Posted by: trbccoffeebreak | February 17, 2022

Finding Beauty In The Winters of Life

“So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.” 2 Corinthians 4:18

The other day, I was folding a week’s worth of laundry after sickness had hit our home. I felt behind on everything in life, thus I wasn’t bent to focus on anything except the overwhelmingly dull view of my catch-up schedule. As I formed my piles of clean shirts and pants, movement caught my eye outside my window.

In my rusty-colored woods, I saw a red-tailed hawk being chased by a crow. It landed on a tall branch. As I fixed my eyes on the beautiful bird that I only get to see occasionally, I noticed more movement below it: a white-tailed deer with a russet-colored coat. I then watched in awe and a little bit of dismay when the brazen crow circled the majestic hawk and clipped the hawk’s wing with his beak. In my woods that seemed to be only a dismal brown smudge of winter with a slush of melting snow on the side, rather than the vibrant green of spring and summer, there was more wonder and beauty to behold than first met the eye. I never would have seen any of this, if I hadn’t looked up from what my eyes had landed on (that huge pile of overdue laundry) with my overwhelm.

There’s something to be seen in the brown days of winter. It may blend in because of how it’s colored to be camouflaged into the vista before you. You really have to watch during those times. You have to be willing to pay attention, to watch, and to listen. In the stillness of melting snow, you have to let your senses come alive to see what is moving before your very eyes.

My experience that day was, of course, an analogy to the winters of life. Sometimes it’s hard to see the good or the beauty when our hearts are overwhelmed by cold seasons. We long for warmth and wonder in those times, but sometimes all our eyes can focus on is the bare branches. If we look up, though, we can choose to focus our eyes on the ever-present beauty of Christ. He is the One who paints what is true, noble, right, pure, lovely, and admirable into our world even when what’s seen doesn’t look like any of those things.

This is what the author of Hebrews means when he instructs us to fix “our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross” (12:2). It’s what Paul encourages us to do by taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ (2 Corinthians 10:5). And it’s where he urges us to shift our gaze as we purpose to “fix our eyes on what is unseen, rather than what is seen” (2 Corinthians 4:18).

Maybe you or someone you know is in a “winter season” of life. Remember, even if the view right in front of your eyes is uncomely, the Lord comes to every season with something beautiful for you to behold: Himself. When you look to Jesus, He will guide you through every season of life and tenderly shift your gaze from what’s right before you to what’s above you.

“Lord, Help us shift our gaze from what is seen to what is unseen. Change the perspectives of our lives by reminding us to look to You.”

For His Glory,

 

Emily P. Meyer (www.emilypmeyer.com)
TRBC Women’s Life

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Posted in Attitude, Encouragement, Hope, Spiritual Living, Worship

Posted by: trbccoffeebreak | February 16, 2022

Love Languages of God

“As we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.” (2 Corinthians 4:18, ESV)

Throughout the month of February, it’s common to see red and pink hearts throughout the stores wherever you go.  The stores strategically place them on their displays to prompt you to buy something for people you love. But buying a gift isn’t the only way to show someone you love them.

If you’ve ever heard of Gary Chapman, then you know he has written numerous books about love languages. He’s broken them down into 5 basic love languages for adults and children.

While I love to receive pretty packages, all wrapped up in bows; I am much more drawn to quality time with the ones I love.  When it’s time to do something with the extended family, I go all out in the hospitality area.  I want everyone to feel comfortable and loved.  I want them to  relax and enjoy themselves.  It’s how I show my love, but it also fills my love tank to have everyone together laughing and smiling.  That memory will last much longer than the gift. In fact, I will have that memory with me in eternity, but I won’t have the gift.

Nothing in this world will last.  Jewelry will tarnish, flowers will wither, even our bodies will age and deteriorate in time.

When we’re on this earth looking at things through our physical eyes, sometimes we get caught up in what we have and what we don’t have in comparison to others.  We may take hold of the lie that “we’re not loved” simply because our lives don’t look like someone else’s.

Romans 5:8 reminds us that we should never doubt that God loves us, no matter what our past may hold.

He’s given us thousands of verses (words of affirmation) stating things like “you are beautifully and wonderfully made”.  (Psalm 139:13,14)

Are you spending quality time with him – turning off the phone and other distractions and spending time in His Word (that’s how he speaks to us).  When was the last time you had a heartfelt (sincere) discussion with God?  That’s what prayer really is, just talking with God -about the things that are on your heart.  Communication is essential for any relationship.

