Wednesday, February 29, 2012

Bible Reading Plan Update

To begin this wonderful year of 2012, I started using a Bible reading plan that involves reading 10 chapters of the Bible from 10 different books of the Bible every day. I am now two months into it, and let me tell you, I am amazed by how effective it has been for me. Here's what I've been able to read in just two months following this plan:


  • Genesis, some of Exodus
  • Joshua, Judges, Ruth, some of 1 Samuel
  • Job, 1/3 or Psalms
  • Proverbs almost twice
  • Ecclesiastes
  • most of Isaiah
  • Matthew, Mark, half of Luke
  • Acts twice
  • Romans, 1 & 2 Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians
  • 1 & 2 Thessalonians, 1&2 Timothy, Titus, Philemon, Hebrews, James, 1 & 2 Peter, 1, 2, &3 John
I have never read Scripture so diversely and in such volume. The Lord is using this reading plan to strengthen my understanding of the Word and to give me a new appreciation for hearing from God each day. If you don't have a Bible reading plan, I suggest starting with this one. You can find an explanation of it HERE

Don't just nibble on the Word, FEAST ON IT!

The Valley of Vision - A Convert's First Prayer

MY FATHER,

I could never have sought my happiness in thy love,
   unless thou had'st first loved me.
Thy Spirit has encouraged me by grace to seek thee,
   has made known to me thy reconciliation in Jesus,
   has taught me to believe it,
   has helped me to take thee for my God and portion.
May he grant me to grow in the knowledge
     and experience of thy love,
   and walk in it all the way to glory.
Blessed for ever be thy fatherly affection,
   which chose me to be one of thy children
   by faith in Jesus:
I thank thee for giving me the desire to live as such.
In Jesus, my brother, I have my new birth,
   every restraining power,
   every renewing grace.
It is by thy Spirit I call thee Father,
   believe in thee, love thee;
Strengthen me inwardly for ever purpose
   of my Christian life;
Let the Spirit continually reveal to me my interest in Christ,
   and open to me the riches of thy love in him;
May he abide in me that I may know my union with Jesus,
   and enter into constant fellowship with him;
By thy Spirit may I daily live to thee,
   rejoice in thy love,
   find it the same to me as to thy Son,
   and become rooted and grounded in it
     as a house on a rock;
I know but little--
   increase my knowledge of thy love in Jesus,
   keep me pressing forward for clearer discoveries of it,
   so that I may find its eternal fullness;
Magnify thy love to me according to its greatness,
   and not according to my deserts or prayers,
   and whatever increase thou givest,
   let it draw out greater love to thee.

-The Valley of Vision, p. 94-95
Banner of Truth Trust 1975

Tuesday, February 28, 2012

Confident Eternal Life In Him

"And we know that the Son of God has come and has given us an understanding, that we may know Him who is true; and we are in Him who is true, in His Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God and eternal life." -1 John 5:20


I have confidence in my faith in Christ. This comes not from the strength of my faith, for often my faith waivers. This confidence comes from the object of my faith--Jesus Christ.

1) I have confidence in His person. He is the Son of God. No one else could have done the things that He did. No one else could have accomplished salvation for mankind. No one but Jesus, the Son of God, can give me confidence in my faith. Jesus never fails, Jesus never fails. Heaven and earth may pass away, but Jesus never fails.

2) I have confidence in His truth. He is the true God. Idols are powerless. Idols are fake. Idols cannot give truth. Jesus, on the other hand, is the source of all truth. He is the way, the truth, and the life. He is the faithful and true witness. His word is truth. You can trust the truth. You can build your life upon the truth and it will never fail. But if you build your life on anything else, it will crumble under the weight of life's trials.

3) I have confidence in His promise of eternal life. As the God of truth, you can trust what He promises. He promises eternal life to all those who put their trust in Him. I love how clearly John puts it: This is the true God and eternal life.

Do you have confidence in Jesus? He is trustworthy. You can know for certain that you are saved and that you will have eternal life through God's Son Jesus Christ. Your faith may falter from day to day, but Jesus will never fail.

Monday, February 27, 2012

Book Review: What Does God Want of Us Anyway?


