Jacob's Descendants

Listen to me, you descendants of Jacob, all the remnants of the people of Israel, you whom I have upheld since your birth, and have carried since you were born.  Even to your old age and gray hairs I am he, I am he who will sustain you.  I have made you and I will carry you; I will sustain you and I will rescue you. ~ Isaiah 46:3-4

Doesn’t this verse give you great comfort?  He will carry me through, sustain me and rescue me.  What more could we want, or need?  Everything we need to get through any trial, temptation, or difficulty God has if we rely on him.  He even promises to be with us all through our golden years.  A superhero dad who takes care of all our needs and then some.  An action hero dad!  A dad who we can come to in our tremendous times of need and know that we will be taken care of no questions asked.  The idols of Israel’s enemies could not carry them, sustain them, and time and time again we see that those man made objects failed and could not rescue them.  These false gods had to be moved and carried by human hands.  Our God doesn’t need help; instead, we need his and he carries us.  The image I have is God telling the Israelites in a loving, but firm manner, “Hey idiots!  I am the one!  Me!  Not your crafted idols, but ME who has sustained you.  Turn your eyes the right way.  Redirect your praise!”  Rembrandt, van Gogh, Monet, or any other artist didn’t/doesn’t create beautiful masterpieces and then just toss them to the side.  No, they take extraordinary care of their creation.  The same is true of us.  God made us; do you really think anybody else is going to take better care of us?  He knows our thoughts, what makes us happy, or sad and he knows every cell in our body.  He knows how to get you to the end of this race; it’s designed BY Him for His creation.  He is all we need.  He will be with us from start to finish here on earth and as believers, He’ll be with us forever! He sent his only son to redeem us to Him; why would he not take care of us?  A number of people will let you down in this broken world, but God will never leave you.  You are as close to God as you want to be.  He is not the one who keeps you at a distance; it’s much more likely that you keep him at arms length for whatever reason.  All He has ever wanted to do is love you and take care of you.  Let Him. ~ Amen

Fruitless Deeds

Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them. ~ Ephesians 5:11

Here Paul clearly tells believers to have nothing to do with sin.  We are also charged with exposing sin, but we must be careful in how we bring the dark into the light as we can not and should not come across as being judgemental.  By living a righteous life first, only then may we be able to humbly talk to another believer about their sinful deeds.  Do not try to expose something you are also taking part in.  Christians are often accused of being hypocritical; don’t add fuel to the fire.  We were rescued from the darkness when we decided to follow Jesus Christ and now we walk with the light of the children of God and should no longer play with the devil’s advancements.  Illuminate a dark room with a flashlight and you can see where everything is so you can walk freely about.  The same is true of the light and darkness; expose the sin so that the deeds can be openly acknowledged, denounced and turned from so as not to stumble over it again and again.  Christians must not be ashamed of their holy living and they must be humble so that they can be great light bearers to this broken world.  We live in a warped world where things that once were wrong are now considered right and vice versa; we need our light to shine more now than ever.  I work at a high school and I see the enemy attacking teens daily about their identity.  Know who you are!  I am heartbroken, but I pray for them and if asked my opinion, I try to gently respond with God’s truth and in love.  We need to stay anchored in God’s truth so that we can tear down the many lies of the devil!  A spiritual battle isn’t coming – it’s here!  And if you do not stay anchored in God’s word and fully committed to following His ways, you may be in trouble my friend.  Pray that God would help you avoid temptation and sin as it is a waste of time and ask God to help you humbly expose the lies while you live a holy life. ~ Amen   

God Is Love

Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. ~ 1 John 4:8

I believe this one verse clearly defines who does and does not follow Christ.  He is not referring to physical, sexual love, but I believe John is talking about the supernatural love of supernatural compassion that you only enjoy, or can possess by knowing and having a relationship with God.  Loving unconditionally and stepping into a love that isn’t gratified by human desires.  This love is one of the spiritual gifts Christ cultivates in his followers so that we can bestow it onto others.  Doing for others before ourselves and sacrificing some of our comfort for others as Christ sacrificed his only son for us is this kind of love.  An action love.  A doing love.  Not an emotional love, but so much more.  The fact of the matter is that everything God does comes from a place of love.  How does that grab you?  Everything.  And we are supposed to show that same kind of love as followers of Christ.  I must be willing to get out of my comfort zone to show Christ’s love.  I must listen to that still small voice we know as the Holy Spirit.  I must be willing to show love even when I know no one else is.  I must be loving in my words and in my thoughts towards others.  I must understand that if God is love, then even the difficult and painful journeys in my life God has orchestrated, or allowed out of love for a purpose in my life that will bring him all the glory.  That he is working behind the scenes for my good out of love.  Today the world is all about me, myself and I, but God’s love is unconditionally selfless and servant-like.  We can only emulate that type of love by being in relationship with God.  If you cannot love someone because they don’t agree with you, you do not know God.  If you cannot love someone because they don’t affiliate with the same political party as you, you do not know God.  If you cannot love someone who has a different perspective on sexuality, you do not know God.  If you cannot love the sinner, you do not know God.  Because as Romans 5:8 says, “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this:  While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”  His nature is love.  He is the source of love.  He can not be without love.   A person in genuine relationship with God will radiate God’s love.  Let’s let our acts of love permeate our world with His love. ~ Amen