God lavishes us with gifts on this earth even though it won’t last.  But the best gifts are yet to come.  Heaven and earth no longer separated by sin will be united.  We will live in perfect, immortal bodies on a new earth that will last throughout eternity.

“Jesus, help us to live by faith and not by our sight.  Your love for us goes deeper than we can see in this life.”

For His Glory

Laura Holmes   (www.ephraimministries.org)
TRBC Women’s Life

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Posted in Encouragement, Hope, Love

Posted by: trbccoffeebreak | February 15, 2022

Unthreatened

“For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 6:23

Have you ever been threatened? Most likely, every one of us has been in a situation where we have, either physically or mentally. Maybe it was a verbal confrontation in a store or a workplace clash. Perhaps an impending hurricane or tornado. Regardless of the circumstances, humans tend to react to threats (real or perceived) in one of three ways: we fight, flee, or freeze.

When it comes to each of us individually, our responses differ depending on a multitude of factors. Some of us are generally “freezers”—we’ve sadly learned from a very early age that the best thing to do is stand still and “play possum” in hopes the threat will go away. Others of us are super-scrappy fighters, because self-protection has been imperative (“if we don’t protect ourselves, no one else will”). Of course, running away as fast as possible, either literally or emotionally, is a popular go-to reaction for a lot of us. Obviously, we don’t always choose the same response, but there’s typically a general pattern.

But of all the potential threats, there are three universal ones that all people must face—believers and unbelievers alike: moral law founded on the Truth of God’s Word; death; and eternal life.

Let’s start with the law. When God first called out His special people, He gave them the Law in the form of the Ten Commandments. And, from the beginning, the Jews (and all people) could not keep them. Even so, the Pharisees (Jewish leaders) continued to add law after law, rule after rule, making it exponentially more difficult to keep it. When Jesus came on the human scene, He boiled all of God’s law into two simple commands: Love God with all you are and love others. And although it’s just two items, we, as fallen humans, cannot meet God’s high standard of perfection. Not one of us.

You’ve heard there are two certainties in life: death and taxes. Not everyone pays what they owe the government…but we all will face our last breath on earth. We can stay as healthy as possible and even try to ensure our face doesn’t match our birthday count, but the death rate remains at 100%.

Finally, there’s life after death. The spirit of every human being is eternal. Our bodies decay and die (someday to be glorified), but to be absent from the body is to be in the presence of the Lord (2 Corinthians 5:8). This face-to-face meeting, friend, will either be a joy-filled experience or one of terrible judgment.

So, how will you face these three threats? Will you freeze, ignoring reality? Will you run away, embracing the world and the lies propagated by its ruler, the devil? Or will you stand up and face the Truth, “fighting” for your soul’s victory? The law threatens us—it’s unattainable. Death threatens us—it’s unavoidable. Hell threatens us—it’s unimaginable. But Jesus. He came to earth to fulfill the Law and trade His righteousness for our sin. He conquered death and reconciled us to God, so we can live forever with Him. Friend, please trust in Him today—He has conquered every threat.

“Lord, thank you for conquering sin and death, removing the threat of an eternity of suffering.”

For His Glory

Julianne Winkler Smith
TRBC Women’s Life

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Posted in Faith, Spiritual Growth, Spiritual Living, Wisdom

Posted by: trbccoffeebreak | February 14, 2022

Love You More

“We love Him, because He first loved us.”  I John 4:19 (ESV)

“Lord, if you had been here, my brother (Lazarus) would not have died.”

Heartbreaking words hitting the harsh reality of loss spoken by Martha and then Mary.  How could the miracle maker Jesus who healed the sick and lame simply delay coming until it was too late (John 11:37)?

Aren’t those the words echoing from our lips in the midst of great loss, disappointment and sorrow?  Why didn’t Jesus heal our loved one?  Why didn’t Jesus intervene and prevent this tragedy?  Why didn’t Jesus rescue us from heartbreak, loss and pain?  Why didn’t Jesus fix it? Why did He allow us to experience financial devastation?  Why didn’t Jesus step in and manipulate the circumstances so we wouldn’t lose our job?

