When I was in fourth grade, my classmates came up with a nickname for me. They called me Teacher’s Pet. I asked them why they called me that. They said, “Because you are respectful to the teacher, you answer every question she asks, and you help substitute teachers when they come to our class.” I said, “I just hate getting in trouble.” They said, “That’s why you’re the Teacher’s Pet.”

At first that nickname hurt me. But then I thought about it and realized, it was really a privilege. I was already a Christian in fourth grade, so being helpful to the teacher, and setting an example of love and respect was what Jesus would do. I thought, “Call me Teacher’s Pet anytime you want. No problem.”

Well, the nickname the apostles gave Joseph was a great nickname, too. Son of Encouragement. What does the word encouragement mean? It literally means to “put courage into someone”. We all experience seasons of hopelessness. We need fellow believers to come alongside us, recognize we’re struggling, and help us stand back up. Barnabas didn’t seek the spotlight. He operated behind the scenes. He was the person willing to take risks to lift up people around him. He saw the potential in Saul of Tarsus when he wasn’t accepted into the early church because of his role in Stephen’s death, and his persecution of the church in Jerusalem. Later he gave John Mark a second chance after Mark deserted Paul on an earlier missionary journey.
To be a Barnabas, we need to be on the lookout for those who n
eed a welcoming hand, a second chance, or a reminder of God’s grace. Someone who sees the best in you. As a “son or daughter of encouragement”, you are called to speak life into those who are overlooked, to advocate for the weary, and in the process always point people back to Christ. Why? Because Christ is the ultimate source of all comfort.

What does encouragement look like? For one thing, it has to be active if it’s going to accomplish anything. Here are three steps to be a ‘son or daughter of encouragement’ today…

1. Notice the overlooked - Be aware of those here at church who might be struggling or feeling isolated. Reach out to them. Find out if they need anything. Be there.
   
   
2. Catch ‘em doing good - When someone does or says something that makes an impact on you, text or email them and let them know how grateful you are for them.
   
   
3. Help them - Those carrying a heavy burden need help with the load, offer practical help.
   
   

We all need brothers and sisters in Christ who won’t give up on us. People who will notice when we’re not around, and reach out to us. People who will come alongside new believers and welcome them into our church family. People who reach out to those who just need an ‘atta boy’ or ‘atta girl’.

Take a moment right now and ask God to soften your heart to those in need around you. Ask God to use you to ‘put courage into the hearts’ of those you encounter today.

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

I am a huge Christopher Nolan fan. If you do not know who Christopher Nolan is, he is one of the most acclaimed directors of the 21st century. To get ready to watch his newest release, The Odyssey, I decided to watch all of his movies. I rewatched his most popular movies, the Dark Knight Trilogy, which is his Batman trilogy, and one thing I started to wonder while watching it was: why do people do good deeds? I think that if you asked most people that question, you would get a wide array of answers. As a disciple of Jesus, my hope is to do good deeds because of what God has done for me. The reason why you and I should do good works is so that God may get glory for the good He is doing in our lives.

Doing good outside of that reason defeats the purpose of us as Christians being new creations wholly devoted in fellowship with Christ, as He bought us with a price. The reason why Bruce Wayne, Batman, does good in the Dark Knight trilogy is so that no one can go through what he went through, going down Crime Alley where his whole life was destroyed as his parents were murdered. The death of Bruce’s parents is the catalyst that leads him to become Batman. For us as Christians, the reason you and I should do good is that God has done unparalleled good in our lives by giving us His Son, Jesus Christ, who died for our sins and rose from the grave so that we may have fellowship with God and with each other. Jesus is our catalyst for doing good.

In the movie Batman Begins, Bruce becomes Batman to become a legend and a symbol against crime. As Christians, we do good for others so that they may come to glorify God. We do not do good for our own glory, but for people to see God as glorious as we follow His Son Jesus as His disciples. Jesus is not just a legend or a made-up fairy tale, but the fullness of who God is as man (Col. 2:9; Heb. 1:3). Once we put our faith in Christ, we have become the righteousness of God by Jesus’s active work on the cross for us (2 Cor. 5:21). So, we are good because of what God has done for us, and we do good because of what God has done for us. This impacts our lives as we no longer live for ourselves, but for God.

Matthew 5:16 changes our mindset about doing good to prove we are good, shifting our motivation to do everything for God’s glory. We are not meant to be superheroes like Batman. When I have done things for my own glory or for other people to see me as good, I feel a certain amount of misery because I am not meant to be glorified; God is. There is a certain amount of peace I feel in doing things for God’s glory as I rest in Him, and the righteousness that He has bestowed upon me to do good. So, we, as Christians, should do all for God’s glory, as He is deserving of all glory.

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.

Can you remember a time when you were a child and your parents disciplined you for doing something wrong?  For most of us, that would be a long list.  My mom was a softie when it came to discipline, but I remember smarting off to her one afternoon, and she dragged me to the bathroom and rubbed a bar of soap on my tongue.  That shut my mouth.  And you know what?  I don’t remember smarting off to her after that.  I learned from that experience and grew up a little bit.

Our passage today tells us that God disciplines every single one of his children, but sometimes we can miss the lesson he is trying to teach us.  We take his discipline “lightly.”  In other words, we ignore it, not realizing God is trying to get our attention.  Or perhaps we have the wrong attitude about it.  We get angry and pout.  We refuse to listen, learn and submit.

So here are a couple important things to remember.

(1) God’s discipline teaches us to respect him.  When my mom rubbed soap on my tongue, I learned an important lesson that day.  I learned that she’s not a patsy.  And neither is God.  He sees everything.  He knows everything.  And we can’t manipulate him, lie to him, deceive him, or escape his grasp.  Divine discipline reminds us that we can’t get away with anything, and it teaches us to fear the Lord.

(2) God’s discipline proves his love for us.  We may not always associate discipline with love.  But I assure you God does.  When I was a kid, my dad often disciplined me in anger.  But God never flies off the handle and loses his cool.  He always disciplines us in love.  And his discipline is, in fact, a sign that we are his children.  If God didn’t love us, he wouldn’t bother to correct us.  He wouldn’t care what happens to us.  He wouldn’t even waste his time by paying any attention to us. So discipline is a sign of his love.

(3) God disciplines us for our good.  Whenever we experience God’s discipline, it’s helpful to remember that he always has our best in mind.  He always has a good purpose.  And some of those purposes are stated in this passage: to share in his holiness (v. 10); to produce a harvest of righteousness and peace (v. 11).  Why does discipline result in peace?  Because it helps us avoid all kinds of mistakes that would wreck our lives.
 
The next time you experience the Father’s discipline, I hope these reminders encourage your heart.

The Berean Bible (www.Berean.Bible) Berean Study Bible (BSB) ©
2016, 2020 by Bible Hub and Berean.Bible. Used by Permission. All rights Reserved.

