“The Lord God who goes before you will himself fight for you, just as he did for you in Egypt before your eyes.” – Deuteronomy 1:30 ESV Throughout Scripture, the wilderness wanderings of Israel (from Exodus to Deuteronomy) symbolize the believer’s journey from salvation to spiritual maturity. We may view the process as Egypt representing slavery to sin, and the Passover recorded in Exodus 12-14 as salvation through the blood of the lamb. The wilderness wanderings also represent a time of...

“It’s not the word of God I don’t understand that bothers me; it’s the part I do understand that concerns me.” – Mark Twain When you become a believer, you are not exempt from trials and temptations. In fact, trials often take on greater meaning because they uncover questions about your faith and about the faithfulness of God. Years ago, I encouraged a couple who were struggling in their faith to join me in church. After several months of inviting them, I was thrilled when they walked into...

This seven-week blog series has helped us walk through one of the most searching and hope-filled messages in Scripture – the call to know the Lord . Not to know about Him in a casual or distant way, but to know Him as He has chosen to be known: through His Word, through lived obedience, and through steadfast love. The prophet Hosea shows us that spiritual drift rarely begins with open rebellion. More often, it begins quietly. God’s Word moves from the center to the margins. Listening gives...