Devotions for Teens & YA's

(April 4, 2025)

 For I know the thoughts I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.” –Jeremiah 29:11, NIV

Do you get your recommended 10,000 steps daily? You might not only do ten thousand, but you may also exceed those. One of our daughter’s works at a hospital. She has to do a lot of walking during her workday. It doesn’t take any effort to not only get in the recommended 10,000 steps but she can easily double that number within her shift.  

Part of Jesus’ care for us included walking not only from village to village, making himself known to people, but in the final hours and moments of His life, taking every one of those steps meant for us. Jesus took our steps all the way up the hill of Calvary. He walked every single one of them. He didn't call for angel assistance or levitate to the top of the hill and wait till everybody else arrived. He walked the streets, He walked the hill, Jesus took the steps while carrying the weight of our cross.  

Do you wonder how many steps it was between the Praetorium where Jesus was sentenced—which was located on the Southwest side of Jerusalem—to the top of the hill where they nailed Him to the cross. 

It’s been estimated that the distance could have been around 600 meters or a third of a mile, but very likely they made Jesus go the long way, parading Him around so people could see how weak and helpless He was. Their goal was to humiliate Jesus as much as they could.  

For the average adult walking briskly, that would have been about 2500 energized steps. If we add on the extra distance Jesus would have needed to walk then we can add to that 2500, not discounting the extra weight on His bruised and bleeding back. 

What was Jesus thinking during that time? We know what His seven last words were from the cross but what was He saying to the Father while he walked all those steps? Was He praying for strength to endure, for His enemies, was He praying for us even then? Jesus’ warm and loving thoughts toward us must have motivated Him to continue taking those steps. 

2,500 steps, 5,000 steps, or 10,000 steps. No matter how many steps Jesus carried that cross or walked alongside Simon of Cyrene, regardless of the exact distance we are blessed to this day and for all eternity because our Lord was willing. Our Warrior didn’t give out. Our Healer and Comforter, Deliverer and Savior made it all the way to the top of the hill where His cross was waiting. On those days we don’t feel we can take one more trouble, one more trial, one more storm in our life we can remember the length Jesus went to, to secure our salvation. Because Jesus lasted and endured we can do our part now.    

Dear Jesus, thank You for taking our cross. Thank You for thinking me of as You carried that load on Your back and as You hung, bled, and died for me. Thank You, that Your thoughts towards me are always of peace and for my future hope. Amen   

(April 3, 2025)

 But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement of our peace was upon him, and with his stripes we are healed—Isaiah 53:5-6

What’s your favorite healing story in the Bible? Is it located in the Old Testament where there are twelve occurrences of individual healings like the one about Naaman who was healed of his leprosy after dipping in the Jordan River seven times (2 Kings 5:1-14). Or when Abraham prayed to God and God healed Abimelech, his wife, and his slave girls so they could have children (Genesis 20:1-18). 

Maybe you loved one or several of the healings recorded in the New Testament. Especially those about Jesus as He traveled from town to town healing all the sick. In one story Jesus healed a blind man using dirt and spit, making a compress of mud (Matthew 12:22-29). Or when Jesus healed the man with the withered hand (Matt. 12:9-13). Or maybe you like reading how the woman with the issue of blood was healed just by touching the hem of Jesus’ garment (Matt. 9:20-22). No matter which Gospel you read, you can come across stories where Jesus healed people with all kinds of ailments. 

Reading about personal and individual healings in the Bible can encourage us, especially when we are suffering and on our sickbed, struggling to get well. Whether we have a fever like Peter’s mother-in-law (Matt 8:14-15) or have been given a diagnosis of cancer that does not have a good survival rate, knowing Jesus, our Healer is at work around and within us can keep us from giving up, keep us having faith in what our healing Savior can do in our life, regardless of medical diagnosis or prognosis.

In the Old Testament there are twelve occurrences of individual healings and in the New Testament there are 51 healing accounts. Approximately three quarters of the (38) are in the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John and all but one of the remaining accounts are in the book of Acts.

Even if we are not healed today and spend our life’s journey suffering in our body there is a healing all of us are promised: the spiritual healing Jesus secured when He went to the cross and died for us. 

Isaiah said, by Jesus stripes we are healed. By the punishment, floggings, and beatings with fists our Lord Jesus Christ endured before they nailed Him to the cross, we are healed. Because Christ took the beatings that belonged to us, because Christ took the nails pounded into His flesh and hung on the cross for our sins, we are healed. The atonement for our sins came at a great price which our Savior paid for us. As it’s been said, our salvation was free, but it wasn’t cheap. 

