Rest in the Bible

"Pilate said to the Jews, 'Behold your King!' They cried out, 'Away with him, away with him, crucify him!' Pilate said to them, 'Shall I crucify your King?' The chief priests answered, 'We have no king but Caesar.' So he delivered him over to them to be crucified." (John 19:14-16) There is a profound irony in this scene. A Gentile Roman soldier identifies Jesus as the King of the Jews, yet the Jewish leaders reject Him, claiming instead that their only king is Caesar—the very Roman Emperor who oppressed them. It is often difficult to understand why the priests and religious leaders could not accept Jesus as their Messiah. The evidence was overwhelming: His miracles, His wisdom, and His words. If they had maintained a truly intimate relationship with God—like Joseph of Arimathea, Nicodemus, or even the High Priest Caiaphas, who once (unwittingly) spoke a true prophecy—they would never have claimed a ruthless oppressor like Caesar as their king. ...

  Ephesians 6:13-17 "Therefore, take up the whole armor of God, so that you may be able to withstand on that evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm. Stand therefore, and fasten the belt of truth around your waist, and put on the breastplate of righteousness. As shoes for your feet, put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. With all of these, take up the shield of faith, with which you will be able to extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God." ( Ephesians 6:13-17 ) Revised Prayer Lord, we recognize that we are not fighting against flesh and blood, but in the Spirit. Help me to remain aware that the powers of evil are constantly trying to attack Your children and me. Keep me awake and vigilant. Lord, help us to wear the full armor of God, not missing a single piece. Sometimes I feel as though I have lost part of my armor, but Lord, make me ready again for the fig...

"And He who sent me is with me. He has not left me alone, for I always do the things that are pleasing to him." (John 8:29) Jesus said that God sent Him into this world, and He did not send Him alone. The Father is always with Jesus. It is because of this constant presence that Jesus always does what pleases God. God wants us to be with Him, too. That is the core of it. He doesn't need my "help" or my "hard work" as if He were lacking; He simply wants me . If I am with Him, I can please Him. How many times do I confess my sins each night? I make mistakes, and I see my sinful nature clearly—my narrow-mindedness, my unkind words, my temper, and my judgments. Yet, while I was in agony over my mistakes, I received a letter. A sister shared how God has worked in her life through me. In that moment, I realized: That wasn't me. That was the work of the One who is with me. I am just a simple sinner. Lord, let me walk with You and talk with You always. Ma...

Galatians 1:18–2:2 "Then after three years... I went up to Jerusalem to visit Cephas and remained with him fifteen days... Then after fourteen years, I went up again to Jerusalem with Barnabas, taking Titus along with me. I went up because of a revelation and set before them... the gospel that I proclaim among the Gentiles..." Paul’s conversion was dramatic. Afterward, he did not immediately consult with others or go to the apostles in Jerusalem. He didn't seek other people's help. He needed time to be with God before starting ministry. Instead, he went into the wilderness of Arabia for three years. What did he do during that time of silence? He likely reflected on his entire life and prayed for God’s next steps. After those three years, he was still largely unknown to the apostles and the Christians in Jerusalem. However, his transformed life became a powerful testimony that glorified God. Fourteen years later, he returned to Jerusalem and shared his ministry with ot...

  "If you knew the gift of God, and who it is that is saying to you, 'Give me a drink,' you would have asked him, and he would have given you living water. " (John 4:10)  The woman said to him, "I know that Messiah is coming (he who is called Christ). When he comes, he will tell us all things." Jesus said to her, I who speak to you am he." (John 4:25,26)  So the woman left her water jar and went away into town and said to the people, "Come, see a man who told me all that I ever did. Can this be the Christ?"(John 4:29)  They said to the woman, "It is no longer because of what you said that we believe, for we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this is indeed the Savior of the world." (John 4:42)  The Samaritan woman did not realize at first what a great Gift was speaking to her. She didn’t know who Jesus was—the very Source of living water. However, she did know that the Messiah was coming; she had hope and was waiting for Him....

"And, apart from other things, there is the daily pressure on me of my anxiety for all the churches. Who is weak, and I am not weak? Who is made to fall, and I am not indignant? If I must boast, I will boast of the things that show my weakness." (2 Corinthians 11:28-30) Even Paul struggled with daily pressure and anxiety for all the churches. I can feel how deeply he thought of them, prayed for them, and poured his heart out for them. He used his anxiety for the glory of God; he boasted of his weakness and let God be God in all things. I am struggling with daily pressure, too—anxiety, grief, and fear regarding our churches, my children, and this new season of life. Lord, take my anxiety and turn it into prayer. Make it an instrument for glorifying You. Let us see who You truly are!   