A quick overview of the whole Bible
Copyright 2010 by Mark Dever
119 pages, Published by Crossway

In case you are just starting to follow these book reviews, I’ve been working on reading the 9Marks series. If you are not familiar with 9Marks, please check out their website. The goal of the series is to provide books explaining what the Bible has to say about the 9 marks of a healthy church. This next book is by Mark Dever, senior pastor at Capitol Hill Baptist Church in DC.

This book is the result of three sermons preached by Pastor Mark Dever. The first is an overview of the whole Bible, the second an overview of the Old Testament, and the third is an overview of the New Testament. By using this outline, Dever has done a great job breaking down each of the major sections of the Bible and explained a little about the books that are in each section.

I always enjoy reading about the Bible. I find its unity and cohesion totally miraculous. Naturally, I enjoyed this little book. It is a great resource for explaining to a new Christian the basic outline and theme of Scripture. It is also a great tool for believers to be reminded of the greater narrative that is going on in the Bible. Sometimes we lose sight of that in the day to day Bible reading that we do. Don’t lose sight of the main theme. As they used to tell us at Bible school: Keep the main thing the main thing.

Read this book. It will encourage and refresh you.

Thursday, February 23, 2012

Put Your Life in Order

"Whoever offers praise glorifies Me; and to him who orders his conduct aright I will show the salvation of God." -Psalms 50:23


Do you live a life of praise? Or is your praise reserved for Sunday morning worship service? Whoever you are and however you live your life, God desires that you glorify Him. That is His design for your life. In the Westminster catechism, the question is posed, "What is the chief end of man?" and the response is given, "To glorify God and to enjoy Him forever."

The psalmist shows us how to live a life of praise that glorifies God: "and to him who orders his conduct aright I will show the salvation of God." You must put your conduct in order. Not just any order--mind you--but you must put it in the right order. If you are going to live a life that glorifies God, your conduct must be righteous.

It seems almost too obvious to say, but God is not glorified by our sin. He is not praised through our iniquity. He is praised by our obedience and righteous living. Put your life in order. Flee temptation, put away your disgusting sin, and choose to live a life that praises and glorifies God.

Wednesday, February 22, 2012

The Valley of Vision: Assurance

ALMIGHTY GOD,

I am loved with everlasting love,
   clothed in eternal righteousness,
     my peace flowing like a river,
     my comforts many and large,
     my joy and triumph unutterable,
     my soul lively with a knowledge of salvation,
     my sense of justification unclouded.
I have scarce anything to pray for;
Jesus smiles upon my soul as a ray of heaven
   and my supplications are swallowed up in praise.
How sweet is the glorious doctrine of election
   when based upon thy Word
   and wrought inwardly within the soul!
I bless thee that thou wilt keep the sinner
     thou hast loved,
   and hast engaged that he will not forsake thee,
   else I would never get to heaven.
I wrong the work of grace in my heart
   if I deny my new nature and my eternal life.
If Jesus were not my righteousness and redemption,
   I would sink into nethermost hell
   by my misdoings, shortcomings, unbelief, unlove;
If Jesus were not by the power of his Spirit
   my sanctification,
   there is no sin I should not commit.
O when shall I have his mind!
   when shall I be conformed to his image?
All the good things of life are less than nothing
   when compared with his love,
   and with one glimpse of thy electing favour.
All the treasures of a million worlds could not
   make me richer, happier, more contented,
   for his unsearchable riches are mine.
One moment of communion with him, one view
   of his grace,
   is ineffable, inestimable.
But O God, I could not long after thy presence
   if I did not know the sweetness of it;
And such I could not know except by thy Spirit
   in my heart, nor love thee at all unless thou didst 
   elect me,
   call me,
   adopt me,
   save me.
I bless thee for the covenant of grace.

Tuesday, February 21, 2012

Take Care of Yourself

"He who gets wisdom loves his own soul; he who keeps understanding will find good." -Proverbs 19:8


God desires that we take care of ourselves. He doesn't want us to destroy our bodies or our souls. Solomon gives us some instruction here as to how to do that. Solomon says that the one who gets wisdom loves his own soul. He cares about himself. He is the man who takes care of his own soul.

Often we think of a man that loves himself or loves his own soul as a man who is selfish and prideful. While this is the natural tendency of one who loves himself, it is not always the case. I think that most of us love ourselves too much. We end up caring about ourselves much more than we ought to. We love ourselves at the expense of God and others.

