May 8, 2024 — John 3:16 & Romans 5:8
“For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.”
“But God shows His love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”
May 3, 2024 — Matthew 9:12-13
“Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. Go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, and not sacrifice.’ For I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.”
May 1, 2024 — Mark 10:45
“For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.”
April 29, 2024 — Matthew 11:28-30
“Come to Me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you, and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy, and My burden is light.”
April 26, 2024 — John 20:21
“Jesus said to them again, ‘Peace be with you. As the Father has sent Me, even so I am sending you.’”
April 24, 2024 — Acts 1:7-8
“He [Jesus] said to them, ‘It is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has fixed by His own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be My witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.’”
April 22, 2024 — Matthew 28:18-20
“And Jesus came and said to them, ‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
April 19, 2024 — John 10:27-30
“My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of My hand. My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand. I and the Father are one.”
April 17, 2024 — John 10:11, 14-16
“I am the Good Shepherd. The Good Shepherd lays down His life for the sheep… I am the Good Shepherd. I know My own and My own know Me, just as the Father knows Me and I know the Father; and I lay down My life for the sheep. And I have other sheep that are not of this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to My voice. So there will be one flock, one Shepherd.”
April 12, 2024 — Psalm 147:3 & Isaiah 61:1-3
“He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.”
“The Spirit of the Lord God is upon Me, because the Lord has anointed Me to bring good news to the poor; He has sent Me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound; to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all who mourn; to grant to those who mourn in Zion—to give them a beautiful headdress instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, the garment of praise instead of a faint spirit; that they may be called oaks of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that He may be glorified.”
April 8, 2024 — Psalm 34:18
“The LORD is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit.”
April 5, 2024 — 1 Corinthians 4:1-2
“This is how one should regard us, as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God. Moreover, it is required of stewards that they be found faithful.”
April 3, 2024 — 1 Corinthians 3:11
“For no one can lay a foundation other than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.”
April 1, 2024 — 1 Corinthians 2:1-2
“And I, when I came to you, brothers, did not come proclaiming to you the testimony of God with lofty speech or wisdom. For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified.”
March 29, 2024 — Philippians 3:10-11
“That I may know Him [Christ] and the power of His resurrection, and may share His sufferings, becoming like Him in His death, that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead.”
March 27, 2024 — Philippians 3:8-9
“Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For His sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith.”
March 25, 2024 — Philippians 3:7
“But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ.”
March 22, 2024 — John 1:12-13
“But to all who did receive Him [Jesus], who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.”
March 20, 2024 — Matthew 9:12-13
But when He [Jesus] heard it, He said, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. Go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, and not sacrifice.’ For I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.”
March 18, 2024 — Romans 8:1
“There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.”
March 15, 2024 — Colossians 1:15-20
“He [Jesus] is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by Him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through Him and for Him. And He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together. And He is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything He might be preeminent. For in Him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through Him to reconcile to Himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of His cross.”
March 13, 2024 — A New Direction
Jesus has been dealing with me concerning a new direction for this blog entitled, “Resting in Jesus.” This is the reason for my sporadic postings over that last week or so.
In multiple places in the New Testament, Jesus Himself is shown to be eternal life and/or life itself (e.g., Jn. 1:4; 3:16-17; 6:32-35, 51, 54; 17:3; Col. 3:4; 1 Jn. 1:2). Peter even says Jesus has “the words of eternal life, and we have believed, and have come to know, that You are the Holy One of God” (Jn. 6:68-69). No wonder John refers to Jesus as both “the word of life” and “the eternal life” in 1 John 1:1-2.
Therefore, this blog will now simply consist of Scripture passages pointing to Jesus for meditation. Today, that passage is Hebrews 4:14-16,
“Since then we have a Great High Priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a High Priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.”
Thank You, Jesus.
March 8, 2024 — Irresistible Security (John 6:37)
Am I really secure in You, Jesus? Is it really true You will never cast me away no matter the circumstances? There is no such security in this world. How can I trust You’re telling me the truth?
I remember in my first years of Bible college in the early nineties one of my favorite professors, Harold Dunning, said in his remarkably calm forceful way, “No matter what happens in your lives, never forget John six thirty-seven.”
These words were spoken by a man who rested in Jesus for many years, twenty-five of them as a missionary in a remote African village. I had the privilege of serving on staff with Pastor Harold for a couple of years before he went home to be with Jesus. He lived with a keen awareness of God’s grace and exuded a faith in the irresistible security Jesus provided. He knew he belonged to God.
Another staff pastor often said, “Harold is my hero. I want to live and die like him.”
My dear friends, let me ask you a question: who is Jesus to you?
Has the Father given you to Him? Has He given you the profession of faith in Jesus Christ He gave to Peter in Matthew 16:15-17? Do you believe Jesus is exactly who the Bible presents Him to be? Fully God, fully man in One Person. The only acceptable payment for sin to satisfy God’s wrath toward sin, thus, the only way to God. Have you trusted in His death as payment for your sin, and believed God raised Him from the dead?
If you answered “Yes!” to the last three questions in the previous paragraph, then you can answer “Yes!” to the first one: the Father has given you to Jesus.
According to Jesus there is a supernatural flow for all the Father has given to Him. He says,
“All that the Father gives Me will come to Me…”
Have you come to Jesus? Contextually, the first aspect of coming to Jesus is what we’ve already been discussing: trusting in Him alone for salvation. This is a supernatural transaction brought about by God alone apart from any human effort or merit. For Jesus says, “It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh is no help at all” (6:63a).
But within the same context, coming to Jesus is not a one off—it’s a lifestyle.
“And He [Jesus] said, ‘This is why I told you that no one can come to Me unless it is granted him by the Father.’ After this many of His disciples turned back and no longer walked with Him. So Jesus said to the twelve, ‘Do you want to go away as well?’ Simon Peter answered Him, ‘Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life, and we have believed, and have come to know, that You are the Holy One of God’” (6:65-69).
Some people wrongly conclude Jesus was heartbroken over the mass exodus of those who followed Him around. So much so He despaired and asked if His closest friends planned on deserting Him as well. Again, such a conclusion is tragically wrong.
You see, the discourse of the sixth chapter of John presents Jesus informing everyone the utter commitment required to be His follower—total allegiance to Him as He is not what someone else makes Him out to be. Jesus does not nor will He fit in a box of mere human design. He’s God!
Thus, coming to Jesus means totally surrendering our soul and will to Him. This is salvation. This is the teaching of Scripture. And if the Father has given us to Jesus, then we have come to Him. We are all at different stages of this total surrender, but we are without question on this irresistible path. It’s called sanctification. We continuously come to Jesus and He transforms us.
Now notice the final thing our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ says,
“…and whoever comes to Me I will never cast out.”
We are secure in Jesus because He makes it so (6:38-40). There is no ambiguity in His words. He is decisively clear. We are His for all eternity.
No. Matter. What.
So, dear friends, “No matter what happens in your lives, never forget John six thirty-seven.”
Such irresistible grace. Such irresistible security. Such an irresistible Savior.
Thank You!
March 4, 2024 — God’s Grace is Sufficient (2 Corinthians 12:7-10)
Who deserves salvation? Which one of us possesses the right to an eternal, full pardon from our sins? Does a human born in sin exist designated by God as worthy to not receive His wrath? Is there a single soul breathing the granted breath of God who can legitimately declare eternal life belongs to them by birthright or by merit?
Paul quotes from the Old Testament,
“None is righteous, no, not one; no one understands; no one seeks God. All have turned aside; together they have become worthless; no one does good, not even one” (Rom. 3:10b-12).
And then he says,
“For there is no distinction: for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by His grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation by His blood, to be received by faith” (3:23-25a).
God saved us from our sin by grace alone through faith alone in Jesus Christ alone. Jesus bore God’s wrath in our place. We were and are totally incapable of paying our own sin debt; Jesus did it for us (6:23).
But what about everyday sins? You know, the ones that just won’t go away. The ones some of us keep hidden and others regularly confess them to God and others for restoration and fellowship (cf. 1 Jn. 1:9; James 5:16). What about them?
Paul wrestled with besetting sin. “For I know that nothing good dwells in me,” he wrote, “that is, in my flesh. For I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out. For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing” (Rom. 7:18-19).
This normal state of the Christian life bothered him to his core. But he believed the gospel. He trusted Jesus as the only solution for his sin problem (7:24-8:1). As do we.
So, how does this work itself out daily concerning our sins? We know the indwelling Holy Spirit lives the life of Christ through us, empowering us to walk as He walked (8:2-17).
Because of all this it is easy to get comfortable in the security of our salvation when it comes to besetting sins. To become conceited with the knowledge God gave us eternal life freely without cost to us.
But it’s in the confessing or boasting of the things that show our weakness we find what we need daily in dealing with besetting sins (2 Cor. 11:30). In this context boasting is acknowledging our utter incapability of dealing effectively with our besetting sins. Conceit is saying, “We got this!” when trying to wrangle control of sinful patterns in our lives.
Now, before I continue let me clarify: God does not assign demons to Christians to keep them in sinful patterns (cf. James 1:13-15). The real issue at hand is God provides hope for those who struggle with thoughts like, “Will I ever be free of this?” “Am I really a Christian if I keep going back to this same old sin?” “Is God’s grace truly sufficient for continual struggles?”
The answer to all these questions and others like them is a resounding “Yes!!!”
Notice the personal nature of God’s response to Paul concerning his thorn in the flesh,
“My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is made perfect in weakness” (2 Cor. 12:9a).
God Himself is the sufficiency in keeping us His in spite of besetting sins. God Himself reveals His power to heal, deliver, and perfect IN weakness. This is not a license to sin, rather it is a call to be with God in our struggles.
You see, the fact we’re struggling reveals we desire Him and want to live as He would have us to. When we deny our weakness and try to handle life on our own apart from God and His grace, we fuel defeated mindsets and practices.
But when we embrace God and His grace (i.e., the Holy Spirit, the Scriptures, the people of God) by daily acknowledging our inability to do life on our own, we begin to experience life as He intends. Life in the atmosphere of His grace (Rom. 5:1-11). Life in dependence upon the sufficiency of His grace (2 Cor. 12:9b-10; Heb. 4:14-16). Life in Jesus Christ (Jn. 15:1-11; Col. 3:1-4).
Thank You, Jesus.
February 28, 2024 — Whose Approval Am I Seeking? (Galatians 1:10)
What sits at the core of our hearts? What drives us to accomplish the things we seek in life? Do our actions expose a core belief that others play more of a significant role in our lives than they really do? Do we fear the opinions of others? Do we buy into the adage it’s not what you know but who you know?
When you read that last question, who came to mind?
If Paul read that question, Jesus Christ would have come to mind as he answered it in the affirmative. We know this through all of his letters. For example,
“But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For His sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish [dung], in order that I may gain Christ … Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me His own … I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus” (Phil. 3:7-8, 12, 14).
Paul wrote that during his first Roman imprisonment around A.D. 60. But some twelve years or so before that, he penned his first letter and blasted his readers for deserting Jesus and the gospel.
“I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting Him who called you in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel—not that there is another one, but there are some who trouble you and want to distort the gospel of Christ” (Gal. 1:6-7).
How could you believe your salvation rests upon your own efforts rather than upon the grace of God proven in the finished work of Christ? How could you believe you are responsible for keeping yourself saved? “O foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you? … Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh?” (3:1, 3).
Paul fired statements and rhetorical questions at the Galatians because Jesus and the gospel sat at the core of his heart. He went so far as to condemn to hell anyone who distorted the true gospel (1:8-9). And he did not care about what people thought about him for his life foundation of Jesus and the gospel. This was because he was “a servant of Christ” (1:10).
Jesus says,
“If anyone would come after Me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow Me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel’s will save it” (Mk. 8:34-35).
This world and all that it contains is passing away; it’s going bye-bye (1 Jn. 2:15-17). What sense does it make to invest in a losing cause? Why hunker down in a sinking ship? Why join a losing team? Why live dedicated to the temporary when the eternal is offered freely?
The opinions of others steeped in the world are transitory. Seeking such approval is foolish. So, why do we sometimes still do it? Because we can see people and can’t see God. But He says,
“And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who seek Him” (Heb. 11:6).
Thus, it is no wonder Paul would write Galatians 1:10. Servants of Christ believe God.
When our world is crashing around us, we believe God. When others desert us for the world, we believe God. When things are going well, we believe God. When others are in our corner, we believe God. He and His gospel are our core. They drive us in all endeavors because Jesus is our goal. And whatever He deems appropriate for our lives, we believe Him. For He is our reward.
Thank You, Jesus.
February 26, 2024 — Not the Savior We Expect, But the One We Need (Luke 4:16-30)
At the beginning of His earthly ministry, Jesus explained His mission from the Scriptures. He’d gone to His hometown of Nazareth and “as was His custom, He went to the synagogue on the Sabbath day.” After He stood up to read and Isaiah’s scroll was handed to Him, He read from Isaiah 61:1-3. When He finished, He took His seat. The people sat in silent expectation and fixed their attention on Jesus. They’d heard about His teaching in other synagogues and excitedly waited to hear what He would say in reference to what He read.
When He said, “Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing” (Lk. 4:21), they received the statement with gladness. They liked the “gracious words that were coming from His mouth.” They seemed to be impressed that one of their own talked like Him. “Is not this Joseph’s son?”
But Jesus knew their hearts. He knew the people in His hometown only wanted to see a show. They wanted the glitz and glamour of miracles and not the One who provided them. So, He gave them a history lesson. Jesus reminded them of the prophets Elijah and Elisha serving only one specific person respectively during their ministry even though many were in need.
They got the picture and “all in the synagogue were filled with wrath” (4:28). So much so they took Jesus to the edge of a cliff to through Him off! “But passing through their midst, He went away” (4:30).
What happened? Jesus wasn’t the Savior they expected. And as He continued His earthly ministry, Jesus’s actions continued to baffle even the most devout. You remember John the Baptist sending this question to Jesus, “Are You the One who is to come, or shall we look for another?” (7:19).
Interestingly, Jesus responded by reminding John of the Scripture He read back in Nazareth. He finished by saying, “And blessed is the one who is not offended by Me” (7:23).
In other words, Jesus said, “You can’t make Me the Savior you want. I am the Savior you need.”
The people expected Jesus to overthrow the oppressive Roman rule while He walked on planet earth. But that wasn’t His mission. Jesus was sent to “preach the good news of the kingdom of God” (4:43), and He fulfilled His mission when He died on a Roman cross (Jn. 19:28-30).
Today, we understand Jesus saved us from the penalty of sin, He is saving us from the power of sin, and He will ultimately save us from the presence of sin. We understand Jesus has set us free from living in the domain of darkness, and we now reside in His kingdom of Light. He has enabled us to see He is our only hope for salvation and life. We know He will set us free from everything that enslaves us if we trust and obey His Word. We know He showers us with grace.
But sometimes we’re like the fickle people of Nazareth. We expect Jesus to get us out of every painful predicament we endure. “End the pain, Jesus!” we cry. “Do it now!” In our hearts we imagine what such deliverance would look like and expect Jesus to poof that dream into reality. And then when He doesn’t bend to our beck and call, we want to throw Him off a cliff!
Sometimes, we expect Jesus to the Savior we want, but not the One we need. We forget that God’s best work was accomplished through the agony of the cross. God’s best work in us is often times accomplished during the most painful seasons of life. But unlike Nazareth, Jesus will not pass through our lives and go away. He is always with us (Jn. 6:37). So, let us rest in Him.
Our Father gave Jesus to meet our deepest need, why would we expect Him not to continue to give us His best? “He who did not spare His own Son but gave Him up for us all, how will He not also with Him graciously give us all things?” (Rom. 8:32).
God grants us everything we need with Christ. When we get Jesus, we get God’s all and best.
Jesus is the Savior we need. And by grace alone through faith alone in Jesus Christ alone we got Him.
Thank You.
February 23, 2024 — The Simplicity of Resting in His Word, Part 3 (Luke 24:27)
For the final time, I’m sharing the specific Scriptures Jesus used to draw me closer to Him. My commentary is intentionally short so He can speak to you as He sees fit. Would you again give Him five minutes of your time per Scripture?
As I previously stated, over the past forty years of walking with Him intentionally, Jesus has given me…
1 Corinthians 4:1-2 — You call me to be faithful to Your Word.
Psalm 119:11 — You call me to internalize Your Word to not sin against You.
Isaiah 26:3-4 — You keep me at peace in You when I focus on and trust You.
Proverbs 29:25 — You call me to trust You over men and not to be enslaved to what others think of me.
These are the final four out of twelve passages I’ve shared this week. I pray Jesus speaks to you and draws you closer to Him. For remember, “Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you” (James 4:8a).
Thank You, Jesus.
February 21, 2024 — The Simplicity of Resting in His Word, Part 2 (Luke 24:27)
Once again, I’m sharing specific Scriptures Jesus used to draw me closer to Him. My commentary is intentionally short so He can speak to you as He sees fit. Would you again give Him five minutes of your time per Scripture?
As I stated on Monday, over the past forty years of walking with Him intentionally, Jesus has given me…
1 John 5:14-15 — You hear me pray and answer my prayers in accordance with Your will.
1 John 5:13 — You want me to know I have eternal life.
Mark 8:35 — You and the gospel define my life; You are both my life and my life’s purpose.
1 Corinthians 3:11 — Jesus, You are the foundation of all my ministry endeavors.
These are the next four out of twelve passages I’ll share this week. I pray Jesus speaks to you and draws you closer to Him. For remember, “Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you” (James 4:8a).
Thank You, Jesus.
February 19, 2024 — The Simplicity of Resting in His Word (Luke 24:27)
This week I’m pointing to Jesus in His Word. Yes, I do this every week, but this week is slightly different.
I’m sharing specific Scriptures He’s used to draw me closer to Him. My commentary will be intentionally short so He can speak to you as He sees fit. Would you give Him five minutes of your time per Scripture?
So, over the past forty years of walking with Him intentionally, Jesus has given me…
Jeremiah 29:11 — Trust You and Your plan even when I can’t see it.
Romans 5:8 — You love me and proved it by dying for my sin.
Philippians 3:10 — I want You, Jesus, to be the center of my life.
Hebrews 13:5 — You are always with me and I’m never alone.
These are the first four out of twelve passages I’ll share this week. I pray Jesus speaks to you and draws you closer to Him. For remember, “Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you” (James 4:8a).
Thank You, Jesus.
February 16, 2024 — The Freedom and Fellowship of Repentance (2 Corinthians 7:8-11)
We started this week talking about the freedom and fellowship of confession. We placed Jesus returning as our first love in the middle. And now we end talking about the freedom and fellowship of repentance. All three go together.
In short, repentance is turning from something and turning to something. It is a double action.
When it comes to sin, repentance is not simply saying we’re sorry and that we’ll try to do better the next time. For genuine remorse over sin leads us to repent. Watch.
Paul wrote the Corinthian church about a particular sin, which grieved them. Imagine, a fellow Christian confronts another about sin in his or her life. There is no sugar-coating, no political correctness. Simply one Christian telling another something in their life is contrary to God’s written Word.
But it’s not a self-centered witch-hunt designed to pridefully make someone feel bad.
“For even if I made you grieve with my letter, I do not regret it—though I did regret it, for I see that that letter grieved you, though only for a while.As it is, I rejoice, not because you were grieved, but because you were grieved into repenting” (2 Cor. 7:8-9a).
We all have blind spots and need faithful to Jesus Christian friends whose wounds we can trust to help us live as God would have us to (Prov. 27:6). Yes, God the Holy Spirit in love convicts us of sin, pointing out areas He wants to work on in our lives. But oftentimes He puts believers in our lives as His tangible presence (cf. Gal. 6:1-5; 1 Jn. 5:16-17; Jude 1:22-23).
