Kind Awakening

“Be still, and know that I am God...” Psalm 46:10 (KJV) What if some of the exhaustion you're carrying isn't simply because you're doing too much? What if you're exhausted because you're trying to control too much? You're trying to figure out what will happen. You're replaying conversations. You're imagining every possible outcome. You're trying to change someone. You're trying to force something to work. You're trying to prevent something from going wrong. You've prayed about it but after praying, you picked the burden right back up. And into all that noise, Psalm 46 gives us a simple command: “Be still.” Psalm 46 Isn't Taking Place in a Peaceful Setting We often picture Psalm 46:10 against a peaceful background: still water, mountains, silence, and solitude. But read the entire Psalm. The circumstances are anything but peaceful. “Therefore will not we fear, though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be ...

“But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.” Hebrews 11:6 (KJV) It is possible to do many things that look spiritual on the outside. You can attend church. You can read your Bible. You can give generously. You can serve people in need. You can know Christian language and participate in Christian activities. Yet Hebrews 11:6 gives us a sobering truth: “Without faith it is impossible to please him.” That doesn't mean church attendance, generosity, Bible reading, or serving others are unimportant. Scripture commands and encourages these things. But outward religious activity without genuine faith cannot make us right with God. The Christian life begins, and continues, by faith. What Does It Mean to Have Faith? Biblical faith is more than simply believing that God exists. James tells us: “Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devil...

“Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.” Ephesians 6:11 (KJV) When spiritual battles come, especially during our weakest moments, it's easy to forget what God has already given us. We return to fear. We react emotionally. We try to fight everything in our own strength. We become offended. We begin questioning people around us. But Paul doesn't tell believers to defeat the enemy through their own strength. He begins by saying: “Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might.” Ephesians 6:10 (KJV) That's where spiritual warfare begins. Not with how strong you are, but with how strong He is. Then Paul says: Put on the whole armor of God. Not part of it. The whole armor. The Belt of Truth,  What Are You Believing? “Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth...” Ephesians 6:14 (KJV) Truth holds everything together. That's why lies are so dangerous. The e...

“If ye love me, keep my commandments.” John 14:15 (KJV) Those words from Jesus are simple, but they challenge us deeply. We can say we love Jesus. We can attend church, raise our hands during worship, read Scripture, post Bible verses, and tell others how much Jesus means to us. Those things can be beautiful expressions of faith. But Jesus takes love beyond what we say and connects it to how we live : “If ye love me, keep my commandments.” Love for Christ produces a desire to follow Christ. Obedience Is a Response to Love There's an important distinction we can't miss. We don't obey Jesus so that He will love us. We obey Jesus because we love Him. And even deeper than that, our love for Him begins with His love toward us: “We love him, because he first loved us.” 1 John 4:19 (KJV) Christian obedience isn't supposed to be a transaction: “God, I'll behave better so You'll accept me.” That's not the Gospel. The Gospel tells us that we cou...