In studying God’s word, I felt myself drawn to a place name—one of a dizzying array of hundreds of villages, towns, and cities named in the early days of the nation of Israel.  I’m talking about Jabesh Gilead.  Jabesh Gilead’s story is peppered into the history of Israel in ways that take my breath away.  Their story is one of unjust persecution, courage, deliverance, and, ultimately, honor.  The struggles of Jabesh Gilead are, in many ways, the struggles that Jesus showed us, as His disciples, we would face.  And, while…

Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding Proverbs 3:5 NIV I’d like to start the conversation today by telling you a story.  A couple of years ago, I was at the store with my son.  We wandered over to the toy section of the store and I could see my son searching intently for something.  We moved quickly past everything pink, past the baby and toddler toys without even a glance, until my son came to an abrupt stop.  I knew that…