Listen Now

There are times when we might feel as if God isn’t with us in our troubles. That’s when we depend on what we can see of His works in our lives, in the past and present. They’re the visible reminder of an invisible God—our God, the Father of Jesus Christ, who is always with us and will answer in His own time and way.

Troubles can boom through our hearts, minds, and homes. The “fireworks” of life—family struggles, relationship problems, work challenges, financial strain, even church division—can feel like explosions, rattling our emotional atmosphere. Yet we know the One who lifts us over this uproar. Christ Himself “is our peace.”

The conversation Mary didn’t have with Joseph as they awaited the birth of the baby she was carrying…

A man was in London one night for a meeting. He rushed through the streets, turned a corner, and then stopped still. Dozens of angels hovered above Regent Street, their giant shimmering wings stretching across the traffic. Made of thousands of pulsing lights, it was the most amazing Christmas display he had ever seen. Some of the angels had their arms raised, as if they too were gazing up at something. Like the angelic choir that burst into song at the mention of Jesus, it seems angels too can be caught up in awe—as they gaze on JESUS. In Hebrews 1:3 it says “The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being”. Bright and luminous, Jesus is the focus of every angel’s gaze. If an angel-themed Christmas display can stop busy Londoners in their tracks, just imagine the moment when we see JESUS face-to-face.

What makes you long for God to make what is bitter sweet again? While you wait for Jesus’ return, what are some things you can do to make others’ bitter experience sweet again? God KNOWS THAT WE witness and experience so much pain, suffering, ruin, and death, AND sometimes it MAY BE difficult to believe HE WILL make what is bitter sweet again. GOD WILL Help US to put OUR hope in HIM, the One who’s promised to give US beauty for ashes and joy for mourning.

Farmers have always stopped to give thanks for the blessings of a bountiful harvest. We too should stop and give thanks to God for all He has given us. We may not have everything we want but we are blessed.

There was One who laid down His life freely two thousand years ago so you and I can live not only in this life but for all eternity. Jesus didn’t just wake up one day and decide He would pay the penalty of death for humanity’s sin. This was His life’s mission. At one point when He was talking with the Jewish religious leaders He repeatedly acknowledged, “I lay down my life” (John 10:11, 15, 17, 18). He didn’t just say these words but lived them by actually dying a horrific death on the cross. He came so that “may have life, and have it to the full” (v. 10).

When God led the Israelites out of Egypt (Exodus 13:17-18), He chose a longer way because the “shortcut” to Canaan was fraught with risk. The longer journey, note Bible commentators, also gave them more time to strengthen themselves physically, mentally, and spiritually for subsequent battles. The shortest way isn’t always the best. Sometimes God lets us take the longer route in life, whether it’s in our career or other endeavors, so that we’ll be better prepared for the journey ahead. When things don’t seem to happen quickly enough, we can trust in God—the One who leads and guides us.

This heartwarming story illustrates the point Jesus made when he said, “give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you” (Luke 6:38). It can be tempting to hear this and focus on what we get out of giving, but doing so would miss the point. Jesus preceded that statement with this one: “love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be children of the most high, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked” (v. 35).

Have you ever fought a dragon? “Dragons” are the supersized dangers and frailties of life that we’re inadequate to fight alone. But in those battles, we have a champion. Not a fairy tale champion—the ultimate champion who has fought on our behalf and conquered the dragons that seek to destroy us. What “dragons” are you facing in life? How can Christ’s victory on the cross provide encouragement as you deal with them?

It is easy to sometimes forget how many blessings we have in our lives. Our lives are filed with friends and family who care deeply for us. Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. 1 Thessalonians 5:18 Life is not always easy, perfect or peaceful. But we can always have a heart full of thankfulness if we remember who gives us reasons to be thankful.

I spend a lot of time feeling like an impostor, feeling like Moses at the burning bush, saying, “You what me to do what? Why should I talk to Pharaoh? I’m not good with words. Send someone else.” Can you relate?

The book of Proverbs makes many pointed statements about how to live—now. For instance: practicing honesty, now (11:1); choosing the right friends, now (12:26); living with integrity, now (13:6); having good judgment, now (13:15); speaking wisely, now (14:3).

Sometimes we avert one crisis, solve one problem, pay off one big bill, only to face another. Sometimes those troubles are much bigger than an engine self-destructing: such as an unexpected diagnosis, an untimely death, a terrible loss. In those moments, we yearn for a world less broken, less full of trouble. That world, Jesus promised, is coming. But not yet: Jesus reminded His disciples in John 16 “In this world you will have trouble, but take heart! I have overcome the world” (v. 33). Troubles small and large may dog our days. But Jesus’ promise of a better tomorrow with Him encourages us not to let our troubles define our lives today.

Author Mark Twain suggested that whatever we look at in life—and how we see it—can influence our next steps, even our destiny. As Twain said, “You can’t depend on your eyes when your imagination is out of focus.” What are you focused on instead of God? With refocused faith, what could you see in Him for your life?

In Genesis 3:1-7, the story of Adam and Eve, we learn of a menace. The serpent, Satan, deceived the couple into disobeying God and eating the forbidden fruit so they would “be like God”. But why listen to a serpent? Did his words alone entice Eve, or was there also something attractive about him?

Whenever life or people threaten to pull us under, as believers in Jesus, we know we have a Rescuer. “For this is what the Sovereign Lord says: I myself will search for my sheep . . . . I will rescue them from all the places where they were scattered” (Ezekiel 34:11-12).

We’re tied to one another. “The body is not made up of one part, but of many,” Paul says (1 Corinthians 12:14). We’re not isolated. Just the opposite: we’re bound in Jesus.

Our life in Jesus is much more like a duet than a solo performance. Sometimes, though, we forget that He’s “sitting next to us,” and it’s only by His power and guidance that we can “play” at all. We try to hit all the right notes on our own—to obey God in our own strength, but this usually ends up seeming fake and hollow. We try to handle problems with our limited ability, but the result is often discord with others.

More than a million young people take part in the International Letter-Writing Competition each year. In 2018, the theme of the competition was this: “Imagine you are a letter traveling through time. What message do you want to convey to your readers?” If God wrote a letter to you today, what would it say? If you wrote a letter to a friend telling about how you’ve encountered the living God, what would it say?