Rumination Journal

“Be anxious for nothing, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” — Philippians 4:6-7     Worry has a way of occupying our thoughts. We may find ourselves thinking repeatedly about a problem we cannot solve, a decision we must make, or someone we love who is facing difficulty. Even when we recognize that worrying accomplishes little, it can be difficult to release the concerns that weigh upon us. The apostle Paul offers a different response: bring those concerns to God in prayer. Writing to the Christians in Philippi, Paul encourages them to present their requests to God “by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving.” These words are especially meaningful when we remember that Paul wrote this letter while imprisoned. His encouragement did not arise from a life free of uncertainty or hardship. He knew what it meant to f...

“Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, for to this you were called as members of one body. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.” — Colossians 3:15-17     Gratitude is sometimes understood as a feeling that arises when something good happens. We receive an unexpected kindness, experience an answered prayer, or enjoy a meaningful moment, and thanksgiving naturally follows. But the apostle Paul describes gratitude as something much more enduring. It is a quality that can shape our relationships, worship, decisions, and daily conduct. In these three verses, Paul refers to thankfulness repeatedly. He tells the Colossians to be thankful, to sing with gratitude in their hearts, and to gi...

We live in a world where fear travels quickly. A troubling headline appears, a disturbing video circulates, or someone makes an alarming claim, and before long, we find ourselves wondering whom we can trust. Sometimes our fears are grounded in genuine dangers. Sometimes they are shaped by incomplete information. And sometimes they grow because we have come to believe something about an entire group of people whom we have never really known. One of the questions being raised in our society concerns people of the Muslim faith. We hear claims that Islam is inherently violent, that Muslims are commanded to hate Christians and Jews, or that every Muslim secretly desires the destruction of those who do not share their religion.   These are serious accusations. And because they are serious, Christians have a responsibility to examine them carefully. We cannot simply accept what someone tells us because it confirms what we already fear. Nor should we dismiss legitimate concerns about relig...

“The LORD is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in loving devotion. The LORD is good to all; His compassion rests on all He has made.” — Psalm 145:8-9     When we think about God's goodness, we often begin with the blessings we have personally received. We remember answered prayers, meaningful relationships, opportunities, and moments when we experienced His care. These are appropriate reasons for gratitude, but Psalm 145 invites us to consider something even greater: God's goodness extends far beyond our individual lives. “The LORD is good to all; His compassion rests on all He has made.” These words reveal the breadth of God's loving concern. His compassion is not confined to one nation, one community, or one group of people. As Creator, God cares for the world He has made. His goodness reaches beyond the boundaries human beings so often establish between themselves. Psalm 145 is a song of praise attributed to David. Throughout the psalm, David celebr...

“When you eat and are satisfied, you are to bless the LORD your God for the good land that He has given you. Be careful that you do not forget the LORD your God by failing to keep His commandments and ordinances and statutes, which I am giving you this day. Otherwise, when you eat and are satisfied, when you build fine houses in which to dwell, and when your herds and flocks grow large and your silver and gold increase and all that you have is multiplied, then your heart will become proud and you will forget the LORD your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery. He led you through the vast and terrifying wilderness, with its venomous snakes and scorpions, a thirsty and waterless land. He brought you water from the rock of flint. He fed you in the wilderness with manna that your fathers had not known, in order to humble you and test you, so that in the end He might cause you to prosper. You might say in your heart, ‘The power and strength of my hands ha...

“Give thanks to the LORD, for He is good; His loving devotion endures forever. Let the redeemed of the LORD say so, whom He has redeemed from the hand of the enemy.” — Psalm 107:1–2     Some expressions of gratitude arise from a particular moment. We thank someone for a kindness, an unexpected gift, or help during a difficult situation. Other expressions of gratitude reach much deeper. They arise from recognizing a relationship that has remained faithful through the changing circumstances of life. Psalm 107 begins with that deeper kind of thanksgiving. The psalmist does not simply say that God has done something good. He declares that God is good, and that His loving devotion endures forever. This distinction matters. If our gratitude depends entirely upon favorable circumstances, it will rise and fall with the events of each day. But when our thanksgiving is grounded in God's character, we have a reason to trust Him even when life is uncertain. The phrase “His loving devotio...