READ: Job 19-21, Psalm 6, Luke 23, Revelation 7 THE LANGUAGE OF WEEPING Jesus speaks tears. Crying is a primal articulation of the soul–a language God fluently speaks. It is difficult to fathom the eternal God who is ever on the cross. Bound by time we consider Christ’s agony on the cross to be confined to one day. God, […]
Region: Arab World
Abiding in Jesus: June 4
READ: Job 16-18, Psalm 5, Luke 22, Revelation 6 SHATTERED AND SHAKEN The appearance of intimacy (when unfounded) is most painful to Jesus. Judas betrays Jesus with a kiss as do we. It is our pretension that most wounds the Savior. Those who pretend to abide, who posture themselves to be seen as intimates, while their hearts […]
Abiding in Jesus: June 3
READ: Job 13-15, Psalm 4, Luke 21, Revelation 5 PROVERBS OF ASHES God is perturbed with man’s empty words, not because words are unimportant but because they are so vital. There is power in words both to hurtfully break bones and to lovingly give life. God intriguingly has chosen to communicate largely through words, create through His […]
Learning Trust from a Blue Balloon
I still have a lot to learn about trusting an unseen God and His unseen work. One of the implications of serving Jesus overseas is being away from my incredibly cute, smart nieces and nephew. I’m missing out on much of their growing up, but we stay in touch. Yesterday I got this email from […]
Abiding in Jesus: June 2
READ: Job 10-12, Psalm 3, Luke 20, Revelation 4 AUTHORITY TO NOT ANSWER Jesus is under no obligation to answer our questions. The only ones compelled to give answers are those inferior to the inquisitor. Those in authority can choose if and how they answer questions, and when a superior detects a poor attitude or a challenge […]
Abiding in Jesus: June 1
READ: Job 7-9, Psalm 2, Luke 19, Revelation 3 NO OTHER PLEA Our best righteousness is perverse before God. Job understood this: “Though I were blameless, it would prove me perverse” (Job 9:20). Job’s friends point out his anguish is due to his sin. On the one hand Job agrees, yet in despair points out […]
Abiding in Jesus: May 31
READ: Job 4-6, Psalm 1, Luke 18, Revelation 2 UNGODLY COUNSEL Bad advice can come from good people. Psalm 1:1 points out the obvious: the man who does not walk in the counsel of the ungodly is like a tree. The less obvious is that we should also avoid the ungodly counsel of the righteous. Job’s […]
Abiding in Jesus: May 30
READ: Job 1-3, Psalm 150, Luke 17, Revelation 1 GOD’S ADVERSITY Grief and worship are complementary. We treat them as opposites when in reality they coexist. “Job arose, tore his robe, and shaved his head, and he fell to the ground and worshiped” (Job 1:20). We tend to bifurcate our times of loss and pain […]
Abiding in Jesus: May 29
READ: Esther 7-10, Psalm 149, Luke 16, Jude PRESERVED Jesus knows how to protect us. Jesus protects us from the devil, from our enemies, and from ourselves. Protected From the Devil. Jude reminds us to let God rebuke the devil (Jude 9). Some people today see demons under every bed, some see them not at […]
Abiding in Jesus: May 28
READ: Esther 4-6, Psalm 148, Luke 15, 3 John AGAINST THE LAW Our palaces cannot protect us. There is no retreat from the advance of evil, for evil breeds within and evil is spirit that cannot be barred by physical gates. Mordecai warns Esther that she should “not think in her heart that you will […]
