Wisdom | His Glory My Joy, a blog of Author Luana Ehrlich

Are You Prepared?

October 26, 2025 Leave a comment

One day—although it’s probably happened to you already—you’ll experience disappointment, loss, suffering, hurt, betrayal, or a number of other painful situations you didn’t anticipate would come your way.

Even though you may have thought you were prepared for every possible hardship a human being can have, there’s a good possibility a situation will arise that will surprise you—something you weren’t prepared for, something you never imagined would happen.

Thankfully, God has graciously instructed His followers how to respond when difficulties come our way.

First, He tells us to expect difficulties:
“Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you.” 1 Peter 4:12.

Difficulties and hardships aren’t strange. They happen to every human being on the planet, including followers of Jesus Christ.

Second, learn from difficulties:
“. . . you have been grieved by various trials, so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.” 1 Peter 1:6-7.

In His infinite wisdom, God allows us to suffer various hardships in order to test the “genuineness” of our faith. Although we may not understand His purpose for it until we walk through the portals of Heaven, we can be assured He designed it for our ultimate good.

Third, recognize our difficulties won’t last forever:
“And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you.” 1 Peter 5:10.

We won’t be in this difficult situation forever. There is an end to it—whether in this life or in death.

Lastly, rejoice in difficulties:
“In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials.” 1 Peter 1:6.

Rejoicing when we experience trials doesn’t mean we aren’t grieving or hurting. It means in our prayers and by our testimony, we are trusting God, giving Him glory, and relying on His goodness during our suffering.

^“Therefore, let those who suffer according to God’s will, entrust their souls to a faithful Creator while doing good.” 1 Peter 4:19.

Be prepared to suffer. In doing so, you will honor and glorify our Lord, “. . . who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross . . .” Hebrews 12:2.

Categories: Anxiety, Comfort, Devotionals, Faith, Fear, Glorifying God, joy, Sorrow, Wisdom Tags: Difficulties, Faith, Hardships, Rejoice, Sorrow, Suffering, Trust God

What Really Counts?

March 5, 2025 Leave a comment

I recently saw this quote attributed to Winston Churchill: “Success is not final; failure is not fatal. It is the courage to continue that counts.”

As I thought about the sentiment behind this quote—that neither success nor failure defines a person, but what truly matters is the determination to keep going—I realized that while the language was inspiring, it wasn’t Biblical and therefore wasn’t true.

Churchill was emphasizing human determination rather than faith in God. He suggested that personal courage is the key to overcoming challenges, but Scripture teaches us that believers should rely on God’s strength rather than their own determination.

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make straight your paths.” Proverbs 3:5-6.

While Churchill’s statement implies that success and failure are transient, believers understand that both are under God’s sovereign control and part of God’s plan for His people.

“He changes times and seasons; He removes kings and sets up kings; He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to those who have understanding.” Daniel 2:21.

And lastly, what truly “counts” at the end of life is not courage, but faith in Christ.

“For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.” Ephesians 2:8-9.

This is not to say that perseverance isn’t encouraged in the Christian life. Hebrews 12:1-2 says, “Let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.”

However, it is only through God’s strength and guidance that believers endure.

What are you counting on when you can no longer count?

Categories: Believe, Bible, Christian Living, Credibility, Devotionals, God's Control, Guidance, Reality, Trust, Truth, Wisdom Tags: Believe, Faith, Trust God, Truth

Finding Hidden Treasures

November 15, 2020 Leave a comment

Don’t you love to find a word from the Lord in your Bible that you’ve never seen before? That happened to me just recently when I was reading the last verses in the little bitty book of Jude, so small it doesn’t even have any chapters.

The verses I hadn’t noticed before were verses 24-25 of . . . well, just Jude.

“Now to him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless before the presence of his glory with great joy, to the only God, our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion, and authority before all time and now and forever. Amen.”

While there’s so much in these verses, I’ve highlighted three phrases that blessed me especially.

Present you blameless: I love being reminded when believers stand before his presence one day, we’ll be considered blameless. How great is that? And notice how it happens—through Jesus Christ our Lord.