Be Merciful

Be merciful, even as your Father is merciful. ~ Luke 6:36

Jesus just gets done telling his followers that they should love their enemies and now he is telling them to be kind and merciful to them no matter what they may have done to them.  Many of us have been hurt by people and sometimes there is no explanation for their harshness, but we still need to look at them with kindness and look at them with sincere care.  I don’t know about you, but I need to work on this big time.  Sometimes I can get so caught up looking at the hurt that someone has caused me that I become engulfed and my heart can harden towards them.  I could care less.  If you hurt me, or my family, it’s grudge holding time, but that’s not how God would want us to act.  Over the years, I have intentionally worked on this and it takes practice.  I am by no means there yet, but I have an easier time these days when I step back and realize that they may be lost….and so then I pray that God would bless them and let the offense go.  Now I still believe that boundaries need to be set up sometimes and I don’t believe Jesus would ever want us to show our kindness by staying in an abusive, or violent relationship.  Please get out and get help!  I believe this verse specifically calls for us to be merciful when we are being persecuted for our belief in God.  I could be wrong, but I don’t believe God is asking you to be merciful to abuse.  There is a difference between abuse and conflict.  We are talking more along the lines of disagreements and conflicts.  Get out of abuse!  Sometimes showing mercy is taking yourself out of a situation, calling for help, or just by bringing groceries to the lonely, grouchy old couple who live next door.  Two years ago, God granted me the biggest opportunity for showing mercy I have ever experienced yet.  And he used my own son.  Isaac has, as the saying goes, been too smart for his own good.  But by his sophomore year in high school, he was headed for disaster.  Honestly, I don’t remember much of his junior year, but I do know there were at least two suicide attempts.  By his senior year, you name the drug and he was using it.  We were in a spiritual war.  I chewed off God’s ear and wore the carpet out with my knees near my bed praying.  One night, and I am not going to get into great detail, but one evening in June 2022 he became extremely agitated with me and his father.  He started throwing things and cursed loudly non-stop at us.  I heard “call the police” in my head.  My husband didn’t think it was a good idea, but I knew where that voice was coming from.  The next thing I remember is talking to dispatch while I watched my son and husband get physical with each other.  You see, when I grabbed the phone, my son grabbed a knife and now my husband was trying to wrestle it away from him.  Long story short, two sheriff deputies showed up at my house and hauled our 18 year old son away.  It was a terrible night.  The worst one so far in my life.  Awful.  Sad.  Cried ourselves to sleep.  So many questions.  I don’t know how I stayed calm on the phone (divine intervention), but two years later he is on the right path.  He was sent to a mental health facility where he was finally properly diagnosed with a mood disorder and ADHD.  Two weeks later we were able to bring him home and with the right medication and counseling improvement was almost immediate.  I tell you this story because even though calling the police on my son was not the “nicest” thing to do, I knew that it was the only thing to do.  We had to get him help and I knew he wasn’t going to listen to us.  We learned, while he was at the facility, that he was probably experiencing a “manic” episode that night; which we would have never understood if we didn’t take ourselves out of the situation and get him help.  God had granted me mounds of mercy for my son that night.  I don’t have any other explanation.  I was concerned about his well being.  I stayed calm, didn’t fight or argue back and did the best thing I could for him at the time even though it was extremely difficult.  Two years later, he is a different young man and has made tremendous strides.  He is enrolling in college classes for a culinary degree, is an assistant manager at a restaurant and hasn’t had a “manic” episode since.  I was worried that my relationship with him would be strained, but it has only grown stronger.  He calls that night the biggest turning point in his life.  Show mercy and grace to others.  Even when it’s hard.  God’s mercy was all over that situation that night and now it is part of our family's testimony.  Thank God for his mercy and grace. ~ Amen 

Created Heavens

For this is what the Lord says - he who created the heavens, he is God; he who fashioned and made the earth, he founded it; he did not create it to be empty, but formed it to be inhabited - he says:  “I am the Lord, and there is no other.” ~ Isaiah 45:18

In Deuteronomy 5 and in Exodus 20 we find the list of the Ten Commandments that God gave Moses on Mount Sinai while leading the Israelites out of Egypt.  The first commandment right off the bat is:  “I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.  You shall have no other gods before me.”  Number one right out of the gate!  Then here in Isaiah, God makes sure that everyone knows, “I am the Lord and there is no other.”  In today’s cultural and religious confusion let me make this clear - there is NO other God!  He is the only one who fashioned the earth and made it inhabitable for us.  No other god has lavished so much on us, cares so much for us, gushes over us as much, or promises to be with us wherever we go.  No other god knows the very working of your special design, or the number of hairs on your head.  The powerful, sovereign and creative God specifically made the earth for his glorious creation of precious humanity.  I believe every little part of the earth was intentionally created for you and I to enjoy - nothing is wasted.  Yellowstone National Park was created for our enjoyment; the Arches National Park was created to bring glory, honor and worship to God and Niagara Falls; well, it’s just plain breathtaking (just to name a few) and God made it all.  A loving and just God who has created so much beauty for us to behold is a sovereign and awesome God who deserves all our praise, worship and reverence.  He did this.  Alone.  He created the earth out of nothingness and formed it to be our dwelling and to enjoy its majesty.  Genesis 8:22 says, “While the earth remains, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night, shall not cease.”  Let’s enjoy and be good stewards of what the one true God has given us and let us have no other gods before Him. ~ Amen

Stand Against

Put on the full armor of God, so that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. ~ Ephesians 6:11

