This is the final devotional in our series A Pilgrimage Fueled by Hope and it’s so appropriate that we end with a quick review of lessons learned from…

Anna, Hannah and Mary joined us on our Pilgrimage Fueled by Hope and left us with much to process. Each woman faced shocking challenges that could have left her hopeless…

The writer of Hebrews sent this letter to people who wanted to quit. They started their journey as believers filled with hope and a willingness to give up everything…

Watching Jesus interact with His Father as a little child interacts with a parent, teaches us the beauty of dependence on our Heavenly Father. Jesus, equal to God, submitted…

A mission statement that flows from a biblical worldview becomes a map that helps us stay on track or get back on track…

I lived a long time without realizing I had a worldview! I think a lot of people are like that, living life without identifying their core…

We started our Pilgrimage Fueled by Hope devotional series by asking the questions, “What is your auto response or default mode when life…

What an emotional roller coaster for the people of Judah and the king. Fierce enemies prepare to take over…

During an interview with a friend who lost a son, I asked her, “Is it true that God doesn’t give us more than we can handle?” She laughed out loud and…

I love that King Jehoshaphat recognizes that he is in over his head and his first steps are to humbly seek God and to call the people of Judah to fast and…

Jehoshaphat follows the call of God in 1 Chronicles 7:14. He reacts to his sin and Jehu’s exhortation with humility rather than arrogance and pride. His first steps…

Little did Jehoshaphat know that his response to Jehu’s rebuke was preparing him for the battle of all battles. Rather than imprison Jehu as King Ahab had…

Jehu did not wait for Jehoshaphat to rest up or even clean up from the battlefield. He met him and lost no time in boldly declaring that Jehoshaphat had really…

The life of Jehoshaphat is a school room that can fuel our own pilgrimages with hope. He committed his life to serving God, but he still…

Jehoshaphat owns his sinful choices and reacts to Jehu’s rebuke with humility and repentance. Remember how he started out his reign…

Weary, emotionally exhausted, in wonder at the close call of losing his life, filthy from battle, maybe wary of how God will treat him after this debacle of a battle, Jehoshaphat starts…

Remember that we can find Jesus in every Old Testament story, on every page of the Bible. We might not see His name, but He is there. There is a beautiful…

Ahab took the throne of Israel after the death of his father Omri (a despicably evil man). His rule began during the last years of the reign of King…

On the heels of describing the enormous accomplishments and prosperity Jehoshaphat enjoyed because of God’s blessings, this godly King makes an alliance with Ahab, the evil king…

Like so many, Jehoshaphat started a new chapter in his life with a heart “devoted to the ways of the Lord.” He didn’t just “put on” godly behavior, he put off…

I chose to end our Pilgrimage Fueled by Hope devotional series with the story of Jehoshaphat because his life mirrors so many of our own. Like us, he is on a pilgrimage through life…

During the worst days and months of my grief journey, my default mode was to turn to close friends for help. Through them God kept His promise…

As I have dug deeper into the lives of Anna, Hannah and Mary, I am struck by the tangible demonstration of the promises of the Covenant and why…

The similarities in Hannah and Mary’s songs are striking and a reminder that writers, moved by the Holy Spirit, wrote…

Though Mary never met Hannah, Mary’s song of praise parallels Hannah’s worship song. I like the idea of Hannah “mentoring” Mary through…

Hannah’s song requires much more than a devotional in order to unpack the rich doctrines and joy that drives its way out of Hannah’s heart and into these…

The parallels between Mary, the mother of Jesus, God’s Son, and Hannah, the mother of Samuel, God’s priest, are remarkable. Neither woman’s claim…

What is your default mode when life comes crashing down? What systems are you building into your life while the sun shines that will fuel…

Our small group always ended with prayer but our leader felt we needed to go deeper so she suggested that each person pray a sentence prayer…

To experience the full impact of commitment to doing life in community with a small group of Christians requires an equal commitment to vulnerability and a willingness to…

In our Today’s Treasure verse we see a practical application of the power of Christian community. In response to the teaching of the Word, early Christians committed…

David wrote Psalm 133, a song sung by the Israelites when they were on pilgrimage to Jerusalem. David knew the agony of division and conflict in…

When God said it was not good for Adam to be alone, He wasn’t just talking about the beauty of marriage between a man and woman. In those few words, God states that…

Aloneness created a need in Adam for another person. So God created Eve. Note that Adam’s loneliness was not an “oops moment” for God. Creating Eve was…

When Susan’s husband announced another promotion that required another move, her thoughts quickly jumped to grief over losing her circle of friends coupled with…

How was your week? What does next week look like? Are people pressing in on you to meet their needs? Did your boss task you with…

Jesus models for us how to depend on God the way a child depends on his or her father. We see Him rising early to pray before choosing…

A friend’s daughter told her she no longer believed in God. Her precious daughter wanted out of her marriage, saying her husband refused to love her…

About a year after our son Mark’s death I continued to wrestle with how to reconcile God’s love with His sovereignty. Though the words on the pages of…

The first chapter of Mark in the Bible describes an incredible pouring out of emotional, physical and spiritual energy from the life of Jesus. He chose…

Shortly after the death of our son, our five-year-old niece asked her mother why she should pray, because everyone she prayed for died. Wondering the…

Susan’s frantic phone call to my husband Chuck terrified us. She didn’t know what to do for her husband, John, who gasped for air in the…

How does the love of Jesus drive your mission statement? The board and team that run MARKINC Ministries, a non-profit that we started after…

When our sons asked me what songs I wanted sung at Mark’s memorial service, I didn’t hesitate to ask for O, the Deep, Deep Love of Jesus. Though we wanted to…

Paul and Silas died to self when they sang at midnight. They didn’t just sing, they sang loudly! They sang so loud that the other prisoners heard them. I often smile thinking about how…

Throughout Scripture, we have stories of people faced with circumstances that crushed their plans and their dreams. Many were walking by faith, doing exactly what…

Someone has said: I find it fascinating that most people plan their vacation with better care than they do their lives. Perhaps that is…

Last week we took a glimpse into the life of the Proverbs 31 “virtuous woman” and recognized that Lemuel’s mother used military terms to describe the…

Where do you turn when life turns upside down? What if that crisis means you cannot work the job you love, build the family of your dreams, or…

Let’s finish this week with the same question with which we started: What is your default mode when life comes crashing down? What is your automatic response…

When life came crashing down and I wanted to run away from life and faith, those many years of intentionally seeking out the wisdom of those ahead of me in…

Mention Job and even those unfamiliar with the Bible, immediately know that you’re talking about someone who lost everything. One of…

When life comes crashing down, knowing I don’t belong “here” and that this earth is not my Home, fuels my journey with hope…

What structures are you intentionally building into your daily life that will act as weight bearing walls when life crashes down on your…

The family room looked like a scene out of a Hallmark movie. The fireplace glowed, Christmas lights twinkled, and five of our grandchildren quietly explored their…

In her book, Pursue the Intentional Life, Jean Flemingsss tells the story of a man whose lifelong disciplines and creativity saved his life when the…