And I took your father Abraham from the other side of the flood, and led him throughout all the land of Canaan, and multiplied his seed, and gave him Isaac. Joshua 24:3

Is this not what the Lord does for us? He takes us from the backside of sin and bondage and leads us to the foot of Calvary where relationship between a holy God and sinful man can be restored. Is it not there, by way of the precious blood of Jesus, that all the grace and mercy of God can be ours in abundance? Has He not multiplied you, giving you tenfold joy far beyond the ravages that sin had brought upon you, giving you a hope and a future? The enemy of your soul would lie to you, making you believe that God is punishing you for your past. If you are a child of God through repentance and faith in Jesus Christ, all the just punishment that your sin incurred was poured out on God’s Son on Calvary’s Cross. For the believer, He doesn’t work on the basis of punishment to bring pain, He chastises to bring correction. Are you being disciplined by the Lord? Be assured it’s because He loves you far beyond your ability to fathom, and He will not tolerate you going any other way than grace and faith in the finished work of Christ. Repent and look to Jesus, going His way, and watch Him take, lead, multiply, and give you what you could never work for, earn, or deserve. 

In the dust of His feet,

Sunni Hoffman

(3) So Peter and the other disciple went forth, and they were going to the tomb. (4) The two were running together; and the other disciple ran ahead faster than Peter and came to the tomb first; (5) and stooping and looking in, he saw the linen wrappings lying there; but he did not go in. – John 20:3-5

Who are we running with and where are they running to? Peter and John (‘the other disciple whom Jesus loved’ – vs. 2) had walked in closeness of proximity, but now they ran in camaraderie of spirit. After the darkest, yet most victorious, day in all of history, they ran together to find Jesus. We may walk alongside many by virtue of similar interests, but run alongside far fewer by virtue of singularity of focus. I don’t have time to take detours with the double-minded; my youth is near spent and the harvest is now ripe. There were many who followed Jesus to the healing of Jairus’ daughter, but only three (Peter, James & John) were allowed in the room. Why? Scoffers on the outside, believers on the inside. Link arms with those who see the need and know the Answer – Christ and Him crucified – for every problem that ails mankind. Run with those who are going to join you at the finish line and who will help you pull in your ‘catch of fish’ along the way (Luke 5:7).