Posts with the tag “trust”

"And the king granted me what I asked, for the good hand of my God was upon me." - Nehemiah 2:8 When God gives you a vision, He never leaves you empty-handed. That is one of the clearest lessons from Nehemiah’s story. God had called him to rebuild the broken walls of Jerusalem, but Nehemiah had no materials, no money, and no manpower. On paper, the plan was impossible. But when Nehemiah stepped ou...  Read More

"And the king said to me, 'What are you requesting?' So I prayed to the God of heaven." - Nehemiah 2:4 Have you ever looked around at your life and wondered, “Why am I here? Why this job, this school, this neighborhood, this circle of people? Maybe it feels random or even frustrating. But what if it is not? What if God has placed you exactly where you are for a reason? Nehemiah was not a pastor or...  Read More

"Send me to Judah and to the city where my ancestors are buried, so that I may rebuild it." - Nehemiah 2:4 Have you ever felt like God was asking you to do something that made no sense? Something that felt too big, too heavy, too impossible for someone like you? Maybe you felt the nudge to lead a Bible study even though you have never led anything before. Maybe you felt the tug to share your story...  Read More

"Then he took the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up to heaven, he said a blessing. Then he broke the loaves and gave them to the disciples to set before the crowd. And they all ate and were satisfied." - Luke 9:16-17 One of the most incredible miracles in the Gospels began with a little boy’s lunch. That is all it was. Five loaves and two fish. Not enough to feed a small family, much le...  Read More

"But so that we may not cause offense, go to the sea and cast a hook and take the first fish that comes up, and when you open its mouth you will find a shekel. Take that and give it to them for me and for yourself." - Matthew 17:27 Have you ever felt the pressure of a financial need with no idea where the provision would come from? That is where Peter found himself in Matthew 17. He was asked to p...  Read More

"The Lord will fight for you, and you have only to be silent." - Exodus 14:14 Have you ever been in a spot where you feel completely stuck? You cannot go forward, and going back is not an option either. That is exactly where Moses and the Israelites found themselves in Exodus 14. Pharaoh’s army was chasing them from behind, and the Red Sea was blocking them up ahead. There were no boats. No bridge...  Read More

"Then the Lord said to Moses, 'Behold, I am about to rain bread from heaven for you.'" - Exodus 16:4 Have you ever felt like you were stuck in a desert season? Not a literal desert, but a stretch of life where everything feels dry and directionless. It’s like you’re walking, but you’re not really sure where you are going. That was the Children of Israel. They were free from Egypt, but not yet in t...  Read More

"The Lord said to Gideon, 'The people with you are too many for me to give the Midianites into their hand, lest Israel boast over me, saying, My own hand has saved me.'" - Judges 7:2 Have you ever looked at what you have in your hands and thought, there’s no way this is enough? That’s exactly how Gideon must have felt. At first, he had 32,000 men ready to go to battle. It still felt like a long sh...  Read More

"But I will establish my covenant with you, and you shall come into the ark, you, your sons, your wife, and your sons’ wives with you." - Genesis 6:18 When God gives you a calling, He also gives you the tools to walk it out. That is the story of Noah. He was not a shipbuilder. He was not a seasoned leader. He did not have a background in zoology or disaster response. He was a regular man with a ho...  Read More

"Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us." - Ephesians 3:20 Sometimes God gives you a vision that seems completely out of reach. Maybe it even sounds crazy to the people around you. Maybe it sounds a little crazy to you. But when God puts it on your heart, the next move is not to analyze the odds. It is to step out in...  Read More

"Commit your way to the Lord, trust in him, and he will act." - Psalm 37:5 When God gives vision, He rarely shows you the full picture. He gives a burden. He stirs your heart. And He invites you to take one step of faith. That’s all it takes. One yes at a time. Sometimes, saying yes to God feels small. A quiet prayer. A conversation. An idea you cannot shake. Other times, it feels costly. You give...  Read More

"Come, let’s rebuild Jerusalem’s wall, so that we will no longer be a disgrace." - Nehemiah 2:17 Sometimes God gives you a burden that you can’t ignore. And with that burden comes a call that won’t go away. It starts quietly, an ache in your spirit about something that’s broken. Then comes the prayer. You bring it to God, not even knowing what to say, but knowing you can’t carry it alone. And if y...  Read More

