the Father's heart

Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Romans 5:1 Adam's sin brought condemnation to everyone, but Christ's obedience, His death on the cross, brought reconciliation for those who believe Jesus is the Savior (Rom 5:19). Not everyone will believe, and only those who do will be justified and receive new life. Justification means to be declared righteous by God, just as if you never sinned; bringing you in rig

(Photo by Aaron Burden on Unsplash) And the child grew and became strong; He was filled with wisdom, and the grace of God was upon him. Luke 2:40 Each year Mary and Joseph went to Jerusalem for the Passover, and the year Jesus was twelve years old was no different. But what happened afterward was not expected. When the celebration was over, a group headed home. It was safer and more enjoyable to travel in caravans than alone. Mary and Joseph were going to Nazareth about 70 mi

He was righteous and devout and eagerly waiting for the Messiah to come and rescue Israel. Luke 2:25 When Jesus was forty days old, it was time for Mary and Joseph to take Him to the temple to present Him to the Lord as is required by the law of Moses (Ex 13:1-2). On the day Jesus was to be there, the Holy Spirit led a man named Simeon to go to the temple as well. What do we know about Simeon? He was a righteous and devout man, the Spirit had revealed to him that he would se

(Photo by Raechel Romero on Unsplash) And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him. Hebrews 11:6 After Mary found out she was going to give birth to the Savior of the world, and that Elizabeth was pregnant in her old age, she left home to visit her cousin. She stayed for three months. When Mary came back home, she was most likely pregnant. At some point, Joseph fo

Then Elisha prayed, "O Lord, open his eyes and let him see!" 2 Kings 6:17 (NLT) As I age and have to wear reading glasses, I get a tiny glimpse into what it would be like to be physically blind. We recently bought a new vehicle, and the clock is much smaller. From the driver's seat, I can't read the time. As frustrating as that is, it's not even close to the challenges that blind people face. Most of the time, I can put on my glasses and Wa-LAH, I can see. In this post, we wi

(Photo by Nathan Dumlao on Unsplash) And the Lord's servant must not quarrel; instead he must be kind to everyone, able to teach, not resentful. Those who oppose him, he must gently instruct, in the hope that God will grant them repentance leading them to a knowledge of the truth, and that they will come to their senses and escape the trap of the devil, who has taken them captive to do his will. 2 Timothy 2:24-26 Certainly, not all prodigals are atheists, but some claim to be

(Photo by Casey Horner on Unsplash) Imagine you are an Israelite and all you have known is slavery. One day this guy named Moses shows up and tells you he has come to lead you out of Egypt and into freedom. He says your God has heard your cries and is going to perform mighty signs and wonders and Pharaoh will let you go. Aaron talked to the elders, and they believe Moses' message. So you think to yourself, "Why not give Moses a chance. What could it hurt?" But now your worklo

(Photo by Aaron Burden on Unsplash) Dear Child, You are loved! You matter! I can't make you believe it, but I can keep reminding you until you see it for yourself. Don't confuse your worth with what happens around you. Just because you haven't seen the answer to your prayer yet, doesn't mean it's not coming! Don't give up! In the meantime, there is rest for the weary! Your faith matters! Without it, you are left with doubt and discouragement. It will be difficult to hang on,

(Photo by Hugues de BUYER-MIMEURE on Unsplash) Faith is the path to freedom. Remember when you first found Me? Remember when your eyes were opened to the realization that I was the Savior of the world and if you wanted to spend eternity in heaven, you would have to have faith that I would save you? You knew there was nothing you could do to save yourself, but it was by grace through faith in Me? That faith you exercised then is the same faith it takes to live your life now. I

I was reading about Elijah who was God's prophet to the northern kingdom, Israel. He came on to the scene during King Ahab's reign. One of the things that stood out to me was his immediate obedience. When God told Elijah to do something, no matter how uncomfortable or confusing, he did it. Elijah's story begins with him in the presence of King Ahab, telling the king there would be neither dew nor rain for the next few years except at his word. Can you imagine? After telling t

It is the LORD who goes before you. He will be with you; he will not leave you or forsake you. Do not fear or be dismayed.” Deuteronomy 31:8 Joshua would be the next leader. He would lead the people into the promised land. And God knew he would need to be often reminded not to be afraid or dismayed. Dismayed is not a word we use that often, but the meaning of the word is one we are familiar with. It's that feeling of fear or discouragement that stops you in your tracks. It s

Take up the helmet of salvation… Ephesians 6:17 For a Roman soldier, the helmet was the last piece of armor to be put on. The helmet protected the head and the mind. If their head was damaged in the battle and they lost their ability to think and make decisions, the rest of the armor would be of little value. When God the Father rescued you from the dominion of darkness and brought you into the kingdom of the Son He loves (Colossians 1:13), you were saved. Your salvation is e