God spares us because He loves us with unending love. To spare someone is allowing someone or something to escape harm, damage, or death, especially when others do not.[1] The Apostle Paul tells us that God spares us because His Son took our punishment on the cross. We could not pay the price for our …
The consequence of sin is something we don’t like to think about. We want to ignore the thought as we push the envelope in the wrong direction. Throwing caution to the wind may work when playing a board game, but life is different. I remember ministering in a jail in Central America where some inmates …
Experiencing God builds our faith and is a way God loves to work. In 2001 I led a large group of high school students on a mission trip to Mexico. We built a home for a needy family there, but the most incredible experience was ministering to the couple next door. Our team was able …
Overcoming barriers in life is easier with God’s help. When God helps us overcome, He shows He loves and cares for us. When our oldest daughter started junior high, the school was such a poor environment she began to cause problems at home. We were frustrated because we were unsure what to do. We prayed …
A significant theme throughout the Scriptures is that God goes ahead of us. How does knowing that make you feel? Before the Lord created Adam, He prepared the earth; on the sixth day, when all was designed, the Lord brought him into the world. When the Israelites wandered in the desert, the Lord went ahead …
Following God by faith has been a challenge for believers throughout history. Noah had to trust the Lord and build an ark to save his family years before the Lord sent a flood. During Noah’s days, the Lord God watered the vegetation in a different way that did not require rain. Think of all the …
The Lord is giving, which is a characteristic of who He is. There is not a day that goes by that the Lord is not giving us a gift such as food, shelter, the gift of faith, family, and the list goes on. Without a giving God, we could not survive one day. You may …
I don’t want to experience when God’s patience runs out. Over and over in the Bible, Scripture talks about the Lord’s patience and long-suffering. Psalm 103:8 The Lord is compassionate and merciful, slow to get angry, and filled with unfailing love. [1] As you meditate on this verse, you see the words “slow to get angry,” …
We don’t have to be very old before we are tempted to do something we know is wrong. But how can we succeed in overcoming temptation? As people we have a sinful nature that only through the power of the Holy Spirit as God works through us can we be overcomers. Are you struggling with …
Why does the Bible talk so much about the character of different people? Many of the people of the Bible are growing in character. As we get to know them, they are not all squeaky clean. While some people may have great character such as the prophet Jeremiah or John the Baptist other people such …