Tagged: perseverance

And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out in our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.Romans 5:5 There is a hope that does not put us to shame. Love, at its heart, is about hope. Hope that we might be valued enough by others to be loved by them. Without hope, there could be no love. How interesting that Romans 5:5 embeds this little gem of encouragement right in the middle of a hard passage about suffering, during a time when many hearts want to give up all hope. Paul, the writer, urges us toward a better hope, one that does not disappoint. Our world needs to know such hope right now. The… Read More

We are experiencing trouble on every side, but are not crushed; we are perplexed, but not driven to despair; we are persecuted, but not abandoned; we are knocked down, but not destroyed, always carrying around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be made visible in our body.2 Corinthians 4:7-10 “What can man do to you? Much every way. Like a small thing unsheltered, like a mimosa in a thunderstorm—stems, leaves, flowers, involved in a common distress—that is how you feel till you remember God. And then what happens? …you prove that the spirit of man energized by the Spirit of God can defy the natural, and need not be, as it would naturally be, destroyed when… Read More

…I suffer as I do. But I am not ashamed, for I know the one in whom I have put my trust, and I am sure that he is able to guard until that day what I have entrusted to him (2 Timothy 1:12, NRSV). What if he doesn’t come back?  I tried to swat the harassing thought away like a wasp, knowing it had the power to hurt me if I allowed it to alight. Do you know where the passport file is? Yes. There are three currencies inside, and enough money for plane tickets if you need them. The contact list is there as well. Remember, just follow the plan and it will help you navigate whatever happens. I boosted the baby higher… Read More

I am the Lord your God, who brought you up out of Egypt. Open wide your mouth and I will fill it.Psalm 81:10 The desert sand mounded along the shoulder of the road, if it could even be called a road. Two tracks, created by others who had gone before us, wove across the dehydrated landscape. The way was barely visible as I craned my neck to peer over the steering wheel of our 4 x 4. Provisions rattled in the back as my colleagues and I held on to anything we could grab, trying to stay seated with every lurch and sway. Everyone was alert; no one dozed, ever. Bandits were known to stop travelers brave enough to make the journey. We had packed… Read More

Come down from the cross (Matthew 27:40). We don’t often think of Calvary in terms of the emotional temptation of Jesus. But if we listen closely to those insulting dagger words thrown at Jesus by the chief priests, teachers of the law and elders, we will recognize the voice of the deceiver. Just as he challenged Jesus’ lordship in the wilderness during the famous temptation recounted in Matthew 4, he can be heard in the Savior’s weakest, most exposed moment on the cross, tirelessly seeking to break Jesus’ will.  W. Glyn Evans, in Daily with the King, describes it like this:  “The emotional strain of the cross was staggering. The chief ingredient was abandonment. The abandonment of Jesus was complete—people, disciples, and even (though only… Read More

God's words are like stepping stones through the landscape of life. Trust in the Lord and do what is right! Settle in the land and maintain your integrity! Then you will take delight in the Lord, and he will answer your prayers. Commit your future to the Lord! Trust in Him and He will act on your behalf. He will vindicate you in broad daylight, and publicly defend your just cause (Psalm 37:3-6, NET). In the worn pages of my Bible, this passage from Psalm 37 has scribbles and notes filling the margin and tumbling off the edge. Dates are written down, scattered like stepping stones through the landscape of my life, marking my search for stability. The world around us may quake, trials may rage,… Read More

And Solomon assigned 70,000 men to bear burdens… 2 Chronicles 2:2 There are projects in God’s kingdom that cannot be completed without burden bearers.  Those stones hewn from the mountain would not carry themselves, assemble themselves into towering walls forming Solomon’s glorious temple. They needed strong arms to bear them to their purpose. To think burden-bearing may be one’s assignment! I daresay not many would choose it voluntarily. God’s assigned burden bearer must be careful how she carries her load. I have a beautiful bowl handcrafted from the wood of an orange tree native to Africa. A rich russet color, it is inlaid with floral patterns of lighter wood. Disrupting the intricate design is a large, ugly crack, spanning from one rim to the base… Read More

@audreyfrank I journeyed to an unknown land Far across the sea. I stood upon the darkened shores, I heard the ocean breathe.   I listened for the sound of hope, but Everything was still. I wondered if the sun would rise, This new realm to reveal.   I was afraid, my heart grew faint, This place was not my rest. In panic, I searched troubled skies For someone who would help.   I did not know I slept, Until I gently woke And found myself upon a rock The waves crashing below.   The storm rolled dark, The waters churned, I closed my eyes to hide; I opened them again to find A Warrior by my side.   He shielded me and spoke aloud To… Read More

  @audreycfrank Also our enemies said, “Before they know it or see us, we will be right there among them and will kill them and put an end to the work.”  -Nehemiah 4:11 They had come in through an unseen crack in the foundation. Silently, under the cover of darkness, they multiplied. In the hidden places, they carried out their dirty work, while life went on outside as usual, unaware. One night I tiptoed through the inky blackness of the courtyard to get a drink of water from the kitchen. As I flipped on the light I screamed in terror. Covering the floor like a horrifying, pulsing carpet was an army of cockroaches. They frantically retreated to their dark places, frightened of the light. They… Read More