The devil just needs you to put your guard down once; just one little time, one little crack, one little lie, one little thought and if he can get you to give into him, you are going to have a battle on your hands.  We are in spiritual battles everyday and just like a soldier going into war, we need to make sure we have the right equipment and protection.  This verse emphasizes the need to put on the full armor of God that is available to us.  The armor of God comes in 6 pieces and is one size fits all:  the belt of truth, the breastplate of righteousness, the shoes of the gospel of peace, the shield of faith, the helmet of salvation and the sword of the spirit (word of God).  What is the functionality of these pieces?  Each has a special function.  Let’s start with the belt of truth.  Identity has been lost in this woke, cross-cultural and very confused world.  The belt of truth protects us from an identity crisis.  You should know who you are.  The truth is you were made in the likeness of Christ and you were made as a reflection of God’s holiness.  You were made to be in fellowship with and to be a child of God.  Being made “right” is the job of the breastplate of righteousness, both by way of the righteousness Christ gives us and by the righteousness we have the desire to stand up too.  The enemy will use any way he can to hurt our heart and emotional being; the breastplate protects us from his sinful temptations that could, and probably would, lead us to heartache and brokenness.  Sometimes doing the right thing, or making the right choice isn’t always popular, or easy, but you won’t be so hurt by the right choice.  Disobedience can lead to destruction, but obedience always leads to peace.  This leads me to the shoes of the gospel of peace, boy; something everyone wants.  Buckling knees and weak ankles can find rest as they stand firm in these shoes.  But many times in this broken world, the enemy can cause us to be trembling with worry, anxiety, doubt and fear.  Remember, don’t worry, instead take every care and cast it at Jesus’ feet so that you may have peace that surpasses all worldly understanding.  So often the shield of faith and the shoes of the gospel work together to ward off our deepest fears and anxieties.  The shield of faith protects us and our faith is where we find the courage and hope to move through difficult times.  Our shield of faith reminds us of the promises and goodness of God and we hold them high when we believe God to be who He says He is knowing He will “make all things work together for the good of them that love God” (Romans 8:28).  Then there is the helmet of salvation; which we were granted access to the moment we put our trust in Christ’s death as payment for our sins, but the helmet of salvation also helps in the battlefield of mind games.  The brain and the heart don’t always line up with one another for the righteousness of God, but with the helmet of salvation and the shield of faith working together, God can get the two on the same page.  As 2 Corinthians 10:5 says, “We destroy arguments of every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God and take every thought captive to obey Christ”; this is the work of the helmet of salvation. The last piece of the armor of God is the sword of the spirit, or the word of God.  Let me put this plainly….the B-I-B-L-E.  Scripture.  Arguably, the most effective weapon.  The scriptures can be used as both an offensive weapon and a defensive weapon.  Years ago, I was challenged by an older woman to memorize Psalm 91.  The whole of it.  My husband and I were going through a rough patch and I evidently had the look of sorrow all over my face at this weekend Women’s Retreat.  This sweet lady had no possible way of knowing what I was going through, but she came up to me and simply said, “The spirit told me to tell you to memorize Psalm 91 for comfort.  Oh, and yes, he’s going to get you through this.”  Then with a quick squeeze of my hand, she turned and left.  I stood with my mouth wide open for a brief second before I burst into tears.  As fast as I could, I memorized Psalm 91 and you will never know, or understand how much it has been used as the first of many scripture quivers I have in my arsenal.  Memorize scripture.  Pick scripture that means something to you.  Pick scripture to fight anxiety and fear.  Pick God’s promises.  Just do it!  I can’t explain the feeling I get when I can quote scripture out loud during a battle.  It stops the enemy in his tracks.  Put on the full armor of God and be ready for the battle.  Victory is ours! ~ Amen

Give Birth

He chose to give us birth through the Word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of all he created. ~ James 1:18

Giving our firstfruits is a term often used in the church as meaning to give God first of our money, time and other resources even above ourselves and our family.  Original readers of James, the Jewish believers, were well aware of this term as they celebrated The Feast of Firstfruits as an offering of gratitude to God.  The truth is we should be grateful ourselves that God gave us a new life and birth when we became followers of Christ.  Romans 5:8 says, “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this:  While we were still sinners, Christ died for us”.  This means that by his own will and goodness Christ died for us to give us a new life in Him.  Not only are we Christ’s crowning creation, but “firstfruits” suggests we have a special standing above the rest of creation.  We are firstfruits of salvation and firstfruits of new creations in Christ.  God gave us new life in Christ.  God chose, out of his own will, to bring us up out of our sinful lives by sacrificing his firstfruit, his son, Jesus.  The bible makes it clear that we were set apart and chosen by the Lord, born again and adopted into the family of Christ.  He did this.  He sought us out and by his will we were brought into relationship with him through the invitation of His sacrifice.  God has chosen to give us new life not through our own works, but through the truth found in his word so that we may be the dedicated and special part of God’s creation to fulfill His purposes.  From the beginning, God chose mankind to be His splendor and wanted us to find our purpose in Him.  Our spiritual rebirth is an act of God’s grace so that we may live in the fullness of life for him and with Him.  It is through faith in Jesus alone that we receive this  new birth.  We accept the good news of the cross and He gives us His righteousness as the firstfruits of creation.  You can not earn this, in fact, you do nothing at all but accept the invitation for a new life.  A life of hope, love, and grace and one where you will always have someone by your side. ~ Amen

Been Saved

For it is by grace you have been saved through faith - and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God - not by works, so that no one can boast. ~ Ephesians 2:8-9

Being saved has nothing to do with the good deeds you do, how many times you go to church during the week, or how many bible verses you have memorized.  After the fall of man, there had to be a way to reconcile us back to God.  In the Old Testament, Israel had to follow many, many laws, be obedient to the leaders God had put into place and make many sacrifices for the atonement of their sins.  God recognized that His people could not live like this forever and that there had to be another way to reconcile this now sinful world back to him once and for all.     The whole purpose of Jesus could have been classified as a rescue mission for all who believe.  Free and simple. Many religions believe in good deeds and religious performances in order to be smiled upon by their god.  For those of us who have accepted Jesus as our Lord and Savior, it is imperative that we understand we were saved through the very act of the crucifixion and resurrection.  Under God’s authority, we received an undeserved gift of freedom and salvation when we put our faith in Jesus Christ.  A gift that can never be repaid through our own doing.  Being a follower of Jesus will automatically bring about good works and a lifestyle change of blessing to others, but that is not what makes you saved.  We believe by faith that we are saved by the sacrificial death of Jesus Christ as God’s gift of grace, kindness and love.  Because he wants us with him.  Always.  This way we can not boast about ourselves and; therefore, can not place ourselves on the same level as God, or higher.  But if we remember that grace is defined as an undeserved gift, or act of kindness, we will want to build our faith in a manner that is pleasing to God. ~ Amen  

