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.
Hope in the Wilderness
Can you imagine getting lost on a hike in the mountains or an excursion through the desert … while simultaneously running out of water?
After hours or even days of parched wandering, stumbling across a road or rushing river would bring a massive sigh of relief. In extreme cases, it could even mean the difference between life and death.
In Isaiah 43, God is reminding His people who He is—the one and only God—and also what He has done. But then He goes on to say ...
“But forget all that—it is nothing compared to what I am going to do. For I am about to do something new. See, I have already begun! Do you not see it? I will make a pathway through the wilderness. I will create rivers in the dry wasteland.”
Isaiah 43:18-19 NLT
Speaking through the prophet Isaiah, God wasn’t just flashing signposts toward the Messiah’s coming—the ultimate pathway through the wilderness and thirst-quencher in the desert (though He was certainly doing that). His words are also a promise to us, because He still continues to restore—right here and right now.
Even when you’re lost in your own wilderness, God knows exactly where you are.
Have you ever messed up? Made a bad decision? Hurt someone you love? He can do something new.
Are you weary or exhausted? Burdened or burned out? Overwhelmed or overworked? He can do something new.
Do you feel trapped, stuck, hopeless, or held captive by something you can’t seem to escape? He can do something new.
The same God who made a way for the Israelites escaping Egyptian slavery when they were cornered against the Red Sea with no backup plan—can also make a way for you.
Paying attention to God’s provision is vital for recognizing His presence.
God loved the world so much that He refused to leave us to ourselves. Instead, He sent His Son, Jesus, to make a way. He sent His Son, Jesus, to be the way. Jesus Christ is the pathway in the wilderness and a river in the desert.
Do you not see it?
Let us look for Him, watch for Him, and expect for Him to do something new.
Luke 13
“There were present at that season some that told him of the Galilæans, whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices. And Jesus answering said unto them, Suppose ye that these Galilæans were sinners above all the Galilæans, because they suffered such things? I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish. Or those eighteen, upon whom the tower in Siloam fell, and slew them, think ye that they were sinners above all men that dwelt in Jerusalem? I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish. He spake also this parable; A certain man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard; and he came and sought fruit thereon, and found none. Then said he unto the dresser of his vineyard, Behold, these three years I come seeking fruit on this fig tree, and find none: cut it down; why cumbereth it the ground? And he answering said unto him, Lord, let it alone this year also, till I shall dig about it, and dung it: and if it bear fruit, well: ...
Living in God’s Love
Have you ever met someone who was exceptionally kind and caring?
Good friends are like this—welcoming, eager to know how you’re doing, giving their undivided attention. A good friend reminds us who we are. They listen to everything, the good and the bad, with compassion and love.
God is a friend like this. He listens. He empathizes. He cares so much and is kind in His responses. In fact, God does more than just show love—He is love. It is impossible for Him to be anything else because love is His very essence. His love is pure. It isn’t selfish, disengaged, bitter, resentful, or passive. We can trust this kind of love. We can trust God.
In 1 John 4:16, we find a beautiful reminder of what life with God is like: "And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them."
How do you feel after you’ve spent time with a good friend? Maybe you feel more relaxed, you have a spring in my step, or you find ...
