Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles of any kind come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing. (James 1:2–4 NLT)

I became a Christian when I was seventeen years old. I’d never been to church, never read the Bible. I’d asked Christ to come into my life, but I knew nothing about the Christian walk. A fellow believer warned me that I would face trials and be tempted by the devil. I didn’t even know the devil existed.

Not long afterward, a pretty girl who I’d noticed but never had the courage to talk to walked up to me in class and said, “Hi, what’s your name?”

While I stumbled for an answer, I was thinking, “Why is this pretty girl talking to me? She’s never even acknowledged my existence before.”

She said, “You’re really cute. I was wondering if you’d like to spend the weekend with me and go to my parents’ cabin.”

And I realized, This is temptation. This is the devil. He doesn’t have a pointed tail. She has dark hair and blue eyes, and she’s looking at me. And I said no.

I wish I could tell you that as the years pass, trials and temptations grow fewer and farther between. But that’s not the case. Of course, I don’t need to tell you that. If you’re not facing a trial or temptation right now, you probably recently faced one. Or you see one on the horizon. And you can’t understand why they keep coming. You’re wondering, “What’s wrong with me? What have I done to deserve this?”

Here’s a better question: What’s right with you? You’re being attacked with trials and temptations because the devil sees you as a threat and wants to stop you. So God’s allowing these trials and temptations for a purpose. It’s said that Christians are a lot like tea bags: You don’t know what they’re made of until you put them in hot water. If you’re feeling the hot water of trials or temptation right now, you have a chance to show what you’re made of.

On the other hand, people who say “I’m not going through any trials, and I can’t remember the last time I was tempted” are revealing their spiritual ineffectiveness. The devil doesn’t waste his time with a neutralized Christian. He focuses his attacks on those who are threats to his stronghold.

But here’s the good news: Jesus said that “the gates of hell shall not prevail against” His church (Matthew 16:18 ESV). Have you ever seen a movie where an army storms a castle and uses a battering ram to smash the gates? Apply that image to Jesus’ words. Christians are the invading army. The gospel is our battering ram. And the gates of Hell—the devil’s strongholds in this world—can’t withstand it.

So, the devil will use the weapons at his disposal, including trials and temptations, to try to take out his most dangerous adversaries. If you’re going through trials and temptations, stay strong. And, congratulations, Satan considers you a threat.

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How precious are your thoughts about me, O God. They cannot be numbered! (Psalm 139:17 NLT)

Have you ever had someone tell you they’ve been thinking about you and praying for you? If that person is important to you, then it’s a significant statement. The very thought of their thinking about and praying for you warms your heart.

The good news is that the Creator of the universe, the almighty God who knows every star by name and every thought that we think, has been both praying for and thinking about us as individuals.

If I knew right now that Jesus was in the next room praying for me personally, I think that would give me the strength to face any problem or obstacle. Yet the fact is that Jesus Christ is interceding for each of us in Heaven.

Hebrews 7:25 tells us that Jesus “is able, once and forever, to save those who come to God through him. He lives forever to intercede with God on their behalf” (nlt). And Romans 8:34 says, “Who then will condemn us? No one—for Christ Jesus died for us and was raised to life for us, and he is sitting in the place of honor at God’s right hand, pleading for us” (NLT).

Thus, in a very real sense, Jesus is praying for us. He is pulling for us. He is interceding for us.

And not only that, but God is thinking about us as well. The psalmist David wrote, “How precious are your thoughts about me, O God. They cannot be numbered! I can’t even count them; they outnumber the grains of sand! And when I wake up, you are still with me!” (Psalm 139:17–18 NLT).

God is omniscient, which simply means that He is all-knowing. He knows the end from the beginning and what will happen before it happens.

We, on the other hand, watch history as it unfolds. Yet God sees the big picture. He knows every thought that we think and will think. Earlier in Psalm 139, David wrote, “You know when I sit down or stand up. You know my thoughts even when I’m far away” (verse 2 NLT).

Not only does God know every thought that we think, but He also knows every word that we speak. He sees every act that we commit. And He is thinking about us constantly.

We should be encouraged by the fact that God is paying attention to us. In fact, it becomes a litmus test of our relationship with Him. If the thought that God is watching us, is aware of us, and is thinking about us brings joy to our hearts, it would be an indication that our lives are right with Him. Of course, that is not to say we’re living perfect, flawless lives. But it is to say we take comfort in the knowledge that God is aware of us constantly.

