Are you like me, you know what the right thing to do is, but sometimes you just don’t want to do it? Whether we want to admit it or not, we all struggle with this from time to time. Another thing that we sometimes struggle with is playing favorites. One person can say something, and we laugh about it. Then, someone else says the same thing, but because we aren’t friends with that person or maybe our personalities clash, we get upset and offended by them saying it. Solomon gave his children instruction on just this type of situation in Proverbs. Proverbs 3:27 says, “Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due, when it is in the power of your hand to do so.”

I’ve had this conversation with my children before, and I’m sure I’m not the only parent to have it. A child has a toy in their hand, but they are done playing with it. Another child sees the toy, and wants it, and so they walk over towards the toy. Instinctively, my child picks up the toy and gets a death grip on it. A tussle ensues until I intervene. After being told to give the child the toy, my child retorts, “but it’s mine.” Even after giving the logical answer of, “you weren’t playing with it, and we need to share”, my child asks the familiar question, “why?” My answer is, “because it is the right thing to do.” I would love to say they lovingly comply immediately, but that is another story for another day. Has that conversation ever happened with your child? Sometimes, it even happens with adults doesn’t it? Someone has hurt us, and we know we are to love them and forgive them, but frankly we are having a hard time doing it.

In our text for the day, Solomon is not only telling his children what the wisdom of God is, but he is also telling them how to live it out practically. This is a vital lesson for all of us. We don’t want to read the Bible simply to get information. Rather, we need the Spirit of God to use the Word of God to transform our character and makes us more like Jesus. This only happens as we lovingly submit ourselves to His authority, and trust in His power to live out the Christian life.

My responsibility is to do the right thing, because it is the right thing to do. I shouldn’t do something out of compulsion or obligation, but rather out of loving submission to my Heavenly Father. Here is the hardest part of this, it doesn’t matter how the person is treating me or has treated me in the past. As a disciple of Jesus, I am to follow the example of Jesus no matter what. There can never be an excuse for disobeying our Lord and Savior. I’m not responsible for how they talk to me or how they treat me. All I can be responsible for is how I react in the moment, and how I treat them. On our own, this is impossible to pull off properly. However, as I pray and ask for the help of the Holy Spirit, God graciously gives me His grace to respond how I should. So the next time you are struggling with doing the right thing, just remember that God has never withheld anything good from you. Ask Him for His help, and then do the right thing, because it honors God and it is the right thing to do.

By His grace and for His glory,

Pastor Justin

Have you ever seen something that you wanted, but then looked at the price tag? It’s called “sticker shock.” What about this, have you ever wanted or needed someone’s help, but you are afraid to ask because you are afraid of what they will ask for in return? Sometimes, the things we want to do right now, may not seem like a big deal, but later down the road you pay a big price. For example, we all love a good hot now doughnut from Krispy Kreme. Most people can’t stop at just one. It may not be a big deal right then, but if we continue eating multiple doughnuts a day, eventually we are going to pay a price for it. This is what Solomon was warning us about in today’s text (not about the doughnuts). Proverbs 1:24-26 says, “Because I have called and you refused, I have stretched out my hand and no one regarded, because you disdained all my counsel, and would have none of my rebuke, I also will laugh at your calamity; I will mock when your terror comes.”

Solomon uses a literary device in the book of Proverbs called personification. It is when you give human like attributes or qualities to an inanimate object. The most popular way he does this in Proverbs is by referring to wisdom as a woman. This is what he is doing in the text today. It is “wisdom” speaking about the high price people pay when they refuse to listen to her. In reality, it is God speaking here. He is telling us that He has the wisdom that we need for life, but when we refuse to ask for it or obey it, then we are going to pay a high price for it. I think we can see this all around us right now. We have ignored and many have mocked the Bible; yet the moment life gets crazy, we want to cry out to Him for help or somehow blame Him for what is going on. God is saying, you didn’t want Me before, why do you want Me now? You thought you knew what was best, so now I’m just allowing you to experience the consequences of your own choices. That might seem harsh, but it is one of the most loving things that God can do. By not bailing us out every time, we learn what true wisdom is. We start to see that as smart as we are, we don’t know everything. After trusting ourselves and seeing it not work out so well, we can see that we really should trust ourselves, and we learn that we can trust God.

