In the story of when Jesus withdrew into the region of Tyre and Sidon (Matt 15:21-28, Mark 7:24-30), a woman approaches and cries out to Him to help her daughter who is severely demon-possessed. His reaction seems to lack all compassion. At first, He doesn’t even answer her. His disciples want Him to send her away, “because she keeps shouting at us.” Jesus explains to them (I suspect within earshot of the woman) that He “was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” Yet she bows down at His feet and pleads “Lord, help me!” He finally speaks to her saying “Let the children be satisfied first, for it is not good to take the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs.”

Mark and Matthew’s gospels point out that the woman is a Gentile, of Syrophoenician descent, a Canaanite. Obviously, not a part of the house of Israel. And by Jesus statement, in a way, no more highly esteemed that a little dog. All this would certainly make her feel unworthy. Yet, she does not relent, “Yes, Lord, but even the dogs under the table feed on the children’s crumbs” is her reply.

I find her first two words to be powerful, wonderful words; “Yes, Lord”. Yes, because she does not disagree. Yes, the children should be satisfied first. Yes, it is not good to take the children’s bread. Yes, the lost sheep of the house Israel (which I am not a part of) is your mission.
 
“Yes, Lord”. Mark 7:25 says that “after hearing about Him” the woman came and fell at Jesus’ feet. How much about Jesus did she hear? I suspect more than just the fact that He’s in town.  She calls Jesus “Lord” more than once, and in Matthew’s account she addresses Him as “Son of David”. She’s heard enough about Jesus to know and believe in who He is and what He can do. Might I say that to the woman, “Lord” is not just Jesus’ title, but that she is submitting to Him as her Lord.

The woman continues, “…but even the dogs under the table feed on the children’s crumbs.” But even the dogs, (the unworthy), under the table, (lowly and submissive), get to feed on the crumbs. She’s saying the crumbs are all she wants. They are more than sufficient for her needs. With them, she would be very satisfied. That’s the kind of faith she has in Jesus. I liken this faith to be similar to the woman who had been hemorrhaging for twelve years. She came up behind Jesus, not even facing Him or asking Him directly, but believing “if I just touch His garments.” Or like the Centurion who’s servant was paralyzed and about to die. Telling Jesus how he was unworthy for Jesus to come under his roof, but rather, “just say the word.”

Just the crumbs, please! That’s all the woman is asking. Her belief in Jesus is such that just a crumb of His power and mercy is more than sufficient to save her daughter from this demon. The crumbs are small but the woman’s faith is great. Jesus even said so, “O woman, your faith is great”. And like the bleeding woman and the Centurion, this Gentile, Syrophoenician, Canaanite woman received what she asked for “and her daughter was healed at once”.

Thank you Jesus for giving us more than crumbs. You gave your whole and complete self for our salvation.

New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.

The Apostle Paul was a man of great spiritual stature, but not without issues.  He wanted his readers to know that he had not attained to full maturity in Christ.  Paul saw himself as the worst of sinners when he wrote, “…Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners”—and I am the worst of them all.” (1 Timothy 1:15 NLT) God’s grace had worked in Paul’s life and he had made a lot of spiritual progress.  Yet he knew there was room for more.   Who he was now was all about God’s grace in his life.  “For I am the least of the apostles and do not even deserve to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God.  But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace to me was not without effect.”  (1 Corinthians 15:9-10 NIV) Paul recognized that there were issues through the years that had held him back.   He had to deal with them to fully experience Christ in his life.  He was actively reaching toward the goal of a full experiential relationship with his Lord.  (Philippians 3:10) God was working in Paul to remove those areas of brokenness that would keep him from that deepening relationship.

Paul had experienced and gone through many spiritual battles as he came to understand the areas of brokenness in his life.  He very openly expresses that God was not through with him yet and there was room for more change.  Paul’s testimony serves as a reminder that we need to look at any areas of brokenness in our life that might be holding us back spiritually.  Our spiritual growth is a lifelong process and should never stop this side of heaven.  As a result, we need to continually allow God to probe into those areas of our life that we have kept secret.

It is easy to compare ourselves to how others are doing spiritually but all along covering our issues, so others do not see them.  We are medicating the deep wounds of life with activities or substances that make us feel better for the moment.  It becomes our coping mechanism.  Often, we feel it is not safe to share our woundedness for fear that others will reject/abandon us or be critical in some way.  In many cases we have retreated into our own private worlds where we feel safe.  We often are afraid to share due to shame or pride.  As a result, our Christianity is only surface deep, and we struggle to keep up the front before others.

Often, we have forgotten how much God loves us and the depth of His grace.  He desires for us to deal with our brokenness that we might be free.  Free from the chains that keep us in shame and free to experience God in a real and life changing way.  Christ is inviting us to come to Him with our brokenness.  His love is not only demonstrated to us in salvation, but also as he relates to us each day.
 
The Apostle Paul had to honestly evaluate his life.  He had to admit his issues.  He thought he could please God through his human accomplishments.  God lovingly met with him where he was and not where he pretended to be.  Paul realized he had to give up all his human efforts in order to mature in Christ.

Paul is encouraging us to do the same.  He wants us to recognize those areas that need to change and to allow God’s power to bring healing.  We need to stop clinging to our human efforts to effect change.  Those methods only make us feel better about our core wounds for a moment.  We need to take hold of Christ and allow him to heal us from the inside out.

Prayer:  Lord, I need You to speak into my life.  Thank you for meeting me where I am and graciously helping me to move forward in my spiritual walk with You.  Show me Lord, the depth of Your love and grace as I deal with the issues of my life.  Amen

New Living Translation (NLT)
Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
New International Version (NIV)
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

As the world seems to descend further into darkness around us, I think it is timely to remember that we as christians were not guaranteed an easy or prosperous life here on earth. Rather we have actually been promised persecution for Jesus’ name’s sake. A little later on in Matthew 10:22 Jesus says “You will be hated by all men for my name’s sake.” He says you will, not you may, or there’s a chance, He says you will. As Christ followers we are called to be set apart, to be holy as Christ is holy, and the world will hate us and persecute us for it.

Now our persecution is not just so that we will have a miserable time on earth, we are the salt and light, we are to be a witness to the world of the Gospel. We are the representatives of Christ and we must always remember that, especially in the midst of difficulty and persecution. Jesus says in these verses that we will be brought before governors and kings as a testimony, therefore we must not harm that testimony by our behavior or reaction to persecution. We are called to be wise as serpents AND harmless as doves. Whenever we find ourselves being persecuted for our faith we need to stop and think how our reaction will be a witness and testimony for Christ in the midst of our circumstances.

So how should we react to when the world targets us, restricts us, silences us, or harms us? Well we should turn our eyes towards heaven and pray. Pray for God’s justice, pray for deliverance, pray that we ourselves would not give into the temptation to fight evil with evil, and pray for those who are persecuting us. God promises us that He will give us the words to say in the hour we need it. He will be there as our Defender and Shield and will be with us always. Remember in the hard times, when it matters the most to lean on Him and not on yourself so that your life can proclaim the Gospel until the end.

New King James Version (NKJV)
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Theology is important. The essential quality of eternal life, according to John 17:3, is the knowledge of God. But too often, theology is boring. Most of my high school students would probably read a theology textbook only as a last-ditch approach to combat insomnia!