In the quiet but agonizing moments of Gethsemane, Jesus Himself modeled the deepest form of surrender. As He fell on His face before the Father, He prayed, “My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; yet not as I will, but as You will” (Matthew 26:39). Luke records the same heart‑cry: “Father, if You are willing, remove this cup from Me; yet not My will, but Yours be done” (Luke 22:41–42). Even the sinless Son bowed to the Father’s perfect will. His example reminds us that surrender is not weakness — it is trust. It is the acknowledgment that God’s will is wiser, higher, and more glorious than anything we could design for ourselves.

Scripture consistently affirms that God’s will is not only good but sovereign. Jesus taught us to pray, “Your kingdom come, Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven” (Matthew 6:10). Paul exhorts us to “give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you” (1 Thessalonians 5:18). And Ephesians 1:11 reminds us that God “works all things according to the counsel of His will.” From Genesis to Revelation, the Bible paints a clear picture: God rules over every detail of creation, every moment of history, and every circumstance of our lives. Daniel declares boldly that none can stay His hand or question His authority (Daniel 4:35). His sovereignty is not partial — it is total.

This truth becomes especially precious when life feels overwhelming. The past months have been filled with challenges that would stretch any family: spinal surgery, nearly twenty doctor appointments a month, two high school graduations, a fifteen‑day hospital stay, months of preparation for a missions trip which concluded with a two‑week missions trip in Kenya, and even more sickness at home. Yet through every appointment, every hospital room, every moment of exhaustion, God carried us. Not because the path was smooth, but because His grace was sufficient. You can look back and say with confidence: Only by the grace of God did we make it through. His sovereignty was not theoretical — it was our lifeline.

Even our daily schedule reflects His sustaining power. From early‑morning swim practice and exercise, to shots and nebulizers, urgent care visits, orthodontist appointments, missions week transportation, medication pickups, and more rounds of nebulizers — our day is full, demanding, and relentless. And yet, God meets us in every hour. He provides strength when we wake, endurance as we move, patience as we serve, and rest when the day finally slows. His control over both the “minute” and the “enormous” things is not just comforting — it is essential. Without Him, the weight would be unbearable. With Him, the load becomes purposeful.

So you rightly ask: How does the world survive without You, Lord? Where is their hope? The answer is simple — it doesn’t. Not truly. Hope apart from Christ is fragile, temporary, and empty. But hope in Christ is steady, sovereign, and eternal. As you walk through each day, remember this freeing truth: God is in control of all things, and you are not. And that is the greatest mercy of all.

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

God not only has fashioned us and put us together the way we are, but He also designs us to accomplish particular things for Him.  We are, “created in Christ Jesus for good works…”   God has planned for us to do good works. “Good works,” describes that which is good in its character and beneficial in its effect. It is morally honorable, pleasing to God, and therefore beneficial.

We are not in competition with one another in our service for God.  He has placed us here to accomplish certain works for Him. Not everyone will be doing the same thing. He has designed us and placed us into the Body of Christ to compliment one another. Our church is a local manifestation of the Universal Body of Christ. He is putting us together as a body or team to effectively serve Him. As we work together some of us will do children’s ministry, some will do visitation, some will do acts of service, some will be greeters, others will be adult teachers, etc. No one ministry is more important than another, but together they make us effective in reaching out to our world and ministering one to another.

But just doing ministry and being busy is not fulfilling God's design for your life. Busyness is not the same as godliness or spirituality. We can be very busy doing the work of the church without living in God’s will or following His plan. One of the reasons we as Christians are not experiencing the joy and freedom to be all God saved us to be is that we are not living according to the way the Lord has uniquely created and gifted us. We will not sense fulfillment in our lives spiritually, unless we are involved in the ministry for which He has equipped us.

So often in life, we get busy doing things. Things that are often not wrong in and of themselves. These things may even be service and ministry oriented. We are busy and really not watching the leading of the Lord. He calls us to come stand by Him and rest, but we often refuse because we feel we are too busy. We tire of all the activity, but we keep going thinking surely God is pleased with our busyness and effort. But all this time He is continuing to call us to come stand near Him until exhausted we finally come.
 
Today we should allow the Holy Spirit to direct us in our acts of service.  Busyness is not our goal, but we should desire to do what is accomplishing God’s will for our lives.  The Lord wants our service to flow out of a growing relationship with Him.  Take time to stand near the Lord today.

Prayer:  Lord, I don’t want to just be busy doing things but I want to accomplish what You have designed me to do.  Help me to see how You have made me that I might effectively serve You.  Amen

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

July is when we celebrate our nation’s birthday, our independence. We make quite a big deal about independence, and liberty and freedom in this country, especially in July. But why is that? Why do we as Americans think so highly of freedom, and make such a big deal about emphasizing it? If you look around at other similar nations to us you might think that we all have freedom now, that we are all basically the same. And on the surface there is some truth to that. However upon closer scrutiny of their core laws, constitutions, or other guiding documents shows that the liberty we celebrate in our country is not codified in their laws, meaning it can easily be altered and taken away at the whim of the ruling government.

So what does this all have to do with this passage in Galatians? Well before we get to that I think it shows there really is still something for us to celebrate in this country. For all its failings, for all the sin that seems to abound around us, we truly are blessed to live in a free society, under a freedom that is codified and cannot be taken away so easily from the government we elect. But celebrate as we should, we also need to focus on what we do with that freedom. As stated in the passage above that liberty does not exist so we can simply carry on as we might and engage in all manner of sin, by no means. As a result of our freedom we are called to serve one another in love and good deeds.
 
Just as we have freedom in Christ, we are not to use that freedom to go around sinning as we would like, but rather to use that freedom to make ourselves more like Christ. And the freedom we have here in America affords us a tremendous opportunity to share the eternal freedom we have with others. When we think about our independence, remember that there are people in countries where they are forbidden to worship or speak about Jesus as they please. Imagine them seeing us, with the freedom to worship and share the good news with whomever we wish, and yet being silent about the hope that is in us. This July let’s remember and celebrate the freedom we have in this country and take advantage of that freedom by sharing the ultimate freedom that exists in Christ with those around 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.

There are many promises in the Bible that can comfort us in times of difficulty. God promises, “I will never leave you nor forsake you” (Hebrews 13:5). And we are promised that “for those who love God all things work together for good” (Romans 8:28).

Other promises in Scripture are... less comforting. Take the words of the Apostle Paul in 2 Timothy 3:12: “All who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.” Persecution is promised to all who seek to be committed followers of Jesus. Jesus Himself promised His disciples persecution on the night before His crucifixion: “A servant is not greater than his master... if they persecuted me, they will also persecute you” (John 15:20). Talk about a bummer of a promise! But these passages are clear that persecution should be expected as part of faithful Christian living.