When we invite Jesus into our heart and ask Him to be the Lord of our life, we automatically experience His powerful, healing presence. Because Jesus is with us, and we belong to Him we will experience healing in our life that includes all aspects and areas of our life. In fact, in our lifetime we'll be healed again and again, just as we can become sick again and again. Praise Jesus there is an ultimate healing awaiting us. We can rest in the assurance that by the sufferings Jesus endured we have the healing that counts the most and lasts for all eternity: our sins are healed, and we have been set free.

Jesus, thank You for enduring the sufferings that were meant for me. Thank You for dying for me and for the healing You secured for me through Your death and resurrection. Amen   

(April 2, 2025)

 At once the Spirit sent him out into the wilderness, and he was in the wilderness forty days, being tempted by Satan. He was with the wild animals, and angels attended him—Mark 1:12-13

Lent is a season of reflection, spiritual growth, sacrifice, and generosity. Traditionally Lent lasts for forty days, modeled after Christ’s forty-day fast in the desert, and it ends on Good Friday. Today, in the Western Church, Lent officially begins on Ash Wednesday with a reminder of our mortality as many receive the imposition of the ashes: ashes to ashes, dust to dust. Whether we spend forty days fasting as Jesus did or we choose to fast on certain days or not at all, Lent is a time we can focus on repentance and reflection and growing our faith as we think of everything Jesus did for us.

We know that after Jesus was baptized in the Jordan river by John the Baptist, the Holy Spirit led Him into the wilderness where there were wild animals. There were no soft beds to sleep on, no plush pillows to lay His head upon, no warm blanket to cover Him on chilly nights, no protection from the elements, no human companionship. 

Jesus did not go on a nice retreat enjoying a quiet setting marked by quiet reflection, basking in sun rises and sun sets like we often enjoy when we participate in a spiritual retreat. Jesus endured forty days of preparation for His public ministry. Satan was stalking and observing, waiting for the Son of God to grow weaker in His flesh because He was not taking in any nourishment. For Jesus, it was a time of deep focus, complete fasting, and prayer. Jesus was setting His face for Jerusalem and the cross even then. 

Because Jesus suffered in isolation in the wilderness, going without food or drink, successfully overcame the temptations brought to Him by Satan at the end of forty days, we can spend our season of Lent as we choose. Whether we fast or choose not to, attend special worships, enjoy spiritual reading material or participate in spiritual retreats we can have peace of mind knowing the outcome: our Savior endured from beginning to end and nothing and no one kept Him from His destination: the Cross of Calvary where He fulfilled the Law and secured our salvation once and for all. 

Jesus, thank You for enduring hunger and thirst in the wilderness for forty days and for rejecting each temptation Satan brought. He tried to make You sin and keep us in bondage. Because You remained sinless from the beginning of Your earthly life until the very end, we are set free and Satan has no claim or hold on us. We can now live eternally in heaven. Amen      

(April 1, 2025)

Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen: to loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and break every yoke? Is it not to share your bread with the hungry and bring the homeless poor into your house—Isaiah 58:6-7

Do you fast from food during Lent? If so, what do you ordinarily fast from? Many people will cut out sweets, desserts. Some don’t eat bread or red meat for the forty days or at times. People have been using fasting as a spiritual practice and discipline for centuries. Even back in Jesus’ day and before that, people fasted. Fasting was such an ordinary practice during that time, Jesus made sure to instruct His followers about how they should be fasting. He told them, 

“And when you fast, do not look gloomy like the hypocrites, for they disfigure their faces tat their fasting may be seen by others. Truly I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, that your fasting may not be seen by others but by your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you” (Matt. 6:16-18).   

Just as many observe the practice of fasting with regularity there are those who are unable to fast for medical reasons. Many people have physical ailments that prevent them from fasting. Sometimes certain medications will not allow us to fast from food. Fasting isn’t commanded by God. It’s not a Law or part of the Ten Commandments. If we don’t fast, we will not be punished by God. But if we do fast, we should do it the way God says in His word: with a pure heart, as a private matter between us and God, and for an outcome that does the good God wants. We are not to use fasting as a way of getting the admiration of others or make ourselves appear to be super-spiritual in the eyes of other.  

