RETREATING WITH GOD

How do you treat the ones closest to you? Are you patient with them or do you constantly fire orders their way? We’re called to treat others with respect. Remember, Jesus died for them. They are God’s masterpiece whom he loves dearly. Jesus shows us how to be patient with those we have every reason to put down. We'll explore this touchy topic in our time together today. KEY PASSAGE: Luke 7:44-50 N...

I sat and listened as one person after another spoke words that made me squirm. The more they talked, the more uncomfortable I felt. I was troubled. Each one said things that infringed on my rights. The tension in my soul began to strangle me. By the end of the day, after listening to such distressing words, I slumped exhausted into my car and drove home. Think of a time you’ve felt crushed by the...

Have you been wronged so severely that you just can’t forgive?  Betrayal is one of the deepest and longest lasting pains we can experience.  What makes it even more agonizing is that betrayal comes from someone we trust.  A spouse, boss, friend, sibling, parent or business partner, to name a few. As I bring this up, you might be feeling pain in your gut right now.  That person...

Fear has a way of playing with our emotions.  It can rattle us, paralyze us. Fear has a way of amplifying small, negative thoughts that creep into our minds.  We even project things that aren’t likely to happen.  Most of our fears never come true. In the Old Testament, God sent 12 spies into the land of Canaan, which he was going to give Israel.  He stated it so clearly to Mose...

We’re all familiar with the parable of the prodigal son.  As a refresher, this was the rebellious kid who decided he had just about enough of his father and marched off with his share of the inheritance.  I’m not sure if his mother was still living, but I can imagine the hurt she felt with her son leaving.  After a season of prodigal living (prodigal means “wasteful”), the son was o...

What would be the hardest thing for you to surrender to Jesus? Is it your media consumption? MLB TV, NFL Sunday Ticket, Hallmark Channel, Netflix, HGTV, news channels, You Tube or any other favorite can steal your heart. Is there any time and energy left for Jesus and the Word? How about your device? My iPhone reminds me each week how many hours I’ve staring at it. The number is always higher than...

Do you remember a time when you knew you had to ask God for forgiveness, but you were hard-hearted? That angry outburst towards your spouse or child. The moral misstep that you deeply regret. The lie that slipped out of your mouth. You went about your business for days, waiting for the guilt to disappear. You covered your sinful tracks by sweeping dirt over them. Good works, fake joy, kind acts an...

You and I are all set in life. Comfortable homes, nice cars and padded bank accounts. “Hey, that’s not me!” you say. You  push back on me. You rent, your car needs repairs and you’re living paycheck to paycheck. Still, if you live in North America, you’re in the top 1% of the world’s population when it comes to wealth. Why do I bring this up? Because our comfort is a buffer to surrender. Let'...

When we pray, we release our concerns to God. We praise him for who he is. We confess sin. We thank him. We turn our hearts to him. Instead of our tasks becoming our focus, prayer is at the center. The thought of this is restful. Rest is more than a physical thing. It’s spiritual, too. When you rest with God in prayer, worries and anxieties diminish. Being in the presence of God chases away those...

Can you imagine what our relationship with God would be like if we closed our mouths and listened? Not for 60 seconds. Or five minutes. How about 15 minutes of silence before God? It’s one of the most refreshing practices you can develop. Wayne Cordeiro, a pastor in Hawaii, tells the story of how he burned out after 30 years in the pulpit. You might wonder how someone can burn out in Hawaii. Yes,...

“And on the seventh day God finished his work that he had done, and he rested on the seventh day from all his work that he had done” (Genesis 2:2 ESV). God must have been exhausted after creating the universe, because he took a whole day off. I know that’s an absurd thought, but we can’t ignore the fact that God did rest. And he did it for a reason. More on that in today's audio devotional. KEY PA...

How can joy be restored in our lives when we are going through a time of heart-wrenching loss? When we lose someone close to us, indescribable emotions take over. Whether a loved one’s death comes slowly or suddenly, the finality of it all has a profound effect on us. There’s no formula for restoring joy in our lives in a season of loss. This isn’t a math equation. The ebb and flow of life isn’t p...