But the promise of persecution is hardly emphasized by the American church. Even if we haven’t succumbed to the false gospel of “health and wealth,” we generally prefer a comfortable form of Christianity. We are willing to suffer for Jesus on occasion... the whispered remarks of our co-workers around the water cooler, the angry social media tirades, and even the forcing of our beliefs out of the public square. Hatred, discrimination, and tarnished reputations are still persecution, though less severe than imprisonment, torture, and death. But by and large, persecution is an anomaly for the American Christian’s lived experience.

Not so for many of our brothers and sisters around the globe. According to the Voice of the Martyrs, 1 in 7 Christians worldwide live under severe persecution. Or consider the World Watch List, published yearly by Open Doors. Huge swaths of the globe are colored red (extreme persecution) or orange (very high persecution), including China, India, Nigeria, and most of the Muslim world. Some other sobering numbers: more Christians were martyred in the 20th century than in all other previous centuries... combined. Last year, almost 5,000 Christians were martyred, most of them in Nigeria.

I’ve met men and women who live with this reality of persecution.  My grandfather Monnie, one of Campus’ supported missionaries, travels around the world training persecuted pastors and church leaders. I accompanied him 7 or 8 times in high school. I sat and listened to the stories of these persecuted Christians, their sacrifice of jobs, homes, families, and all the comforts of life that we take for granted. But the exuberant love they have for their Savior, for whom they have given so much, overflows with every word they share. To see such joyful eyes in such somber faces is convicting, to say the least.

These men and women have suffered so much and given so much, I ponder. Would I be willing to do the same for my King? Am I prepared to “suffer the loss of all things... in order that I might gain Christ” (Philippians 3:8)? To add to my reflections, the persecuted Christians I met repeatedly affirmed that the difference between those who endured persecution and those who shrank in its face was their attitude before persecution started. Those who endured decided beforehand that they would follow Jesus, no matter the cost.

I think the American church could learn much from the persecuted church. Their commitment to the cause of Christ is awe-inspiring. But they desperately need our prayers as well. Persecution may be promised, but that doesn’t make it easy. The Voice of the Martyrs has an app (search for “VOM App”) that gives you a different country to pray for each day, a country where Christians are suffering for the name of Jesus. It’s been helpful for me to pray for the persecuted church; maybe it will help you as well. And as you pray, let the courage of our persecuted brethren inspire us to face whatever forms of persecution might come our way.

"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."

I don't know why but whenever I think about dying I can get a little fearful. I'm embarrassed to admit that sometimes I wonder, "What if all I have believed in about death and going to be with Jesus doesn't happen?"

The other day I shamefully voiced this to a friend and she was a little shocked. It made me realize that I really needed to take this to the Lord in prayer. On my morning walk today I spent some time asking the Lord to speak to me and give me the assurance I needed to believe in my heart what I knew with my mind He has said, "I will be with you always even unto the end of the age." (Matt. 28:20)

Later in the day I was continuing my reading in Psalm 49. The Lord was exhorting me about trusting in wealth and riches, that "none of them can by any means redeem his brother, Nor give to God a ransom for him…For the redemption of their souls is costly…" In other words, we can't take our wealth with us and it can't be used to pay for the redemption of my soul or anyone else's. It is the Lord who redeems, He has paid the price.

Then the Lord gave me the assurance I had asked him for…"But God will redeem my soul from the power of the grave, for He shall receive me. Selah" You know sometimes we can read a passage over and over and it not reveal the mystery of the message. And then one day you read it and it stands out with boldness! These words were the exact words I needed to hear! "He shall receive me." I have a perfect answer in my heart the next time that particular fear/doubt creeps into my mind.

Thank you Jesus that "You will perfect all that concerns me..." (Psalm 138:8)

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

Your word I have hidden in my heart, that I might not sin against You.  Psalm 119:11

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

In 2000, I joined a church-planting team in Tokyo. For two years, I struggled with a difficult team leader, wanting many times to give up and go home. During this challenging season, I wrestled with what God was doing in our lives and found myself consistently reminded of 2 Corinthians 4 which states "For God, who said, 'Light shall shine out of darkness'—He has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of God's glory in the face of Jesus Christ. 7 Now we have this treasure in clay jars, so that this extraordinary power may be from God and not from us. 8 We are pressed on every side by troubles, but we are not crushed and broken. We are perplexed, but we don't give up and quit. 9 We are hunted down, but God never abandons us. We get knocked down, but we get up again and keep going. 10 Through suffering, these bodies of ours constantly share in the death of Jesus so that the life of Jesus may also be seen in our bodies."
   
My wife, Kathi, and I could deeply identify with verses 8 and 9 about being pressed on every side. We felt like we had been completely obedient to God’s leading, leaving our home and family even though it was so hard. On top of that, Japanese language study proved to be unbelievably difficult while managing a one-year-old and a two-and-a-half-year-old with no family nearby to support us. It was easy to feel crushed and perplexed.

But the scripture reveals the purpose behind this pressure: treasure. Usually, when we picture a treasure chest, we think of an old, rusty box where only the jewels and money inside hold value. But here we see truly valuable treasure within us as "the light of the knowledge of God's glory in the face of Jesus". This glory encompasses all of God’s beauty, majesty, and awesome power. When we truly see the Creator God for who He is and what He has done, we adore Him. Naturally, we do not adore Him because our hearts are dark with sin and selfishness; nevertheless, God shines His light into our hearts and causes us to love Him. This treasure is found entirely in the person of Jesus, and when we read about Him in the Word, we see just how precious and sweet He is.

Elsewhere, this treasure is compared to a precious ointment. Ointment was a rare, expensive kind of perfume rubbed over the body to make a person feel and smell better. The Scripture implies that the glory of Jesus is like a sweet-smelling ointment, highly valuable because it is so rare—there is only one Savior, and His blood cleanses us from all our sins.

Verse 7 explains that God has chosen to put this amazingly precious treasure into "clay jars," or what other translations call "earthen vessels." Clay pots are typically cheap, common, easily broken, and unimportant containers; it is solely what is inside them—whether plain water or expensive perfume—that matters. Here, Paul is telling us that our bodies contain the grace and power of God, which is exactly what gives them infinite value. God did not choose to put His fragrance into a beautiful flask or entrust it to angels; instead, He put it into fragile, sinful, and weak people like you and me. Because there are no impressive credentials necessary to be a clay pot, every single one of us qualifies.

Why did God choose to use clay jars? So that He alone receives the glory, as verse 7 notes: "so that this extraordinary power may be from God and not from us." God's chosen method for spreading the precious treasure of His fragrance is to crack the pot. When the pot has a crack in it, the sweet fragrance of His grace oozes out.

He uses the pressures of life—disappointment, sickness, and heartache—to reveal whether the ointment inside is truly from Him. When you feel squeezed by life and start to explode at your kids or other drivers on the road, it forces the question: Am I filled with myself, or am I filled with Him? If I am filled with Him, then when I break, He is the one who leaks out. His glory can handle any situation, but too often our jars are full of ourselves instead of His Spirit.

