Living under open heaven

There have been circumstances that will expose my weakness, yet God's power is made perfect in our weakness. Life’s challenges can sometimes erode my confidence in who I am in Christ and lead me to doubt myself. But shouldn't it work the other way? When we stand firm in the truth of who we are in Christ, our circumstances no longer have an upper hand. Instead, our identity in Christ as His child redefines our stance in such circumstances, and there is no need to earn approval from others. Biblical adulting leans on God, and with this reliance, it should change the way we pray. Despite being imprisoned on a couple of different occasions and being rejected by close friends, the apostle Paul never lost sight of whom he belonged to and what he was called to do. His perspective on his circumstances was defined by his identity in Christ! Because of that, he was able to stand firm, even in prison, and maximize each situation as a new opportunity to share the love of Jesus, similarly ...

What's good enough then? We live in a noisy world. Bombarded by social media, opinions of others, and the pressures of life. The world is constantly talking to us, and it is easy to let those voices and societal norms dictate our day. Maybe a coworker has discouraged you or a friend has disappointed you. Life can certainly fill our hearts with many voices. Thus, it is so important to cultivate God’s truth in our hearts, making sure that this is louder than the noise of our daily lives. I know what my Daddy says. We must put more faith in what we do know about God than in what we don’t know about the future, trusting that He is good and there is no darkness in him at all (1john 1:5) “Now this is the gospel message we have heard from Him and announce to you: God is light, and in him there is no darkness at all.” We don’t need to meet the societal definitions of what is good to be “good enough”, but rather, allowing God to define who you are rather than your circumstances or failur...

God cherishes us in our brokenness, but he’ll never leave us there. He sends people. And then, as he heals us, he uses us to touch others. I love the conclusion of the story of the lame man who was healed at the Gate called Beautiful (Acts3): “When all the people saw him walking and praising God, they recognized him as the same man who used to sit begging at the temple gate called Beautiful, and they were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened to him.”  When the people saw the man and recognized him, a crowd gathered. It became the perfect opportunity for Peter to preach, and the man was used as a witness unto the power and person of Jesus. Our healing could be for others too. When the man looked up, he obeyed, undaunted, and he was healed, and multitudes came to Christ.  Isn’t this the same work God was doing in us? He wants to lead us all through the gate called Beautiful, right into his presence. To put us on the path to our destiny, to fulfill our ca...

GOD SEES YOU But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not look at his appearance or his stature because I have rejected him. Humans do not see what the Lord sees, for humans see what is visible, but the Lord sees the heart.” -1 Samuel 16:7  I recall one of the interviews I had in September and was taken aback by the interviewer's response. It didn't make sense.  I remember feeling so helpless, so surprised, so insignificant.  I eventually left, but is hard to forget how that interview made me feel. And yet, I’m well aware of the times that I have acted more like the interviewer did than I have acted like Jesus—when I’ve  looked,  but not  seen.  How easy it is for us to absent-mindedly look past the waiter serving us, the manicurist at the salon or the clerk at the store. How common it is for us to stare at our phones and forget to acknowledge the barista handing us our coffee? How many times have we been the one to overlook someone else? Looking ...