Lots of whys birthed in the midst of deep doubts.  Overcome with emotion, we wrestle through those moments when love seems absent for surely if God loved us He would have ____________(fill in the blank).

While I’ve never audibly spoken those “why” words, my soul definitely conveyed to my Jesus what my lips couldn’t dare speak.  The year was 1987 and in the bitter cold of a February morning, I stood by a hospital bed overwhelmed with grief.  My sweet little girl had taken her final breath. I would eventually leave without her and begin a journey no one wants to take.

Weeks later as grief and exhaustion overtook me, I pleaded through the nights for God to help me –  to give me something to hold on to.  Silence filled those nights as I waited for some grand gesture, some great revelation to catapult me forward in His strength and peace. Yet what Jesus gave me was a reassurance of His deep, sacrificial love for me. A verse I’d known from the time I was a little girl, John 3:16, resonated in my mind and heart:   “For God so loved the world (which includes me) that He gave (willingly) His only begotten Son that whosoever (including me) believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.”

I love John 11:5  which declares the love Jesus had for Mary, Martha and Lazarus before we witness their heartbroken grief and frustration over the absence of the One who could have changed it all.  Yet I am reminded of the greater glory found in the rising not the dying.  Jesus would indeed resurrect Lazarus’ life and echoed these words found in John 11:40:  “Jesus said to her (Martha), “Did I not say to you that if you believe you would see the glory of God?”

Living one’s life in the presence of the Lord is a glory beyond my comprehension.  I can’t even begin to imagine the joys of Heaven my little girl has experienced. And for those who remain on this earth, the sweetness of Jesus’ abiding presence with us resonates deep of His perfect love. Wrapped up in all our doubts and questions, He gently whispers, “I love you more.”

Sweet friends if you find yourself on this day of all things hearts doubting and questioning – you don’t have to wonder who loves you more – He’s proven it over and over again. Jesus welcomes our questions and is there in the midst of our wrestling surrounding us with his unconditional love and reassurance.

“Father, I’m totally blessed and grateful for Your amazing love which covers me.  Even in my doubts and wonderings, Your love runs deep and wide. You are truly the Lover of my soul.”

For His Glory

Janet Martin
TRBC Women’s Life

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Posted in Encouragement, Faith, Hope, Love

Posted by: trbccoffeebreak | February 10, 2022

Always Present

“Call to me and I will answer you and will tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know.” Jeremiah 33:3 (NIV)

When I was 17 years old, I was the recipient of a Rotary Club Youth Exchange Program scholarship and came to the United States for my senior year in high school. I did not know the English language and was nervous about going so far away from my home in Brazil without my parents. Nonetheless, I knew that if anything were to go wrong, I could just call my parents, and everything would be okay.

There is a great sense of assurance in a young person’s heart when she hears her parents say that they will be right there if she needs them. In that situation, I was very aware that my parents would not be able to board an airplane and go rescue me at any little teenager issue I may be faced with, but to know that I could pick up the phone and call them was very comforting.

As classes began, I started to make friends and feel more comfortable in my new temporary home. I also got involved in the Yearbook Club and participated in my school’s newsletter, and both helped me to develop my language skills. I loved art, so I attached myself to my lovely art teacher like jelly to peanut butter. She was patient and kind, and though I was only in her classroom for one period, she became like a mother figure to me, someone I could call or visit if I needed to talk or just sit quiet for a chill.

Everything worked out well and my year in America was a success, after which I returned to Brazil. When I remember those days, I smile in gratitude for the opportunity that was given to me. What could have been a difficult situation that could culminate with my doom, was, in fact, one of the best experiences I’ve had in my life, because I trusted my parents’ promise.

When God allows us to go through the unknown, He promises us He is there. If we choose to trust Him and listen to His voice, we will reap the rewards that come with that trust.

“Abba, there is nothing better in the world than to know You are right beside us. Thank You for loving us that much!”