Also, when genuine Christian fellowship over the pointing out of sin occurs there is no separation between us, rather we are drawn closer to Christ and one another. If separation occurs, genuine repentance has not taken place for one or both parties transacted apart from a gospel-driven, Bible-based position. Paul puts it like this,
“For you felt a godly grief, so that you suffered no loss through us” (2 Cor. 7:9b).
He then provides a picture to see the genuineness of true repentance,
“For godly grief produces a repentance that leads to salvation without regret, whereas worldly grief produces death.For see what earnestness this godly grief has produced in you, but also what eagerness to clear yourselves, what indignation, what fear, what longing, what zeal, what punishment! At every point you have proved yourselves innocent in the matter” (7:10-11).
Paul indicates genuine repentance is not seen overnight or in the immediate confession of sin. There are two types of grief expressed when we sin—godly grief or worldly grief. One “leads to salvation without regret,” while the other “produces death.”
The apostle doesn’t spend time describing death for we know death always includes separation between two things. This occurs when “sorry” is the response to sin. This type of grief is also revealed over time.
However, where genuine remorse exists, over time observable behavior and sincere disdain contrary to the sin(s) committed is the evidence we show ourselves “innocent in the matter.”
Now, someone may have the words “God’s kindness is meant to lead you to repentance” enter their mind. Please note Romans 2:4 refers to unbelievers spurning God’s gracious dealings with them through attention-getting judgments while desiring they turn from rebellion and turn to Him for salvation (cf. 2 Pet. 3:8-11).
So, do you have at least one or two believing friends who will walk with you in a life of repentance? This is part of the Christian life because even though God has eternally secured us and made us His in Christ, we still wrestle with our flesh and sin (Rom. 7:18). I pray God gives you a true believing friend or two like He’s done for me.
Thank You, Jesus.
February 14, 2024 — The Love You Had at First (Revelation 2:1-7)
You are with Your people, Jesus.
You made this clear in Your Revelation to John in verse 1 of chapter 2, You walk “among the seven golden lampstands.” What a comfort that must have been to the original readers and to us as You expressed Your intimate and cognitive knowledge of Your people in Revelation 2:1-3:22.
This knowledge showed both Your pleasure and displeasure in those representative churches of all people who claim to belong to You. Your repeated warnings and calls to repentance, constant statements of affirmation, and steady challenge to listen and heed Your Word through the Holy Spirit, permeate these two chapters.
Jesus, You intentionally began this communication to Your church with the stinging indictment of abandoning “the love [we] had at first” (2:4). This makes sense for when You were asked…
“‘Which commandment is the most important of all?’ [You] answered, ‘The most important is ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these’” (Mk. 12:28-31).
Indeed, You also said,
“A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another” (Jn. 13:34-35).
We, Your people, make a big deal about remaining faithful to the Christian faith. We commit ourselves to combatting the evils of this world: standing up for the rights of those who cannot stand for themselves, challenging worldviews openly opposed to the teachings of Scripture. We expose false teachers. We are clear in our complete alignment with You, Jesus, and refuse to budge. All good things.
“But I have this against you,” You say to us, “that you have abandoned the love you had at first.”
This stinging indictment is also a sobering reminder of Your love for us. We are still frail humanity who needs You constantly. Our church has a saying that we embrace the gospel at a point in time and we embrace the gospel over time.
If You did not love us, God, then You wouldn’t have pointed out we sometimes get so caught up living our definition of the Christian life we forget Christianity is about a love relationship with the God who created us, loved us, and saved us to be with Him forever (Heb. 12:5-11), and we are to respond to this love by doing to others what You did for us.
So, how should we respond to Your loving discipline, Jesus? Thankfully, You tell us,
“Remember therefore from where you have fallen, repent, and do the works you did at first. If not, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place, unless you repent” (Rev. 2:5).
Our first response to You, Jesus, is to remember from where we’ve fallen. YOU are our salvation. YOU are the preeminent One. YOU are the Alpha and Omega. YOU are our life. YOU are to be first in all things and before all people. To remember is to admit we’ve put someone or something else in front of You, Jesus. Confess it and move to the next thing, which is…
Repent. We must intentionally turn away from whatever idol we put before You, even if it’s a good thing, and turn back to You. Skipping over this reveals we haven’t remembered correctly for nothing compares to You.
Then we must do the works we did at first. To be clear, we did not work for our salvation, nor do we work to keep it. The works You mean here are threefold: 1) love God with the totality of our being, which means obey You in all things; 2) love our neighbor as ourselves, which means we don’t deny doing the highest good for others when it’s in our power to do so; and 3) love one another as You loved us, which means we give preference to fellow Christians over ourselves.
Now some may take the latter part of this verse as You saying You’ll take away our salvation, Jesus. Not true for You keep us eternally secure in You (e.g., Jn. 6:37; 10:27-30; Eph. 1:13-14; 1 Pet. 1:3-5). But the influence You want us to have in pointing people to You in the right way is in jeopardy unless repentance takes place. For we can’t point to You correctly when we aren’t pursuing You ourselves.
Finally, John said, “We love because [You] first loved us” (1 Jn. 4:19). The realization of Your love for us and ours for You and others is only possible with You working in and through us. Moreover, the absolute experience of such love will take place when we’re eyeball-to-eyeball with You, Jesus (Rev. 2:7).
Thank You.
February 12, 2024 — The Freedom & Fellowship of Confession (1 John 1:9; James 5:16)
What a scary proposition to let others into the sacredness of our secret selves. “What will people think of me if they knew the real me?” we tell ourselves out of fear of rejection. Another resistant argument goes something like God is omniscient, therefore, He already knows all my secret stuff and there’s no need to tell Him what He already knows.
Okay.
These things are legitimate discussion points when it comes to confessing our sins. But why would God inspire the words of 1 John 1:9 and James 5:16, which are express commands to embrace the continual practice of confessing our sins to Him and to other believers? Because He knows the freedom and fellowship which come from this practice.
“If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness … Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working” (1 Jn 1:9; Jm 5:16).
For years I hid in the shadows of my secret sin. I embraced the arguments already stated and others just as enslaving. As long as I’m not hurting anyone else, I guess I can just live with this thing. In fact, I’ll take it to my grave and no one else need know I’ve been enslaved to this thing that just won’t go away.
I say “enslaving” because that’s exactly what it is to hide in unconfessed sin. It’s oppression at its worst. David wrote,
“For when I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long. For day and night Your hand was heavy upon me; my strength was dried up as by the heat of summer” (Ps 32:3-4).
I would regularly confess to God, agree with Him about the exact nature of my sin, but not to another believer. When I did share, I made sure the context of sharing benefitted me. Pretty selfish, huh? That’s the nature of sin—it’s all about me apart from God.
My salvation was/is secure because it’s grounded in what God has done through Christ alone apart from any works or merits on my part. Salvation is wholly a gracious work of God alone (Eph. 2:1-10).
And that’s the point. God settled my, our sin debt once for all eternity at the cross (Col. 2:13-15).
Because of the gospel, we are free to confess our sins to God and to one another, enjoying fellowship with Him and with one another (1 Jn 1:3). But there is a difference in the results of our confession—God forgives sin and cleanses from all unrighteousness; we pray for one another.
“But if we walk in the Light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin. If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness … Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working” (1 Jn. 1:7-9; Jm 5:16).
This is the continual practice of godly people, people who are in relationship with God (Ps. 32:6). Remember unbelievers aren’t bothered by their sin and may even flaunt it as an acceptable lifestyle. That’s living in the flesh and it’s impossible for such folks to know God’s ways and please Him (Rom. 8:7). True believers walk in the Light, we walk with Jesus, and keep our stuff exposed to the Light and so enjoy true fellowship with those who do the same thing. Why? Because we know our sins are forgiven and we desire to no longer live in them. Moreover, we know we need other believers to do so (Gal. 6:1-10; Jm 5:16).
Today, I live in a community of believing brothers who do life this way. I’m closer to some and keep myself in the Light with them more deeply, but open confession and prayer describes the whole lot of us.
Ask God for such a community for yourself and walk in the Light. This is why You came, Jesus (Jn 1:1-18).
Thank You.
February 7, 2024 — Just A Little Talk with Jesus (Philippians 4:4-9)
Sometimes I just want to talk with Jesus. To hear from Him, to share my heart, to rest in the assurance of His full acceptance of me—the good, the bad, the ugly, the indifferent, the apathy, the complacency, the commitment, the faithfulness, the failings, the rebellion, the faith.
He says nothing can separate me from His love (Rom. 8:38-39). He says nothing can snatch me from His or the Father’s hands (Jn. 10:28-29). He says He is always with me and will never turn His back on me (Mt. 28:20; Jn. 6:37; Heb. 13:5). He says He’s faced every temptation I face, yet without sinning, and both sympathizes with me and invites me to Himself for grace to help whenever I need (4:14-16). He says He’s forgiven all my iniquities (Ps. 103:2-5). He says He loves me and has graciously saved me (Eph. 2:4-9). He says He’s chosen me and given my life purpose (1 Pet. 2:9). He says He’s rescued me out of darkness and isolation and forever placed me into His kingdom of light (Prov. 18:1-2; Col. 1:13-14).
These are among the things Jesus calls me to remember and therefore experience joy in Him. These truths are to guide my interaction with others. They remind me God is forever near to me. They set the foundation of my conversations with Him. They remind me of the gospel and what God accomplished in my life through it. They reorient my thinking patterns.
Paul says it like this,
“Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me—practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you” (Phil. 4:4-9).
Perhaps you remember the time Jesus hung out at Martha and Mary’s place in Luke 10:38-42. After Jesus entered their home, Mary “sat at the Lord’s feet and listened to His teaching.” On the flipside, Martha focused on serving and being a good host. She got indignant and accused Mary of neglectful slothfulness toward her, and even told Jesus to order Mary to help out.
Jesus’ response speaks to the issue of this post,
“Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things, but one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her” (10:41).
Mary just wanted to talk with Jesus. And in her case, she focused mainly on hearing from Him. She rejoiced in the Lord.
Paul’s command for Christians to rejoice in the Lord carries the idea of continuous action always. Our talks with Jesus always begin with remembering who He is and what He’s done on our behalf. To sit at His feet, if you will. Doing this sets us up for when it’s our turn to speak; something He clearly invites us to do.
I often get tired of people challenging Christians with seemingly pious statements masquerading as questions like, “When was the last time you just praised God and didn’t ask Him for anything?” They employ the argument of how it makes the other party feel used in a relationship when requests are all we bring to the conversation.
To show grace in this I offer perhaps such people are simply encouraging believers to first let Jesus and His work shape our requests. I believe that’s what Paul is doing in our passage today. Why else would he say to color our requests “with thanksgiving” if we didn’t generate such gratefulness through meditating on Christ beforehand? For the promise of peace in verses 7 and 9 is grounded “in Christ Jesus,” a New Testament title referring to the finished work of Jesus on the cross.
In all candidness, I began writing today’s post feeling a bit sideways concerning my current life situation. And I simply wanted to talk with Jesus about it; I did not feel like writing. But as I wrote, reflecting on Jesus and the gospel, God set me straight. My situation hasn’t changed, but God’s peace, “which surpasses all understanding, [is guarding my] heart and [my] mind in Christ Jesus.”
Thank You.
February 5, 2024 — A New Creation (2 Corinthians 5:17)
If I’m a new creation, why don’t I feel like it? Why don’t I act like it? If all things have become new, then why are my old things still hanging around and having a good ol’ time? Why haven’t I changed?
Most likely, you’ve asked yourself these questions or questions like it. That is, if you’re a true believer who still sins. For those who claim to be believers yet live comfortably in their sins don’t concern themselves with reconciling their behavior with God’s Word.
Here’s the problem with us who do ask the preceding questions—we’re viewing ourselves from a human perspective. We’re elevating our human opinions and judgments above the truth of God’s Word. We’re making ourselves the final arbiter concerning how God views us, how we view ourselves, and possibly how others view us.
Check this: either God is telling the truth, or He is not.
From the Bible, we know it is impossible for God to lie (Num. 23:19; Titus 1:2; Heb. 6:18), therefore He must be telling the truth when He says through Paul,
“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.”
This is a declaration of truth! God literally says, if anyone is in Christ, new creature! Everything that once defined us has passed away, disappeared, lost its force, become invalid, has come to an end and it’s no longer there. So, pay attention now, in Christ everything about us has become and continues to be new.
The gospel has removed our opinions and judgments based on human reasoning (2 Cor. 5:14-16). So, we are believing lies whenever we say we are not new creations as a result of believing the gospel, trusting in Jesus alone as Savior.
You see, our fickle feelings have a way of elevating lies in our minds because they operate in our inner being. But David says to God,
“Behold, You delight in truth in the inward being, and You teach me wisdom in the secret heart” (Ps. 51:6).
God wants us to tell the truth about our sin. He delights in us when we bring our brokenness into the Light for that’s where He dwells and heals us (Ps. 51:16-17; 1 Jn. 1:5-10). The gospel frees us to be honest about our sins because God has dealt with them completely in Jesus (2:1-2).
But we still wrestle with indwelling sin. We struggle with old things still hanging around and having a good ol’ time even though we ultimately want them gone (Rom. 7:18). That’s why we haven’t changed.
Does that match your Christian experience?
Or do you buy into the moralistic viewpoint that you must walk on water in order to please God? Do you bow down to the idol of morality because someone told you Christians just don’t do what you do?
Now, someone may accuse me of antinomianism, which says, God’s grace has taken care of my sin problem therefore I’m free to live anyway I want, even if that way displeases God. Slow your roll, if that’s you.
Paul forcefully disputes the antinomianism lie in Romans 6,
“What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? By no means! How can we who died to sin still live it?” (6:1-2).
So, how do we reconcile our reality of still struggling with sin while simultaneously being in Christ, and therefore a new creation?
Make the right choice concerning who to believe: God or the lies we’ve been embracing. Do this moment by moment, day by day (Mt. 6:33-34).
Remember, God made a declaration of truth. Therefore, when we believe Him, we bring everything into the Light knowing He’s already taken care of it in Christ. We believe He wants to and will change our practice to match what He made us in position—new creatures.
Thank You.
February 2, 2024 — Revenge (Deuteronomy 32:35; Romans 12:19; Hebrews 10:30)
Have you ever thought you’d successfully dealt with something only to have it rear its ugly head at a later date? Yeah, me too.
Among the myriad of issues fitting that bill, forgiving those who hurt me and desiring to cause them the pain they inflicted on me, visits the most often. Revenge. Maybe that’s why Marvel’s Avengers movies are among my all-time favorites. Pay back the bad guy(s) with extreme prejudice. Good, according to the hero, must always win.
Well, life is not a fictional movie or comic strip. Good does not always win in moments; the bad guy(s) often claim victory. Thus, the frequent return of mental trips down Vengeance Blvd where extreme prejudice is always the topic at the neighborhood watch meetings.
But in three specific places in Scripture God declares,
“Vengeance is Mine, I will repay” (Dt. 32:35; Rom. 12:19; Heb. 10:30).
Each of these passages present a response to wrongs done to us when joined together form God’s way to rest in Jesus at those times we want to punish our enemies we hold responsible for our pain.
In Deuteronomy 31:30-32:43, Moses recited a song proclaiming the greatness of God to the nation of Israel before he died. Within it we see the first place God claims ownership of vengeance and our subsequent response, which is Rejoice for God will vindicate His people.
This means we must remember who God is, we must reflect on Him rather than the wrongs done to us. God knows what people have done to us and that should make us shudder for them. He also knows our part in whatever our situation(s) may be. If we are in Christ, we should rejoice over His grace toward us in not condemning us (Rom. 8:1). But if we haven’t trusted in Jesus alone for salvation, then we should do so now! You see, payday is coming for the enemies of God, those who have aligned themselves up against God and His people (Dt. 32:43).
The second place God claims ownership of vengeance and shows our subsequent response is Romans 12:14-21, which is Bless our enemies for God will repay.
Some of you may remember my December 13, 2023 post on this passage. If not, I encourage you to read it here. From that post we see specific intentionality on our part is required in this response to wrongs done to us.
What I didn’t focus on back then is something mentioned in verse 20, which is Paul’s specific response to exacting revenge on our enemies. He went to the Scriptures, quoting from Proverbs 25:21-22,
“If your enemy is hungry, give him bread to eat, and if he is thirsty, give him water to drink, for you will heap burning coals on his head, and the LORD will reward you.”
There are conflicting interpretations of this verse, specifically the meaning of heaping burning coals on the head. Some suggest it refers to an Egyptian ritual where the offending party publicly carries a bowl of hot coals on his head when asking forgiveness from the one offended. Others offer the Middle Assyrian punishment of pouring hot tar on the offender’s head. No one is exactly sure.
But interestingly, David mentions burning coals in Psalm 140:10 when talking about those who planned to harm him,
“Let burning coals fall upon them! Let them be cast into fire, into miry pits, no more to rise!”
David wanted his enemies to die! Do you ever feel like that about those who hurt you?
Paul intentionally cited Proverbs 25:21-22 because he understood how people really feel about their enemies. But notice he left out, “and the LORD will reward you.” I think he did so because of Psalm 140. Paul knew the meaning of heaping burning coals on the head—get out of God’s way, He will repay. That’s His reward for us intentionally doing good for our enemies. God’s got ’em.
Finally, the third place God claims ownership of vengeance and shows our subsequent response is Hebrews 10:19-39, which is Persevere with Jesus for God knows who belong to Him.
God’s people rely on Jesus in good times. God’s people rely on Jesus in tough times. God’s people believe in and obey Jesus and help others do the same. God’s people don’t shrink back away from Jesus when life gets hard. God’s people stay with Jesus when enemies continuously attack. Why? Because we know God keeps those who truly belong to Him (1 Pet. 1:3-9).
Our enemies, who in the end are revealed to be God’s enemies because they reject Jesus, cannot claim they belong to God. Their lifestyles reveal otherwise.
God will vindicate His people. God will repay. God knows who belong to Him. Focusing on these truths is how we keep resting in Jesus when we’re tempted to avenge ourselves. Why? Jesus, this is what You did (2:20-25). Help us, help me do the same.
Thank You.
January 31, 2024 — Forgiveness (Colossians 1:13-14)
Do you work hard to prove your worthiness of God’s forgiveness? How’s it going? Do you feel like you’re on a hamster wheel, always putting forth significant effort but getting nowhere? Or perhaps you experience momentary peace from your guilt and shame only to fully embrace them when you sin again and then again.
If so, you’re not alone.
But being part of the community of hard workers for God’s forgiveness does not bring true peace. Granted, it provides a sense of solace knowing we all struggle at times to embrace God’s forgiveness freely offered through faith in Jesus. It’s just that peace doesn’t sustain our hearts. Why? Because it depends on constantly receiving encouragement from frail humanity who we know is consistently unreliable.
However, a place exists where continuous respite from futile efforts to achieve peace from the guilt and shame of our sins is experienced—the kingdom of God’s Beloved Son, Jesus Christ. But I’m getting ahead of myself.
In Colossians 1:13-14, Paul writes,
“He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.”
The apostle writes this declaration at the end of a prayer for the church at Colossae to live out the gospel in everyday life. Moreover, this declaration serves as both an end and beginning of Paul’s presentation of the preeminence of Jesus Christ, namely, He is God in the fullest sense of the word and therefore first in all things. Indeed, Jesus, His Personhood and His finished work on the cross, are the foundational theme of Paul’s entire letter. And the transitional declaration sets the perfect stage to embrace in freedom all he writes.
First, Paul says God “has delivered us from the domain of darkness.” This is a completed action in the past. Done. Finished. Complete. But the place from where God has delivered us from needs to be exposed.