God knows everything about us. He knows about our fears. He knows about our dreams. And He knows about the things that frighten us and excite us. He is aware of everything we’re facing in life.

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There are “friends” who destroy each other, but a real friend sticks closer than a brother. (Proverbs 18:24 NLT)

Sociologists tell us that in the first stage of life, we are shaped mostly by our family. In the second stage of life—and for the rest of our lives—we are shaped largely by our friends. Show me your friends, and I’ll show you your future. In ways big and small, we become like the people we spend time with. Our friends influence us for better or worse. They either elevate us and motivate us to be our best possible selves, or they take us down with them.

And we do the same for them. Some people bring joy wherever they go. Others bring joy whenever they go. Which one are you? Are you Bobby Buzzkill or Debbie Downer? Are you the one who lights up a room or turns the lights off? Are you the one who builds others up or the one who tears them down?

Proverbs 18:24 distinguishes between destructive “friends” and real friends. But in our lives, it’s sometimes hard to tell the difference between friends “who destroy” and friends who stick “closer than a brother.” And if you don’t have a lot of friends, it’s hard to tell whether a friend who destroys is worse than no friend at all.

The Bible offers several tips for finding godly friends and avoiding ungodly ones. Proverbs 22:24 says, “Don’t befriend angry people or associate with hot-tempered people” (NLT). Psalm 1:1–2 says, “Oh, the joys of those who do not follow the advice of the wicked, or stand around with sinners, or join in with mockers. But they delight in the law of the Lord, meditating on it day and night” (NLT).

The best places to find these potential friends are where God’s people meet. Worshipping or serving together at church or in a ministry is ideal common ground on which to build a friendship.

If you already have godly friendships, treat them like the treasures they are. Give God thanks for them. Express your gratitude to your friends. Refuse to take them for granted. Respect their time, their opinions, their boundaries, their privacy, and their personal preferences.

Be the godly friend your friends need. Pray for them daily in a meaningful way. Stay informed about their needs and struggles so that you can take each one before God individually. Encourage them with words of comfort, motivation, and wisdom from Scripture. Put genuine effort into your friendship. Give it a place of priority in your life. Do the heavy lifting when necessary. Refuse to allow minor squabbles to grow into something bigger. Be quick to understand and forgive. Keep the lines of communication open.

Be the person who sticks closer than a brother no matter what happens.

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But thank God! He has made us his captives and continues to lead us along in Christ’s triumphal procession. Now he uses us to spread the knowledge of Christ everywhere, like a sweet perfume. (2 Corinthians 2:14 NLT)

Fragrance is a tricky thing. The right scent, applied in the right amount, can be pleasant and attractive. On the other hand, the wrong scent—or the right scent applied too heavily—can be an annoyance. You probably know someone who wears too much cologne or perfume. Someone who splashes it on by the handful. Someone who makes sure that everyone they come into contact with walks away smelling like them. You don’t want to be that person.

Paul uses fragrance to illustrate what happens when Christians share our faith. When Christians enter a room—or enter a conversation—the knowledge of Christ can be like a sweet perfume. Under the right circumstances, it draws people a little closer and lingers, in a good way, after we leave.

Of course, different people have different reactions to fragrances. A pleasing scent to one person may be a stench to others. And something that’s a pleasing scent in one context may not be in another. Take garlic as an example. It’s delicious on food and smells good when it’s cooking. But it doesn’t smell so great on someone’s breath afterward, does it?

The same goes with living in a godly way and sharing your faith. Some people will be attracted to it; others will be offended by it. But we can’t let people’s potential reactions discourage us from the task at hand. My responsibility is to live and share the gospel. I must live it because nothing is a worse witness than a hypocritical Christian.

If you’re sincere about your faith, I encourage you to engage people in evangelistic conversations. People are scared right now. There’s a lot of uncertainty in the air. Look at the headlines. Opioid use is up. Alcohol sales are up. Suicide rates are up. People are looking for truth and hope. This is a moment for us to step into that conversation and talk truthfully about the hope we’ve found in Christ.

But let me add something that might surprise you. To some people, I would say, please don’t talk about Jesus. You may think I’m contradicting myself, so let me explain. If you’re seeking to live a godly life, then, by all means, look for opportunities to talk about Jesus. Notice that I didn’t say a perfect life. The truth is, we all fall short. We all will mess up. But if you’re sincere—if you’re really trying to honor God in the way you live—you can make a powerful impression on unbelievers.

