Sometimes, I wonder how God could ever use me. I have a sinful past. And even though I am a Christian now, I still make mistakes. I’m an average woman, wife, and mom. I am not a public speaker. I don’t have any formal writing or Biblical training. “Who am I to think I could help further God’s kingdom?”
Sometimes, God’s ways don’t make sense to us. The Bible teaches us to love our enemies, turn the other cheek, and the last will be first and the first last. Have you ever thought, “But this seems backward?”
Have you ever messed up and felt unforgivable? Sadly, I have. When my daughter was twelve, I walked into the house with my arms full of groceries and tripped over her backpack, nearly falling. Rather than simply asking her to put it away, I lost my temper and barked at her about being more respectful. As the words flew from my mouth, I noticed the new friend she’d invited over and the look of horror on her face, and I was reminded of David when he wrote Psalm 34.
Whenever I’ve made mistakes, I’ve felt unworthy of God’s love and wanted to run from Him due to my shame. But when I read Psalm 34, I find genuine encouragement because it demonstrates God’s grace. It shows God is with us, helping, healing, and delivering us even when we are at our worst. All that is needed is a humble, repentant heart seeking God.
So, how do we know when to be silent or speak? I believe the answer is to pause. Pausing keeps us from rushing in with a reprimand and enables us to be helpful rather than hurtful. It allows us to choose our words carefully and reveal God’s truth.
Is there a difference between knowing who God says you are and acting like that person? I once thought there must be some magical way to get God’s truth of my identity from my head to my heart. There must be a trick to actually “receiving” His gift of love and feeling the freedom His word promises.
Recently, I saw a beautiful plaque on Etsy reading, “Tears are prayers too. They travel to God when we can’t speak.” Then the creator listed Psalm 56:8. But when I looked up the verse, it read: “You have taken account of my miseries; Put my tears in Your bottle. Are they not in Your book?” (Psalm 56:8, NASB) So, I wondered if this interpretation of the verse was correct. Are tears prayers?
When someone is in love, people say, “You are glowing!” Perhaps this is because feeling loved warms our souls and illuminates our whole being. However, this doesn’t only apply to romantic love. Knowing we are loved changes us. We perceive ourselves differently, act differently, react differently, and love differently.
“Desire without knowledge is not good, and whoever makes haste with his feet misses his way.” Proverbs 19:2 (ESV) Today, I watched a car swerving in and out of traffic, cutting people off, and wondered if hurrying to save 5…
Have you ever felt your emotions were too intense? Perhaps someone has even implied you are “too much”: you are too emotional, sensitive, or dramatic. If so, then you aren’t alone. Some people just feel more deeply than others. But is this really a bad thing?
“Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise—the fruit of lips that openly profess his name.” (Hebrews 13:15 (NIV) Getting a family, especially one with young children, fed, dressed, ready, and out the door on…
