Richard Ellis Talks

When we ask God for something according to His will, He promises to answer us. But He doesn't promise to answer us in our way or in our timing. Scripture tells us to be persistent in our petitions no matter how long it takes, because we're asking for what He's put on our hearts, then He'll answer in His perfect timing.

We live in a broken world, and everybody's battle scars look different. But whether they're physical, emotional, or spiritual wounds, they all have one thing in common: the need for someone with compassion to help clean them up, no matter how messy the process.

Time and time again throughout the Old Testament, we see the Israelites turn away from God to find satisfaction in other things, and time and time again, we see that it ends badly for them. That's because the only true satisfaction we'll ever find is in God alone. But the Israelites weren't the only ones to make that mistake; we do it too, building our own "cisterns" that ultimately crack and leak while God, the Fountain of Life, is waiting all along for us to come to Him.

Sometimes God purposely places us or allows us in situations where we have to make a choice: are we going to stand for Him, or are we going to back down for the world? When we choose the former, we have to be willing to ask for support from other believers and recognize the wisdom of finding strength in numbers.

Happiness lives on the face -- but joy lives in the soul. Jesus promised there would be trials in this life, and we've all experienced hard moments where all we want to do is scream. Yet the Bible tells us to change our perspective and to see our troubles as joy, because God also promises to use all things for His good, and He's faithful to keep His promise.

We read in the Old Testament about how God used the worst possible events in Joseph's life to save an entire nation. We might not all be thrown into wells, put in prison, or made governors over an entire country, but we have one very important detail in common with Joseph: no matter what evil occurs in our lives, God is always capable of turning it around for His good.

The world is full of people who are addicted to something-- drugs, money, fame, sex, food, material possessions, and the list goes on. But true freedom requires more than just getting sober -- it requires getting clean. Jesus is the only One who can clean a person's life up from the inside out, and He waits patiently for us to answer the question, "Do you want to be made well?"

Have you ever felt bound by your sin and in desperate need to witness the evidence of God's work in your life? Fasting is one way of clearing the distractions from our vision so that we can more easily see what He's doing. It may not be some secret formula that gives us all the answers that we want when we want them, but as with any spiritual discipline, it ultimately draws us closer to Him through the process.

We've all heard the phrase "separation of church and state". But what about the phrase "separation of God and career"? Often, we identify ourselves by the jobs we do and the money we make. But inviting the Lord into our lives isn't limited to Sunday mornings -- it needs to happen Monday through Saturday too, including in our businesses and our workplaces.

There are moments when we find ourselves wrecked by our own choices, and there are moments when we face trials and tribulations even in the midst of absolute faithfulness and obedience. But no matter what circumstances we're in or how we got there, God can use them -- and us -- to do miraculous things. When we trust Him through the tough times instead of complaining about the situation, we demonstrate the hope we have in Jesus to an otherwise hopeless world.