Do Over

I remember when I went back to school to get a graduate degree. By then, I had four children, the youngest a toddler. I liked being an older student, but the challenge was balancing my time - an already scarce commodity. My grad program required lots of research and papers; I found I liked it. 

Have you ever typed a document and then lost it all? I have, and it was gut-wrenching. This paper was due in a month. So for the past month, I researched, outlined, and wrote notes. I kept track of my sources so they could be appropriately cited. Finally, on a Friday evening, I sat down to type. I powered up my computer, reviewed my notes, and started typing. My thoughts were flowing seamlessly, and I was pleased with the way my research came together. This is amazing! I'm going to ace this paper. But then something happened, and in an instant, all my hard work was gone. AARGH!!!!

A Refreshing Evening Prayer

I wrote a morning prayer a couple of years ago that continues to bless others. A reader recently asked if there's an evening prayer, so here it is.

Dear Lord, for as long as I can remember a day is only 24 hours, but this one felt longer than that. Weariness sets in and we wonder where you are, but I know that you hear me even before I choose to pray. My burdens are no secret. You hear the breath you put in my bones even when it’s shallow. I thank you that I’m known by you.

At the end of this day, I’m reassured that I can come boldly to your throne to find grace in my time of need (Hebrews 4:16). I can pray with assurance to you because you are a faithful God, regardless of the day I’ve had. At the end of this day Lord, I come to you knowing that you will hear and comfort me.

I know that in peace I will both lie down and sleep, for you alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety (Psalms 4:7-8). You are still God in the middle of mysterious things. The days transition by your power—you are the author of my life even when I’m not awake. Thank you for using these moments to remind me of your sovereignty.

Deeper Intimacy

What do you think of when you think of intimacy? When you feel an intimate connection with someone, you experience:

Connection
Knowing
Good feelings
Comfort
Safety

Usually, we feel this kind of intimacy with a significant other – our partner, our parents, close friends, and sometimes our children (when they are grown). But, is it possible to have these feelings with a sovereign divine God? I would say yes.

Ezra Bible Study - Used: The Power of God

At the end of  Ezra 6, it was a time of joyful celebration. We see the first wave of exiles celebrating with joy all that God had done through them.

More than 50 years elapsed between the end of chapter 6 and the beginning of Ezra 7. During this timeframe, the events in Esther take place. The events in the book of Esther occurred from 483 BC to 473 BC, during the first half of the reign of King Xerxes, who chose Esther as his Queen. During this time, the first remnant of Jews who had returned to Judah struggled to reestablish temple worship according to the Law of Moses. But Esther and Mordecai, along with many other Jews, had chosen not to make the trek back to Judah. They seemed content to stay in Susa, the capital city of Persia, in which the story is set (Source: insight.org).  The sovereignty and faithfulness of God permeated each scene in the book of Esther; this pattern continues in the book of Ezra.

Living Right and Standing Tall

"In all the years I've worked with people, I've yet to meet someone whose life was all messed up because he or she kept God's commands ."(Joe Stowell)

This quote really struck me because of its truthfulness. Many people want lives that reap the result of God's commands, but they don't want to believe or follow God's commandments.

So we are in a free for all - everyone doing what they want and hoping that they come out fine. Sometimes people look for the easy way out and rationalize, that if it's not explicitly stated in the Bible, then it can't be done.