Month: November 2014

Faithful until the End

Posted on by hona

God had given Daniel favor in this foreign land. He was positioned as a leader within the country, and the king highly valued Daniel’s insight and abilities. Daniel was faithful day in and day out in his responsibilities, and others took notice. Yet, instead of celebrating Daniel’s success, they became jealous of him. In the midst of being faithful, opposition was coming against Daniel. As Daniel continued to pray to God in front of his window three times a day, the law that the other administrators persuaded the king to enact gave the administrators a way to condemn Daniel. The consequences of not abiding by this law was death by being thrown into a den of lions. Daniel’s action showed that he was more committed to being obedient to God and honoring Him. The result was that Daniel was thrown into a den of lions, which seemed to be the end of the story. Yet, when the story seemed to be ending, God still had the final word.

When All You Want to Do is Run

Posted on by hona

In our lives, we might not be facing false teachers, but we may be facing really difficult situations in our family, finances, or work environments. When we look at all the factors, the first inclination is usually to figure out how to get out of the situation. While this may be the answer for some things, other times God is asking us to stay and tend to the soil where we have been planted. Staying instead of going can be challenging. It requires us to persevere in the midst of difficulty; it can test our faith. It forces us to process our faith and cling to God. Yet, when God asks us to stay, it is our opportunity to dig deep and learn the lessons God is teaching, as well as be a light to those around us. …

The Faith to Believe

Posted on by hona

Jesus was walking with Jarius to visit his sick daughter as the crowds of people pressed in around him. Everyone just wanted to be close to Jesus. They wanted to see what He would do next and the miracles they would witness. As the crowds were moving down the road, there was a woman who knew this was her chance. She didn’t need an audience with Jesus or even need to be noticed. Stepping into the crowd of people would have been significant, because her illness would have made her unclean. She shouldn’t have touched anyone. Yet, when she heard about Jesus, she had new hope that had long been forgotten. She knew that she just needed to touch one finger to His robe, and she believed she would be healed.

The Good in Commitment

Posted on by hona

Sometimes we shy away from commitment, because we think that it will tie us down. There can be a perception that commitment limits us from other bigger and better things. Yet, when did commitment start being such a bad thing? We value independence and freedom. We want to have the option to go where we want and do what we want. Yet, maybe in our freedom we are missing some great things that God is wanting to bring into our lives through commitment: commitment to see something through to completion, commitment to relationships and people in our lives, and commitment to His calling on our lives.

The Day the Sun Stood Still

Posted on by hona

The Gibeonites sent word to Joshua that they were being attacked by one of the kings occupying the Promised Land. Joshua responded by preparing his army to go fight the battle with the Gibeonites. God then came to Joshua and commanded him to not be afraid because God was going to give him victory. As Joshua and his army approached the Amorites, God did what Joshua couldn’t do. He sent such confusion amongst the people that they fled from the Israelites. However, in midst of this battle, Joshua prayed an unlikely prayer. He basically asked God to allow the sun to stand still so that they would have enough light to fight the battle.