It was a moment I never saw coming. Sure, things were weird. There were red flags whipping in the winds of something I could not control. I prayed, I confronted, I prayed again, I waited. I tried and prayed again. Yet, here was the truth of the affair. And there I stood watching as my husband of twenty years (who was a pastor) drove away. He was leaving me, our daughters, and our church. My life changed in an instant and where was God?
Psalms 33:11 tells us God created the world and all that is in it. And by his power and the power of his Son, it is sustained. He does not change and his Word never fails. So, God in his perfect wisdom, before I was even born had a plan for my days.
But what about that day? What about the plans I had for my life at that time? What about my hopes, dreams, and expectations? I prayed, worked, planned, and did all the right things. Yet, on that day it didn’t matter. As I stood there nearly paralyzed with pain and fear, I questioned everything except God. Why? Because I knew from experience he could be trusted.
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What image comes to mind when you hear the words fixed or unchangeable? What emotion do these words bring up in you?
The image that comes to mind for me is the insurance commercial with crash dummies. In the commercial, the car careens toward a fixed cement wall, and you feel your body bracing for impact. Then, the inevitable happens: the front of the vehicle crumbles against the wall, the airbag explodes, and the crash dummy is tossed around inside the car—resulting in the immovable object destroying the car and “injuring” the dummies inside.
Or maybe when you think about unchangeable, you remember a time, like me, when I had to scrap the plans already in motion for our women's groups to accommodate the plans being made for the whole church—resulting in discouragement and frustration over what seemed like inflexible and unrelenting disregard for our team.
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In a world that increasingly does not fear God, the concept of holiness becomes less known and understood. Perhaps holiness has been misrepresented by Christians. How we live as Christians matters. Holiness is not to push away others or portray a sense of superiority but is to be a welcoming beacon to the mercy, grace, justice, and steadfast love of the Father. Holy living guides others to find the holiness of God. It is the way the Lord is building a nation that fears and glorifies His name and worships His righteous acts.
After we grasp the magnificence of what awaits those who have chosen the only route leading to God in all His glory and holiness, it is our responsibility to point the way for others, so they don’t remain lost. The Lord Jesus modeled this for His disciples, providing a map to guide others (Matthew 28:18-20). Imagine the impact your life could have for the sake of Christ! By meeting people where they are and inviting them to follow Jesus, they too can change their eternal destination to the holiness of God.
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Should we retreat when leaving town impacts other people? What does the Bible say about retreating when there are people who need us?
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With the grind of everyday life constantly staring at us, always asking for just a bit more, how can we even think of pausing and going on retreat? What does the Bible say about retreats? Let’s look to Jesus.
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