I'm Hanging on the Promises of God

Over the past year or so, I've had the great privilege of getting to know Seth Haines. I've yet to make the trip to the south to meet him and his lovely family. But I have seen enough of his heart up close through his writing to know it's a heart that beats in time with mine on so many matters.

Case in point: starting last week, Seth started a 3-week series on his blog that sets out to upend the "prosperity gospel"—an inconceivable mutation of the Christian Gospel that connects strong faith with earthly ease, and weak faith with earthly hardship (to say it one way).

Joy and I both had the pleasure of contributing to this series to help debunk this distortion of what the Bible really teaches—a distortion that has become alarmingly prevalent in the churchgoing American psyche.

Seth asked me to write about what God DOES promise the believer, in contrast to the puny promises of earthly health and wealth some think. So I share just a little bit about my hardships, and some specific promises that have sustained me through those times.

I include the opening words here. Please click over to Seth's blog to read the rest, and leave your comments there. And while you're there, click "subscribe." You'll be glad you did.

February 29, 2000. She lay lifeless except for her chest, which rose and fell exactly 30 times a minute in a disturbing, jerky rhythm. The wheeled machine next to her NASA-like bassinette blew and drew breaths for her.

Instead of a mobile above her head, a heat lamp beamed blinding rays of light down to chase the jaundice from her mottled, yellow skin. 

Read on...