Here is a very important thing for us to realize, it’s not enough to simply ask for wisdom. We need to ask for it, but then obey God’s wisdom. Jesus, in Luke 6:46 asked a question, “why do you call Me Lord, and not do the things I have commanded you?” That is an important question for us to consider. I have to be honest, there have been times where I’ve sought God’s wisdom, but then did my own thing. If I want God to bless me, then I need to not only seek Him, but I also need to obey His Word. If we don’t want to pay a high price for our faulty decisions, then we need to seek the wisdom that comes from above, and not the wisdom that comes from man. We can do this through prayer and reading the Bible. Prayer is us talking to God, and the Bible is how God talks back to us. So, do you have a decision you need wisdom about? Then spend some time on your knees in prayer, and then open the Bible, and allow God to talk back.

By His grace and for His glory,

Pastor Justin

Has anything ever happened in life, either directly to you or to the world, and you sat around thinking, why did this happen? I ask that question knowing fully that this is currently a time when people are doing that. In my opinion, one of the saddest ways people live is thinking that everything happens by accident or coincidence. They don’t see anything as pre-determined. I believe that living like that is sad, because it devalues the meaning of life and our experiences. It reduces everything to chance. I choose to live and look through a different set of lenses. I look at things through the Bible. This changes my perspective. Instead of believing everything is random, I see a loving, gracious God behind what is happening. Does this mean that God does or causes these acts of evil or suffering? I’m not going to go down that road in this post, because that is a long, winding road. But I will say this, I have the utmost confidence in God to be faithful to His Word. In Romans 8:28 it says, “And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.” This post isn’t about that verse, but I think it is important that we, especially God’s children, examine what is happening around us from God’s perspective.

In our text for the day, Solomon has prayed to dedicate the Temple that was built in Jerusalem. Specifically in our text, Solomon is now standing and blessing the people who had come to the Temple dedication. In this blessing, Solomon answers not only what the importance of the Temple in his day way, but I believe he also answers the “why” of the events of today. 1 Kings 8:60 says, “That all the peoples of the earth may know that the Lord is God; there is no other.” As I have written on this blog before, COVID-19 is striking at the heart of many of America’s idols. The things that we have looked to, trusted in, or turned to in order to escape the pressures of life. Those things have been taken away from us, at least for the time being. Yet, faithful to His Word, God is still with us. Despite not having a vaccine or a truly effective treatment for COVID-19, the number of cases is slowing, hospitalizations are declining, and the death rate is slowing as well. Why? Because God is moving us through this season, and in His time, we will be in the next season. What will that season be like? I have no idea. But one day, we are going to look back at this time in our nation’s history, and we are going to realize that difficult times don’t last forever. What if this season resulted in many who were far away from God actually were saved by God’s grace? Would we think it is worth it? I’m not trying to minimize the difficulties we have experienced in this season, or ignore the suffering that is occurring. I’m trying to look at this not from my limited perspective, but from God’s eternal perspective. And when I try to see things from God’s perspective, a few things become very clear for me.

1. God is still gracious and merciful. As bad as things have been, they could have been so much worse. Think back to just a few weeks ago, we were told to prepare for 200,000+ deaths in the United States. Yet, we have not seen anywhere near that number. There were politicians and pundits saying that the quarantines could last into August or September. Yet, several states, including the one I live in, are now talking about beginning to open back up next week. Let’s remember this, God shows us grace and mercy by not giving us what we deserve. This is never more clear than when we look to the cross, and see how Jesus took our sin and our death, and substituted His life for ours.
2. Suffering is for a season. I think life is much like the seasons of nature. Sometimes, you can see new life and new blessings like springtime. Other times, we feel the heat of trials and pressure in life. Then, sometimes we feel the cool, refreshing breezes and we see change occurring that is beautiful like the leaves changing color in the fall. Then, of course there are seasons of bitterness and loneliness along with death like winter. But regardless of what season we are in, we can know that at some point that season will end, and a new season will begin. This has been a difficult season for us, we have seen loved ones become sick, we have experienced death, and we have all bore the burden in our own way of the shut down. Yet, there appears to be hope on the horizon. So, whichever season you find yourself in right now, take courage because it won’t last forever. While seasons may come and go, God remains the same.
3. People need to hear the good news of the Gospel. I would argue that this is one of the biggest lessons of this season. Not to point fingers, but for too long, too many churches and Christians have left the message of the Gospel within the walls of the church building. Yet, at the end of March, everything changed. I would argue, God was forcing us as Christians to do what He had called us to do in the first place, and that is get the message of the Gospel out to those outside of and not connected to the church. The text in 1 Kings 8 challenges me to be more intentional about being evangelistic. I believe, at least right now, that people are like the Greeks who came up to Philip in John 12. They came up to Philip while Jesus was teaching one day in Jerusalem and they said to Philip, “Sir, we wish to see Jesus.” Church, the world needs to see Jesus in us, and they need to hear about Jesus from us. On the lectern I use for Sundays and Wednesdays in church, I have a favorite quote taped down. The quote is from the Puritan preacher, Richard Baxter. It says, “I preach as never sure to preach again, and as a dying man to dying men.” We need that sense of urgency. Because long after COVID-19 is in the rearview mirror, people will still be getting sick and they will continue to die from many other causes. Will we tell them how they can be prepared?

