Heather Adams

I underrated all of these when I was newer to the faith, but now I study and refer to them often. Each one contains a powerful message about who we are in Christ and the way to live righteously.

“He will love you and bless you and increase your numbers. He will bless the fruit of your womb, the crops of your land — your grain, new wine and olive oil — the calves of your herds and the lambs of your flocks in the land he swore to your ancestors to give you” (Deuteronomy 7:13).

There’s a reason why so many of us either desire to have or love being around children. God has built that into us. As humans, we are made to seek both care for ourselves and to care for others, and in their own way, children can fill both of those needs.

In ancient times, having children was considered a badge of honor, and of God’s provision on a family. Though it might not be looked at in quite that way today, it really is still true that children are a blessing. God is the Source of life, and each person He creates brings unique blessings into the world.

While not all of us have children, we all have the opportunity to be involved in a child’s life in some way. And when we step up for them, we receive wonderful things back. Here are some of the benefits the Bible mentions.

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As Christians, we know that God is the source of those “good and perfect” things in our lives. So expressing gratitude to Him should be a natural habit for us. In His goodness, not only does the Lord accept our praises, He actually uses them for our growth.

Scripture offers us a treasure trove of impressive and influential women to study. Each account contains truth about God and how He wants us to live. Let’s embrace the lessons they hold.

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When Israel was still a relatively young nation, the people began to be discontent with their lack of a human leader. Part of that came from envy of other nations, but there was also a belief that having a human king would make Israel look stronger to potential enemies. The elders brought this request to the prophet Samuel.

“They said to him, ‘You are old, and your sons do not follow your ways; now appoint a king to lead us, such as all the other nations have.’ But when they said, ‘Give us a king to lead us,’ this displeased Samuel; so he prayed to the Lord. And the Lord told him: ‘Listen to all that the people are saying to you; it is not you they have rejected, but they have rejected me as their king’” (1 Samuel 8:5-7).

Even after Samuel prayed and delivered a strong caution from the Lord, the Israelites insisted on getting a ruler from among them.

“We want a king over us. Then we will be like all the other nations, with a king to lead us and to go out before us and fight our battles. When Samuel heard all that the people said, he repeated it before the Lord. The Lord answered, ‘Listen to them and give them a king’” (1 Samuel 8:19-22).

God knew this plan was based on wrong motives and would lead to trouble, but allowed Saul to be given charge over Israel. This king led the people in military victories, but also showed lapses in his moral and spiritual life. The account of his reign contains lessons for all of us about the importance of keeping our eyes, and hearts, fixed on God.

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God is concerned with our total well-being: physical, mental, and spiritual. Our Heavenly Father wants to work in us, with us, and then through us. And prayer is the way to invite Him in to start the wonderful process.

Here is just a sample of prayers we can lift up for all kinds of health concerns.

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God’s Word gives us examples of those who not only disregarded His Ways, but openly tried to turn others against Him. Some were willing to repent and become aligned again with the Lord, but others stubbornly kept to their ways and suffered the consequences.

Passages about hyssop in the Old Testament are connected to the blood of animal sacrifices. It represents God’s compassion on His people, how He is willing to reach down to save and heal us. Psalm 51 celebrates this, and shows the impact that this process can have on a person’s life.

Even when God’s Word doesn’t tell us if a particular thing is right or wrong, it does give us a compass to follow. The Bible provides basic principles that will help us to make personal decisions that will give us peace rather than anxiety.

Many see being reborn and being saved as very closely related. Being saved means escaping God’s wrath because we have professed our faith in Jesus. At that moment, we are also reborn spiritually. Both phrases refer to our new state as children of God. They hint at the lifelong journey we’ve started of becoming more like Christ as well.

Is aging just aches and pains and loss of independence? There's a lot of hardship that comes with aging, but as with all things, there is so much beauty and purpose as well. In the Bible, God frequently used the elderly for glorious purposes, and He still has a purpose for you in your old age as well. 

We've all been there. (Maybe you are even there right now.) You pray for days, weeks, months, or even years, but it feels like you only get silence or no's from God. What is a Christian to do when their faith is tested in this way? Be honest with God, seek support through Christian fellowship, and embrace the quiet.

Nothing can replace the time we dedicate solely to studying Scripture. But meditating on verses as we exercise is a creative way to add some extra time with God’s life-giving Words into our day.

Scripture shows God often using common items to accomplish or teach meaningful things. For instance, stones played a part in quite a few special moments the Lord shared with His people. And when a real rock or stone was used, many times it also held symbolic importance as well.

In both the Old and New Testaments, we find accounts of rocks used for several purposes:

• To be markers of significant events
• To indicate a promise or vow
• To represent important tribes or people
• As part of a miracle God would perform

Here are some examples of Bible passages where the Lord used rocks to remind and encourage believers.

1. As a Memorial

“And Joshua set up at Gilgal the twelve stones they had taken out of the Jordan. He said to the Israelites, ‘In the future when your descendants ask their parents, ‘What do these stones mean?’ tell them, ‘Israel crossed the Jordan on dry ground.’ For the Lord your God dried up the Jordan before you until you had crossed over. The Lord your God did to the Jordan what he had done to the Red Sea when he dried it up before us until we had crossed over. He did this so that all the peoples of the earth might know that the hand of the Lord is powerful and so that you might always fear the Lord your God’” (Joshua 4:20-24).

As the Israelites were crossing the Jordan River, Joshua ordered that twelve men representing each tribe take up a stone as they crossed. Those stones were used to build a memorial that would inspire parents to tell their children and grandchildren how God delivered them into the Promised Land.

Today, He will do the same for us, bringing us through every challenge we face.

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