Looking back at our time in Japan, I have to admit that a lot of "me" squeezed out during that high-pressure period. I felt frustration that my team leader was so difficult, envy when I saw other missionaries accomplishing fruitful ministry, disappointment when my own ideas failed, and a distinct lack of faith when our finances got very tight. Yet, as I allowed Him to leak out of me, I witnessed incredible things—such as seeing Kimiko’s and Masanori’s lives completely changed. God faithfully gave me the grace to keep working under a difficult leader, and we ultimately saw God’s glory shine beautifully through us as cracked pots, as well as through each disciple we made.

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.

Simone Biles had been a decorated gymnast for nearly her whole life, leading up to the Tokyo Olympics in 2020. I still remember hearing the shocking news that she was withdrawing from the team and all-around competitions at the Olympics. At the time, I didn’t understand why such a decorated athlete would walk away from arguably the world’s largest competition stage. What I’ve since discovered is that she had a case of the “twisties,” which prevented her from competing. She essentially lost her sense of air awareness. There was a disconnect between what her brain was experiencing and the muscle memory of her body's movements. Obviously, it is pretty dangerous for an athlete to lose awareness mid-air during competition, but I imagine this was also devastating to her confidence. Even though her muscle memory knew what to do, her brain was telling her something completely different, making her doubt herself.

We may not personally know the intensity of getting the “twisties” at a moment like that, but in our own way, we all can feel like Simone. Most of us have been derailed by unexpected or undesired self-doubt at some point, and that’s not fun. I personally have had experiences where my doubt has gone beyond how I see myself. But I can’t be the only one, can I? Maybe you’ve thought, “Because of who I am, others see me as unqualified, too.” Maybe you’ve felt useless. Or maybe you think questions, insecurities, doubts, mistakes, or something that’s happened in your past have sidelined you forever. If you’ve ever felt like that, you’re in good company because I imagine that’s exactly how Moses felt. Yet God used him in some truly extraordinary ways.

At the time God called to Moses, Moses was a murderer, fugitive, and, dare I say, a bit of a coward. Moses tried to convince God that he wasn’t the man for the job. He told God he wasn’t smart enough. He wasn’t persuasive enough. He just couldn’t do it. But when Moses protested, God promised. God assured Moses when he doubted himself that He would be with him every step of the way. We see Moses doubt his own skills and talents, but that didn’t disqualify him from being used by God. What we see is God’s desire to use Moses and God’s ability to work despite Moses’ deficiencies. This is one of the reasons why I love the God we serve!!! Being used by God does not require an entrance exam, a driver’s license, a resume, or a high GPA. God only asks us to say, “Yes” to the call, and He promises to be with us every step of the way!

And notice that God doesn’t say, “Before I use you, I need your doubts about me to be gone.” God says, “I want to use you. I have your back no matter what. Will you take the first step?” God knows our feelings about ourselves. He knows our feelings about Him. Our doubts, insecurities, failures. Yet, He longs for us to say yes even amid doubt, failure, or hurt because those things don’t change the fact that God can use us to do amazing things! And just like God promised Moses, we can trust His presence will always be with us. Trusting in God’s presence is a powerful way to push past our mistakes, failures, sins, and doubts. He invites us to see that when we doubt ourselves, He can still use us.
 

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 was younger – and in much better shape – I used to go on solo backpacking trips in the Sierra mountains.  I would scour the map for a remote lake nestled in a forest and get away for a few days of solitude and prayer.

One year I remember lying in my tent reading through the Book of Exodus.  The warm glow of the sun cast a purple hue through the walls of my tent and I could hear the leaves dancing in the wind outside.  As I lay there in the wilderness, I read about God leading the Israelites through a different wilderness thousands of years earlier.  Coming out of Egypt and passing through the Red Sea, the Israelites were rejoicing.  But they were out in the middle of nowhere, trying to survive in the harsh desert, hungry, afraid, and uncertain about where to go or what to do next.  Except for the fact that God was leading them in a radiant cloud of shekinah glory by day and a blazing pillar of fire by night.
 
As I read about God’s presence leading the Israelites through wilderness, I sighed: “God, I wish I had that.”  But I sensed the Lord correcting me: “You have something better.”

Several years ago, it was trendy to play a game called “Would You Rather?”  People would ask each other ridiculous questions like, “Would you rather go without shampoo for the rest of your life or toothpaste for the rest of your life?”  Or “Would you rather have to speak in rhyme for the rest of your life or speak in riddles for the rest of your life?”

Let me ask you a more serious “Would You Rather” question.  Would you rather have Jesus standing in front of you or living inside of you?  Be honest.

I think most of us would choose option 1.  But in my tent, God showed me that it’s far better to have God dwell inside of us than beside us.

That’s exactly what Jesus told the disciples: “I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you” (John 16:7).

Believe it or not, when God led the Israelites through the wilderness in a pillar of fire, they took it for granted.  They grumbled and complained and threatened to go back to Egypt. They questioned God at every turn.  Even as Moses stood in the furnace of God’s fiery presence on Mount Sinai, the people partied at the foot of the mountain and fashioned a golden calf to worship.

No, it’s much better to become a living temple in which the presence of God abides forever.  When God comes to dwell in us, the Spirit raises us from death to life.  He breaks the chains of sin and circumcises our hearts.  He transforms us from the inside out and impels us rather than compels us.  He’s still a consuming fire, but now his fire cleanses and purifies.  His shekinah glory still leads us, but now it never goes away, and it shines through us, not merely to us.

As you go about your business today, ask yourself if you really believe this.  Ask yourself: “Would I rather have Jesus standing in front of me or living inside of me?”

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.

I don’t like soccer. Both my boys played soccer in kindergarten, and from that sport I learned a little bit about their personality and competitiveness. Soccer was explained to both my boys the same way. The coach said, “Take this ball down the field without using your hands and put it in the goal and you get a point. The team with the most points wins. And we’re not keeping score.” My older boy, Bobby, worked with his teammates, passing the ball, giving the girls a chance, he even passed it to the opposing team occasionally just to give them a turn. And Bob didn’t care about the score at the end of the game. My younger boy, Alan, was totally different. He heard what it takes to win, and took the ball down the field and kicked it in the goal over-and-over again. To call him a ‘ball hog’ was an understatement. And on the way home, when I asked him if he knew the score, he always did. “Dad, we won 10-2.” Clearly Bob cared less about winning, and more about making sure everyone had fun. But if the coach wanted to win, they’d say, “Give me Alan.”

But I do have some questions. Why is the ‘field’ called a ‘pitch’? Why is ‘zero’ referred to as ‘nil’? And why is ‘soccer’ referred to as ‘football’ in every other country but ours? It’s just hard for me to understand because I never really played it. I played baseball, football and basketball.

