Fruits of the Spirit – Be Still…

James 2:26 – Faith in Action

^“Just as the body is dead without breath, so also faith is dead without good works.” (James 2:26)

This is a great memory verse to remind us to be transparent in living out our faith. It’s not meant to say that what we do matters in terms of our salvation. To me, it is not contrary to what Paul taught about faith in Jesus but only complements it beautifully.

Context (James 2:14-26): The author, James, is believed to be the half-brother of Jesus and a leader in the early church. In James’ teaching, he shares how he believes that our good deeds result from our faith. Faith and works go together and can’t be separated. In this passage, James uses two examples, Abraham and Rahab, to show great faithfulness and the actions they took because of it. Continue reading “James 2:26 – Faith in Action”

Psalm 40:1 – Are You Patient?

“I waited patiently for the Lord to help me, and he turned to me and heard my cry.” (Psalm 40:1)

If you struggle with patience like me, this is a great verse of promise to call on while waiting on God’s timing. The psalmist trusted God, and we, too, can muster up the same belief in our Creator. God always responds, but perhaps his response is different from what we expected or hoped.

Context (Psalm 40): What a beautiful psalm of expectant praise in the midst of trials! The psalmist shares his experiences of patience and how blessings surround him alongside the trials. The confident hope is palpable that God will care and come to the rescue. In the waiting, the psalmist worships and remembers God’s provisions. Continue reading “Psalm 40:1 – Are You Patient?”

Jeremiah 31:1-14 – Restoration

Read Jeremiah 31:1-14

woman in field of flowers with arms outstretched and reaching up

Jeremiah gives us another upbeat message in this reading. What poignant and memorable words of hope in Israel’s darkest hour! Even though we’re not the original hearers of these words from God, we can still glean joy in the promised restoration. What were some of your favorite images of the restoration? I liked “With unfailing love I have drawn you to myself,” and “I will comfort them and exchange their sorrow for rejoicing.”

This same God of hope loves us and looks out for us, too. We have been included into his family by the blood of Jesus. With that truth in mind, reread this passage and find the hope God intends for you to cling to today. We are all walking through some challenge that is zapping our energy, and likely our joy. I don’t know what your struggle is, nor you mine, but that’s okay. We serve the same loving God that is walking right beside each of us.

Philippians 1:9-11 – A Prayer for You

Read Philippians 1:9-11

Imagine Paul just prayed this prayer for you. Paul was asking God to provide these things for his friends. Even if Paul didn’t particularly have you in mind, all these years later let me direct this prayer to you. I’ll use Paul’s words because they are just that good. And timely.

Am I the only one that feels overwhelmed when I turn on the news? I’ve started getting my news from a Christian source that has already sifted through all the noise of the media to pick the stories that seem to be most fact-filled. As a writer, it’s hard to admit that other writers (journalists) are seemingly being manipulated by society to write with a certain slant or bias. Have you noticed that the same stories sound different depending on who is telling the story?

December 19 Prince of Peace (Isaiah 9:2-7)

Read Isaiah 9:2-7

peace sign made out of pink and white flowers with a wacky design as background

Peace. What does that mean to you? I know that’s a big question. When is the last time you really felt peace? I mean, really felt it?

This is one of my favorite passages from Isaiah. There is so much to cling to here, one could get lost in these words for days. Perhaps, if you haven’t felt full of peace or peaceful recently, you can spend some extra time with these verses and just let the breadth of each word strengthen you, refresh you, and bring you peace.