On the other hand, if you’re living a hypocritical life, if you’re contradicting what the Bible says in the way you live, please do us all a favor and don’t talk about Jesus. Instead, you should focus on repenting of your sin and getting right with God before you talk to others.

A. W. Tozer wrote, “The world is waiting to hear an authentic voice. A voice from God, not an echo from what others are doing and saying, but an authentic voice.” That voice could be yours.

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There is a path before each person that seems right, but it ends in death. (Proverbs 16:25 NLT)

Jeremiah 17:9 warns that following your heart—that is, trusting your emotions to guide you—is a bad idea because the heart is deceitful and wicked. But what about your gut instinct, that little voice inside you that occasionally whispers, “Go for it”? Or occasionally shouts, “This is a really bad idea!” Some people refer to it as intuition or a “sixth sense.” And they’ll tell you it’s never steered them wrong yet. Everyone has a story about how their gut instinct kept them from making a decision they would have regretted. Or how it prompted them to take a risk that paid off big time.

Gut instinct seems trustworthy because it’s the voice of experience. It’s the diploma from the School of Hard Knocks. As you experience things—good and bad—in life, you start to get a sense of how things work, whether you realize it or not. You start to recognize which paths lead to greener pastures and which ones lead to regret. So when you’re faced with a dilemma or choice, that hard-earned wisdom makes itself known through gut instinct. Or so the thinking goes.

The problem is, you can’t trust your gut. I don’t know about you, but my gut gets me into trouble. When I’m hungry in the evening as I’m driving home, my mind says, “You should just have a nice salad.” My gut says Taco Bell.

You can’t trust your gut instinct because it doesn’t give you the perspective you need. No matter how much you’ve experienced in life, you don’t have the wisdom to know what tomorrow will bring. Gut instinct is the result of past performance. And as any investor will tell you, past performance is no guarantee of future results.

Proverbs 16:25 cuts right to the heart of the matter: “There is a path before each person that seems right” (NLT, emphasis added). Relying on gut instinct is dangerous guesswork. A path that ends in death may seem right deep down in your gut.

Proverbs 3:5–6 offers a better plan: “Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take” (NLT). God’s perspective isn’t limited at all. He can see your future as well as your past. He knows exactly where every path leads. He knows the destination that will bring you ultimate joy and fulfillment, and He knows each stop along the way.

God’s path leads to abundant life. That’s why you can trust Him with all your heart.

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“The human heart is the most deceitful of all things, and desperately wicked. Who really knows how bad it is?” (Jeremiah 17:9 NLT)

Bruce Springsteen had a “Hungry Heart.” Billy Ray Cyrus had an “Achy Breaky Heart.” Toni Braxton sang “Un-Break My Heart,” and the Bee Gees sang “How Can You Mend a Broken Heart,” which is a good question if you have an “achy breaky heart.” Of course, Celine Dion reminds us that the heart will go on, even if it’s hungry, achy breaky, or broken.

You can probably think of dozens of other songs that have the word heart in their titles. The heart holds a special place in our culture—especially pop culture—because it represents our deepest emotions. Romantics believe that our emotions are the purest essence of who we are. Your body can be tempted. Your mind can be deceived. But your heart will never lead you astray. Or so says the plot of every romantic comedy to come out of Hollywood. So the only way to find true happiness and ultimate fulfillment in life is to (say it with me) follow your heart.

But in Jeremiah 17:9, God says, “Not so fast.” There’s nothing particularly noble or pure about the human heart. In fact, you’d have a hard time finding anything more deceitful or wicked. The heart is selfish. It wants what it wants, regardless of the consequences or the pain it causes others.

It doesn’t have to be that way. In Ezekiel 36:26, God tells the people of Israel, “I will give you a new heart, and I will put a new spirit in you. I will take out your stony, stubborn heart and give you a tender, responsive heart” (NLT). This spiritual heart transplant changes everything. You develop a tender, responsive heart by filling your mind with God’s Word, meditating on it, obeying it, and letting it change you from the inside. When your heart becomes a conduit for God’s wisdom and love, it can be trusted. And it can be useful.