By His grace and for His glory,

Pastor Justin

Have you ever been asked by someone, what do you want for your birthday, but you had no clue how to answer them? I imagine that Solomon had to feel something like that when God came to him in a vision and said, Solomon, what do you want me to do for you? How did Solomon answer this question? 1 Kings 3:8-9 says, “And Your servant is in the midst of Your people whom You have chosen, a great people, too numerous to be numbered or counted. Therefore give Your servant an understanding heart to judge Your people, that I may discern between good and evil. For who is able to judge this great people of Yours?”

Solomon’s answer to God’s question was, please give me wisdom. Solomon was already showing wisdom by recognizing who God was and who he was. Solomon further showed wisdom is acknowledging that the nation of Israel belonged to God. These were not Solomon’s people, they were God’s. Solomon didn’t try to hide his inabilities, rather he acknowledged them to God. Because Solomon focused on pleasing God by serving others, God blessed Solomon in many personal ways.

When we look for the Christ-connection in this text, I believe we can see it in two specific ways. First, Solomon realized he needed God’s wisdom. A verse that surprises many people is found in Luke 2:40, “And the Child (Jesus) grew and became strong in spirit, filled with wisdom; and the grace of God was upon Him.” Then in Luke 2:52 it says, “And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men.” This is often hard for us to wrap our minds around, because Jesus is God, and therefore He was all-knowing. Yet, in two verses we see that Jesus grew in wisdom. While Jesus retained all His attributes as God, He voluntarily chose not to use all of His attributes during His earthly life. By doing this, Jesus is showing how He can understand what you and I go through on a daily basis. But He is also giving us an example of how we should live our life. The second Christ-connection is seen in Solomon’s request. Solomon could have asked for any number of personal blessings. God even acknowledges this in 1 Kings 3:11. Yet, Solomon wanted to please God, and he wanted serve God’s people by ruling rightly. We see Jesus speak often of how He came to reveal God the Father and to carry out God the Father’s plan. Then, in Mark 10:45 Jesus says, “For the Son of man did not come to be served, but to serve; and to give His life as a ransom for many.” So, what are some practical helps we can take from this text?

1. Recognize your inabilities. We live in a world that values strength physically as well as mentally. We are always looking for the next great leader. As a result, leaders often try to hide their inadequacies in leading. Solomon not only didn’t try to hide them, he acknowledged them. He was young, he was inexperienced, and he had no idea how to lead a nation. Yet, this was an opportunity for God to reveal His strength through Solomon’s weakness.
2. Remember we are a steward. Everything we have, including any influence we have on others is given to us by God. We don’t own anything. Rather, it is on loan to us from God, and we are expected to use what we have been given in a way that glorifies God. Jesus told several parables about being a wise steward. It would have been easy for the power to go to Solomon’s head, and pride to swell up in him. However, he says on multiple occasions that the nation of Israel doesn’t belong to him, they are God’s people.
3. Reach out for God’s help. When we read Solomon’s request in 1 Kings 3, we can see how he wrote Proverbs 3:5-6 which says, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.” When Solomon would be taking to his children about how to honor God, he wasn’t telling them theory, he was sharing exactly what he had done in his life. This goes back to the first point of acknowledging our inadequacies. We can only know what is right in front of us. At best, we can guess at what might be coming down the road. Sometimes, they are educated guesses based on the past as well as thinking of how a decision could play out. However, only God knows for certain how something is going to turn out. The prophet Isaiah said that God knows the end from the beginning. Therefore, if we want to be discerning and truly know what is the best decision not only for right now, but also down the road, we need to go to the One who sees the future the way you and I see today. The awesome promise we have from God is this, if we lack wisdom and ask Him for it, He will give it to us. So, go ahead and ask the Lord what’s right, not just for right now, but also for down the road in your life, and for your eternity.

