Anna is only mentioned in three verses in Luke, but her story brings hope to all who might be suffering loss. Luke 2:36 says that she became a widow from a young age and lived a long single life at least into her 80s. She went from being an honored member of society through marriage, to becoming one of the most heartbroken members, a widow. However, Anna paints a picture of joy and peace in the Lord through her love of these 5 things.
1 Kings 18 tells the story of Obadiah who was serving a wicked king that hunted down the prophets of God. This king was anticipating the righteous king who is the prophet of God predicted back in Deuteronomy 18. Obadiah is told to tell the wicked king Ahab of Elijah’s whereabouts, but he is terrified for his own life. In this passage we can see 5 sources for spiritual courage that Obadiah drew from, and you can as well.
Paul endured more suffering than many of us will ever experience, yet he was faithful to the gospel in every situation. He did not waste his time of suffering and waiting, he used it to further the gospel and serve the Lord. In Acts 28 we see three examples of how Paul used difficult times to be faithful to the gospel.
Does suffering provide the Christian with justification for bad behavior? The apostle Peter would say absolutely not! 1 Peter 1:13-16 tells what the Christian’s responsibility is during times of suffering. He is to prepare his mind for action, namely the action of conducting himself in maturity and obedience to Christ to seek and strive after holiness.
Jeremiah 29:11 has been taken out of context many times, but there is still great truth embedded in this wonderful chapter of Scripture. Israel is about a decade into a 70-year exile, and many of them will not live to see the return to Jerusalem. However, that did not mean that they should just waste the remainder of their lives.
When choosing between submitting to Christ as Savior, and believing one’s self to be savior, many people would choose the latter. However, this trust in self is futile. The only qualified savior is Jesus Christ, and here’s why.
While many professing Christians believe in general that Jesus Christ is Lord, how do I know that he is my Lord? How do I know that I have truly come to full saving faith in Christ? What should my life begin to look like as a follower of Christ? Let me give you four simple ways to know.