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The canon of Instagram Verses includes some bits of Scripture and excludes others. Left on the outside are verses that are equally hope-filled, soul-stirring, and heart-invigorating, yet just don’t “look” the part.

Anxiety is a monster, an intense, often debilitating monster. It can cripple us with fear and keep us from living our lives. If there ever was a time to call out the monster, it’s now.

As we remember our Lord and Savior’s sacrifice this Easter, take some time to reflect on these passages and questions. Pray for fresh eyes and an ability to place yourself within each passage. Read them more than once to fully soak them in. And may the Holy Spirit fill us all with a renewed sense of wonder and delight as we celebrate the empty tomb!

Just like the parable, EC “sold” what she had, so she could follow Jesus’s calling. She knew Jesus was the far greater treasure.

Suffice it to say, it seems like more than a few connections can be made between our situation and Jonah’s in-the-belly waiting.

Reluctant. That’s how I see the prophet Jonah in his eponymous book. I get that reluctance. I wonder if that’s why I resonate with Jonah.

Right now, we are corporately waiting. We’re waiting for this pandemic to be over. We’re also waiting to celebrate the birth of our Savior.

That, I think, is why the Lord used a star to lead the Magi. It shows us a God that wants to be found.

Knowing that we live in an ambient world is an invaluable posture for life with God when everything seems empty. It’s a life that the world of Psalm 148 pulls us into and invites our imaginations to absorb.

We are always, ever shaped by our experiences and environments. To be human is to be limited. Inescapably bubbled.