Hope with God... with Andrew and Wendy Palau

I have plenty of good friends that I love. It's fun to celebrate birthdays and holidays with them or just hang out and watch sports. They love and care about me, and it's easy for me to love them back. The difficulty comes when someone treats us badly and hurts us in different ways, then anger and resentment begin to rise up inside. We know that God wants us to not only forgive our enemies but to...

Trouble comes to each of us that walks this earth. I wish it was different. But this is a fact. Some people walk through life marked by suffering. Sometimes the suffering is so bitter that their world is forever changed. Comfort and wholeness feel distant. Listen to the words in Psalm 71. “Who can compare with you, oh, God? You have allowed me to suffer so much hardship but you will restore my lif...

Your days are probably pretty busy, just like mine are. But if you're constantly working, talking to people, making plans, texting, and checking social media, you get the picture; you might not be doing some other things that really matter. Things like connecting with God. I believe it's vital to carve out time first thing in the morning really is the best, to pray to read the Word of God, meditat...

After a busy day of meetings, phone conversations, recording sessions, and travel preparations, I'm ready for a little downtime. These kinds of hobbies are a great way to unwind and relax. But I need to be careful that they don't become all-consuming. I don't want anything to hinder my relationship with God. I knew a man named Josh who was into weightlifting, and it had kind of taken over his whol...

What does a person of hope look like? Listen to this prayer in Psalm 71. “As for me, I will have hope. I will praise you Lord more and more. My mouth will tell of your righteousness of your salvation all day long, though I know not its measure.” A person of hope is number one, dedicated to putting their hope in God. The psalmist says, “As for me,” this is a personal thing. Number two, a person of...

At memorial services, there are often candles among the flowers and the photos. And in a place where tragedy has struck, sometimes a candlelight vigil will be held with mourners standing together in the darkness holding lights. We light candles at such times because in the midst of darkness, even though small, flames can give hope, warmth and comfort. They give us the assurance that we're not alon...

Where do you find refuge? The word means to run to a place for protection. In ancient days a refuge would have been a mountain or a fort, something big and safe. But in our 21st-century culture, a refuge could take many forms. Very often, the danger lurking may be our very own selves - bad habits and behaviors or bad relationships. Where do you go for protection? Psalm 71 says, “In you, Lord, I ha...

When we were kids, we feared such things as thunderstorms and darkness, and we would run to our parents for comfort and reassurance. Now that we're older, our fears are fed by disease, hurricanes, terrorists, and inflation. We have a wonderful Heavenly Father who loves us and invites us in those moments of fear to run to Him for comfort. The Bible tells us that the eternal God is our refuge, and u...

If you read the gospels, you will notice that nearly every time Jesus talked with someone, he used a new approach. Every conversation was different from the others. Why is that?  It must be because every individual comes from a different place with different beliefs, misconceptions, hang ups and sins, different needs. Jesus, of course, understood everything about a person before he even met them....

One of the things I remember from childhood ballet lessons is that when you're spinning, you have to fix your eyes in one direction, or else you will lose your balance. In our spiritual lives, we must keep our hearts fixed on eternity, to keep our balance in this world. During a time in my life when I felt overwhelmed by grief, I remember reading this verse in Second Corinthians: "So we fix o...

Hope is powerful. When life is dark, hope is the light that lifts you from despair. If you're a Jesus follower, you have an endless supply of hope because true hope is found in Him.  The Bible says in 1 Peter 1:3, "In God's great mercy, He has given us new birth into a living hope, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead." Jesus died, but death could not hold Him. He rose...

** I was reading the book of Ephesians in the Bible.** And in chapter three, the apostle Paul wrote these words: "I pray that God may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that you may have power to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is this love of Christ."  And I'm thinking, why does Paul say we need power to understand God's love? I suppose it's b...

My father died of cancer not long ago. Even in his final days, he was at peace because he knew with certainty that his future was with Jesus in heaven. In spite of being very weak, Dad shared the good news of Jesus Christ with all the staff who took care of him in the hospital. Word spread on the floor where he was, and people would come by to talk to him. Dad would pray for them and encourage the...

