God's Word Day by Day Archives - Page 35 of 36

“Why Would God Allow This? 5 Reasons for Your Trial” September 21

Sep 21, 2025

Paul was one of God’s most faithful servants. He had sacrificed, suffered, and endured incredible hardship for the sake of Christ. So why would God allow another trial in his life—one so painful and persistent that Paul called it “a thorn in the flesh”?

Paul pleaded with God three times to take it away. But God said no.

Perhaps you understand something of what Paul experienced. Your “thorn” may be physical, emotional, relational, or spiritual. You may have prayed repeatedly for God to change the situation, heal the hurt, restore the relationship, or simply make life easier. Yet the thorn remains.

Why would a loving God allow that?

We can’t always know the specific reason God allows a particular trial, but Paul’s experience reveals several things God accomplishes through suffering. And understanding them can change the way we pray and respond when God doesn’t remove our thorn.

“How Can We Have Peace & Stability in Turbulent Times?” September 20

Sep 20, 2025

With all the problems in our country and around the world, many people lack any real sense of peace or stability. And it’s all too easy to point the finger at some group or individual we believe is to blame.

Often, we blame one political party or the other. We convince ourselves that a different leader, a different political philosophy, or the right election outcome will finally put things right. And there is always someone willing to tell us what we want to hear.

The people in Isaiah’s day weren’t so different. They rejected the truth God had given them and sought leaders and prophets who would speak “smooth things” instead. They looked to powerful nations and human wisdom for the security only God could provide.

So, are peace and stability even possible in turbulent times? And if they are, where should we look for them?

Isaiah gives us an answer that has nothing to do with who occupies a position of political power:

“In returning and rest you shall be saved; in quietness and confidence shall be your strength.” —Isaiah 30.15

“The Power to Overcome Evil with Good” September 19

Sep 19, 2025

Evil can come at us from almost anywhere—sometimes from the people closest to us. And when we’re mistreated, betrayed, attacked, or sinned against repeatedly, everything in us may want to fight back.

We may use anger, retaliation, the silent treatment, gossip, bitterness, manipulation, or simply determine to make the other person pay.

But God commands us to overcome evil in a radically different way.

His answer isn’t weakness or pretending sin doesn’t matter. Neither does it mean allowing someone to abuse us without consequences. Instead, God gives us a powerful weapon that runs completely contrary to our natural inclinations: “Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.”

Today we’ll look at three women who faced painful, difficult circumstances and chose, imperfectly but faithfully, to respond God’s way. Their stories had remarkable endings. Ours may or may not. But God’s command and His promise remain the same.

We’ll also talk about what it means to have a steadfast heart and how trusting God can help us remain faithful even when our circumstances don’t change.

“What Are Strongholds & Do You Have Any?” September 18

Sep 18, 2025

If you’ve been around church for a while, you’ve probably heard someone talk about strongholds. But depending on your church background, you may have very different ideas about what that word means.

When the Apostle Paul talked about “pulling down strongholds,” was he talking about demons attached to particular sins? Or was he talking about something else entirely?

Paul gives us an important clue when he connects strongholds with arguments, knowledge, and thoughts. Strongholds can develop when false ideas, beliefs, and plausible lies become entrenched in our thinking—sometimes even ideas that sound reasonable or spiritual.

Could you have strongholds in your own life without realizing it? And if you do, how do you tear them down?

We’ll also look at God’s sovereignty, how to be more sensitive and discerning as we minister to friends and family, and ask a surprising question: Could we be drunk on something besides drugs or alcohol? And could it put us into a spiritual stupor that is just as dangerous?

“The Only Way to Perfect Peace” September 17

Sep 17, 2025

Wars, terrorism, viruses, crime, natural disasters, assassinations, rapidly changing cultural shifts, and partisan politics—it can seem as if our nation and the world are spinning out of control.

And then there are the personal storms: a frightening diagnosis, financial uncertainty, a troubled marriage, a prodigal child, the loss of someone we love, or simply not knowing what tomorrow will bring.

If our peace depends on governments getting things right, our preferred candidates winning elections, the economy improving, our families behaving as we hope, or our circumstances working out the way we want, lasting peace will always be just beyond our reach.

But God offers something far better.

It’s not the peace of an idealized life where nothing goes wrong. It’s a peace that can exist in the middle of the storm.

Isaiah tells us exactly where that kind of peace comes from:

“You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You” (Is. 26.3).

So what does it mean to have our minds “stayed” on God? And how can we learn to trust Him when everything around us seems uncertain?

“Where Will You Spend Eternity?” September 16

Sep 16, 2025

We will all live forever. The question is where?