The domain of darkness is full of hamster wheels of human performance. This place is full of people constantly telling us we’ll never amount to anything. It is a place where Satan steadily accuses us of our sins and failures (Rev. 12:9-12). And by the way, people controlled by the devil do this same steady accusatory activity toward us.
This place is described as “darkness.” It is devoid of light, but more specifically, the Light. Jesus does not live in the domain of darkness. We don’t experience Him in this place. This place is completely separate from Him. And it’s where those who have truly trusted in Jesus alone for salvation used to live. God has rescued us; He has delivered us from this place.
But sometimes we like to visit because we struggle with believing God could actually forgive us for our sins. We do this because we forget God also has “transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son.”
God has removed us from being residents of the beatdown authority of darkness and given us a new address—the kingdom of His Beloved Son. In this place Jesus rules and reigns in love, grace, and mercy. He accepts us just as we are. But notice in contrast to the beatdown atmosphere of outside forces against us, in Jesus’ kingdom we reside in Him,
“…in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.”
Being in Christ makes all the difference (Rom. 8:1; 2 Cor. 5:17). For in Him we continuously experience the benefit of Him paying our sin debt to God—the forgiveness of sins (1 Jn. 2:1-2). We don’t deserve this nor can we work for it; it’s all by grace (Eph. 2:1-10).
In short, because of Jesus, God considers us worthy of His forgiveness.
Thank You.
January 29, 2024 — Freedom (Galatians 5:1)
In America, we supposedly live in the land of the free. Free to live life on our terms. Free to identify as or to become whatever we choose. Free to define our own truth. Free to express our minds, our opinions, our rights. Free to make ourselves acceptable to whomever we choose, be that self or someone else. “Free to be me” is our slogan. Free to exercise our free will according to us.
Is that what the Bible says concerning our freedom?
I remember attending a church that stressed our free will. Preachers proclaimed it many times, but its deepest influence often came up in smaller gatherings whenever hard truth challenged how we live our everyday lives. Especially truth which expressed our accountability to God. “Well, you know it all boils down to our free will,” was the gist of various explanations of the Christian’s response to God.
Again, is that what the Bible says concerning our freedom?
Indeed, Paul says in Galatians 5:13a, “For you were called to freedom, brothers” (ESV). Freedom is what we are called to as Christians. But Paul says nothing about the things mentioned earlier. Rather he immediately says, “Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. For the whole law is fulfilled in one word: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself’” (5:13b-14).
The outward expression of our freedom as Christians is always others focused. We are not the purpose for which we are freed. Whenever we make ourselves the focus of how we live free, we walk the razor thin wall between Christ-centeredness and self-centeredness. For while we are free to choose how we live our lives, the One who gave us life, indeed who is our Life, has the right and authority to tell us how to live whether we like what He says or not.
Since we are most often quick to seek application of biblical truth, I started there. However, Paul began with what controls our outward expression of freedom. If you’re still reading, here’s how we rest in Jesus in this area.
“It was for freedom that Christ set us free; therefore keep standing firm and do not be subject again to a yoke of slavery” (5:1, NASB).
The obvious question is what did Christ set us free from? Contextually, He set us free from the bondage of working to achieve our salvation. Such activity is bondage because it carries the impression of doing the right thing will always bring about the desired result. In the case of our salvation from sin, as long as we obey the Bible good enough then God will accept us based on our obedience.
That’s the foolery the Galatians believed because respected leaders taught them that was the meaning of the gospel (3:1-3). To be exact, circumcision was the issue.
Paul’s response should grab our attention. He considered redefining the gospel as a desertion from Christ (1:6-7). He cursed anyone to hell who redefined the gospel (1:8-9). He taught the gospel presented salvation as a work of God in grace alone to be received by faith alone in Jesus Christ alone (2:15-4:20). He said true servants of Christ present the gospel as he taught it (1:10-2:14). He contrasted those who truly believe the gospel and those who don’t as either being slaves or free (4:21-31). Then he said,
“It was for freedom that Christ set us free; therefore keep standing firm and do not be subject again to a yoke of slavery.”
Christ alone makes us acceptable to God, therefore stop working for something you’ll never achieve by your own effort. Don’t change your mind about this truth, Paul admonishes. Rather keep believing it. Repeat it to yourself daily. Submit to its truth every day. Keep believing the gospel. That’s freedom!
For in the gospel, we are the object of God’s love.
“For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many” (Mk. 10:45, ESV).
Jesus provides the perfect expression of free will. May He grant us grace to follow His example in love and not shame or guilt.
Thank You, Jesus.
January 26, 2024 — God’s Wrath is Real; How Should We Respond Today? (Zephaniah 1:2-6)
“Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever” (Heb. 13:8).
Decades ago, a friend told me he was just a New Testament guy; he considered the Old Testament irrelevant. That surprised me because he loved Jesus and strove to live for Him. So, I didn’t know how to respond to him. I fumbled around with my explanation, constantly praying for the right words. God must have said something to him through me because my friend changed his perspective. He came to believe God speaks to Christians through the whole counsel of God, all sixty-six books.
Later, I understood, embraced and taught the cross of Jesus Christ is the major event of Scripture—the Old Testament points forward to it and the New Testament points back to it.
God will fully deal with the sinful rebellion of all humanity is a repeated Old Testament truth. God has fully dealt with humanity’s sinful rebellion through Jesus is the message of the New Testament.
So, why is there still rebellion in the world?
The apostle Peter says,
“The Lord is not slow to fulfill His promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance” (2 Pet. 3:9).
The prophet Zephaniah wrote,
“‘I will utterly sweep away everything from the face of the earth,’ declares the LORD. ‘I will sweep away man and beast; I will sweep away the birds of the heavens and the fish of the sea, and the rubble with the wicked. I will cut off mankind from the face of the earth,’ declares the LORD” (1:2-3).
Because He is absolutely holy and just, God must with finality deal with sin. And according to Colossians 2:13-14 He has done so.
Rebellion still exists because God is waiting for unrepentant sinners to come to Jesus for salvation. Still, let’s not get it twisted, one day God’s patience will cease, and Zephaniah’s prophecy will come to fruition concerning all mankind. But interestingly, God is not just talking to unsaved people, He’s also speaking to His people, the inhabitants of Judah and Jerusalem, in this prophecy.
God charges them with idolatry, but not just replacing God with another object of worship. Listen to His words…
“I will stretch out My hand against Judah and against all the inhabitants of Jerusalem; and I will cut off from this place the remnant of Baal and the name of the idolatrous priests along with the priests, those who bow down on the roofs to the host of the heavens, those who bow down and swear to the LORD and yet swear by Milcom, those who have turned their back from following the LORD, who do not seek the LORD or inquire of Him” (1:4-6).
As the leaders go, so go the people. Hence, the blanket judgment.
You see, Milcom was another name for Molech, the Canaanite pagan god whom children were sacrificed to. God’s people participated in this idol worship at the same time as worshipping the one true God. And God says, “You belong to Me alone! So, live like it. But if you choose to straddle the worship fence and do life on your own, then I’m going to wipe you out for your idolatrous lifestyles!”
Why is this important to us today and how does it fit in a “Resting in Jesus” blog? Great questions. Here’s the answer.
Take God calling us to Jesus seriously. Not in some moralistic do’s and don’ts kind of living. No, recognize God loves us and therefore saved us to be in relationship with Him through Jesus. That recognition should constantly remind us of God judging Jesus in our place. Him for us (2 Cor. 5:21). We should take the wrath of God to heart, appreciating and praising Him for Jesus being our propitiation, the satisfying of God’s wrath toward us (Rom. 3:23-25a; 1 Jn 2:1-2; 4:10). We deserve God’s wrath, BUT in Jesus we are redeemed, forgiven, and not condemned (Jn. 3:16-18; Rom. 8:1-2; Eph. 2:1-10; Col. 1:13-14).
Meditating on these truths should provoke two words…
Thank You.
January 24, 2024 — Responding to Fear (Psalm 56)
What are you afraid of? People? Can you admit when you’re afraid? What do you do with your fear? How do you respond?
Perhaps you remember the story of Israel’s future king David pretending to be a madman to prevent his enemies from killing him (1 Samuel 21:10-15). It was during the time King Saul desired to put David to death out of jealousy. So, David fled to the king of Gath, a fellow named Achish.
Well, when David got there the king’s servants identified him, seized him, and brought him before King Achish. They saw David as the king of their enemy Israel. So, they warned Achish about him saying Israel celebrated David by singing,
“Saul has struck down his thousands, and David his ten thousands” (21:11).
I believe these people remembered it was David who slew their beloved giant warrior Goliath (17:4). I imagine David remembered this as well. But with such a chorus always being raised about him, you’d think David’s confidence would experience a great boost hearing these familiar words recited by his enemies. Not so. For it is written,
“And David took these words to heart and was much afraid of Achish the king of Gath. So he changed his behavior before them and pretended to be insane in their hands and made marks on the doors of the gate and let his spittle run down his beard” (21:12-13).
It seems David’s response to being afraid was to act crazy, to take matters into his own hands to achieve deliverance. And verses 14-15 show David’s ruse worked. But was the ruse of his own making?
When reading Psalm 56, a psalm born directly out of David’s seizure by the people of Gath, it appears the ruse idea could have been given to David from God. For David writes,
“When I am afraid, I put my trust in You. In God, whose word I praise, in God I trust; I shall not be afraid. What can flesh do to me?” (56:3-4).
Throughout the psalm David is ruthlessly honest about both his fear and what caused him to fear. He speaks of being oppressed, trampled on, attacked, having his words distorted, being plotted against, being brought to tears. These actions produced feelings of discouragement, insecurity, hopelessness, pain, fear, confusion, frustration over his enemies getting away with their wickedness.
When identifying the catalysts of his fear, though he doesn’t specifically name people, David acknowledges certain folks harmed him, and he identified what they did with detailed specificity. Then catch his brutal honesty about what he wanted to happen to them,
“In wrath cast down the peoples, O God!” (56:7b).
Can you relate like me with David concerning our fears and our enemies?
If so, maybe we can also connect with David in not keeping our focus on our fear catalysts, rather let’s proclaim,
“This I know, that God is for me” (56:9b, my emphasis).
And immediately following this phrase, David repeats his declaration about praising and trusting God for his perspective is fear will no longer control him. Why? God is bigger and infinitely more powerful than the people who cause temporary pain in our lives.
But David doesn’t stop there.
Verses 12-13 indicate David’s response to God’s deliverance included a commitment to thank God, live for Him, and point others to Him.
Interestingly, in 1 Samuel 27 and 29, Achish looked with favor upon David, even giving him and his men some land to live on. Sounds like a God-thing to me.
I hear your burning question: will God tell us to act crazy in response to fear? I don’t know. But “this I know, that God is for [us].” Trusting Him with our fears; what a wonderful thing to do.
Thank You, Jesus.
January 22, 2024 — How God Uses Suffering (1 Peter 5:10-11)
We all suffer and in the midst of it believing God has a plan for it is hard.
But that’s exactly what the Scriptures teach. Yeah, I know, we’ve heard this all before. That’s the point. God desires we remember what He says about suffering before, during, and after we encounter it.
You see, there is a past, present, and future aspect to how God uses suffering in our lives. Those are the place-markers Peter hangs his teaching on the subject. He writes,
“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. To Him be the dominion forever and ever. Amen.” (1 Peter 5:10-11)
The God of all grace permeates Peter’s place-markers; He is the over-arching factor in these verses. Which means God has plans for the suffering in our lives.
Present
God not only has plans for our suffering, but He plans for suffering to enter our lives. That’s the clear assumption with which Peter begins these verses. But notice also our suffering has a time limit. If you’re like me, suffering does not seem like “a little while.”
Suffering seems to take on a life of its own, dominating thought patterns, influencing behavioral responses and actions. Sometimes it seems to suck all the air out of every room I dwell in. Something which has such power feels like it’s omnipotent or all-powerful.
But Peter reminds us that all dominion belongs to the God of all grace forever. He alone is Sovereign, and He is in control of all things at all times, including our suffering. Jesus is the very embodiment of grace (cf. Titus 2:11; 3:4-7), and He’s present with us in our suffering.
Past
I know the past comes before the present, but notice where Peter brings up the past: right in the middle of these verses,
“…who has called you to His eternal glory in Christ…”
I believe God strategically placed this phrase here as a reminder our suffering doesn’t change His calling us to Himself for salvation. He has given us eternal life, a relationship with Himself through Jesus Christ, and nothing can alter its security.
Sometimes when we’re in the thick of suffering, it’s hard to imagine anything good. Perhaps God just wants us to remember one thing—we are His. Forever. We belong to Him as recipients of His grace, whom He will display for all eternity (cf. Eph. 1:3-14).
Future
Remember our suffering has a time limit? Peter tells us what happens when that time is up. God will personally “restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish” us.
By themselves, these words give us hope. But let’s dig a little deeper to increase our hope.
When God restores us, He will cause us to be in a condition to function well. He will mend what’s broken. He’s using our suffering to fully train us to be in practice what He already sees us as in position—perfect. That takes a lifetime, and indeed, eternity.
When God confirms us, He causes us to be inwardly firm or committed. He establishes our resolve to follow Jesus come hell or high water.
When God strengthens us, He simply makes us strong. He uses our suffering to bring us to the continual point of recognizing our need for His grace.
When God establishes us, He provides a secure basis for our inner life. He’s using our suffering to realize Jesus is all we need and He’s already with us.
Our part is to remember these truths. And by His grace, He’s using suffering to keep them before us. At least, I know that’s what He’s doing with me.
Thank You.
January 19, 2024 — Rejection (Mark 8:31-38)
Could rejection be the path upon which You give me Your best, Jesus?
In life, we all face rejection in some sense. Someone is picked over us in a childhood game. Someone gets the position that should have gone to us. A friend turns his or her back on us without cause. A trusted loved one chooses to abandon us.
Rejection.
As undeniably painful as it is, I’m learning there is good in rejection. No, I’m not crazy nor do I enjoy pain. But as I reflect on the Scriptures, applying them to the rejections of my life, I’m experiencing the development of a different approach to being rejected.
This is not an overnight revelation nor is it theoretical application of biblical truth. It’s something God is working out in me as one of His precious sons.
You see, God’s One and Only Unique Son, Jesus Christ, experienced rejection in its ultimate manifestation (Mt. 27:46). And those closest to Jesus abandoned Him when He needed them the most (Mk. 14:50). But there’s something remarkable about Jesus’s rejection—He knew the five W’s and one H concerning it.
Jesus knew when He would be rejected, He knew where it would take place (Jerusalem), He knew who would reject Him, He knew what His rejection would look like, He knew why He would be rejected, and He knew how His rejection would affect every person in creation.
A simple reading of the Gospels and at least two other passages (Acts 4:10-12; 1 Pet. 2:6-7) show the specifics of these five W’s and one H. But there is one particular passage through which God is crafting my new perspective on rejection—Mark 8:31-38,
“And He (Jesus) began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and the chief priests and the scribes and be killed, and after three days rise again.And He said this plainly. And Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him.But turning and seeing His disciples, He rebuked Peter and said, ‘Get behind Me, Satan! For you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man.’
And calling the crowd to Him with His disciples, He said to them, ‘If anyone would come after Me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow Me.For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel’s will save it.For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his soul?For what can a man give in return for his soul?For whoever is ashamed of Me and of My words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him will the Son of Man also be ashamed when He comes in the glory of His Father with the holy angels.’”
As someone once said, “There’s a lot of meat on that bone.” While that’s true of this passage, so far, God has given me at least three things in this new perspective:
There’s hope in rejection, but there’s no hope for those who reject You, Jesus.
The hope in rejection is seen when You first mention it, Jesus: “…and after three days rise again.” Yes, pain and suffering, including rejection, is coming, BUT Jesus has risen! He has conquered the best the devil and the world could throw at Him. And He says that in Him we have peace and have conquered these things as well (Jn. 14:27; 16:31-33; Rom. 8:35-39). You, Jesus, are the hope in rejection.
No wonder You called the crowd and Your disciples to Yourself as You explained this truth. Following You, Jesus, requires making You first in all things, especially when things get hard. Not doing this guarantees the loss of the autonomous life created by those who reject You. To live life apart from You, Jesus, means rejecting You to embrace “this adulterous and sinful” world. Moreover, it is openly and arrogantly seeking Your rejection.
It’s natural to resist rejection, but supernatural to embrace it.
When pain comes the natural reaction is to do whatever is necessary to eradicate it. That’s why Peter responded as he did. But he missed the statement of hope because it was unheard of at the time. In other words, it requires a supernatural act of You, God, to embrace hope within the reality of rejection. To intently focus on You above my dedication to myself comes from the Holy Spirit.
Purpose in life rises from rejection.
You not only give me purpose in life, Jesus, You are my Purpose. I exist to point people to You through the gospel, through the Scriptures, through my life, including my rejections. This is an eternal perspective not swayed by the temporary promises of this world.
You are the Cornerstone of Your people, Jesus, including me. We don’t reject You, which is why Peter writes of us,
“But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for His own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light” (1 Pet. 2:9).
This is a continual pursuit, a lifestyle. It is my lifestyle. By Your grace, it’s how I respond to rejection.
Thank You.
January 17, 2024 — Nothing is Wasted (Isaiah 61:1-3)
You waste nothing in my life, Jesus. Everything has a purpose; a place in Your glorious plan for me.
I think of the time as an L.A.P.D. officer my partner and I stood watch over a woman distributing a massive amount of sandwiches to the homeless.
It happened during morning watch when most people were asleep. A lady driving a Volvo station wagon approached us at MacArthur Park in Rampart Division. She wore an elegant evening gown, expensive-looking jewelry, and kept herself warm with a beautiful, black fur coat. She didn’t fit the area; except she was in tears.
She’d just come from a dinner where the food crew was about to discard hundreds of deli sandwiches not eaten by the dinner guests. She thought, “Somebody’s hungry tonight and this food can’t be wasted.” So, she had the crew load her station wagon rather than the dumpster.
Then she ran into us and asked, “Where can I give these sandwiches away?” We replied, “Right here.”
After announcing “Free food” on our loudspeaker, those residing in MacArthur Park and surrounding alleys hesitantly approached our makeshift feeding line. Without bothersome traffic, the operation went smoothly and not a single sandwich was wasted.
That’s the truth proclaimed in Isaiah 61:1-3—nothing is wasted. Everything in the lives of those mentioned in this passage is designed to glorify God. To make Him known. To show how magnificent He is, especially in the hard circumstances of life.
It is, therefore, no mere coincidence Jesus quotes from this passage in Luke 4:18-19. Jesus came to give sustenance—life—to the downtrodden. He came to rescue us. He came to give us Himself. How sad it was the people in His hometown of Nazareth responded by rejecting Him to the point of trying to throw Him down a cliff.
They didn’t succeed (Lk. 4:29-30).
Are we like the people of Nazareth? Am I like them, Jesus?
I must admit I am at times. When I give way too much time musing about the things I don’t like about my life. When I try to “make things happen” like the world encourages me to do. When I wallow in despair over the broken, destroyed, unresurrectable aspects of my life. When all of these things and others like them become the dominant influence in my life I am rejecting You, Jesus.
I forget You give beauty instead of ashes, gladness instead of mourning. You drape me with “the garment of praise instead of a faint spirit.”
Why?
So that You may give me the immovable gift of eternal salvation—life in You.
This is what Isaiah meant when he wrote about those You rescue,
“…that they may be called oaks of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that He may be glorified” (61:3b).
Nothing is wasted. Nothing in my life is wasted nor in the lives of any who have trusted in You alone, Jesus, for salvation. You drive this truth home in various Scriptures, especially in the entire eighth chapter of Romans. Time permits highlighting only one verse,
“And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose” (8:28, NASB).
Thank You, Jesus.
