“If God really loved me, He would certainly do _______ ____________ for me!” I wonder how many times that thought has flickered through our minds. We look at our circumstances and then begin to wonder whether God really loves us, because if He really did, things would be different. There are two rationales that often … Continue reading –>
Sabbath Afternoon Read for This Week’s Study: Romans 8:28-39, John 14:1-14, Ephesians 1:18-23, Isaiah 40:27-31. Memory Text: “By faith he forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king; for he endured as seeing Him who is invisible” (Hebrews 11:27, NKJV). The definition of faith in the book of Hebrews is always challenging. “Now faith is confidence in what we hope … Continue reading –>
Part 7: Father Surrenders By Andrew McChesney Four days after Junior’s baptism, evil spirits ordered Father to kill his family. Otherwise, they warned, Junior and Mother would destroy him because they were praying for him. For the first time, Father mustered up the courage to talk back. “How?” he said. “Aren’t our prayers are more … Continue reading –>
Further Thought: Read Ellen G. White, “The School of the Hereafter,” Pages 301-309, in Education; “Help in Daily Living,” Pages 470, 471, in The Ministry of Healing. “Into the experience of all there come times of keen disappointment and utter discouragement — days when sorrow is the portion, and it is hard to believe that God is still … Continue reading –>
Read Hebrews 12:5-13. What’s the message to us here, and how does it fit in with what we have been studying this quarter? In Hebrews 12:5-13, Paul describes trials in the context of discipline. In the NIV Bible translation of this passage, various forms of the word discipline appear ten times. In the Greek world, this word was the … Continue reading –>
Everyone is looking for hope. But where is it found? For some people, hope is found in the smile of a friend. For others, hope grows from financial security or a stable marriage. Where do you normally look for hope and courage? In the book of Jeremiah, the prophet is writing to people who had lost … Continue reading –>
“For I am the LORD your God who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, Do not fear; I will help you” (Isaiah 41:13, NIV). Someone once said, “When God seems far away, who is the one who has moved?” When problems strike, we presume that God has deserted us. The truth is … Continue reading –>
Oswald Chambers writes, “Have you been asking God what He is going to do? He will never tell you. God does not tell you what He is going to do; He reveals to you Who He is.” — My Utmost for His Highest (Uhrichsville, OH: Barbour & Company, Inc., 1963), Jan. 2. What do you think Chambers … Continue reading –>
When we are hurting, it is very easy to presume that what happens to us is the only thing that matters. But there is a slightly larger picture than just “me” (see Revelation 12:7, Romans 8:22). Read Habakkuk 1:1-4. What did Habakkuk face? You might expect that God would say something like, “That’s really terrible, Habakkuk; let Me come … Continue reading –>
Sabbath Afternoon Read for This Week’s Study: Habakkuk 1:1-4, Job 38:1-41:34, Isaiah 41:8-14, Jeremiah 29:1-10, Hebrews 12:1-13. Memory Verse: “Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us” (Romans 5:5, NKJV). When in church surrounded by smiling people, how easy it is to talk … Continue reading –>