Beginning Knowledge

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction. ~ Proverbs 1:7

We all know people who seem to think the rules of society don’t apply to them.  They ask for advice and turn around to do the exact opposite.  Sometimes these people look like they are trying to self-sabotage; choosing everything and anything that is not good for them even though they know better.  Their lives tend to be a path filled with bad decisions, broken relationships and constant chaos.  They can’t see today from yesterday and tomorrow doesn’t look much better.  It seems like no matter how many people try to help them, they just run their lives deeper into the ground.  And we, as their loved ones, are at a total loss.  We must be wary not to turn into such foolish people.  Humble worship and a reverential fear of the Lord develops a teachable spirit for us to learn His knowledge on how to build our lives.  Jesus is the beginning of all knowledge.  Most of us would say we are knowledgeable in life, but are you knowledgeable because of your awe and worship in God and so know his ways, or are you knowledgeable most in how the world would tell you to live?  How the world tells us to live is in direct contrast to what God would say; just read the Beatitudes from Jesus’ sermon on the Mount in Matthew and you will see that God’s ways are upside down compared to the world and our own flesh.  In Proverbs, Solomon talks greatly about wisdom and foolishness, and the message is clear - foolish people do not consider the truths of Christ and they pay dearly for it.  Wisdom is knowing the knowledge and then putting that knowledge into action.  Wisdom and instruction is to know, teach and do what Jesus, the beginning of knowledge, has taught us.  However, fools hate this.  They despise being told what to do; they think they know it all and don’t need to learn anything else and they don’t need your advice.  They think they have it all together.  They run away from teaching, learning, or correction.  They think they have a better way and so disregard God and live according to their desires.  They want everything to be about them and will try to conform all paths to satisfy their needs and desires.  They flap their jaws incessantly and talk of nothing.  I hate to say it, but I think this can happen to the best of us as I don’t see Solomon making any distinction between the “wise” being only the followers of Christ and the “fools” being only the non-believers.  Just two choices - wisdom, or foolishness.  We have all been given the opportunity to choose a path in life; the decision is left up to us.  Make a wise choice.  Seek out His knowledge. ~ Amen

Before Creation

For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy & blameless in his sight.  In love he predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will - to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves. ~ Ephesians 1:4-6

The very idea that God chose me to be part of his plan; part of his family, is astounding to me.  A daughter of the Most High King as I have been brought into the family of Christ!  We need to understand that God chose ALL of mankind to be adopted back to Him through the resurrection of his son, Jesus.  When you made the choice to follow Jesus, you accepted his invitation to be adopted back to Him for his pleasure and purpose.  We all know people who are not believers, but that was not God’s original plan.  Before the world was created, he had chosen mankind to be His, but because He is a gentleman and didn’t want to force himself on us, he gave us free-will to choose him, or not.  However, He has always longed for all of us to choose Him.  God’s heart is breaking when those He chose have made their decision to deny him and go a different way.  He wants us all.  We are God’s crowning creation and he longed for us to be with Him forever because He loves us.  I know it’s hard to believe, but God created us to be in constant companionship with Him.  When we accept Jesus Christ as our Lord, we no longer have to worry as God has now stepped into our lives in relationship with us and wants to take control if we will submit to His authority and will.  We were created to be loved by God, to accept his invitation so that we could be adopted as his child and to love God by doing His will of spreading the good news everywhere so everyone would have the opportunity to come back to Him.  We are to be holy, or “set apart” and live in such a way that is pleasing to God.  We are here to love God and love people.  Do you love people?  Do you love God?  You are a child of the Most High King and because of Jesus, you are holy and blameless.  Let that sink in.  That’s how much he loves you. It’s time to share the good news. ~ Amen

Fools Vent

Fools give full vent to their rage, but the wise bring calm in the end. ~ Proverbs 29:11

The book of Proverbs is chalked full of verses referring to the “fool” and the “wise”.  Many people are “hot tempered” and let their emotions get the best of them.  I know people, and I bet you do too, that have lost jobs, got themselves in trouble with the law and have even destroyed relationships because they can’t keep their emotions in check; which leads to a spiteful tongue.  A harsh word may have been spoken against you, or someone may have openly hurt you with no sense of reason; whatever the case maybe, we need the Holy Spirit to help us calm down before we react.  I admit, I have reacted poorly to being hurt and I have let my anger bubble out only to feel regret and wish I could hit the rewind button.  Our tongue can speak life, or bring death into situations and so before we go spewing our feelings, we best bring them to God first for Him to help us sort them out.  Being intentional about going to God so that he can speak to our hearts and calm our spirits does something not only to ourselves, but it can bring thoughtfulness to the other party as well.  People don’t know what to do with someone who doesn’t fight back, or get defensive.  It often softens their hearts and lowers their walls and leaves them exposed to reconciliation.  Better to keep our mouths shut than to end up looking like a fool.  How many times have you heard people talk just to talk?  Or how about those ‘one upper” storytellers who just like to hear themselves talk.  See, a fool venting his anger is not the only fool.  A fool can babble on about themselves, or any thought just because a foolish person likes to talk arrogantly while a wise person knows there is a time to speak and a time to be silent.  Which one are you?  Let our words be gracious and used only for edifying and let’s bring calmness so as not to look like a fool. ~ Amen

All Nations

From one man he made all the nations, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he marked out their appointed times in history and the boundaries of their lands. ~ Acts 17:26

