God shapes our circumstances as a helpful discipline. Circumstances, whatever they may be, can never change what’s on the inside of the man. If God gave us the best circumstances in the world, they would only bring out what we prefer. “Go from the presence of a foolish man, when...

Think of how trees seem so barren in the wintertime. Nothing on the outside of the tree indicates life, and yet on the inside the tree is very alive. That is when the sap (much like blood to our bodies) is being produced. This is when it is moving and...

Standing near the grave of Lazarus, Jesus asked that the stone be removed. “What?” they asked Him. “Surely, the body stinks.” Behind the stone was a rotting, smelly corpse. The Lord wanted those people to get close so they could get a good idea of what sin smells like and...

Jesus’ life is an example that is not beyond us, because He is alive in us. This is the way to live. First I get to know the Master, then I can trust Him, and then I can obey Him. That’s the order. It doesn’t matter what I am dealing...

What a great thing it is to be moved by faith: for a husband to be moved to love his wife because of reverence for God; for a wife to be moved to love her husband with unconditional love. How great it is when children and teenagers are moved to...

Many people refuse to be taught lessons of faith when they don’t understand God’s plan beyond what they can see. In John 6:66, those who stopped following Jesus would not go beyond what they perceived with their senses. They trusted only what they saw and felt in their minds and...

The Bible remains the most precious book in all the world. It’s still the best seller after all these years. It is precious because 2 Timothy 3:16 says “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God.” In light of this, we must take heed what we hear and how we...

The Spirit-taught Christian is the Christian who is always comforted. Amy Carmichael, lifelong missionary to India, wrote that to be comforted means to be strengthened by God’s indwelling illuminations at all times. “Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God...

God wants us to be whole, free from the dominion of sin and delivered from the power of sin— living in the power of grace, loving in the power of righteousness, following Christ in the power of the Spirit, listening to the Word of God with concentration, and following Jesus...

I present my body to Jesus Christ as a living sacrifice through the resurrection power of God. That is how I present it—through Him. I don’t present my body as if I am trying to die. I present it as one who has already died. As I present my body...