God's Word - Christian Perspective

Posted on October 24, 2025October 24, 2025 by kate [loop] hannon

Story: I’ve Told You What to Do

“I don’t know what to do!” Jenna cried for the 10th time in between her sobs. She sat surrounded in the kitchen by spilled milk. Such a mess! What, oh what, was she to do? If only she knew!

“Wipe it up with the rag right there,” her mother’s voice called out yet again.

“But then I don’t know what to do!” Jenna cried.

“I’ve told you what to do. Wipe it up with the rag.”

“But then I don’t know what to do!” Jenna sobbed yet again.

“I’ve already told you what to do, Dear. You don’t need to know all the other details yet. I’ll guide you step by step. But start with what I’ve already told you.”

“He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?” Micah 6:8 (ESV)

“…For this is the will of God, your sanctification:” 1 Thessalonians 4:3 (ESV)

Posted on November 2, 2021 by kate [loop] hannon — Leave a comment

Reading Differently

Daniel’s heart hurt as he listened to her daughter Annabel “read” the picture book, as her “reading” reflected some sad interpretations. According to Annabel, the book was about a poor mouse who’d been abandoned by its parents and found itself trapped in a large home. Angry, the mouse ran away from the home and found its way through the dark streets, where cats, dogs, and other dangers lurked, seeking to devour the little creature. Eventually, the mouse sobbed, blaming his parents for his loss. But by pushing through all dangers, the mouse finally ended up back at a beautiful home to live happily ever after. Annabel’s story seemed to fit the pictures so well, but its interpretation of them completely changed the story’s meaning.

“Do you want to hear what the story actually says?” Daniel asked gently. Annabel nodded, snuggling in her father’s lap to hear.

“Once upon a time, there was a little mouse. His parents didn’t know very well how to parent, and the little mouse found himself separated from them. But he didn’t need to worry. A little boy found him and began caring for him. The mouse had all it needed, but the mouse didn’t listen to the boy’s warnings about leaving the house. He disobeyed, slipping out of the house into the dangerous streets where he was chased by cats and barked at by dogs. Dangers lurked everywhere, and the little mouse found itself tired and hungry. It cried, wishing it had listened to the kind little boy who had rescued it. But you know what? The little boy hadn’t forgotten the mouse. He’d been pursuing him the whole time and now scooped him up and brought him back to his beautiful home.”

“That’s a very different story, isn’t it, Annabel dear?” Daniel asked as he finished.

Annabel nodded. It was amazing how the same pictures could be interpreted so very differently.

As I’ve been going through an ABC biblical counseling course, I’ve been reminded that the facts of our lives, like a picture book, can be interpreted very differently. Worldly narratives may seem to “fit” with the pictures of our lives. After all, every lie has a piece of the truth. But if we want to understand our lives correctly, we need to look at our lives in light of what God tells us about Himself, sin, suffering, and the Savior Jesus Christ.

Are we victims, or victors through Jesus Christ? Is our primary problem what others have done to us, our situations, or our own sinful hearts? Is suffering something that gives us an excuse to sin, or something God promises to work for good? Do we have to earn God’s love, or is it a gift in Christ Jesus? The answer to these and other questions makes a difference in how we see ourselves, others, God, and our situations.

For you say, I am rich, I have prospered, and I need nothing, not realizing that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked. I counsel you to buy from me gold refined by fire, so that you may be rich, and white garments so that you may clothe yourself and the shame of your nakedness may not be seen, and salve to anoint your eyes, so that you may see. Revelation 3:17-18 (ESV)

Posted on June 14, 2021August 11, 2021 by kate [loop] hannon — Leave a comment

Short Story: Playing the Wrong Game

Sam had mastered this new game—or so he thought. Every turn, he had a choice as to what he would buy. And most turns, Sam diligently collected more resources. His collection was vast and diversified. He had resources of every value, shape, and variety. Surely he was doing well!