Take, for example, the discipline of Christology. Scripture is clear that Jesus is fully God (John 10:30) but also fully man (Hebrews 4:15). He is one Person with two natures. We call this the Hypostatic Union, as defined by the Council of Chalcedon in A.D. 451: “[Jesus is] truly God and truly man… to be acknowledged in two natures inconfusedly, unchangeably, indivisibly, inseparably.” This definition arose out of 150 years of intra-ecclesiastical conflict over Christological heresies like Arianism, Apollinarianism, Nestorianism, and the Monophysites.

Having a correct view of what Scripture teaches about Jesus’ humanity and divinity is extremely important for any Christian, including a junior higher or high schooler. But the paragraph above would not make for a very interesting short-form video that my students are so fond of. They might make it four or five seconds in before scrolling to the next video in the never-ending stream of algorithmic content. Then again, that may be true for most of us. So how do we communicate theology in a way that actually sticks in our brains?

One of the best ways I’ve seen this done was in a lecture by Sean McDowell at an apologetics conference. I’ve since encountered similar analogies in other sources. Sean used superheroes to explain the four parts of the Hypostatic Union. Here’s my version:

• Batman heresy: Batman may be an excellent crime fighter, but he has no superpowers. Just brains, brawn, and a bank account. Likewise, the heresy of Arianism said Jesus was a created being; super powerful, but not actually God.  Jesus is not “godlike,” in the same way that Batman is almost superpowered; Jesus is fully God. 
• Superman heresy: Superman does have superpowers, but he’s not human. He looks human when posing as Clark Kent, but he’s really a solar-powered alien. Likewise, the heresy of Apollinarianism said Jesus only “looked” human. He only took on part of our nature, like putting on a human skinsuit. But Jesus doesn’t just appear to be human, like Superman does; Jesus is fully man.
• Hulk heresy: The Hulk has two natures: Bruce Banner and the Hulk. But only one of them controls him at a time; sometimes he’s a brilliant scientist, and sometimes he’s a giant green rage monster. Likewise, the Nestorians taught that Jesus’ two natures were separate; the “human” Jesus felt hunger and exhaustion, while the “divine” Jesus taught and did miracles. But Jesus’ two natures can’t be divided or separated, like the Hulk’s can; Jesus is one Person. 
• Spider-Man heresy: Spider-Man’s DNA is a combination of human and radioactive spider. His human and spider “natures” are combined into a third nature, a human-spider hybrid of sorts. Likewise, the Monophysites taught that Jesus doesn’t have two natures, but one, a neither-fully-God-nor-fully-man nature that blends the two. But Jesus isn’t some third thing, like Spider-Man; Jesus has two natures.

See what we did there? We took a difficult theological concept (the hypostatic union) and used contemporary terminology to make it memorable and engaging. A student might not remember the Definition of Chalcedon, but they hopefully will remember the heresies of Batman, Superman, Hulk, and Spider-Man.

So what’s the point? Theology is important, but it doesn’t have to be boring, as this little superhero analogy shows. To take the life-changing truths of God’s Word and make them dull and unappealing is frankly sinful. A proper understanding of who God is, of what His Word says, is critically necessary for real worship, real life change, real service of God and others. May we never resign doctrine to ivory-tower academics because it might be “boring.”

"English Standard Version (ESV)
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers."

When my husband Gary came home from the Gulf War there was a period of 5 years before the VA designated him 100% permanently disabled. I won't go into all that that entails but during that time he wasn't able to work consistently because of his disability. So obviously our financial situation was never secure.

As I was reading in 2 Samuel and came upon this verse I was reminded of those years. The Lord used the kindness of the body of Christ to show us He was our provider many times over. And as I recalled those times I realized that kindness is one of the fruits of the Spirit from Galations 5:22-23! I don't know how many times I have read and quoted those verses and glossed over the fruit of kindness! But thinking back I'm not surprised, because the love and joy those kind acts portrayed exuded the outpouring of the Spirit. Those memories bring smiles to my heart all over again and challenges me to open my eyes and heart for the Lord to use me to show kindness to others.
 
Jesus Strong And Kind
Colin Buchanan, Jonny Robinson,
Michael Farren, and Rich Thompson

Verse 1
Jesus said
That if I thirst
I should come to him
No one else can satisfy
I should come to him

Verse 2
Jesus said
If I am weak
I should come to him
No one else can be my strength
I should come to him

Chorus 1
For the Lord is good and faithful
He will keep us day and night
We can always run to Jesus
Jesus strong and kind

Verse 3
Jesus said
That if I fear
I should come to him
No one else can be my shield
I should come to him

Verse 4
Jesus said
If I am lost
He will come to me
And he showed me on that cross
He will come to me

© 22019 CityAlight Music (Admin. by Capitol CMG Publishing (Integrity Music [DC Cook]), Wanaaring Road Music, and Remaining portion is unaffiliated
CCLI Song #7139992  CCLI License #144020
 

New King James Version (NKJV)
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

TJust over a month ago, the Artemis II capsule splashed down in the Pacific Ocean, completing a 10-day mission that carried four astronauts on a flyby of the moon. In the weeks that followed, well-earned praise poured out for the crew and the many NASA teams behind them. Footage from Mission Control—at launch and again at splashdown—captured high fives, celebration, and a shared sense of awe. It felt like a milestone in human achievement: another step toward sending people back to the moon. I’ll admit, I was glued to the TV during splashdown, with Apollo 13 lingering in the back of my mind.

But after the excitement settled, I paused to consider the One who made the moon, the earth, and the stars above.

Psalm 8:3–5 puts that wonder into words:
“When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers,
the moon and the stars, which you have set in place,
what is man that you are mindful of him,
and the son of man that you care for him?
Yet you have made him a little lower than the heavenly beings
and crowned him with glory and honor.”

David invites us to step back and take in the sheer scale of God’s world. The very moon our astronauts traced on their journey is, in David’s words, simply “the work of your fingers.” The stars—countless, distant, and still mysterious to us—stand where they stand because God set them there. For all our technology, knowledge, and exploration, we are only beginning to glimpse the complexity of the universe. Much remains beyond our reach and understanding.

Yet Psalm 8 doesn’t leave us staring into the vastness. It turns our attention to something even more astonishing.

“What is man that you are mindful of him?”

Here is a paradox: the God who rules an immeasurable universe—the God who speaks and galaxies exist—chooses to be mindful of us. He is not distant or indifferent. He is attentive, purposeful, and personally involved.

If we’re honest, that truth should humble us. Against the backdrop of creation, we feel small—easy to overlook. But Scripture says we are not overlooked. God has crowned humanity with “glory and honor.” He has given us dignity, responsibility, and—most amazingly—the invitation to know Him.

And consider this: the God who set the stars in place stepped into His own creation in Jesus. He drew near—not because we earned it, but because of His love and grace.

So, when we marvel at human achievement—even missions that reach toward the moon—let that wonder carry us higher still. Let it point us to the One who made it all.

And may we never lose sight of this: The God who is infinitely above us has chosen to be intimately near to us.

That wonder is greater than the moon and stars themselves.

