“Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him” (James 1:12).Denied Leadership PositionCaleb was the leader chosen to spy out the land from the tribe of Judah, the largest tribe of Israel. He was the first to speak out, encour

Why Should We Come before God with Thanksgiving and Praise?How Can We Come into God's Presence with Thanksgiving Right Now?Pamela Palmer is a writer, speaker, and the founder of upheldlife.com, the platform on which she produces devotionals and faith resources to inspire keeping faith at the center of life. She is in pastoral ministry and gets to s

What Happened to Peter after Jesus' Resurrection and Ascension?How Did Peter Die?Pamela Palmer is a writer, speaker, and the founder of upheldlife.com, the platform on which she produces devotionals and faith resources to inspire keeping faith at the center of life. She is in pastoral ministry and gets to share in the emotional and spiritual lives

Confession in Sinful MomentsStop Signs as Spiritual Reminders Shouts of PraiseInvitation upon ArrivalEmma Danzey’s mission in life stems from Ephesians 3:20-21, to embrace the extraordinary. One of her greatest joys is to journey with the Lord in His Scriptures. She is wife to Drew and mom to Graham. Emma serves alongside her husband in ministry, s

We rejoice in Your goodness and praise Your holy name. You are a good God who loves unconditionally and is full of compassion toward Your children. Though we are prone to wander, You oh God, remain faithful.Amen!Pamela Palmer is a writer, speaker, and the founder of upheldlife.com, the platform on which she produces devotionals and faith resources

Healthy Reasons to Go to Church“They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching…” (v. 42a)“Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles.” (v. 43)“All the believers were together and had everything in common. They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need.” (v. 44-45)“They broke bread in t

Meaning of the Euphrates River Drying UpLike all rivers, the Euphrates River may dry up for a non-spiritual reason simply because people do not take good care of the river’s environment. Spiritually, Bible scholars have offered various interpretations of Bible passages about the Euphrates River drying up. Some see it as a symbol of the decline and

He rose as a beautiful reminder that Jesus has the final say; Satan is no competition over our God. When the butterfly is cocooned, and it seems as though that is the end, they are birthed again into a new life, as we are when we believe in Jesus Christ.2 Corinthians 5 tells us, in detail, how we will one day receive a new body with Christ in the h

I would also add that everything in the Bible is not meant to be taken literally because there are some things that are symbolic in nature. For example, Jesus said if your right eye causes you to sin, cut it out (Matt. 5:29). Obviously, he didn’t mean to literally cut your eye out. So while Scripture is inerrant, we must recognize everything is not

In Jesus’ name,Amen4. Prayer for ProvisionDear God,Thank you for providing me with all I need daily, and specifically my needs with motherhood. Philippians 4:19 states, “And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus.” When I am exhausted, thank you for providing me with rest, renewal, and restoration for m

As people, they also have hopes and dreams, desires and aspirations, and pain and long-buried hurts, some of which may have been caused by the Church or other Christians. Listening to them helps us to build commonality with them, and compassion for them, especially in their suffering.Listening also breeds understanding. We may not agree with our fr

What about Habitual Sins?Even habitual sins are forgiven as long as the person seeking forgiveness repents authentically. “He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world” (1 John 2:2).There is no limit to how many times we are willing to forgive someone who seeks forgiveness, just as there i

What Is Easter? In each of the Gospels - Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John - each writer recounts the events surrounding Passover in the thirty-third year of Jesus’ life. After the Passover dinner, the disciple Judas left and went to the priestly leaders and told them when and where they could arrest Jesus.In the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus prayed to t

During Time out in the Field"In no other way can the believer become as fully involved with God's work, especially the work of world evangelism, as in intercessory prayer." — Dick Eastman, president of Every Home for Christ (formerly World Literature Crusade)After Returning Home Heather Adams is an author, speaker, and singer living in Connecticut.

Given all this, and the fleeting nature of our own lives, we should have much reverence for the Lord, which is the point of Ecclesiastes 5:2. Choose your words carefully and thoughtfully.As the author continues in this chapter, a fool uses many words, and God doesn’t like fools. Just be simple and straightforward, he urges. Don’t say what you don’t

4. A Righteous Life Is Fruitful and Prosperous5. A Righteous Life Is Secure in GodA Prayer for God to Guide You to RighteousnessYou are so good and faithful. You are perfect in all your ways. I praise you and thank you that you call me to righteousness. Lord, I choose the righteous life and ask for your help each day. I want to experience blessing

When Did Jesus Say “Father Forgive Them”? When Jesus was crucified, he was taken to a place called the skull and was crucified between two criminals. At some point during this time, he said, “Father, forgive them.” Luke is the only gospel that records Jesus saying these words. Luke also happens to identify these as the first words Jesus said on the

Does the Bible Address the Issue of Sex before Marriage? The Bible addresses several topics related to sex including:Healthy Sexuality“Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh” (Genesis 2:24).“Let your fountain be blessed, and rejoice in the wife of your youth, a lovely deer, a

“Glory be to the Father, and to the Son:Why Do We Say the Doxology?Doxologies are beautiful reminders of the glory, goodness, and power of the Lord God Almighty. Often, doxologies were used to signify changes in worship. For instance, after a psalm was read, the body might sing a doxology to signify the psalm had been read in total, and now the ser

“And the tempter came and said to him, ‘If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread.’ But he answered, ‘It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God’” (Matthew 4:3-4).Temptation often comes through the desires, and sometimes needs and drives, of the flesh, but et