Truly I tell you, there is no one who has left house or wife or brothers or parents or children for the sake of the kingdom of God who will not receive many times more in this time, and in the age to come, eternal life. (Luke 18:29–30) Love does not insist on its own way. (1 Corinthians 13:5) Self-sacrifice is different from being selfless. It takes strength to stand as oneself, and even more courage to give up oneself—our own plans, preferences, and familiar things, including family and friends. That is true love toward the one I love. ❤️

 "Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work.... For the ministry of this service is not only supplying the needs of the saints but is also overflowing in many thanksgivings to God . By their approval of this service, they will glorify God because of your submission that comes from your confession of the gospel of Christ, and the generosity of your contribution for them and for all others, while they long for you and pray for you, because of the surpassing grace of God upon you. Thanks be to God for his inexpressible gift!   (2 Corinthians 9:7,8,11-15)   Lord, thank you for surrounding me with your surpassing grace and your inexpressible gift. Take away our grief and our heavy hearts. Help us be grateful for all the years you have given us. Through t...

  Habakkuk 2:14 (KJV) “For the earth shall be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea.” Ephesians 3:18–19 (ESV) “may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.” Prayer Lord God, I want to know You. Help us understand Your thoughts that are far beyond our thoughts. Day by day, fill my hearts with the knowledge of Your glory.  Let it overflow in our lives. Give us strength to know the breadth and length and height and depth of Christ’s love. Even though it is greater than our knowledge, draw us deeper into that love. Fill us with all Your fullness. Let me be immersed in the vast sea of Your presence and glory.

“Jethro said, ‘Blessed be the LORD, who has delivered you out of the hand of the Egyptians and out of the hand of Pharaoh and has delivered the people from under the hand of the Egyptians. Now I know that the LORD is greater than all gods, because in this affair they dealt arrogantly with the people .’” (Exodus 18:10-11) When Moses met his father-in-law, he shared everything that had happened to Israel and to himself: the ten plagues, the parting of the Red Sea, the pillars of cloud and fire, and all the miracles. After hearing this testimony, Jethro could not deny that God is greater than all other gods. Our God delivers the weak and the humble, yet He humbles those who walk in arrogance. Lord, let me share what You have done for Your people and for me today. Let me proclaim how You deliver all those who need You and all those who follow You with faith. Amen.

"He who has prepared us for this very thing is God, who has given us the Spirit as a guarantee. So we are always of good courage. We know that while we are at home in the body, we are away from the Lord, for we walk by faith, not by sight. Yes, we are of good courage, and we would rather be away from the body and at home with the Lor d." (2 Corinthians 5:5-8) To return home after being away, we must choose the right directions, step by step. Just as we cannot reach Patten without first passing through Bangor from Portland, the way we live today determines how we will face the journey to our heavenly home with God. The Holy Spirit has been given to us as a "guarantee"—a divine assurance to guide us toward our final destination. Because of this, we can have great courage. Without the Holy Spirit, I would have no strength; I could not walk this unknown and insecure journey on my own. Just as children simply trust and follow their parents' directions for going back ...

"I will condemn you with your own words, you wicked servant! You knew that I was a severe man, taking what I did not deposit and reaping what I did not sow?" (Luke 19:22) In the parable, three people receive minas: ten, five, and one. Two of them doubled what they were given, but the one who received only one said, "I knew you were a severe man. You take what you did not deposit, and reap what you did not sow" (v. 21). The owner grew angry—not simply because of the money, but because of the servant's skewed knowledge of him. Where did this "knowledge" come from? We only see what we are prepared to see. We tend to perceive others, and especially God, through the lens of our own character and the size of our own "vessel." A.W. Tozer once spoke of us as buckets dipped into a vast, great ocean. While the bucket is submerged in an immeasurable volume of water, it can only contain a small amount. Yet, how often do we look at the tiny bit of seawate...

  Not that we are sufficient in ourselves to claim anything as coming from us, but our sufficiency is from God, who has made us sufficient to be ministers of a new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit. For the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life. (2 Corinthians 3:5–6) Paul says our sufficiency is from God. That means we must be in places where we truly need God. If I feel sufficient by myself, God may lead me to a place where I begin again and learn that I am not enough on my own. When we feel comfortable, we easily forget our need for God. In our small and comfortable world, there is little room left for Him. It is painful to choose a place of insufficiency. It is hard to fight anxiety, insecurity, and uncertainty. Yet those are the very spaces where God can enter our lives and become our sufficiency. Lord, to make room for You as my source of sufficiency, I accept Your invitation to be insufficient. I trust that You will be enough for me. One day, at Your heave...