Jesus neither encouraged nor discouraged His disciples to fasting. Once He told the religious leaders His disciples didn’t need to fast as long as He was still with them. Fasting would be for after He had returned to heaven (Luke 5:33). Jesus just wanted to make sure if they did fast, they did it in the correct way. Even before Jesus came to earth God admonished the Israelites about their fasts. It seems they were attempting to use fasting as a means of gaining favor with God. through the prophet Isaiah God told them their practice of going without food was not impressing Him because their hearts were not right and at the end of their fasting they were the same as before their fast started. Their hearts were still the same: wicked and selfish. People were still hungry, homeless, and oppressed. 

God can do powerful and amazing things when we engage in the spiritual practice of fasting from food. If we choose to fast we should do so with a pure heart and in fullness of faith. God still uses the worshipful heart to do great wonders and miracles over the earth and in our lives.

God, whether I can fast from food or not, my heart is always humble. When and if I do fast, I pray it’s for all the right reasons. Amen           

(March 31, 2025)

As the deer pant for streams of water, s my soul pants for you, my God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When can I go and meet with God?—Psalm 42:1-2

When you’re thirsty what do you thirst after? Are you a soda drinker? What about coffee or tea? What beverage satisfies and quenches your thirst more than any other? Some people say they don’t like water. They can’t stand the taste of water without any additives. If that’s you, there are plenty of additives on the market you can reach for. It’s been scientifically proven the best beverage you can drink is water. Nothing is healthier than plain H2O.

The thirst David talks about in Psalm 42 isn’t about his physical thirst. Even though he’s in the desert where water is scarce. The thirst David is talking about here is spiritual. He is thirsting after God. David was one who could not get enough of God. He paints a picture of a dehydrated deer, panting for streams of water. His tongue may be protruding. His breathing shallow.  

David’s psalm is a metaphorical expression of his longing to draw near to God in His temple. David describes his thirst for God to be like the intense thirst of a little deer on a blistery heat-parched day. It’s not difficult to imagine the little deer’s urgency to find even a stream of water to dip his tiny tongue in.

Do you feel that urgency for God like David? Do you thirst after God? Are you panting for God in your spirit? Are you someone who can’t get enough of God? Do you open God’s word, eager to meet Him there? Do you look forward to being in the presence of God as you pray? Do you prepare for worship with a sense of anticipation, knowing you are going to be in God’s presence. Going to the throne room of God? 

God promises to bless those who seek Him by drawing near to those who draw near to Him (James 4:8). God will not deny the thirsty seeker. He will refresh and revive those who pant for Him. God will quench their thirst as He pours out His peace, and joy and wisdom and strength and hope and love. 

Just as water is the surest way to quench the physical thirst, God is the surest way to satisfy the spiritually thirsting.

Dear God. as a deer pants for streams of fresh, cool water so my heart and soul pant after You. Satisfy my thirsty soul, Lord. Amen   

(March 29, 2025)

I am confident of this: I will see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living—Psalm 27:13

Has life treated you in such a way that you’ve given up on “seeing the goodness of the LORD” during your lifetime? For some, it would be easy to feel as though they won’t see or experience God’s goodness until they get home to heaven. For many life has been nothing but one unfortunate event after another. One trauma and tragedy after another. As the saying goes, “if it weren’t for bad luck, they’d have no luck at all.”  When you hear their life story you can’t blame them for feeling as they do.

When David wrote Psalm 27 there was a lot going on. David was recounting his heartfelt desire to worship the Lord even in the midst of warfare. David begins his psalm of worship by declaring God was his light and salvation (27:1) and continues by proclaiming that even when evildoers were seeking to devour him they met God and ended up stumbling and falling to their own demise (27:2-3). David had only one pressing desire: he wanted to be with the Lord forever. He just wanted to see the beauty of the Lord, to behold God’s beauty and to meditate in His temple.

“The earth is the Lord’s and the fullness thereof” (P. 24:1). God is not only the Creator of the earth and everything in it, but He also occupies the earth and the universe. It’s impossible to live upon the earth or be anywhere in the universe and not experience the Lord’s goodness. There is nowhere we can go and no time during our lifetime that God’s goodness won’t touch us or impact our circumstances. 

It’s true, as long as we live upon the earth, we will experience darkness, corruption, hatred, injustice, unfairness, chaos can swirl all around us. As Jesus said “in this life we will have trouble, but we can take-heart He has overcome the world (John 16:33). We will have disappointment and sorrowful experiences, but we will not be denied the goodness of God. We will always be able to see—even if only a penlight or subtly in the beginning—penetrating the darkness. God will always be loving on us, making a way for us, making our enemies stumble and fall, being merciful towards us, forgiving us, renewing, restoring us and reviving us when we have felt faint or overwhelmed by the troubles of life.    

