There is an old hymn that, to me, captures the very heart of Advent and today’s passage: The hymn’s first verse says: Come, Thou long expected Jesus Born to set Thy people free; From our fears and sins release us, Let us find our rest in Thee. Israel’s strength
I can remember sitting in Sunday school when I first heard the story of Jacob wrestling with God. I was confused by the idea of a man wrestling with Almighty God and I was even more confused at the purpose of the story. Why did God wrestle with Jacob? Why
“He said to her, ‘Daughter, your faith has made you well. Go in peace, and be healed of your disease.’” – Mark 5:34 Desperation. Last resort. Despair. What makes you turn to Jesus? Time and time again in the Gospels we read of people who approached Jesus with a personal
Over the last few months, many of our friends and family members have walked through intense loss and suffering. The last few years have been difficult for many, and my guess is that you’re in a similar situation. There are very few who have been left unscathed. Whether suffering has
Have you been in a place for so long that you feel like there is no way out? That you are too far gone? That you are a lost cause, unseen by God and overlooked by others? In John 5, there is a story of a paralytic, a man who
When I read this Psalm and meditate on the verses, it reminds me to shift my attention to who God is. It encourages me to look to God with thankfulness and gratitude, not because of my current situation (weary and exhausted after a long ten days working at camp), but
As we continue in our study of Genesis, we see Abraham recognize God’s care for the righteous. God chose to reveal to Abraham His plan to destroy the city of Sodom. God did not need to tell Abraham what He was going to do, but He chose to allow Abraham
Receive one another, then, just as Christ also received you, to God’s glory. -Romans 15:7 I turned 30 in January, and if there is anything in my early years on earth that I have been petrified about, it is being rejected by people. Growing up, I always felt out of
Why is it so hard to make friends? I’m not talking about Facebook friends or Instagram followers. I’m talking about deep, meaningful, long-lasting connections with women. When we were in kindergarten, our friend was whoever played with us. In college, our friends were the ones who stayed up with us
I’ve had various jobs, some paid and some not. The strangest, but probably most fun paying job I ever had, was being a Living History Interpreter at a museum. For this job I dressed as and attempted to speak like a Georgian lady living in the year 1776! When we