By His grace and for His glory,

Pastor Justin

In today’s text, we are going to see another shift. David has died, and now his son, Solomon, is the king of Israel. Not to jump too far ahead, but Solomon is going to be the last king of a united Israel. What typically happened in the transition of power was that the son would eliminate anyone who had opposed his father. He wanted to establish his place on the throne. This is what we see happening in 1 Kings 2. However, Solomon took a dual approach to establishing his rule. He was just, but he also showed mercy as we will see in our text. 1 Kings 2:36-37 says, “Then the king sent and called for Shimei, and said to him, ‘Build yourself a house in Jerusalem and dwell there, and do not go out from there anywhere. For it shall be on the day you go out and cross the Brook Kidron, know for certain you shall surely die; your blood shall be on your own head.'”

Solomon was both just and merciful. It is in his dual approach, that Solomon portrays the King of kings, Jesus Christ. God’s approach to ruling His creation is a balance of justice and mercy, especially as it relates to you and I. Because He is holy, He would be within His kingly authority to punish us for our rebellion. However, God is often gracious and merciful toward us in that He gives us an opportunity to confess and repent of our sin. Not only this, but He sent Jesus to die in our place. Jesus’ death was not only to pay the sin debt that we owed, but Jesus’ death was also the necessary price to satisfy God’s wrath against our sin. This is why Jesus is referred to in the New Testament as both our Advocate and a Mediator. He pleads our case to His Father on the basis of His death in our place. So, this is the connection to Jesus. But what does this story have to do with you and I?

It is a reminder that we need to learn to show mercy to others as well. The basis of us showing mercy to others is that God has shown mercy to us. Let us be reminded of Jesus’ words in the Sermon on the Mount, “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy” (Mt. 5:7). Jesus said, those who show mercy shall obtain mercy. In the book of James, we see the opposite side of this coin. James says that those who don’t show mercy, will themselves not receive mercy (see James 2:13). Therefore, we need to remember when we are dealing with people, that we want to imitate Jesus. If we choose not to show any mercy, then we have no right to expect God to be merciful to us. So, here is a closing question; if the amount of mercy you showed others last week, was the amount of mercy shown to you by God last week, how much mercy would you receive? May we be merciful to those we are with, so that Jesus is glorified and that we may enjoy the bountiful blessing of God’s mercy in our lives.

By His grace and for His glory,

Pastor Justin

Years ago, Casting Crowns had a song titled, Praise You In The Storm. It is such a powerful song, because it reminds us that even in difficult times, God is worthy of our praise. The last three psalms all start and end the same way. They start and end with the words “Praise the Lord.” They are a reminder of a few important things. The main point is captured in the verse for today. Psalm 150:6 says, “Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. Praise the Lord!”

These psalms are a reminder that all of God’s creation praises the Lord. They are also a reminder that we should praise the Lord in all situations. I think this is very important, especially at this time when people are struggling with a lot of emotions due to COVID-19. It’s easy for us to focus on the storm. Yet, focusing on the storm doesn’t stop the storm. Focusing on the Lord may not stop the storm, but it gives us a new perspective on the storm. It reminds us that God is the one in charge of the storm, and He will stop it when it is the right time. We need to, as Paul said, learn to think about the eternal and not the temporary. Storms will come and go, some will rock us more than others, but God never changes. So, the next time a storm blows into your life, trying focusing on the Lord who is bigger than the storm. God didn’t bring you this far to change who He is or to forget you. Let’s praise the Lord in this storm. Blue skies and better days are coming.

By His grace and for His glory,

Pastor Justin

If you are like millions of Americans, you have found yourself feeling frustrated, and maybe even angry at the situation in America. It seems like most people have gotten over the fear or panic of COVID-19, but now they are started deal with the prospects of their state preparing to open up. Emotions are running high on both sides, and a lot of accusations are being slung around. We know that this isn’t helpful, but we just want someone to feel our frustration. I have to admit, I have found myself frustrated and even at times angry with the situation here in Virginia. However, the Lord used my morning Bible reading the other day to bring me under His conviction. The verse is Psalm 119:136 which says, “Rivers of water run down from my eyes, because men do not keep Your Law.”

