I will share about Christian books I have read or listened to.
I will be sharing about my life before and after Christ. I will include stories about my pet and other pets I have encountered.
An Abundance of Blessing
Do you pray for God to bless you? We probably spend most of our time in prayer, asking for God to bless things in our life or asking God for something we need. And we should. Jesus even tells us we should.
We know that all good things come from God. That means that we don't truly own anything we possess. It's all a gift from God and ultimately should be used for Him. Our money, talents, and resources are opportunities to give back to God and others.
2 Corinthians 9:8 says that God is able to abundantly bless those who are generous in using their time and resources to do good things for others. This verse isn't saying that God will bless us unconditionally. The two verses before this one, in 2 Corinthians 9:6-7, talk about how we should be cheerful givers in everything we do.
Paul is saying that God blesses us—not so we might have comfortable lives—but so that we would be selfless in giving back to God and others.
There are many ways we can give back to God and others. We can start by regularly tithing to our local church, which is an investment in the kingdom work God is doing through local believers. We can give generously to those who are in financial need. We can also be generous with our time, talents, resources, and anything else we can use to serve God and others.
Next time you pray for God to bless you, take some time first to think about how you are helping others. If giving feels more like an obligation and not like an opportunity, consider how you can take steps to change that perspective and give regularly. And then—watch how God honors your joyful generosity.
Peace That Stays
Everyone wants peace. In the world, in our homes, and in our hearts. In difficult times, we seek comfort. In heartbreaking moments, we want a peace that remains steady despite the circumstances.
The Bible teaches about this kind of peace. Philippians 4:7 describes the peace of God. No amount of self-talk or meditation can manufacture this kind of peace—it only can come from God Himself. Preacher and theologian Charles Spurgeon described this kind of peace as the perfect calm and happiness of God, who is always content.
This peace transcends all understanding. It's the idea that something goes beyond our normal way of thinking. That is a beautiful description of what God’s peace does. It exceeds our understanding and surpasses anything we could expect or imagine. It also guards and protects our hearts and minds.
How do we get this kind of peace? The surrounding verses in Philippians offer guidance. Philippians 4:6 tells us to take every anxious thought and turn it into a ...