The one time I do enjoy watching soccer is when the U.S. is taking on some other national team in the World Cup. I’m chanting, “U.S.A. U.S.A. U.S.A.” And over these last few weeks I have been growing in appreciation. I used to think, “Soccer’s easy. Anyone can kick a ball around a field”. But now I’m realizing how much teamwork, endurance and work it takes to be really good. And that’s not too unlike what it takes to live your life for Christ in the Church.

Here are three ways playing soccer can encourage you in your walk with Christ in the Church.

1. Work as a team
Hebrews 13:16 – “And do not neglect doing good and sharing, for with such sacrifices God is pleased.”

It takes incredible teamwork to be good at soccer. The passes have to be precise and well-timed for your teammate to get the ball in stride. As followers of Christ in the church, we are called to look out for others, pray for each other, and meet each other's needs. A successful team relies on unselfish play, communication, and being there for support when mistakes are made. So be an encouragement. Today, I want you to think of one teammate at church you can reach out to with a kind word of encouragement. Celebrate the successes of others with a high-five. Communicate in positive ways even when things are difficult. And smile…a lot!

2. Endure through pain
1 Corinthians 9:24 – “Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but only one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may win.”

To be good at soccer, it requires intense physical conditioning. Spiritual growth is similar. It takes practice. Be involved in the daily disciplines of Scripture-reading, prayer, and serving others. It all starts with faith in Jesus Christ, accepting what He did at the cross as the only payment for your sin. Then claiming His promises, knowing He is right there with you when painful times occur. He wants you to persevere through fatigue and frustration. Realize it’s not all about pleasing the fans in the stands. You have an audience of one. We play for the Lord!

3. Work hard
Colossians 3:23 – “Whatever you do, do your work heartily, as for the Lord rather than for men.”

You’ve probably heard the quote, “Winning isn’t everything; it’s the only thing.” And yes, trophies and awards are encouraging, especially if you scored the winning goal. But for a Christian, the goal is to display Christ’s character and love. And that leads to good sportsmanship. Whether you win or lose, your attitude on the field reflects your faith. So as followers of Christ at church, worship and serve with integrity and a humble heart. When decisions are made that you don’t agree with, hang in there, we need you..

While I’ve grown in appreciation for soccer, it will never eclipse baseball, football, and basketball in my sports passion. But I think soccer has a lot to teach us about what it means to be a Christian in the church. Work as a team, endure through pain, and work hard.

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

Over the years I’ve hiked all over Yosemite, and there’s nothing more exhilarating than reaching the top of a majestic summit and gazing out on the wonderful world beneath me.

This is what I think about when I read Ephesians 2:6. Let’s just call it a heavenly perspective on life.
 
Too often we get trapped in the valleys of our circumstances, our vision is blocked by the forest, and we never climb above our problems to see things from God’s perspective.  And yet at any moment we have the ability to do so.  Why?  Because God has raised us up with Christ!  He’s given us new life.  And not only that – he’s seated us with Christ in the heavenly realms.

Just to be clear, where is Christ sitting right now?  At the right hand of the Father.  And he’s not sitting in a recliner with his hand on a TV remote.  He’s sitting on the throne with a scepter in his hand.

It’s astonishing to me that we would be invited to share in the glory of Christ reigning over the earth!  But that’s what Ephesians 2:6 suggests.  Because of our blood-bought identification with Christ and our invincible union with him, we share in his victory.  There is a sense in which we are co-reigning with Christ, just as he is co-reigning with the Father.  So even though we are his hands and feet on earth, our hearts and minds must remain with him in heaven.  This is the heavenly vantage point that Christ offers us, greater and higher than any mountain peak in Yosemite.  It’s a chance to see all of life through the eyes of Christ, through the lens of Scripture.  It's a perspective of eternity that makes our problems seem light and momentary.  It’s a way of walking in the life and power of Christ’s resurrection.

I pray that today we would hold onto the words of Colossians 3:1-4 – “Therefore, since you have been raised with Christ, strive for the things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory.”

The Berean Bible (www.Berean.Bible) Berean Study Bible (BSB) ©
2016, 2020 by Bible Hub and Berean.Bible. Used by Permission. All rights Reserved.

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.

All of us have gone through times when we have wondered where God was or if He had time to care for us.  With over 8 billion people on our planet, we might feel that we are rather insignificant to the Lord.  But just the opposite is true.  God knows everything about His creation and cares for every aspect of it…us included.  He knows when a sparrow falls, and God tells us that we are of much more value than many sparrows.  (Matthew 10:29-31)

The Apostle Peter tells us that God cares for us when he writes in 1 Peter 5:7, “Casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.”  God cares deeply for each of us.  Literally Peter is saying, “It matters to Him about you.”  We as God’s children are objects of His care and love.  He watches over us with great interest and affection.  God is interested in every detail of our lives.  The things that are of concern to us are of concern to God.  No matter how large or small.  God wants us to know that He is always there, and it matters to Him.

Warren Weirsbe in his commentary on 1 Peter states that there are four ways in which God shows us His love and care.  I would like to share those points with you and include my thoughts about each of them.

1.  “He gives us the courage to face the stress producing problems of our life honestly and not run away.”  (Warren Weirsbe)  

“Fear not, for I am with you; Be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, Yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.” Isaiah 41:10

It is difficult at times to deal head on with the areas of life that produce stress for us.  We often run away from them or medicate ourselves in ways to relieve the pain or fear that we feel.  We need to recognize through God’s Word that He is there with us, and He is upholding us in those difficult times.  He holds us with His righteous right hand, the hand of His strength and power.  He will never abandon us but will always be there in our time of need.

2.  "He gives us the wisdom to understand the situation.”  (Warren Weirsbe)

“If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him.” James 1:5
 
When we face the problems and cares of life, we need to be able to see them for what they really are.  We need God’s wisdom to understand the situation and see it truthfully.  Often stress and fear come as a result of not seeing things clearly.  We tend to look at things from a skewed perspective.   Only God’s wisdom can bring understanding and reality to what we face in life.

3.  “He gives us the strength to take action.” (Warren Weirsbe)  

“I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” Philippians 4:13

Instead of being frozen in fear or inaction, God gives us strength to do what needs to be done.  In those weakest moments, God is there, and He gives us strength.  God loves to show Himself strong in our weakness because then we give Him the glory for what He has done.  We know it wasn’t about us but about Him.  In our times of fear or stress, we need to always remind ourselves that God is here right now, and He wants to give me strength so I don’t have to be stressed out or afraid.  We can trust Him always, even though we don’t understand, and He will hold us up in His strong right hand.