You may have heard a preacher urging the congregation to keep an eternal perspective. Well, life is not a sprint, it's a marathon. Sprinters run fast and burn out quickly. A marathon runner focuses on keeping a steady pace for a long period of time.  You may have important things to work toward in this moment, in the short term, but God says that what really matters in the long run is your relatio...

There's a story of Jesus passing through a village in Samaria when he meets a woman getting water at a well. Jesus asked her for a drink. She was taken aback that he would even speak to her. She said to Jesus, “You are a Jew, and I am a Samaritan. Why are you asking me for a drink?” Jesus responded to her. “If you only knew the gift God has for you and who you were speaking to, you would ask me, a...

One of my favorite Bible characters is Moses. As a baby in Egypt, Moses was adopted by the Pharaoh's daughter. He grew up in luxury while his real family and his people served as slaves. He could have ignored them and lived in comfort. But Moses made a life-altering choice. In Hebrews 11, we read, "Moses, when he grew up refused to be called the son of the Pharaoh's daughter. He chose to shar...

Do you ever read the news and feel overwhelmed or discouraged? Instead of getting better, things seem to be getting worse in the world. Despite the trouble in the world, we don't need to be despondent people. We can be people of hope. Maybe the state of the world feels overwhelming to you. But maybe the trouble has entered your very own life. The trouble is not just a news story. Maybe trouble is...

** In the Bible in the book of Romans chapter 12, there is a verse which encourages us to be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.** When we can't be joyful about our circumstances, we can still rejoice in the anticipation of what God is going to do with them, in them, and because of them. We have hope because we have a father in heaven who loves and cares for us. When things...

We're experiencing an increase in severe weather events which bring natural disasters. People in many areas have been jolted out of comfort and security. Some have feared for their lives, some have lost their lives.  If you've ever been in a natural disaster like these or if you've experienced personal trauma, you can understand how many of these victims felt, abandoned and alone. But I've heard t...

There's a story in the book of John about a man who came to Jesus begging him to come and heal his son because he was dying. Jesus said to him, you may go, your son will live. This story tells us that the man took Jesus at his word and departed. And while he was still on his way home, his servant came and met him with the news that his son was living.  This story is so beautiful to me because this...

When my family and I start out on a road trip I set our navigation system with the correct destination. If we're going to an unfamiliar place, the chances of getting lost are pretty high without some sort of guide.  Unfortunately, I see many people these days traveling through life without a map, no moral standards or boundaries. It's no wonder then that so many find themselves lost, confused, dep...

I have so many favorite verses in the Bible, and some of them are found in Psalm 147. Listen to these words, "The Lord's delight is in those who fear Him, in those who put their hope in his unfailing love." What an encouragement. I don't have to impress or to delight God. He's not looking down to see how strong I am or how good I am, or how obedient I am. His delight is in those who fear...

The word refreshment can bring to mind a cold lemonade after a strenuous bike ride or sweet tea on a breezy porch. It could be a mug of hot chocolate in a mountain lodge after a day of skiing or snowboarding. Refreshments can restore your energy, your joy and your spirit. Wait, can a glass of lemonade really do all that?  The Bible mentions springs of water where travelers can be refreshed. In Psa...

When a vase or China cup gets broken in our house, it usually ends up in the trash bin. It's worthless, or is it?  The Japanese have an art called Kintsugi, broken pottery is repaired using lacquer dusted with powdered gold. This enhances the cracks, brings a new kind of beauty to the artwork.  Are you feeling broken today? Has life dealt you some pretty hard blows? Jesus can make you whole again....

There's an amazing statement in the Bible in Psalm 25. Verse 14 says, "The Lord confides in those who fear Him. He makes His covenant known to them." He confides in us. Imagine. Amos chapter four talks about the one who forms the mountains, who creates the wind and who reveals his thoughts to mankind. Why would God bother to reveal His thoughts to us? We're so insignificant, and He is ev...