For His Glory

Luska Natali
TRBC Women’s Life

 

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Posted in Encouragement, Faith, Gratitude, Hope

Posted by: trbccoffeebreak | February 9, 2022

Sufficient Ministers Of A New Covenant

“Not that we are sufficient in ourselves to claim anything as coming from us, but our sufficiency is from God, who has made us sufficient to be ministers of a new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit.  For the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.” (2 Corinthians 3:5-6, ESV)

Growing up, I attended a church that had a lot of rules.  The rules were given as “advice” and were meant to help guide new followers of Christ.  By keeping them from worldly influences that may pull them away from God. There was good intention behind the creation of the rules.  However, they erroneously gave people a false sense of “sufficiency” that somehow if they did all the right steps God would love them more. The notion that if they followed all these rules, they would be “good enough” for God.

As we saw in the Old Testament, the letter of the law (rules) didn’t change people’s hearts.  It only told them what to do.

However, by accepting Jesus as Savior, the indwelling Spirit becomes the law written on our hearts. Under the new covenant, the Spirit and the law are friends, not enemies.  Working together to change the person from the inside creating a desire to follow God’s Word for our life.

Paul wrote the letter of second Corinthians to the church in Corinth after he had visited them. There had been an upheaval at the church.  He had been insulted by some of the members, and his apostolic authority had been challenged.  Instead of responding with a long list of deeds he had done that proved his qualifications to minister, he boasted in the sufficiency of Christ.

We are competent in Christ. Through the power of His blood shed on the cross for our sins.  Not through our own strength or deeds.

Some people refuse to be used by God.  They cling to their comfort zones fully convinced they “are not ready,” but truth is we are never ready or worthy.  If we were then the sufficiency to change our lives or others would be in ourselves, not God.

“The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore, pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.”  (Matthew 9:35-38, ESV)

The harvest is a world full of hurting people looking for hope in all the wrong places.  We are the laborers chosen to go to those hurting.  Yet, we often refuse our assignments because we don’t believe we’re “sufficient” enough.

Paul (previously Saul) wrote thirteen books of the Bible while embracing his own weakness and ministered to thousands over the years. (2 Corinthians 12:9, ESV)

What will you allow Christ to do through you for the Kingdom?

“Father, help us to embrace our weakness and claim the sufficiency of Christ to do what You have called us to do today.”

 

For His Glory,

Laura Holmes  (www.ephraimministries.org)
TRBC Women’s Life

 

 

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Posted in Faith, Hope, Spiritual Growth, Wisdom

Posted by: trbccoffeebreak | February 8, 2022

A Bedazzled Life

“I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.” John 10:10b

Back in the 1980s (best decade ever, just saying), there was a trendy little crafting tool called The Beddazzler. It allowed you to add rhinestones and metallics to your clothes, belts, purses, etc., creating a uniquely sparkly ensemble. The commercials promised the ability to turn your “$8 jeans into a pair worth $50!” (Wait, $8 jeans? Again, best decade ever.) And although I love most things 80s, this sparkly sensation was not something I embraced personally.

Why talk Bedazzle? Well, I was just attending a conference at our church with the visiting pastor from Africa was teaching for three nights on 1 Corinthians 15:58. (You read that correctly: three evenings of study on one verse—it was amazing.) During the final night I was captivated by an offhand word he used to describe a life lavishly serving the Lord. He was talking about how fulfilling it is to labor for Christ, and he noted the joy, peace, and sparkle it brings.

Upon salvation, every believer understands the amazing love that Jesus has extended to us through His death and resurrection. Because it is a gift of grace through faith, the new life we receive cannot be earned. In fact, salvation is followed by living a life of surrender and obedience to God because of His love for us—and we respond to demonstrate our love for Him, not to show Him we’re good enough for it. And our service to Him results in joy!

This service is not done in vain (as the Apostle Paul reminds us in 1 Corinthians 15 and also in Philippians 2), because we receive amazing, abundant blessings. We experience blessings in the here and now—just think about the joy you have bringing a meal to a family, counseling a brother or sister, or sharing the Gospel with others. Even when we may not see fruit right away, we feel rewarded by the Lord!

The New Testament writers share often that we will be rewarded in heaven for our righteous labors on earth. On his deathbed, the Apostle Paul writes to Timothy that he is looking forward to his crown of righteousness (2 Timothy 4:6-8). Even Jesus taught that when we serve others in need, we’re actually serving Him—and our rewards are waiting (Matthew 25:34-40).

Joy comes with salvation—through our blessings and God’s daily miracles, through our experienced and anticipated rewards for service, and even through our trials and storms of life. And this joy of the Lord should bedazzle our everyday lives. We have the opportunity—the responsibility—to live a joy-filled life, so that other people will see our sparkle and ask, “How can I be Bedazzled too?”