The wars and chaos all around him didn’t steal David’s confidence that God’s goodness would be his also and it doesn’t need to steal or diminish ours either.  Our God is the same yesterday, today, and forevermore. His goodness was with David and it’s with us today. Whenever we doubt it we can ask the Lord to open our eyes and He will.  

Dear God, thank You for this promise that encourages my heart. Help me remember no matter how much chaos, darkness, or enemy activity there is I’ll always have Your goodness with me. Amen      

(March 28, 2025)

   And your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, ‘This is the way, walk in it,’ whenever you turn to the right hand or whenever you turn to the left hand.”—Isaiah 30:21

From Genesis to Revelation, we read how God has led us. Historically we see how God has led His people from the very beginning. We also learn that God is leading us. Being led by God is one of the promises He makes, and He has sent His Holy Spirit to make sure we are led daily, all the way through life. And God Himself had promised that He will continue leading us in the future until the end of time. 

The exact opposite is true about Satan. From the beginning Satan has been a misleading presence. When Satan entered the Garden of Eden, he misled Eve by twisting what God had said and caused Eve to sin. 

Everywhere we read in the Bible we learn his actions have been consistent, he has not changed for one day, hour or second of history. 

Today Satan is still busy misleading people, tempting us to sin against God and follow Satan instead. The word of God assures us Satan’s actions or heart will never change. He will continue misleading people up to the very second Christ returns. His heart, agenda and intentions have always been the same. While God is the same yesterday today and forevermore, doing good toward His creation Satan is the same yesterday, today, and forevermore doing evil, causing chaos, bringing darkness, gathering souls for hell to spend an eternity with him and his demons.

How blessed we are that our gracious, steadfast, and faithful God remains with us yesterday, today, and forever. Looking back over our life we can remember how beautifully and lovingly God has led. Abraham testified, “As for me, the LORD has led me” (Gen. 24:27). The same God who led Abraham will lead us. The same God who led Moses, David, and all others until they were safely at home in heaven with Him will lead us. We will never have to go forward or through life without His counsel and companionship.    

Surrendering control and allowing God to lead us is a profound act of faith. There is blessing waiting for those who submit to God’s will and allow Him to take the lead. The peace that passes all understanding is only the beginning.

Lord, as believers, we are led by Your Holy Spirit. Thank You for sending Him from heaven so we are never alone and never without Your guidance and counsel..

(March 27, 2025)

    For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also—Matthew 6:21

To treasure something means to hold it in high esteem, appreciate its value and regard it as precious. It implies deep admiration, care, and pride in possessing or keeping that thing. We fight hard to hang onto the things we treasure. We do all we can to make sure we are not separated from the things we treasure. Whether it is possessions or people.  

The season of Lent gives us the opportunity to do some soul work and closely examine the things we treasure most and have placed in front of God. As we pray and read the Scriptures the Lord reveals to us those things we see as important.  

Jesus warned those gathered on the hillside that day about treasuring the things of this world above God. His sermon must have caused the hillside congregation to closely examine the way they spent their free time, apart from God. Maybe some thought of the things they saw as more powerful than God; the things that had more influence over them than the word of God. For some, they might have been convicted about the relationships they treasured above God. Some may have treasured money more than God. For them money was everything and determined their level of obedience to God. 

To this day, whatever we focus on and treasure most dictates our actions. When we focus on earthly success and wealth, we will expend our energies on earthly matters. We might treasure the goals or careers we have set for ourselves over what God is leading us to do. We might treasure earthly relationships more than we treasure the Word of God or our relationship with Him. 

What do you treasure more than anything? In Matthew 6 Jesus asks us to reflect on what we value most in life—because whatever we treasure will inevitably capture our heart and guide our ways. 

Over forty days what will we discover about ourselves and what our heart treasures most? At the conclusion of Jesus’ forty days in the wilderness His heart and actions revealed He treasured the Word of God, His relationship with the Father, His obedience to God and the purpose for which God had Sent Him, above everything. No matter how hard the devil tried to persuade Him Jesus did not budge. We can be like Jesus. We can reject the things of this world that cause our heart to be far from God and we can treasure the things of God so our heart will follow.