With great joy: Notice the one doing the presenting of us before His presence will do so with great joy. He—Jesus—will be delighted to make everyone who believes in Him known to His Father. It will be His pleasure to do so. He even asked the Father in John 17 for this to happen. “Father, I desire that they also, whom you have given me, may be with me where I am, to see my glory.”

Before all time: Our God is an eternal God. There has never been a time when He didn’t exist. He was before all time, and He will go on forever through all time, even when time is no more. This is mind-boggling, hard to grasp, and yet, strangely reassuring.

There’s so much more in these two verses, and in the days ahead, I plan to give more thought to the treasures to be found there. I have a feeling I won’t be disappointed.

Categories: Abounding, Blessings, Call To God, Christian Living, Devotionals, Faith, Glorifying God, Glory, God's Control, God's Love, Grace, Guidance, Happiness, Reality, Waiting, Wisdom, Worship Tags: Advice, Advice Living God's Kingdom, Faith, Find My Way, Finding The Way, Lost Focus Christ, Truth

Happiness?

September 23, 2020 Leave a comment

It’s been a couple of rainy days here in Oklahoma. Not much sunshine. I’m not a person given to depression, and I really like rainy days, but I still found myself longing for some sunshine.

People just seem to be happier when the sun is shining. As I thought about happiness, I remembered a devotional I’d read about mankind’s universal search for happiness.

In the article, this quote is referenced, “All that we call human history–money, poverty, ambition, war, prostitution, classes, empires, slavery–is the long terrible story of man trying to find something other than God which will make him happy.” –C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity.

A bright cloudless day can’t really make a person happy. Only God can do that.

Turn your face toward the Son. Bask in the warmth and happiness of His Light today.

“You make known to me the path of life, in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.” Psalm 16:11.

Lost Your Way?

August 12, 2020 Leave a comment

Find Vs Lose Your Way Puzzle Pieces 3d Illustration It’s easy to lose your way in our world today. We’re inundated with a myriad of messages, images, and ideas. How do we choose what to believe, what path to follow, how to live? We can explore all our options, saturating ourselves with philosophies, practices, and beliefs.

But, like hikers exploring a new trail, there are some precautions we should take before we head off into the unknown. Otherwise, we’re sure to lose our way. These practices should serve us well, whether we’re looking at a belief system, a political choice, a new set of friends, or exploring health issues, anything requiring our time, money, and effort.

First, FIND a way to have a Daily Quiet Time.
Spend at least thirty minutes every day in Bible study and prayer. It doesn’t matter how you do this. There’s a Bible reading plan out there that will match up with anyone’s learning style and preferences. The important thing is to put yourself in a position where your Father in heaven can communicate His love, His plan, and His desires for you, and you can catch a glimpse of His Glory each and every day.

Second, FIND a way to worship God in a group setting, even through media.
Praising, loving, and serving God with other people will strengthen and enhance your faith. It’s about gathering with like-minded people who desire to give glory, honor, and praise to an Almighty Creator who sacrificed His only son to make sure we spend eternity with Him.

Third, FIND a way to express your faith.
Our belief in God requires an outlet. Otherwise, stagnation sets in. This expression can take many forms, and it may be different according to personality types. For some, it may mean singing, speaking, teaching, or preaching. For others, it may mean journaling, writing, serving, or counseling.

Hear the words of the prophet Jeremiah in Jeremiah 6:16: “Thus says the Lord: Stand by the roads, and look, and ask for the ancient paths, where the good way is; and walk in it, and find rest for your souls.”

Rest for your soul as you find your way. What could be better than that?

God Loves You

July 11, 2020 Leave a comment

God is Love The words, “I don’t love you,” have to be the most hurtful words ever spoken. As human beings, we are born with the desire to be loved. Whether it’s romantic love, family love, brotherly love or even self love, God gave us the desire to be loved and to love God, others, and ourselves.

Love comes from God. “Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God.” (1 John 4:7).

