Today's post is inspired by a reading from Daniel 3:16-25, otherwise known as the story of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego. These three men believed and declared that the Lord would deliver them from the fiery furnace and He did. Their story teaches us to have unrelenting faith and declare the Lord's deliverance over our circumstances. But sometimes deliverance doesn't look the way we want it to and that's when our faith is tested.

Cancer doesn't leave you untouched--not the patient nor the family supporting their loved one. But when the world turns you away, Jesus is still with you. When your hope is threatened, Jesus restores it. When you face a crisis that requires more of you than you have to give, Jesus strengthens and sustains you. Even in our times of greatest grief, all hope is not lost.

Your hope is proof of the thing not yet seen. Your hope is proof of the harvest to come. Your hope is the seed of the harvest to come. Your hope comes from God. He's not asking you to give it up. Let your hope be proof of God's goodness, proof of His love for you. Let your persistent hope be a reminder that God is working behind the scenes, aligning things that will one day present a harvest He ordained for you before you were even born.

Through this multi-part blog series, The Divine Return, I'm going to address three major areas from my return to God. The first: the lies the devil uses to keep us from seeking God. The second: the difference between religion and relationship with the Lord. The third: how to truly surrender to the Lord and accept the Holy Spirit.

The Book of James reminds us to stand firm in our faith, seek God's wisdom, and exemplify true Christ-like love. It is a reminder of what true Christianity looks like and acts like. Let us remember the truth. Let us remember love. Let us remember we are not each other's enemy. There is only one enemy and his name is Satan.

Many people struggle with skepticism, like James, when it comes to the claims of the Bible. Because it was written by man, translated so many times, and some books were purposefully left out of Biblical cannon, it's easy for doubt to creep in, especially when we don't really want the truth.

If you're like me, you probably grew up hearing faith alone will get you into Heaven. But the Lord tells us, faith without works is dead like the body without the Spirit is dead. So what is faith without works? It's not faith at all. It is belief and even the demons believe that God exists.