"When I heard these words, I sat down and wept. I mourned for a number of days, fasting and praying before the God of the heavens." - Nehemiah 1:4 When God gives you a burden, He does not expect you to carry it alone. He expects you to bring it to Him in prayer. That is what we see in Nehemiah. His heart broke for the people in Jerusalem, but before he picked up a tool or made a plan or asked the ...  Read More

"When I heard these words, I sat down and wept. I mourned for a number of days, fasting and praying before the God of the heavens." - Nehemiah 1:4 Big visions don’t usually begin with inspiration. It begins with heartbreak. When Nehemiah heard the news about Jerusalem, he didn’t shrug it off. He didn’t say, “That’s a shame,” and move on with his life. He sat down. He wept. He fasted. He prayed. Be...  Read More

"Where there is no vision the people perish" - Proverbs 29:18 Have you ever looked at your life and thought everything felt a little blurry? Like you were trying to move forward, but could not quite see where you were going? That is how life can feel when you are not seeing through God’s eyes. There is a kind of spiritual 3D that you and I can miss without realizing it. In our natural state, we ca...  Read More

"There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus." – Romans 8:1 One of the greatest promises in Scripture is this. If you belong to Jesus, you do not have to fear judgment. You do not have to worry about standing before the great white throne of God in condemnation. That is not your courtroom. That is not your verdict. I heard about a long jury trial where the jury spent w...  Read More

"For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known." - 1 Corinthians 13:12 Not long ago, I found myself driving early one morning through a heavy, blinding fog. I could barely see the road lines, and construction barriers loomed somewhere on both sides. I slowed to a crawl, unsure of where to go, feeling a little s...  Read More

"I have told you these things so that in me you may have peace. You will have suffering in this world. Be courageous! I have conquered the world." - John 16:33 If you’ve ever asked, “Why would God allow this?” You are not alone. In over two decades of ministry, I’ve sat in orphanages filled with children longing to be loved, stood by hospital beds as families prayed for miracles that didn’t come, ...  Read More

"The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit." - Psalm 34:18 You don’t need me to tell you there’s pain and suffering in this world. You’ve seen it. You’ve felt it. Maybe you’re feeling it right now. From the heartbreak of illness and broken relationships to the devastating images of war, injustice, and disaster on the news, suffering surrounds us every day. And it raises...  Read More

"The Lord will keep you from all evil; he will keep your life. The Lord will keep your going out and your coming in from this time forth and forevermore." - Psalm 121:7-8 When the Bible talks about God as our source of security, it’s not just a temporary promise. It’s a permanent one. God’s protection is both for today and for eternity. That’s what makes His security unending. Let’s break down wha...  Read More

"Behold, he who keeps Israel will neither slumber nor sleep." - Psalm 121:4 The United States Secret Service is considered one of the most elite security teams in the world. Every single day, they protect the President and his family, preventing tragedy and constantly staying alert. But even the best security team is made up of people who get tired, hungry, and distracted. No matter how skilled th...  Read More

"He will not let your foot be moved; he who keeps you will not slumber." - Psalm 121:3 When I read the verse above, I am reminded of a winter storm we faced back in January. Our driveway was coated with ice so thick that our cars couldn’t make it up the hill. I tried everything. Salt, shovels, even a propane torch, but nothing worked. At one point, I even slipped and slid down the driveway on my b...  Read More

"My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth." - Psalm 121:2 We all have things we run to for security. For some, it’s money. You feel safe because your bank account is full and you believe those dollars will catch you if you fall. For others, it’s relationships. As long as you have certain people in your life, you feel like everything will be okay. Or maybe your sense of security comes...  Read More

"I lift up my eyes to the hills. From where does my help come? My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth." - Psalm 121:1-2 When life knocks you down, who are you looking to for help? That’s what David was asking in Psalm 121. He said, “I lift my eyes toward the mountains. Where will my help come from?” That’s not just a random question. It’s a question of security and hope. When you f...  Read More

"And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him." - Colossians 3:17 We’ve spent a lot of time talking about who you are in Christ. That’s your being. When Jesus saves you, He changes your very identity. The old you is gone. The new you is raised with Christ, and you live with a new perspective and a new peace. That’s n...  Read More

"And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful." - Colossians 3:15 If you belong to Jesus, then His peace should rule your heart. That’s what this verse is saying. But what about those moments when you don’t feel peace? What if you love the Lord and are trying to follow Him, but you still feel anxious or unsettled? Before you start qu...  Read More