January 15, 2024 — The Peace of Twenty-Four Hours (Matthew 6:34)
“Take it one day at a time.”
What thoughts does this phrase conjure up in your mind? How are your feelings stirred when you hear those words? Do you relegate them as being trite? Do you experience some type of freedom in your attitude and actions?
At the end of His discourse concerning treasures, the things we value the most, Jesus says,
“Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble” (Mt. 6:34).
In other words, “Take it one day at a time.”
Jesus, You know us so well. You know we all have some sort of attachment issue. Something or someone we cling to for identity, acceptance, affirmation, security. This does not surprise You. In fact, You say to us,
“For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (6:21).
Again, You know us so well. You know our bent for gravitating toward things and people we can experience with our five senses—see, hear, touch, feel, smell. Things on earth. Tangible things we believe we can control. For if we control what satisfies us, then we are sovereign and don’t need You. Or so we think in those moments.
Single-hearted devotion is what You’re after, Jesus. In definitive language You make this clear in Matthew 6:24. You call us to make a choice between finding satisfaction in You alone or in the things of this world.
In light of this declaration, You call us to examine our life pursuits by comparing ourselves with the birds of the air and the lilies of the field. The birds and the lilies flourish in their existence not because of their own efforts, rather it’s because God makes it so. And You say we are more valuable to our heavenly Father than they are and that He is fully aware of all we need to survive, to be satisfied. Again, more definitive language.
But You don’t leave it there, Jesus. You give us the life pursuit which brings true identity, acceptance, affirmation, security—You.
Here’s how You put it,
“But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you” (6:33).
God, You alone are Sovereign. You alone are in control of all things despite the waywardness of Your creation. You alone determine what is right and wrong. Therefore, we—I— must make You and Your ways the chief pursuit of my life.
When You preached Your sermon on that mountainside, Jesus (Matthew didn’t help You, regardless of what The Chosen depicts; Mt. 5:1-2), Your Kingdom manifesto, You declare to follow You requires a complete reordering of our lives under Your Lordship (7:24-27). This is to be our foundational life pursuit within all our endeavors. And when we do this, God, You grant us true satisfaction.
But this is a massive choice, Jesus, ordering the totality of our lives under Your Lordship.
Once again, You know us so well and say,
“Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble” (Mt. 6:34).
It’s a daily choice to submit to You, Jesus. Twenty-four hours. That’s all You ask. Without a doubt, You grant grace for today, as yesterday is gone and tomorrow is not yet here (cf. Lam. 3:22-24).
What a peace-bringing truth, Jesus.
Thank You.
January 12, 2024 — Anger Issues (Ephesians 4:26-27)
“You have an anger problem.”
Ah, the most welcoming words to hear during a disagreement between people of differing opinions. Of course, I’m not serious in my sarcastic remark.
These words hurt. They could be true, but the accusatory nature of these words accompanied by a biting tone cut deep. That’s the intended purpose of such statements. To shame the other person. To label or identify them as something horrific and unworthy of good.
But more often than not, most people who make such statements have no idea what they’re talking about. And may possibly be describing themselves unwittingly.
You see, in the heat of passionate discussions it is most likely true that a person is angry at or with someone. That is certainly what Paul spoke to in Ephesians 4:16-17,
“Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, and give no opportunity to the devil.”
This is quite different than the “anger” he mentions in 4:31,
“Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice.”
In the latter verse, Paul is talking about always being in a state of relatively strong displeasure. Think of Marvel Comics fictional character Bruce Banner revealing his secret about being The Hulk, “I’m always angry.”
We can rightly say he definitely had an anger problem.
But being angry at someone for something done against us is not necessarily wrong. In fact, it’s a legitimate response. This is shown in six out of the nine places where this word is used in the New Testament (Mt. 5:22; 18:34; 22:7; Lk. 14:21; 15:28; Eph. 4:26).
The other three give us some helpful insights in understanding right and wrong expressions of anger.
In Mark 1:41, Jesus is “moved with pity [compassion]” to heal a leper. Sometimes our anger is expressed by passionately helping the less fortunate. We are moved to action when we encounter people in need.
But in Revelation 11:18 and 12:17, we see the world that is opposed to God and Satan strongly express their opposition to God and the people of God. Satan is the enemy of our souls and Jesus says, “If the world hates you, know that it has hated Me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you” (Jn. 15:18-19).
Knowing this, it makes perfect sense for Paul to say,
“Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, and give no opportunity to the devil.”
It’s okay to respond in anger to wrongs done to us, but don’t act like the world and the devil when we do. Granted, we all have responded like the world and Satan at some point in our lives. But that’s not who we are; we are not little Hulks.
Remember the context of Ephesians, we are in Christ—chosen, loved, adopted by God, sealed by the Holy Spirit for eternity in Christ, saved by grace alone through faith alone in Jesus Christ alone, members of the household of God, believers in the gospel. (Read Ephesians.)
So, now we walk (as our church puts it) through the messiness of life together looking to Jesus. We’re different now. We don’t have to live according to the old way of the world influenced by Satan. We’re in Christ!
I’m in Christ!
Thank You.
January 10, 2024 — Is God Enough? (Revelation 21:3-4)
Is God enough for complete satisfaction? Is He enough for total stability? Is He enough for life itself?
Is God enough for ____________________?
Is God enough?
Life is hard. In our church we call it this messy thing we do together looking to Jesus.
My daughters and I greatly enjoy watching various television series and movies together. Many of them we’ve seen over and over again. Sometimes my girls will be watching one that captures my attention. So, I do what most people do and ask questions about their show … while they’re watching it. I know. That’s annoying.
One of the questions I constantly ask in a variety of forms is, “How does it end?” With great looks and sounds of exasperation, my daughters reply, “Just keep watching, dad.”
Of course, I don’t want to keep watching. I want to skip to the end. So, I look up the answer to my question online and obtain satisfaction.
Did you know we can do that as Christians? We can jump to the end of the history of time to get the answer to what life is all about.
The apostle John writes about this in Revelation 21:1-4, and reveals the Source of ultimate satisfaction, stability, and life in verses 3-4,
“And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, ‘Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.’”
The Source of ultimate satisfaction, stability, and life is God Himself.
For the Father forcefully proclaims, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man.” Stop what you’re doing and give your full attention to what I’m saying, He says. “I dwell with you.” That’s what I’ve been after since Genesis 1. That’s My endgame—to be with you.
This is the reality for all who trust in Jesus alone for salvation.
In His declaration, God also acknowledges life is hard. This comes after stating His endgame. Therefore, the difficulties of life must be designed to drive us to Him.
How empty it must truly be then to deal with hardships according to human ingenuity and resources. We can talk and show a good game, but in the end, it fails if God Himself—Jesus—was not the goal.
And notice what God does to the hardships of life in the end when He dwells with us—He obliterates them!
Now, since God has placed eternity in our hearts, we begin to experience His abiding presence right now. We get a taste of that eternal reality. But a question remains…
Is God enough?
Experiencing true satisfaction, stability, and life right now and forever requires the faith that You are enough, Jesus.
This is something repeatedly rehearsed and embraced throughout all of life on planet earth, Jesus. But when we pass on from this place, when we are finally in Your presence face-to-face, when the first heaven and first earth pass away, You declare,
“Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man,” for You are enough.
Thank You.
January 8, 2024 — Inseparable (Romans 8:26-39)
People will let us down, Jesus.
I remember when You gave me the opportunity to play for a friend’s wedding years ago. When I received the requested song list, I got excited over two specific works: Stevie Wonder’s “Ribbon In The Sky” and Natalie Coles’ “Inseparable.”
The reason these songs brought genuine excitement to my heart is they spoke to the permanency of a love relationship. You know me, Jesus. I’ve always been a hopeful romantic.
Now, even though “Ribbon In The Sky” suggests without apology Your activity in the love relationship, God, both of these songs have an imbedded problem—human dependence.
Yes, You give us one another to experience relational joy. After all, we are created in Your image, the perfect example of relational joy within the Trinity. You made us relational beings, to yearn to be in community with other people either intimately in marital relationships or platonic in friendship. Indeed, Your Church is an excellent expression of both (e.g., Eph. 5:22-33; Rom. 12:10).
But when humans look to other humans for fulfillment that only You give, Jesus, we will be sorely disappointed every time. For we were created by You for You. We were built for eternity in Your presence.
People will let us down, Jesus, but they can’t keep us down.
Why?
Because every Person in the Godhead actively works to remind us—me—that You have an eternal plan for me which mere humans cannot thwart. They cannot stop, prevent, ruin, or impede it.
And what is that plan?
To make me look like Jesus so I may be with You, God, forever.
Paul says these very things in Romans 8:26-39. And he ultimately declares we are inseparable, Jesus.
“For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord” (8:38-39).
In this world, suffering is part of the human equation. Especially if we belong to You, Jesus. Disappointment. Disillusionment. Depression. Despair.
Right before Your crucifixion, Jesus, You told Your disciples,
“Behold, the hour is coming, indeed it has come, when you will be scattered, each to his own home, and will leave Me alone. Yet I am not alone, for the Father is with Me. I have said these things to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world” (Jn. 16:32-33).
Jesus, You experienced abandonment by those who claimed to love You. You experienced loss at the deepest level. You know the pain of being let down by people.
But You know at a deeper level the solution to these realities of the human experience—inseparable connection to God. That’s where true peace is experienced because that’s where You are.
And because You live, Jesus, I can face today and tomorrow. For we are inseparable.
Thank You.
January 5, 2024 — Why on Earth Am I Here? (Colossians 3:1-4)
Life on earth can really suck sometimes, Jesus.
The world around me runs hard after things and people which do not satisfy the inner yearning for You. I know this is the experience of all who walk planet earth. I’m not alone in my assessment (Eccl. 3:11; 1 Cor. 10:13).
This can be, and often is, very frustrating.
Granted, there is a level of satisfaction in relationships and accomplishments. After all, we are made in Your image, God. You experienced satisfaction when You created all things, including man (Gen. 1:27, 31). Indeed, our human experience models Your actions in creation (Eccl. 3:9-15).
Yet there remains an imbedded dissatisfaction in life according to human wisdom. The entire book of Ecclesiastes attests to this fact. “Vanity of vanities, says the Preacher; all is vanity” (12:8). And the writer concludes, “The end of the matter; all has been heard. Fear God and keep His commandments, for this is the whole duty of man. For God will bring every deed into judgment, with every secret thing, whether good or evil” (12:13-14).
So, why create us in the first place, Jesus? Why on earth am I here?
Another testament to the reality of this biblical truth is the massive success of Rick Warren’s book, The Purpose Driven Life. People want to know why they exist.
In his presentation of the gospel to the people of Athens, both everyday folk and the wise men of his day, Paul answers the question of why God created us.
“And He made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined allotted periods and the boundaries of their dwelling place, that they should seek God, and perhaps feel their way toward Him and find Him. Yet He is actually not far from each one of us, for ‘In Him we live and move and have our being’; as even some of your own poets have said, ‘For we are indeed His offspring’” (Acts 17:26-27).
For You, Jesus. You made us—me—for Yourself.
You created me to be in a relationship with You. And through the gospel You saved me to ensure forever Your purpose for me. You came to get me, to make me Yours (Mk. 10:45).
So, even though life on earth can really suck sometimes, Jesus. Even though things and people will fail me on a regular basis. Your purpose for me lifts me above my circumstances and gives me purpose in life now—to seek You, to feel my way toward You and find You.
Paul tells me how this works out in everyday life,
“If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory” (Col. 3:1-4).
In Your mind, Jesus, I’m a finished product of Your grace. But I’m in process of realizing that truth as I go through life on planet earth. When life’s circumstances hit me, my response does not have to be reactionary. In fact, my life should be in reaction to Your actions on my behalf.
Because You made me Yours I am to make You my Chief Pursuit and Priority. You are to be the filter through which I process every circumstance of life on earth, not the other way around. I don’t process You through my stuff.
When I do that is when I experience frustration every time. That’s when I hunker down in my woe is me state and determine life sucks without hope.
It’s times like these when songs like “Heaven Changes Everything” by Big Daddy Weave remind me of the truth of Your purpose for me. I’m reminded of why on earth I am here.
To seek You, to feel my way toward You and find You.
Thank You.
January 3, 2024 — Personal Vindication (Hebrews 10:35-39)
Sometimes I feel the need to vindicate myself, Jesus.
I feel I have to prove I was right after the fact. I especially feel this way when I think certain matters are settled only to be unearthed when solid evidence comes to light in my favor.
But a friend’s words reminded me of a simple, powerful truth. He said, “Melvin, your righteousness doesn’t come from vindicating yourself before others, but from God.”
The truth his statement speaks to appears four times in Scripture, alluded to once, yet permeates the entire Bible for it describes life for the Christion:
“The righteous shall live by faith” (Hab. 2:4; Rom. 1:17; Gal. 3:11; Heb. 10:38 cf. 2 Cor. 5:7).
As the evidence of my vindication repeatedly played in my mind, breaking my heart afresh with each syllable, I cried to Jesus to heal my heart. I groaned for Him to do it NOW!
But He softly said, “My righteous one shall live by faith, not by sight.”
So, I looked at the places He speaks this truth in Scripture.
In Habakkuk 2:4, God says the wicked sees his reward, the results of his labor dependent on his efforts, ingenuity, and schemes, but the righteous shall live (escape from God’s judgment) by his faith.
In Romans 1:17, Paul quotes from Habakkuk in context of what the gospel achieves concerning sin for those who believe in Jesus Christ alone for salvation—escape from God’s wrath.
In Galatians 3:11, Paul shows God gives life through faith and not through works.
In Hebrews 10:38, God makes it personal by saying His righteous one (a true believer because God made it so) maintains an eternal perspective when times get hard; we don’t give up but persevere.
As I read the passage in Hebrews, I thought of the letter’s context. Jewish believers were facing intense persecution for their faith in Christ and the writer showed the superiority of Jesus over all things. In light of my desire to vindicate myself according to my wisdom, I read…
“Therefore do not throw away your confidence, which has a great reward. For you have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God you may receive what is promised. For, ‘Yet a little while, and the coming one will come and will not delay; but my righteous one shall live by faith, and if he shrinks back, my soul has no pleasure in him.’ But we are not of those who shrink back and are destroyed, but of those who have faith and preserve their souls” (Heb. 10:35-39).
You made me Your righteous one, Jesus. I belong to You. I am not wicked in Your sight. Therefore, in difficult times I don’t discard like garbage the faith You gave me. In fact, that’s impossible for genuine faith. My perspective is eternal. I walk or live by faith, not by sight (2 Cor 5:7).
I don’t need to see my vindication happen now; I need to trust You, Jesus. Moment by moment, day by day.
I know this makes no sense from a human perspective. It seems so “spiritual” and void of reality. What feels real is the pain of betrayal, especially when remorse and repentance are not part of the equation. What feels real is hearing words from human beings, seeing humans act out their true selves. How can trusting You be more real than the people in front of me?
Faith.
It’s impossible to please You without it (Heb. 11:6).
My faith is genuine and by grace You enable me to prove it’s true every day as I look toward home with You.
Thank You.
January 1, 2024 — Wisdom or Foolishness? Choose! (Matthew 7:24-27)
You give Me the choice between being wise or being foolish, Jesus.
The wisdom of this world says to trust in what I’ve determined to be right as long as it doesn’t hurt someone else. To many, this sounds noble and is therefore affirmed.
But You say even the wisest of human reasoning is less than Your lowest foolishness (1 Cor. 1:25). I know You are not foolish or weak in any sense. You are all-wise, all-knowing, all-powerful, Sovereign, Creator—You are God alone.
We express human wisdom in an effort to do life apart from You. You call this foolishness. Sin. And You alone have the solution to man’s sin problem—the cross of Jesus Christ. In fact, You offer it freely to all who believe (Rom. 1:16-17; 1 Cor. 1:18-31).
I can choose to be foolish and do life apart from You, Jesus. Or I can choose to be wise and do life Your way.
You say,
“Everyone then who hears these words of Mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock … And everyone who hears these words of Mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand” (Mt. 7:24, 26).
Being God, You have spoken and made Yourself known to all of humanity so we are all without excuse (Rom. 1:18:23). No one can legitimately say they’ve never heard You or heard of You. Atheists are mad at Someone they say doesn’t exist. Agnostics believe in Someone they say is impossible to know.
But believing in You, Jesus, is more than philosophical deduction; it’s a matter of life and death. It is the core issue (Mt 16:13-17).
Therefore, wise living in this world must be in alignment with what You define as life. And You say doing life in obedience to Your words proves one is wise. Doing the opposite proves one is foolish.
Why is this important? Because life happens.
This is how You put it,
“And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house …” (Mt. 7:25a, 27a).
Terrible, treacherous situations are guaranteed to enter our lives. Some things are expected to happen, while others crash into our lives unexpectedly.
Death of loved ones. Job or career loss. Devasting relationship difficulties. Sometimes “stuff” simply keeps hitting us with unbearable relentlessness. And we yearn for the pain to stop.
You say life happens and how we respond reveals whether we have chosen to be wise or to be foolish. I’m so glad You made this really simple, Jesus. If our lifestyle response is to obey Your words in Scripture, then we are wise. If our lifestyle response is to disobey Your words in Scripture, then we are foolish.
I know some people who would respond to this, “Who cares?”
Well, we all should care because of what You say about the results of our lifestyle decisions to tragedy:
For the wise, our life (house) “… did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock” (Mt. 7:25b).
For the foolish, your life (house) “… fell, and great was the fall of it” (Mt. 7:27b).
A quick word to the foolish, just because your life hasn’t fallen yet doesn’t mean that it won’t. I remember seeing a play as a kid entitled, “Your Arms Too Short to Box with God.” The title is self-explanatory. Listen to the apostle Peter,
“The Lord is not slow to fulfill His promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance” (2 Pet. 3:9).
God is waiting for foolish people to repent and become wise.
I’ve made and sometimes still make foolish decisions. In fact, I once was foolish with a darkened heart, dead in my trespasses and sin. But Jesus, You say,
“But 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—by grace you have been saved” (Eph. 2:4-5).
Thank You.
December 20, 2023 — You call me to Yourself, Jesus (Psalm 27:7-10)
You call me to Yourself, Jesus, when trouble enters my life.
For years I’ve heard people speak negatively of seeking You when bad times hit. These complaints were couched in terms of using You only to soothe the various pains of life. As if such seekers only viewed You as some cosmic genie. Rub a little prayer and “Poof!” You’d solve whatever problem had arisen.
That’s a bunch of guilt-laden malarkey!
You invite people—me—to come to You when difficult circumstances invade life.
“You have said, ‘Seek My face.’ My heart says to You, ‘Your face, LORD, do I seek” (Ps. 27:8).
I know what it’s like to feel guilty when coming to You because of some trouble in my life. My focus during such times is always on me, what I’ve done against You, my sinful practices and tendencies. The voices of the guilt-peddlers ring loud in my head. And combined with my own self-loathing make a formidable opponent to resting in You, Jesus.
Even David dealt with this internal anguish,
“Hide not Your face from me. Turn not Your servant away in anger, O You who have been my help. Cast me not off; forsake me not, O God of my salvation!” (27:9).
Now, even though Calvary had not taken place yet, David still recognized only You could soothe his heart in his trouble: “O You who have been my help … O God of my salvation!”
Regardless of his personal views about himself, David still came to You.
That’s how to seek Your face, to come to You in response to Your call—focusing on You rather than me or my circumstances. This is not denying the trouble with which I’m facing. Rather it’s putting it in its proper place in comparison to You.
“For my father and my mother have forsaken me, but the LORD will take me in” (27:10).
The trouble David faced was loneliness stemming from outward attacks and rejection. This is seen throughout this particular Psalm yet homed in on in verse 10.