But loving your own soul is not a bad thing. God wants you to care for your soul. Living a wise life is essential to caring for your own soul. So get wisdom and keep understanding and you will take good care of your soul. While you are at it, care for the souls of others as well.

Monday, February 20, 2012

Book Review: What is the Gospel?


Copyright 2010 by Gregory D. Gilbert
Published by Crossway
124 pages

This is another short book in the 9marks series (check out 9marks here). It is the first book written by Greg Gilbert, and I believe it is Greg’s first written work (he has since published What is the Mission of the Church? with Kevin DeYoung). Overall, it is a great book to start out with, I mean, what better way to begin a writing career than by writing about the gospel?

This is a great little book that examines what the Bible describes as the gospel. I like it because it is concise. It didn’t need to be lengthy and wordy because the gospel we find in the Bible is not complex. It is beautiful divine truth wrapped up in a few short verses in Romans 3:

“for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God’s righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins. It was to show his righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.” –Romans 3:23-26 (ESV)

The layout of the book is very similar to the gospel teaching of Child Evangelism Fellowship. If you are not familiar with CEF, you need to be. The chapters in the book are as follows:
  1. Finding the Gospel in the Bible
  2. God the Righteous Creator
  3. Man the Sinner
  4. Jesus Christ the Savior
  5. Response—Faith and Repentance
  6. The Kingdom
  7. Keeping the Cross at the Center
  8. The Power of the Gospel

You will be blessed, encouraged, and strengthened in your understanding of the glorious gospel by reading this book.

Wednesday, February 15, 2012

The Valley of Vision - Christian Calling


O LORD GOD,
The first act of calling is by thy command in thy Word,
   ‘Come unto me, return unto me’;
The second is to let in light,
   so that I see that I am called particularly,
   and so perceive the sweetness of the command as well as its truth,
   in regard to thy great love of the sinner,
   by inviting him to come, though vile,
   in regard to the end of the command, which is fellowship with thee,
   in regard to thy promis in the gospel, which is all of grace.
Therefore, Lord,
   I need not search to see if I am elect, or loved,
   for if I turn thou wilt come to me;
   Christ has promised me fellowship if I take him,
   and the Spirit will pour himself out on me,
     abolishing sin and punishment,
     assuring me of strength to persevere.
It is thy pleasure to help all that pray for grace,
   and come to thee for it.
When my heart is unsavoury with sin, sorrow, darkness, hell,
   only thy free grace can help me act
   with deep abasement under a sense of unworthiness.
Let me lament for forgetting daily to come to thee,
   and cleanse me from the deceit of bringing my heart to a duty
   because the act pleased me or appealed to reason.
Grant that I may be salted with suffering,
   with every exactment tempered to my soul,
   every rod excellently fitted to my back,
     to chastise, humble, break me.
Let me not overlook the hand that holds the rod,
   as thou didst not let me forget the rod that fell on Christ,
   and drew me to him.

Tuesday, February 14, 2012

Permeating Holiness

"but as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, because it is written, "Be holy, for I am holy."" -1 Peter 1:15-16


God is holy. I know that. I sing songs about God's holiness. I preach about God's holiness. I even share with others about God's holiness. Yet my functional view of holiness isn't always biblical. I say that because I don't always live my life like I believe God is holy. Often my days are rank with my own unholiness. Mentally I affirm this sound, scriptural truth: God is holy. But practically, I am far from perfect.

Does this describe your life at all? If you are anything like me then you will sympathize with me on this. I want to take some time to remind you that the one who called you is holy. God above, Lord of all the earth, the living God, Jehovah of Hosts, is a holy God. He is holy in that He never sins. He is absolutely and totally morally pure. There is no evil in God. He is also holy in that He is totally separate from sinners. God's holiness sets Him apart from our sinful lives. Sin drives us from the presence of the Lord and sets up a barrier between us. There is no one like the Lord.

But...

"For by one offering He has perfected forever those who are being sanctified." -Hebrews 10:14


If you've trusted Christ as your Savior, God has positionally made you holy. If you are saved, when God looks at you, a sinner saved by His grace through faith in Christ's sacrificial death and resurrection, He sees the righteousness of Christ. In His eyes, you are holy. You may draw near to God and He will draw near to you because of this positional holiness. Isaiah 57:15 says, "For thus says the High and Lofty One who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy; "I dwell in the high and holy place, with him who has a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones." What a privilege to be considered to be completely holy by a holy God.