This is David continuing to write about the blessings and benefits of God’s Word. In today’s text, David is writing about how the Bible informs his emotions concerning the unsaved. It’s easy for us to get upset, frustrated, or angry with people who disagree with us, especially when we feel passionate about something. Yet, let’s be honest, it doesn’t do any good. In many cases, it causes more problems. David is giving us the words we need to hear to guide how we handle these situations as a Christian. Our hearts should be broken over those who are unsaved, not angry with them. We should demonstrate compassion towards them, just as God has demonstrated love and compassion towards us. I think it is also important that we remember where we were when God found us. We were lost and dead in our sin, running in the opposite direction from God until His Spirit through His Word brought us under conviction, drew us, and saved us by His grace. So instead of being angry, and venting our frustrations, let’s instead pray for those who are unsaved. Let’s pray for ways to serve them, and to show them the power of the Gospel and God in our lives. And in His time, may He grant them repentance that leads to their salvation.

By His grace and for His glory,

Pastor Justin

When you were younger, did you ever make a decision that you later regretted? What did they call it, a youthful indiscretion? Ok, maybe you are like me and it hasn’t been limited to just your younger years. The contemporary Christian group, MercyMe, did a song a few years back titled, Dear Younger Me. Certainly, the older we get, the wiser we become, at least hopefully. But what if there was a way to be as some people say “wise beyond your years”? There is a way that we can know right from wrong, and learn how to make the right choices. David gives it to us in today’s text. We are still looking into the longest chapter in the Bible, Psalm 119. Psalm 119:66 says, “Teach me good judgment and knowledge, for I believe Your commandments.”

David is continuing to speak here of the benefits of God’s Word in our life. The blessing he is talking about in our text today, is that the Bible teaches us how to make the right decisions in our life. Decisions that are not just good and right for the here and now, but that also prepare us for eternity. One thing that is important for you and I to realize is that all wisdom comes from God. Therefore, we need to be intentional in seeking not just knowledge, but the right knowledge. We don’t want to settle for something that may seem right now, but down the road will turn out to be wrong. How can we do this?

1. Be intentional. A lot of people say that they want to read the Bible, but then become frustrated because they are inconsistent at doing it. As simple as this may sound, the answer is to create a routine of reading. If you use your cellphone calendar or a reminder app on the phone, put it in there. Set it for the same time each day, and have it send you an alert. If you like using paper calendars or a dry erase board on the fridge, write the time of day you will get alone to read the Bible each day. Again, the point is to make a plan and work the plan.
2. Start small. One reason that people become inconsistent in their Bible reading is that they plan on reading too much of the Bible at one time. I know that sounds strange, but hopefully I can show you what I mean. A lot of Christians make it their goal to read through the Bible in a year. That is an amazing goal, I have enjoyed it several times myself. However, in order to do that you must read between 3-5 chapters a day for seven days a week. Can we be honest, that’s a lot. What happens if you oversleep one morning? Well now you are stuck trying to read 6-10 chapters the next day. Thus, after missing a few days, most people give up on trying to read the Bible at all. Another potential problem with trying to read this much in one sitting is that you are going to struggle to meditate on what you read. It is going to be hard to absorb the wonderful riches of God’s Word. Therefore, I want to suggest a method that is not mine. Rather, I was introduced to it by Pastor Robby Gallaty, a pastor at Long Hollow Baptist Church in Tennessee and the President of Replicate Ministries. Pastor Gallaty created what he called the F-260 Bible reading plan. The goal is to read one to two chapters a day for five days. I see two benefits to this plan. First, one to two chapters a day is manageable. Second, it builds in margin in case life happens or you wake up late and miss a morning. Because let’s be honest, we would all love to say that we never oversleep, or never miss manage our time and so we get to read the Bible for hours every single day. But we know better than that don’t we? I am profoundly grateful to Pastor Gallaty and the staff of Replicate Ministries. This is my third time using one of their F-260 plans, as they not only have the whole Bible plan, but they also have the F-260 NT plan, which as you can guess focuses on the New Testament with the same format. But I will encourage you the same as the Replicate team encouraged me several years ago, start small. It builds margin, it is manageable, and it allows you to mediate on what you read that day throughout your day.
3. Journal your reading. Again, this is not a new thought to me. There have been many great pastors and teachers who have encouraged Christians to journal through their reading. Once again, I will give credit where credit is due, I use a method that I learned from Replicate Ministries called H.E.A.R. journaling. I won’t go into detail about what it is, because they have done an amazing job at that, and you can find out more at their website, www.replicate.org. The purpose of journaling through your reading is to help you meditate on the Scripture, to help commit it to your memory better, and it will give you something to come back to when you are struggling in life. You can read about how God has shown His faithfulness to you over the years, and allow that to encourage you. Another great blessing is that you will have something to pass down to your children as they get older, and they can read first hand of God’s faithfulness to you and the family.

