A touch that brings wholeness and breaks barriers is part of Jesus’ story. Mark 5 41 Holding her hand, Jesus said to her, “Talitha koum,” which means “Little girl, get up!”[1] The scene is powerful. Jairus’ daughter had died, and according to the customs and religious laws of the time, touching a dead body made a …
To get through the storms of life, we must have faith instead of fear. Jesus can get us through any storm. I remember being in a hospital chaplaincy training program when the person I was visiting was dying. His wife handed him a piece of paper with a Bible verse on it. He held on …
The Holy Spirit helped move the disciples from fearful to bold. At the Last Supper, Jesus had predicted that all the disciples would desert Him. Peter responded by declaring that He never would, and the other disciples vowed the same. (Mat. 26:31-15). At Jesus’ arrest, all the disciples scattered. Peter followed Jesus to the courtyard …
Moses kept standing firm in the face of fear. The appearance of Pharaoh’s army panicked the people, and in their fear, they complained. But Moses doesn’t appear to flinch at their criticism. Exodus 14: 13 But Moses told the people, “Don’t be afraid. Just stand still and watch the Lord rescue you today. The Egyptians you …
Transition exposes our hearts and strip away our filters, as we see in the story of the Israelites approaching the Red Sea. The Egyptians pursued the Israelites with all of Pharaoh’s army—horses, chariots, charioteers, and troops—and caught up with them camped near Pi-hahiroth, across from Baal-zephon. Exodus 14:10 As Pharaoh approached, the people of Israel looked …
Don’t be surprised when old fears resurface during transition; it is not unusual. Israel had left Egypt, but Egypt had not yet left them. Exodus 14:10 As Pharaoh approached, the people of Israel looked up and panicked when they saw the Egyptians overtaking them. They cried out to the Lord, 11 and they said to Moses, “Why …
Don’t be startled by God’s call because He is always working in our lives in ways we are not aware of. Noah was going about his life when God called him to build an ark to save his family from the flood. Moses was a simple Shepherd in the Sinai desert when God called …
Letting faith overcome fear is an experience that every believer wrestles with as God continually stretches our faith. Fear clouds judgment and erodes trust in God, fueling doubt and serving as a weapon of the devil. Although fear may obscure our judgment, trusting in the Lord’s strength equips us to conquer our anxieties. As we follow …
Struggling with fear that clouds judgment is not uncommon. Although God intended the emotion of fear to protect us, it can also become exaggerated. When this happens, it leads us to make poor decisions, as characterized by Abraham. In the quiet hours of the early morning, Abimelech, King of Gerar, awoke from a dream that …
The struggle with fear and God’s grace is the story of Sarah’s reaction to being told she would have a child in her old age and God’s response. Genesis 18:13 Then the Lord said to Abraham, “Why did Sarah laugh? Why did she say, ‘Can an old woman like me have a baby?’ 14 Is anything too …