No soldier goes into battle without knowing who his enemy is. Can you imagine being in the trenches where your very life is in danger, then leaning over to your fellow comrade-in-arms and saying, “Psst, hey, who are we fighting against anyway?” A good soldier is prepared. He knows his enemy’s tactics and he is prepared to stand firm against his strategies…

I used to think you had to be dead to be in the presence of God. But that was before I knew God. Oh I knew about Him. I went to church, Sunday school, Bible school and even church camp. We acted out Bible stories and sang songs about peace like a river, but I had no peace in my own life. It wasn’t until I was 23 years old that I experienced the presence of God. One Sunday morning God met me where I was: lost, confused, broken and without hope. In a single moment I experienced His profound presence and knew more joy than I had known for 23 years…

Nobody prints this verse out and sticks it on their fridge. At first glance, it doesn’t seem to be particularly up-lifting. But don’t let this verse trouble you. Or worse yet, don’t let it keep you from following Christ. Sometimes you stand alone when you stand for what is right. Not everyone will be on board with your decision. But Jesus said, “God blesses you.” If you read past this verse, He even goes on to say, “Be happy about it! Be very glad! For a great reward awaits you in heaven.”…

In our home we have assigned seats at the dinner table. Well, we don’t really, but when the family is summonsed for dinner everyone comes in and sits in the same seat they have sat in for years. Why is that? Human beings are creatures of habit. We are highly predictable. For the most part, we don’t like the unexpected…

Israel, God’s chosen nation, didn’t know how to fight. They had been slaves in Egypt for 430 years when God delivered them and led them into the wilderness. Soon they found themselves stuck between an army and the sea with no army of their own, but God said, “Stay calm. This isn’t your battle.” God Himself would fight for them. Time and time again throughout scripture we see God fighting on behalf of His people. God tells Joshua “It is the Lord your God who fights for you.” When king Jehoshaphat finds himself outnumbered, the Lord says to him, “the battle is not yours but God’s.”…