Providence. John Calvin defined it as the invisible hand of God. It’s when God guides and directs what is happening in the world (and in our lives) even when we can’t see how everything fits together.One of the most famous biblical examples of this is Joseph. He was favoured by God, and also his biological … Continue reading You meant evil against me, but God meant it for good
The Up Devo
Short one-sentence prayers from the Bible
Prayer is vital to the Christian life. But let’s be honest, we can get stuck. Even if we don’t get stuck, we probably want to go deeper.Prayer is deceptively simple. A very basic definition is that it is talking with God. So, why can it be so hard—either to get out of a rut, or to … Continue reading Short one-sentence prayers from the Bible
Evil wants to confuse you
Let me share two quotes with you.The first is by C.S. Lewis who famously wrote: “There is no neutral ground in the universe: every square inch is claimed by God and counterclaimed by Satan.”*I used to think that statement was a bit extreme, but not any more. The more I understand the Bible, the more … Continue reading Evil wants to confuse you
His performance, not yours
While in college John Ortberg had to attend mandatory chapel services. They had assigned seating. It was a clever format. After all, since the services were mandatory, and since the students had assigned seating, it was easy for the monitors to see who was (or wasn’t) in attendance.During one of the semesters a controversy broke out. … Continue reading His performance, not yours
Ready to leave the dark night behind
Note: New Podcast Episode and Blog (link below)~ Have you seen the world lately? The pain, the division, the hardship, the anxiety, the threat of war, the evil, the darkness…The Dark Knight trilogy of movies with Batman came to a head with the final release in 2012. People thought, ‘Oh, this is going to be … Continue reading Ready to leave the dark night behind
Your choices matter
“God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth” (1 John 1:5-6).The apostle John has a particular way of writing. His style makes us see clear and definite contrasts. Throughout his New … Continue reading Your choices matter
If you’re sitting on the fence
Have you ever heard the expression that someone is “sitting on the fence”? It’s about being neutral, or perhaps being slow to make a decision about something. With that in mind, let me say this: You can’t follow Jesus if you’re sitting on the fence. The exact expression “follow me” occurs twenty times in the Gospels. For example, … Continue reading If you’re sitting on the fence
God can handle the truth
“Behold, you delight in truth in the inward being, and you teach me wisdom in the secret heart” (Psalm 51:6).In 1992 a movie came out called “A Few Good Men.” It’s been a while since I saw it, so there are a lot of parts I don’t remember. But one line stood out, and it … Continue reading God can handle the truth
Perfect love casts out fear?
One of the most well-known verses in John the apostle’s first letter is this: “There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear” (1 John 4:18). People tend to quote that verse to say we never have any need to be afraid of anything. However, the second part of the verse explains the context: … Continue reading Perfect love casts out fear?
Surround yourself with people who make you…
“A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity” (Proverbs 17:17).I sometimes see T-shirts or online memes that say something like this: “Surround yourself with people who make you happy.” I get it. But that’s an unfortunately shallow way to look at life. Now, before you think I’m being too harsh or … Continue reading Surround yourself with people who make you…