How appropriate for me, Jesus. Rejection. Outward attacks. Personal sin. Trouble.
“Hear, O LORD, when I cry aloud; be gracious to me and answer me!” (27:7).
I’m not giving up on You, Jesus, for You alone are my hope. Your timing in answering my prayers is perfect because You are perfect. My circumstances have not changed, but that is not my deepest prayer. For You call me to Yourself, Jesus. “You have said, ‘Seek My face.’”
In You alone lies my answered prayer. You are the reward of faith (Heb. 11:6). And so, like David I say,
“I believe that I shall look upon the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living” (Ps. 27:13).
By grace through faith, I shall see You.
Thank You.
December 19, 2023 — The Weird Love of God (Hebrews 12:1-17)
You have weird ways of showing me You love me, Jesus.
I wonder if the nation of Israel ever had such thoughts. Both the Assyrian and Babylonian captivities were designed by You to drive Israel back to You. Yes, they were judgments against their treacherous adultery against You. You are absolutely righteous in every judgment You proclaim.
Yet, the fact remains Your judgments, Your discipline of Your people are born out of Your infinite love for us.
Indeed, the writer of Lamentations records,
“For the Lord will not cast off forever, but, though He cause grief, He will have compassion according to the abundance of His steadfast love; for He does not afflict from His heart or grieve the children of men” (3:31-33).
Solomon writes,
“My son, do not despise the LORD’s discipline or be weary of His reproof, for the LORD reproves him whom He loves, as a father the son in whom he delights” (Prov. 3:11-12).
And Your practice did not change after the cross, God. Rather, You point to the cross as evidence of Your love for us, for me. Certainly, You do this in Hebrews 12:1-4, and then the writer quotes Proverbs 3:11-12.
Going on, he explains Your discipline proves we are Your legitimate children. You discipline “us for our good, that we may share [Your] holiness” (Heb. 12:10b). And that Your purpose for disciplining us is to produce righteousness, the result for us “who have been trained by [Your discipline].”
I’m beginning to understand a little bit more about what You mean when You say Your ways and thoughts are infinitely higher than mine. The discipline or training I employed as a father was meant to point my daughters toward You and Your standards of living. The goal was and is lofty. But that is what parents who belong to You do. They follow Your example.
You’re after much more than momentary behavior modification; You’re demolishing the old so the new can shine through (2 Cor. 5:17). And that process is hard.
But the hard things in life are not reasons to run from You and the things that please You. Rather they are catalysts meant to drive us to You.
Enduring pain and embracing the unlovable with genuine love makes no sense to the world. To those who deify themselves, who elevate their agenda above Yours, Jesus, who conclude life apart from You is life, such a response to Your discipline is ludicrous.
But that’s what You did, Jesus, on our behalf. You, who are sinless, “for the joy that was set before [You] endured the cross, despising the shame, and [are now] seated at the right hand of the throne of God” (Heb. 12:2).
I asked You why did these things and people have to come into my life? Why did You send and allow such experiences? And You said, “Because I love you and I’m using this to heal you.”
You have weird ways of showing me You love me, Jesus. Still…
Thank You.
December 18, 2023 — Who You are, Jesus, drives everything I think, say, and do (Philippians 2:12-18)
The more You’re taking me through life, Jesus, the more I’m realizing Who You are drives everything I think, say, and do.
But like most people, I often focus on the things I do. My activities. The way I live my life, taking responsibility for the things I can control. I’m preoccupied with my abilities and capabilities. I yearn for processes to make things function well.
This applies to matters of faith as well as everyday life. And Paul’s words ring loud and clear,
“…work out your own salvation with fear and trembling” (Phil. 2:12b).
Without realizing it, I think, “Jesus, You saved me. Now let me do my part to show You Your gift of salvation took effect.” And then in times of high piety, I affirm since You saved me, You take responsibility to make me into the man of God You created and redeemed.
I ride this mental merry-go-round more times than I’d like to confess. Yet, there it is. I know Paul blasted the Galatians for this very thing,
“O foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you? It was before your eyes that Jesus Christ was publicly portrayed as crucified. Let me ask you only this: Did you receive the Spirit by works of the law or by hearing with faith? Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh?” (Gal. 3:1-4).
Even so, sometimes I go there in my mind because what I do are the very things I hate to do. Hence, I have to do something to show You my salvation is real.
But that goes against the clear teaching of Your Scriptures, Jesus. For Paul continues in Philippians,
“…for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure” (2:13).
I know this doesn’t mean to “Let go and let God” become my life mantra. Again, Your Word is clear, “faith apart from works is dead” (Jms. 2:14-26). You didn’t call me to Yourself for salvation only to leave me alone in my sanctification. I still have a part to play in working out my own salvation.
The starting and continuing point is You, Jesus. Paul makes this clear in Philippians 2:1-11. You, who took to Himself a full human nature and now exists as the unique God-man. You, who is fully God, fully man, in one Person. You, who died for my sin. You, who are the only Savior for the world. You, who God resurrected from the grave. You, who the Father has declared Lord over all “in heaven and on earth and under the earth.” You, who make God the Father known to the nations.
You, Lord Jesus, are the Reason I live out the Christian life in dependence on the Father to give me the will to obey You, and the power to act it out, just because it pleases Him.
God, You want me to live for you. Thus, You live in me so that You might live through me. And the key to make this the constant in my life is to focus on You, Jesus. To take Your yoke upon me and learn of You.
And the way I recognize I’m living this way is I don’t grumble and complain about life in this world. Regardless of the circumstances—good, bad, easy, hard, indifferent, engaged—grumbling and complaining, looking for and focusing on the bad, acting like a citizen of this world rather than a citizen of heaven, is not what I do, Jesus.
Obeying You in this means I constantly realize I deserve God’s wrath, but I received and receive God’s grace. It’s the gospel, Jesus. This is what is to drive what I do because it is what I regularly think and say.
It is, therefore, no wonder You say,
“If anyone would come after Me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow Me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel’s will save it” (Mk. 8:34-35).
I don’t make any of this happen, Jesus, but receive it by faith. Without which it is impossible to please You (Heb. 11:6). That’s my part—believe. Intentionally and regularly put my trust in You. I already did it once for salvation. Now I do it for sanctification so that I may do the things You call me to do as You’re making me in practice what You’ve already made me in position.
Thank You.
December 15, 2023 — You want me to live, Jesus (Isaiah 55:1-13)
You want me to live, Jesus, and not waste the life You’ve given me.
There is nothing powerful enough to stop You from doing whatever You want. Indeed, You declare, “…so shall My word be that goes out from My mouth; it shall not return to Me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it” (Isa. 55:11).
You invited me to Yourself to receive life, and I came. Still, You continuously invite me to come to You daily and receive life, the life You’ve given me to live.
Your question proves You don’t want me to waste my life on my own selfish pursuits,
“Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread, and your labor for that which does not satisfy?” (55:2a).
You offer life without cost, a truly free offer to whoever would receive it. This includes me. But I have this innate bent to define life, to decide what gives me the greatest pleasure and satisfaction, to seek acceptance, worth, and sustenance in fleeting things and people. To put forth effort to achieve these things, to pursue the dream of my best self and life. Just like most people in the world.
But the fallacious nature of Your question exposes the vanity of pursuing life according to the pervasively evil nature of man. Solomon also described this lifestyle as “a striving after wind” (Eccl. 2:26b). Such a pursuit of life apart from You, Jesus, is what You saved me from.
You say to continuously make it my practice to “listen diligently to” You. Through the prophet, You say,
“Incline your ear, and come to Me; hear, that your soul may live…” (Isa. 55:3a).
You tell me to make time for You, which is quite different than finding time. I must take decisive, intentional action to be with You. For You invite me to come sit at Your feet, to continuously expose myself to Your Holy Spirit and the Scriptures with the will to obey, so that “[my] soul may live.”
This call is urgent and requires me to make specific choices. To respond to Your call immediately (55:6), to turn away from doing and thinking things opposed to Your Word (55:7a), and to turn to You (55:7b). I am to do this understanding You will have compassion on me and will abundantly pardon me (55:c). You want me to live, Jesus!
You don’t make it hard to come to You, but sometimes—okay, a lot of times—I project my rejection tendencies onto You. That’s what my life experience has taught me about coming clean with someone else about my stuff.
Rejection. Condemning judgment. Abandonment. Anger. Accusation. Conditional forgiveness.
“Life” says it’s not worth it to enter into rigorously honest relationship with another person, to be vulnerable and authentic because they will hurt you. So, I’ve learned to hide and develop my own coping mechanisms to deal with “life.”
But to You, Jesus, that’s the wrong way to view You. You say,
“For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways, declares the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts” (55:8-9).
The abundant life You came to give me, Jesus, is Your very own life. You came to live in and through me to make Your glorious Self known to others. What a grand adventure to have You use the uniqueness of my life to somehow draw others to You.
You are not shocked nor repulsed by me and my stuff. Jesus, You took care of it all on the cross. And Your resurrection proves Your sacrificial death was accepted by God as full payment for my sins. This is not the way of the world; it’s Your way.
Therefore, You want me to live, Jesus, and not waste the life You’ve given me by pursuing the transient, fleeting things of this world.
Thank You.
December 14, 2023 — You direct my steps, Jesus (John 8:42-47)
You direct my steps, Jesus.
By grace, You show me my bent is to obey what You say in Your Word. This is not my own doing. “But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which He loved [me], even when [I] [was] dead in trespasses, made [me] alive together with Christ—by grace [I] have been saved” (Eph. 2:4-5).
Even though these things are true of me, sometimes I still lean toward the lies of the devil. Sometimes I do things according to the flesh, disregarding Your Word. There are times when I see the clear teaching of Scripture and choose the opposite.
But You show me such choices are not my identity. This messy thing called life, specifically the Christian life, is one of war, a battle between my flesh and the indwelling Spirit. My sins, however, do not define me. You do, Jesus (Col. 1:13-14).
And You say, “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of My hand. My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand. I and the Father are one” (Jn. 10:27-30).
I belong to You, Jesus. Forever secure because of Your grace, O God. Father, You, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit make sure of that fact (cf. Eph. 1:3-14).
And because this is true, my bent is to obey what You say, Jesus, in Your Word. For as You told the crowd of Jews,
“Whoever is of God hears the words of God” (Jn. 8:47a).
This hearing is a responsive action to the things You say, Jesus. It includes not only a cognitive grasp of Your actual words, but a compelling urge to obey. This urge is the unction of Your indwelling Spirit bearing witness I belong to You (Rom. 8:9-17). And if I choose not to obey, Your Spirit convicts me and I say the exact same thing about my sin as You, receive Your forgiving restoration of fellowship, and keep following You (1 Jn. 1:6-2:2).
To live any other way reveals someone doesn’t belong to You, but to the devil (Jn. 8:43-45, 47b cf. 1 Jn. 3:4-10). Thus, when I’m confronted with Your truth and choose to order the steps of my life in opposition to what You say in Your Word is to act like someone I’m not—a child of Satan.
For again, “God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which He loved [me], even when [I] [was] dead in trespasses, made [me] alive together with Christ—by grace [I] have been saved” (Eph. 2:4-5).
And because I am forever Yours, Jesus, I can bear to hear Your Word. I invite Your loving correction through Scripture, submitting my will to Yours, daily dying to self in order to glorify You.
“Behold, You delight in truth in the inward being, and You teach me wisdom in the secret heart” (Ps. 51:6). You are truth, Jesus (Jn. 14:6). You are wisdom (1 Cor. 1:24, 30; Col. 2:3; Lk. 11:49). You delight to dwell in me, to teach me about Yourself. Thus, the only right response to such grace is to love You, proven by my obedience to Your Word (Jn. 14:21).
You made me to live according to the first part of John 8:47, “Whoever is of God hears the words of God,” and by grace You rescued me from the latter part of that verse, “The reason why you do not hear them is that you are not of God.”
These truths warm my heart and enable me to say, You direct my steps, Jesus.
Thank You.
December 13, 2023 — But I don’t want to be kind to them, Jesus (Romans 12:14-21)
They hurt me, Jesus. Why do I have to be kind to them?
In my times of pious reflection, I often rehearse what I thought was a command, “If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all” (Rom. 12:18).
So, today, as I dealt with deceptive clients and inconsiderate drivers, as I thought about the unrepentant treacherous infidelity of others against me, as I mulled over the unkind words and actions directed at me, I returned to the pious reflection of Romans 12:18 and received a shock.
You showed me, Jesus, living “peaceably with all” is only part of an obedient lifestyle of 12:14,
“Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them.”
There is an intentionality to doing good to those who do and have done me wrong, and to not speaking ill of them. But what initially wells up inside me is to either do the very opposite of Your command or to simply disregard the existence of those who offend me.
I’m finding out my pious reflection simply helps me do the latter—disregard the existence of people. To count them as not worthy of my consideration, therefore, I’m living peaceably toward them. That is so not what Your Word teaches, Jesus.
You’re showing me my dealings with those who do me wrong begins with my heart, my mind, my words. You call me to bless and not to curse. To speak well of and toward them and to refrain from speaking negatively about them.
But when I dwell on the hurt caused by them, I don’t want to be kind to them. And I’m discovering therein lies the bondage—focusing on the hurt.
When I set my mind to think of You blessing me and not cursing me, it becomes easier to mimic Your actions toward others in my life. For I find You’ve given me Your Holy Spirit to live Your life through me, to empower me to obey You in my dealings with real and perceived enemies. And when I obey You, You give me a deeper experience of You (Jn. 14:21).
You enable me to rejoice or weep with my enemies when they experience those realities. You enable me to live in harmony according to Your mindset (15:1-7) with those who hurt me. You enable me to not repay anyone “evil for evil,” regardless of how petty or massive the offense against me. If situations allow, You enable me to “live peaceable with all.” You enable me to not exact vengeance for myself, but to trust You to deal justly with others who do me wrong. In fact, You enable me to do intentionally do good to such people because I trust You.
You are showing me this is how to successfully conquer the evil done to me for Your glory. The more I yield to You, Jesus, the more You make the lifestyle of blessing and not cursing others a reality in my life.
So, please continue to transform me by renewing my mind, conforming me to look like You, Jesus. I want to want to be kind to my “persecutors,” because You command me to. For if I obey You, I get more of You.
You are why I have to be kind to those who hurt me, Jesus. And You are worth it.
Thank You.
December 12, 2023 — You, O God, are not angry with me (Romans 3:21-26)
You, O God, are not angry with me.
Oftentimes I’ve defined Your judgment in the Old Testament as pure anger or wrath. I know I’m not alone in this. Even our culture is drenched with this wrong view of You. Like the movie scene in Fast Five when the character, Brian, described the federal agent chasing their team as Old Testament, the wrath of God.
I think of Your conversation with Jeremiah over Jerusalem’s refusal to repent. You said of them in Jeremiah 5:2, “Though they say, ‘As the LORD lives,’ yet they swear falsely.” They professed to know You, to live for You, to be Your people, yet in reality they lived for themselves in rebellion to You. While the prophet pleaded for mercy on their behalf in verses 4-5, You described them as rebellious, adulterous, treacherous people with animalistic instinctual lust who took You for granted (5:7-8, 11). You said,
“Shall I not punish them for these things? declares the LORD; and shall I not avenge Myself on a nation such as this?” (5:9, 29).
This response to Jerusalem’s infidelity is what most of us see when reading the Old Testament. I know I often miss tidbits about Your heart in accounts like these. Like in verse 1 when You challenged the prophet to conduct a thorough search of Jerusalem for just one man “who does justice and seeks truth, that [You] may pardon [all of Jerusalem].”
I don’t always see You as a loving Father who continuously wants me and desires what is in my best interest. Who pursues me in perfect love. Who deeply yearns to have me in Your presence forever. You want to be with me and to have me with You!
But only the righteous shall see You, God. Only those who are pure in Your sight can dwell in Your presence. And on my own, that’s impossible “for the wages of sin is death” (Rom. 6:23a), and “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (3:23). Those verses include me, and sadly, that is where I often dwell in my mind. Intently focused on my sin, and how I miss Your mark time and time again.
Once more, I know I’m not alone in this. For the adopted culture of some of Your people constantly drill these verses deep into our consciousness. It seems we’re quick to practice Isaiah 59:2 among ourselves, “but your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, and your sins have hidden His face from you so that He does not hear.”
We forget—I forget—the context of which these verses are revealed; contexts which reveal Your heart.
Your heart in Jeremiah 5 was to pardon the sins of Your people and Your judgment was meant to drive them to You, which is why You didn’t completely annihilate them (5:18). In Romans 6:23, Your heart is to freely give eternal life in Jesus Christ. And in Isaiah 59, Your heart was to save and redeem Your people Yourself because no man possessed the righteousness necessary to accomplish that humanly impossible feat.
“But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it—the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction: for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by His grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation by His blood, to be received by faith” (Rom. 3:21-25a).
Your heart is to graciously give me Your own righteousness through faith in Jesus upon Whom You satisfied Your wrath toward my sin. Indeed, “for our sake [You] made [Jesus] to be sin who knew no sin, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God” (2 Cor. 5:21).
You, O God, are not angry with me.
And Your heart is not a license for me to sin. For if I truly understand Your heart, I don’t want to break it. You know what sin does to Your people, to me, and it breaks Your heart every time we, I, choose sin over You.
Thank You for taking up residence in me so I can choose You. Thank You for showing me Your heart toward me in Jesus.
Thank You.
December 11, 2023 — You are worthy of all praise, Jesus (Psalm 150)
You are worthy of all praise, Jesus.
I praise You!
You alone deserve praise for You alone are holy. You alone are Sovereign. You alone do what You want, when You want, where You want, using whomever You want, to accomplish everything You desire. You alone are great, O God!
I praise You!
Everything in my life is meant to drive me to You. For You reveal something about Your majesty in every circumstance, whether it be good, tragic, disheartening, painful, joyful, stressful, wonderful, peaceful, heart-breaking, heart-mending. Every single aspect of my life possesses something about which to praise You.
But truth be told, in some moments of life, I don’t always feel like praising You. I’m not moved to acknowledge Your “excellent greatness.” I do not sense a compelling compulsion to express praise for Your “mighty deeds.”
Then there are times when praise seems spontaneous; it just seems to leap from my heart through my mouth to bless Your name. Could it be the fact You gave and give me life which draws out praise to You? Is this what is meant by “Let everything that has breath praise the LORD?”
Jesus, I think such impulsive praise is included in the meaning of that phrase. But there is also an intentional responsive element as well. For the Psalmist writes with an imperative bent, a command to “Praise the LORD!” Indeed, praising You with regularity is expected by You—it’s reasonable.
Without question, this rational response to who You are, and what You’ve done and do on our behalf is what Paul had in mind in Romans 12:1,
“I beseech [urge, appeal] you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service [worship]” (KJV).
You are good to me, Jesus, because You are good. You deal with me in love, Jesus, because You are love. You give me life, Jesus, because You are Life.
The group, All Sons & Daughters, got it right in their song, Great Are You Lord,
“It’s Your breath in our lungs
So we pour out our praise, we pour out our praise
It’s Your breath in our lungs
So we pour out our praise to You only.”
All of this is what “Let everything that has breath praise the LORD!” means. It is absolutely reasonable for me to spontaneously praise You with intentionality in response to who You are and what You do because You are worthy to receive the totality of my life for Your glory!
Therefore, I praise You, Jesus!
November 29, 2023 — You want me to be at peace, Jesus (Luke 2:1-14)
You want me to be at peace, Jesus.
In fact, that’s why You came. That’s the good news of Your immensely joyful first arrival. You came to save sinners, like me, to give me peace.
When I think of peace, I imagine an inner calm of assurance everything is or will be alright. Even in the midst of chaos around me, undesirable circumstances engulfing me, people in need of extra grace surrounding me, even there—peace.