English Standard Version (ESV)
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

Recently, I’ve been seeing several people excited about Justin Bieber performing at Coachella. Now, I personally am not a “Belieber” (a dedicated Bieber fan), and not a huge fan of secular artists in general, but every now and then, there are some lyrics that surprise me. A particular hit song by Justin Bieber, "Intentions," has the line, "Picture perfect, you don't need a filter." Then, in another line, he says, "Already passed, you don't need any approval."  Simply taking this at face value, lines like this speak positively to one’s self-image, which should go way beyond just the way that we look. Yet typically, how we see ourselves has much more to do with what we see in the mirror than what we can't see.  And while we’d all love to have a powerful self-image, odds are if you're anything like me, you've struggled at times with being who God has truly made you to be. The question we all should regularly ask ourselves is, “Do I see myself as God sees me?” Or, “Do I even know what God sees when He looks at me?

The first thing that we must understand is that God created us with intricate detail. He cares deeply about us because He put us together! The Bible tells us in Psalm 139:13-14b, “For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother's womb. I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.” And when I read verses like this or the theme verse above, I think to myself, “Wouldn't it be cool to have a mirror that showed us our hearts instead of showing us our heads or our hands?” We focus so much on the “head” mirror because we care so much about what the world or other people have to say about our appearance. Yet if we were focused on a “heart” mirror, we would start to get into what the Lord truly cares about. God is more interested in our hearts than in our appearance.

Culture points to our identity and image as to how we dress, how we do our makeup, how we cut our hair, the shape of our bodies, etc. These superficial things hold so much power over people. I remember for a long time, I fought tooth and nail, trying not to be overly focused on how I looked or what other people thought of me. I struggled throughout elementary school, being one of the only black kids in my friend group. I struggled in high school trying to figure out which crowd of folks I was going to fit into. And I'd be lying if I said that I didn't still think about it from time to time today, anytime I walk into a room where people don't "look" like me. But newsflash: God cares about the heart. Instead of pursuing a perfect body image, or a perfect wardrobe, or a perfect look aesthetically, we ought to concern ourselves with having hearts that love the Lord! I'm sure you've looked in the mirror several times over the past week, yet I wonder how many times you've looked at the mirror of your heart?

When we focus more on the external image we carry, we miss out on what God truly cares about: our hearts.  The world may love to dictate our worth by our image, but why not take a stand and be confident in our true identity, our heart of faith in Jesus? May we be willing to reject what the world has to say about us based on what they see and claim our spiritual identity in Christ based on what is in our hearts.

English Standard Version (ESV)
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

On May 5th, 1862, in the city of Puebla, Mexico, a small, less-equipped Mexican army of 4,000 troops fought against a superior French force of 6,000-8,000 troops led by General Ignacio Zaragoza and defeated them. This was part of the Second French Intervention in Mexico (1861-1867) and was sparked when Mexico suspended foreign debt payments. The French launched three failed uphill attacks on the Guadalupe and Loreto forts, ultimately retreating, and sustaining an estimated 1,000 casualties, while the Mexican army only had 83 casualties.

While this war was not strategic in winning the battle (the French won the war a year later), the victory at Puebla, as detailed in Wikipedia, provided a massive morale boost and symbolizes Mexican resilience against foreign intervention and overwhelming odds. And it is what our Mexican brothers and sisters celebrate every year on May 5th called Cinco de Mayo.

There’s a story in Scripture that speaks of overwhelming odds. It’s found in 1 Samuel 17 where shepherd boy David went out and took on a giant warrior named Goliath with a sling and stone.
 
1 Samuel 17:45-47 45 Then David said to the Philistine, “You come to me with sword, a spear, and a javelin, but I come to you in the name of the LORD of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have taunted. 46 “This day the LORD will deliver you up into my hands, and I will strike you down and remove your head from you. And I will give the dead bodies of the army of the Philistines this day to the birds of the sky and the wild beasts of the earth, that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel. 47 and that all this assembly may know that the LORD does not deliver by sword or by spear; for the battle is the LORD’s and He will give you into our hands.”

Like that small Mexican army against a superior force, there are often obstacles that come into our lives that seem overwhelming. And if we face these obstacles in our own strength, we will be defeated. Cinco de Maya reminds us that when we face “giants” like financial shortfalls, serious illnesses, or relational conflicts, the battle is the Lord's. On our own we don’t have the resources, but when we put our trust in the Lord of hosts, He will give us the victory. Does this mean everything will always turn out exactly the way we want? No. But it will turn out according to God’s plan for us, and His plans are always good.

And remember, it’s not about you, it’s about God. David didn’t fight to be a hero; he fought to show us that “the Lord saves”. David was the tool God used to bring Him glory. David did not do it in his own strength, even though he was an expert with the sling and stone. And remember, God has given you everything you need to stand strong in the face of huge obstacles. You don’t need human weapons, you need prayer. So rely on Him. Trust in Him. And He will fight for you.

What “giant” is currently threatening your peace? Give it to God and trust Him to fight for you.

New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.

Several years ago, I remember playing a team scavenger hunt game with my wife Alexis and some friends of ours. Each round, the game host would call for an object, and the first team to present the object to the game host earns a point for that round. There were all kinds of things that the host asked for. One round, it was a picture of the White House. In another round, he asked for a $100 bill. One round, he even asked for a wig, and sure enough, one team earned a point.

Then, one round, he asked for a sock with a hole in it. Just picture all the teams frantically taking off their shoes and inspecting each other’s socks to see if any of them had holes in them. Desperate for victory, one brave individual yanks his sock off, rips a hole in it, and then runs it up to the host for validation. The host appoints the brave soul's team a point, then quietly says, "I only asked for one hole, but you gave me two!" The audience pauses in confusion. The host continues saying, "Yeah, your sock already has a hole in it. How else would you put it on?" The hosts' point was sometimes we hear, but we’re not actively listening.

Many of us understand the importance of hearing the word of God, but how much emphasis are we putting on actively listening, engaging with, and obeying the word of God? The word for hear in the verse is the word akouo in the Greek language, and it implies not just hearing but listening to and obeying. There are promises from God that require not simply our hearing of His word but our keeping it in our hearts, obeying what we're called to do. However, we can get caught hearing what we want to hear or not being diligent in our examination of Scripture. As we take time to truly listen to God, we position ourselves to truly hear from Him. When we position ourselves to hear from Him, that is when we can take the appropriate steps of obedience. But sometimes we find ourselves ripping holes in socks because we didn't take the time to truly heed the instructions.

Today, I challenge us to ask ourselves, "What is the next thing that God is calling me to do?" "And how can I begin to take steps of obedience toward that calling?" I believe that God is regularly speaking to us if we intentionally make the time to listen. And in the times that He does nudge us in one direction or the other, it is up to us to respond in obedience. May we be found faithful today over the next step that the Lord is encouraging us to take.

English Standard Version (ESV)
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

Some people think the will of God is mysterious and enigmatic – hard to understand.  But this passage makes it crystal clear.

While there are puzzling questions in life that require patience and wisdom to discern God’s will, for the most part God’s will is understandable because God has revealed it to us in his word.  The word of God reveals the will of God!

