Grief

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Sometimes the news comes quick. Sometimes the news comes slow. No matter how or when it comes, grief travels in the wake of the news. Grief is heavy, weighty, a burden, especially when it involves someone deeply loved. Grief is not meant to be carried alone. It’s too heavy and may last a while—and that’s ok. That’s what family and friends are for, to share the load. Jesus stood outside the tomb of his friend and wept but He did not weep alone. It was a deep, human moment. “ Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted ” (Matt 5:4). If anyone knows how we feel in grief, it’s Him. But His grief did not linger long, as at the mention of his name, Lazarus came forth. We are not meant to dwell in grief, but should leave room enough for it. Let it run its course. Like the song says, “ Every Storm Runs Out Of Rain .” Another song says, “ The storm We will dance as it breaks The storm It will give as it takes And all of our pain is washed away Don't cry or be afraid Some things...

The Cost of Indecision

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On Genesis 19:
Not Close Enough

"When the morning dawned, the angels urged Lot to hurry, saying, "Arise, take your wife and your two daughters who are here, lest you be consumed in the punishment of the city." . . . But his wife looked back behind him, and she became a pillar of salt." - Genesis 19:15, 26
We can see in the case of Lot's wife that one can be exposed to spiritual things and not necessarily become a believer. As flawed as Lot's witness was, the Bible does say he was righteous (2 Peter 2:7). That means Lot's wife was exposed to the truth of God. But she did not believe."

Read the rest of Greg Laurie's comments here.

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Remember Lot's Wife

"But his wife looked back behind him, and she became a pillar of salt". - Genesis 19:26

Who was this woman? We don't really know a lot about her. We assume that she met Lot in Sodom. We can safely conclude that Lot's wife was not a believer. It's clear she did not want to leave Sodom. She wanted to steal one last glance, and it cost her everything.

Read the rest of Greg Laurie's comments here.

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Former President Ronald Reagan says he learned the need for decision-making early in life. An aunt had taken him to a cobbler to have a pair of shoes made for him. The shoemaker asked young Ronald Reagan, "Do you want a square toe or a round toe?"

Reagan hemmed and hawed. So the cobbler said, "Come back in a day or two and let me know what you want."

A few days later the shoemaker saw Reagan on the street and asked what he had decided about the shoes. "I still haven't made up my mind," the boy answered. "Very well," said the cobbler.
When Reagan received the shoes, he was shocked to see that one shoe had a square toe and the other a round toe.

"Looking at those shoes every day taught me a lesson," said Reagan years later. "If you don't make your own decisions, somebody else will make them for you!"

The sovereign God has made us people, not puppets. We have His Word to guide us, His love to redeem us, and His assurance that we are capable of making choices.

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On Genesis 21:

Do you realize that if Ishmael was born when Abraham was 86 (Gen. 16:16) and Isaac was born when Abraham was 100 when Isaac was born (Gen. 21:5), that the second time Hagar is kicked out of the house (once by Sarah, the second time by Abraham at Sarah's request in 21:10ff), Ishmael was 14 years old?!? Why do those Sunday School pictures show her with a little baby or small child?

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