2 Samuel 7:25-29 Notre relation avec Dieu n’est que cela – une relation, ce qui signifie qu’il doit y avoir un aspect de réciprocité. Dieu nous permet d’être dans une position qui offre l’hospitalité, au lieu d’être toujours les personnes qui la reçoivent. Nous sommes autorisés à montrer notre amour à Dieu par le service […] The post Montrer l’amour à son tour first appeared on Reflecting God - Embrace Holy Living.
2 Samuel 7:18-24 La prière de David est 2 Samuel 7 a réaffirmé la souveraineté et la bonté de Dieu. Il recontextualise sa position et la position de sa famille comme étant orientées vers le Seigneur, au lieu d’être elles-mêmes le centre. Il est contre-culturel de nous dépeindre comme n’étant pas le centre de notre […] The post Serviteur de Dieu first appeared on Reflecting God - Embrace Holy Living.
2 Peter 3:8-15 Every day we wake up with a general idea of how we think the day will go. By the time the day is half over, we’ve often had to adapt our expectations several times. We make appointments, set priorities, and check schedules. We think we know the direction we’re going. Then life […] The post God Desires All To Repent first appeared on Reflecting God - Embrace Holy Living.
James 4:4-10 Years ago phones were attached to walls instead of hips. We rotated a dial to make calls. We paid extra to talk with people outside our community; it was called long-distance calling (for those under 40 years old). Then it seemed like the world was larger. The people we loved felt farther away. […] The post Come Near To God first appeared on Reflecting God - Embrace Holy Living.
2 Chronicles 33:10-17 Something to ponder: How would people treat or remember you if all they knew about you was your past failures? People who only knew me before I accepted Christ are surprised to discover what I do now. People are often judged by who they used to be. And yet, the old adage […] The post It’s Never Too Late first appeared on Reflecting God - Embrace Holy Living.
2 Chronicles 33:1-9 Good parents, like God, want what’s best for their children even at the sacrifice of their own preferences. Good parents, like God, set consistent boundaries and house rules. House rules are set for the health, safety, and peace for those in the home. Unfortunately, even the best parents can’t make all the […] The post My House, My Rules first appeared on Reflecting God - Embrace Holy Living.
Psalm 37:1-7 Take a deep breath. Go for a walk. Let it go. These are common teachings for how to handle the stresses of daily life. Temporary ways of dealing with tensions have their place, but they can become destructive in the long-term. The Psalmist shares God’s invitation to an alternative solution. It is the […] The post The Alternative Solution first appeared on Reflecting God - Embrace Holy Living.
Acts 14:21-28 She worked earnestly at opening the door. The woman behind her reached around and placing her hand on the door, gently pushed. It opened instantly. The woman smiled her thanks and walked effortlessly through the door. This is the way of faith. Paul and Barnabas revealed the open door of faith to the […] The post The Open Door first appeared on Reflecting God - Embrace Holy Living.
John 15:1-9 We have become so focused on the unpredictability of our lives that we have forgotten to rejoice in the predictable. God is a God of order, hovering over the waters of the chaos of our lives and speaking that chaos into beautiful and predictable creation. It is no wonder that the God of […] The post It Is Grace first appeared on Reflecting God - Embrace Holy Living.
Mark 10:17-27 Stop working for a moment. Stop planning. Take a deep breath and relax. Now we are ready to ponder what Jesus is saying to us in this passage. Jesus is speaking of the singularity of purpose. He is helping us to set our priorities for today. Each of us face a daily plethora […] The post Singularity of Purpose first appeared on Reflecting God - Embrace Holy Living.
2 Chronicles 32:16-23 Sennacherib executed his well-planned campaign of terror against the people of God. The role of fear and anxiety were key to their annihilation. Sennacherib was a master of propaganda, but there was one catastrophic miscalculation in his plan. He equated the power of God with the powerlessness of idols. Hezekiah and Isaiah […] The post The Shadow is Annihilated first appeared on Reflecting God - Embrace Holy Living.
2 Chronicles 32:9-15 The shadow of invasion had grown darker and more certain. Sennacherib was not impressed by King Hezekiah’s rousing speech, nor was he intimidated by Hezekiah’s confidence in the saving ability of Hezekiah’s God. The propaganda war began. The sneering tone of Sennacherib’s speech attempted to discredit King Hezekiah’s confidence in God. Then […] The post The Shadows Growls first appeared on Reflecting God - Embrace Holy Living.
2 Chronicles 32:1-8 First the rumors of war arrive, followed by the affirmations that the shadows of invasion are approaching the land. It is time to protect that which has been granted by the hand of God. The pre-attack work begins. Risk assessments are made. Resources inventoried and a plan of defense is formulated. With […] The post The Shadows Gather first appeared on Reflecting God - Embrace Holy Living.
Proverbs 2:6-15 They say hindsight is 20/20. Today’s reading tells us again that God gives wisdom and then says that “he is a shield . . . he guards . . . and protects” (vv. 7-8) the path of those who walk in His way. “Then,” says verse 9, “you will understand what is right […] The post Every Good Path first appeared on Reflecting God - Embrace Holy Living.
James 1:1-8 I am currently in a season of life in which everything feels new. Everything. Family life is different. Work has changed dramatically. I’m in a new city and area of the country. For the first time I have dogs. Even my body is different, with new and persisting aches and pains. Some of […] The post All You Have To Do Is Ask! first appeared on Reflecting God - Embrace Holy Living.
Romans 10:9-17 Through Romans 10, we are reminded that faith is a multi-faceted, whole-self engagement. Specifically, the apostle Paul mentions declaring with our mouth and believing with our heart (vv. 9-10) and then later our ears as faith comes from hearing (v. 17). Our bodies, and how we use them, are part of our expression […] The post Listen Up! first appeared on Reflecting God - Embrace Holy Living.
Matthew 7:13-20 We live in a world in which bigger is usually considered better. For instance, to get the best deal you might go to a value club where, when buying paper towels, you get 15 mega rolls. Or consider your car: popularity of SUVs and trucks continues to rise. Who couldn’t appreciate a wider […] The post When Bigger Isn’t Better first appeared on Reflecting God - Embrace Holy Living.
2 Chronicles 28:22-27 King Ahaz is still up to no good. When Ahaz became king, “he followed the ways of the kings of Israel” (v. 2) and “did not do what was right in the eyes of the Lord” (v. 1b). It caused problems when he was 20 and now he’s back at it! Rather […] The post It Worked For Them! first appeared on Reflecting God - Embrace Holy Living.
2 Chronicles 28:12-21 King Ahaz’s poor choices and rebellion led him down a slippery slope and now it’s affecting others. Men returning from war came back with material and human spoils. A wise group stopped them, not wanting to add to their sin and guilt (vv. 12-13). Thankfully they used their plunder to care for […] The post Our Bad Choices Affect Others first appeared on Reflecting God - Embrace Holy Living.
2 Chronicles 28:1-11 King Ahaz was given the reins of kingship and, like many 20-year-olds, started looking around him to figure out what to do. He followed others’ lead in interactions with people, how money and time were spent, and in worship. The results were catastrophic: losing 120,000 troops to a single person. Who knows […] The post Whose Example Is Worth Following? first appeared on Reflecting God - Embrace Holy Living.