If you find yourself struggling to discern the will of God in a particular situation, try coming back to 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18.  It’s kind of my “home base” when it comes to the will of God – my beginning and end point.

If my circumstances seem cloudy and confusing, I ask myself: “Am I rejoicing?  Am I praying?  Am I giving thanks?”

If I do those three things – which God tells me to do – then I find that the will of God becomes much clearer.

That doesn’t necessarily mean these three things will be easy.  But the verbs are imperatives, and that tells me they are possible!  It is possible for me to live and walk in the will of God today and know exactly what he wants me to do.

He wants me to rejoice always… which is a choice.  I have to choose to be joyful.

He wants me to pray without ceasing, which means abiding continually in spiritual conversation and fellowship with God.  Unceasing prayer is a mental awareness of God’s presence and a conscious reliance upon him throughout the day.

Finally, God wants me to give thanks in all circumstances.  Not give thanks for all my circumstances, but give thanks in all my circumstances.  No matter how bleak my situation may be, I can always find something to be thankful for.

As you meditate on this passage today, think of joyfulness, thankfulness and prayer as three legs of a stool.  To sit securely in the will of God, you need all three to hold you up.

So which leg of your stool is the shortest?  If you feel out of balance, and you’re having a hard time figuring out the will of God, maybe that’s why. 

English Standard Version (ESV)
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

There are two mistakes we can make in the Christian life that are equally dangerous: we can be too hard on ourselves, or we can be too easy on ourselves.
 
The second mistake leads to a life of unrestrained sin and flagrant disregard for the grace of God.  The apostle John clearly condemns such an attitude (1 John 1:6, 8).

The first mistake entangles believers in a web of guilt and shame, and robs them of joy and energy.

To correct those two mistakes, John gave us a third option – which is a humble, honest assessment of ourselves combined with a radical reliance on the grace of God.

Confessing our sin means saying the same about it that God says.  We admit it honestly, despise it thoroughly, turn from it quickly… and then receive God’s gift of undeserved grace.

Because Christ paid the insurmountable debt for our sin, he is able not only to forgive us (to remove our guilt), but to cleanse us (to wash away our shame.)

And yet many Christians remain tangled in their web of shame.  If that’s your particular struggle, I pray this illustration by D.L. Moody will help snip the threads:

“We greatly dishonor God by bringing up our sins after he has forgiven them.  Hundreds of Christians are doing this all the time.  Suppose my little child has disobeyed me, and comes to me and says, ‘Papa, I did what you told me not to do; I want to be forgiven.’  She has deep and genuine repentance.  I kiss away her tears and forgive her.
 
She then comes to me the next day and wants to talk about it.  ‘No,’ I say, ‘it is all forgiven.’
 
The next day she says, ‘Papa, won’t you forgive me for that sin I did two days ago?’  I think that would grieve me!  Suppose she came to me every morning for six months: Would it not grieve and dishonor me?
 
God has not only forgiven our sins, but has removed them for time and eternity.  Ought one to grieve and dishonor him by bringing them up before him every day?”

If you have truly repented of your sin and received the grace of God, it’s time to let go of the past.  Don’t be so hard on yourself!

English Standard Version (ESV)
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

We as humans are strange creatures.  We run faster when we lose our way.  Often, we act like the cottontail rabbits in my yard when I drive home at night.  They dart here and there in the headlights not knowing where to go.  Often in life we need to pause and regroup, instead of running from place to place with no direction.  We need to stop and get our bearings.  We usually refuse to ask for help and try to find our way on our own.

When pressing demands are on us, we need to stop and orient ourselves spiritually.  We need to discover that the Lord is God, He will be exalted, He is with us, and He is our stronghold.  Today, in this stress producing world we need to be reminded again of the words of the Psalmist, “God is our refuge and strength…always ready to help in times of trouble.  The word “trouble” means to be restricted, to be tied up in a narrow, cramped place.  We say we are “between a rock and a hard place.”

So how do we find peace when we sense trouble on all sides?  When we are pushed down and our weakness is displayed, God is building a refuge.  He is protecting us.  He is surrounding us with His care and strength.

We constantly face stress producing situations…the death of a family member or friend, a divorce in the family, loss of employment, the heartache brought on by a sick child, the news from a physician that there is some question concerning an x-ray or test.

Today, let’s listen to the words of Jesus and see how he wants us to have peace as we face the pressures of life.  “Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you.  Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.”   (John 14:27 NKJV)

When our world or our life is in turmoil, God provides a peace that surpasses all understanding.  This peace is an antidote to worry/stress.  When the world would be panicking and others are frantic, God gives calmness amidst the storms of life.  It is a peace that only He can give and it is a peace that only His children can experience.  This peace is a sense of rest and contentment.
 
Experiencing God’s peace does not mean the absence of trials on the outside.  It does mean that God gives us a quiet confidence within, regardless of circumstances, people, or the things that are going on around us.  We have complete trust in God even though we don’t understand why.  This peace goes beyond human reasoning so that when others are disturbed by the events of life, we have a confidence that God is in control.

“…and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”  (Philippians 4:7 NKJV)

Humanly, we often want to bring matters under our own control.  Instead, we need to trust God to work out all the details.  This confidence produces a trust, even when it does not seem rational.  We have perfect peace in giving the situation/problem/need to God to do what is best.  We then find refuge in a trusting relationship with the Lord.


Prayer:  Lord, when the pressures of life cause me to want to run in fear, let me instead run into Your arms.  Help me to experience Your peace that transcends human understanding and find my refuge in You. Amen 

New Living Translation (NLT)
Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

This is Jesus speaking about the end of days, the great Day of the Lord. This account also found in Matthew finds Jesus giving the disciples some signs of the end, but at the same time telling them that no one but the Father in Heaven knows the day or the hour.

I watched an interview with a pastor the other day in which he recalled how he used to avoid preaching on the end times, even though it felt like it was so very close, because it seemed to stir the wrong reaction in people. They would convince themselves that the end was so very near, they would shirk responsibilities, stop paying bills, and live as though the sun wouldn't rise the next day. But, he said he recently felt convicted to preach about it as his view on why we should be aware of the end had changed.

You see Jesus told us to watch, to be ready. Why do you think He said that? Knowing the end of all things could be tomorrow should give you a more heavenly perspective. It's easy to get caught up in the rat race of this world, and we thus prioritize everything material and carnal, while leaving God in the background. You see, knowing Jesus may not return for twenty, fifty, or five hundred years, should cause us to continue to be good stewards of our lives, families, and future. But, knowing that He also could return tomorrow, should cause us to be careful with our spiritual condition, and have a passion to share the saving work of Jesus with everyone we can.

This is the balance that the dichotomy of this passage should drive us to, it could be anytime, but no one knows when. The signs and events we see around us that we may recognize in these passages in Mark and Matthew, or similarities in Revelation, should give us pause, but should result in a deeper passion for the things of God. Not to shy away and hide and wait for a rapture or the end, but rather an indicator of the need to share the Gospel as never before!

Jesus is coming back, will you be ready? Will you be like the virgins who kept their oil ready and lamps trimmed? Or will you be found asleep when your master returns? Be on guard! Be alert! For you do not know when the time will come!