Yet we still sin. Practically we are still unholy human beings. Our flesh desires to fulfill its lusts. Our pride desires to exalt itself high above the throne of heaven. That is why God is making us holy. He is working in us. He will complete the work until the day of Jesus Christ. He will finish the job. And He expects us to do our part. The Holy Spirit commands through the words of the apostle Peter, "be holy in all your conduct". That means we need to put an effort forth. Do your best. Be holy. Positionally you are holy. Now go and work towards making it practical as well. Let God's holiness permeate your entire life and practice until it is complete and grown to full maturity. You will always have room for progress. God desires that from you.

"Therefore, having these promises, beloved, let us cleanse oursleves from al filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God." -2 Corinthians 7:1

Sunday, February 12, 2012

Feeding..er...Feasting on God's Faithfulness

On Wednesday I shared with you a verse from Psalm 37. Do you remember what it was? Trust in the Lord and do good. Dwell in the land and feed on His faithfulness. Well, let me tell you, that verse has been on our minds and hearts the last few days.

I shared that verse with you on Wednesday, in part to encourage myself with the whole job search thing. There were moments in the last few weeks that it has been difficult to trust in the Lord. Well, Wednesday I was offered a job. I was blown away. Thanks God for showing me Your faithfulness. I was satisfied with God's tremendous answer to my prayers.

Tonight during the service I shared that verse and the new job with the congregation at Belgrade Bible Church. Little did I know that God was not done showing me His faithfulness. After the service we had a fellowship supper, which on the second Sunday night of the month is routine for BBC. What I didn't realize was that the folks here at church came together and gathered groceries and cards for Alicia and me. All in all, our freezer is packed to the MAX, our kitchen table is covered with pantry-type foods (all gluten-free by the way) and our coffee table is covered with beautiful cards and gift cards from our church family. The gift-cards and cash totaled more than $700. Wow!

The Lord has shown us that when we feed on His faithfulness, it is not just eating the crumbs that fall from His table. It is a banquet feast, prepared with God's very best. I can't think of a more exhilarating way to live life than to trust in the Lord fully and do what you know He has called you to do. We rejoice this evening knowing full well that our God is a faithful God. When we put Jodie down for bed we pray that the Lord would help us to remember this day so we can tell Jodie and Kendra years down the road about how faithful our God is. Great is Thy Faithfulness! 

Book Review: Finding Faithful Elders and Deacons

By Thabiti M. Anyabwile
Published by Crossway
Copyright 2012

Its been some time since I've put up a book review. I'd like to tell you its because I've just been too busy to write about all the books I've been reading, but that is not the case. Because of our recent transition from Presque Isle to Belgrade, I've had to put much of my reading on the shelf. In the last couple of weeks I've been working hard at getting into a good routine for just about everything, including reading. So this is the first book I've finished since our move to Belgrade.

I'm working on reading all the 9marks books that have been put out. I got them all for a song from an email promotion I received, so they will probably be the bulk of the books I read for a while. This book is the newest in the 9marks series. For those of you who are not familiar with 9marks, I suggest you take some time and visit their website: www.9marks.org. They have helpful articles for pastors and parishioners alike and are seeking to strengthen the church through their ministry.

This book, written by Pastor Thabiti Anyabwile, is a tremendous help in thinking through the biblical qualifications that we are given in the pastoral epistles regarding elders and deacons. Essentially, Thabiti takes each qualification and writes a short, thought-provoking chapter on each.

I like the style. I think it is easy to read and understand. It causes you to think beyond what is written here by asking some penetrating questions. It makes you evaluate your own church situation. At the same time, this book does not cover any one qualification exhaustively. I think that it is intended that way. The point is to spur you on towards more study and more thought.

I found the major weakness in this book to be that there is not much space devoted to discussing how the qualifications for elders and deacons interconnect. For example, the book does not discuss how being a one woman man and rules his own house well tie in together. Another case of this is the correlation between hospitable and not greedy for money. Again, I realize the book is not intended to be exhaustive, but it seems that at least some time should be given to discussing these things.

Overall, a good book. It is not too in-depth for even the newest of Christians, and it will serve as a valuable tool for any church in search of qualified elders and deacons.

