Grietje Commelin 
“What is man that You are mindful of him, and the son of man that You care for him? Yet You have made him a little lower than the heavenly beings and crowned him with glory and honor.” (Psalm 8:4-5) God is worthy of all glory—we were reminded of that yesterday. Today, we read another … Lees meer
“To the King of the ages, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen.” (1 Timothy 1:17) The words tumble over one another in this tribute to the Lord God. He is imperishable and eternal. He is invisible to us humans, infinitely greater than we can grasp. He is the … Lees meer
There once was a wise man who carefully observed life. His conclusion was not very encouraging:“Utterly meaningless! Everything is meaningless… All things are wearisome, more than one can say.” (Ecclesiastes 1:2 and 8 NIV) He watched people restlessly struggling to achieve all kinds of things, yet none of it had lasting value or stability. No … Lees meer
Hard work makes you tired. That tiredness disappears after a good night’s sleep. But sometimes you feel spiritually exhausted, weary of life. Too much is coming at you; too much is being demanded of you. Or perhaps you set the bar too high for yourself and it overwhelms you. You can reach a point where … Lees meer
Freedom is good for our souls. We like to decide for ourselves what we do and don’t do. But Jesus points out that by nature we are not as free as we think we are….“Everyone who sins is a slave to sin.” (John 8:34 NIV) At first this may sound strange. But if we look … Lees meer
There’s a lot going on these days. You read in the media about horrific wars, looming crises, and violence both near and far. The world is certainly not a peaceful place. That can make you feel afraid and uneasy. Sometimes the problems come much closer when you lose your job, become seriously ill, or experience … Lees meer
Loneliness is a major social issue. Many people feel alone. They long for deep, personal relationships but find it difficult to make and/or maintain connections. Even when they do interact with others, these are often brief, superficial encounters that do not fulfill their need for genuine connection. David sometimes felt this way too. In Psalm … Lees meer
In his letter to the Christians in Ephesus, Paul writes about their lives before they came to faith — when they lived without Jesus. Looking back, it was not a bright period:“Remember that at that time you were separate from Christ […] without hope and without God in the world.” (Ephesians 2:12 NIV) The people … Lees meer
When you are in debt, you want to get out of it as quickly as possible. It’s unpleasant to owe someone something and to be constantly confronted with it. It can also happen that you are morally guilty. For example, you may have gossiped about someone, thereby betraying their trust or damaging their reputation. Such … Lees meer