New International Version (NIV)
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Have you ever had an idea that seems like a good idea inside your head, but goes horribly wrong when you actually try it? Let me tell you about one of those times in my life.

I was 10, maybe 11 years old, and one of my favorite pastimes was playing with my large collection of stuffed animals. A few of them had recently gone through the wash, and for whatever reason I decided they still smelled unpleasant. Now, the smart thing to do in this situation would have been re-washing the stuffed animals, maybe changing the detergent or something. But no, I was going to take matters into my own hands. So I hatched a brilliant plan to re-wash my stuffed animals without using our washer and dryer. (Mark was and still is fiercely independent.)

For the washing phase, I filled my bathtub and chucked my stuffed menagerie in for a little soak. But how to dry them? Well, thought my ten-year-old brain, lightbulbs are really hot to the touch. One of those could probably dry something. So I took one of my stuffed animals, a stuffed jaguar named Spotty who was the second-in-command of my animal troupe, and placed him on the metal frame of the lampshade, directly over the incandescent bulb. In a brief moment of clarity, I moved the lamp to the middle of my room, just in case something bad happened.

A few minutes later, I heard a loud POP! from my makeshift dryer. To my horror, the lightbulb had completely exploded! What was left of it was smoking, and bits of glass were all over the floor. This was not good!

Quick physics lesson: when a lightbulb gets wet (in this case, from water dripping off a stuffed animal), it undergoes “thermal shock.” Basically, the combination of cool water and hot lightbulb causes the glass to crack. As a result, air fills the vacuum inside the lightbulb, and it explodes. This is exactly what happened to my poor lamp.

I panicked. How was I going to fix this? And all my stuffed animals are still wet! To make matters worse, my parents weren’t home and my grandparents were in charge. After deliberating for several minutes, I made the smartest decision that I had all day. I got my grandparents, explained the situation, and asked for help. They kindly helped me clean up the mess, with only a few snickers. Embarrassed, I decided to just use the dryer from now on!

As silly as that story may be, I think it illustrates an important principle. Many of us will go to great lengths to try to solve a problem ourselves, rather than asking for help. This is true of our spiritual lives as well; when we face a problem, a sin struggle, a worrisome situation, our tendency is to attempt to fix it ourselves, only asking God for help in time of direst need. How often I have done this!

James 1:5 tells us “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach.” God is more than willing to step into our messes, to give us wisdom and strength, if we just ask Him. How foolish is it to rely on our own strength when omnipotent help is available to us! So the next time you face a difficult situation or problem, remember my lightbulb story, and don’t try to fix it yourself. Ask for help!

"English Standard Version (ESV)
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers."

When I’m going through rough times my first inclination is to ask the Lord to take me out of it or to change the circumstances or change the way others are behaving, in order to make the hardship/trial go away. It takes a while for me to ask the Lord what He wants me to learn from it. I don’t know how often I think that it was the Lord who initiated the situation from the beginning. I usually think it’s my sin or someone else’s sin that's the instigator.
 
But here, it is the Lord that created the plot to put the Israelites in the position to need to go to war. And it doesn’t necessarily seem like war should be a good thing. But the Lord wanted them to learn to know war! He wanted them to know what that was like. Not so that they learned how to “kill” people, but so that they were in a position that would test them to see if they would follow the commandments of the Lord.
 
This is such an amazing example to me.  What examples in the Word will I see if I look at a trial in my life with this in mind.? So many come to mind.
 
We have the advantage of looking at the accounts of the lives of many in the Word and the outcomes of their stories. But we don’t always get to hear their thoughts as they contemplate how they come to the decisions they need to make. Maybe because we just included it in the Easter Walkthrough but I immediately thought of Daniel 3 where his friends had to make a “warlike” decision that tested their faith and loyalty to God.

Our lives are not devoid of problems, whether emotional, mental or physical. How do we handle the turmoil?
 
Sometimes these problems are taken care of by provision or healing. Sometimes we must wait for relief…and sometimes there doesn’t seem to be answers at all.

In the book of Daniel, we meet Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego—three men who refused to bow to King Nebuchadnezzar’s massive golden statue. The king threatened to throw anyone who disobeyed into a blazing furnace, but their loyalty to God didn’t waver. They declared, “Our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the blazing furnace, and He will deliver us from your hand, O king. But even if He does not, we will not serve your gods or worship the image you have set up.” (Daniel 3:17–18)
 
When they were thrown into the furnace, the king was stunned. He said, “I see four men walking in the fire… and the fourth looks like a son of the gods.” Daniel 3:25 This mysterious fourth figure is Jesus—the One who walks with His people in the fire.
 
These men believed that God was God no matter what happened. Their example revealed that even in our hardest moments, Jesus is with us in the flames.
And His promise still stands: “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” Hebrews 13:5
 
https://youtu.be/B6fA35Ved-Y?si=XgA4C5T-o57YtRqt  

Even If
They say sometimes you win some
Sometimes you lose some
And right now right now I'm losing bad
I've stood on this stage night after night
Reminding the broken it'll be alright
But right now oh right now I just can't
 
It's easy to sing
When there's nothing to bring me down
But what will I say
When I'm held to the flame like I am right now
 
I know You're able and I know You can
Save through the fire with Your mighty hand
But even if You don't
My hope is You alone
 
They say it only takes a little faith
To move a mountain
Well good thing
A little faith is all I have right now
 
But God when You choose
To leave mountains unmovable
Oh give me the strength to be able to sing
It is well with my soul
 
I know the sorrow and I know the hurt
Would all go away if You just say the word
But even if You don't
My hope is You alone
 
You've been faithful
You've been good all of my days
Jesus I will cling to You
Come what may
'Cause I know You're able
I know You care
 
I hope in You alone ooh
 
It is well with my soul
It is well it is well with my soul



Bart Millard, Ben Glover, Crystal Lewis, David Arthur Garcia, Tim Timmons
CCLI Song #7079513
© 2017 Universal Music - Brentwood Benson Publishing; 9t One Songs; Ariose Music; D Soul Music; All Essential Music; Letsbebeautiful; Tunes of MercyMe; Crystallized
For use solely with the SongSelect® Terms of Use.  All rights reserved. www.ccli.com
CCLI License #144020
 

New King James Version (NKJV)
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Ephesians 6:1-4 starts off with “Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. Honor your father and mother (which is the first commandment with a promise), so that it may go well with you, and that you may live long on the earth." I bet it is a passage many of us parents know well. Like most parents, I often go to these scriptures when I have a disobedient child, not just to correct their behavior, but to steady my own heart and remind myself of the kind of parent God is calling me to be. To be honest, I may have used it a few times to scare them into submission.

But I want to talk to the fathers today. Paul does not just warn our kids but in fact he places a high responsibility on us fathers as well. This passage quickly makes a U-turn and puts a heavy emphasis onto the shoulders of the father. “Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.” God is not only concerned with obedience; He is deeply concerned with the way in which we lead. Where is our heart at? Is your heart in a position of gentleness, humility, patience and repentance. Our authority is not a hammer. It is supposed to be one of Christlikeness.