Saturday, February 11, 2012

Truths About The Living God - Jeremiah 10:10

Jeremiah 10:10


"But the LORD is the true God, He is the living God, and an everlasting king; at His wrath the earth shall tremble, and the nations shall not be able to abide His indignation."


What do we learn about the living God?


This verse is pretty self explanatory, but just think about it. Our God is not like any human king. He is an everlasting king. He has always been King, and will always be King, over everything. He is the absolute authority. But remember, our God is not like any human king. Everything He does is perfect. There is no way to improve upon anything He does. He is always good, even when we may think otherwise. He always only does what is best, in light of eternity. Jehovah can do nothing wrong; He makes no mistakes.

Our King is deserving of all praise, honor, worship, sacrifice, and anything we can give Him. Does He need anything? No. But as we realize who He is, we should want to give Him all we have, recognizing that anything we have is His to begin with, even our lives. How ridiculous it is to withhold anything from the living God! Whether it be giving money to the Lord, or possessions, or giving our very lives to serve Him, there should be no desire to keep anything for ourselves. Stop living for yourself and "present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service." (Romans 12:1)

In the last half of the verse we see our Everlasting King's great might and power. You don't wanna mess with the Almighty King. If you're not with God, you're against Him, and that is a bad place to be. I think that much of the time we focus more on God's attributes such as love, mercy, grace, and all those things that seem "nice" to us. But we are wise to be mindful of God's holiness and justice as well. It is a serious thing to sin against the living God. We are in the age of grace, but "shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? God forbid." (Romans 6:1-2) Read the Old Testament and you will see the seriousness of sin, whether it pertain to the Israelites in the wilderness, or to the nations surrounding Israel later on. We may also examine the Scriptures as they relate to the Great Tribulation, the final outpouring of God's wrath and judgment upon the earth.

Jehovah is the true God, the living God, the everlasting King, and the Almighty.

"Honor all men. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the king." (1 Peter 2:17)

Thursday, February 9, 2012

Thanks for Praying!

I want to thank all of you who have prayed for me (Mark) and my family recently. Yesterday the Lord provided a second part-time job for me. It is a job that is flexible with my church schedule, and I get to work with a fellow-believer, who I am also doing a weekly Bible Study with. Praise the Lord for His faithfulness! Keep praying that we would 'feed on His faithfulness!'

"I will sing to the LORD, because He has dealt bountifully with me." -Psalm 13:6

Tuesday, February 7, 2012

How To Get Everything You Want

"Trust in the LORD, and do good; dwell in the land, and feed on His faithfulness." -Psalm 37:3


Perhaps one of the most memorized verses in Psalms is 37:4 - "Delight yourself also in the LORD, and He shall give you the desires of your heart." I believe it is so popular because its a verse the tells us how to get what we want. That is appealing to our sinful hearts. Hey look here! A verse that tells me how to get what I want. Right? Not even close.

People, we must remember that verse 3 comes before verse 4.

First of all, trust in the Lord. Trust Him. Let Him guide you. Don't trust yourself. Don't trust your job. Don't trust your parent's faith. Trust in the Lord. All too often we are guilty of placing our trust in something other than God. We trust our own abilities or our bank accounts. Undoubtedly, we will find that these things fail. But if we trust in the Lord, we will find that He never fails.

Secondly, do good. Don't just trust the Lord, act upon it. Do the things that He has called you to do. God has prepared good works for you to walk in. Don't do evil. Don't give in to your flesh. Do good.

Third, dwell in the land. God has you where you are for a reason. Have you found it? Don't get impatient to go somewhere else to do those good things God wants you to do. Do good right where you are. Minister to the people around you. If you stop and look, those around you need the Lord maybe more than you even realize.

Fourth and last, feed on His faithfulness. God has prepared a banquet table before you. Everyday the table is set afresh and anew. Everyday the main course is set before you--His faithfulness. Did you know that you can live on God's faithfulness? Did you know that His faithfulness is the one thing you need to live? Think about it. His faithfulness gives you breath each moment of the day. His faithfulness provides the food, clothing, and shelter that you need. His faithfulness has placed you where you are. His faithfulness has given you the family that you have. His faithfulness is all you need.

