The God Who Holds and Heals

A few hours after our sweet little boy was born, I experienced a severe postpartum hemorrhage. My peaceful delivery room turned into a chaotic operating room in a matter of minutes. I laid in my bed helpless, surrounded by doctors and nurses who worked quickly and confidently to bring God’s own healing. In the uncertainty and pain, the words of Isaiah 43 were scrolling through my mind on repeat. “Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are Mine”… and so on. (Memorizing Scripture is worth the effort!) In that moment, those words reminded me that Jesus was holding me close — nothing else mattered.

Everyday Discipleship

Discipleship is not a burden—it is a life given to Christ in faith. Luther reminds us that our good works do not save us, but faith in Christ frees us to live according to His will. Even in busy seasons (like when caring for a newborn!), we can follow Him in joyful, practical ways—through our daily tasks, relationships, and responsibilities. A quiet moment of prayer in the morning, singing a lullaby to a child, washing a load of laundry, putting another meal on the table, and rocking a baby to sleep—these are all ways of “carrying your cross” and living out your God-given vocations. Our most important discipleship happens...

“Where is your God?”

When evil strikes, hearts break and the question arises: “Where is your God?” We recently heard that chilling question written on a weapon meant for destruction. It is not a new question. The psalmist lamented, “My tears have been my food day and night, while they say to me continually, ‘Where is your God?’” (Psalm 42:3). The enemies of God’s people have always mocked us with that taunt. But God has answered—and not with silence, but with His Son. Where is God when the world grows dark with sin and violence? He is not absent. He is not indifferent. God is truly present in Christ Jesus. He stepped into our darkness. He bore our griefs...

The Shepherd’s Table

“You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies.” (Psalm 23:5) When David wrote these words, he was not sitting in peace and comfort. He was surrounded by enemies, walking through valleys of darkness, yet he confessed that the Lord Himself was still his Shepherd. In the very place of fear and danger, God set before him a table of life and mercy. I was reminded of this truth this week when my strength failed me. My enemies were not soldiers with swords, but the sudden and unexpected frailty of my flesh and blood. Yet even there—right in the presence of my enemies—the Lord was with me.

Your Nature

“Where is God in all of this? If there’s really a God out there, what’s with all this suffering…haven’t we had enough?” I’ve heard variations of these words echoed countless times, and if I’m being honest, I’ve thought them myself now and then. (If you’re being honest, I bet you have, too.)

God’s Word tells us countless times that His nature is good. But sometimes, our sinful posture and the fragmented state of the world around us lead us to conclude that He is not. When God seems alien in the trials of life, we can trust that He will always reveal Himself — His true nature — in Scripture.

Stewarding the Gift of Children

The news is perpetually filled with headlines of parents’ rights being trumped by progressive educational objectives and political agendas.

I read a new article on the subject almost daily, it seems. The American public school system does not hold a neutral position on matters of morality and principle. (Honestly, I don’t believe it ever did, but that’s a conversation for another day.)

The point is, our public institutions of learning are working overtime in an attempt to erase every notion of God, along with...

Mercy

Have you ever been so used to something that you’ve found yourself doing it without even thinking?

I can drive home from work while deep in thought and suddenly, when I look up, I’m in my garage. I’ve driven that route so many times that it has become second nature. I’m comfortable doing it, and it’s no trouble at all.

Sometimes, we tend to get comfortable with our sins. I know that there are times when I feel very comfortable looking down on people – as a matter of fact, it’s all too easy for me to judge others. Sometimes I do it without even thinking.

Credit or Debit?

EVEN IF a child is born into stark poverty, destined to be a financial burden in every way, draining the earth’s resources, and never contributing one good thing to society in all of his life, he is still a human being. It is the mere fact that he is human that gives his life value and worth. Will he be a credit or debit to society? It doesn’t matter. It is not a person’s usefulness that makes them valuable! Christians understand that human value is innate from the moment of conception. No matter the size, age, ability, or productivity — he has more dignity and worth than anything in all of creation, because he is made in God’s image.

Good, Right, & True

“When does life begin?” “What is a woman?” “Where does truth come from?” “Trust your feelings!” “You determine your truth!” There’s nothing new going on in this world. All of these are just a re-phrasing of one lie: “You can be like God.”

Satan is the father of lies. He feeds on confusion and he complicates what is abundantly clear. “Did God really say…?” That question has made a real mess of God’s good creation, and it still spews destruction today. But the fact of the matter is, truth is not arbitrary. What’s good, right, and true does not change, regardless of what the agents of this fallen world may preach...

Open Doors

I read a statistic that alarmed me today: 40% of Christian households have no visitors. As our dependence upon technology increases, our social interactions decrease. We’re living in an epidemic of loneliness. So many families and friends are living parallel lives. We’re doing “all the things”, but we’re simply too busy, too tired, or too lazy to do those things together. But it doesn’t have to be this way. More than that… God didn’t intend for it to be this way. The importance of hospitality is emphasized throughout scripture. It literally translates to “love of stranger”. Paul’s writings usually come to mind, but we also hear a call to hospitality...