Have you heard people say that Jesus never claimed to be God? Clearly, they have never studied the Bible. Through His words and actions Jesus fulfills over 300 prophecies about the long-awaited Messiah. The fulfillment of one of those prophecies was like a spiritual earthquake. . . .

A place of rest is not necessarily a place of peace. Anyone who lives with major regrets can attest that simply exiting the wilderness of sin does not bring peace. The washing of the water of God’s Word is the life-giving source. Jesus said . . .

 The subtle allegories of poetry often elude my grasp. Three-thousand-year-old poetry, as in the Song of Songs, leaves me completely baffled. The Sacred Journey by Brian and Candice Simmons brings clarity and insight that I can grab ahold of. Their understanding of the poetry provides food for my devotion. . . .

In Song of Songs 5, the bride . . . .

Take a closer look at the photo above. Do you see the haziness? I wondered, “Do they have a smoke machine here at Pursuit?” No. They do not. That cloud that you see is supernatural. It is the cloud of God’s glory.

What does Revival look like? . . .

I signed us up for a ballroom dancing class. I envisioned us gliding across the floor like Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers after 6 weeks of classes. That didn’t happen.

I assumed I would . . . .

The Israelites who returned from the Babylonian captivity started with such promise but ended up dishonoring God (Mal. 1:6-7). What happened?

We know Samson from his failures. He married outside his faith community, against his parents’ wishes; he sought the company of prostitutes; he revealed God’s secret to his strength.  However, God listed Samson in the hall of faith . . .

Water sloshed. Sweat poured. The bread and raisin cakes wore off hours ago, but Jacob was in too deep to quit, now. One-hundred feet above his head, cows mooed and sheep bleated. “Water!” they seemed to cry. Through the pungent air of the well, Jacob sighed.

I wonder what thoughts bubbled up in his mind. Of course, digging was difficult, but did it feel mundane? Ordinary? Dare I say, meaningless? …..

How do you recognize God’s voice?

Do you get asked that question? I do. Usually, I give examples of the different ways I have “heard” God speak.

I put “heard” in parentheses because . . . .

Do you wonder about the fruitfulness of your writing? I often struggle against the lie that I am wasting valuable time. Perhaps I should be feeding the homeless or doing some other fruitful ministry.

However, God promises . . .

Zechariah and Elizabeth were well-loved and esteemed by their community. They were righteous and observant of God’s commands, yet they had grown old and remained childless. Zechariah had no sons to . . .

I had heard that the book of Job answers the suffering question: Why do we suffer? However, I was always unsatisfied with the answer. I was disappointed because . . .