David wrote, “Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you your heart’s desires” (Psalm 37:4 NLT). Taking delight in the Lord means recognizing that His ways are best. The result is a desire to make sure His will is done. When you align your life with God’s will, your heart changes. It becomes more like God’s. And when your prayers sync with what God wants for you, God gives you the desires of your heart.

Until God changes your heart, it will lead you astray if you try to follow it. It will deceive you into believing that it can guide you to genuine happiness and fulfillment. In reality, only God can deliver those things.

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Then the angel showed me a river with the water of life, clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb. It flowed down the center of the main street. On each side of the river grew a tree of life, bearing twelve crops of fruit, with a fresh crop each month. The leaves were used for medicine to heal the nations. No longer will there be a curse upon anything. For the throne of God and of the Lamb will be there, and his servants will worship him. And they will see his face, and his name will be written on their foreheads. And there will be no night there—no need for lamps or sun—for the Lord God will shine on them. And they will reign forever and ever. (Revelation 22:1–5 NLT)

I love to talk about Heaven. I love to think deeply about Heaven. Why? It’s my future destination as a Christian—and it’s yours, too, if you’ve received Christ. What will we see when we get to Heaven? What will we do there? The Bible offers us some tantalizing glimpses, but that’s all they are—glimpses.

It reminds me of when I’m in a movie theater, and they show trailers for new films. I remember one film that I was very excited about seeing because the trailer was amazing. And then I saw the film. Guess what? The trailer was better.

We don’t have to worry about that with Heaven. The Bible says, “No eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has imagined what God has prepared for those who love him” (1 Corinthians 2:9 NLT).

God blesses us with little glimpses of glory—special moments when you’re with family or friends or when you watch a spectacular sunset, sunrise, or rainbow. If you ever get tired of a rainbow, something just might be wrong with you!

All these beautiful things are God’s creation. And they remind us that something greater is coming. Heaven isn’t a watered-down version of the greatest moments on Earth. The greatest moments on Earth are a glimpse of greater things to come. Heaven will be your greatest dreams realized and even more.

Heaven is a place of feasting and fellowship. A place of activities and worship. A place of fun and celebration that will put the sufferings of this world in context.

Will you be there? We decide in this life where we will spend the afterlife. Do you have absolute certainty that you will go to Heaven when you die? Remember, you don’t go to Heaven to find Christ. You go to Christ to find Heaven. It’s through Jesus—and only Jesus—that we will get to Heaven.

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“You are the light of the world—like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden. No one lights a lamp and then puts it under a basket. Instead, a lamp is placed on a stand, where it gives light to everyone in the house.” (Matthew 5:14–15 NLT)

After Jesus said His followers are “the salt of the earth” (Matthew 5:13 NLT), He said we’re also “the light of the world.” The contrast between those two images, salt and light, is interesting. Salt is hidden; light is obvious. If you’ve ever been in a movie theater when someone pulls out their phone to check messages or scroll through social media, you know how obvious light is in a dark place.

Salt works secretly; light works openly. Salt works from within; light works from without. Salt represents an indirect influence of the gospel; light represents a more direct communication. Salt and light work in harmony. If I’m salty—that is, if I’m living as I ought to live as a follower of Jesus—it effectively earns me the right to let my light shine before others.

By its very nature, light exposes darkness. Have you ever lost something in the dark? Maybe, say, a burrito in your car at night. You don’t know where it went. But when you look the next morning, you find it with no problem. A little light exposed it.

In the same way, when God’s light shines in our lives, we see things we haven’t seen before. In John 3:19, Jesus says, “And the judgment is based on this fact: God’s light came into the world, but people loved the darkness more than the light, for their actions were evil” (nlt). People who are evil hate the light. They avoid it, lest their evil deeds be exposed.

That’s why if you ask certain people to go to church with you, you get an emphatic no. They want nothing to do with it. Or if you try to read a Bible passage, you get an objection. Church and God’s Word shine spotlights into dark places. People don’t want to come to the light or have a conversation about Jesus because they don’t want to change their lifestyle. They’ve grown accustomed to the dark and don’t want it exposed.

Remember, though, light also shows the way out of darkness. When I’m in a hotel room, I leave a light on—usually in the bathroom—in case I need to go there in the middle of the night. When I’m navigating unfamiliar territory, I don’t want to trip. The light helps me find my way through the darkness.

In the same way, God’s light helps people navigate through the darkness of this world so that they can find their way to Him. And Jesus gives us the privilege of being that light for others.

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