My children and I have something fun planned for this afternoon. All day long they have been stopping by my office to ask, “When are we going?” Until 3:00pm roles around, they need to keep doing their school work! God’s grace promises a wonderful future for us! Our hearts long for the day when Christ will usher in the next phase of His glorious kingdom bringing an end to suffering and sin.
Every human achievement is dependent on empowerment. We will never accomplish something beyond the level of our empowerment. Our outlook on a mission depends upon our estimation of empowerment. Too often our hope, encouragement, and motivation crash because we measure life based on our own power.
Children are a gift from God and a blessing to be treasured (Psalm 127:3). If you are a parent, God has given you the incredible privilege and responsibility to raise your children to love and serve Him (Deuteronomy 6:4-7; Ephesians 6:4).
Every human being wants to be happy. We make choices and pursue life trajectories that promise the most happiness. No one pursues intentional emptiness, emotional distress, and sadness. Trials and struggles in life present real obstacles to joy! In order to maintain joy, the source of your joy must be more robust and capable than your troubles.
Whether you realize it or not, you are an investor. So far God has given you life and allowed you to round the corner into another year. How will you invest this year of your life? The world preaches that self-centered living will be the best investment. Spend your time soaking up ease. Spend your life working feverishly to build your kingdom. God’s Word promises the exact opposite.
Dear River Reach Family, Thus says the LORD of hosts, ‘This people says, “The time has not come, even the time for the house of the LORD to be rebuilt.”’” 3 Then the word of the LORD came by Haggai the prophet, saying, 4 “Is it time for you yourselves to dwell in your paneled…
Once again we find ourselves just hours away from a new year. From this vantage point we can look back once again and see that our heavenly Father was faithful and gracious to us once again! We shouldn’t be shocked. Our observation of His actions will always be the same because He never will never change. From this position we also look forward to a new year. A year of unknown blessings and unknown trials.
It doesn’t take much to recognize that our world is broken and seemingly shrouded in darkness. This is not God’s intended design for our world or for us! He created light to shine in the darkness (Genesis 1:3). He made all things perfect and very good (Genesis 1:31). Man’s sin plunged this world into darkness, yet God’s love sent His Son Jesus Christ into this dark world to shine the light of hope for all men! (John 1:4-5).
Dear River Reach Family, How long, O LORD, will I call for help, And You will not hear? I cry out to You, “Violence!” Yet You do not save.3 Why do You make me see iniquity, And cause me to look on wickedness? Yes, destruction and violence are before me; Strife exists and contention arises…”…
Most often when we face trials we consider them to be unnecessary inconveniences or even an unfair injustice. In God’s sovereign plan His chosen people Israel would spend 400 years as slaves in Egypt (Genesis 15:13; Acts 7:6). Did God love His people? Why would He allow them to be slaves for 400 years? We would assume that such inhumane and brutal treatment would be detrimental to the Israelites!