“Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord.” Psalm 27:14 (NIV) Words repeated in Scripture often carry special significance. In Psalm 27:14, we see a beautiful symmetry: “Wait for the Lord” bookends the verse, embracing the central encouragement to “be strong and take heart.”…

“You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised.” Hebrews 10:36 (NIV) Faith isn’t always a sprint; sometimes it’s a marathon. The Israelites learned this lesson as they circled Jericho day after day. For six long days, they…

“By faith the walls of Jericho fell, after the army had marched around them for seven days.” Hebrews 11:30 (NIV) Sometimes, our efforts seem to lead nowhere. The Israelites at Jericho might have felt this way. For six days, they walked around the city walls, following God’s unusual plan. Each…

“And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.” Hebrews 10:24-25 (NIV) Faith is not a solitary…

What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save them? James 2:14 (NIV) Faith and obedience are like two wings of a bird. One without the other renders flight impossible. Many of us struggle with this concept,…