Diamonds. People love them. They’re valuable, obviously.But did you know that diamonds don’t start as diamonds. They start as simple carbon. So, how are they transformed?Through pressure.The same principle sometimes applies to humans. Difficulty and affliction—“pressure”—can often refine us into someone who is more faithful, humble, wise and strong.The apostle Peter speaks to this in 1 … Continue reading Diamonds don’t start as diamonds
Why does the true soldier fight?
There is a lot of battle and warfare language in the New Testament. For example, we are to “take up the whole armour of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm” (Ephesians 6:13). In Romans 13:12 we are told to put on the “armour … Continue reading Why does the true soldier fight?
Try something radical
“…make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness…” (2 Peter 1:5-8).In the past few devotionals, we’ve been talking about spiritual disciplines, and what to do when you feel as if you’re in a bit of a rut.As a … Continue reading Try something radical
When you feel in a spiritual rut
In the previous devotional, we talked about spiritual disciplines. These are deliberate, repetitive, biblical practices the Holy Spirit uses to make us more like Christ.Even still, there are times when we can feel stuck. When that happens, one suggestion is to shake things up. Here are some examples.I know people who have moved their morning prayer … Continue reading When you feel in a spiritual rut
Joy is what happens when
I recently presented a workshop on spiritual disciplines. These are deliberate, repetitive, biblical practices the Holy Spirit uses to make us more like Christ.Some of the most well-known practices that fit into this category are prayer, Bible-reading, fasting, worship, serving others, etc. There are others, but those are some of the most popular.Over time, we … Continue reading Joy is what happens when
The (real) signs of love
“This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you” (John 15:12).When I was in university one of my professors told our class that during our discussions, we weren’t allowed to use the word “interesting.”Why not? Since it was a word that people over-used, it had lost it’s meaning. “Yes, that … Continue reading The (real) signs of love
The love that jams the Devil’s wheels
Jesus said: “Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you…” (Matthew 5:44)Do you have enemies? Perhaps you do, perhaps you don’t. If you don’t, perhaps you still have people who you feel are somehow “against” you. They always seem to say the wrong thing at the right time. They foil your plans, put you … Continue reading The love that jams the Devil’s wheels
Well done, good and faithful servant
Victor Frankl recalls an experience he had in a concentration camp. He was serving as a kind of medical assistant, caring for fellow prisoners who were sick or elderly. He would use whatever supplies he could get his hands on to help them.One day, he was approached by some fellow prisoners. They had made a … Continue reading Well done, good and faithful servant
More than just waiting around
“Life is tough. Heaven is great. I guess we just need to wait it out.”Unfortunately, we can often get caught in this mode of thinking.Having said that, it’s true that life is often difficult. And yes, heaven is also going to be amazing. I appreciate that life includes a lot of waiting—including waiting for heaven—but … Continue reading More than just waiting around
Being a part of a plan even when life isn’t going as planned
Over the past several months we have been spending some time with Daniel. When he was captured, he was most likely around 15-years-old. At the end of the book, he was in his late 80’s or early 90’s.After the Babylonian captivity had formally ended, many of his people were allowed to return to their homeland. We … Continue reading Being a part of a plan even when life isn’t going as planned
