Weekly Wisdom: Giving God the First Fruits

God, Jesus Christ, Bible, Scripture, first fruits, Hannah, words of wisdom, truth

You know how they say that children learn by repetition? Well, I think God has been using that method with me lately in order to press upon my heart the importance of giving Him the first fruits not only every morning but in everything I do. I had been reminded gently of this truth thru a couple of blog posts that I read recently. It obviously didn’t get thru to me the first time so God reminded me again thru a sermon I listened to while driving 3 hours to pick up my daughter from sleep away camp, and then again thru the Women in the Word series at She Reads Truth when I read about Hannah. But what does it mean to give God the first fruits? I don’t think it’s my place, nor is it my intent to delve into the theological meaning of the first fruits as referred to in the Old as well as the New Testaments, but I’d like to share some of the spiritual meanings that God has been conveying to me lately. Continue reading

Weekly Wisdom: I’ll Tell You What’s Not Fair

Shaded_Cross

As I continue to follow the Women in the Word series at She Reads Truth, I thought I’d share my thoughts from previous weeks’ stories. The story of Rebekah, the wife of Isaac, stood out to me as it was a great reminder of God’s sovereignty and that nothing, not even the cleverest human devised scheme, can deter God’s sovereign plan. In discussing Rebekah, the author opens her post with phrases that have been banned from her family vocabulary. When she mentioned the words “No fair!” being one of them, I was thinking that one should be at the top of my family list. Continue reading

Weekly Wisdom: Time in the Wilderness

weekly wisdom, truth, faith, God, Jesus, suffering, wilderness, love

This summer, She Reads Truth is offering a study called Women in the Word, where we’ll be learning about 40 different women in the Bible both in the Old and New Testaments. I’m very excited about this study because I feel there is so much wisdom to be gained from these women, both from the good as well as the bad.

Last Friday, we read about Hagar. Talk about finding yourself in the most desperate of situations. Continue reading

Weekly Wisdom: No Matter What…I’m Bankrupt Without Love

wisdom, faith, love, God, Jesus Christ, Bible, 1 Corinthians 13:3

If you were told that you had one week to live, what would you do with your time left here on earth? Who or what would you want to see during the final days of your life? And how many people do you think would come to say goodbye? When Moses was told by God that he would die soon, before entering the Promised Land, Moses’ main concern was to make sure the people of Israel had a shepherd after he was gone. He loved his people so much that even in his final days, all he cared about was their well being. Moses knew what love was and he knew how to love.

In his book, The Purpose Driven Life, Rick Warren states that he has been at the bedside of many people in their final moments and that he’s never had anyone ask to see their achievements, diplomas, medals and awards, one more time before they die. Instead, they want to be surrounded by people they love. You can’t take achievements and accomplishments with you to heaven but love stays with you forever. He goes on to explain that God is love and one of our main purposes here on earth is to learn how to love.

And how do we learn how to love? Continue reading

Weekly Wisdom: The Race of Your Life

God's Word, Scripture, faith, truth, wisdom, Hebrews 12

I confess, I have been out of focus lately, feeling a little out of sync, as if I’ve lost my sense of direction. I feel like a ship that has lost sight of the lighthouse and is being tossed around by the waves, slowly drifting away from its intended path. Ever since BSF ended in the beginning of this month, I have not been consistent with meditating on or digging deep into Scripture, and I feel the difference. Knowing how amazing it can be when I dwell in God’s Word, being able to discern His urgings more clearly, and experience Him working within and around me, there’s really no other place I’d rather be and all I want is to get back in God’s path. Just like Moses and the Israelites, I want to follow His cloud by day and His pillar of fire by night, and have a sense of direction as I live out my God-given purpose in this life. Continue reading

Weekly Wisdom: 6 Ways to Fight the Blues

wisdom, truth, faith, God, Jesus Christ, Bible, Scripture, depression, the blues, fatigue

Has physical exhaustion ever left you feeling emotionally vulnerable and susceptible to an emotional breakdown? That’s how I felt last week. A combination of an increasingly busy schedule, disheartening family news and sleepless nights led me to feel not only physically depleted but also emotionally drained. I felt myself slowly withdrawing. I’ve been down this path before. We all feel the blues every now and again.

I realize that for some of us, depending on the circumstances, professional help is necessary when it comes to overcoming depression. Sometimes when you are spiraling down, it’s hard to come out of it without medical intervention. I’ve been there but I also know myself well enough that I can prevent it from going that far. I can choose to take some practical measures to help me stop the emotional downhill. I’m sharing six things that I always turn to in order to chase the blues away. Continue reading

Weekly Wisdom: Are You Smarter than a Donkey?

wisdom, truth, Bible, faith, God, Jesus Christ, obedience

The passage about Balaam and his donkey in Numbers 22:21-41 is one of the most interesting and comical passages I’ve read in the Bible. I don’t know about you but a talking donkey was not something I was expecting! Despite the amusing fable-like scenario, the message behind this passage is quite serious and real. We not only learn that God can use anyone or anything to bless His people or carry out His plan, but there are a couple of other truths that this passage revealed, about who I want to be and where I want to be, that convicted my heart. Continue reading