God’s ultimate plan for us, his people and his creation, is to dwell with us. His permanent, forever dwelling place is with us. What a crazy thought to ponder while we are stuck here in the middle, advocating for Heaven to touch us but not yet free from the powers of evil that cause strife and struggle for humanity.

These men felt they could not be faithful to the call of Christ in their life in the face of adversity, leaving Paul more alone and vulnerable as he pressed forward to share the good news with anyone who would listen.

Gratitude can help us stay grounded as we engage in holiday activities. When we approach each interaction, holiday party, and gift exchange with a grateful heart, we can recapture a bit of what it’s all supposed to be about.

Serving one another humbly in love captures the entire mission of marriage.

How many of us are weary? Our lives are so full, so stressful, and so hurried we only feel troubled. There is no peace for the weary. We live in an exhausted world where the pace of our days has left many of us empty. But there is another way.

I think this idea, this truth that we are commanded to love, struck me because it flies in the face of most of what our culture teaches. Our culture says love is a commodity that is supposed to first and foremost serve you. Notice God’s depiction of love is actually about how you are called to treat others, not about what you are to receive from this love-filled life.

Imagine being stuck in the middle of a storm in the middle of the night, with no GPS, no cell phone, and no lifeboat. You see the boat filling with water and you start to panic, understanding that this will likely be your last moments alive. Fear is the most natural response to this kind of terrifying experience.

This is the situation that Jesus’ disciples found themselves in. There was no chance of rescue outside of a miracle and the waves and wind would not relent. In Matthew 8:23-24 we read, “Jesus got into a boat, and His followers went with Him. A great storm arose on the lake so that the waves began to sink the boat.” The Greek word for this storm is seismos which paints the picture of a very serious storm.

Maybe you can relate to the situation the disciples found themselves in! These men followed Jesus into a boat onto the water, believing that with him they would be safe, but all of a sudden they found their lives to be in danger! Have you followed Jesus into the unknown, believing he would protect you and keep your life free of storms, until you were surprised to find that tribulations are still a part of your story?

Oftentimes we mistake God’s promise of eternal salvation with a ticket to a trial-free life in the here and now. We might be surprised to learn that the Bible actually teaches that in this life we will experience suffering (John 16:33). The disciples were also surprised to be stuck in a tempest while their leader took a nap (Matthew 8:24). Thankfully we can learn from this account how to cling to Jesus in the storm.

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The Christian walk is not meant to be neutral. Jesus’ way is radical. He tells his followers to take up their cross and follow him, meaning this life as a Christ follower brings a death of our old way of being and an active movement towards something new.

Control is something we crave. Each person has preferences, fear, and desires that we desperately want to appease. Yet, God placed us in an ever-changing world and asked for us to surrender to him? How do we manage our need for control in a relationship with a God that leads us towards giving our all to him?

It’s not easy, especially when the things we are trying to manufacture are good on their own. For example, let’s say we have a deep desire to be safe and keep our loved ones safe at all costs. We want to do everything we can to keep ourselves and our loved ones safe. This seems like a noble and worthwhile goal. But if we don’t surrender our need for safety to God’s plan for our life, there can become a disconnect between God’s best for us and the life we are living. Risk is a part of doing Kingdom work, but if our primary goal is safety then we may be paralyzed with fear when the invitation from the Holy Spirit comes to be his hands and feet in a way that may feel scary.

The lie of a controlling spirit is that we know best and that our hypervigilance is the answer to our needs. This is a barrier to forming a trusting relationship with God. Control is our god when we let it become ruler in our lives.

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The nations feel far, their needs hard, and we also have so many issues right here. How can we be worried about the unreached people of the world? Yet, sharing the good news is very close to God’s heart. It matters because God needs us for the good news to be shared across the globe.

If you need joy, God promises that it is available to you. Find hope in the truth that nights don’t last forever. One day, the night will be no more, but for now, the sunrise will come. The light and fresh air offer hope and beauty that our souls need. Take heart; the morning is coming soon, my friend.

Grace upon grace. It’s what I am learning I need, especially the older I get and the more responsibilities fill my plate. More and more I feel inadequate at living the way I hope to live. I feel like Paul when he said he can’t seem to get himself to do the things he wants to be doing (Romans 7:15-20).

It’s funny, because the Bible tells us over and over that we need God! We are nothing without his power, his love, his grace, his plan for our lives, and his salvation. But it feels like I am constantly playing whack-a-mole with my pride. This pride tells me over and over that I can do all things by my own strength. A pride that compares to others and tells me I should be doing better than them. A pride that looks to my own strength rather than embraces my deep need for a Savior. I don’t really understand grace.

2 Corinthians 12:9 says, “But he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.”

Grace gives us license to be real with the world around us. We can boast of our weakness because where I fall short God shows up. My tears are his chance to show his great love for me by covering my wrongs with his love. The Christian life depends on grace every day. It is by God’s loving Spirit that we are given the power to live in a way that is pleasing to God and that our failures don't have the final say in our lives.

Here are four ways the Bible teaches that we experience God’s grace daily:

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Start a daily list of how you are doing okay in an area where you have felt discouraged. These things don’t need to be major wins but tiny ways that you showed up and served well.