Ephesians 5:15 says, “Therefore consider carefully how you live–not as unwise but as wise.” Why are we to live as wise people? Paul tells us in verse 16, “because the days are evil.” There was a lot of evil during the time of Esther just like there is today. Esther
Something I really love is the light of early morning. Whether I’ve just had a good night’s sleep or tossed and turned all night, that first light shining in my bedroom signals: it’s go-time. Now, sometimes “go-time” means I have to get up and get ready for work. Depending on
God’s Righteous Jealousy “The Lord your God who is present among you, is a jealous God” (Deuteronomy 6:15) I found that a bit surprising the first time I read it. God can be jealous? Isn’t jealousy bad? For humans, our jealousy indicates that we are discontent with what we have
“Children, it is the last hour, and just as you heard that the antichrist is coming, so now many antichrists have appeared. We know from this that it is the last hour. They went out from us, but they did not really belong to us because if they had belonged
Acknowledging Our Limitations Through Prayer Praying for our children is the most important thing we can do as mothers. The responsibilities and seemingly unending tasks we perform for our children are practical expressions of our love for them. From surrendering our bodies to the changes of pregnancy, pain in childbirth,
Some say love is a feeling, but I believe it’s a choice. It’s choosing to love, even if and when we don’t feel like it. I never fully comprehended this kind of love until I walked through divorce. The kind of Christ-like love that chooses not to retaliate or
“The days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast in those days.” Our SOAP verse today is taking place in the midst of Jesus spending time at Levi’s house. Levi was a tax collector whom Jesus called to follow Him. At this
Depend on Him Above All Else Autumn is my favorite time of year. Growing up, my family would take a yearly trip to the mountains to view the changing leaves. We would spend the day hiking and, once we reached the peak, see a sea of red, yellow, and orange
I have heard it said that the best way to recognize a counterfeit is to study the real thing. Take, for example, a dollar bill. In order to know if a dollar bill is counterfeit you should study a real dollar bill. And when I say study, I don’t mean
They will rebuild the perpetual ruins and restore the places that were desolate; they will reestablish the ruined cities, the places that have been desolate since ancient times. – Isaiah 61:4 One profound truth that my heart was open to while I was reading this chapter was the fact that