disable us. When life is hard, we need the stabilizing force
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Nothing affects our peace and joy as much as suffering some type of pain: mental, emotional, physical. The story of Job and his faithfulness is the classic example. Job passed the test. But we are not told how long his affliction lasted. Was it just for a few weeks or months? Or was it years
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When we go through a situation where we need to be sustained, we may not feel very strong. In fact, we may realize just how weak we really are. We may have lost control of a situation. We may have come to the end of ourselves and cannot reason our way out of the trouble.
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Through the years of church history, many beliefs about the Holy Spirit have been filtered through denominations. Some believers focus only on the Spirit, believing in a second baptism and the speaking in tongues gift as necessary for everyone. Other denominations avoid teaching about the Spirit and instead — label this vital person of the
Exploring the Spirit Read More »
“The human spirit can endure in sickness, but a crushed spirit — who can bear?” (Proverbs 18:14 TNIV). It only takes a few moments watching the news to understand why sadness is all around us. Wars, earthquakes, fires, shootings, missiles killing children, disease, death everywhere. Even for the eternal optimist, life can be heavy and
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During the Romantic period of music composition and performance, the sustain (damper) pedal on the piano was used for special effects. Many composers, such as Beethoven, Chopin, and Liszt regarded the sustain pedal as an essential element in their compositions. Today, the sustain pedal (on the far right) is used most often and taught first
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