And Sam didn’t slack up in his efforts as the game progressed. He kept trying harder and harder as the game progressed. He wanted to finish well.

The problem is, Sam hadn’t read the instruction manual. Well, I should say he hadn’t really paid attention to all of the instruction manual. He’d read sections (where he saw that resources were important) but he hadn’t really processed the part where it talked about the purpose of those resources. You see, the main objective of the game wasn’t about having a large collection of resources. Those resources were to be used for a purpose—to buy investments that did count in the end.

When the game ended, Sam was met with a shock: all he had accumulated didn’t count for anything. In the end, they were all simply taken away. Only the investments they’d been used to purchase lasted…and Sam hadn’t made very many investments at all. All those turns that he spent accumulating more resources he could have made investments that mattered…but he hadn’t. He had wasted turn after turn after turn. And now it was too late. Oh, how he wished he’d not been playing the wrong game.

***********

“Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” Matthew 6:19-21 (ESV)

Thought to ponder: Am I investing in eternal treasure or am I caught up in things that don’t last? Am I digging into God’s Word to understand what really matters or just following my own strategy and thoughts as to what each day should be like? Am I living life my way or His?

Posted on August 1, 2020August 11, 2021 by kate [loop] hannon — Leave a comment

Short Story: Ignoring the Treasure

If you knew there was a priceless treasure on your property, what would you do? Excitedly hunt and hunt until you found it, right? You’d likely give up whatever you had to in order to get the tools and time you needed to find that treasure. Jonah’s story, then, might sound strange, but it’s all-too-often true.

You see, Jonah knew there was a treasure on his father’s property. His father had even given him a treasure map so he could find it.

Jonah was excited at first, but he easily gave up. He went through a phase where he got busy with playing games and having a good time, forgetting about the treasure.

There came a day, though, when Jonah realized he really needed money. And he had good reason! Some friends were hurting and he wanted to help them. He began occasionally asking his father for more money…all the while failing to dig for the treasure his father had already told him would be his if he just searched for it.

Funnily enough, he’d go to other fields and dig there for treasure, hoping to find something. But the only thing he found was counterfeit currency. He kept tiring himself out for nothing, all the while ignoring the treasure map his father had given him.

Jonah kept missing out…all because he didn’t listen to his father, following the treasure map and seeking the treasure his father had given him.

And you know what? We do the same whenever we ignore God’s Word, failing to follow the “treasure map” He’s given us in the Bible and neglecting to seek knowing Him/His wisdom like we would a hidden treasure.

“My son, if you receive my words and treasure up my commandments with you, making your ear attentive to wisdom and inclining your heart to understanding; yes, if you call out for insight and raise your voice for understanding, if you seek it like silver and search for it as for hidden treasures, then you will understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God. For the Lord gives wisdom; from his mouth come knowledge and understanding;” Proverbs 2:1-6 (ESV)

Posted on October 31, 2019October 31, 2019 by kate [loop] hannon — 4 Comments

Story: Use Your Sword

Why, oh why, weren’t more people using the Sword more?

That was Lucas’s cry as he surveyed the city of Bondage. As the name implies, all of the inhabitants of Bondage were in serious bondage. They were controlled by computer chips implanted in them before birth. These computer chips affected their vision, their thinking, and their actions.

Sadly, the people did not even realize they were in bondage. The evil dictator of the land filled their minds with lies. They thought they were free—and the more they acted out against the true King of the land, against whom the evil dictator was waging war, the more free they thought themselves to be. Little did they realize that they were just doing the evil dictator’s bidding. The implanted chips kept them from seeing the truth.

Lucas sighed. Such darkness and oppression nearly brought him to tears every time he thought about it. He remembered when he himself had been in bondage. But there was a way out!

You see, the townspeople’s implanted chips were each controlled by a box that they carried around in a backpack. If this box were destroyed, the townspeople could see the truth, at least for a moment. Then they could decide if they’d respond to it. And while the box was made with impenetrable material, the King’s Sword could pierce it.