Will you spend eternity separated from God in the place Jesus described as one where the fire is never quenched and the worm does not die? Or will you spend eternity in His presence, where He will wipe away every tear and there will be no more death, sorrow, crying, or pain?

And perhaps an equally important question is this: How can you know?

Some people base their assurance on church attendance, baptism, good works, or a prayer they prayed years ago. But can any of those things guarantee that we belong to Christ? And if we have genuinely been saved, should there be evidence in our lives?

Today, as Isaiah turns his attention toward God’s coming judgment on the whole earth, we’ll talk about eternity, salvation, and how we can have biblical assurance that we will “always be with the Lord.” And in Psalm 107, we’ll see a beautiful picture of what happens when sinners who cannot save themselves cry out to the only One who can.

“Are You Taking God’s Grace for Granted?” September 15

Sep 15, 2025

We all sin in many ways. Even when we desire to do right, our motives can be mixed and self-serving. David understood the deceitfulness of his own heart and prayed, “Keep back Your servant also from presumptuous sins; let them not have dominion over me.”

What are presumptuous sins, and why was David so concerned about them? Could we be guilty when we knowingly choose to sin while reasoning, “I know it’s wrong, but God will forgive me”?

And there are other ways we can take God’s grace for granted. In Isaiah, God had mercifully delivered His people from disaster. But instead of recognizing His hand, humbling themselves, and repenting, they simply went on with their lives. God warned them that the next time might be very different.

What about us? When things unexpectedly work out, do we merely count ourselves lucky? Do we congratulate ourselves for handling things well? Or do we recognize God’s mercy and ask what He may be teaching us?

Today we’ll look at presumptuous sin, the danger of taking God’s grace for granted, the difference between worldly sorrow and genuine repentance, and why sometimes loving someone means being willing to confront—or be confronted about—sin.

“Delayed Obedience = Disobedience” September 14

Sep 14, 2025

Most of us probably wouldn’t say outright, “I’m not going to obey God.” Instead, we’re more likely to say, “I know I need to, but …” or “I’ll deal with that later.”

Maybe it’s a relationship we know needs to be reconciled, a sinful habit we need to put off, a spiritual discipline we’ve neglected, or something God has called us to do that we keep postponing.

But Scripture doesn’t give us the option of obeying God when it’s convenient or when we finally feel ready. Delayed obedience is disobedience. And so is partial obedience.

So, is there an area where you already know what God’s Word says but keep putting off doing it? Why are delay and partial obedience so dangerous? And if you’re struggling to obey, where can you turn for help?

Today we’ll look at those questions, along with some practical ways we can help one another grow in faithful obedience and some of the biblical resources I’ve found most helpful in counseling and discipleship.

“When Evil Happens: Are We Whining or Shining?” September 13

Sep 13, 2025

We live in a world where evil can sometimes seem overwhelming. And when something especially horrific happens, as it does with increasing regularity, it’s easy to become angry, fearful, discouraged, or simply join everyone else in complaining about how bad things have become.

But God calls His people to something very different.

We’re not to mingle with the darkness until we’re indistinguishable from it. Neither are we to retreat into our Christian circles and merely complain about what’s happening outside. We’re called to be salt and light—to live differently, speak the truth in love, and hold out the hope of Christ to a broken world.

That means there will be times when we must call evil what it is, even when doing so is unpopular. But how we do it matters, too. We aren’t to be self-righteous, mean-spirited, or argumentative. Our goal isn’t to win an argument or gain the approval of people. Like Paul, we should “make it our aim … to be well pleasing to Him” (2 Cor. 5.9).

So, when darkness seems to be growing, are we merely whining about it—or are we shining? And what does being salt and light actually look like in times like these?

“The Nasty Downside of Bad Doctrine” September 12

Sep 12, 2025

Doctrine. There, I said it—the “D” word.

In our desire to make Christianity understandable and relevant, have we become afraid of biblical terminology? Words like doctrine, theology, sanctification, and justification may sound old-fashioned or overly academic. But when we stop teaching biblical concepts—and even the vocabulary that goes with them—we risk raising a generation that knows very little about what the Bible actually teaches.

And doctrine isn’t just for pastors, theologians, or seminary students. What we believe about God affects how we live every day—especially when life gets hard.

What happens when we have been taught that enough faith should bring health, financial blessing, happy marriages, and children who follow God—but those things don’t happen? Bad doctrine that once sounded encouraging can suddenly leave us questioning God’s goodness, our faith, or both.

In today’s reading, the Apostle Paul gives us a very different picture. He was hard-pressed, perplexed, persecuted, and struck down. Yet he could say, “We do not lose heart.”

How could he endure so much without giving in to despair? And what can his response teach us about the importance of good doctrine when life doesn’t go the way we hoped?