4.  “He gives us the faith to trust Him to do the rest.” (Warren Weirsbe)

“Commit your way to the LORD, Trust also in Him, And He shall bring it to pass.” Psalm 37:5

As we trust the Lord with all the cares of life, we can have the confidence He will take care of all the things that are beyond our control.  We can be thankful that nothing is beyond His ability to control.  Often our problem is that we can only see this moment in life.  God can see and knows everything from eternity past to eternity future.  He sees the big picture.  We need to commit to the Lord what we know and understand now with the confidence that He will do the rest.  As we trust Him with our present and future, we will experience a lot less stress and fear.  We can know that God always has our best at heart, and we can trust Him.
 
I appreciate what the Psalmist writes in Psalm 55:22, “Cast your burden on the LORD, And He shall sustain you; He shall never permit the righteous to be moved.”  God invites me to cast or throw my burden onto the Lord.  In other words, I can entrust it to the Lord who deeply cares for me.  My burden is the portion God has given me to bear.  I am so thankful God encourages me to give them to Him.  He wants to bear the load of life with me.  He doesn’t make fun of me, tell me I am such a spiritual weakling, or tell me just to suck it up and go on.  He invites me to give my burdens to Him and He lovingly takes them.  As a result, He keeps me from becoming disturbed, shaken, or unsettled in my faith.  I grow in my faith and confidence in Him as I trust Him with the cares of my life.

Prayer:  Lord, help me to understand how much You care for me.  My life is in Your hands, and I trust you with it.  Help me to accept your invitation to give You my burdens and not hold onto them.  Thank you for the strength You will give. 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.

You ever have those days where you feel you just can’t do it. Maybe you can do some of it but there is just too much, or it’s too hard, or too out of reach. Whatever it is, your best does not seem to be good enough. It’s a sinking feeling, it deflates us and causes us to withdraw back within ourselves. But while we feel at our lowest, it is at this place that God can work wonders through us. God loves to take broken people and use them mightily for His glory. The Bible is full of stories of men and women who were not good enough, but God worked through them to accomplish His great purpose. Sometimes we have to be broken before we can step out of our own way for God to use us.

God says here in 2 Corinthians that always have all sufficiency in all things! Wow, what an amazing statement. Although it doesn’t always feel like that. But I think the point we need to take away from this is that God is the one giving us sufficiency for every good work. Its not coming from within us, or ourselves, it’s God. When we try to do things in our own power, our way, it often does not end well. However when we put our trust in God and lean on His power we are often amazed at what can be accomplished.

I’m very technically minded and can easily get lost in the troubleshooting of a problem when up against a deadline. I am so blessed by those around me like Laurel who will stop everything in the midst of things not working to say “we need to pray.” Its times we notice our own power and abilities are not getting it done to stop and pray. We need to refocus on the One who is able to accomplish abundantly more than we can ask or imagine and rely on His power and strength to accomplish His purpose.

God calls us to do good works, but He doesn’t stop there. He gives us the grace and power to do those good works when we rely on Him and not on ourselves. I’m reminded of Philippians 4:13 “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”

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 enjoy taking personality tests. Not the BuzzFeed “what type of cupcake would you be?” articles, but the ones that deepen my understanding of myself and those around me, like the Myers-Briggs “16 Personalities” test. (If you’re curious, I’m an INTJ-A.) These tests sort of run in my family; when I was a preteen, my grandfather ran me through a series of “inventories” addressing everything from conflict resolution to style of influence to cross-cultural ministry readiness(!).

I’ve often pondered how the Christian should approach personality tests–and the concept of personality in general. On the one hand, personality tests can aid in the process of identifying strengths, weaknesses, tendencies, and temptations. That makes them a helpful tool in the life-long process of sanctification. Understanding mine and others’ style of influence, method of conflict resolution, and so on also helps me to “love my neighbor as myself” (Matthew 22:39). On the other hand, I think we can pretty safely assume God isn’t sitting up in heaven creating people with a Myers-Briggs personality template in hand. There are 8 billion people on this planet, each “fearfully and wonderfully made” by their Creator. Reducing people to a set of personality-test-inspired stereotypes can cause us to miss this truth.

But for the sake of argument, why doesn’t God only make 16 (or 9, or 32, or any number really) types of people? Why do personality differences exist at all? As C.S. Lewis writes in The Problem of Pain, chapter 10, “If He had no use for all these differences, I do not see why He should have created more souls than one.”

I think one reason why God makes everyone different is service. You’re probably familiar with the concept of “spiritual gifts,” how the indwelling Holy Spirit empowers every Christian for a specific function within the Body of Christ, the Church. (The New Testament has examples in Romans 12:6-8 and 1 Corinthians 12:8-10; there is also an excellent spiritual giftings test in Pastor Jim’s Men in Action handbook, which we’ve adapted for our youth leadership teams.) But I think that not just your spiritual gift, but your other talents, your personality, everything that makes you unique, is given you by God “to equip the saints for the work of ministry” (Ephesians 4:12). My grandparents explain this using the analogy of a suitcase. Imagine everything that makes you “you”–your family background, education, talents, passions, hardships, failings, and even personality–in an invisible suitcase that you carry with you. As you go through life, God will present you with opportunities to use what He’s put in your suitcase for His glory. In essence, personality differences exist to maximize the ministry of the Body of Christ. Understanding our personality makes us better ambassadors of the Kingdom.

But I think personality differences are ultimately about worship. I often wonder: if Jesus took the Myers-Briggs test, what would his results be? I guess (and I admit, this is speculative) that He is, in some sense, every personality rolled into one. Each personality, when glorified and free from sin, dimly reflects some part of the Divine Personality. In other words, my personality influences the way in which I praise my Creator. The “God-shaped hole” in my heart, to borrow a phrase from Pascal, is filled by God in a way slightly different than anyone else’s God-shaped hole. I’ll quote Lewis and The Problem of Pain again: “Each of the redeemed shall forever know and praise some one aspect of the divine beauty better than any other creature can. … For doubtless the continually successful, yet never completed, attempt by each soul to communicate its unique vision to others…is also among the ends for which the individual was created.” In eternity, the philosopher may praise God for his perfection, the physicist for His power, the farmer for His faithfulness, the teacher for His truth, the judge for His justice, the jester for His joy, the parent for His patience, the felon for His forgiveness, and the little child for His love. Like a wave of light in a prism, splitting into its many colors, refracting, reflecting from surface to surface, the many personalities that make up the Body of Christ collectively illuminate the personality and character of God.

Should the Christian be cautious of putting too much weight in personality tests? Absolutely. Many promise a path to self-discovery or “enlightenment,” which is only found in Jesus. Psychoanalysis is no substitute for sanctification. But knowing who I am, who God has made me to be, can help me not just serve God better, but worship Him better. Today, take some time to consider these questions:
What has God put in my suitcase? How has He equipped me to serve Him?
Why is God worthy of my praise today? How has He equipped me to worship Him?

"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 have been reading through the life of David there have been so many times that "David inquired of the Lord" or that David acknowledged that it was the Lord that helped him. I wonder what David's upbringing was like? When you look at how his brothers acted when he reacted to Goliath's mocking of God you wonder how he had such a strength of faith that seemed to be different from theirs.