Paul had to have been heartbroken seeing all the different “gods” in Athens.  Ideas about different Gods and what happens when we die and ideas right from wrong were flowing through the streets.  I love how Paul says, “People of Athens!  I see that in every way you are very religious,” (Acts 17:22) as a way not to offend them, but in a way that will hopefully bend their ear to his teaching.  But he doesn’t stop there; he eventually gets to the fact that they even worship things that they don’t know; how can that be a god?  I imagine he has their attention as he goes on to explain that the God of the universe and everything in it does not need anything from us, but that He, in fact, is the whole reason we breathe and live.  In other words people, you are here because God wants you here.  God ordained for all nations to be created and he laid out the boundaries and he even decided when each person in each nation was born and ordained to perish.  Victories have been won and battles have been lost because God determines the outcomes of the nations.  The fact that you were born when and where is no accident.  Popular world leaders have been set up and appointed just at the time God commanded it to be so.  A powerful sovereign God we serve!  A mirage of ethnic groups in different geographical boundaries are all descendants of Adam, the first man God created.  Today you are right where you are supposed to be to best further Christ’s kingdom and to hear the good news.  You are at the appointed place at the appointed time.  Are you up for the challenge? ~ Amen

My Yoke

Take my yoke upon you and learn from me for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. ~ Matthew 11:29

A yoke, according to Merriam-Webster Dictionary, is “a wooden bar or frame by which two draft animals (such as oxen) are joined at the heads or necks for working together”.  Another definition they have is “a frame fitted to a person’s shoulders to carry a load in two equal portions”.  These frames were used on a single animal, or multiple if the work was great.  Jews had a heavy burden of everyday law that they were under according to the great Pharisees of the day.  Those Pharisees questioned everything!  I imagine nothing was ever good enough for the Pharisees and the Jews probably felt pretty beaten down.  Jesus knew what his purpose was and he knew that he would be able to break the burdensome “law” yoke of those pious religious leaders.  The son of God invites the people to “take his yoke”; in other words, give Him authority and control of your life.  Let go of the countless religious exercises.  Submit to me and let me make your life easier.  Give me your burdens. He wanted to give them much needed rest; He could see they were exhausted.  And He wants to do the same for you.  Nobody will go through this life burden-free, but God is here willing and able to help you with your burdens.  The time would come when Jesus would break the burdensome worry of the law for the Jews and now that He has risen from the dead, He has broken through even that much more for us.   The Lord Almighty invites you to unload your burdens at His feet and let him relieve you and give you rest.  I don’t know about you, but I know when I spend the first few minutes of my day thanking God and then another few minutes of my day unloading my burdens, I do, indeed, feel relief.  I intentionally name my stressors off and let the Holy Spirit renew my soul.  The giving up of control is hard, but Jesus understands and wants to help.  Jesus is gentle and has come to heal our burden worn shoulders.  Take His yoke and put yourself under his authority and will. Let it go and let Him.  Leave it at his feet.  Let him give you rest. ~ Amen

Tempted Beyond

So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don’t fall!  No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind.  And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear.  But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it. ~ 1 Corinthians 10:12-13

God allows temptation, did you know this?  If he allowed Satan to tempt Jesus, don’t you think He allows Satan to tempt us?  Then there’s Job.  God practically handed him over to Satan to test; so why would we be any different?  Satan prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour (1 Peter 5:8).   He is just waiting for us to slip up.  The Lord, however, is faithful and promises that he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear and He will provide a way out.  There have been times I have thought, “Lord, you sure think way too much of me because you are jumping on my last nerve with this.  It’s too hard!”  And then He gently reminds me that he doesn’t expect me to do this alone, but to lean in on Him.  Press in!   You see, most of us think this verse means God won’t give me more than I can handle, but the verse actually means God won’t give you more than you can handle with Him by your side.  Oh yeah, sure, we can try to fight it alone, but that is a very dangerous, slippery slope my friend.  If you think you are going to fight this on your own, where is your way out coming from?  Yourself?  Good luck with that.  Paul promises us that after we have invited the Holy Spirit to help us fight the temptation, that there will be a way of escape presented to us; which means it could be “no thank you”, or it may be you actually walking away from, or even literally escaping a situation.  God wants to help his children get away from the trap of temptation and will always help them who call on his name with a desire to do right in their moments of distress.  Call on Him.  Don’t fight the battle alone!  God will respond and assist! ~ Amen

Days Ordained

Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be. ~ Psalm 139:16

Plans come and plans go.  Plans get messed up and plans get rerouted.  Plans get interrupted.  Then there is God’s plan.  He has a plan for everyone, including you.  These plans were written for you before you even breathed one breath; hidden in your mother’s womb.  There are no promises that all plans will make us happy and there is no guarantee that some of God’s plans, or days for you won’t be filled with pain.  Some pain and suffering has been mapped out for you my friend.  But God has also ordained glorious days as well.  There will be questions of why one friend’s life was cut short, while seemingly godless people live a long and sometimes prosperous life.  Put your trust in God.  He, and only He, has ordained the days you will live.  Just know that your life has a purpose and a plan that he promises in Romans 8:28, “works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.”  Don’t get discouraged when your days, or plans don’t go the way you expected.  Look at them as divine interruptions; even if they are filled with pain.  This scripture is clear; God knows everything about our lives.  The days you live have been counted out.  Not that you should act foolish and carelessly to test God, but to give you reassurance that your job on this earth is not finished until he says so. No one can argue the fact that they can’t predict what will happen tomorrow.  We can and should have plans, but the ultimate decision rests in Christ’s omniscience hands.  And so we should live everyday trusting God and abiding in his will for our lives as best as we can to glorify him. ~ Amen

Merciful Lord

The Lord, the Lord God, merciful and gracious, long-suffering, and abounding in goodness and truth. ~ Exodus 34:6

