He was despised and rejected by men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief; and as one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not. Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted.” (Isaiah 53:3-4) The suffering messiah so badly tortured he barely even looks human as they crucify him isn’t nearly as popular as the image of majestic  conquering king coming for his Bride that many a fluttering heart amongst us longs for. I imagine our hearts will say “you’re beautiful!” and I know weRead More →

“Blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD, whose trust is the LORD. He is like a tree planted by water, that sends out its roots by the stream,and does not fear when heat comes, for its leaves remain green,and is not anxious in the year of drought, for it does not cease to bear fruit.” (Jeremiah 17:7-8) Let’s skip the guilt trip today. We all have room for improvement when it comes to trusting the Lord and probably most of us will continue to have times when we struggle there. So what is your heat, what is your drought? That is, what leavesRead More →

“ Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.” (2 Corinthians 1:3-4) Giving back, turning and strengthening others when we have come through the fire, is often one of the ways God redeems affliction for our good. If we’re currently in the fire, though, that may not be a comforting thought when we’re bleating for relief from our pain ourselves. SeekRead More →

“But he knows the way that I take; when he has tried me, I shall come out as gold. My foot has held fast to his steps; I have kept his way and have not turned aside.” (Job 23:10-11) In Job 22, Eliaz told Job, that to have suffered so greatly, he must have done something horribly wrong and accuses him of a whole list of wicked deeds. He tells him to agree with God who had judged him, repent, and he will be at peace and good will come to him. (Which would be good advice, if Job was actually suffering the wages ofRead More →