God Is in Control

Snoozing in the Storm

“Then he got into the boat and his disciples followed him. Suddenly a furious storm came up on the lake, so that the waves swept over the boat. But Jesus was sleeping. The disciples went and woke him, saying, ‘Lord, save us! We’re going to drown!’” – Matthew 8:23-25 As a disciple of Jesus, it’s critical to consider how He lived his life and dealt with challenges and interpersonal interactions. I believe it is safe to assume that He was relaxed based on His personality and actions. Although His journey took Him to a variety of locations and He met a variety of people, some of whom were opposed to His ministry, He was at peace. He wasn’t frightened, stressed, or worried about what was going wrong. This is notably evident in Matthew 8 when He is said to have slept during a storm. The disciples are in Gennesaret, on

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Perfect Peace

“You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in you. Trust in the Lord forever, for the Lord, the Lord himself, is the Rock eternal.” – Isaiah 26:3,4 I love that the Bible says to “cease striving.” Yet with the achievement-oriented mentality many of us have, we feel like this is possible only after we’ve overcome every obstacle, been healed from all our hangups, and finished whatever is on our to-do list. But the fact is that regardless of how much we’ve accomplished or how far we still have to go, we can know perfect peace now. No matter how much baggage we carry or how often we struggle with depression or anxiety, there is divine rest for us today when we trust in the Lord. Though it’s natural to worry, feel forgotten, or even question whether God is in control, the truth is

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Simply Praise

“My mouth is filled with your praise, declaring your splendor all day long.” – Psalm 71:8 As we conclude our discussion about the power of words, I want to offer one final piece of advice — when you don’t know what to say, simply praise. We can never go wrong with worshiping God, and when it’s the last thing our emotions say to do, that’s when it’s most important to do it. Even if things around us spiral out of control, healing comes as we turn our full attention to the One who is in control. He is the Beginning and the End, and because He never shifts or changes, He is always worthy of praise. He is powerful, majestic, and incomprehensibly glorious, yet He is full of love and compassion. So much does He adore us that He reconciled us to Himself while we were hopelessly lost in a

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Plans to Prosper

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” – Jeremiah 29:11 Jeremiah 29:11 is the most tattooed verse in the Bible. In fact, I’m confident that many of us who’ve spent time in church can recite this amazing promise by heart, and a lot of us would even call it our favorite verse. That said, it’s incredible how many Christians don’t truly believe what it says. It’s written in black and white that the Lord wants to prosper us, which means that He wants us to flourish, thrive, and be successful, yet we often doubt His goodness. Interestingly, God gave this promise to His covenant people, the Israelites, after they were exiled to Babylon. Though they were captured and carried away to a foreign land so things looked bleak,

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God is in Control

“Who has measured the waters in the hollow of his hand, or with the breadth of his hand marked off the heavens? Who has held the dust of the earth in a basket, or weighed the mountains on the scales and the hills in a balance?” – Isaiah 40:12 If there’s anything we learn in a situation like the one we’ve been dealing with for the past couple of months, it’s how much of life we can’t control. When things are going our way, it’s easy to feel as if we are steering the ship of our existence, but the truth is that we are never really at the helm. The God of Creation is the ultimate author of our destinies and the One who holds the world in His hands. I was reminded of this in a poignant way a few years ago when Hannah was traveling with her

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God Is in Control

“This is how we know that we live in him and he in us: He has given us of his Spirit.” – 1 John 4:13 God’s spirit is within you. His will. His life. His breath. Pneuma, the Greek word for breath. The breath of God is in you. “And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent His son to be the Savior of the world. If anyone acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God lives in them and they in God and we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love, lives in God, and God in them. This is how love is made complete among us, so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment. In this world, we are like Jesus. There is no fear in love, but perfect love does

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