Lent 42

If the season of Lent offers us anything, it allows us the occasion to remind ourselves of the utter complexity of our lives. Left to our own impulses, we tend to default to a very simplistic view of what we face when we wake up every morning: That life today will eventually make sense if left to itself long enough; that our lives are linear and tend to follow in a straight line; that “knowing God...

By day the Lord directs his love,at night his song is with me—a prayer to the God of my life. Psalm 42:8Psalm 42 is full of imagery that calls to mind a relentless suffering: a panting thirst, tears for food, overwhelming waves sweeping over me. Yet this psalm is also peppered with calls for hope, and reminders to praise God in his steadfastness. As we’ve moved through these weeks of Lent and stud...

“My God, my soul is cast down within me; therefore, I remember you from the land of Jordan and of Hermon, from Mount Mizar. Deep calls to deep at the roar of your waterspouts; all your breakers and your waves have gone over me.” Psalm 42:6-7How do we deal with suffering? How ought we to think about suffering? These have been key questions that have been wrestled with by all humanity since Genesis ...

Life is a struggle. Even as children of God and believers in Jesus Christ we face daily battles, large and small. We should not be surprised. During his years of ministry Jesus himself was besieged by Satan, Pharisees, Romans, and more. He wept in sorrow. He cried out to his Father. Should his followers be any different in a fallen world?If we are honest, it can be hard to cope sometimes; hard to ...

Tears for FoodMy tears have been my food   day and night,while people say to me all day long,   “Where is your God?” Psalm 42:3Weeping is something that people in our society don’t normally do in public. It is often a sign of weakness and instability. And crying non-stop is certainly unusual. Look at the psalmist’s situation. When he says that tears have been his food day and night, this is a sign...

The season of Lent helps focus our hearts and minds on intentional contemplation of all that God has done through Jesus. ...

Ash Wednesday and Our HopeAs I write, at this moment, men and women are going about their work, children are learning in school, mothers are caring for their babies, people are talking with loved ones on the phone, others are getting updates from doctors, and some are waiting to hear news about a particularly difficult situation. We respond to the myriad of life circumstances with emotion and sear...

What does a Spirit-led, Spirit-filled relationship look like? How do you know that a particular home or relationship is being filled with the Spirit of Christ? What does it look like for the Spirit of God to be truly at work in a person’s life? ...

The warmth of Paul’s closing comes from his godly affection for this faithful church. He began the letter with grace and peace from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Now he concludes, maintaining his focus on the centrality of the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ. ...

There is much that distracts and pulls our attention from the things that matter most. How do we combat the encroaching concerns of life that threaten to overwhelm our proper focus? As Paul is wrapping up his letter of thanks and encouragement to the Philippians, ...

Unanswered prayer is difficult to understand. How can Jesus really love you when you pray about something you know is good and nothing seems to happen? Unanswered prayer not only confuses us; if we're not careful, it can also contribute to a diminishing of faith. So what gives? ...

When unexpected tragedy happens in your life, where do you turn for guidance? When, in the words of Fantine in Les Miserables, “Life kills the dream you dreamed,” where do you turn for hope? What can happen to many of us is that great doubts and suspicions towards God suddenly arise in our hearts....

In one of my favorite stories, The Count of Monte Cristo, Edmond Dantes tries his hardest to escape from prison but all his plans and efforts fail. Yet, something finally happens that sets Edmond free. Faria, a priest and innocent cellmate who befriended Edmond, suddenly dies and the prison guards put the priest’s dead body in a sack and sow it up to be taken away. ...

"For the commandment is a lamp and the teaching is a light...”Proverbs 6:23a It's that time of year again. You know, when it gets dark outside in the afternoon!! Ok, it's not that bad, but truthfully, the dark early evenings during the fall and winter months are at the top of my list of things I had a tortuous time readjusting to in our move back to New England. I'm not there yet. I'm still trying...

Are you content? Most of us aren’t. Most of us have goals, bucket lists, and treasures we want to achieve or acquire. This is a part of how we are made, to imagine, set goals, and bring about a vibrant exciting future. It can also be a sinful preoccupation pulling us away from seeing gifts and blessings to be cherished....