“Lord, restore to me the joy of my salvation (Psalm 51:12), so I live a sparkly life that attracts others.”

 

For His Glory

Julianne Winkler Smith
TRBC Women’s Life

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Posted in Encouragement, Hope, Spiritual Living

Posted by: trbccoffeebreak | February 7, 2022

Leaning On Jesus

“Trust in the Lord forever, for the Lord God is an everlasting Rock.”  Isaiah 26:4 (ESV)

February 2020 we were all doing normal life – work, church, eating out and gathering with friends. My husband (Jay) and I celebrated Valentines and then he headed off for his annual skiing trip with the guys.  By the end of that week normal eclipsed us.  My sweet man broke a major bone in the back of his knee (tibial plateau) which required immediate surgery in Denver including plates and screws.  Less than twenty-four hours after leaving the hospital, he was on the plane headed back home – talk about uncomfortable, painful (ouch) moments.

Recovery was slow, agonizing and extremely painful even weeks after his surgery.  Confined to a hospital bed for weeks and unable to drive was definitely challenging for my extrovert husband. And then came the adventure of maneuvering on crutches – not fun – and enduring physical therapy. Many weeks later, the day he had long anticipated finally arrived – Jay was free to lay those crutches down.  While he assumed his legs would be flying down the sidewalk to our front door at rapid pace, the reality was his leg was used to that crutch – the limp and sway was still there even though the crutch was gone.

Reality check here haven’t we all been there when our “crutch” propped us up – someone or something gave us the support or assistance we needed at a critical point in our life.  We leaned heavily on a dear friend or maybe we resorted to shopping, drinking, overeating, etc. to drown out the pain. Simply to get us through what we couldn’t face.  Note to self:  Not all things are good crutches.  And when the time came to release our crutch – well I think you get the picture, we were still limping and swaying as if the crutch were still there.

The effects of our choices in these pivotal moments are crucial. Eventually, we have to release those crutches – after all they are only temporary props.  Assistance to help us until we are strengthened to move forward. If my husband had remained on his crutch then his leg would have weakened, the rest of his body would have been affected by his inappropriate stride and he would have missed out on a lot of things he loves to do.  Key point release offers us the opportunity to truly heal.

The only permanent crutch which strategically positions us to be strengthened, to grow and move forward in freedom is leaning on our Lord Jesus Christ.  His wisdom, guidance, comfort, peace, grace and love sustain us even in the most painful circumstances.  Guiding us each step of the way, Jesus is our constant companion, our Rock, our steady ground we can stand on and not lose hope.  We can fully place our trust in Him knowing He will navigate us through and even carry us until we can stand firmly in His truth.

“Father, You are the One who holds us up and enables us to walk in the freedom found only in trusting Your name.  Help us to release crutches that don’t serve us well and lean into You – our everlasting Rock.”

 

For His Glory

Janet Martin
TRBC Women’s Life

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Posted in Encouragement, Faith, Hope, Spiritual Growth

Posted by: trbccoffeebreak | February 2, 2022

Not Be Outwitted

“Now if anyone has caused pain, he has caused it not to me, but in some measure – not to put it too severely – to all of you. For such a one, this punishment by the majority is enough, so you should rather turn to forgive and comfort him or he may be overwhelmed by excessive sorrow. So I beg you to reaffirm your love for him. For this is why I wrote, that I might test you and know whether you are obedient in everything.  Anyone whom you forgive, I also forgive.  Indeed what I have forgiven, if I have forgiven anything, has been for your sake in the presence of Christ, so that we would not be outwitted by Satan; for we are not ignorant of his designs.” (2 Corinthians 2:5-11)

“She’s so phony.  I just can’t stand to be around her. You just don’t know what she’s done.”  Her face was blood red as tears streamed down. Her fists were tightly clenched as she shook them in the air. “I just can’t go back there again and be around her.”

Ever been betrayed or hurt by someone.  It can be devastating.  Most of the time our initial reaction is to protect ourselves by completely pulling away from them and others. Isolation feels like the “safe” thing to do.

But in doing that we’re playing into the enemy’s hand.

