God is the faithful one

 Few blame Sarah for laughing when she was reminded of her promise of a son (Genesis 18:12). Although called out for her skepticism, she was not punished and God remained faithful to His promise. We should rejoice that God is faithful, not because we demonstrate loudly, or produce some kind of special event, but because He is God.

Just reading the Bible

 Christians often disagree on how to interpret Bible passages. It's difficult to read scripture without bringing our own preconceived ideas and cultural context to each verse. We might consider the words of Psalm 25, where the Psalmist looks to God for understanding (Ps 25:4). What preconceived definitions or ideas do you bring to your Bible reading? Have commentaries influenced you more than the actual words of the Bible? 

What to do?

 

Christians agonize over what is the right or God-honoring action needed in many circumstances. Sometimes it seems like we know what we should do, but look for ways to justify doing something else. Paul reminds us that the entirety of the old testament law is summed up in simply loving others as we love ourselves (Gal 5:14). How can you love your neighbor today?

Pastor Awesome meets Uncle Sam

Western Christianity enjoys great freedom to practice the love and teachings of Christ. In our zeal to protect those freedoms, we may forget that our first allegiance is to Christ, and that no earthly kingdom is truly His kingdom (John 18:36).  Our actions may begin to reflect our selfish nature and undermine our desire to follow Christ's example of love and patience. How are you demonstrating the love of Christ to others today?

Pray for Ukraine

 

Our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, died for the people of Ukraine (John 3:16). Let us pray for peace in the country of Ukraine and give any physical support possible to our brothers and sisters and their neighbors.

Elijah, back to it...

After a miraculous success, Elijah felt the sting of political repercussions for his actions. Discouraged, desperate, and feeling defeated, Elijah ran away from the work of God. While in hiding, God ministered to Elijah and then called Elijah back to the work (1 Kings 19). While we might want to end our ministry before its time, God calls us back to the work. Elijah was not allowed to quit, until his work was done.

Held back by fear

 Sometimes we see a need and want to help, but fear prevents us from providing assistance. When Elijah's life was threatened, he hid and began to feel that he was the only person who still worshipped God (1 Kings 19). God's ministry to Elijah motivated the prophet to return to his service to God. How can God use you to encourage others who are too fearful to provide help to others?