Lucas felt the Sword at his side. He needed to learn to wield it more. Instead, he’d often fallen into using his own human reasoning to try to persuade people. He’d tried being nice to them…he’d tried yanking their boxes off. He’d tried shouting…and it felt like he’d tried standing on his head to get their attention. But it was the Sword that could help people see. I need to learn to rely on my Sword, he reminded himself as he headed down into the city as the King’s ambassador, pleading with people to leave their bondage behind.

“For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.” Romans 1:16 (KJV)

“So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” Romans 10:17 (KJV)

Posted on September 12, 2019September 12, 2019 by kate [loop] hannon — 1 Comment

Don’t Follow Your Heart

Watching a movie the other night reminded me of how we are bombarded by media with the message to “follow your heart.” For example, a popular Disney movie has the song that says “if only I knew what my heart was telling me,”[1] and portrays it as the basis on which decisions should be based.

On a more subtle level, here are some examples of ways this message sometimes comes across or gets adopted into our thinking:

You can rely solely on what you experience or feel to determine the validity of your spiritual condition. For example, you can rely on a warm feeling or experience of happiness for assurance of salvation instead of anchoring your assurance on what God says in His Word about salvation through repentance and belief in His Son. Or you can assume if you don’t “feel” close to God, you’re not.
You should make decisions based on how you feel–marry someone if you feel in love; divorce them if you don’t.

The problem with following our heart or feelings is that the Bible tells us our heart is deceitful and desperately wicked (Jeremiah 17:9)! It’s not an accurate gauge to follow.

We need to follow the Truth, which our Maker has shown us in His Word, instead, knowing that He is the One before whom we will have to give an account (Hebrews 4:13) and that His Word is right and true (Psalm 33:4).

The story below illustrates how silly it would be if we applied this same follow-your-heart thinking in ordinary life decisions. I hope you’ll smile, and that the story will help be a reminder to you to live life by God’s Word, not feelings.

Kate

P.S. For more on this topic, here’s an excellent podcast by Revive Our Hearts addressing this topic of living by the Truth, not our emotions.

Evelyn decided one morning to live life by following her heart. She woke up with her alarm, and turned it off. Her heart said she needed more sleep. Never mind the fact that she would miss work—she didn’t really feel like working anyway.

When she finally got up, she went to make herself a nutritious smoothie like normal, but then decided her heart longed for sugary cereal instead. So that’s what she had to eat.

After breakfast, she normally exercised, but not today! Her heart certainly said no to that! So she sat and watched TV all morning instead.

A few weeks later, her friend Amelia found her still sitting on the couch. She hardly recognized her dear friend. Evelyn had gained weight to the point that she no longer fit inside her clothes. She was crying when Amelia walked into the room, as she just found out she’d been fired from her job, as she had missed too many days at work.

Evelyn sobbed on her friend’s shoulders. “What will I do? How will I pay my bills?”

Amelia tried to comfort her friend. “What happened?” she asked. “Why didn’t you go to work?”

“I was just trying to follow my heart,” Evelyn sobbed.

Amelia shook her head. “Our hearts don’t make good guides. You have to live life by the truth, Evelyn.”

“I see that now,” Amelia sobbed. “Oh, what do I do?”

Amelia was firm, but kind. “You do what you should have done from the beginning: stop following your heart and live by the truth. Come on, let’s start by getting you cleaned up. It’s going to be a hard road of change, but there’s no time like the present to start.”

With that, Evelyn got up off the couch.

“The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?” Jeremiah 17:9 (kjv)

Posted on March 22, 2019March 22, 2019 by kate [loop] hannon — Leave a comment

Short Story: Read the Instructions

Susie felt completely overwhelmed. She had so much to do…and she didn’t feel good on top of it. She decided to make herself a smoothie, hopeful it would give her some energy.

