"The law of the Lord is perfect, restoring the soul." -Psalm 19:7 Have you ever felt worn down? I'm sure we've all felt burnt out at one point or another. Just like a car needs gas to go, we need to fill ourselves up with spiritual fuel. When our lives get hectic and we get stressed, we need to know where to go to get refreshed. We need to understand that we're not superhuman — we will eventually run out of steam. But with God there is unending supply! Our connection to Him i

"Here is a trustworthy saying: If we died with him, we will also live with him" - 2 Timothy 2:11 What does it mean to surrender? In many contexts, surrendering has a negative connotation — one that implies resignation, abandonment, or defeat. But, in the Christian sense, surrender is actually a good thing. One definition of surrender means, "to give up in favor of another".* When we surrender our lives to Christ, we give up our own way of doing things and favor His will over

"Then Jesus said, 'Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.'" -Matthew 11:28 You know, in this world we live in, it is easy to be stressed. There is so much to take care of, so many things that happen — it's amazing we get through some things. The number of people taking anti-anxiety medication has skyrocketed in America. According to USA Today, 1 in 5 people take behavioral medications. Life transitions, illness, difficult famil

"But the LORD is the only true God. He is the living God and the everlasting King! The whole earth trembles at his anger. The nations cannot stand up to his wrath." -Jeremiah 10:10 From the time Israel was released from bondage to Egypt until the time of Jesus, the Israelites struggled with idolatry. Even though they had been given a set of instructions by Moses (the 10 Commandments), they still rebelled against the guidelines God gave them and set out to live the way they wa

"So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most." -Hebrews 4:16 Do you have anyone in your life who is really irritating or difficult to be around? Is there anyone you work with or in your family who is this way? We all have people in our lives that if we had the choice, we wouldn't be around them, or would only be around them for short periods of time! An intercessor who has a p

"But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil." -Hebrews 5:12-14 There comes a time in our Christian walk when we take responsibility for our faith. We begin to understand that our lives have meaning beyond what we can see right now. We realize it's not all about us, and we feel more confident in who God made us to be. We've grown up in the knowledge of God and of His character, and we have a better understand

"Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland." Isaiah 43:18-20 Are there things from your past that you keep going back to? Old mistakes, past regrets, personal failures, or things that you still feel guilt over? Are there things that you need to "forget" or stop dwelling on in your life? In the Old Testament, when the Israel

"For none of us lives for ourselves alone, and none of us dies for ourselves alone." -Romans 14:7 Have you ever thought about the fact that your life matters? Sometimes we can get into the mindset that it's just us, all alone by ourselves, and that what we do doesn't affect other people. But, if you were born into this world, it took someone else to bring you here! Even if we don't think so, we have the ability to affect others, directly or indirectly. My husband and

"But be sure to fear the LORD and serve him faithfully with all your heart; consider what great things he has done for you." -1 Samuel 12:24 One night, our worship director put us up to a challenge: "If you're feeling discouraged, or like you're hitting a brick wall, let me ask you a question: Are you doing everything within the area that you've been assigned? Have you exhausted every resource you have available to you? Have you done everything with what you've been given?" T

"Then Peter began to speak: 'I now realize how true it is that God does not show favoritism, but accepts from every nation the one who fears him and does what is right.'" -Acts 10:34 & 35 All throughout the history of the world, things have happened that are less than ideal. People have hurt people and there have been wars. Class warfare, discrimination, and racism have existed and still exist today. In the Kingdom of God however, God plays no favorites. He loves each of us t