Key Connections (November 24, 2017)

A Beautiful Table and a Bitter Heart (Melissa Kruger, The Gospel Coalition)

As we quiet our hearts before the Lord, offering up the sacrifice of praise for his goodness in our lives, we prepare our hearts to experience the joy of giving thanks. Counting our blessings instead of counting our bitters allows us to to experience the truth of Proverbs 15:15: “The cheerful of heart has a continual feast.”

The Most Repeated Command in the Bible (Jon Bloom, Desiring God)

Don’t move past this too quickly. Let it sink in: more than anything else, God commands us to be happy. God wants you to be truly, deeply happy. Not just in heaven someday. Not when circumstances take a turn for the better. Not when the sorrow or the darkness finally lifts. God wants you to taste real joy today. Now.

Don’t Let Me Give Way to Despair (Kristen Wetherell, Revive Our Hearts)

Father God, the sum of Your Word is truth! And I want to believe all of it. You speak to me so I would know who You are and believe what is true. Father, protect my mind from lies that come during trials, and guard my heart from acting on these lies. Your truth and character are steadfast, sufficient, and strengthening! Help me believe Your truth! Don’t let me give way to despair, but lead me to my Hope, my Lord and Savior, Jesus. Amen.

Become a Murderer in Five Easy Steps (Tim Chester, The Good Book Blog)

David didn’t decide to murder Uriah in a single moment. He was drawn into sin step by step. Even if your path doesn’t end in murder, it may end with the destruction of your soul. For, one way or another, sin leads to death. James says, “After desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death” (James 1:15). This is a life-and-death issue.

Why Christians Should Not Get Angry with the Lost (Colin Smith, Unlocking the Bible)

Blaring the horns of condemnation may give vent to Christian frustrations, but it does nothing to solve the human problem. People who are blind, bound, and dead need a Savior who is able to open their eyes to the truth, set them free from the powers that bind them, and raise them up in the power of a new life—and this is precisely what God offers to all of us in Jesus Christ.

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