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.
Hope for the Poor in Spirit
Jesus began His famous Sermon on the Mount with an upside-down perspective and eight counter-cultural blessings—commonly known as the beatitudes.
“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”
Matthew 5:3 ESV
To be physically poor is to lack resources or material possessions. The word "poor" might trigger a mental image of someone who can’t pay their bills, can’t break free from the cycle of poverty, or can’t afford food, clothing, or shelter.
So what does it mean to be spiritually poor, and why does Jesus think that’s a good thing?
Those who realize their own spiritual poverty know that, without God, they are spiritually bankrupt. Those who are poor in spirit understand the desperation of their situation—that they can have nothing, do nothing, and be nothing without Him. Those who are poor in spirit recognize that it’s humility, not pride or self-reliance, that’s a ...
