Blessed Are Those Who Thirst

Criminal investigating officer Hanne Wilhelmsen considers the possibility of a serial killer as she tracks down a series of numbers written in blood appearing on walls all over Oslo.

Some of the most comforting words a Christian could possibly hear from God are, "I want to bless you." In the Sermon on the Mount, Christ told us that we can come to Him as we are—in need, mourning, oppressed, or hungering—and He will bless us. In Charles Spurgeon's revealing exploration of The Beatitudes, you will learn to... Receive God's comfort Develop a gentle, forgiving spirit Inherit the earth Find contentment Obtain mercy Be pure in heart See God more clearly God has an excellent benefits package for His children. Discover the way to receive the rich treasures God wants you to have!

A Gentle Invitation into the Challenging Topic of Privilege The notion that some might have it better than others, for no good reason, offends our sensibilities. Yet, until we talk about privilege, we’ll never fully understand it or find our way forward. Amy Julia Becker welcomes us into her life, from the charm of her privileged southern childhood to her adult experience in the northeast, and the denials she has faced as the mother of a child with special needs. She shows how a life behind a white picket fence can restrict even as it protects, and how it can prevent us from loving our neighbors well. White Picket Fences invites us to respond to privilege with generosity, humility, and hope. It opens us to questions we are afraid to ask, so that we can walk further from fear and closer to love, in all its fragile and mysterious possibilities.

A disruptive and surprising journey through the Beatitudes. Most of the time, life doesn't work out like we expect it will. We spend time and energy trying to climb some sort of spiritual ladder, oblivious to the fact that it is God who is moving toward us. We want answers to our problems, yet what is offered is presence. What if we were to become united with our brokenness rather than our victories? What if God moves closest to us in the absence, the ache, and the longing? Words from the Hill turns each beatitude on its head to see the unexpected beneath the understood--diving into the story of a woman on death row to speak about mercy, personal stories from the Israeli-Palestinian conflict to talk about peace, and much more. Stu Garrard has walked with these people in their stories, and he vulnerably offers his own as he unpacks the Good News of the Beatitudes. God is on your side, and He is closer than you think.

Drawing on stories from the lives of the saints, scripture, and everyday life, Jim Forest opens up the mysteries of the Beatitudes. These ancient blessings, with which Christ began his Sermon on the Mount, are all aspects of communion with God. As Forest shows, they are like rungs on a ladder, each one leading to the next. They appear at the doorway of the New Testament to provide an easily memorized summary of everything that follows, right down to the crucifixion ("Blessed are you who are persecuted") and the resurrection ("Rejoice and be glad").

It feels like our world is moving in new, uncertain directions and in unknown waters where you need a good anchor. In Jesus Christ, who is our Rock, we have hope as an anchor for the soul. To not be set adrift, one needs to stay connected to that anchor. I have found it is only by regular time in God's Word that it happens. We believe the promise recorded in 1 Peter 1:24-25: The grass withers, and its flower falls away, but the word of the LORD endures forever. Day by day, as we come to God's Enduring Word, He has wisdom, strength, and blessing to give us. We can weather storms and enjoy calm waters. We can grow in seasons of drought and bear a harvest for God's kingdom year-round. For 25 years I have prepared a weekly devotional. Here are 365 selected Scripture passages along with an inspirational, encouraging, and helpful thought. My prayer is that you would know and enjoy more and more of God's enduring word. In Jesus, David Guzik