Yet again, we get a clear description of some of the Lord God’s characteristics when Moses boldly asks to see God’s glory.  Why Moses didn’t already think he’d seen enough through a burning bush conversation and the inscription of two stone tablets I’ll never know, but he asks to see it yet again.  The Lord himself calls himself merciful; which is defined as full of compassion; providing relief by the Merriam-Webster Dictionary.  How many times did the Israelites disobey God?  I wonder how many times I have disappointed God.  I am thankful he turns his anger away and is merciful towards me instead of always giving me a just punishment.  The Lord calls himself gracious; which is defined as marked by kindness and courtesy (Merriam-Webster Dictionary).  I don’t believe there will ever be a kindness shown to man greater than the free gift of God’s love through his son Jesus Christ.  Graciousness = Grace; which is an undeserved favor, or gift and there will never be a greater one.  The Lord calls himself longsuffering; which means he is patient and slow to anger.  I am thankful God is long-suffering as I find myself a lot like Paul when he says, “I do not understand what I do.  For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do,” (Romans 7:15).  Thank you Jesus for being patient with me.  Good portions of the Old Testament show God’s anger and judgment and on the flip side of that, good portions of the Old Testaments also show us God’s great mercy, grace and long-suffering and love for mankind.  Thank you Lord.  Thank you for your abounding love and faithfulness. ~ Amen

Not Hidden

My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place, when I was woven together in the depths of the earth. ~ Psalm 139:15

God carefully, lovingly, and delicately created you to be completely unique.  In fact, God put together your tiny body in your mother’s womb with specific qualities, characteristics and features in mind.  Muscles, tissues, cells and organs were all placed where God designed them to be in the human body.  There has never been, and there never will be, another you. We have breath and life on this earth because God desired it to be so.  The term “woven” reminds me so much of watching my grandmother do needle point, or knitting.  To watch her skillful, yet delicate hands maneuver the needle(s) to her next desired positioning was poetic and beautiful.  Crafting and creating a masterpiece.  You are God’s masterpiece.  One of many that bring him joy and the joy you bring him is special and unique.  You are irreplaceable, special, and very valuable to God.  To the Creator of the universe.  He knows how many hairs are on your head and he desperately desires a relationship with you.  You are one of a kind.  God has been singing and dancing over you before you took your first breath.  Consider yourself a miracle.  A true blessing (even when you don’t feel like it).  You were handcrafted by the Master.  By the way, you were handcrafted in the image of God.  To that end, murder is an attack on the very image of God.  God is the Creator of life and; therefore, should be the only one allowed to end life.  In the last month of my first pregnancy it dawned on me, “This is absolutely amazing.  The only time I can think of that I am knowingly participating in the completion of one of God’s miracles growing inside of me.  I am helping God perform a miracle.  How miraculous!” And I gotta do it twice.  Children are a gift from God (Psalm 127:3).  God knows each one of them intimately and they are special to Him.  So are YOU. ~ Amen

Kind Reward

Whoever is kind to the poor lends to the Lord, and he will reward them for what they have done. ~ Proverbs 19:17

I will admit, I am not the best at this. Where I live there aren't a lot of poor, but I do know there are plenty of needy that I could be more generous toward.  The world tells us and our flesh longs for more, more, and more for me, myself and I.  I pray on the regular that God would not only help me be more generous in big ways, but open my eyes to the small needs also.  The truth is, it is easier to look the other way and pass judgment on someone then it is to help them, which shatters God’s heart.  I don’t want to break his heart.  I want to bless Him.  There are going to be times when you give and then find out your gift may have been used for something you didn’t intend, but we are not the judge of that, God is.  People need help in all kinds of ways and money isn’t defined in this verse as the only way to be kind to the poor.  In fact, money isn’t even mentioned in this verse, even though it is what most people tend to need, but what about the poor in spirit?  Do you allow interruptions in your daily life if someone needs your time?  Your shirt?  How about just a listening ear, or soft shoulder?  A ride to the dr. appt.?  I have a co-worker moving out of state and she doesn’t have any family here to help her repair her home for sale, or to clean and pack.  She’s been part of this community for 13 years and she can’t seem to find anyone that is willing to help her despite her pleas on social media. I knew what God wanted me to do.  Admittedly, begrudgingly, I offered her my help and she was estatic.  And you know what happened?  That afternoon spent with her and another friend finishing final touches on her home was more of a blessing to me, I believe, than to her.  God blessed my heart as we were able to relieve a little stress for her.  She even laughed over lunch and I hadn’t seen her do that in weeks.  She was just too stressed to even smile, or be excited about her new journey.  May we all learn to open our hearts to kindness to the poor more often.  Whether it’s monetarily poor, or time poor, or help poor.  When we offer our kindness to others, we are offering our kindness to God.  And doesn’t he deserve that?  Look at what his kindness has done for us. ~ Amen 

Vindicate Me

Though I walk in the midst of trouble, you preserve my life.  You stretch out your hand against the anger of my foes; with your right hand you save me.  The Lord will vindicate me; your love, Lord, endures forever - do not abandon the works of your hands. ~

I hold this verse dear as I imagine my Lord in battle just for me.  A great picture of God protecting me from a violent spiritual war on the other side of his hand.  There have been hurtful words spoken about me and my family by unbelieving family members and even though it is so painful, I believe this is a perfect picture of God protecting us and one day they will come to know the truth.  Discouraged?  Yes, but I know God will not abandon me to my enemies, but he will continue to work in my life for his glory and upholds us.  To his glory, strength will come upon us as he stops and restrains our enemies.  Not that he brings death, necessarily, to our enemies; after all, he does want all people to be able to choose Him eventually, but he stops their wage against us.  He stops Satan’s work through them.   For us believers, we need to remember that God is sovereign and nothing he does regarding our lives is wasted.  He loves us unconditionally and forever and allows good and bad to finish the work in us he started that truly is in our best interest whether we know it, or not.  If you're just checking this Christianity thing out, my question to you is why wouldn’t you want God’s protection?  It’s only one of the many benefits you get as a believer.  Yes, I promise you will still have trials and enemies, but you will bring a bigger army to the battle and you won’t have to fight alone.  That should bring tremendous hope.  Believe me, God will give you strength, hope and love you have yet to experience. ~ Amen

