All tagged BIble

Finding Joy While Striking Out

While I do not consider myself to be much of a sports fanatic, I do love the Atlanta Braves.

At a game one evening, amidst the exciting atmosphere, I heard the fan behind me make an interesting statement.

It was the beginning of the game, the 2nd or 3rd inning, and we were losing 4 to 1.

The organist started playing “If you’re happy and you know it, clap your hands.”

The man sitting behind me said, “We are losing 4 to 1! What do we have to be happy about?”

Alone with God

Have you ever felt truly alone? Maybe you are facing a situation that is unfamiliar to your closest family or friends, are in a disagreement with your spouse or significant other, or just cannot seem to relate to the walks of life that the others around you are experiencing. Many situations in life can make us feel like we are isolated. When we feel this way, it can be so easy to retreat into ourselves. Like little hermit crabs, we crawl into our shells, and, trust me, this is not a safe place at all. I know from experience that the enemy can get to us more easily when we isolate ourselves.

Seeing is Not Believing

We all know that old idiom, “Seeing is believing.” Let’s face it, our society is pretty much based on proof, evidence, and tangible research. It can be hard for us to believe something that we have not actually seen, felt, or witnessed for ourselves, especially when that thing seems unbelievable. Take Thomas, for example. In John 20, Jesus appears to His disciples, except for Thomas, after His crucifixion and resurrection. When the disciples tell Thomas what they have seen, he does not believe them. So the other disciples tell him, “We have seen the Lord.” But he says to them, “Unless I see in his hands the mark of the nails, and place my finger into the mark of the nails, and place my hand into his side, I will never believe” (John 20:25).

What is the Sword of the Spirit?

Until now, we have been on the defense, protecting ourselves with a glistening breastplate, a strong shield, reliable footwear, and a heavenly helmet.

Now, however, armed with the word of God, we are ready to take up the offense and fight.

One of the reasons that I love the Disney Parks so much is that there is just something so magical about seeing a previously 2-dimensional story come to life before me in 3- dimensional real-life action!