But I notice there are times in my life when peace escapes me. Instead, turmoil and grief describe the state of what’s going on inside me. Sometimes I unknowingly fidget and at other times I put on a good face in front of others. It’s times like these I forget the praise of Your angels upon Your first arrival, Jesus,
“Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom He is pleased!” (Lk. 2:14).
The gracious fact You came should settle any lack of peace within me. You didn’t have to, but You did. But You didn’t just show up willy-nilly; You came with clear intentions—to save me and give me peace.
As I mull this truth over, I realize there’s a difference between being at peace with God and enjoying the peace of God. And there’s also a difference between the experience of both.
I don’t have anything to do with being at peace with You, Jesus. You alone have made this possible through giving up Your sinless life in my place—You died for my sins—and rising from the dead. You gave me the faith to believe this about You and I do believe.
Paul writes,
“Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ” (Rom. 5:1).
You made me to be at peace with Yourself without any input whatsoever from me.
But enjoying Your peace requires something from me. For the angels proclaimed, “…peace among those with whom [You are] pleased.” If I’m doing things that displease You, then it’s impossible for me to enjoy Your peace. This greatly motivates me to seek and do what pleases You. For I’ve come to understand that You, Jesus, are my peace (Eph. 2:14).
It pleases You when I pray, demonstrating my inability to live for You by my own strength. Indeed, continually praying even to live righteously before You (Col. 1:9-14). You respond to my prayers with an increasing awareness of Your presence with me (Phil. 4:4-7).
But the greatest thing that pleases You, Jesus, is believing in You (Mk. 1:1:15; Jn. 1:12; 8:24, 29-30; 17:3; 1 Cor. 15:1-4; Heb. 11:6). So, here’s the “ah-ha” moment You gave me.
You gave me the faith to believe in You, thus pleasing You for salvation and making me in position always pleasing to You. And You want me to experience peace at all times by keeping my mind stayed on You. You are to be my Chief Pursuit for You are my Peace, Jesus.
Thank You.
November 28, 2023 — Is it possible for me to disappoint You, Jesus? (1 John 2:1-2)
Are You mad at me, Jesus? Do I disappoint You?
If I listen to the voice in my head, ignited by a lie, fed by the distant and not-so-distant past, the answer would be a resounding “Yes! You are disappointed in me, and therefore You are mad at me.”
Unfortunately, this mental and emotional wrestling match with me pinned to the mat occupies my head more often than I want to admit. And I know my experience is just one mat among many in the sweaty gym of humanity (1 Cor. 10:13; 1 Pet. 5:8-9).
But then Your truth tags me and my finite reasoning out of the match to realize it’s impossible to lose this match when the victory over sin has already been won by You. When my heart condemns me, You, O God, who is greater than my heart, reminds me in You, Jesus, I am not condemned, I have not lost the untrue life match of being guilty and shameful (1 Jn.3:19-20 cf. Rom. 8:1).
Yet, the same wrestling match returns when I sin.
But therein lies the key to realizing and experiencing Your victory over my sin—when I sin. For the disciple whom You loved writes,
“My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous” (1 Jn. 2:1, emphasis mine).
My sins do not surprise You, Jesus, therefore, they cannot disappoint You. For disappointment has to have an unexpected occurrence of failure to be considered disappointment. Yes, I know my sin—my failure to obey Your commands—displeases You, and I don’t want to do what saddens You. But because You know all things and all possible things, including when I sin, I can’t disappoint You. I can’t make You mad at me.
Another remarkable thing John writes is You are “with the Father,” which means the Father is not mad at me either. You, Jesus, are perfectly aligned with the Father and His great love toward me (Eph. 2:4-5). By grace through faith, You, O God, clothed me in the righteousness of Jesus (2 Cor. 5:21). Therefore, You see the righteousness of Jesus Christ when You look at me, and You’re always looking at me. You always have Your eye on me. You are always with me (Ps. 139).
In addition, the impossibility of You being disappointed in me is strengthened by the fact You’re the propitiation for my sins. Your death on the cross for my sin, Jesus, satisfied God’s wrath toward me and my sin. This fact was proven when You rose from the dead. And just like my wrestling match is not unique to me, You being the propitiation for sin is made available to all who trust in You, Jesus. You make this clear in all three places you reveal this truth (Rom. 3:25; 1 Jn. 2:2; 4:10).
Father God, Lord Jesus, my Savior, these truths produce within me a desire to please You in all my thoughts and conduct. I don’t want to run out and engage in a sin-binge, regardless of You knowing every time I will disobey. You put Your Holy Spirit in me to empower me to say “Yes!” to You and “No!” to temptation and sin. He strengthens me to stand in Your victory over sin provided by grace. He reminds me my sin does not define me, my identity in You does. Therefore, I know You aren’t mad at me nor disappointed in me. You love me, Jesus.
Thank You.
November 27, 2023 — Actively Resting in You, Jesus (Acts 1:6-11)
What does it look like to rest in You, Jesus?
There is an element of respite involved. But the idea of laying back and doing nothing certainly is not what You have in mind when You invite me to Yourself in Matthew 11:28-30. An honest apprehension of Your words show action is involved.
As I meditated on these things, of course my mind went to the challenging circumstances of life I’m currently in. My personal struggles with coping with abandonment and loneliness in unhealthy ways. The struggles my daughters face in dealing with these and their own life issues. Finally dealing with deep-seated childhood trauma I’d pushed down because it hurt so bad. Facing current trauma directly connected to my early years. And let’s not forget wrestling with fulfilling Your call on my life vocationally.
How am I to actively rest in You, Jesus, when my reality is excruciating, breath-sucking pain?
How am I to actively rest in You, Jesus, when it seems like my prayers are going unanswered?
You answered these questions and so many more like them during one of my recovery lessons by having me look closely at Acts 1:6.
So when they had come together, they asked Him, “Lord, will You at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?”
Your disciples thought You were going to finally crush the overbearing rule of Rome over Israel. But in Your response, Jesus, You gave them and me the answer to how to actively rest in You.
The disciples’ question showed they/I expect restoration from excruciating, breath-sucking pain in a particular way—my definition of rescue and relief. I need to own this. I need to not lean on my own understanding when it comes to how You deliver, rescue, restore me. I need to trust You, Jesus.
Indeed, this is what You essentially say in verse 7. The truth the Father has already set the date for my restoration should assure my heart before You. This truth allows me to rest in You because I trust in God. Jeremiah said, “You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You. Trust in the LORD forever, for the LORD GOD is an everlasting rock” (26:3-4).
This certainly sounds like laying back and doing nothing. And You’re showing me this is the true starting point for actively resting in You. You. You alone have already secured my rest through Your death, burial, and resurrection (e.g., Rom. 5:1-2; Eph. 2:4-9; Heb. 5:7-10).
But actively resting in You requires something from me, not to get rest, rather to demonstrate I am resting in You. If I am actively resting in You, Jesus, then I am simultaneously pursuing You and pointing others to You while keeping an eternal perspective—this current earth will never be heaven. Therefore, to seek full restoration right now demonstrates I am not actively resting in You.
Yes, like David, it’s right to say, “I believe that I shall look upon the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living!” (Ps. 27:13). He also says, “Wait for the LORD; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the LORD!” (27:14).
I’m going to see you restore me to a degree on this side of eternity, Jesus. You’re just that good. But the full experience of restoration—complete rest in You—will come when we’re eyeball-to-eyeball, my precious Savior. In the meantime, by Your grace, I’m pursuing You and I’m pointing people to You, Jesus. I’m actively resting in You.
Thank You.
November 21-24, 2023 — Resting in Jesus with my family for Thanksgiving. See you next Monday, November 27, 2023.
Thank You for the rest, Jesus.
November 20, 2023 — You will deliver and restore me, Jesus (Psalm 120; 20)
Sometimes I wonder if You hear me when I cry out to You, Jesus.
I know what Your Word says, God, that You hear me when I pray according to Your will, and such knowledge gives confidence I have those things I’ve asked of You (1 Jn. 5:13-14). I read about Your repeated deliverance and restoration experiences of Your people in the Scriptures (e.g., Gen. 14:30-31; Dan. 3:8-30; 6:1-28; Lk. 8:1-3; Jn. 4:1-30, 39-42).
But what about me?
Maybe the delay of my deliverance and restoration is to teach me patience. Perhaps Your seeming hesitation to help me is because of my sin. It could be You have an even deeper purpose in taking Your time to respond with specific good in my life according to my petitions. It just might be Your intention to draw me closer to You through this period of waiting.
As I reflected on why my soul was so beat down over this past weekend, You took me to Psalm 120 and then to Psalm 20. Not surprisingly, both Psalms spoke of You answering the cry for deliverance by Your people.
“In my distress I called to the LORD, and He answered me. Deliver me, O LORD, from lying libs, from a deceitful tongue” (Ps. 120:1-2). “May the LORD answer you in the day of trouble! May the name of the God of Jacob protect you!” (Ps. 20:1).
The more I reflected on Your recorded history of delivering and restoring Your people, the more I meditated on these Psalms, three things came to the surface: time, trust, trustworthiness.
Time
You know, Jesus, clichés and I have a distant relationship. But one adage is apropos: You may not come when I want You to, but You’re right on time. You showed up for Your people, those who You called Your own. Indeed, You sought them out to bring them to Yourself. You responded to their cries for help. You didn’t leave them to the treacherous dealings of their enemies. In fact, You showed them their enemies were Your enemies because of their arrogant dependence on themselves: “they are for war,” “Some trust in chariots and some in horses” (Ps. 120:7b; Ps. 20:7a).
Trust
It took time, but Your people showed they trusted You. This is what pleases You, trusting You in both hard and good times (Heb. 11:6).
“But we trust in the name of the LORD our God” (Ps. 7b).
This is what Your people do. They trust You, therefore, they cry out to You. I belong to You, Jesus. This is why I cry out to You. You see me. You see all I’ve done for You. It matters to You. I matter to You!
Trustworthiness
Elevation Worship sings the song, “I Trust In God,” and the entire work testifies of Your trustworthiness, Jesus. You don’t, You can’t fail! Cody Carnes declares in his song, “Christ Is My Firm Foundation,” that You won’t fail!
In and of Yourself resides trustworthiness. You are the reason the Psalmist wrote, “In my distress I called to the LORD, and He answered me.” You are the Almighty Sovereign Creator. You alone are God. You are why Nahum prophesied,
“The Lord is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble; He knows those who take refuge in Him. But with an overflowing flood He will make a complete end of the adversaries, and will pursue His enemies into darkness. What do you plot against the Lord? He will make a complete end; trouble will not rise up a second time” (1:7-9).
You marshal Yourself against the enemies of Your people guaranteeing their defeat, even though it may take time so that You may develop the trust Your people have in You. Including me.
Thank You.
November 17, 2023 — O to be fully known and loved, Jesus (1 Corinthians 13:12) I’ve longed to be fully known and loved for as long as I can remember. I’ve wanted others to know who I am, both negative and positive, and still show me grace. At the same time, I have wanted to do this very thing for others without looking at them with a condemning attitude. But I, like others toward me, have often been “a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal” (1 Cor. 13:1). The words, “I love you,” would roll off my lips with great ease, while in my heart I’d wonder why people wouldn’t make wise choices. I imagine others thought the same about me. Granted, this wasn’t always the case, nor was it my norm to think this way. But it happened enough (more than once) to know it didn’t fit the definition of love in 1 Corinthians 13. Nevertheless, my deep longing for others to fully know me and still love me remained. That’s still true today. And Paul shows this is true for everyone. “For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known” (13:12). Right in the middle of talking about life in the Body of Christ (1 Cor. 12-14), living among God’s people, Paul wrote about being fully known and loved. For it’s no mistake being fully known is connected to how we love one another. Real love begins to be experienced among Your people, Jesus; it’s never an isolated experience nor is it to be separated from being known. I’ll experience this fully when I’m eyeball-to-eyeball with you, but until then, I need other Christians to love and be loved by them, to know them and for them to know me. Years ago, Hezekiah Walker wrote about this truth in his song, “I Need You to Survive.” Sadly, I sang it, I played it in church, but I didn’t experience its truth nor did the people I was around. Why? Being authentic is risky, Jesus. I’ve been real and I’ve been burned. Others have been real with me and I burned them. Yet, the need, the desire to be fully known and fully loved is true for me. By Your grace, You’ve placed me in a mutually authentic community now. Thank You.
November 16, 2023 — You are incomparable, God (Psalm 104) “Bless the LORD, O my soul! O LORD my God, You are very great!” (Ps. 104:1). You are incomparable, God. There is none like You. You are Sovereign and in absolute control of all Your creation. There is nothing ever out of Your control. You are King of the plant kingdom. Every blade of grass worships You for You give them life. The branches and leaves of every tree across the earth find their strength and vitality in You. You are King of the animal kingdom. Their survival instinct and distinctive characteristics come from You. You designed them to act in such ways so we can understand something about You. You have established every boundary in creation and Your creation obeys. Every ocean has its own designated end and they do not breach them, they do not overrun the land. Every mountain has its own peak, and every valley its own depth. All of this at Your command. You traverse through Your creation at Your own pleasure. You enjoy what You’ve created because it’s Yours. You command Your angels to carry out Your will throughout creation. You are not an absent landlord; You are both above yet close to Your creation at the same time. You take care of all living things in Your creation, providing food and shelter appropriate for each. How distinctively wonderful and praiseworthy are You in Your amazing creation! You make Yourself known through Your creation. Like the Psalmist, “I will sing to [You], LORD as long as I live; I will sing praise to [You] my God while I have being. May my meditation be pleasing to [You], for I rejoice in [You] LORD” (104:33-34). How can anyone see You in Your creation and deny You exist? How can they continue living apart from You? How can they keep rejecting You? No wonder they are without excuse (Rom. 1:18-32). No wonder the Psalmist says, “Let sinners be consumed from the earth, and let the wicked be no more!” (104:35). You are Sovereign, Almighty God. I bless Your name! Thank You.
November 15, 2023 — Every day is payday, Jesus (Romans 6:15-23) Another payday. As I looked at today’s date, Jesus, that’s the thought which entered my mind. Not a “Woohoo!” thought, just a simple factual reality for many. Then it hit me—every day is payday, in a sense. I’m either moving toward You every day or I’m moving away from You. Not in the sense of Your gift of salvation; You ensure I’m eternally secure in You. No, I’m talking about my daily experience of You, which shows I either belong to You and our relationship is deepening, or I belong to You but I’m drifting away from You in fellowship. Before You made me Yours, I didn’t know we weren’t a thing. I had no knowledge I didn’t belong to You nor did I care. Paul said, “For when [I was a slave] of sin, [I was] free in regard to righteousness” (Rom. 6:20). But by grace, You saved me, which changed everything, specifically, who I am to daily live for now. If every day I choose to make myself and my desires the goal, then I produce more sin and move further away from you. Paul said such living “leads to death” (6:16), it is always “leading to more lawlessness” (6:19). He asked, “But what fruit were you getting at that time from the things of which you are now ashamed?” then he answered, “For the end of those things is death” (6:21). However, there’s a freedom which comes from being a redeemed creation of Your grace, Jesus. I am now free to choose to make You and Your desires my daily goal. Paul said such living “leads to righteousness” (6:16), it is always “leading to sanctification” (6:19). He declared “the fruit [I] get leads to sanctification and its end, eternal life” (6:22). So, every single day I’m confronted with the choice to live for myself or for You, Jesus. To get more of me or more of You. To show who I love more—me or You (see Jn. 14:21). I used to think Romans 6:23 only spoke of the endgame—eternal separation from You versus being with You for eternity. I now see it also shows I’m either moving toward You every day or I’m moving away from You depending on how I chose to live. Thank You.
November 14, 2023 — Where are You in temptation, Jesus? (Genesis 3:1-7) Where were You, Jesus, when Satan said through the serpent, “Did God actually say, ‘You shall not eat of any tree in the garden’?” (Gen. 3:1). Your Word reveals You are everywhere at all times (Ps. 139). That You are individually with Your people always (Mt. 28:20; Heb. 13:5). There are a whole bunch more of us now than in the Garden of Eden; not that this fact affects Your omnipresence in any way. But still. The truth You’re omnipresent speaks to why You let the devil tempt both Adam and Eve because the “you” in Genesis 3:1 is plural. I think it’s because we humans never think we have enough, we don’t consider You’ve given us everything to enjoy within Your loving boundaries. We doubt Your provision. We doubt You love us and have committed Yourself to our highest good. We doubt You. But we don’t know this truth about ourselves. We are completely incapable of believing this truth on our own. James says, “But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death” (1:14-15). Without question, Genesis 3:6-7 shows this to be true of both Adam and Eve. But it’s what Satan said first that answers my question, “You will not surely die. For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” You knew, Jesus, we would come to know we need You. You set the devil up. You didn’t tempt Adam and Eve nor can You tempt anyone (James 1:13). You were right there in the Garden, but You allowed evil to corrupt Your very good creation to show us, to show me, I need You. This is why You’re faithful to provide a way of escape from temptation—You’re there (1 Cor. 10:13). O God, teach me to cry out to You in moments of temptation. For You are always with me. Thank You.
November 13, 2023 — You are near to me, Jesus (Psalm 145:18-20) “What does it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses or forfeits himself?” (Lk. 9:25). The obvious answer to Your rhetorical question, Jesus, is nothing. For the comparison of value You raised is You, that is, is having all this world has to offer worth more than You, and the appropriate response is, “No!” Yet, some still choose the world, life defined by them apart from You. And then when life gets hard, they decide to ask You for help as if You’re some kind of cosmic genie. They bank on passages like Psalm 145:18a, “The LORD is near to all who call on Him,” without bothering to check the context of the entire Psalm. But David summarizes it in verses 18-20. Jesus, Almighty God, You are near to all “who call on [You] in truth … who fear [You] … who love [You].” You are near to every person who lives under Your rightful Lordship, who orders the details of their life according to Your word. You are near to every person who lives with You supreme over all things and people, including ourselves. You are near to every person who lives without hiding from You, who recognize they’re powerless to live life right on their own. Truth, fear, love. You call them “wicked” who resolve to live any other way. You are not near them but “will destroy” them, bring their influence to an end, eternally separate them from Yourself. That describes me before You, who are “rich in mercy, because of the great love with which [You] loved [me], even when [I] [was] dead in [my] trespasses, made [me] alive together with Christ—by grace [I] have been saved—and raised [me] up with Him and seated [me] with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus” (Eph. 2:4-6). You are near to me, Jesus. You fulfill my desire, You hear me, You save me, You preserve me because You made me Your own by grace, proven by I keep calling on You in truth, I keep fearing You, I keep loving You, Jesus. You are Lord, my Lord. Thank You.
November 10, 2023 — You’re my Chief Pursuit, Jesus (Hebrews 11:6) I say I want You, Jesus, above all else. Above all people, above all things, above all experiences, above all prestige. My words come from a deep desire to respond to Your grace toward me. I say like Paul in Philippians 3:10, “that I may know [You] and the power of [Your] resurrection and may share [Your] sufferings, becoming like [You] in [Your] death.” I say I want You to be my chief Pursuit in life. I say I want to be close to You at all times. I say You are my Lord and my God, Jesus. I say all of this as an expression of my faith in You. And You say, “And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who seek Him” (Heb. 11:6). Your words are not meant to push me away from You; they are a loving invitation to come after You with all of me—You’re pointing the way to You. You want me to know You, Jesus. You want me to want You. You say, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me” (Jn. 14:6). You prayed, “And this is eternal life, that they know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent” (17:3). You want me to draw near to You, so You tell me what to believe—that You exist and that You will reward my seeking for You with Yourself. This is how I please You—believe You, trust You in every circumstance of life. You give me life moments to act because I believe You. You already know my heart, so these times are meant to show me I believe You. To encourage my heart to keep trusting You, especially when life gets hard. It’s always about You, Jesus. Do I believe You? If so, my life will consistently show it. You test hearts to see if they really belong to You. I’m after You, Jesus, because You’re real and You will give me You. Thank You.