Expect Trials

Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. ~ Romans 12:!2

I believe this verse is a great recipe for how all followers of Jesus should respond not only in life, but particularly in difficult times.  Tragedy will always be part of our lives, but how we respond vastly differs.  I mean really, in the midst of unthinkable pain, how can anyone be joyful in hope, patient, or faithful?  The enemy of your soul wants nothing more than to zap you of joy and there is no better time than when you are fighting through a trail.  Be on guard.  Don’t let him harden your heart….run to Jesus.  Remember that we always have hope because Christ is for us.  No matter how much it hurts, the believer has hope that it will work out for the good.  The good of what?  I don’t know, but I trust God and he says he can make good and beauty can come out of ashes.  As followers of Christ this simple exhortation is how we should behave during every season of our life.  Our hope comes from Christ because he alone promised our victory.  We don’t often think of having patience in our pain either.  I know I don’t ask for patience; I want my pain gone NOW!  Why would I ask for patience in affliction?  Because this kind of patience produces perseverance and when you have perseverance you don’t quit easily.  You know it’s going to be a journey, a marathon, a mountain climb, maybe the first step of thousands uphill.  The bible says not only so, but we also glory in our suffering, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope (Romans 5:3-4).  So we persevere so God can refine us and we boldly and faithfully pray trusting God will answer our requests.  Prayer brings God’s intervention in His timing and we are more Christ-like because of the journey.  As you continue to persevere, have hope and continually pray, I promise God will show up.  He has too.  He has promised us He will. ~ Amen

Also Chosen

In him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will, ~ Ephesians 1:11

People really don’t talk much about inheritances these days as I dare say we are all pretty focused on what we can obtain for ourselves and don’t think about leaving an inheritance for those left behind.  Acquiring money, or material things are usually linked to inheritance, but did you know that our inheritance, as believers, has nothing to do with worldly gain?  Man has made inheritance about money; which, don't get me wrong, is something that we do all need, but our inheritance as followers of Jesus is the fact that we are now called “children” of God and we get to live eternally in his righteousness and glory.  A perfect plan was set into place when Christ adopted you as a child of God and then was able to accept you through the sacrifice of his son, Jesus.  We are part of God’s will.  The fact is God wants you and me with him; He WANTS us.  From the beginning, Christ’s plan was for the Jews to put their hope in him and for generations and nations of people to follow all the way to the Gentiles and Ephesian people to us and more.  So having accepted Christ as my Lord and Savior, I must also believe that everything in my life will work out for the good of not only my will, but His ultimate will and plan.  It may not always be a life of roses, but everything, even the devastating tragedy, will work out for good.  That even when it looks like there is no hope; when I am shattered; when I can’t get out of bed, God will work it all out for good.  That’s hard to understand, but we must know that we are precious.  We have been bought with a tremendous and unfair price.  God wants us with him.  We are his inheritance and he will make everything good for those who believe in him. ~ Amen

Hope Filled

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. ~ Romans 15:13

Paul’s prayer may be short, but packs a punch and says everything any believer could ever want and is very applicable even today.  I have been overwhelmed with unexplainable peace when in all reality I should have been terrified, but because I trusted in Him, he filled me up with peace and hope during a difficult storm.  Perfect peace and joy can only come to believers who trust in God no matter what.  He not only meets us, but will fill us with so much hope through the Holy Spirit that we are overflowing – overflowing to touch others and overflowing to bring glory to Him when others are baffled by the grace in which you handle difficult circumstances.  Life isn’t a bed of roses all of the time and you will find yourself in a place of total devastation at least once in your life.  Where will your help come from?  Some days you may be barely able to move.  A dear friend of mine just lost their 18 year old son in a tragic freak water accident this past 4th of July on a family vacation.  They can barely move right now, barely speak, but they find hope, even if it’s just a spark at a time, in the fellowship of their believing friends and their trust in the Holy Spirit to meet them where they are and the promise that one day they will see their son again.  This world doesn’t offer much in the way of hope.  Sure, it offers many outlets and substances to cope, but not any outlet that is lasting.  Trusting in ourselves surely doesn’t get us that far and so hopelessness can swallow us up if we let it.  Let us turn to God.  Let us trust in him even if we don’t understand.  God is the giver of true hope and can fill you up. ~ Amen

God's Wisdom

No, we declare God’s wisdom a mystery that has been hidden and that God destined for our glory before time began. ~ 1 Corinthians 2:7

I yearn to know God’s ways and to know him more intimately.  Paul says that as Christians, we have access to a spiritual wisdom that is not known to the men of this world.  Redemption of mankind through Jesus Christ was God’s plan before time began.  God’s wisdom is supernatural, it is superior to any worldly wisdom and can only be whispered into our hearts once we have made the commitment to follow Christ.  People are often led to believe that maturity and wisdom come with age, but Paul would argue that maturity rests in your relationship with God as only believers will have Godly wisdom, which far outweighs worldly wisdom.  Proclaiming to be a follower of Jesus means that your wisdom should have some truth to it – some biblical foundation – and therefore, you should not be idly following the world's ways.  As a side note, have you ever noticed that most of God’s ways on how to deal with life are contradictory, or upside down compared to how the world looks at things?  God’s wisdom is hidden and a mystery to those who have decided to reject Jesus Christ as God’s son.  God is a gentleman and will not force his way into our lives, but will wait for the invitation, but without the invitation to come into relationship with Christ, then the unbeliever only has their own wisdom and the world’s wisdom to live by.  Even so, my truth, the believers truth, was “God in a bod” in the form of the man known as Jesus Christ.  God sending his perfect son to die a brutal death for my redemption was an inexpressible sweet gesture and gift that seems ridiculous to the unbeliever, but it is my truth.  It may be your truth.  If it isn’t, I invite you to ask God into your heart so that you can experience true wisdom and freedom. ~ Amen