Colossians 3:20–21 echoes the same truth, “Fathers, do not exasperate your children, so that they will not lose heart.” Another word for “lose heart” is discouraged, broken in spirit. When we have broken our children’s spirits, we have closed the doors. They will withdraw, and we have created a barrier between them and us. Scripture warns us that a father’s harshness, impatience, or unrestrained frustration can slowly drain the courage out of our child’s heart. That’s why James reminds us, “But everyone must be quick to hear, slow to speak and slow to anger; for the anger of man does not achieve the righteousness of God.” (James 1:19). Our anger may produce compliance, but it will never produce Christlikeness in us or in our children.

So, today’s devotion is not about children obeying. It’s about fathers becoming more like the Father. God calls us to lead with patience, to discipline with purpose, to speak with restraint, and to model the very gospel we want our children to believe. Our kids don’t just learn from our words; they learn from our reactions, our tone, our humility, and our repentance. When we bridle our tongues, when we are slow to anger, when we choose gentleness over dominance, we are not being weak; we are being Christlike. And in doing so, we create a home where obedience is not demanded out of fear but offered out of trust.
 
Prayer:
Lord, shape my heart as a father. Teach me to lead with Your patience, Your wisdom, and Your gentleness. Help me to be slow to anger, quick to listen, and faithful in guiding my children toward You. Let my words build courage, not crush it. Let my discipline reflect Your love, not my frustration. Make my home a place where Your character is seen and felt. Amen.

New American Standard Bible (NASB)
Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation

Why does he do it? Why does Paul write to the Philippians as he does, from his prison quarters? Why doesn’t he just give up, and call it good enough?
I think as far as Paul is concerned, nothing has changed. He gave his life to Christ and the gospel years earlier. This imprisonment is just another arena for him to accomplish his calling. So he writes to the Philippians.

Philippians 1:12-14 – "Now I want you to know, brethren, that my circumstances have turned out for the greater progress of the gospel, so that my imprisonment in the cause of Christ has become well known throughout the whole praetorian guard and to everyone else, and that most of the brethren, trusting in the Lord because of my imprisonment, have far more courage to speak the word of God without fear."

Paul is writing to his partners in this gospel ministry of his, esteeming their “partnership in the gospel, from the first day until now.” Philippians 1:5. Then he writes this, “I have you in my heart, since both in my imprisonment and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel, you are all partakers with me." Philippians 1:7 NASB.

The gospel is being proclaimed to a new arena of people he could never have witnessed to! And it spread among those, to others whom Paul would never meet. Moreover, the brethren looking on, seeing his example, became more confident instead of less so. They have “far more courage to speak the word of God without fear,” he declares.

What a model of determination! What a lesson on perspective! Paul is not lamenting his loss of freedom, or the threat of execution, always in the wings. He is not expressing concern about the conditions in which he is living. Having been put into a place against his will, he considers it God’s will for him, and focuses on how he is to serve Christ and the gospel while there. It reminds me of other heroes of the faith, like Daniel and Joseph. They all went about their calling.

Since I wrote last in my April 28th devotional, which I declared was the final one, I was asked to write another. This one, to be turned in no later than my last day of work! Things have changed for us. We put a deposit down on an apartment, in Fresno! Our house will go up for sale. We will move about June 30th. Unexpected just days ago! A little faster than we had possibly planned, and something we were not even sure we would ever do. But in perfect timing in the Spirit. It does stress us, especially as we also have a trip to No. Carolina planned in mid-June.

So, as we are suddenly in this changed position, we hope to emulate Paul’s “Gospel of Christ” fixation! We cannot declare ourselves up to his standard. But we strive toward that high bar. Lynn and I rarely start on the same page in things. But we are together downsizing, toward our benefit and that of our family, who will one day step into being our caretakers, likely. But on a larger scale we surrender ourselves to God’s way, and look for “the greater progress of the gospel” in our new world. I wrote a declaration in my journaling that we are being “streamlined for service.” Hebrews 12:1. In these new quarters, and a community we could not before have impacted.

As our abilities decline and our new world seems to make us more “confined,” we look as Paul did to see the blessing and new opportunities that God Himself has provided. We did not take these steps out of our own focus. We feel very strongly together that this is a sovereign work of the Lord. We would like to say to you today, and when the change is complete, “Look at what the Lord has done!”

You can benefit us by your prayers (Philippians 1:19). Maybe we can bless you by our example, as humble as it is, in our new unknown path. Be blessed!


Read: Philippians 1
Sing: I Know Whom I Have Believed, by Major D. W. Whittle (James McGranathan)

New American Standard Bible (NASB)
Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation

I invited Jesus Christ into my heart when I was six years old, so I have lived for Him most of my life. Because of that, I have celebrated a lot of Easters. Year-after-year, as we came up to Easter weekend, I’d hear the story about Jesus’ arrest, trial, crucifixion and resurrection. And after all these years, I have to be careful not to take it for granted. I can lose the excitement. I can become less appreciative. I can even get bored hearing the story one more time. 

Well, there’s an old hymn called “I Love to Tell the Story”. It goes like this…

“I love to tell the story of unseen things above,
Of Jesus and His glory, of Jesus and His love.
I love to tell the story because I know it’s true.
It satisfies my longings as nothing else can do.

Chorus:
I love to tell the story!
‘Twill be my theme in glory’
To tell the old, old story
Of Jesus and His love.

The story of Jesus is something that should never become boring. We should love to hear the story of Jesus and His love.

So how should I respond to Easter?

Romans 6:10-11 says, For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God. Even so, consider yourselves to be dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus.

Easter is not an end, it’s a beginning. In fact, it is a revolution. The empty tomb is proof that Jesus Christ conquered sin and death. But it also means that the same power that raised Jesus Christ from the dead now dwells in us (Romans 8:11). So we should think of ourselves as dead to sin and alive to God.  

That means the things we used to do before we met Jesus Christ are not things we continue to do. Just as Jesus Christ died on the cross for us, we are called to surrender our lives to Him. Take up our cross daily (Luke 9:23). That means giving our time to Him. Casting our cares upon Him. And letting Him have a say in our plans for each new day.

We approach each day with hope. Because Jesus is alive, we don’t have to fear the future. We know who holds the future. We will have a resurrection (1 Corinthians 15:51-52). We will live with Jesus Christ in heaven forever. So because we know we don’t have to fear death, it should cause us to live differently today. With hope.

We tell the old old story of Jesus and His love. We take the best news ever and proclaim it to others. We tell them about what our lives were like before we met Jesus Christ. And how our lives have changed since because of Jesus Christ. Then we live our lives in the light of the gospel. We let people see the changes. We live like Christ. We follow His example. And as we reflect the light of Christ to those around us, some will ask us about this hope we have. Then we take that opportunity and share it. That’s our response to Easter. 

New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.

So it is, I come to my final devotional. It has been nearly five years since I was hired at Campus Bible Church. My last day of employment will be Thursday, April 30th. Many have asked what our plans are. Regarding the church, we will attend at Palm as a rule, starting in May, and continue through 2026. We will stay back from any special commitments during this period. We will at times join our family in other places.

In the bigger picture, our daughter would have us closer to her, south of Easton. So our longer-term future is out that way. More immediately, we hope and plan to visit our older daughter in No Carolina in June, to see our youngest granddaughter, Tessa, graduate from high school. We will also be involved with another granddaughter, Jazmine, regarding her wedding in September. I will have the privilege of officiating her marriage to her fiancé, Jack, a wonderful Christian young man! Lynn and I have begun pre-marital counseling with them.

