Chris Vais tells the story of a Scottish colonel in the First World War. He was preparing his troops for battle when a message came telling him that his own son had been killed on the front earlier that same morning. He went into his tent for a little while. After a time, he came … Continue reading Three options when facing despair
Month: October 2022
An acronym for FEAR
I recently came across an acronym for the word “FEAR.” False Evidence Appearing Real. I don’t know who originally came up with it so I can’t give them credit. But I think it’s a helpful way to think about it. There are times when we let “false evidence” take over our thinking. These are untruths … Continue reading An acronym for FEAR
Beating back fear
Fear can’t rule you if God already has the job. In the Bible we are taught to “fear God.” Ecclesiastes 12:13 succinctly says: “Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the duty of all mankind.” Proverbs 9:10 famously says: “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom…” But it’s not a … Continue reading Beating back fear
The lions are chained
The Pilgrim’s Progress is an allegorical story by John Bunyan. A man named Christian has left the City of Destruction and is headed toward the Celestial City. At one point in the story he is headed toward a place of rest and safety for travellers. It is called The Palace Beautiful. Standing before him are … Continue reading The lions are chained
You can’t rush God
The past several devotionals have been about hearing (or discerning) God’s voice in our lives. You hear God’s voice by seeking God’s voice. It is usually a proactive process. We’ve talked about the importance of the Bible, prayer, seeking the counsel of other godly people, being humble, and acting with love. Imagine those five parts … Continue reading You can’t rush God
Love is important to God—and to his people
The past several devotionals have been about hearing (or discerning) God’s voice in our lives. We’ve talked about the importance of the Bible, prayer, seeking the counsel of other godly people, and being humble. Here’s something else to consider: love. If you think you’re receiving some sort of message for God, and it does not … Continue reading Love is important to God—and to his people
Humility and receptivity to God
We’re focusing a few devotionals on hearing (or discerning) the voice of God in our lives. You hear God’s voice by seeking God’s voice. In addition to saturating yourself with Scripture, and prayer, and seeking the counsel of other godly people, it’s important to cultivate humility in your character. In the Bible, humility comes up … Continue reading Humility and receptivity to God
With many advisers they succeed
We’re focusing a few devotionals on hearing (or discerning) the voice of God in our lives. You hear God’s voice by seeking God’s voice. In addition to saturating yourself with Scripture, and to spending time in prayer, a third habit of discernment is counsel. This has to do with seeking the counsel of other godly … Continue reading With many advisers they succeed
Scripture cannot be set aside
We’re focusing a few devotionals on hearing (or discerning) the voice of God in our lives. You hear God’s voice by seeking God’s voice. The first and most significant thing you can do is saturate yourself with the Bible. It is the primary place where you learn about God’s will. In John 10:35 Jesus says: … Continue reading Scripture cannot be set aside
“Hear” is a verb
In John 10:27 Jesus said: “My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.” To his original followers, that made a lot of sense. Their ears could literally receive the sound waves coming out of his mouth. What about today? G. Campbell Morgan was a Bible teacher and author. He said: … Continue reading “Hear” is a verb