Jesus, thank You for this stirring sermon. Thank You for the season of Lent that is perfect for self-examination and learning what we treasure most in this life. Amen    

(March 26, 2025)

   The Lord, your God, is in your midst, a mighty savior, who will rejoice over you with gladness, and renew you in his love—Zephaniah 3:17, 

Imagine all that time God was in the midst of His people and so many could not recognize who was with them. God walked with them, talked with them, ate with them, laughed with them, went to the synagogue with them, sat in the same boat as they leisurely rowed across the lake. 

Did they look back and think, “that was really God healing people, making the blind see, the lame walk, the sick well, the deaf hear, multiplying biscuits and fish.” God with them for thirty-three years and so many missed it. God was not only in their heart but in their face every day and they didn’t recognize Him. 

What a shame. So many missed opportunities to ask God things only God can answer. To tell God only things His ears should hear. Missed opportunities to be fed by God’s hand—in the flesh—or receive face-to-face absolution for sins they were afraid to admit. Missed opportunities to sit on God’s lap, hold God’s hand, lean against God’s chest and hear His heartbeat.    

From the prophet of God came powerful prophetic words: “The Lord, your God, is in your midst, a mighty savior, who will rejoice over you with gladness, and renew you in his love.” There is reason to rejoice. 

You may be learning that Lent is a solemn season, yes, but it’s also a season full of opportunities to rejoice. That God is in our midst is a reason to rejoice. A reason to rejoice that we don’t have to miss God being with us—up close and personal—every day. 

God is in our midst in our troubled home lives and in the class we can barely stand going to. God is in our midst as we work through our troubled relationships and don’t know what to do to make things better. God is in the midst of this crazy, confused, chaotic world. We may need to look beyond the madness and sorrow and under the clutter but He’s here, there, and everywhere.

God, thank You for never leaving us alone. You’re right here with us. You came as our mighty savior who rejoices over us with gladness and renews us with Your love. May we always detect You. Amen     

(March 25, 2025)

 And when you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites. For they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, that they may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you—Matthew 6:5-6, ESV

How are you when it comes to praying in front of others? Most people don’t like to pray in front of people. They may feel shy or be afraid of not knowing what to pray for or nervous about how others will judge their praying.

As Jesus was teaching on prayer, He used the example of how some of the religious leaders prayed. Jesus said they prayed out in public, standing on the street corners, making a big production of prayer. Their goal was to be revered by people, seen as super-religious and super-close to God. Since that was their goal, they got the reward they wanted. Jesus called them hypocrites because everything they did was for show, secretly.   

We might desire to be more like those who can pray fluently and passionately publicly or in a large arena, but Jesus said the prayer that matters most, the prayer we want to be good at is the praying we do in secret. How well do we talk to Him when it’s just us and Him. How sincere we pray when we are alone with Him behind closed doors. 

The praying that we do behind closed doors, in secret is when we can confess our sins and say things to Jesus that should be kept between us and Jesus. We can express our deepest fears and apprehensions, and it won’t go any further. Even if we have no other place or relationships, we can be weak and vulnerable we can be that in private with Jesus. We can stumble over our words and try to pull our fragmented thoughts together and not feel pressured. we are not trying to impress anyone, and Jesus is not judging us. He enjoys our simple, straight forward prayer.  

Our goal should be growing in private intimacy with Jesus. Jesus is not judging our prayer He’s happy that we are taking time to talk with Him. He wants to get to know us better and for us to trust Him with our secret thoughts. The more we pray the more comfortable we’ll be praying both in private and public, but as Jesus said, the most important praying we’ll ever do is the praying we do when it’s no one except us and Him. Jesus promises when we pray privately, we will be rewarded.  

Jesus, help me grow in secret prayer. I may become good at praying in front of others, but my biggest goal is to deepen my private prayer relationship with You. Amen         

(March 24, 2025)

  Return to the stronghold, You prisoners of hope. Even today I declare that I will restore double to you—Zechariah 9:12, NKJV

Have you ever been a prisoner? There are people who know what that feels like. They have been prisoners of war. Some have been prisoners, held against their will and trafficked. Being a prisoner of anything is nothing to take lightly.  

Even if you’ve never been a prisoner you probably know enough about being imprisoned or stuck from movies or things you’ve read to know it’s not a predicament any of us would choose to be. No one wants to be a prisoner. Not even metaphorically. And even if we’ve never been a prison literally many can identify with being or feeling like a prisoner, metaphorically. 