It reminds me how each of us are uniquely individual. Siblings can be brought up by the same parents but see our upbringing with a totally different view. And when it comes to our faith in God, our decision to follow Him has to be our own. John 1:12-14 makes that clear…"But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God." It is not because we have parents who believe in Him, or we go to church or have friends who encourage us or even because we are good people. We have to be born of God. It has to be our own decision and based on our belief in Him alone.

From my perspective as a parent that can be so hard. You try your very best to instill your faith in the Lord into your children. Teaching His words diligently," talking of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down and when you rise up" (Deuteronomy 6:7). Encouraging them to memorize scripture and make it their own at an early age so that when they are old they won't depart from it (Proverbs 22:6). But the time comes when you take the back seat and wait to see who they choose to be their driver. Sometimes that wait is short and some are still praying and waiting.

I'm thankful that the Word of God is full of stories of individuals that had journeys of growth and then there's some like Paul who was confronted in a huge burst of God's presence. Those stories give me hope and faith that God will always be ready and willing to transform lives. So I continue to wait and pray as I learn and grow in the Lord myself.

In His Presence | Dick Tunney, Melodie Tunney

Verse 1
In the quiet of this hour
As I kneel before You now
I believe Your promise to be faithful
I don't always understand
What Your perfect will demands
But I've learned to trust You more
In Your presence Lord

Chorus 1
In Your presence there is comfort
In Your presence there is peace
When we seek to know Your heart
We will find such blessed assurance
In Your holy presence Lord

Verse 2
There can be such sweet reward
When we wait upon the Lord
As we take the time
He gives His perfect wisdom
To be found in Him alone
All our deepest secrets known
We're surrounded by His grace
When we seek His face

© 1988 Dick And Mel Music; Universal Music - Brentwood Benson Publishing; Pamela Kay Music | For use solely with the SongSelect® Terms of Use.  All rights reserved. www.ccli.com
CCLI Song #18589 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.

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.

The Disney classic Toy Story is a great movie about friendship. In the movie, Woody and Buzz are on quite an epic adventure next door at Sid's house. At one point, both characters find themselves trapped in positions with no way out. Buzz sees the situation as hopeless, yet when his friend needed him most, Woody saw an opportunity to challenge Buzz. The challenge was not aggressive or hostile; it was clear and direct, and it communicated in a way that showed how deeply he cared for his friend, as he invited Buzz to consider a new perspective.
 
When individuals truly care for one another, they know how to push each other for the better. And striving toward better sometimes includes either tough or uncomfortable conversations. We typically like our relationships to stay in the fun and simple category, but it's not always fun when someone challenges us on something we don't want to hear. However, the best kind of relationships are those that help each other become the best versions of ourselves as we journey together. Someone said to me recently, “The healthiest people I know have a small circle of folks that they can share anything with.”
 
As Jesus' disciples are in trouble, He comes walking on the water. They think they have seen a ghost. Then something interesting happens: Jesus accepts a challenge from Peter. To prove that it really was Jesus standing before them, Peter asks Jesus to allow him to walk on the water, too. Then, when Peter starts to flounder, Jesus presents a challenge to Peter. He asks the question why do you doubt?  At one point, Peter had all the faith in the world, which kept him above water, but when he thought about what was happening, his faith dissipated, and he began to sink. Peter first challenges Jesus to prove His identity by displaying His power. Jesus then takes the opportunity to challenge Peter to demonstrate his faith. When Peter followed and trusted Jesus, he ended up walking on water, an impossible achievement, but without faith, Peter sank. May we also accept challenges from the Master and from those we know truly care about us. When we do, we open ourselves up to new opportunities to grow into the best versions of ourselves as we put our faith in the Lord and all that He calls us to.

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.

If I were to ask you, “Could you use some more wisdom today?”, what would you say? It sounds like a silly question, because I don’t think anyone would say, “No…I’m good.” All of us could use more wisdom. We need wisdom in dating, communication, marriage, parenting, finances and conflict. We make decisions every day. And God will give us wisdom if we ask Him for it.

James 1:5 "But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him."

That word “if” always gets me because it’s not a matter of “if” I lack wisdom, because I do. So I like to use the word “since”...“since you lack wisdom.” And James does not give any exceptions to this statement. It doesn’t matter if you are a new believer or a mature believer, you always need wisdom to go through the challenges of life. This is personal, so make it personal.

In my quiet time today I was reading about the extent of Solomon’s wisdom in 1 Kings 4:20-34. After David made his son Solomon King of Israel, God appeared to Solomon and said, “Ask what you wish Me to give you.” (1 Kings 3:5). And Solomon responded, “So, give Your servant an understanding heart to judge Your people to discern between good and evil. For who is able to judge this great people of Yours?” God responded “Because you have asked this thing and have not asked for yourself long life, nor have asked riches for yourself nor have you asked for the life of your enemies, but have asked for yourself discernment to understand justice, behold I have done according to your words. Behold, I have given you a wise and discerning heart, so that there has been no one like you before you, nor shall one like you arise after you. I have also given you what you have not asked, both riches and honor, so that there will not be any among the kings like you all your days.” (1 Kings 3:11-13).

Is wisdom your most important need? Yes it is. “The beginning of wisdom is: Acquire wisdom; Add with all your acquiring, get understanding.” (Proverbs 4:7) In other words, God places such high value on acquiring wisdom that if it were possible to buy wisdom, He recommends that you sell everything you have and buy it. “By wisdom a house is built, and by understanding it is established.” Proverbs 24:3. That includes your life, business, career, marriage, relationships, parenting, etc.
 
So, how do I ask God for wisdom? Pray. Every morning when I’m spending time alone with God, I pray “God, please give me wisdom in my decision-making today. May these decisions honor You.” And God does not disappoint. Now, have there been mornings I’ve forgotten to pray for wisdom? Sure. Did that mean I made dumb decisions that day? Maybe, but it’s hard to know. See, I also have my Mom and Dad praying for me every day. And I trust that if I forget to ask God for wisdom, maybe they remembered. Either way, God is faithful. He will always fulfill His promises to me.

I love asking God for wisdom because it shows my total reliance on Him to help me make good decisions. And I love opening God’s Word to help me make decisions consistent with His will, because that’s where His will is found.

Have you asked God for wisdom today? Take a moment and do it now. He will give it to you.

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

When I was in elementary school, my parents made me attend different types of  AWANA programs around town. One of the first verses that I learned as a child was  Romans 3:23: “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” That verse was usually at the beginning of the booklet I had to get to attend these types of programs at different churches. It’s why it’s one of the main verses that I remember learning, and it is why it has stuck with me for so many years. Romans 3:23 is an important verse to learn because it deals with our sin, but without Romans 3:24, I felt a lot of shame in my life.