As I write this devotional, I am just finishing reading through the book of Micah, in the Amplified version. Yesterday I turned in my official letter of resignation. I am moved with a little sorrow and into slow and quiet reflection. But I am still ready for this life change.

The final three verses in Micah move me almost beyond comprehension! The expressions there are at the core of our Christian hope – God’s forgiveness, His constant delight in mercy and lovingkindness. His compassion. These are a great encouragement to me as I think about my employment exit, and the sometimes-bewildering changes ahead for us, as our years of life make us contemplate what winding down toward our end of days might look like.

He casts all our sins into the depths of the sea! Who does not need that? He gives us truth, now embodied in Christ. He delights in mercy and lovingkindness. I want to be more like Him!

He keeps giving us truth, lovingkindness and mercy. These His sworn promises to His people, “from the days of old.” We are some of those people. Hallelujah!

We all have confident hope for the future ahead of us on earth, and then in heaven with Him forever. Take today’s passage with you as you press ahead in life. Jesus will meet you there over and over. Let it be your own private grotto where you withdraw to meet with Him.

Say to Him, “Who is a God like You?”

Read: Micah 7:7-20, Psalm 36:5-10
Sing: Lead Me to Calvary, by Jennie Evelyn Hussey (Wm. J. Kirkpatrick),
Seek: Look up the word, “grotto.”

Amplified Bible®
Copyright © 1954, 1958, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1987 by
The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, CA 90631

Have you heard the sweet old hymn called “Count Your Blessings?”  The opening stanza has some really good advice.  It reminds us: “Count your many blessings, name them one by one, And it will surprise you what the Lord hath done.”

That’s essentially what Paul does in the Book of Ephesians!  In 1:3, he makes the extraordinary claim that God has blessed us with “every spiritual blessing” in the heavenly realms.  And then he goes on to describe those blessings throughout the epistle:

• He chose us in him before the foundation of the world (1:4)
• He made us holy and blameless before him (1:4)
• He predestined us in love for adoption as his sons and daughters (1:5)
• He redeemed us through Christ’s blood (1:7)
• He forgave our trespasses (1:7; 4:32)
• He lavished the riches of his grace upon us (1:7-8)
• He made known to us the mystery of his will (1:9)
• He gave us an inheritance (1:11)
• He predestined us according to the purpose of his own will (1:11)
• He sealed us with the Holy Spirit (1:13; 4:30)
• He made us alive together with Christ (2:5, 8)
• He saved us by grace (2:5)
• He raised us up and seated us with Christ in the heavenly places (2:6)
• He prepared our good works in advance for us (2:10)
• He united Jews and Gentiles together into one new man (2:14-15; cf. 3:6)
• He made us fellow citizens with the saints (2:19)
• He made us members of the household of God (2:19)
• He gave each one of us spiritual gifts (4:7)
• He gave us leaders to equip the saints for the work of ministry (4:11-12)
• And he gave us the full armor of God (6:10-17)

So no matter how you feel today – or what your circumstances are – count your blessings, and it will surprise you what the Lord has done.

New American Standard Bible (NASB)
Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation

Boy, did we want that book to work! We hoped and wished and longed for it to work, but it didn’t. And what a lesson we learned.

It all started when we four 6th grade boys found an advertisement in the back of a kids magazine for a book that would make people do anything you wanted them to do. Even though it cost $50, we were sure it would be a better investment than the ads for "build your muscles like Mr. Universe” or “learn how to play guitar in 7 days” or even “learn how to look taller!” (all of these were designed to help us impress girls, of course!)

Anyway, we worked hard, redeeming every bottle we could find, running little carnivals in our backyard, doing extra chores for money – and we finally gathered the money and sent it away for our money-back guarantee book that would change our lives! We waited so impatiently, going to the mailbox every day for weeks. And one day, it arrived!

We read it voraciously (much more so than our Nathaniel Hawthorne story), and the concept was simple (no, I’m not going to tell you the secret, you have to buy your own book!). But when we tried it – and we each went through the steps so many times – it didn’t work!

Now why would I tell you such a silly story? It’s because I was re-reading a passage from an article by someone from Youth With a Mission (YWAM), and I was trying to remember a time when I wanted something like this. What do you think for yourself when you read it?

“If you have apostolic passion, you are one of the most dangerous people on the planet. The world no longer rules your heart. You are no longer seduced by getting and gaining but devoted to spreading and proclaiming the glory of God in the nations. You live as a pilgrim, unattached to the cares of this world. You are not afraid of loss. You even dare to believe you may be given the privilege of dying to spread His fame on the earth. The Father's passions have become your passions. You find your satisfaction and significance in Him. You believe He is with you always, to the end of life itself. You are sold out to God, and you live for the Lamb. Satan fears you, and the angels applaud you. Your greatest dream is that His name will be praised in languages never before heard in heaven. Your reward is the look of pure delight you anticipate seeing in His eyes when you lay [it all] at His feet ....”

New International Version (NIV)
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Today we live in a stress filled world and it is often difficult to keep a proper perspective.  Our minds are often distracted from truth, and we see life from a skewed perspective.  When this happens, we often begin to worry.  Worry causes a division in our mind.  We believe God will take care of us, but the problems seem so big and so real.  It becomes difficult for us to focus on the Lord and His promises.

Many of you know that Lynette and I live in the foothills near Prather.  We moved here 30 years ago because we enjoy the country more than the city.  There is a lot of wildlife in our area and ravens make up a part of that wildlife.  They are a good-sized black bird.  Jesus taught that God feeds them and takes care of them.  On our property are about ten almond trees.  Through the years we have lived here, we have only eaten a handful of almonds from our trees.  Each year, before the almonds are ready to be picked, the ravens arrive and strip the trees of all the nuts.  There usually aren’t any left.  This used to frustrate me until one day I realized that God is using my almond trees to provide for the ravens.  The ravens don’t have to worry about food, at least for a couple of weeks, as they eat all my almonds.  I realized there is a practical lesson for me to learn about worry.

When we worry, it blinds us to the reality that God takes care of all of His creation.  God clothes the wild flowers of the field with vivid colors and intricate design.  No two are exactly alike.  Even the ravens of the field have their need for food provided by the Lord.  Since God so adequately takes care of His creation then He surely will take care of us who He has given much greater value.  Jesus says, “And you are far more valuable to him…” (Luke 12:24 NLV) Because of that value He has placed on us, He will take care of us.  Everything in our life matters to Him.  He asks us to bring those worry producing things to Him.  “Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you.” (1 Peter 5:7 NLV) We have an all-powerful, all-knowing, all-caring God who wants to meet the needs of our lives.  We can give those cares and worries to the Lord and He will deal with them as He knows is best.  

Jesus is not saying that we should always sit around and wait for God to give us food and clothing.  But rather He encourages us to trust Him and to use the abilities He has given us to work together with Him.  Through this means he will provide our needs.  As we do our part we can trust God to do His part.

It is wonderful to know that God always has His eyes on us.  We have such great value to Him that He will take care us without fail.
 