Because human love is so flawed by sin, none of us can ever love ourselves or another human being perfectly. In the same way, until we receive our glorified, perfected bodies, we can’t love God perfectly.

God has no such hindrances. He loves perfectly. On three different occasions, the prophet Daniel was told by the angel Gabriel that he was greatly loved by God. “I have come to tell it to you, for you are greatly loved.” (Daniel 9:23). The same thought is expressed in Daniel 10: 11 and Daniel 10:19.

How sweet those words must have sounded to Daniel! How would you like to hear those words for yourself? Well, you can.

Paul says in Ephesians 2:4-5: “God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses,made us alive together with Christ.”

God’s love is on display for us in Romans 5:8.“But God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”

Like Daniel, God sent word to us that we are greatly love. He sent His Word in the form of His Son who demonstrated how much he really loved us by paying the penalty for our sins by His death on the cross

Accept His love. Bask in His Love. Know His love for all eternity.

Categories: Blessings, Devotionals, Faith, God's Love, Love, Mercy, Trust, Truth, Wisdom Tags: God is Love, God's Dying Love, God's love, God's Love Unrestrained, God's Perfect Love, Smile God's Love

Four Things I Pray

June 3, 2020 1 comment

Prayer Sometimes, I get so caught up in praying for the needs of others, I fail to pray for myself.

I was reminded of this during my quiet time, when I got to I Chronicles in my daily Bible reading.

In the margin of my Bible, I saw a previous note I’d written when I’d read the passage before—I’ve been reading the O.T. once a year and the N.T. twice a year for many years now—and I realized I’d gotten away from praying these four things for myself.

I pray the Lord will Bless, Prosper, Guide, and Protect me.

Bless Me—spiritually, physically, and mentally.

Prosper Me—spiritually, personally, and financially.

Guide Me—spiritually, intellectually, and creatively

Protect Me—spiritually, physically, intellectually, and financially.

The common thread is that I’m always praying for myself spiritually. If the Lord will bless, prosper, guide, and protect me spiritually, everything else will fall into place.

The Biblical basis for my prayer is found in I Chronicles 4:10: ” . . . Oh that you would bless me and enlarge my border, and that your hand might be with me, and that you would keep me from harm . . .”

Categories: Blessings, Christian Living, Devotionals, Glorifying God, God's Love, God's Presence, God's Word, Guidance, Personal, Prayer, Success, Wisdom Tags: Prayer, Prayer of Jabez, Prayer Requests, Praying for yourself, Praying Scripture To God, Praying the Scriptures

Now That’s Good Advice!

August 5, 2019 2 comments

advice Here are four pieces of advice I wish I’d been given much earlier in life.

1. Your greatest asset isn’t your own abilities. While you may have been told all you need to do is work hard and keep on keeping on, don’t believe it. Your greatest asset is your utter dependence on God. “Apart from me, you can do nothing.” John 15:5.

2. Your desire to have applause isn’t in keeping with the gospel. While our sinful nature is bent toward making much of ourselves and looking out for our own interests, the gospel tells us to make much of Jesus and look out for His Kingdom. “But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.” Matthew 6:33.

3. You have no idea what God is doing in your life. There’s no blueprint, formula, or method out there which will enable you to gauge what God is doing in your life. It simply doesn’t exist. If it did, you wouldn’t rely on God when He takes you to places you wouldn’t ordinarily go and has you do things you aren’t equipped to handle. God is too delighted in seeing your faith grow to tell you what He’s up to. Most of what He’s doing can only be understood through a rear view mirror. “For we walk by faith, and not by sight.” 2 Corinthians 5:7.

4. You could be one incredible piece of work if you’re willing to admit you’re not. If God’s Word is any gauge of how God operates–and it most definitely is–then He uses the weak, the nobody, the frightened soul, the lowly, and the despised to be a blessing and give Him glory. If you’re willing to be a piece of clay in the potter’s hands, He’s willing to fashion you into a beautiful vessel for His Kingdom’s work. “But now, O Lord, you are our Father; we are the clay, and you are our potter.” Isaiah 64:8.