In Daniel 10:12 he was given this angelic message: “Fear not, Daniel, for from the first day that you set your heart to understand and humbled yourself before your God, your words have been heard, and I have come because of your words.”In this verse we are specifically told that God heard Daniel’s prayer. But … Continue reading From the first day you humbled yourself before God
honesty
Talking to God—when you want to scream
Lucy Maud Montgomery was the famous author of Anne of Green Gables. In her journal entry from Christmas Eve 1909 she left a record about how much anguish she was feeling at that point in her life: “I feel shrieking at [God] defiantly, ‘Why did you create me to suffer like this?’”*She was certainly being … Continue reading Talking to God—when you want to scream
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
Let your yes be yes and your no be no
In yesterday’s devotional we talked about the importance of being honest with your words. Makes sense, right? After all, God is a God of truth. Jesus comes to us “full of grace and truth” (John 1:14). God’s “word is truth” (John 17:17). If we want to be his disciples, reflecting his truth needs to be a … Continue reading Let your yes be yes and your no be no
Standing up for the truth of God
Honesty is important. But when push comes to shove it’s easy to let a lie slip when it will make things easier for us or when it covers up a mistake we’ve made.It was Mark Twain who said: “A lie can get halfway around the world before the truth can even get its boots on.” … Continue reading Standing up for the truth of God
Wounds from a friend
Twitter (aka “X”) didn’t exist in biblical times. If it did, the proverbs would be posted frequently. They are short and to-the-point. They communicate eternal truths in memorable, bite-sized chunks. Proverbs 27:6 says: “Wounds from a friend can be trusted, but an enemy multiplies kisses.” What does it mean? It starts by speaking about wounds. … Continue reading Wounds from a friend
Blind to our own blind spots
“Hey there, old buddy old pal! How are you today? Would you mind giving me some criticism? What about some constructive-but-very-honest feedback about what I could do to improve myself?” Okay, you’re right. Conversations don’t usually start that way. In fact, we tend to dislike criticism or feedback about how we can “improve ourselves.” Not … Continue reading Blind to our own blind spots
Admitting desperation
Christmas approaches. With it the angel’s announcement: “Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord” (Luke 2:11). Let’s zero-in on that word “Saviour.” Yes, Jesus saves. But what does he save us from? Certainly estrangement from God, from death, from the consequences of sin, … Continue reading Admitting desperation
Honest, but not cutting
This week we’re spending some time with Jesus’ words in Luke 6:31: “Do to others as you would have them do to you.” It’s the principle of moral reciprocity. Living it out is a life-long effort. To fight against the tendency to oversimply this high ethical calling, we’re taking some time to think through a … Continue reading Honest, but not cutting
RationaLies
It’s easy to lie to ourselves, isn’t it? We take the easy path instead of the right path—and rationalize it.We can be lazy instead of diligent—and rationalize it.We sometimes avoid the reality of God’s word—and rationalize it. Psychologist Charles Lowery says this: “Rationalize means Rational Lies.”* Bam! When we say or do something that is … Continue reading RationaLies