 I understand in the gospel why that is one of the first verses that you would learn in a verse learning type booklet, because it deals with humanity’s key issue, that we are sinners who have been separated from God. What I understood about myself, though, fundamentally was that I was totally undeserving of God’s grace, that it was hard for me to believe that Jesus would ever die for sins and resurrect from that grave three days later, and that I might have new life with God. What should have brought me to see my need for Jesus led me to believe that I should be kept away from Jesus.

Even in the good deeds I did, it felt like I was just going through the motions of following Jesus, so that maybe I could be worthy of having my sins forgiven by Jesus and get to go to Heaven. But that’s where I am glad for Romans 3:24, which says, “and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, (ESV)” Jesus came for us to be made right with Him. We are not justified by anything we can do or could do, but only justified by what Jesus has done for us to be made right with God.

My shame has been wiped away because Jesus has redeemed me, and I am justified by Jesus. My life is to be lived with Him forever and ever because of what He’s done. In reading Romans 3:23-3:24 together, we’re reminded of how breathtaking the gospel is.

We are sinners who can do nothing to earn our way back to God, for we are far outside of His glory, but by His grace, we are made right with God to be children of His forever. In ministry, we can only rely on God’s grace to save people. We should never tire of reflecting on the gospel, as it is the primary way for us to have salvation.

My fear is that at times we find the gospel boring, focus only on getting to Heaven, or say we believe the gospel but live in ways that seek our own glory to make us right with God. The gospel is what all of scripture is pointing to; the only reason to be in Heaven is to be with Jesus, and we are only right and do the good things that God has set up in our lives to make us new creations (2 Corinthians 5:17; Ephesians 2:10). Let us never tire of the gospel, and doing good deeds because of what God has done for us.

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.

I’ll never forget the day I almost fell off a wall like Humpty Dumpty.  I must have been around 8 years old, and I was outside playing with my friend Stephen.  For some reason we thought it would be fun to sit on top of a block fence and shoot the breeze.  But as we talked and laughed, I lost my balance and literally fell over backwards.  It was one of those slow-motion moments where my adolescent life passed before my eyes.  But amazingly my friend Stephen grabbed hold of my feet and pinned me to the wall.  I was hanging upside down, which was a bit of a dilemma.  But at least I didn’t break my neck.

In these well-known verses from Ecclesiastes, Solomon ponders the proverbial question of what would have happened to me if I had been on that fence alone.  The answer: I probably wouldn’t be here writing this devotional.

In verse 9, he declares the principle that “two are better than one.”  Then he gives three examples to support his claim.

1. If a person falls down, he has someone to help him up.
2. If a person lies down, he has someone to keep him warm.
3. If a person is attacked, he has someone to protect him.

Today I’m struck with the simple truth that we need friends in our lives.  As Solomon says: “Two are better than one.”
 
For many that special person may be a spouse.  But the principle is stated here in general terms, not marital terms.  (It uses business terms to be exact.)

So I believe these verses are about relationships in general.  They’re exhorting us to make sure we have special people in our lives who love us and care about us, rather than trying to go it alone.  There are too many loners in the world, and the church is no exception.

Here are three helpful questions to ask yourself today:

• When I fall down (sin, fail, make a mistake), who is there to help me up?
• When I feel cold (lonely, numb, discouraged), who is there to warm and cheer me up?
• When I’m under attack, who do I know that will fight for me and guard my back?

I hope and pray some names came to your mind.  (Maybe you need to call them today to let them know how much they mean to you.)  

But no matter what, remember there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother (Proverbs 18:24).  “A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.”  The third strand – Jesus – is always there for you, and he will strengthen all of your relationships when he is at the center of your life.

The Berean Bible (www.Berean.Bible) Berean Study Bible (BSB) ©
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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.

One of the things I enjoy doing in the early morning is going out into our subdivision for a walk.  Now I will be honest, I started walking for exercise because I wanted to improve my physical health.  When you get to my age, I have come to realize the reality of the statement, “Use it or lose it.”  What I forced myself to do in the beginning has now become something I enjoy.  Our subdivision has over 2.5 miles of roads, so it gives me ample area to walk each morning.  Since I live in the foothills it also gives me the opportunity to see God’s handy work as I look at His creation.  I often start my walks when it is just verily light enough to see.  As I look up into the morning sky, I can see a sliver of a moon rising with the planet Venus shining brightly.  At other times I see a harvest moon setting in the horizon.  As the sun rises, it illuminates the table mountains in our area with great beauty.   In the spring when the wildflowers are blooming, I see the intricate work of God’s hands.  My thoughts turn to how amazing is our Creator God.  He has made our world and universe and holds it together for us to visually enjoy, creating wonder as we look at the beauty around us.  I am reminded that He has created all this for me and others to enjoy as we walk through life.

The Psalmist, as he contemplated God’s creative activity, exhorts us to praise the Lord with our whole being.  There is an excitement about the beauty and wonder of creation.  It all points us to the reality that there is a Creator.  “The heavens proclaim the glory of God.  The skies display his craftsmanship.” (Psalm 19:1)   It causes us to respond in worshiping the Creator.  Creation proclaims that there is a God and that we can know Him.  “For ever since the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky. Through everything God made, they can clearly see his invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature. So they have no excuse for not knowing God.” (Romans 1:20) Creation is a witness to God’s reality and is inviting us to know the One Who made it all.  As the Psalmist was drawn into God’s presence through the creation around Him, we too can be drawn to worship the Lord as His creation proclaims His glory.  The Word of God reveals God to us and how to know Him.  Creation also witnesses to God’s existence.  What a privilege we have to respond in praise and worship, as God declares His greatness in all that He has created and His Word.  What assurance this brings into my life that I know the Lord because He has revealed Himself to me through His Word and all that He has made.

The Psalmist is overwhelmed by what he sees.  He stands in awe of God.  The only way he can respond is, “O Lord my God, how great you are!”   He has come to an understanding of how great God is!  In the true sense of the word, God is “awesome.”  There is no one who compares to Him.  There are no other gods.  He is the only true God.  Today God is inviting us to come to Him in true worship.  Many times, in the morning I return home after my walk and realize this was not just exercise for my physical body, but this was a deeply spiritual exercise of seeing my Lord for Who He is.  It has been a time of worship as the Holy Spirit has recalled Scripture verses and songs that reinforce the wonder of creation that I see all around me.  Truly we can say with the Psalmist, “How great You are!”   

I want to encourage you over the next weeks to take time to get away from the routines of life and spend time worshiping the God of creation.  This may mean taking a drive, going for a walk or just sitting in your backyard, focusing on the handywork of God as declared in Psalm 19.  Take the time with me to see what a truly “awesome” God we know and serve.


Prayer:  Lord, I admit that so often in life I have become so busy that I have not taken the time to see and meditate on how great You are.  Help me to take those moments in my day when I can stop and focus on You.  Thank You for the privilege of being Your child and knowing You.  Amen     

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