Tag Archives: Treasure

Don’t Focus on Overcoming When I go through difficult circumstances, I want the end. I’m so focused on escape and overcoming that I barely think about what God might be teaching me through that experience. And I’m certainly not thinking … Continue reading →

Who Will Fight For Us? “Who will go up first for us against the Canaanites to fight against them?” (Judges 1:1). I’ve felt this way before—wondering who will be my advocate in my time of need. It’s ironic that we … Continue reading →

They’re Futile; This Isn’t If you knew it was time to die, to say goodbye for good, what would you say? How would your final hoorah sound? In an episode of Northern Exposure, Dr. Joel Fleischman is convinced that he … Continue reading →

Examine Thy Self Before advising others on how they should act, self-examination is always necessary. When the Corinthians questioned the authenticity of Paul and his colleagues’ ministry (which is ironic, since he had planted their church), Paul says to them: … Continue reading →

The Subtle Sinner Some sins slip through the cracks—the ones that emerge in hushed tones between like-minded Christians. Sometimes these sins seem respectable because they occur out of supposed concerns for the Church or others. But they can leave deep … Continue reading →

Walking in Circles I often wish things were more obvious. I ask God to help me understanding His timing so that I can easily act. I ask for everything to happen at the right moments. I ask Him to give … Continue reading →

Bitter and Betrayed The betrayal of a loved one can shake our world. It can make us feel vulnerable and used, and if we’re not careful, it can cause us to be bitter and suspicious toward others. The psalmist in … Continue reading →

Bound for the Promised Land Faith is not just about being faithful; it’s also about trusting in God’s faithfulness. For years God dealt with the confused and waning nature of His people while they were in the wilderness. They wondered, … Continue reading →

Tongues, Flames, and Other Things That Devour I’d like to skip over the description of the “mighty man” in Psalm chapter 52. Of all of his destructive influences, the mighty man is most judged for his use of words. The … Continue reading →

The Art of Confession Confession is a lost art. Most Christian communities today have little outlet for doing so, and the systems for confessing that we do have are often tainted by a lack of honesty and trust. This isn’t … Continue reading →

Judging Gifts Comparing our gifts to those of the person sitting in the next cubicle or pew is dangerous work. Judging ourselves by this standard denigrates or inflates the gifts we’ve been given, leading to either ungratefulness or pride. Because … Continue reading →

The Misnomer About God’s Will We often hear a great misnomer about following God’s will. It usually sounds something like this: “God has commanded me to do x, so I’m going to go into x blindly without fear.” A phrase … Continue reading →

Be Generous to Consume? Our culture encourages us to absorb the latest and greatest, and then cast off our gently used devices. We are targeted to accumulate and consume. The new feature we learned about yesterday is now the one … Continue reading →

He’s Dead, But You Can Be Alive “My servant Moses is dead” (Joshua 1:2). Imagine the shock of this moment for Joshua, Moses’ right-hand man. He probably already knew about Moses’ death before God told him (Deuteronomy 34:1–8), but it’s … Continue reading →

Operating Standards Sometimes I operate on the premise that if I’m honoring God and following Him, I don’t have to be concerned with what other people think. But carrying this too far is just as faulty as basing my identity … Continue reading →

It’s Actually Quite Simple “May my teaching trickle like the dew, my words like rain showers on tender grass . . . For I will proclaim the name of Yahweh; ascribe greatness to our God! The Rock, his work is … Continue reading →

Bold Requests Psalm chapter 44 is bold. Who asks the Lord to “wake up”? Who asks Him why He is sleeping? The psalmist doesn’t stop with these questions. He makes claims regarding God that seem like accusations: “you have rejected … Continue reading →

I’ll Take the Arrow “Better is an arrow from a friend than a kiss from an enemy.” When I first heard this saying, I was struck by what a truism it is. It wasn’t until years later, though, that I … Continue reading →

Tearing Down to Build Up It’s difficult to take rebuke, especially when it’s unsolicited. We feel exposed and embarrassed when our sin is brought to light. And if we don’t have the humility to accept rebuke, the experience can leave … Continue reading →

The Curious Thing About God’s Work Doing God’s work is a curious thing. It requires both mad rushes and patiently waiting. Christ followers are meant to think like the psalmist did: “I waited patiently for Yahweh, And he inclined to … Continue reading →