• Have you allowed worry to distract you from God’s care in your life?
• What are you facing in life that is causing you to worry and question God’s care?
• How are you seeing God take care of you?
• What steps do you need to take to trust God more?

Prayer: Lord, help me see the great value you place on me.  Thank you for always caring for me no matter what my circumstances.  Amen

New Living Translation (NLT)
Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Anywhere in this world I think, but especially here in America it is easy to lose sight of the eternal while chasing after the material and temporel. As Christians we are called to follow the cause of Christ, however it can be tempting to make excuses for why we cannot serve or give due to our own needs. This verse reminds us that God is not unaware of our immediate concerns or needs. He doesn’t expect us to get everything in our lives completely sorted out and taken care of before we can serve Him. Rather the opposite is stated here, that we should seek first His kingdom, and then the rest will come.

If we do things out of order we will spend all of our effort chasing after things that while important now are not eternally important. We will miss out on the opportunities that God wants to put in front of us so that we can play a pivotal role in advancing His kingdom. He wants to free us up to do ministry and promises that if we run after Him, He will then take care of our needs.
 
I think it is also important to note that in this passage Jesus uses the word need and not want. When taking a financial class it is often stressed to differentiate between needs and wants. This passage is not a life hack to get everything you want and to get rich. However if you truly run after God, if you chase after the things of Him, and seek His righteousness, then your heart will hunger for the things of God and not the things of this world. God will supply your needs and your heart will be full. Remember that as children of God we may be in this world, but we are not of this world and our hearts and minds should be set on Jesus.

Let us run full speed toward God our Father and watch the amazing things He will accomplish in us and through us.

New King James Version (NKJV)
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

I love working with kids. I’ve worked with kids or youth in some form since I was eleven years old. I’ve been told that something in my persona “switches on” whenever I interact with kids and teens. I do feel more alive, more joyful, more energized. While many people who work with kids gravitate toward one age group, I actually enjoy spending time with kids of all ages, from tiny babies through snarky high schoolers. (Don’t tell my high school students, but junior highers are still my favorite group to work with.) If I’m honest, in most social situations, I would much rather talk to children than adults.

I think Jesus enjoyed being around children, too. In Mark 10, parents bring their children to Jesus for Him to bless them. These kids were probably younger than seven or eight years old. Jesus’ disciples, however, turn them away, “rebuking” their parents. Perhaps they thought Jesus was too busy to be bothered by loud, snotty-nosed kids. Perhaps, after a long day of ministry, the last thing they wanted to deal with was a gaggle of small children. Whatever their reason, they thought these kids were unworthy of Jesus’ time and attention. How wrong they were!

Look at Jesus’ response. He not only invites the children to come to Him, but also corrects the disciples’ idea that they are unimportant: “to such belongs the kingdom of God.” For Jesus, these children were not an irritant or an inconvenience. They were precious bearers of God’s image, as much as any adult. In the words of the Sunday school song,

Jesus loves the little children,
All the children of the world.
Red, brown, yellow, black, and white,
They are precious in His sight.
Jesus loves the little children of the world.

But Jesus goes a step further: “whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it.” What could Jesus possibly mean? Certainly we shouldn’t imitate children in every way possible; Proverbs 22:15 says that “folly is bound up in the heart of a child.” I’ve worked with too many kids to hold to any idea of the inherent goodness of children. Rather, Jesus teaches here that the faith required for entrance into God’s kingdom, the faith that is the essence of our relationship with God, mirrors certain qualities best seen in children. It is a “childlike faith.” From what I’ve observed with kids, here are ways our relationship with God should be “childlike:”

• Trust: Children are incredibly trusting, to the point of gullibility. Their trust is beautifully simple and implicit; if I tell my daughter Lottie that I’ll do something for her, she believes me, simply because she loves her father. That kind of trust—unwavering, unhesitating, grounded in love—is the kind of trust we should have toward God. 
• Dependency: Children are usually much more willing than adults to ask for help. They recognize their limitations and their dependence on others, especially Mom and Dad. How much greater is our dependency on God than that of a small child on its parents!
• Honesty: Kids are brutally honest. They’ll tell you exactly what they think of you, even if it hurts. No sugarcoating here! Our relationship with God benefits from that kind of honesty, especially with respect to our own sinfulness.
• Humility: Have you ever seen two children, perfect strangers, play together on a playground? It’s beautiful. Children are less prone to comparison or pretentiousness than adults are. We could learn much from this humility (cf. Matthew 18:4).
• Eagerness: If you could bottle the eagerness, enthusiasm, and energy of small children and sell it as a supplement, you’d make millions. What if we had the same level eagerness for God and His Word? In 1 Peter 2:2, Peter calls us to have the same longing for spiritual truths that babies do for their mother’s milk.
• Monotony: I once read that children have “the ability to delight in monotony.” When you play with them, they’ll cry, “Again!” over and over. How great would be our joy if we embraced the potentially “monotonous” part of the Christian life—Bible reading, prayer, fellowship—and cried, “Again!”

If you haven’t spent time with kids lately, or even if you are around kids all the time, keep an eye out for these traits. Ponder how you can model this sort of childlikeness in your own relationship with God. And love on any kids in your life a little extra this week: “to such belongs the kingdom of God.”

"English Standard Version (ESV)
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers."

As I was working on our Easter Walkthrough I realized increasingly that I needed to be more exact. Sometimes I would think I was being clear with descriptions or instructions, because I’ve done it so many times before. Do you know that we started offering the Easter Walkthrough in 2011!?!  I would forget that first time helpers needed clearer understanding.

We do have a general list of what is needed and what we should get done each year but; because it changes somewhat each year, the list can require changes as well. And as I continued through the process and things got busier as the deadline for having it ready was coming closer and my brain got fuller and fuller with all the details, I realized having detailed instructions written down was so very important. I kept going over my lists each day, checking things off, adding to them, etc.

As I’m reading in Numbers I’m struck by how the Lord doesn’t do estimates. He doesn’t say they "kind of" set up or there were "about" this many people. He is exact. He tells Moses and Aaron exactly how to set up camp, how many people were in each part, what their exact duties were and how to do them.
 
I wonder how many times Aaron and Moses had to look back at the instructions to make sure they were getting them right. The fact that it is written down makes me think that they looked at them a lot, as well as the others following them.
 
In times past, as I have read through these instructions in Numbers, I have to say I have thought they were a little mundane and wondered why God had them there. But this time they had a personal message for me and they came alive with importance! Nothing of God's Word is there by mistake and God’s examples are so good!!

Thy Word  
Amy Grant and Michael W. Smith

Chorus 1
Thy Word is a lamp unto my feet
And a light unto my path
Thy Word is a lamp unto my feet
And a light unto my path

Verse 1
When I feel afraid
And I think I've lost my way
Still You're there right beside me
Nothing will I fear
As long as You are near
Please be near me to the end

Verse 2
I will not forget
Your love for me and yet
My heart forever is wandering
Jesus be my guide
And hold me to Your side
I will love You to the end


©1984 Meadowgreen Music Company and Word Music, LLC
CCLI Song #14301  CCLI License #144020

New King James Version (NKJV)
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.