“A tranquil heart gives life to the flesh, but envy makes the bones rot.” (Proverbs 14:30, ESV) Having a tranquil heart is a good way to live. It sounds peaceful, calm, serene. But often life is not as tranquil as we would like because other things creep in—things that tear down rather than build up. Throughout the Bible, along with many uplifting passages we find stories of conflict, dissatisfaction, resentment, envy, and jealousy. Cain killed Able because of jealousy and resentment that Able offered the better sacrifice. Joseph’s brothers grew jealous because their father favored him most. King Saul became jealous and resentful of David’s popularity with the people. Leah felt envious of the love Jacob showed toward Rachel. In Jesus’ parable, the elder brother was jealous that his father welcomed the prodigal home. Jealousy is destructive and has been described as a cancer of the soul. James 3:16 warns us that, “For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder and every vile practice” (ESV). If life feels messy and chaotic, it’s time to check your heart. Could envy or jealousy be contributing to the turmoil in your life? Margaret Thatcher, former British Prime Minister, once wisely…

“I am who I am.” There are no more important words than these spoken by God. All other words in the Bible are only important because these words are true. In Exodus 3, God manifested Himself to Moses in a burning bush, so He could manifest Himself through Moses as a deliverer for His people. Because Moses’ authority was wrapped up in the God who commissioned him, he asked for His name to capture the essence of God’s character and being. In reply, God said, “‘I am who I am.’ And he said, ‘Say this to the people of Israel: “I am has sent me to you.”’ God also said to Moses, ‘Say this to the people of Israel: “The Lord, the God of your fathers … has sent me to you.”’ This is my name forever, and thus I am to be remembered throughout all generations” (Exodus 3:14-15, ESV). “I am” (Yahweh, Jehovah) is written in English translations as “Lord.” It is God’s personal, self-identifying name. It speaks of Him as self-existent, unlimited, unchanging, and ever-living. Note these distinguishing characteristics of God’s name: God is. The name “I am” makes the most important statement about God: He exists. It is a revelation of God’s complete…

The greatest obstacle preventing the Israelites from escaping Egypt and entering the Promised Land wasn’t Pharaoh and his vast army. It wasn’t the daunting Red Sea or the fortified Canaanite cities. The greatest obstacle to the fulfillment of God’s promise was the grumbling of God’s people. Grumbling gives voice to our distrust of God’s sovereignty in our lives. God said, “How long shall this wicked congregation grumble against me? I have heard the grumblings of the people of Israel, which they grumble against me” (Numbers 14:27, ESV). Like a parent who has reached the end of their patience, God had heard enough complaining, criticizing, and resisting. His response to that generation was forty years of wandering in the wilderness and denied entrance into the Promised Land. God takes grumbling seriously. If entitled thoughts like “It’s not fair,” “I deserve better,” or “Is that all?” have begun to take root in your heart, the cure is closer than you might think. Scripture offers us a better way—one that leads to freedom, contentment, and trust. Here are six practices to help us begin: 1. Surrender Desires. Jesus is the only one who has ever truly been entitled—yet He laid down His rights…

Gratitude is the gateway to the miraculous. We can learn to give thanks before our miracle by applying the lessons in thanksgiving modeled by Jesus. Thank God for Providing “He took the seven loaves and the fish, and having given thanks he broke them and gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the crowds” (Matthew 15:36, ESV). Jesus and the disciples were confronted with an overwhelming need. Both Matthew and Mark describe two different feedings of the multitude who had followed them for an extended length of time with no access to food. Jesus was conscious of the need and already had a supernatural solution in mind, but He called his disciples to action. Jesus said, “You give them something to eat.” Needs reveal the true object of our trust. Where do we turn for help in a crisis? Do we cry out to the Lord, or do we look for our own solutions? Jesus was testing His disciples to see where they would go when confronted with a need so great that no human plan would work. Acknowledging The Provider is a seed for a miracle. When we realize “What I can do is insufficient and…