I could probably write so much more, but I’m going to stop here. Whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God Paul would say in 1 Corinthians 10. If you want to make wise decisions, and have fewer regrets in life, make sure you are intentional about reading your Bible. Not only will it give you wisdom, but it will show you how God can save your life.

By His grace and for His glory,

Pastor Justin

Have you ever felt weighed down by something? I think a lot of people are feeling that way right now. Let’s be honest, it can be easy to get weighed down by cares and concerns, or gripped by fear or panic, especially if you watch the news or spend time on social media. But this isn’t how God intended for us to live. There are many blessings and benefits of reading the Bible daily. In today’s text, David gives us one. It comes from the longest chapter in the Bible, Psalm 119. Even though Psalm 119 is the longest chapter in the Bible, it has one single theme, the Word of God. Psalm 119:28 says, “My soul melts from heaviness; strengthen me according to Your word.”

This is a genuine plea from David to God. David is saying, “Lord, with everything going on around me and in me, I’m weighed down. I don’t feel like I can keep going with all this pressure on me, I need help.” Have you ever felt like that? Like life is so heavy right now, I don’t feel like I can take one more step. If that is you, here is David’s encouragement to you, open up the Bible because the Bible will give you strength. Maybe you are wondering, how can the Bible give me strength?

1. It reminds you that God is in control. With everything going on right now in the world, many people are wondering what is coming next. So many things seem so out of control right now. Yet, there is a sovereign God who is ruling from His throne in complete control. Even though we may not know when the virus is going to subside, God does. Even though we may not see how any good can come from this virus and the subsequent shutdown, God not only knows the good that can come out of it, He is going to bring it about in His time. So, the Bible gives us strength by reminding us that we don’t have to have all of the answers, and we don’t have to figure it all out; because God already has, and He is going to work it out for His glory and our good.
2. It reminds us that we have been forgiven and redeemed. If you have surrendered in faith to Jesus Christ, God has already defeated your greatest enemy. By Jesus’ death on the cross, the payment for your sin was made, and God’s wrath against your sin was satisfied. By His resurrection, Jesus has proven that He is God and He is King. Therefore, we no longer have any reason to fear sickness or death. Since salvation is a free gift from God to all who surrender to Him, it is not something we can ever lose. Therefore, we can face whatever comes in life, because we know that our eternity is secured by Jesus.
3. It reminds us that we are not alone. In these days of isolation, many people are feeling alone. While many people have friends or family who are either living with them, or checking up on them; we must remember that there are many who don’t have those people. Even if you have people around you, it is possible to feel alone. Yet, the Bible reminds us in Joshua 1:5 and Hebrews 13:5 along with other places, that if you are a child of God, you are never alone because God is always with you.
4. It reminds us that things won’t always be like this. We have been dealing with this quarantine now for over a month. We have watched news conferences, and we have heard the numbers of new cases of COVID-19 and the number of deaths. It is easy to fall into the thinking that this is the new way of life, that we will have to socially distance forever. Yet, the Bible says that there is a better day coming for those who have trusted and surrendered to the Gospel.

If you are feeling weighed down I would encourage you to do a couple of things today. First, turn off the news and get off of social media. Second, pray to God for help in dealing with your thoughts and emotions during this time. Finally, pick up the Bible and start reading it. Look at the many promises that God has given. Read stories where things didn’t look good, but then God changed everything. While you can’t control what is going on, you can control who you are looking to for help and encouragement. So, let’s get our eyes off the world and onto the One who died to save the world.

By His grace and for His glory,

Pastor Justin