Tough circumstances of life always change our minds about God.
They either tempt us to doubt what He’s promised, or they draw us closer to Him in faith. But we never stay the same.
(Photo by Photodune)
God’s plan for your life is revealed and tested in times of struggle.
If you’re struggling today, don’t miss the opportunity to gain a greater understanding of God’s plan for you.
Joseph shows you how.
We can only approach God’s presence God’s way. But are there multiple ways?
The New Testament clearly reveals that only through Jesus can anyone come to God the Father (John 14:6; 1 Timothy 2:5; 1 John 2:23).
But what about in the Old Testament?
(Photo courtesy of the Pictorial Library of Bible Lands)
After King David conquered Jerusalem and secured it as his capital, he desired to bring the Ark of the Covenant up from Kiriath-Jearim into his new City of David. But in his passion to have God’s presence, David neglected to follow God’s principles. That negligence of improperly transporting the Ark cost a man his life (2 Samuel 6).
Three months later, David correctly transported the Ark into Jerusalem and placed it in a tent he pitched for its keeping.
In this experience, David gained a profound respect for God’s holiness.
This principle directly relates to the question: did the Old Testament offer only one way to God?
The true value of our hearts is hidden.
But sometimes we reveal its value by how we give—not by how much. That’s the currency God cares most about.
(Photo: The widow’s mite(s) were like these 2000 year old copper coins. By Royce Bair / Creative Commons license)
On His way out of the temple for the last time, Jesus sat down in the Court of the Women and observed those who made donations to the treasury. To be sure, this seemed an odd place to pause.
But the Lord had a lesson to teach His disciples.
It’s a lesson on how He values our hearts.
Good Friday wasn’t so good for Judas.
The guilt-ridden betrayer of Jesus hung himself and then fell headlong, spilling his innards. Hence, the residents later named the place where it happened, “Akeldema,” or “Field of Blood” (Acts 1:18-19).
Judas may have chosen this place to die for a specific reason.
(Photo: Monastery of St Onuphrius, traditional Akeldema, courtesy of the Pictorial Library of Bible Lands)
Today, the peaceful Monastery of St. Onuphrius at Akeldema offers no clue to the fact that Judas killed himself at that site—nor does it reveal the Hinnom Valley’s sordid history.
Because Jesus compared the Hinnom Valley to hell, one has to wonder if this is the reason Judas’s desperate regret led him to end his life in this ravine.
Like Judas, you have failed. But Judas’ shame doesn’t have to be yours.
Good Friday gives your shame a choice.
Peter shows us why.
As I made my way down the Mount of Olives, I couldn’t help think about the day Jesus rode down the slope on the back of a donkey.
His words that day hardly seemed fitting for a “Triumphal Entry.”
(Photo: Jerusalem from inside the Dominus Flevit Church, courtesy of the Pictorial Library of Bible Lands)
When Jesus saw Jerusalem, He wept over it:
If you had known in this day, even you, the things which make for peace! But now they have been hidden from your eyes. —Luke 19:42
I pondered the words. Why did He say: “this day . . .”?
The prophet Daniel penned a meticulous prediction of the very day when the Messiah would appear in Jerusalem.
It was that very day.
Her name is as well-known as any apostle.
Yet the truth about her life often lies shrouded behind myths, fiction, and flat-out conjecture.
(Painting by José de Ribera. Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons)
Modern art and bestselling novels paint her as everything from a prostitute to the infamous woman caught in adultery to the wife of Jesus Himself.
But the Scriptures portray Mary Magdalene as a different person altogether.
Surprisingly, she was more like us than we would expect.
Except for sporadic fistfights among the priests in the Church of the Nativity, we usually picture Bethlehem as a place of serenity.
After all, history reveals the city as the hometown of King David. It was the adopted home of godly Ruth. And of course, it was the birthplace of Jesus Christ.
(Photo: Today’s little town of Bethlehem, courtesy of the Pictorial Library of Bible Lands)
Christmas cards and carols venerate Bethlehem as an idyllic, quiet place with “silent stars” above it and “deep and dreamless sleep” within its walls. A pleasant picture, for sure.
But it wasn’t always so.
Growing up, I often felt ripped-off at Christmas.
Because my birthday is December 15, I often heard: “Wayne, this is your birthday-Christmas gift.”
I thought, Hey, gee, thanks.
(Photo by Patrick-br CC-BY-SA-3.0, via Wikimedia Commons)
I wanted to tell the person whose birthday was in August, “Yeah, and here’s your birthday-Christmas gift too.” (Those of you with December birthdays understand.)
As a kid, I also hated getting clothes for Christmas (particularly underwear). Some people just don’t know how to give age-appropriate gifts to kids.
When I read the Christmas story, it seems the three Wise Men didn’t have much experience shopping for children either.
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It must have seemed really strange. Honestly, it still does.
Two thousand years of waiting for the Messiah, and He is born in a barn and laid in a feed trough.
(Shepherd in modern Israel, courtesy of the Pictorial Library of Bible Lands)
If it had been up to us, we would have given God’s Son a room in the finest five-star hotel in Bethlehem. But Jesus got only a one-star motel—and God had to provide the star!
When the shepherds hurried into Bethlehem to find the baby of whom the angels spoke, the wonder of God’s power must have seemed a strange contradiction to the conditions they found.
Actually, the crudity of Jesus’ birth story offers really good news.
Because it had you in mind.
The first Christmas looked like a coincidence.
From a human perspective, politics set the agenda: Caesar took a census.
Period. End of story.
(Photo: Bethlehem, courtesy of the Pictorial Library of Bible Lands)
But from the divine viewpoint? God orchestrated ordinary events for extraordinary purposes.
The same is true today. He uses the power of coincidence in your life as well.
I love connecting the Bible and its lands to life. This is my personal blog where that happens. Here's some more about me . . .
WAYNE STILES
Hi, my name is Wayne Stiles, and I love connecting the Bible and its lands to life. This is my personal blog where that happens. My goal is to deliver practical content to encourage you in your relationship with God. I believe that a life lived well needs a growing and intentional connection with God through Jesus Christ. I write on the devotional life, Bible lands, understanding the Bible, and resources I have found helpful on these topics.
Here's some more about me ->