November 9, 2023 — O LORD, You know (Jeremiah 15:15-21) Almighty God, You know. You know all things; nothing catches You off guard. No one can surprise You nor overtake You. You alone are Sovereign God. I am a sinner You love. You made me Yours. You set me apart to You in love because You wanted to. You keep me. You fight my battles against every person who sets themselves up as my enemy, every person who would do me harm. For at the core of every rejection is my commitment to You—I gave You the totality of my being for Your glory. You showed me Your gospel, Jesus, and I believed it by grace. I’ve given You and Your gospel my life; it is my greatest joy to know You and to make You known. So, if You choose pain in my life to make Yourself known—let it be so. If You choose victory in my life to make Yourself known—let it be so. For as Jeremiah said, “I am called by Your name, O LORD, God of hosts” (15:16). I have not chosen to walk away from You because life got hard. I have not chosen to live in rebellion to You. Instead, I’ve chosen to have You open my eyes to see how sinful I am and in need of Your grace. Like the prophet, I’ve asked, “Why is my pain unceasing, my wound incurable, refusing to be healed?” This is the hardest thing You’ve ever called me to do, yet have Your way with me, Jesus. You promised to restore me; I trust You. You promised to make me stand before You; I trust You. My enemies will see Your victory in my life, but they will have none of it. For You protect me from them. You are with me to save me and deliver me. Almighty God, You know. Lord Jesus, You know. Thank You.
November 8, 2023 — Pursuing You in my Pain (Psalm 42) I am tired of crying. I now know the meaning of the phrase, “I’m tired of being sick and tired.” Jesus, You know full well how I feel, and You are with me. You know full well the turmoil of my soul, the constant churning of my emotions, the desperation of my heart for deliverance. I thank You for the brothers You’ve brought in my life who tell me the truth without shaming me. For there have been recent and distant times when that wasn’t true. I felt like You’d forgotten about me, like You put me on shelf to gather dust and eventually die. I believed the lies of those closest to me, their encouragements wrapped in deceit. Memories, both good and bad, work overtime to keep me down, making me want to crawl under the covers and just sleep. In these times, it seems easier to stop fighting, to stop putting forth effort toward recovery. Resting in You, Jesus, is not antithetical to effort (Mt. 11:29). For You, O God, want me to pursue You. Indeed, You call me to thirst for You as You are the very Source of life (Ps. 42:1-2). So, to climb out of my funk I rehearse truths about who You are, not the words of finite men dependent on their flawed wisdom. I recall Your salvation, Your faithfulness, Your daily steadfast love. I tell my soul to praise You, to bless You, to “forget not all Your benefits” to me. For You actively forgive all my iniquity, You actively heal all my diseases, You actively redeem my life from the pit, You actively crown me with steadfast love and mercy, You actively satisfy me with good “so that [my] youth is renewed like the eagle’s” (Ps. 103:2-5). Therefore, I can say with the Psalmists, “Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you in turmoil within me? Hope in God; for I shall again praise Him, my salvation and my God” (42:5, 11). Thank You.
November 7, 2023 — Powerless like a Hamster (Romans 7:18) I used to regularly talk about the hamster wheel of human performance, which spoke to an intense focus on outward appearance while doing little to prevent inward decay. This illustration highlights the fruitless efforts of human ingenuity. Running in place and getting nowhere. Such a focus also increases shame, personally identifying self in negative terms. It fuels a debilitating prison of pleasing others at all costs, what will others think of me because of my actions or inaction, my thoughts expressed or kept within. The illustration speaks of a seemingly inescapable prison of my own making. It’s an illustration that helps drive home the truth of Paul’s words in Romans 7:18, “For I know nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh. For I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out.” A chaotic mindset, which can result from being powerless to do the right thing, leads to doing things for the sake of doing something for the wrong reason. Getting caught up in performance rather than a Person. In my own efforts I can’t please You, Jesus. But I still often get caught up in doing something because I want to please You. Will my hamster wheel be enough to make You smile? This leads to wondering if my hamster wheel be enough to make others smile at me. Will they be impressed by my musings, my actions? What if I skip a day or two in my writings. What will You and others think of me? Did I fail You? Did I fail them? Did I fail myself? But the smile I desire to see is not driven by my hamster wheel. It’s driven by Your love for me which stems from who You are not what I do (Rom. 5:8). When I realize my lack of ability to please You doesn’t hinder You from working in, through and for me (Rom. 7:25; Phil. 2:12-13), I’m free to serve You and others without guilt or shame. Thank You.
November 3, 2023 — Yet another call to trust You, Jesus (Isaiah 50:10-11) I have a choice to make in times of darkness, times when I am deeply conflicted concerning what to do or where to go. I’ve obeyed the Scriptures by praying and talking with wise counsel (Phil. 4:5-6; Prov. 15:22; 20:18; 24:6), and in being honest in my dealings (Prov. 20:10). Yet there are still times when I just don’t understand life and how I should act, Jesus. I could resort to my own methods to control situations, attempts to manipulate feelings, take actions to please others when I face these moments of darkness. You gave Isaiah a message for me if I do that: “Behold, all you who kindle a fire, who equip yourselves with burning torches! Walk by the light of your fire, and by the torches that you have kindled! This you have from My hand: you shall lie down in torment” (53:11). I could choose to depend upon my understanding of a situation, my finite calculations of how things could turn out. You say, “[I] shall lie down in torment” by choosing my own way. My way always leads to severe pain without purpose. But You told the prophet to also say, “Who among you fears the LORD and obeys the voice of His Servant? Let him who walks in darkness and has no light trust in the name of the LORD and rely on his God” (53:10). You are always right for You are righteous. You are Creator God, eternal, sovereign, all-powerful, all-knowing, ever-present in every nook and cranny of everywhere at all times. You deal with me in love for You are love. You are my Savior, my Lord, my God. “Even the darkness is not dark to You; the night is bright as the day, for darkness is as light with You” (Ps. 139:12). This is why You say when I’m uncertain about life trust in You, in who You have revealed Yourself to be. You call me to rely on You, You who are my God. You made me Yours, You’ve given me life (Eph. 2:4-7), so You’ve taken responsibility to care for me at all times. I may not understand my situation, Jesus, but I know You. O for strength to trust You more for You are with me. Thank You.
November 2, 2023 — I love because You first loved me, Jesus (1 John 4:19) I have had some interesting examples of love in my life, and I myself have been quite the doozy picture of love for others. Many times, I’ve heard love referred to as an action word, that it is something shown rather than just a mere word. As a follow of You, Jesus, by God’s grace I understand through faith You are the epitome of love. You are the very embodiment of love for God is love. “In this is love, not that we have loved God but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins” (1 Jn 4:10). You, Jesus, bore God’s wrath toward my sins on my behalf. You stood in front of me on the cross and took the full force of God’s righteous judgment of me and my sin. You satisfied God’s wrath toward me, a sinner deserving of eternal separation from God. O, how deep the Father’s love for me, the songwriter wrote. O Jesus, You are the Lover of my soul. You love every aspect of my being with full knowledge at all times throughout eternity. This is true and nothing whatsoever can come between Your love and me (Rom. 8:38-39). Still, for me love has been attached to performance not action. The difference is action means initiating while performance means responding. This is why I’ve had poor examples of love and why I have shown myself to be a flawed lover. I’ve often looked past Your perfect example of love and elevated wrong responses to wrongdoing as the definition of love. What’s worse is I have projected on to You this wrong understanding of love. This view only worsens my guilt and shame when I sin against You or do something to offend another person. But You’re showing me, Jesus, beyond head knowledge, I perform acts because You love me. You are the catalyst for any love I show toward You and others. I am able to initiate the best action for someone else because You live in me. When I lose sight of You, I choose to perform first, to respond to others according to my finite wisdom and strength. You are love, Jesus. Strengthen me to keep my eyes on You. Thank You.
November 1, 2023 — You understand my being rejected, Jesus (John 16:31-33) Perhaps the greatest pain I’ve experienced thus far in life is being rejected. I’ve experienced the loss of people close to me through death. The loss of property and of income. These losses were without question deeply painful. But I’m created in Your image, God, which makes me a relational being. I yearn for companionship with others; to give and receive, to accept and be accepted, to know and be known, to love and be loved. As far back as I can remember, I’ve often roleplayed various scenarios of interacting with others in love. I recently revealed to my daughters I’m a huge fan of Rom-Coms. I enjoy seeing people love one another, reconciling with one another, both in romantic and non-romantic relationships. You built me that way, Jesus. No wonder I feel like my very insides are ripped from me when I experience rejection. Like when I’m honest about my sin, hoping my exposure will endear grace from others to walk toward recovery with me, and people stiff-arm me through self-righteousness, feigning support while pushing me towards others better equipped to help me. It’s both funny and sad that some feel supporting me will somehow threaten their own perceived security in life. People who know the gospel yet forget Romans 3:23, Ephesians 2:1-10, and Galatians 6:1-5. Jesus, You understand this because You’ve experienced rejection too by people claiming to believe in You. You told those folks they’d “be scattered, each to his own home, and will leave [You] alone” when life got hard. But Your peace in rejection came from knowing the Father was always with You. You even encouraged Your rejectors to find peace in You when life’s troubles became unbearable. People will continue to reject me, but Jesus, You’ve shattered the power of rejection by others. In You alone is peace because You are always with me. Help me remember this truth about You in the moments of rejection. Thank You.
October 31, 2023 — I commit to You, Jesus (Psalm 37) It is so easy to get upset when I see people who do not care about You, Jesus, do well in this life. Especially when everyday is a struggle for me. I so quickly forget the truth You’ve spoken, “For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will save it. For what does it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses or forfeits himself?” (Lk. 9:24-25). It makes no sense to those David calls “evildoers” and “wrongdoers” to give up what I can see for Who I cannot. I know this because I still live in the flesh myself at times. But Your truth still remains. Jim Elliot once said, “He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain that which he cannot lose.” “The fool says in his heart, ‘There is no God’” (Ps. 14:1). Isn’t that who evildoers and wrongdoers are, Jesus? Those who have resolutely committed themselves to themselves apart from You. Those who define life according to what they can see, touch, and smell. Well, I’m no fool for by grace I choose to believe Your apostles who heard You, saw You with their eyes, watched how You lived on earth, and touched You with their hands (1 Jn. 1:1-4 cf. Eph. 2:19-22). I commit to You, Jesus. I yield the direction of my life to You even though I get scared and upset because You don’t always tell me where You’re leading me. But You don’t call me to trust in the knowledge of Your direction; You call me to trust in You. For You promise to act on my behalf when You alone are the object of my faith (Ps. 37:3-6). As the songwriter says, “You can have this whole world, but give me Jesus.” You are restoring me one day, one moment, at a time, Jesus. This ride of life You called me to fifty-three years ago is quite the adventure. Unexpected twists, turns, drops, and climbs. Both rapid acceleration and deceleration. Moments of bright lights and some of utter darkness. The only constant is You. You said You would never leave me nor forsake me and You have kept Your word, Jesus! Thank You.
October 30, 2023 — Please make clear Your purpose for exile, Jesus (Jeremiah 29:1-14) I feel alone here, Jesus. This is not what I expected—an increase of the horrific loneliness resting at the core of my being. Sometimes it seems like it’s continuously increasing while at other times there are brief times of rest—here. Exile. Living in a place that doesn’t feel like home because it isn’t. This exile is both internal and external. I’m not where we experienced deep intimacy together, Jesus. Although I know You’re everywhere and always with me (Ps. 139). That’s why I know You have a purpose for this exile. According to Jeremiah, You want me to embrace it. You want me to stand alone on Your Word when others speak a different purpose than Yours’s concerning this exile. For You say this time has an expiration date set by You. You say You will fulfill Your promise to me by restoring me. You say You know the hopeful plan of welfare in the future You have for me. You say our intimacy will increase; You will hear me when I call upon You, You will draw near to me as I seek You with all my heart. This is who You are. You did it for Your people Israel, and You are the same God, Jesus, “yesterday and today and forever” (Heb. 13:8). I don’t always feel this is true, though, Jesus. But You already know that. Still, You want me to talk with You about these things because doing so expresses my trust in You, that You will indeed keep Your promises. You say these assurances are the catalyst behind me embracing this exile. Because of them You say to have my family settle in for the long haul. You say to positively invest in what’s best for the geographical location of this exile. You say to know what’s going on and to talk with You about it for the good of this place. You didn’t say I have to like it or understand it. But You’re clear I must embrace it in faithful obedience because You will fulfill Your purpose for exile, Jesus. So, I pray make clear Your purpose in it and make me okay with it. Thank You.
October 27, 2023 — My bootstraps don’t work against my sin, Jesus (Romans 7:18) I used to hear people say, “You need to pull yourself up by your own bootstraps,” or “If you want something done right, you need to do it yourself.” I’ve even said these things myself. The many success stories attributed to such self-reliant statements only strengthened their sentiment. The problem I’ve found with these, and similar statements, is they’re proven wrong every time I try to apply them to effectively deal with my sin. I want to obey You, Jesus, in everything You’ve commanded me to do. I want to show You I love You (Jn. 14:21). But I seem to fail You more than I want to. I’m amazed at Your patience with me. I’ve often joked, “You’re putting in extra time in dealing with me and my sin, Jesus.” But such statements only show I’m thinking more of my guilt and shame than Your love, grace, mercy, and forgiveness. My life is a constant battle between my flesh and Your Spirit. And I used to think there was something uniquely wrong with me because others around me seemed to project full-time righteous living. I wanted to be open about my struggles, in fact, I yearned to be transparent. And I’ve rarely been in a place or inner space to express such authenticity—except when I’m alone with You, Jesus. But I’m not unique in this. My life is the normal Christian life this side of heaven (Rom. 7:15-24; Gal. 5:17). The difference You make in this, Jesus, is I’m no longer alone in my fight against sin. I no longer have to rely on inadequate human ingenuity to scheme my way into false victory over sin. You’ve done it all through Your cross, and now by Your Spirit, I can say, “No!” to temptations that lead to sin. For in You alone, Jesus, I am not condemned, rather I’m chosen, I’m loved, I’m kept, I’m empowered, I’m a new creation. I still struggle, but as I remind myself of You and the gospel, I gladly acknowledge my complete inadequacy and depend on You for daily victory. Thank You.
October 26, 2023 — You are good, Jesus (Psalm 34) I often hear the phrase, “God is good all the time, and all the time God is good.” It’s easy for this saying to be so routine it becomes cliché. But when I meditate on Psalm 34, Your goodness, Jesus, becomes so much clearer. My soul is strengthened by Your goodness. My heart is encouraged by it. The crushing power of my life issues loses steam in the light of Your goodness. For You, Jesus, are with me. David expressed similar sentiments in the first seven verses before exclaiming, “Oh, taste and see that the LORD is good! Blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him!” Jesus, You call me to bow to You, recognizing Your Sovereign Lordship. You promise utter satisfaction to all who do, including me. You show me I can learn to increasingly live life pleasing You. You see me and others who pursue You. You set Your love on us. You are intentionally against every person who sets their heart against You, to live life their way apart from You. You hear me when I cry out to You, You are near me when my heart is broken, when my very spirit is crushed. You deliver me from all that afflicts me, You keep me safe, You restore me, lifting my heart from despair. These are daily things You do in my life, Jesus. Sometimes I see it, sometimes I’m so busy in self I miss You. Nevertheless Jesus, You are good all the time, and all the time You are good—even when I don’t feel Your goodness or see it immediately. For example, this week when I felt utterly helpless in caring well for one of my daughters, YOU showed Yourself good. You comforted me through Your Holy Spirit and by Your Body, my brothers and sisters in You. You saw me, and my daughter, You heard our cries, You encamped around us and delivered us from troubling afflictions. Others may count things coincidence and apply worldly wisdom to Your goodness—I know better. I know You. You are good, Jesus. Thank You.
October 25, 2023 — Somehow, You’re glorified in my pain, Jesus (Psalm 57) I confess Your glory is often the furthest thing from my mind when I’m hurting, Jesus. I know that ought not be the case (1 Cor. 10:31), but You invite me to be honest with You. And sometimes I feel like I’m using You by calling out more in times when things are going bad. But You orchestrate things so I will call out to You. You want me and want to be with me. In fact, You’ve committed Yourself to fulfilling Your purpose for me (Ps. 57:2). You are faithful even when I’m faithless. Still, I have the tendency to make my issues—how people treat me, how they talk about me—the issue. More times than I can count over the years and right now I elevate my recovery, my healing, my vindication, my agenda the grand pursuit of my life rather than making You known in my circle of influence. Granted, You want me to bring these things to You, to openly and fully share my struggles. But in the midst of pouring out his heart to you in Psalm 57 when Saul was seeking to kill him, David wrote, “Be exalted, O God, above the heavens! Let Your glory be over all the earth!” He even ended the Psalm with this phrase. I’ve missed this truth so many times as I’ve read this Psalm—the pain in my life is designed by You to make You known in the corners of this world where You strategically place me. For it doesn’t make sense to people bent on their own way to see someone whose life is being torn to shreds to still praise and thank You. To see You as merciful and gracious. To declare to whoever will listen Your love and faithfulness. Matthew West’s song, “My Story, Your Glory,” certainly captures and proclaims these truths. “Be merciful to me, O God, be merciful to me, for in You my soul takes refuge.” I don’t deserve Your grace, Your mercy, but that’s who You are—gracious and merciful. May I continuously run to You so I may run for You in this world, making You known wherever You send me, Jesus. Thank You.
October 24, 2023 — Sometimes I feel overwhelmed, Jesus (Psalm 56) Sometimes I feel like I’m losing every battle I’m facing. Sometimes I feel like the pain caused by others will smother me to death. Sometimes I feel like my personal struggles will win the war for restoration and healing. Sometimes I feel like there will be no end to the hurricane of life I’m facing. Sometimes I feel like those who’ve hurt me will get away with it because I don’t see You repaying them for their evil inflicted upon me (Deut. 32:35; Jer. 15:15; 51:36; Nah. 1:2; Rom. 12:19; Heb. 10:30). But You see it all and call me to trust You, to not be afraid, to focus on You rather than on inconsequential humans being used by You to draw me closer to You (Ps. 56:3-4, 9-11). You want me to cry out to You for grace when I’m feeling overwhelmed by the treacherous dealings of humans toward me (56:1-2). You want me to remain faithful to You in the midst of these treacherous dealings because You’ve saved my soul, You’ve made me Your precious son (56:12-13). “You have kept count of my tossings; put my tears in Your bottle. Are they not in Your book?” (56:8). Nothing done to me in unfaithfulness has escaped Your notice. You see me every night my pillow is drenched in tears. You see me in the darkest part of the morning with carpet fibers pressing hard against my face. “Be gracious to me, O God!” I am Yours and I see Your loving hand in this oppressive storm. I don’t like it, Jesus. But I know You’re using this to make me fit for eternity with You. You will not bring my full healing on this side of heaven because this world is not heaven. You will justly deal with all who’ve dealt with me treacherously. You laugh at their self-attained security in this world. You will do this because You’re faithful; You keep Your word. May I be overwhelmed by Your grace, Jesus. Thank You.