Metaphorical prisons are nothing to take lightly. Feeling stuck in a place you don’t want to be, even if (only) metaphorically is no joke. Some people feel stuck in their circumstances or situations. Feel like a prisoner in their own home. Some feel as though they are prisoners at their workplace, unable to advance or move to that next desired level. Some people feel too many people are depending upon them and that makes them feel stuck. Some are working on an assignment they haven’t been able to have a breakthrough and that makes them feel stuck. Feeling stuck or like a prisoner comes in many forms. 

Sometimes the reason we are so miserable about being stuck is because we know there is freedom to be experienced. It’s right there. We can see and sense it; that makes it worse. 

The prophet Zechariah encouraged the Israelites who had experienced captivity, to return to their “Stronghold,” symbolizing their reliance on God as their protector and savior. The phrase “prisoners of hope” suggests that they rightfully expect vindication, and God promises to restore and bless them with double portion. 

Even today, as prisoners of hope, we can do more than dream about the freedom we’ve been hoping for. We can base our hope on the promises of God knowing God is able and will restore the things that we are missing out on in our stuck situation. The Israelites experienced God’s promised deliverance and every time He delivered them as He promised, their optimism and outlook increased.

The same can happen for us today. We are God’s children living under the grace of God and in the promised salvation through Jesus Christ. Because God fulfills every promise to rescue us and deliver us and come through for us. As God’s children, covered by Jesus righteousness, we are blessed and highly favored.     

There is something that happens when we become prisoners of hope: it’s contagious. our squelch-less optimism and outlook flow over onto others and God is praised.

Heavenly Father, may be prisoners for a time and we may feel like we are prisoners in our situations. Whether it is literal or metaphorical Your promise to rescue, deliver, favor and bless us two-fold gives us hope. Let our hope in You be contagious. Amen      

(March 22, 2025)

One time Jesus entered a house, and the crowds began to gather again. Soon he and his disciples couldn’t even find time to eat. When his family heard what was happening, they tried to take him away. “He’s out of his mind,” they said—Mark 3:30-21, NLT  

Many are still conflicted when it comes to believing that Jesus was both God and Man. Some have difficulty believing Jesus can identify with our earthly struggles. Forgetting His earthly life wasn’t any different than ours. There were political divides, racial bigotry, poverty and injustices just like we have today. Even those who lived close to Jesus often struggled to look beyond His humanity. No matter how many He fed at one time, or how many He healed they still refused to accept He was greater than any human or He could be from God. Mark writes about an incident where Jesus’ family feared for His mental and physical wellbeing and that He was working too hard. In that instance they could only see Him as son and brother, not the Son of God, operating under the authority and power of God.  

Once, when the Passover festival was taking place in Jerusalem, Jesus’ own brothers pressed Him about going to the festival to promote or prove Himself as a public teacher. Implying if Jesus was really who He claimed to be He should not be reluctant to reveal it to everyone (John 7:1-24). Jesus didn’t do anything before the time was right, so He did not let their chiding change His course.   

We are blessed to live on this side of the cross and resurrection. Today we can know and see what was difficult for others to see and accept at the time if they didn’t have faith. We can identify with our Savior’s humanity and touch His divinity. We can connect with His earthly struggles and embrace His supernatural. We can accept what Paul wrote, saying, Jesus Christ was not merely a reflection but the exact image of God, affirming Christ’s divinity and equality with God the Father (Colossians 1:15). 

Studying the life of Christ keeps us reminded Jesus was both God and Man. Accepting the humanity of our Savior is important. When we believe in our heart and confess with our mouth that Jesus was the Son of God come to earth, was clothed in flesh, experienced the same world, life, challenges, troubles, and suffering that are common to human life, then we can also accept Jesus knows our sorrows and how difficult this journey is for us. We can believe with all our heart that Jesus is sitting at the right hand of God interceding for us because He knows how much we need God’s mercy, patience, and kindnesses toward us. We can believe that Jesus comes near to touch us and comfort us, console us and strengthen us because He knows what we’re going through.  

Dear Jesus, thank You for coming to earth and live this life that we live. We have no problem believing with all our heart You were both God and Man: human and divine.  

(March 21, 2025)

 And he took a piece of broken pottery with which to scrape himself while he sat in the ashes.—Job 2:8, ESV

Every journey of healing starts somewhere. Although he wasn’t aware of it, Job’s healing began the day he got news that all seven of his children had been killed. Not only his children, but his cattle, camels, and servants; all gone. Dead. No more. If his losses were not enough his own health took a turn, and he was stricken with sores from head to toe. Defeated, defenseless, and drained of life, Job did the only thing he could think to do, Job was a lot like we are today, he went to sit in the ashes.

