goforwardinfaith Christianity, Religion, Theology

Footprints

By Linda Tancs

Footprints in the Sand is a popular poem about walking with God. Symbolized by footprints in the sand, the poem highlights the idea that during difficult times, when only one set of footprints is visible, it’s because God is carrying the person, not abandoning them. It evokes Psalm 55. In verse 22, we’re reminded to cast our cares. One theologian remarked that when we cast our cares, He lifts us up, burdens and all. Just like one set of footprints in the sand. Think about that the next time you see prints on a sandy beach.

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As part of FOOT FORWARD MINISTRIES (a teaching and speaking ministry), Go Forward in Faith represents faith-based meditations for personal and professional growth. Join the Facebook group @goforwardinfaith.

goforwardinfaith Christianity, Religion, Theology

Sycamores

By Linda Tancs

The sycamore tree is mentioned several times in the Bible, both in the Old Testament and the New Testament. In the New Testament, the most well-known passage involving sycamore trees describes Zacchaeus, a short tax collector, who climbed a sycamore tree to see Jesus pass through Jericho (Luke 19:1-4). Particularly in that context, the story symbolizes a rising up beyond one’s circumstances toward something greater. In life, though, the sycamore might evoke the feeling of “sick of more.”

What are your “sycamores?” Sick of more: strife, depression, anxiety, loneliness? Rise above it. Seek higher ground, like Zacchaeus.

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As part of FOOT FORWARD MINISTRIES (a teaching and speaking ministry), Go Forward in Faith represents faith-based meditations for personal and professional growth. Join the Facebook group @goforwardinfaith.

goforwardinfaith Christianity, Religion, Theology

Clear and Present Danger

By Linda Tancs

“Clear and present danger” is a legal standard used to determine when speech or actions can be limited or restricted under the First Amendment, specifically when they pose a significant and immediate threat to public safety or national security. We should treat the devil as a clear and present danger and do everything to restrict him (James 4:7). He is a deceiver and a source of harm, both morally and physically, through temptation, sin and suffering. Pay no mind to his speech or his actions; gird yourself with Truth (Ephesians 6:11-12).

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As part of FOOT FORWARD MINISTRIES (a teaching and speaking ministry), Go Forward in Faith represents faith-based meditations for personal and professional growth. Join the Facebook group @goforwardinfaith.

goforwardinfaith Christianity, Religion, Theology

Claim the Blessing

By Linda Tancs

When you travel, would you refuse to claim your luggage? Of course not. It’s your property; it belongs to you. But so many people refuse to claim their blessing. Are you one of them? Maybe you believe that you’re not blessed but, if you’re in Christ, the blessing has been given (Ephesians 1:3). Maybe you don’t understand the scope of the blessing given to you. It helps to review what the Bible says about blessings. For instance, it says that God’s mercy is fresh every morning (Lamentations 3:22-23). That’s at least one blessing that you can claim every day.

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As part of FOOT FORWARD MINISTRIES (a teaching and speaking ministry), Go Forward in Faith represents faith-based meditations for personal and professional growth. Join the Facebook group @goforwardinfaith.

goforwardinfaith Christianity, Religion, Theology

Dressed for Success

By Linda Tancs

The saying “clothes make the man” (or woman) implies that one’s appearance or attire will influence how others view you. Thankfully, God doesn’t anoint only smart dressers. Consider John the Baptist, a desert dweller dressed in camel hair eating a diet of wild locusts (Matthew 3:4). Jesus said that no greater man was born of a woman (Matthew 11:11). Inspired words come from those dressed in hoodies, jeans and sneakers just as readily as they come from those donned in dresses, ties and suits. Pay more attention to the words and less attention to the wardrobe.

