Lord God, I have experienced such highs in Your presence and have walked in cold darkness wondering what happened. Where did the feelings go? Why do You seem so distant? I thought that I had achieved a place of spirituality that would carry me only to find the euphoria evaporating and my default setting of flesh still active and ready to assert itself when the feelings died down. What happened? Why can I not stay in that bubble of euphoria?…
Trust enough to obey? Do we trust God? Completely? Trust enough to obey Him? That was my question when He asked me to go back to Washington to spend 4-6 weeks with my brother to help in a time of crisis. It was only 4 weeks and I am back home, but I can say without reservation that God is faithful. What He asked of me, He performed through me, even driving through Seattle on I-5. He is so good….
Behavior or Birth? What Determines Your Identity? We can train a bird to “speak” or sing a song with a human-like voice, but the bird is still a bird. His behavior might be human-like, but he is still a bird. We can teach humans to be better humans, but they are still human. A better human is no more connected to God than a bad human. Both are separated from God by birth. We can behave like a Christian, but…
We are programmed to think that when we are the most important and when we take care of ‘me’ first then all will be well. But that is false. It is a burden. A slavemaster. It is living in a self-made cage of your own abilities, desires, and character traits. Self is never satisfied. Best to throw away that idea. Living from the cross brings freedom. The cross is the key that unlocks the door of our self-made cage. We…
Power – potential, capability, Ability to do or act; capability, to give power, to make powerful If the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you…Romans 8:11 Did you know the power that set the sun on fire lives in us? We house the presence of God. We are His temple. Do you feel the vibrating, quivering, life-giving power coursing through your being? It is there. “All the worry and fret of God’s children would end…
As believers, we desire to be refined by God to bring Him honor and be used by Him. But the process of refining isn’t something that feels good, nor does it give us an emotional high. God accomplishes the refining during the normal course of life. On our average day we don’t notice it or recognize it but typically are irritated and complain wishing life would be better. God uses those closest to us to reveal our inner character so…
There is one ultimate question, a question of all time, the only question in the universe, and Hannah Whithall Smith puts it into words. Our great need, therefore, is to find out this fact of His abiding love. Our question of one another, or of our own hearts, ought to be not, “Do you love God?” but, “Have you found out that God loves you?” Smith, Hannah Whithall, “Being Loving” July 4, God Is Enough, Minneapolis, MN: Zondervan Publishing, 1986….
Are you one of the many that are afraid to believe there is a loving God? Or do you know someone who is hesitant to place their faith and confidence in Jesus Christ? It is definitely a step of faith. A stepping out into the unknown. If only they knew how incomplete they are without God, the source of true Life. If only they could see how separated they are from God, with a great chasm between them and God….
I will be taking a short break from sharing on Lighted Path. It is time I took a trip to see family, so I will be flying 1500 miles cross country to see a brother whose health is very fragile and two sisters. I ask for your prayers. In the meantime, I leave you with something to think about. All references are from the English Standard Version online at www.biblestudytools.com. Where is wisdom? Where is the truth? Where is guidance? …
Throughout all time, there has been a sanctuary, a safe place, from which to live life.