Lent is traditionally that time of year we focus on our sin—and we need to do that—without seeing our true state as sinners in need of a Savior there can be no true repentance. It’s a time we can turn our attention to our stark realities and see ourselves for who we truly are. That season in the Church year we can admit we are weak, powerless to change our situations, hopeless, helpless, just as frail, and fragile as God sees and knows we really are underneath it all (Psalm 103:14).

What brings you to the ash heap this Lent; why are you covered with ashes? Tradition? Something you do each year; discipline yourself to do all the things Lent lends itself to? Perhaps a fresh grief, or even grief that has never been processed fully or in a healthy way? Maybe an illness you did not expect to be dealing with at this point in life? Perhaps something that has shredded you emotionally, tested you mentally, worn you out physically, depleted you spiritually? 

Have you been thinking about how you've wasted so much time? Are you trying hard to get your life on track after going through an unforgiving pandemic and COVID-19? Maybe someone in-between just trying to navigate the ups and downs of life that finds you with ashes, not only on your face but everywhere you look. 

It matters less what’s going on in your life this Lent or what your frame of mind and heart are as you begin your Lenten journey, it’s enough knowing Jesus can work with all of it. Ash Wednesday started it all and was that portal that led to the road where there’s no denial, no facades, no comfy-cozy feel-good counsel to make you feel better about yourself than you deserve. Willingness to sit in the ashes for forty days like Job sat in his ashes is also willingness to take this journey with Jesus and see things his way; take His yoke upon you. After all, you’re going in the same direction as Jesus. He’s headed to the cross where He’ll be crucified, and you’ll be at the foot.

Job learned a lot not only about his friends and himself, but God, as he sat in the ashes. He learned the things he had no answers for, and the things God has all the answers too. He learned God is always more gracious, loving and forgiving than can be imagined or understood with our human mind. 

Job learned that while ashes aren’t for remaining in forever, they serve a necessary purpose for going forward as renewed and healed people. 

Jesus thank you for inviting me to accompany you to the cross. Help me learn of You as we go along this Lenten season. Even though my ashes have been washed away, help me accept my state of sinfulness and need for a Savior graciously and see their purpose in my life and future. Amen

(March 20, 2025)

  The Word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart—Hebrews 4:12, ESV 

It must have been one of the most memorable and talked about sermons yet; the kind that stays in your head long after the service is ended. Those who had attended the sermon Jesus gave on the hillside had not only been fed spiritually, but their physical hunger addressed afterward. 

Jesus preached a sermon that held the attention of the thousands gathered. His sermon was riveting, powerful, and easy to understand. 

The message Jesus gave was for the people sitting before Him: the common people, fishermen, farmers, shop owners, young and old alike; family people and singles. Jesus was not preachy, not given to lofty words, but gave a message that went straight to the heart and hitting people where they lived (Matthew 5-7). 

Unlike many preachers and teachers Jesus did not preach hellfire and damnation without giving a glimpse of heaven and hope. Through His words they were convicted yes, but also uplifted. They knew they were sinners but by the grace of God they were also forgiven. Jesus had a way of both admonishing and comforting them. When Jesus preached it was as though they were going through a spiritual surgery where the darkness, confusion and doubt was being cut away and in its place light and peace and faith were sown. 

Jesus didn’t need gimmicks. He didn’t need to give away door prizes or promise a lavish meal after church. He didn’t need to gather people on pretense. In His day Jesus was the greatest preacher and teacher and whenever He was in town or anywhere near people made their way to where He was. 

Because they learned from the Master it wouldn’t be farfetched to think many of the disciples must have been great preachers also. Crowd-drawers. It was said that Luke was a preacher who could hold your attention, give a spirited sermon; what powerful messages Luke must have been able to preach. The physician, turned apostle, turned healer, slash preacher; the testimonies he had to share. 

Peter is another strong preacher. His boldness in the pulpit coming upon him on the Day of Pentecost holding the attention of the crowd. The Scriptures say that more than 3,000 joined the church that day following his spirited sermon. 

And we know from Paul’s writings that he must have been able to bring a strong word also. So many of his letters have a powerful flow that seem to preach themselves. 