She’d never used her new blender, but that was okay. She was confident she could figure it out. She threw her ingredients inside, not stopping to read the instructions or the warning label on the top of the blender. She was sure she knew how to use a blender.

Now to put it into the glass. She took the lid off and poured, trying to get all of the blended mixture into her glass…

Sharp pain made Susie cry out. The blades of this blender had not stayed in the machine like Susie was used to–instead, they had fallen on her, cutting her finger badly in the process.

After a trip to urgent care for stitches, Susie went home and did what she should have done from the beginning: read the warning label. Sure enough, it warned her about those blades. Oh, she should never have just charged forward on her own understanding without reading that label!

“Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.” Proverbs 3:5-6 (KJV)

“Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.” Psalm 119:105 (KJV)

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Posted on July 9, 2018 by kate [loop] hannon — Leave a comment

Story: The Most Important Thing May Not Be What You Think

Emma’s day started on a positive note. She had a lot to do, but she was up early and ready to tackle the list. She had her normal cup of water with breakfast, got ready, and headed to the stores to take care of some errands.

The hot summer day blazed down on her, but she didn’t take much notice of it. She had to get these errands done and get to work on time. She had water in her purse, but she didn’t take the time to stop and drink it.

The thought crossed her mind that she hadn’t drunken enough, but she ignored the thought. There just wasn’t time to stop and drink. At one point she meant to get some water when she got to work, but she soon became engrossed in other tasks and forgot all about it. While she was inside some of the afternoon at work, she had to go outside for periods too. But she failed to drink much at all.

This wasn’t the first day she hadn’t been drinking a lot either. Her liquid intake had become more sporadic for days. Life had just become so busy.

By the time night came, Emma was exhausted. She felt cold and clammy. And nauseous. So nauseous. Why were her muscles aching so? Why was she starting to shake?

Slowly, it dawned on her: she was dehydrated. A friend explained that dehydration had actually led to heat exhaustion, and that if she didn’t stop and hydrate, she could wind up in a serious condition.

As she lay doubled over in pain, she wished with all her heart she’d taken the time to hydrate earlier. The hydration she’d been putting off was what had really been the most important thing on her schedule, only she hadn’t realized it.

“On the last day of the feast, the great day, Jesus stood up and cried out, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink.” John 7:37 (esv)

“For my people have committed two evils: they have forsaken me, the fountain of living waters, and hewed out cisterns for themselves, broken cisterns that can hold no water.” Jeremiah 2:13 (esv)

Posted on January 15, 2018 by kate [loop] hannon — Leave a comment

Short Story: Truth Glasses

Darkness—oppressive darkness. It was all Emma could see. No matter which way she looked, there it was staring back at her. Each path she could take led to the same thing: more darkness. What had become of light? Did it even exist anymore?

Perhaps it did, somewhere. Emma knew at the end of her journey there’d be light. But there was no more light on the journey, of that she felt sure.

Emma’s last several miles had been filled with obstacles. Now all she could see were dark shadows stretching out before her.

“It’s just so discouraging,” Emma moaned to her traveling companion, Sarah. “I’m not sure why my father set me on this journey in the first place.”

“Okay, I know it seems discouraging,” Sarah replied. “But you’re not seeing the truth, Emma. Yes, there’s darkness, but there’s light too. There’s night, but there’s also day. You’ve got to put those glasses on.”

“Glasses?” Emma asked listlessly.

“Yes, you know, the ones your father gave you.”

Right—the glasses. Her father had given her glasses to help her see the world as it really was. Emma was pretty sure the glasses wouldn’t change anything—that she was already seeing everything accurately—but she pulled them out and dutifully held them up to her eyes anyway.

Wait—there was light amid what before had seemed only darkness! What a difference it made to look at the situation through the lenses of truth.

“Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth.” John 17:7 (ESV)

“So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed him, ‘If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.'” John 8:31-32 (ESV)

Category: God’s Word