When the shepherds saw the angel, and when God’s glory shone around them, “they were terrified” (Luke 2:9). Literally it says that “they feared a great fear.” No kidding! But then the angel tells them to not be afraid. After all, he’s about to give them good news, not bad: “I bring you good news … Continue reading Fear vs. joy and peace
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The future you? A pillar of righteousness and peace
Imagine someone describing you like this: “They’re a pillar! They try to live rightly before God and others, and are free from excessive worry.” Wouldn’t that be great! But hold on, let’s back up a minute. There are times when hardship is discipline from God. I’m not saying that all hardship is discipline from our … Continue reading The future you? A pillar of righteousness and peace
Practical ideas for finding rest
The Valley of Vision is a devotional which contains this prayer. As you read it, keep in mind that “Immanuel” means God-with-us and is one of the names of Jesus: “Assure us that we shall at last enter Immanuel’s land, where none is ever sick and the son will always shine.”* That will be great… … Continue reading Practical ideas for finding rest
The more you stare at the problem
When troublesome thoughts wedge their way into your brain, it’s hard to dislodge them. They sit there unwelcome—kind of like a smelly squatter who refuses to leave your house and even claims that it somehow belongs to him! Lysa TerKeurst is the President of Proverbs 31 Ministries. She says, “The more you stare at the … Continue reading The more you stare at the problem
Even though you can’t have everything
A lot of people are experiencing a sense of loss right now. -Many have lost jobs, money or mental calm. -Many have lost experiences or opportunities. -And many have lost a sense of control or composure. Today I’m here to tell you that you can’t always have everything that matters, but you can have everything … Continue reading Even though you can’t have everything
Flavour your country with this
For those of you living in Canada, happy Canada Day! And for those of you in America, please accept my best wishes for a happy Independence Day on July 4th! Did you know that followers of Jesus are actually citizens of two different places at the same time? Here’s what I mean. I’m a citizen … Continue reading Flavour your country with this
God is God. You are you.
In today’s modern society we can control more and more things in the quest for convenience and comfort. We can control the temperature in our homes, sometimes even from a distance. We have access to medicines that people would have died for a century ago. We can make headaches go away with a single pill. … Continue reading God is God. You are you.
As beggars telling others about food
For the past two days I’ve spoken about peace. And, more specifically, the peace that only Jesus can give. For those of us who have come to know and follow Jesus, this should fill us with great… Humility. Not superiority. Not arrogance. Not self-righteousness. In the same biblical book where we are told that Jesus … Continue reading As beggars telling others about food
Neil Armstrong… and Jesus
I read a story about an elementary school class who was learning about the moon. They wondered, ‘What does zero-gravity feel like?’ and ‘What did it really look like out there?’ As a surprise, the teacher had arranged for none other than Neil Armstrong to make a special appearance! In the middle of their discussion, … Continue reading Neil Armstrong… and Jesus
Our coordinate, route & destination for peace
There are a lot of stories of about people over-relying on, or misusing, the GPS units in their vehicles. In England a big rainfall made the police close a road. The river went over the banks, making it impassable. But every day for two weeks at least one car drove past the warning sign and right … Continue reading Our coordinate, route & destination for peace
The Up Devotional 