October 23, 2023 — You want to talk to me, Jesus? (Isa. 1:18-20) It continues to boggle my mind (I just dated myself with the word “boggle.”) You, the Creator, Sovereign God of all known and unknown things, wants to talk with me. But not just any casual conversation—even though we have those too. No, you want to talk with me about the stuff residing at the deepest well of my inner being. You want to hang out where I’m the dirtiest and most vile of creatures. You want to get all up in my Kool-aid, sit down, and talk. But being who You are, You want to heal me from those things we talk about. You want to set me free from every sin habit, sin thought, sin action I engage in, now, in the past, and in the future. You want me to give up trying to heal myself through my own human ingenuity. You want me to completely and utterly trust You to restore my soul. And You not only want these things, You are able to do all You say You can to heal and restore me. All you want from me is to be “willing and obedient.” I used to think obedience was simply doing what You said, keeping Your commandments. And while that is true, obedience is much more. At its core, obedience is believing You, trusting You. It’s taking You at Your word and staking my life upon it. This describes Your obedience to the Father, Jesus (Phil. 2:5-11). Thus, it’s no wonder You call be to be both willing and obedient to You. To daily choose to die to myself in order for the Holy Spirit to live Your new, resurrected life through me (Lk. 9:23-24; Rom. 8:11; Gal. 2:20). You call me to daily trust the circumstances of my life to You. So, when You say to me, “Let’s talk, My precious son,” You’re inviting me to Yourself in order to be all You created me to be—today. Thank You.
October 20, 2023 — Please don’t let this be me, Jesus – Part Two (Isa. 65:1-7) Sometimes You let people find you to prove their hearts do not belong to You. You let some people experience Your goodness even while they plot to do life apart from You. You continuously put Yourself out there to meet every need of people dedicated to their rebellion against You, “who walk in a way that is not good, following their own devices; a people who provoke [You] to [Your] face continually” (Isa. 65:2-3). They are acquainted with You and Your ways but consider themselves self-righteous. They deify themselves and see themselves as incapable of doing wrong in their own eyes, and much more, Yours—their sin doesn’t bother them. This is how they phrase it to others, “Keep to yourself, do not come near me, for I am too holy for you” (65:5), giving evidence of their self-deception. You see them always, at all times. You call them “a smoke in [Your] nostrils, a fire that burns all the day.” Such a commitment to self is a stench to You, it is not hidden from You, and You promise to punish those dedicated to their rebellion against You. In Romans 1:18-32, You warn You take Your hands off such people, leaving them to their own devices apart from You—the very thing they desire. That’s scary, Lord. As I reflect on these truths, I cry out, “please don’t let this be me, Jesus.” For the closer I get to You, the more I see my susceptibility to define life my way apart from You. Sin desires to have me and my flesh is always willing to comply (Gen. 4:7 cf. Rom. 7:15-20). But You deliver me from this body of death. You say, “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus” (Rom 8:1). This certainly doesn’t absolve me from obeying You (Rom. 6), but it encourages my heart to know You already ensured through the gospel a lifestyle of rebellion against You is not my identity. You live in me and don’t allow me to be comfortable in my sin. The Holy Spirit lovingly convicts me when I sin, and He faithfully points me to You. You say, “I died and rose for you.” The Father says, “Forgiven. Not guilty. I love you, my precious son.” Thank You.
October 19, 2023 — Please don’t let this be me, Jesus – Part One (Isa. 1:10-17) Your Word says, “None is righteous, no, not one; no one understands; no one seeks for God. All have turned aside; together they have become worthless; no one does good, not even one” (Rom. 3:10-12). Indeed, “there is no distinction: for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (3:23). It’s easy for me to look at others who fall short of worshipping You, living for You in the “right” way. But these truths in Romans remind me I don’t always worship You, sometimes I fail to live for You as You desire. My mind has wandered during worship services. I’ve gotten caught up in the technical aspects of excellent musicianship rather than on You, the object of our worship. It’s easy to judge others’ fake worship, yet it’s much easier to deceive myself when it comes to worshipping You in Spirit and in truth. Isaiah recorded Your “doneness” with fake worship in 1:10-17. It doesn’t matter to You how many times I go to church services. It doesn’t matter to You how proficient I am in my musicianship. You don’t care how excellent I plan worship services or come up with cutting edge ministry activities. You couldn’t care less how eloquent my prayers are. When human ingenuity characterizes my worship, my living for You, when I decide how to worship and live for You, You say, “I have had enough of burnt offerings…I do not delight in the blood of bulls…incense is an abomination to Me…I cannot endure iniquity and solemn assembly…I am wearing of bearing them…I will hide my eyes from you…I will not listen” (1:11-15). You ask, “Who has required of you [me] this trampling of My courts?” (v. 12). Still, You invite me to repent of my fake worship (1:16-17 cf. Rev. 3:20) because You created me for Yourself. The depths of Your grace toward me in this continuously blows my mind. Your patience with me is utterly astounding. So, please don’t let fake worship define the life I live for You, my Lord and my God. Thank You.
October 18, 2023 — Who do I really trust, Jesus? Part Two (Jer. 17:12-18) The very word “sanctuary” denotes a place of safety, security, and satisfaction. So, when I read Jeremiah say in 17:12, “A glorious throne set on high from the beginning is the place of our sanctuary,” the first thought entering my mind is You, in the fullness of who You know Yourself to be, are my sanctuary. As I kept reading, I saw Jeremiah had this same thought. You, omnipotent eternal God, are the hope of all Your people, Your children. You are our very life, the Source of life itself. It is no wonder, then, those who forsake You, those who turn away on earth from You, those who trust & prefer human wisdom over You are put to shame, the pinnacle of their lives is only what this world has to offer. I’m susceptible to such thinking, but confessing this to You, trusting in You, in Your finished work on the cross, Jesus, ensures my healing and deliverance from being lost. People mock me for trusting in You and not man. But You made me Yours and I pursue You, Jesus. I point others to You, not to the passing away wisdom of man. You know my heart for You even when others don’t. When they question my commitment to You, You smile at me. When they think my authenticity threatens their perceived security, You accept me. Why, then, would I trust in man when their wishy-washiness is consistently on display? Indeed, Jeremiah said 17:18, “Let those be put to shame who persecute me, but let me not be put to shame; let them be dismayed, but let me not be dismayed; bring upon them the day of disaster; destroy them with double destruction!” The prophet set an example for me to trust You not my own methods when dealing with those who reject and oppose me. Since You are my sanctuary, Jesus, intentionally occupying my mind with You rather than thoughts of payback is safe, secure, and satisfying. To the world, it makes no sense not to scheme or manipulate situations. Practices which once defined me. But You’re graciously reminding me I’m Yours, Jesus, and in You alone is peace. Thank You.
October 17, 2023 — Who do I really trust, Jesus? Part One (Jer. 17:5-11) Who do I turn to when life gets hard? As I examine my own heart, I’m confronted with the truth of Jeremiah 17:9, “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it?” I can’t trust myself. My wisdom will lead me astray EVERY time. This is what Your Word says. Your Word tells me to trust in You over my own wisdom for You will ALWAYS make my way straight (Prov. 3:5-8). So, I’m unreliable when life gets hard. Self-deception is real. But I can see me, and I can see others. I want to say I trust You, Lord, at all times, especially when life gets hard. Good times, easy times, trust You? Check! But even then, I’m deceiving myself because I’m really trusting in the experience of ease. When hard times hit, I want to be held and told it’s gonna be alright. Others You’ve placed in my life to point me to You during these times refresh me through their reminders of Your faithfulness. But truth be told, sometimes I still lean on my own understanding of life, an understanding still filtered with the ways of this evil world system. My flesh is still alive and wants to dominate me, it wants to turn my heart away from You. But You say, “Cursed is the man who trusts in man and makes flesh his strength, whose heart turns away from the LORD” (17:5). Such people always pursue life their way but are never satisfied (17:6). “Blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD,” You say, “whose trust is the LORD” (17:7). It’s You, Jesus. Not what You can do for me in hard and easy times, but just—You. You are to be my trust. You are the One I’m to long for at all times, so when life gets hard, how I think and live doesn’t change. I roll with You for You are always faithful and true. You are always Sovereign. You are always fully knowledgeable of my life situations. You always satisfy me for You know my needs. You hold me and tell me I’m Your cherished son, that everything is gonna be alright. Thank You.
October 16, 2023 — What’s up with this waiting thing, Jesus? I hear things like, “Good things come to those who wait,” as if such sayings provide true hope and solace. I get this particular adage could stem from passages like Isaiah 40:30-31 and Romans 8:28. And yes, when I read about Your covenant history with Israel, waiting on You permeates Your dealings with them. I understand these things are in the Scriptures as an example for me. Still, I wonder why You waited decades to connect deep truths in my life. Like, why did You wait so long to show me how much my shame drove me? Why did You wait so long to show me how much my loneliness drove me? Why did You wait so long to show me how much my fear of abandonment drove me? Why scrape these things off the bottom of the barrel of my life now? You’re showing me I piled person upon person, activity upon activity, addiction upon addiction, sin upon sin on top of these painful things to control them, to hold them at bay, to keep them from hurting me. I’ve deeply hurt others because of these things. So, why now, Jesus? Psalms of lament let me rest in the tension of the unknown concerning Your wisdom—being content to be discontent. Somehow You reach through this pitch-black tension to remind me of Your loving Sovereignty (Job 38:1-40:2) and Your loving compassion (Isa. 55:1-13). You remind me I belong to You (Col. 1:13-14). You keep me Yours, and nothing changes this fact (Rom. 8:38-39; 1 Pet. 1:3-12). So, as I wrestle before You with waiting for You to completely heal me, by Your grace and loving invitation, I rest in You (Mt 11:28-30). You have never left me nor forsaken me. Your Word never changes because You never change (Heb. 13:8). You’ve made me the apple of Your eye, Your precious, cherished son. Jeremiah wrote of You, “for He does not afflict from His heart or grieve the children of men” (Lam. 3:33). Your mercies “are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness” to me. Thank You.
October 13, 2023 — Why do You delight in truth in my inward being? Since You are truth, Jesus, and You delight in truth in my inward being (Ps. 51:6a), could it be true that You want to dwell in the deepest part of me, at the seat of who I really am? Could it be true You desire to deal with me at the core of my very being? To deal with my life issues at their root and not just interact with me on surface level terms. Surface level is “safe,” though. Not going to the deep, dark recesses of my soul allows me to put on a good front, to not deal with pain which drives certain thoughts and behaviors. But You’re not a surface level God, Jesus. Your cross demonstrates for all eternity You go after the root of my problems. You say to all who believe in You, “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). You say, “So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed” (8:36). Furthermore, You teach me wisdom in my secret heart (Ps. 51:6b). Again, at the seat of who I am, You, Jesus, the power of God and the wisdom of God, seek to empower me to skillfully live as You desire. You want to live Your life through be by the Person of the Holy Spirit (Rom. 8:11; Gal. 2:20). Frustratingly still, my shame drove me and sometime still compels me to hide. I can’t be worth Your life, Jesus. This very thought kept me running away for almost two years from Your call on my life. I’m unworthy to preach Your Word. You can’t want me, the scum of the earth, to carry Your Word, to share it with others. I remember bartering with You, offering to do anything else except what You were calling me to do. I wrongly focused on the task and not on You. Even today, whenever another person affirms my shame, I gravitate toward their words and not Your Word. “The fear of man lays a snare, but whoever trusts in the LORD is safe” (Prov. 29:25). You are my life, Jesus (Col. 3:1-4). So, help me continuously delight in You in my inward being. Thank You.
October 12, 2023 — So, I sinned again. What now? I’ve encouraged people for years not to have pity parties over their sins, failures, and mistakes, while many times accepting invitations to my own. Hypocrisy? Could be. That is, if I listened to my critics, Satan, and my old inner man. But hypocrites don’t believe the things they say. I do believe, You, Jesus and what You say concerning Your full, complete offer of forgiveness. I believe Your word, that “God shows His love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Rom. 5:8). All of my sins have been forgiven by You—past, present, future. For I know in You, Jesus, I am not condemned (Rom. 8:1), I am a new creation (2 Cor. 5:17), and I am eternally secure (Eph. 1:3-14). You know me completely, and still love me, accept me, and want me close. Indeed, You keep me close for You remain faithful even when I’m faithless. You don’t deal with me according to my sins. You don’t give me what my sins deserve—rejection by You for eternity. Oh, Jesus, thank You. You drawing me closer to You when my wretchedness looms large in my own mind and heart is beyond any expression I can think of. You know me. You know my theological response to my sin is in keeping with Your word. But that response is not the only response You want me to have. You came to show Your people the Father and His heart toward us. You, o God, love me and nothing is able to separate Your love from me. You hold me close, Father, when everyone else rejects me—including myself. And this full acceptance is all because of You, Jesus. Help me, Holy Spirit, to remember the Father’s love for me. Help me to obey Jesus. For I want to do the good works You saved me to do. Even more so, I want to experience Your eternal embrace of pure love because You made me for it. Thank You.
October 11, 2023 — How do I trust You among Your people, Jesus? Trusting people with the real me is scary. Sure, I share things up front to show my authenticity. But continually sharing myself at a deep level frightens me. People will think less of me if I keep being honest with them. They’ll reject me if tell them I continuously struggle with sin. They’ll conclude there is no hope for me because I just sinned—again. Sadly, this is my history with many who claim to have experienced Your grace toward them. This hurts because I’m a people-pleaser. It hurts because I long for acceptance. It hurts because my reality is biblical yet frowned upon by people (See Rom. 7:18-19). Toward the end of his life, Paul said, “The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost” (1 Tim. 1:15, emphasis mine as Paul strongly indicates this was his continuous reality). Jesus, You said Your people are supposed to help me live Your life within me in this corrupt world (Gal. 6:1-5; Heb. 10-24-25; James 5:13-20). But how can I obey You in this when what I’ve mostly experienced is being kicked to the curb for being a sinner? Still, I hear You continuously call me to be thoroughly honest about my sin (Ps. 32; 51; 1 Jn 1:9), to say the exact same thing You say about it. And this primarily to You. But I also hear You keep calling me to do the same with Your people, my brothers in Christ (James 5:16). You are teaching me Your Word remains true even when the majority of my experience pushes me to isolate rather than continuously coming clean (Prov. 18:1). You’ve repeatedly used Ben Fuller’s song, “But the Cross,” to drive me to You, to obedience, and to those who live in Your atmosphere of grace (Rom. 5:1-5). You’ve given me a community of believers who hear my story, and my continual struggles, and continuously love me, accept me, walk through life with me. Your Cross, Jesus, and Your empty grave, loudly tell my rejectors to, “Shh!” So, I want to live in Holy Spirit empowered obedience to You. You’ve made me a part of Your Body, the Church, to help me, to be Your tangible presence to me in this world. Thank You.
October 10, 2023 — How do I deal with my past? It’s hard work to forget the past. To not let the memories wash over me like a tidal wave, tossing aside anything good, bad, or indifferent. To dominate my mind. To rule me. I find it easier to “reflect” on the wrongs done to me, imagining what justice against the wrongdoers would look like if left to me to execute. It’s easier to “admit” my part in those past situations in passing fashion, not stopping long enough to truly confess my sins, to say the same thing as God about them. It’s been said, “forgive and forget,” but that’s not a statement based in reality. Past trauma continues to show itself today. Those who were supposed to unconditionally love and accept me continue patterns of self-centered deflection of any wrongdoing, refusing to confess while expecting me to show grace at all times. Yeah, forgive and forget really works in these situations. Not. One of my favorite movies is The Punisher, starring Thomas Jane. Jane plays a former FBI agent, Frank Castle, who exacts punishment on those who killed his entire family. In one particular scene, another character tells Castle, “Don’t let your memories kill you. You can make new memories. Good ones. New memories can save your life.” Later, Castle admits, “You were right. Good memories can save your life.” If you haven’t seen the 2004 movie, sorry for the spoiler. There is truth found in those scripted lines. For I am finding when I focus on the past that practice strengthens the pain today. However, when I focus on You, Jesus, the past losses its power. In Your mind, You made me for Yourself before my past pain came into being (Eph. 1:3-6; Col. 1:15-17). Thus, You gave me good memories way before bad memories formed. So, what is the purpose of my bad memories, even the replays of today? I am finding You use them to drive me to You (Phil. 3:12-14). By grace, I “forget” my past by redirecting my focus to You. Corrie Ten Boom was right, I’m discouraged when I focus on me, I’m disappointed when I focus on others, but I’m delighted when I focus on You. Past pain loses its strength through present pursuing of You, Jesus. Thank You.
October 9, 2023 — Is Your grace sufficient for everyday life? Sometimes I get home from work with the stench of the world just hanging on me. My soul feels agitated about nothing in particular but seeks the slightest, non-consequential things to complain about. Dirty dishes. The improper use of the ice dispenser (at least, according to me). The temperature in the house is not warm or cold enough. “Someone” used my bathroom while I wasn’t at home. My home is supposed to be a haven of peace compared to the evil, hostile to God world I interact with daily. But it’s in these very things and stuff like them I find You, Jesus, intimately concerned with in my life. You, O God, are on mission to transform me, to make me look like Jesus so I can enjoy You to the fullest both now and for eternity. I often get distracted by the “BIG” things in life, thinking You’re mainly interested in them because I’m intensely focused on them. I forget it’s the whole package of me You want, Jesus—warts and all. Still, it’s a fact, You invite me to Himself just as I am (Mt 11:28-30). No cleaning up myself by my own efforts or depending on my own merit. Not that it would do any good to make me acceptable to God (Isa 64:6a; Eph 2:8-9). You’re interested in me showing grace to my loved ones when I get home regardless of what I encountered with those who don’t know You. Because that’s how You always deal with me (Eph 4:32). When I speak irreverently about others in my heart—grace. When I look lustfully at the opposite sex—grace. When I snap at my daughters—grace. When I drive like a maniac—grace. When I wallow in my shame—grace. When I…fill in the blank—grace. Your never-ending kindness toward me draws me closer to You, Jesus, because You are “able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through [You], since [You] always [live] to make intercession for them” (Heb 7:25). The stench of the world influences me to push my agenda, while the salvation of God invites me to rest in You, Jesus. For Your grace far exceeds even my most stenchy moments. Thank You.
October 6, 2023 — How did I get here? How did I get to this place where I struggle to get alone with You? It did not used to be this way. You were the primary goal in my life. I sought You with all of my being. I only wanted to please You. But somewhere I replaced You as my number one love. I elevated something, someone above You. My idol took Your rightful place on the throne of my heart. It’s easy for me to say it was self, but that’s too simple and not fully honest. Yes, self-gratification has been a struggle since I was 7 years old. That wasn’t the main problem. Yes, struggling with abandonment and loneliness since early childhood is a reality in my life as well. A deep reality. But the problem is I replaced You as the solution. You had gotten me to a place of undivided devotion to You (1 Cor. 7:35). I remember getting mad at You when You interrupted that devotion with another person. I remember struggling for three years trying to reconcile my pursuit of You with my divided interest toward another person. A person You gave me out of Your deep love for me. But I messed up. I alone made that person an idol. That idolatry grew over the decades I’m seeing now and created a chasm within our fellowship. Other mini-idols stemmed from the main one—people pleasing by being the perfect pastor, perfect husband, perfect father. It sort of makes sense now with the main idol falling the others followed suit. The internal, dark chaos which ensued almost brought me eyeball-to-eyeball with You. I wanted to die, but You had other plans. You’ve never left me, You’ve never forsaken me. You’ve been faithful to me even when I haven’t been to You. You’ve proven Your Word true—nothing can separate me from Your love. Resting in You, Jesus, has always been my true home, my safe zone. I’m not fully there yet. My struggles remain—those I know of and those You’re graciously revealing so You may heal them all. Through it all, I long to rest in You, Jesus. As David cried, “Restore to me the joy of Your salvation, and uphold me with a willing spirit.” You made me Your precious son, so draw me closer in order to rest in You. Thank You.
melvinbaileyjr 