Many of us, when we are confronted with our sin, can grow discouraged and frustrated with ourselves and the battle against sin and the flesh. We assume that because of our many problems, God can’t use us. But this attitude reveals a fundamental misunderstanding of God and grace. Abraham and the patriarchs struggled with various sins and fell multiple times just in the preserved record, but God still chose them and used them to advance His plan. David committed heinous crimes, but God still established his throne forever. Peter denied Christ; the disciples doubted; and Paul persecuted the church. But God is gracious to use even the worst of humans (that’s what Paul called himself in 1 Timothy 1). God takes outcasts and adds them to His family; He redeems sinners and puts them into His service. See God’s grace in your life, trust that grace, and watch how God uses you to accomplish His plan. Read More

When difficulties arise in our lives, we may think that we know what would be best for our lives as we pray for God to take the trial away. But this is an arrogant way to respond to our sovereign God. We ought not involve ourselves in matters too difficult for us, but instead we should quiet our souls to hope in the Lord forever. When we are burdened with stress, trials, or temptations that are too hard for us to bear, we must humbly endure as we trust God; rather than demand that God take our trouble away. May our hearts submit in hope that God does what is best. Read More

The longer we’ve been following Jesus and the more we grow spiritually, the easier it is for us to forget that we are still sinners and that we need God’s grace. Paul had to remind the Ephesian believers of who they were before their salvation and of how God’s grace had worked in their lives. We need frequent reminders of God’s grace in our lives, or we might grow arrogant thinking that we have arrived spiritually and forgetting that we need God’s grace. May reminders of God’s grace keep us humble before Him and motivate greater appreciation of God’s work in our lives. Read More