Save Yourself

For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it. ~ Matthew 16:25

To lose my life for Jesus?  What does that mean?  The idea is to step forward, take a stand and make your allegiance to Jesus and his ways over the worlds and your flesh.  Sometimes it will be painful, full of ridicule, humiliating and hurtful, but it will be worth so much more in the end.  Jesus promises us that if we stand with him now, he will stand with us later and usher us into our heavenly home with open arms.  Instead of giving in to my flesh, I need to look at all circumstances, situations and people through “Jesus colored” lens and make sure I am handling life His way.  There is no need for me to actually die by crucifixion, but I will have to sacrifice my selfish ways of living just like Jesus was my sacrifice on his very real, cruel and brutal cross.  Not making this allegiance and proclamation means that you will lose your life permanently in your death as you will be forever separated from Christ.  He will welcome home his children, but that won’t be everyone.  Will it be you?  In the end, who you choose to follow and submit your life to will be the only question that will matter.  Doing things my way hasn’t always panned out the best anyway; so why not submit it all to Jesus?  In this life I am going to be ridiculed for something; why not let it be for my tight belief that Jesus Christ is Lord and I am giving him my life?  If I am wrong, I don’t lose a thing, but if I am right (which I know I am), I will win everything.  I think I will take those odds and die to self and let Christ take over.  It’s not that big of a sacrifice when I remember what he did for me. ~ Amen

His Hands

In his hands is the life of every creature and the breath of all mankind. ~ Job 12:10

I don’t know how many times I have heard, “I was a surprise.  Bonus baby.  An accident.”  No one is an accident and you may have been a surprise to your parents, but God had you planned all along.  He is the reason you are still breathing and able to read this now.  We live, breathe and have movement because our Creator lets it be so.  Just as he has told the sea where to stop and the sun where to set, he has allowed air into our lungs and breathed life into everything that lives.  Just as he has given life to all living creatures, he also is responsible for your life.  At God’s command the birds of the air and the creatures of the land have their being.  He is the reason the ant moves, the tree grows, the flower blooms and the baby cries – just to name a few.  Jungles and seas are teaming with creatures we have yet to discover, but God has given them all life.  Life is totally and sovereignty in God’s hands.  So many breaths in and out of our lungs without a thought, automatically part of our every day and yet a huge gift taken for granted.  Just as God is the giver of all life, he should be the only one who has the authority to take life.  He has the whole world in his hands and that’s how it was always intended to be.  Life as we know it was designed by our Sovereign God.  Our Lord loves us so much that he created all things for us to enjoy.  Look at all the people God has placed in your life and thank Him for the beauty they individually bring.  God breathed life into Adam which started a beautiful chain reaction; we are breathing God’s breath. Thank you God for life. ~ Amen

Great Discipline

Join with me in suffering, like a good soldier of Christ Jesus.  No one serving as a soldier gets entangled in civilian affairs, but rather tries to please his commanding officer.  Similarly, anyone who competes as an athlete does not receive the victor's crown except by competing according to the rules.  The hardworking farmer should be the first to receive a share of the crops.  Reflect on what I am saying, for the Lord will give you insight into all this. ~ 2 Timothy 2:3-7

Great trust, discipline, perseverance, and dedication is needed for the eternal reward we are promised at the end of this life.  There are some rewards worth the hard work and suffering and being with Jesus Christ for eternity is well worth the price.  What hard work and suffering?  Well, you are going to have to be different; you can not worry about what others think, or say; you have to show love, mercy and grace even when it’s hard.  You will have to keep your moral wits about you and play by God’s rules; not the world’s rules. You’re going to have to love others that don’t agree with you, but still hold firm.  You can not think like the world thinks…..you must be different.  Worldly suffering is often a test to help us put our trust in God; whose timing and ways about doing things does not always make sense, but in the end maybe we will get a glimmer of understanding.  The Christian soldier should want nothing more in life than to win others for Jesus and want to please no one more than Jesus Christ.  I don’t want to live as the world lives; I want to live according to how Christ has instructed me by hopefully leading a selfless life full of love for others first.  The goal is to show love, grace and mercy while finishing the race Christ has laid out for me.  I want to win the gift of salvation not only for myself, but I want to take my family and friends with me!  Following Jesus’ way in this broken world may prove to be hard, but there will be more to gain in the end than I can see with my eyes now.  In the same way an athlete trains I must train myself to go hard after the prize of salvation and not be ashamed of the gospel.  Putting Christ at the head of my life and loving others as Jesus does so that I can hear, “Well done my good and faithful servant.”  There is so much planting that needs to be done and while the work seems overwhelming, God promises us a harvest if we keep planting.  Let’s press on like the good soldier, competitive athlete and hardworking farmer and keep our eyes on the prize! ~ Amen

In Drought

“But blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in him.  They will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream.  It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green.  It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit.” ~ Jeremiah 17:7-8

When things are rough, how do you hold on?  How do you respond?  Where do you turn?  Sometimes life is overwhelmingly hard and makes no sense.  Tragic deaths, accidents, financial hardships, childhood cancer, any type of cancer, addictions….you name it; life doesn’t always make sense and can be hard.  Things that make us doubt; doubt our faith.  We have all been there.  In a world that is so divided on so many issues and where hurt abounds, where do you go?  How do you move forward?  A life of ease is what we would all like, but Jesus never promised that.  But he did promise that if we stay near to him and rooted in his word and trust him, we will make it.  Some people are going to hurt you; close people.  And some circumstances will cut like a knife because we live in a broken and sinful world; which was not the original plan.  Becoming short-sighted and trusting in the world, others and trusting only in yourself will eventually leave you disappointed and maybe even deeply wounded.  A heart that trusts in God instead of this world has hope that everything will be okay.  Trusting in God, the living water of life, brings some relief even in the darkest moments.  The same way a tree that is planted near water always has nourishment even in blistering heat.  When you are in the habit of continually seeking Jesus, you will have hope in difficult times.  A season will come when you will have to decide who, or what you trust – yourself, man, or God.  It will not be easy and it will not take all the pain away, but it will give you hope if you trust in the Lord Almighty no matter what may come. ~ Amen