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.
Strong in Hope
Psalm 31 is a heartfelt prayer of King David, a man who experienced numerous trials and challenges throughout his life. It’s a powerful reminder that even in the darkest moments of our lives, God remains steadfast and faithful to those who seek Him.
In Psalm 31:21-22, David feels trapped. He recalls a time when he was in a city under siege, feeling cut off from God's sight, engulfed by feelings of despair and isolation. But David didn’t lose sight of God's character and faithfulness. He cried out to the Lord for mercy, and in response, God heard David's plea and extended His hand.
Have you ever felt trapped?
This passage is a reminder that God's love and mercy are never far away. When we call out to Him in earnest, He hears our cries and responds with compassion.
“Be strong and take heart, all you who hope in the Lord.”
Psalm 31:24 NIV
This verse is a rallying cry, an invitation to anchor our souls in the hope that comes from our relationship with God. But there are two things we have to remember about hope in the Lord.
First, hope isn’t just optimism. It’s a profound trust in His character and promises. It’s knowing that God is our ever-present help in times of trouble (Psalm 46:1) and that His love for us is steadfast and unchanging (Psalm 136:26). When we place our hope in God, we tap into a source of strength that transcends our circumstances.
Second, hope in the Lord is not passive, but active. It empowers us to face challenges head-on, knowing that we are not alone in our struggles. Our hope rests on the One who hears our cries and responds with love and mercy.
In times of distress, when we feel like we are cut off from God's sight, remember the wonders of His love displayed in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. In Him, you’ll find the ultimate expression of God's unfailing love for us.
His Pain, Our Gain
Isaiah 53 is a stunning chapter in the Bible—in what is now commonly referred to as the “Old Testament.”
Approximately 700 years before Jesus walked the earth, Isaiah prophesied about a suffering servant who would also, somehow and in some way, be exalted. A coming Savior, a future Redeemer, the long-awaited Messiah—whose death would ultimately bring life.
A portion of Isaiah 53 says this:
“But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed.”
Isaiah 53:5 NIV
So, who was this man who would be pierced, crushed, and wounded because of someone else’s sins? Whose undeserved punishment would be the catalyst for healing? Whose life would be given as an offering—so that others might live?
Jesus Christ not only fits the description of the suffering servant who paid the ultimate price to buy His people back, redeem them, and set them free—He ...
“Go to now, ye rich men, weep and howl for your miseries that shall come upon you. Your riches are corrupted, and your garments are motheaten. Your gold and silver is cankered; and the rust of them shall be a witness against you, and shall eat your flesh as it were fire. Ye have heaped treasure together for the last days. Behold, the hire of the labourers who have reaped down your fields, which is of you kept back by fraud, crieth: and the cries of them which have reaped are entered into the ears of the Lord of sabaoth. Ye have lived in pleasure on the earth, and been wanton; ye have nourished your hearts, as in a day of slaughter. Ye have condemned and killed the just; and he doth not resist you. Be patient therefore, brethren, unto the coming of the Lord. Behold, the husbandman waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth, and hath long patience for it, until he receive the early and latter rain. Be ye also patient; stablish your hearts: for the coming of the Lord draweth nigh. Grudge...