They say that laughter has a healing effect on the body. In fact, the Bible tells us, “A cheerful heart is good medicine” (Proverbs 17:22 NIV). Laughter may even release some happy hormones. In any case, laughter is indeed good for the soul. When was the last time you had a real hearty laugh? What brought it on? The thought of that memory makes you smile, I’m sure. I think we all need to set every...

Isolation is one of the most painful conditions a person can be in. I heard a speaker tell the stories of the persecuted believers in one particular country. He reported that the imprisoned believers were beaten, ridiculed and tortured for their faith. However, it was not this treatment that caused them the most pain. It was being kept in solitary confinement, apart from any other believers. That’...

We call it pride. God calls it sin. We all struggle with it. We see it in others yet we’re blind to it in ourselves.  Jesus demonstrated the opposite quality, right up to his final breath on earth. Hanging on a cross, he pronounced about humanity (for whom he was dying), “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” (Luke 23:34 ESV) We often misinterpret Jesus’ intention. These word...

I’m sure you’ve called out someone’s salvation at one time or another. “Jim can’t possibly be a Christian.” “I know Barb’s not a Christian. Look at the way she lives.” I understand. I do a bit of salvation analysis at times. And I shouldn’t. I think we will be surprised, when we get to heaven, who is there — and who is not. What if we spent more of our time sharing the Gospel instead of judging wh...

Two tables down, a man was talking. But no one was with him. I’m not sure who he was talking to, but it may have been God. He had a pocket New Testament on the table as he dozed off in that corner booth. Before I had a chance to engage in conversation with him, the restaurant manager came by and asked him to leave. I watched as the man, probably in his late 20s, slowly walked out of the restaurant...

Have you woken up recently with some heavy things on your mind? That was the case for me. I wasn’t sure what was pressing in on me. I sat down for my time with God and felt the need to rest in his presence quietly. So I did. God loves us and enjoys our presence. There’s one thing he values most with us, and we should value it with him. That one thing is time . Psalm 46:10 (NIV) is a great reminder...

Do we pray because we have faith, or do we have faith because we pray? That might be too much of a mind-twister if you’re reading this before your morning coffee. Imagine being the father in Mark 9 whose son was demon-possessed. Things were so severe that since childhood the demon had harassed the boy, even throwing him often into the fire. This dad lived in complete horror I’m sure, watching his...

Knowing God’s will. It’s something every believer hungers for, especially at critical crossroads of life. You might be in that place right now. Are you seeking God about something? Are you trying to find an answer about a big decision? Are you fuzzy on next steps? Do you long for clarity? Are you fearful about making the wrong choice? Whether it’s one of the biggies like career, spouse, location o...

This is a world of instant results. However, some things are better with time. Take oatmeal, for example. There’s nothing like slow-cooked, creamy oatmeal. I don’t care for the instant variety.  It tastes a little like sand. Our faith is like that. We want the satisfaction of an unshakable faith without the ingredient of time. Slow-cooked faith is the kind that becomes strong. Look at the gre...

God commands us to love the Lord with all our heart, soul and strength. You know what? He has given his heart, soul and strength for us . Picture Jesus on the cross. He’s giving his heart and soul for us. He’s giving all his strength for us. He’s giving himself 100% for us. That’s a picture of what He is continually doing today. I doubt I’ll be asked to love God to the extent that He loved me on t...

What’s chipping away at your faith these days? Sure, we can often lean into God when major trials and hardships meet us, but how about when the little things wear us down? I often ask myself why I can be a super-spiritual man when it comes to trusting God for the big things, but I’m a wimp in the little things? It comes down to perspective. I can easily lose my eternal perspective when I am riddle...

The world’s view of death, which is centered on loss, can dominate our thinking. “Her time was too soon,” or “He was taken from us too early” are common statements. No doubt, we feel that way when we lose a young person, a child, or someone who has been in our lives for a short time. There’s no denying our feelings. However, we can be encouraged when we consider what Jesus has to say about death f...

When our heart is broken, there’s only one Person who can comfort our soul. God. Knowing that and experiencing it are two different things. Travelling through Scripture, we find powerful verses on comfort. Read them slowly and let them sink in. For example: “He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds” (Psalm 147:3 NIV). We'll reflect on this and others in our time together today. KEY PAS...