The Declarer
You, my friend, are the Declarer! While it is God’s glory that is to be spread to the nations, and while it is His marvelous deeds that will be told to all people, it is you who will tell of them! It is from your lips that these magnificent Truths are to be made known! It is by way of your declarations that God’s perfect and holy mission and mandate will be realized!
Drawing Lines
In the latest installment of a redistricting battle between red and blue states, the Virginia Supreme Court will soon decide whether to allow a redrawing of congressional lines recently approved by Virginia voters.
Tens of Thousands
If God is for you, who can be against you (Rom. 8:31)? If you now resonate with the idea that tens of thousands—both literally and figuratively—assail you on every side, but you also believe in the God who hears, defends, and sustains you, then cast aside fear, because in the shadow of the Almighty, the attacks of the enemy have no power!
The King's Visit
It has been 250 years since America declared its independence from Britain, and while the relationship between the two countries has ebbed and flowed in the time since, King Charles’ visit is intended to bolster the ties and celebrate the significant milestone.
Attempted Assassination
Left to its own accord, the current violence and discord is certain to continue and even to escalate. But if we will be a people drawn to humility and prayer, the everlasting God will hear us from on high and will indeed come to calm the storm.
Shreveport Shooting
As you pray for the hurting in Shreveport, commit anew to the daily renewing of your mind (Rom. 12:2) and make intentional decisions about the portfolio of news you consume. These proactive measures will help you heed both the greatest commandment to love God with everything you have and the second greatest commandment to “love your neighbor as yourself” (Matt. 22:37-39).
Senseless Act
I do not know what tragedies are part of your story. But I do know there are some. It is the reality of our existence in these temporary bodies. But no matter the details, God has a plan that is greater than the circumstances in which you find yourself. The enemy of your soul came to “steal and kill and destroy,” but your God came to give you life “to the full” (Jn. 10:10)!
Your story has tragedy in it. But your story is wrapped up in His story, and the end of it has been written. You will cry no more (Rev. 21:4), and you will reign with Him forever (2 Tim. 2:12)!
Ship Seized
The ongoing conflict in the Middle East is incredibly complex with numerous moving parts. This week also produced a 10-day ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon, and it is highly likely that subsequent weeks will also have multiple occurrences with a mix between those that bring peace closer and those that push it further away.
Through it all, keep your eyes fixed on Jesus (Heb. 12:2)! He is preparing you a place where war is no more, and where the wolf and the lamb live together (Is. 11:6; 65:25)!
Awe
Your God specializes in wondrous acts of awe (Ps. 40:5, 72:18, 77:14; Job 5:9)! Tell Him you have heard of them and are in awe. Ask Him to awe you again. Then simply stand in wonder!
Blockade
War is ugly. As we continue to encounter new aspects of this truth, we continue to pray as a community for those in harm’s way and for those shouldering wartime decision making responsibilities. May God grant them wisdom and all of us a lasting peace.
Return Home
Earth is small and your time on it short. Mankind has only just barely explored beyond the moon, leaving our understanding of creation microscopically small. Eternity, on the other hand, is limitless, and creation vast beyond expression. One day you will know it all in full (1 Cor. 13:12), and it is impossible to describe just how much that will entail!
Forced Retirements
Matthew 7 reminds us to take personal stock of our own lives and reputation. What fruit is born out of your life? Does it contribute to the health and wellbeing of your community? “Every good tree bears good fruit,” so take a good look in the mirror of your life today? Where is there good fruit, and where is there a need for the cultivation of good fruit?
On the Clock
You are on the clock. But when you reach the arms of Jesus, time no longer has any hold, and He will be everything you need. In the meantime, my friend, as long as there is breath in your lungs, run well!
Birthright Citizenship at the High Court
Our hearts should be inclined toward, and our energies focused on, the eternal condition of every person—citizen and foreigner—we encounter. While our earthly citizenship and legal status is of some significance, we are each traveling to an eternal home and our status in that place is of far greater consequence (Philip. 3:20)!
Under the Wire
God, may you grant wisdom in these deliberations that determine life-or-death for so many, and may you soften hearts in a way that creates and enables a path to lasting peace. We will give you glory for the miracle of that outcome.
Being is Better than Doing
Your pursuit to be thoroughly equipped for every good work is a noble one. But it is not your chief end. In fact, it is but a natural outcropping of your primary purpose, which is to abide in Christ, to grow in your likeness of Him, to bring Him glorify, and to spend eternity enjoying Him.
Social Media Verdicts
Who (or what) is getting the first fruits of your attention? Who or what do you turn to when your mind finally has a chance to rest (translation: restore)? Are you rooted in all that is true and beautiful (Philip. 4:8) or does the scroll capture your every in-between moment? It is a hard thing to consider, but one each of us must seriously contemplate it.
Correcting
The work of Jesus on the cross is a finished work. You cannot add to or detract from it. Your action is not what accomplishes your salvation—Jesus already accomplished it.
But there is a required standard. The finished work of Jesus invites you to that standard. God offers to set right all that is currently wrong with you. It is a finished work that achieves it, but He is a gentle Father, and He waits for you to yield to the correcting (Rev. 3:20).
Then There Were Four
You serve a God who has promised a peace that passes all understanding (Philip. 4:7). Don’t let it be lost on you that this promise immediately proceeds our foundational reminder in Philippians 4:8 to set our minds on all that is true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent, and praiseworthy!
The Tentacles of War
You can have peace even amid times of war! Your possession of peace is in fact what motivated Jesus to give you a glimpse of what was to come! He knew this world would bring you heartache and pain, and He conquered it all in order that you might have peace!