The Daily Memo

Part of our healing comes with forgiveness (of ourselves and others), and part of it comes with repentance. But first, we have to begin with how God sees us. How he sees you. Do you know? You are deeply and completely loved  (Rom. 8:38–39) You are totally and completely forgiven (1 John 2:12) When God sees you, he sees the righteousness of Jesus (2 Cor. 5:21) You mean the whole world to him (John 3:16) He thinks you are beautiful. Right now (Song of Sol. 4:1) He…

Read through Proverbs, and you’re likely to notice God has some harsh words for those who are arrogant. But that doesn’t mean we’re to embrace self-loathing or low self-esteem. Neither extreme accurately captures who we are in Christ. In fact, both are a form of pride, as they involve determining our value for ourselves rather than leaving that to God. Jesus told His disciples, “I am the vine, you are the branches; the one who remains in Me, and I in…

Jesus’ values are nothing like the world’s, so grasping who we are as God’s children can be hard (Rom. 8:16-17). Since the culture’s way of thinking is powerful and at times intoxicating, it’s easy to lose our way while pursuing the abundant life God promises. If that happens, the freedom we expected to experience in Christ can feel weighed down by sinful behaviors and thought patterns—not least of which is worry. Anxiety comes readily…

The wounded horse was named Drummer Boy, one of 112 mounts carrying British soldiers into battle during the famed Charge of the Light Brigade. The animal showed such bravery and stamina that his assigned commander, Lieutenant Colonel de Salis, decided his horse deserved a medal as much as his valiant men. This was done even though their military action against enemy forces failed. Yet the cavalry’s valor, matched by the courage of their horses, established the clash…

At the 1853 world’s fair in New York City, a man named Elisha Otis pulled off a remark­able stunt. Otis was the inventor of the safety elevator, but he had a hard time selling his idea to skeptics. So, in the exhibition hall, he stood on an elevator platform suspended by a single rope. Then he had an axman cut the rope! The elevator fell—a few feet. The crowd let out a collective gasp. And Elisha Otis pronounced, “All safe, ladies and gentlemen. All safe.;…

Baseball was my favorite sport. Like most kids Little League was a place that offered an early opportunity to see if you liked to play and whether you were good at it. Dad was the coach for many of those years. I usually played Shortstop or Third Base. I also pitched and jumped in at First Base when necessary. I hit third or fourth in the lineup, a spot reserved for the best hitters. I was a decent player. Problem was - I had a bad temper. If I struck out or got pulled from…

All of us feel lonely from time to time, perhaps because of ill health, a busy work schedule, or moving for a new job or school. When that happens, we find it harder to reach out to friends. Our mind starts telling us no one’s interested in our thoughts or feelings, and we build walls around our heart that let few people in. The more we withdraw, the worse we feel. But it’s important to distinguish between loneliness and aloneness, because believers are never…

Did you ever peek ahead to the end of a story because you just couldn’t wait for the conclusion? This is oftentimes what we long to do in our own life, especially in difficult seasons. We want to know when our affliction will end. But only God knows the future, so we must learn to trust Him in the meantime. Joseph probably wished he could glance into the future to find out when his life would stop spiraling downward. Between the hatred of his brothers who sold him…

Everyone faces challenges in life, whether financial, vocational, relational, physical, or spiritual. When trouble comes, as it inevitably will, we should waste no time in bringing it to God. Jehoshaphat, the king of Judah, faced an enormous challenge as three nations simultaneously threatened to attack. The king immediately sought the Lord’s help. Notice that the bulk of his prayer focused on God’s greatness—acknowledging His almighty power, authority…