Hope Through Affliction

All the days of the afflicted are evil, But he who is of a merry heart has a continual feast. (Proverbs 15:15 NKJV) Affliction comes to every child of God. It's a well-known fact of life. If we follow Jesus, we will find affliction in many shapes and forms. God uses these to sharpen us, strengthen our faith and patience, and to mold our character. However this does not mean that these afflictions are sent upon us by God Himself. The world is a dark place because of the wicked actions of sinful people. God gave us the earth, (Psalm 115:16) and the terrible things that happen upon it are results of sin. So it makes sense...

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Life = Good

The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly. (John 10:10 NKJV) Jesus said the thief is the one who comes to kill, to steal, and destroy. So by what manner of thinking do we perceive that God is the one who brings trials upon us? If we are sick, our health is being destroyed, and we are slowly being "killed" by the disease. If we are constantly in the red financially and money is scarce, than our riches are being "stolen". If our God-invested plans come to ruin, or our circumstances turn terrible, our hopes and dreams...

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Don't Look Back

The highway of the upright is to depart from evil; He who keeps his way preserves his soul. (Proverbs 16:17 NKJV) I find this verse very interesting. A highway is an easy road to travel. It is long and straight, with very few turns or bends. One can travel for miles on it without so much as turning the steering wheel. The lanes are broad and wide, leaving plenty of room for error. It is paved smoothly and evenly, with the least amount of bumps so as not to trouble the occupants of the traveling vehicles. No road is so easy to traverse as a highway. This verse tells us that to travel through life easily as on such a highway,...

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Keep Your Feet

My son, do not walk in the way with them, Keep your foot from their path; So are the ways of everyone who is greedy for gain; It takes away the life of its owners. (Proverbs 1:15, 19 NKJV) There are many paths in life that lead to death, however many of them are subtle, and not all of them lead to physical death. Spiritual death can often be the result of wandering from God's way. Proverbs tells is to keep our feet from the wicked's path; to completely avoid it, not even setting foot upon it. Why should this verse be so emphatic in warning us not to cross paths with the wicked, even by accident? If we indulge in something...

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"T" Word

In the Lord I put my trust. (Psalm 11:1a NKJV) The big T word. Why is it so many of us struggle with trusting the God of the universe? Why is it us, with our limited vision, doubt the God who can see all things, and to Whom all things are revealed? We are creatures of the senses. Even in a dark room, we do not trust where  we are going without feeling our way because we can't see the way. When things cause roadblocks in our lives, we are prone to fret and worry because we cannot see past them. Or if we are at the convergence of two roads, we panic because we can't perceive which one we ought to take. Reading Psalm...

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Daily Revelation

Where  there is  no revelation, the people cast off restraint; But happy  is  he who keeps the law. (Proverbs 29:18 NKJV) The definition of the word "revelation" according to Webster defines the word - 1: an act of revealing or communicating divine truth 2: something that is revealed by God to humans 3: an act of revealing to view or making known 4: something that is revealed; especially : an enlightening or astonishing disclosure. In reading and studying Scripture, if one does not receive continued revelation in what they are reading, the Word will not impact them, and will not be making constant changes...

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Preparing the Ground

Lord, You have heard the desire of the humble; You will prepare their heart; You will cause Your ear to hear. (Psalm 10:17 NKJV) The condition of our heart is one of the most vital aspects of our Spiritual life. When Jesus told the parable of the sower and the seed, the soil depicted the heart. There were those hearts of stone, which could not accept His teachings; the Word of God bouncing off them with nil effect. There were those hearts that were shallow, and before the Word could take root, it was choked out by the distractions of the world. Then there was the soft, deep heart into which the Word fell and grew; till...

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