"Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift you as wheat. But I [Jesus] have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers." Luke 22:31-32 NIV. Do you feel like you've got a target on your back? Does it seem like you're battling one thing …
Tag: Holy Spirit
Crushed and Brokenhearted
"The Lord is close to the brokenhearted; he rescues those whose spirits are crushed." Psalm 34:18 NLT. Unfortunately, you can't protect your heart from being broken. You can't build a wall high enough to keep your spirit from being crushed. The medical diagnosis of someone you love can knock you down, leaving you struggling to …
Rough Waters
"When you're in over your head, I'll be there with you. When you're in rough waters, you will not go down." Isaiah 43:2 MSG. You’re not always going to know when someone you love is in trouble. You might think silence means busyness. You might assume the texting and phone calls stopped because you’ve done …
When You’re in the Wilderness
“Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted there by the devil.” Matthew 4:1 NLT. You’re going to have times in the wilderness. Unpleasant, painful, lonely times. And sometimes, you might not even realize you’re in the wilderness. Things come at you from everywhere. All sorts of attacks on your …
Forgiveness
"Make allowance for each other's faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others." Colossians 3:13 NLT. If you hold a grudge and refuse to forgive someone for the way they treated you, the way they hurt you (intentional or not), you're allowing the pain to fester. …
Your Time In History
"For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place, and you and your father's family will perish. And who knows but that you have come to royal position for such a time as this?" Esther 4:14 NIV. It's no secret this world is changing, and …
When Things Come Against You
"The eyes of the Lord are on the righteous and his ears are attentive to their cry; the face of the Lord is against those who do evil, to cut off the memory of them from the earth. The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears them; he delivers them from all their troubles." Psalm …
Your Place
"For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to …
Don’t Give In to Fit In
"The temptations in your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you can endure." 1 Corinthians 10:13 NLT. You're going to be tempted. A …
When the World Gets Dark
"Let us hold tightly without wavering to the hope we affirm, for God can be trusted to keep his promise." Hebrews 10:23 NLT. It's no secret that the world is getting darker. Maybe your own corner of the world is darker than it's ever been. The unthinkable happens. Health issues. Financial stress. Daily uncertainties. Maybe …
Joey Rudder 