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As part of FOOT FORWARD MINISTRIES (a teaching and speaking ministry), Go Forward in Faith represents faith-based meditations for personal and professional growth. Join the Facebook group @goforwardinfaith.

goforwardinfaith Christianity, Religion, Theology

Please Be Seated

By Linda Tancs

We usually hear the refrain “Are you sitting down?” when someone has something provocative to share. But being seated is more important than you think. In fact, it’s evocative of power and authority. Teachers and judges, for instance, traditionally exercised their office seated, so the chair became a symbol of authority. In the Old Testament, the Chair of Moses (mentioned in Matthew 23:2) is a symbol of teaching authority. Christians recognize the Chair of St. Peter as a symbol of the authority and primacy of the first Bishop of Rome and, for Catholics, the teaching authority of the Pope. Interestingly, the Latin word for “chair” is “cathedra.” Thus, to speak “ex cathedra” is to exercise one’s teaching authority “from the chair.” Now there’s a seat worth reserving.

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As part of FOOT FORWARD MINISTRIES (a teaching and speaking ministry), Go Forward in Faith represents faith-based meditations for personal and professional growth. Join the Facebook group @goforwardinfaith.

goforwardinfaith Christianity, Religion, Theology

Mercy

By Linda Tancs

In West Virginia, the jury must decide in the sentencing phase of a first-degree murder trial whether the defendant should be accorded “mercy,” which changes the sentence from life without parole to eligibility for parole. So, in some cases, a defendant will receive “life with mercy” and, in other cases, no mercy. Imagine a defendant receiving the edict that he or she will “receive no mercy.” In our economy, a defendant can earn mercy. In God’s economy, mercy is a part of His nature and cannot be earned by us. His mercies never come to an end (Lamentations 3:22-23). Be thankful for that.

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As part of FOOT FORWARD MINISTRIES (a teaching and speaking ministry), Go Forward in Faith represents faith-based meditations for personal and professional growth. Join the Facebook group @goforwardinfaith.

goforwardinfaith Christianity, Religion, Theology

Narrow or Wide

By Linda Tancs

U.S. President Abraham Lincoln once said that “a river always follows the line of least resistance; that is why it is crooked.” That observation brings to mind Jesus’s admonition against pursuing the wide road that leads to destruction, an eschatological reference implying that those who choose consumption, pleasures and distractions find themselves separated from God (Matthew 7:13-14). The wide road is a like a crooked river; it can be a place of temptation, bitterness, revenge, anger, frustration, greed or unforgiveness. There’s no room for the Spirit there. Follow the Spirit, the river of life.

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As part of FOOT FORWARD MINISTRIES (a teaching and speaking ministry), Go Forward in Faith represents faith-based meditations for personal and professional growth. Join the Facebook group @goforwardinfaith.

goforwardinfaith Christianity, Religion, Theology

The Company You Keep

By Linda Tancs

As a child, you may have been cautioned by your parents or others to be careful of the company you keep. Indeed, others can have a powerful influence on you, for better or worse. The apostle Paul warned the Corinthians about the effects of keeping bad company (1 Corinthians 15:33). The best way to avoid that outcome is to let God choose your companions. Ask Him to bring godly influencers into your life so that their good behavior rubs off on you.

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As part of FOOT FORWARD MINISTRIES (a teaching and speaking ministry), Go Forward in Faith represents faith-based meditations for personal and professional growth. Join the Facebook group @goforwardinfaith.

goforwardinfaith Christianity, Religion, Theology

Meddling

By Linda Tancs

Everyone knows a meddler, a busybody. Some are more famous than others. Take King Charles III, for instance. He once admitted he was an “interferer and meddler” as heir to the throne, airing his opinions fully and freely. It’s the kind of trait that the apostle Paul warned against in his message to the Thessalonians (1 Thessalonians 4:9-11). In short, mind your own business. Keep that in mind the next time you’re tempted to interfere in the affairs of your neighbor, relative or coworker.

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As part of FOOT FORWARD MINISTRIES (a teaching and speaking ministry), Go Forward in Faith represents faith-based meditations for personal and professional growth. Join the Facebook group @goforwardinfaith.