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How to Cultivate a Closer Relationship with God
The curtains wave in the breeze and a dozen songbirds chatter on the lawn. I sit with iced tea and a deep longing in my soul. At first, it feels like physical hunger. But as I sit in the silence with the longing, I recognize it: I’m longing for a closer relationship with God. Francis Chan speaks through the computer screen. There’s a tent on the stage. It’s a red and white camping tent – a modern-day illustration of the place Moses went to meet face-to-face with the Creator of the world. God spoke to man in the tent. The tent was holy. It was awe-inspiring and filled with wonder.…
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How to Live for God and Find Deeper Joy in Life
The rhythm of the elliptical is like a cadence keeping time with my prayers. I pray while I exercise. Today I’m praying for single-minded focus to help me live for God in a world so full of distractions. I stare at a beautiful landscape background on my computer while a worship mix stirs my soul. I’m listening to Israel Houghton’s moving rendition of “To Worship You I Live” when a question startles me from my daze. How to Live for God I think of Paul’s words: “For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain” (Philippians 1:21 NIV). The song prompts me to consider what I live…
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How to Have Joy in Jesus When Life Is Hard
I reach into my pocket for a tissue and pull out a handful of wilted yellow flowers. They’re coltsfoot blossoms—a gift from my son on a warm spring afternoon. We went to the woods because I’ve been learning how to find joy in Jesus even in the dark seasons of life. Today, my pursuit has led me into open skies. Withering and wilted, the tiny flowers look pathetic in my pocket, and I make sure he doesn’t see me slip them into the garbage can. But before I can release the crumpled symbols of his love for me, something stops me. I examine them closely and feel led to walk…
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How to Be Satisfied in Jesus When You’re Struggling in Life
The lake is flat and grey today. The surrounding hills roll lavender beneath an ashen sky, and I pray for just a glimpse of blue overhead. I’m here because I long to be satisfied in Jesus, especially when the winter season feels like it might last forever. I close my eyes and ask God to speak to my soul. I want to know how to be content when the landscape of my days seems desolate. A startling truth settles upon me as a red-tailed hawk cries out to its Maker: I can spend all day seeking an emotionally riveting encounter with God by this water, and I might sense his…