On July 4, we, who live in the United States of America, celebrated our national holiday—Independence Day. Each year, this day on the calendar captures a defining trait of the American mentality: we are sovereign, and you can’t tell us what to do. It might sound rousing for a country and its history, but here’s the spiritual reality for human beings: bad things happen when we attempt to live independently. The biblical story is dyed throughout with the theme of... Read More

Today I want to take you to one of the darkest passages in all of Scripture: Psalm 88. In the Psalms, the Sons of Korah are known for their jubilant chants. Yet in Psalm 88, they sing something utterly dark. There is no relief within their stanzas and no triumphant resolve at the end. Please read the entire Psalm, but I’ll include the final four verses below: “From my youth I have suffered and been close to death; I have borne your terrors and am in despair. Your wrath... Read More

Dear Lord, Let me not forget the lavish blessings that have defined my life. Let me not forget the new mercies that greet me every day. Let me not forget that whatever I am facing I never face it alone. Let me not forget your incredible patience and your long-suffering love. Let me not forget your strength that meets me in every moment of weakness. Let me not forget your constant provision and vigilant protection. Let me not forget the forgiving grace that... Read More

I don’t know about you, but I need more than help. What I grapple with most in life is not the evil outside of me but the evil within my heart that magnetizes me to the temptations of the world. I need more than help; I need rescue. I need someone to do for me what I could not do for myself. I need redemption. And so do you. Two biblical passages illustrate the need for our redemption and God’s divine solution. The first passage, Genesis 6:5, is devastating in its... Read More