"Sanctify them in the truth. Your word is truth." - John 17:17 There is a dangerous trend where people claim that God told them to do something that directly contradicts what He has already said in His Word. Maybe you have heard it before. Maybe you have even thought it yourself. But the truth is that God’s voice will never contradict God’s Word.Over the years, people have said all kinds of things...  Read More

"Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved." - Romans 10:13 God’s truth is not exclusive. It is not reserved for a select few. It is not hidden behind a secret code or only available to people from a certain background. When God speaks, His truth applies to every single person, no matter where they are from or what they have done. Some people believe Jesus only came to save a specif...  Read More

"Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything." – James 1:2-4 There is something powerful about the song The Climb by Miley Cyrus. The lyrics talk about how life is not just about reaching the ...  Read More

"The steps of a man are established by the Lord, when he delights in his way; though he fall, he shall not be cast headlong, for the Lord upholds his hand." – Psalm 37:23-24 Failure can feel like the end of the road. When you fall short, when you make mistakes, when you let yourself or others down, it is easy to believe that you have ruined everything. The enemy wants you to think that your failur...  Read More

"For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it." – Matthew 16:25 When God calls you to sacrifice something, it’s easy to see it as a loss. You might feel like He’s taking something from you, withholding something good, or making your life harder. But what if the very thing He’s asking you to give up is actually what’s holding you back? What if th...  Read More

"The first angel blew his trumpet, and there followed hail and fire, mixed with blood, and these were thrown upon the earth. And a third of the earth was burned up, and a third of the trees were burned up, and all green grass was burned up." - Revelation 8:7 It’s hard to imagine the kind of destruction described when the first trumpet sounds in Revelation. A third of the earth’s forests burned...a...  Read More

“Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, ‘Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.’” - Romans 12:19 When we face injustice or hardship, our natural instinct is often to fight back. Whether it’s someone wronging us or an unfair situation, we want to make things right on our own. But in these moments, we need to remember that Jesus, in His infini...  Read More

“Remember not the former things, nor consider the things of old. Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.” - Isaiah 43:18-19   New Year’s Eve often brings with it mixed feelings. We look back at the year behind us, reflecting on memories, experiences, successes, and maybe a few regrets. And yet, as t...  Read More

"Let all that I am wait quietly before God, for my hope is in Him." - Psalm 62:8   Waiting. It’s something we all experience, whether we’re waiting for answers, healing, or direction. Sometimes, waiting can feel like a burden. Yet, as we look to God's Word, we see that there is a purposeful way to wait. If you’re in a season of waiting today, take these three key thoughts from Scripture to heart: ...  Read More

"The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it." - John 1:5    Faith isn’t a leap into darkness, it’s a leap into light. God has revealed Himself to us in countless ways, showing His truth and His character. With all He’s done to pave the way for us to believe, trusting in Him today is more like running toward a light that’s always been there. From the beginning, God has b...  Read More

“Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.”- Joshua 1:9   What’s the most courageous thing you’ve ever done? Take a moment to reflect on that today. Courage comes in many forms—whether it’s standing up for someone, facing a difficult situation head-on, or stepping out in faith when everything feels uncertain.  Maybe y...  Read More

“Now may the God of peace who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, the great shepherd of the sheep, by the blood of the eternal covenant, equip you with everything good that you may do his will.”- Hebrews 13:20-21   Worry has a way of creeping into your life, doesn’t it? Maybe it’s your health, your finances, your children, or even your future. What are you worried about today? It’s easy to...  Read More

“I know that you have persevered and endured hardships for my name, and have not grown weary.” - Revelation 2:3   In His letter to the church at Ephesus, Jesus acknowledges the church’s perseverance through hardships. He sees their steadfastness and commends them for enduring trials without growing weary.  Life is filled with challenges and hardships. We face trials in our personal lives, work, re...  Read More

“Let your ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes,’ and your ‘No,’ ‘No.’ For whatever is more than these is from the evil one.” – Matthew 5:37 In a world filled with broken promises and unfulfilled commitments, the value of trustworthiness cannot be overstated. As followers of Christ, we are called to embody the virtues of integrity, honesty, and dependability in all our interactions. Just as Jesus exemplified unwavering t...  Read More