Sometimes God calls us to obey Him in experiences that hurt. Sometimes what God allows us to experience is a long process that ultimately forms us into the shape of His vision for us and of us.

There is something about his voice. When he speaks, my heart comes alive. When he speaks, nothing else seems to matter. When he speaks, life seems full. When he speaks, I am set free.

What defines such a life? How does this faithfulness manifest in my daily walk? The Word of God provides clarity, contrasting our human response with the perfect faithfulness of the Lord.

You see, humility positions us in a rightful place in the hand of God. It is the virtue that safeguards our hearts from the enemy - the devouring one. The place of humility is the only safe place to be. It positions us to receive from God, to hear His voice, to respond to conviction, to live the Christian life!

We prefer peace, but oftentimes it is a kind of peace that is based on what we want in the flesh, rather than what we need in our spirit. What we really need is the peace that Jesus promised.

There is a difference between wearing a cross and carrying a cross. Christianity is not simply about looking the part. So what keeps us from pursuing Christ? What keeps us from chasing after Him?

As I sat waiting earlier, my hand absentmindedly touched the necklace around my neck, a small silver cross I wear almost every day. Right then, it hit me: I’m wearing the cross. Not just a piece of jewelry. A symbol of my faith. A declaration that I represent Jesus Christ wherever I go.

God has placed within every person an inner moral witness called the conscience. It is part of our God-given capacity to recognize right and wrong, evaluate our actions and motives, and respond to truth.

How can we actively become that fragrance that draws rather than repels people to the cross of Christ?

The phrase “hands and feet of Jesus” is used to describe the role of Christians as servants of others. It originated from a poem attributed to St. Teresa of Ávila that reads, “Christ has no body now on earth, but yours, / No hands, no feet on earth, but yours….”

There are three passages in this chapter that every Christian should commit to memory.

Unfortunately, we do not have to look far to see that we live in an incredibly self-centered generation. We live in a world where people make a living drawing others to themselves. The idolization of self is no new thing.

One night when Colin was driving home, he was hit by a drunk driver and killed instantly. Last summer, I went to the Cemetery and stood at his headstone and remembered my friend and what we had together…

Motherhood has exposed me. It has grown me in ways I never imagined. In the growing pains, I have seen my flesh sneak up on me and lead me into spirals of sinful thought patterns more than ever. Choosing Christ daily has felt so hard.

You have read many devotionals about surrender, rest, and trusting God's timing. I know — I have read plenty of them myself, usually skimming, usually with my mind already on the next thing. So let me tell you why this one might be different: I am the last person on earth who should be writing it.

Every American knows those words.  They echo through our national consciousness.  They stir inside us emotions that we don't always talk about at parties. 

God calls us to step out in faith, but somewhere between the calling and the miracle, fear creeps in. Fear of failure. Fear of uncertainty. Fear of what others think. Fear can paralyze us, distract us, and ultimately cause us to sink beneath the very thing God was empowering us to overcome.

The Lord is everywhere with all authority and knowledge available for dialogue. We must recognize His sovereignty and His holiness: the sacrifice of our Savior and His Lordship, and the authority, power and teaching ministry of the Holy Spirit to gain full benefit. Our Father is interested and invested in us. Are we interested in Him on His terms?

As believers, there’s always a time in our walk with God where we experience prayers being unanswered. We pray, fast, and believe with all of our hearts that God is going to move and come through in something we’re longing for. Healing for someone you love, financial provision for something, the Lord bringing a family member to salvation. All of these things being good, pure, beautiful things to be praying and believing for.

 Unfortunately, many people pray with only their own interests in view and not for the will of God to be done in their lives. We all sometimes pray only from an understanding of ourselves and not from an understanding that no matter the perceived hardness of His answers, His will is always perfect for us.