Exhortations for The Soul

  Love, at its core, is beautiful, selfless, and transformative, but it often comes with pain.   Exploring whether “love hurts” reveals deeper truths about the sacrificial and enduring nature of love, as seen through most importantly Jesus’ life, but also in romantic relationships and platonic bonds. 1. Jesus’ Sacrificial Love In His humanness, Jesus experienced immense physical and emotional pain out of love for you and me.   His suffering on the cross is a profound example of love’s cost:    •   Physical Pain: Isaiah 53:5 KJV - “But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.” The crucifixion represents the ultimate sacrifice, where love bore the weight of humanity’s sin.    •   Emotional Pain: Jesus wept over Jerusalem, lamenting their unwillingness to accept His love Luke 19:41 - “And when he was come...

t the start of the week is always a great time to do some introspection, some reflection and some projection and to take intentional action. For me, there are many days when I feel like the Apostle Paul. He said at one point, in 2 Corinthians 4:8-9 AMP “We are pressured in every way [hedged in], but not crushed; perplexed [unsure of finding a way out], but not driven to despair; hunted down and persecuted, but not deserted [to stand alone]; struck down, but never destroyed;”   Paul was speaking to the Church at Corinth, encouraging them in their faith journey, especially as they faced hardships.  As much as we are encouraged as Christians to speak life and live, we cannot bury our heads in the sand and pretend that we do not have some concerns sometimes that want to overwhelm us.   The Bible acknowledges that we will have trouble. John 16:33 “I have told you these things, so that in Me you may have [perfect] peace. In the world you have tribulation and distress and suffer...

When someone betrays us, the first thing our human nature tells us to do is to seek revenge, retaliate, hurt   them like they hurt you.   Especially if you have been loyal or faithful to this person and they backstabbed you. The anger that wells up in us is not normal nor healthy. Everyone knows someone who betrayed them. Or we may have betrayed somebody. If you're in this position, today is your day for a breakthrough. Amen?! Because chances are if you're in that position, you are walking in un-forgiveness. Chances are you may have already come through such a situation and you may have something to share that will help someone else. The Holy Spirit is asking us today to serve love for betrayal.   The Bible contains numerous examples of individuals, especially Jesus, showing love and serving others even in the face of betrayal.     1. There's the story of Jesus and one of His disciples, Judas Iscariot, in John 13:1-30.   Jesus knew Judas would betray Him, b...

Do you believe that God created the world in six days?   Then how is it we don’t believe that He can provide something as simple as a job for us? Well we say we know God can do anything, God is bigger than all of our problems, God is our Helper and Provider. But in the same breath, we worry about how long we have been trying to get a job and the many doors that have been closed on us. How is it that when we get ill we don’t believe that God can heal our bodies that He created?   What about those troublesome relationships? Do we believe that God can bring peace out of chaos?   What is the challenge you face today that you are having a difficult time receiving your miracle?   When we reflect on the question, “How big is your God?” it challenges us to examine how much we trust in His power, presence, and promises in our everyday lives. Because God’s bigness isn’t just about His infinite size but about His ability to work in every situation—no matter how small or large. ...