Our true enemy is Satan, not the person who offended you.  When we allow Satan to outwit us with his strategies, he takes things that belong to us in Jesus, things like peace, joy, fellowship, a sense of forgiveness and victory.

Satan looks to take advantage of our mistakes, as a church and individuals. He uses it to cause division with each other and distance in our personal relationship with Christ. It becomes a hindrance in our ability to reach others with the gospel.

When we choose to hold onto a grudge, we’re basically saying that the pain this person caused us is greater than what Christ has done for us.  We’re elevating it into a position of authority in our lives.

Satan’s strategy against Paul was simply to make him so stressed out and upset over the Corinthian Christians that he lost peace and was less effective in ministry.

Paul was upset over other believers. He was encouraging them to forgive a fellow believer who had made a mistake.

If we don’t deal with these emotions in a Christ like manner, we will keep them. We will feed them, and they will grow.  And they will lead us in the wrong direction, which will not only hurt ourselves but others – which is what Paul was stressing.

Don’t elevate the offense – elevate Christ. Mercy always triumphs!

“Father help us to see those who have hurt us the way You see them.  Help us to offer forgiveness and keep us from being outwitted by the schemes of Satan.”

For His Glory,

Laura Holmes (www.ephraimministries.org)
TRBC Women’s Life

 

 

 

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Posted in Spiritual Growth, Spiritual Living, Wisdom

Posted by: trbccoffeebreak | February 1, 2022

Choosing Stones

“This precious value, then, is for you who believe; but for those who disbelieve, “The stone which the builders rejected, This became the very cornerstone,” and, “A stone of stumbling and a rock of offense”; for they stumble because they are disobedient to the word, and to this doom they were also appointed.”  1 Peter 2:7-8

When our boys were in elementary and middle school, respectively, we went on a family vacation to the mountains of North Carolina. Looking back, I would label this the “rock” vacation. We went hiking on rock-faced Humpback Mountain and descended into Linville caverns, in awe of the limestone and stalactites. And we went horseback riding—which was a very, very rocky experience. (Suffice it to say, none of us have any desire to ever ride again.) But the highlight of the trip was probably when we went gem mining—or gemming.

Although pickaxes were not required, we were able to search for precious gems like garnet, aquamarine, amethyst, ruby, sapphire, and even emerald. But it’s not like in the old movies, when people are going through rocks and a bright, shiny emerald appears. Nope. Every stone in the bucket we were given looked like regular, dirty old rocks. We rinsed and sorted them, then reviewed a chart to figure out which gem we may be holding in our hands. Then we took them to the experts inside who inspected our choices and shared the value of what we had.

But without the chart and the experts, we would have rejected and tossed out every one of those stones.

Throughout the Bible, Jesus is talked about as a Rock (Psalm 18:2; 1 Corinthians 10:4; 1 Samuel 2:2; Psalm 62:2). And all these verses, Old and New Testament, are so encouraging, as they tout the incomparable value of the Lord. When we trust Him, we are setting our feet on a solid foundation of Truth. So, when the winds and wave of life crash down, that foundation stands—and so do we.

But God’s Word also warns about rejecting this Rock—tossing Him out as without value (Psalm 118:22; 1 Peter 2:7-8; Romans 9:33). In fact, this foundational cornerstone becomes a stumbling block to those who reject Him. They don’t see His precious value, what He means for a more joyful life now—or the eternal significance. Maybe they’ve “scooped up” some Truth at some point, but they looked at it and thought, “This old, outdated stuff isn’t relevant for today.” Or, “Why would I give up living life my way?” Although there’s a clear “chart” (the Bible) and “experts” (pastors, teachers, preachers), they choose instead to dump what they see as a stumbling block and walk away.

Friend, at some point in our life, we are all sitting at the gemming bench. We have a choice to see Jesus as the Rock of salvation, accepting Him as the Cornerstone of our life. Or we can reject Him, tossing Him aside for the shiny (and valueless) trinkets the world has to offer. Which stone will you choose today? Will you choose to accept Jesus as your solid foundation? Or will He become your stone of stumbling toward eternal separation from God?

“Lord, I pray that those who have rejected You will open their eyes to recognize Your value—that they trade their worldly trinkets for the Rock of salvation.”

For His Glory

 

Julianne Winkler Smith
TRBC Women’s Life

 

 

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Posted in Faith, Spiritual Growth, Wisdom

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