Regular readers of this blog will probably see a pattern here because again it comes down to trust. Do I trust God enough to be able to have joy when my circumstances militate against joy? Do I trust that nothing takes place outside of God’s superintendence? Do I trust that God will somehow get me through the difficulty?

In Deuteronomy 9, Moses recounts some of the history of the Israelites during the time when he lead them. He recounts how angry he was when they rebelled against God and disregarded the message that Moses shared with them. While Moses was on the mountain receiving the Law from God, the Israelites were having an […]

“Know therefore today that he who goes over before you as a consuming fire is the Lord your God.” Deuteronomy 9:3 (ESV) When the Israelites were to enter the promised land of Canaan the first time, they should have been bold and gone up as instructed. Instead, they carefully evaluated the circumstances and figured out […]

To paraphrase, because Jesus demonstrates grace toward us and provides a means of dealing with our sin and rebellion, we have a reason to have joy even when our life circumstances are not what we would like them to be.