Now read verse 4: "Delight yourself also in the LORD, and He shall give you the desires of your heart." 


Feasting at the table of God's faithfulness is a delight, isn't it? I can't help but think of the joy that comes from the Lord providing our needs at precisely the right time. Have you experienced that? Have you ever been in a situation where things seemed impossible, but God provided at precisely the right time? It is a delight to live by faith. It is good and desirable to delight yourself in the Lord. Enjoy Him. Enjoy His faithfulness.

Did you know that your desires are controlled by your appetite? If you feast on sin and indulge yourself with selfishness, your desires will be selfish and sinful. But if you feast on the faithfulness of God and delight in Him, your desires will be holy and pure, just as He is. God wants good, faithful things for you. Feast on His faithfulness and He will give those things to you.

Friday, February 3, 2012

The Good News...and a Bad Response

"But Peter and the other apostles answered and said: "We ought to obey God rather than men. The God of our fathers raised up Jesus whom you murdered by hanging on a tree. Him God has exalted to His right hand to be Prince and Savior, to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins. And we are His witnesses to these things, and so also is the Holy Spirit whom God has given to those who obey Him." When they heard this, they were furious and plotted to kill them." -Acts 5:29-33


At this point in the book of Acts the church is well established. Christianity is rapidly spreading through the region. The apostles are faithfully preaching Christ and giving testimony to salvation in His name. Peter is the main spokesman for the group. The apostles are beginning to encounter persecution. Here they are on trial before the officers and high priest.

As they stand before this council, the apostles boldly proclaim the gospel. This morning as I read this, it struck me that the gospel is such good news. Look at what the apostles preach. God has exalted Jesus to be Prince and Savior, to give repentance and forgiveness of sins to Israel, despite the fact that they had murdered Jesus. God also gave the Holy Spirit to all who would obey Him. What great news! Jesus is alive and actively granting repentance and forgiveness of sins.

Yet this good news does not fall on believing ears here. The council heard this and became furious. They began to plot murder for the apostles, just as they had plotted to kill Jesus. They heard the good news but chose a bad response.

Don't follow the example or pattern of this council. Listen to who Jesus is and what He is doing. Examine just how good the good news of the Gospel really is. Jesus can grant you repentance and forgiveness of sins. On top of that, for the obedience of faith, God will give you the Holy Spirit as a guarantee of His salvation. Trust in Christ to save you.

Believer, keep trusting Christ. Keep turning from your sins. Confess them to Jesus and He will graciously forgive you. Now go out and boldly proclaim this gospel message. We are His witnesses!

Wednesday, February 1, 2012

Take Good Courage

"Oh, love the LORD, all you His saints! For the LORD preserves the faithful, and fully repays the proud person. Be of good courage, and He shall strengthen your heart, all you who hope in the LORD." -Psalm 31:23-24


How is your courage today? That may seem like a strange question. I thought it was strange for a while. My mom used to ask that question while us kids were at Bible School. I never knew how to answer, other than saying, 'its fine mom.' I knew that would get me off the hook. Since those Bible school days, I have learned what she meant. It is verses like these here in Psalms that showed me the truth behind mom's question.

Many times we meander through the events of the day just accepting what happens as it comes. There is no anticipation involved or hope that the Lord will miraculously bring you through the difficult moments. That is not living with courage. There are other days when we live trusting our own strength. We feel strong and independent. We don't really face anything difficult, so our perception of ourselves becomes inflated because of our "grand victories". But this is not living with courage.

And then there are days when we feel so helpless and alone. Our trials overwhelm us. Family and friends seemingly desert us. It seems that the day will never end and we will never make it through victorious. It is at these moments that we cry out to the Lord for strength and courage. We must realize that each day is a day that we must trust in the Lord. It takes courage to do that. It takes faith in God's promises to walk through each day.

God wants us to live with courage--good courage. He desires that we love Him and trust in His promise to preserve the faithful. He wants us to live with hope and eagerly wait for Him to strengthen your heart when you are weak. So take good courage. Trust in the Lord. Wait for Him and you will not be disappointed by Him.

All those times that mom would ask that seemingly strange question make sense now. She was just wondering if us kids were facing the day with our trust in the Lord or our trust in something else. She wanted to know if we believed God's promises and eagerly hoped in Him for strength. So let me ask you again: How is your courage today?