A high schooler once asked me: “Why is God always saying to glorify him? Isn’t that sort of selfish?” Good question. If any of us did that it would certainly be a selfish thing to do! Here’s the difference. God wants the best for us, and he himself is actually the best. So when … Continue reading Is it selfish for God to ask for praise?
Author: MatthewRuttan
Sorrow to sweetness
Hardship isn’t the end of the story, nor is it the end of your story. This is easy to agree with when you’re experiencing smooth sailing. It’s harder to do so when times are tough. William Gurnall has some helpful, scriptural perspective: “Scripture gives three illustrations of great joy: the joy of a new mother, … Continue reading Sorrow to sweetness
Able to withstand anything
You’re able to withstand anything if you’re standing for the right things. Consider Paul. He persevered even though he had been put in prison, flogged, exposed to death, beaten with rods, pelted with stones, and shipwrecked three times. (See 2 Corinthians 11:23-28) But it wasn’t for nothing. It was so that GOD could continue his … Continue reading Able to withstand anything
A tipping point called joy
There’s a lifetime of ponderance in Acts 5:41: “The apostles left the Sanhedrin, rejoicing because they had been counted worthy of suffering disgrace for the Name.” They had been put in jail, sprung by a messenger of God, taken before the influential and powerful Sanhedrin, told to not speak in Jesus’ name, and whipped. They … Continue reading A tipping point called joy
A skull on the dresser
What do you have sitting on top of your dresser? A picture frame or a lamp? Margaret Baxter was a woman of deep faith from the 17th century. Do you want to know what she had on top of her dresser beside her bed? A skull. Yup, that’s right. A skull! As morbid as that … Continue reading A skull on the dresser
Garth Brooks, un-answered prayers, and the will of God
There is a song by country music icon Garth Brooks. In it, he sings about how, at a football game, he and his wife ran into his “old high school flame.” Years earlier when he was in high school he had prayed so hard that God “would make her mine.” As we listen to the … Continue reading Garth Brooks, un-answered prayers, and the will of God
The whirlwind of argumentativeness
Recently I was asked if I thought our world was becoming more argumentative. Although I don’t have any hard data on the issue, it does often seem to be the case. [If you want my full response to the question you can click on the link below.] What I can say is that:-we are in … Continue reading The whirlwind of argumentativeness
The feels
Have you ever heard someone say that something gives them “the feels”? It means that something has given then a really really good feeling. Maybe it’s an emotional song, receiving a heart-felt compliment, or a soul-satisfying conversation with a best friend. Today I’m here to notify you about the feel of all feels. Here it … Continue reading The feels
Borrowed light
This past Sunday at church, several people shared video statements about being part of a small group. [Link below.] A small group is where people get together to study God’s teachings in the Bible, to discuss and learn, to get to know one another, and to pray. I am so thankful that they took the time … Continue reading Borrowed light
What you’re doing impacts how you’re doing
What you’re doing impacts how you’re doing. Or, put another way, what you’re doing influences how you’re feeling. A 2013 study in the Journal of Positive Psychology discovered that if you listen to upbeat music it can improve your mood. How many of you have felt lighter after listening to a stand-up comedian? How many … Continue reading What you’re doing impacts how you’re doing