Throughout the ages there have been countless others who could draw great numbers through their preaching and teaching. Is it any wonder, then, we either clamor and press to get to the Living Word, which is Jesus Christ, or we flee as fast as we can from it? Put up every resistance and barrier we can to keep from hearing it? 

When the Word of God and the Spirit of God join forces there is no end to what can transpire. Jesus is always a transformative presence and Person. 

Jesus still instructs, comforts, admonishes, transforms, touches our heart, in places only He can reach. The Word of God is a living, not a dead word, that is able to cut through and penetrate the deepest levels, speak to our condition and our circumstances. 

The person striving will be helped by the word. The person perplexed will receive clarity from the Word. The person broken will be made whole, and the person tossed, torn, and troubled will receive peace through the Word. The one who hungers and thirsts for the Word of God will be fed and nourished. 

During Lent we may choose to fast from many things but one thing we shouldn’t fast from is the Word of God. When it comes to the Word, we should get our knife, get our fork, and let Jesus feed us! 

Feed me, Lord! Amen 

(March 19, 2025)

For we hear that some among you walk in idleness, not busy at work, but busybodies. Now such persons we command and encourage in the Lord Jesus Christ to do their work quietly and to earn their own living—2 Thess. 3:11-12, ESV 

No matter who we are and where we live in this big world, everyone has two things in common: we all have been given one life to live, and our life is divided up into twenty-four-hour days. 

Theologian, Church Reformer, and seminal figure of the Protestant Reformation Martin Luther, used to call this twenty-four-hour day “Our Little Life.” Once God put the sun and moon in place and appointed times for rising and setting, daytime and nighttime cannot be altered. We can wish for more time but wishing doesn’t change how time goes; time is set in stone.

The human experience is unpredictable. Life experiences and events can shape and demand how we use our time. Some days or seasons of life may lend themselves to be more productive than others. There are times we do not get to accomplish everything we intended or set out. There are many factors that keep us from achieving the goals we have set for ourselves. 

As we read the Gospels, we see Jesus living out his life. We read how Jesus utilized the time He had. Jesus ministered with grace; the clock did not rule Him. He took time for people, but he also lived with intentionality and did not get caught up in the dramatics of people. Jesus never lost sight of His ultimate destination on earth—being that spot outside Jerusalem called Golgotha—which meant “the place of the skull.” Today many Christians refer to it as Calvary. 

Whatever we call it, from the very beginning Jesus knew when the time came, He would be crucified: dying for the sins of mankind bringing salvation to the world, and letting people know He was the Son of God was Jesus’ sole purpose on earth. He came for the purpose of being the perfect sacrifice that would cancel out our sin debt. There would be no extensions or restructuring of time. 

Jesus was also aware that he had to “work while it was day before night came” (John 9:4) and His work on earth would need to be carried on by others. There was a lot Jesus needed to accomplish before returning home to Heaven. This is a dark world, and most people aren’t aware they are lost or walking in darkness, living out their “little life” that will only last so long.

In the Gospels we have a small portion of what Jesus did during His adult earthly life. As John wrote at the end of his Gospel, 

“Now there are also many other things that Jesus did. Were every one of them to be written, I suppose that the world itself could not contain the books that would be written (John 21:25) 

What we know is that Jesus used every day well and wisely. He only got thirty-three years, and he was going to use each one to their fullest.

Paul’s message to the believers in Thessalonica may appear to be for the able-bodied only, but everyone can accomplish some work with their little life. Even the sick can pray. Even the bedridden and immobile can spread cheer and lead others to the light and love of Jesus. Paul was not excluding anyone but encouraging purpose and serving the Lord. 

Like Jesus, we are headed to a destination. We are not going to Calvary to face crucifixion, but we are going home to heaven. We’re not going to Golgotha, but we cannot live like the misguided Thessalonians; walking around without purpose or plans with our faces stuck in the clouds, idol, being so heavenly minded we are no earthly good. 

God created us to work and for good works which have been planned out in advance (Eph 2:8-10). There are things we need to accomplish before we leave this place; people God has arranged for us to encounter that will make all the difference in the world and their eternity.

One of our biggest challenges as modern-day Christians may be to have a sense of the urgency of sharing Jesus and making others aware of their limited time on earth and their eternity. We are challenged to deny our flesh’s pull toward using our little life for self-glorification and self-gratification. 

When Jesus was headed to Jerusalem He taught people. He healed people. He fed people. He brought people out of darkness into His glorious light. He pointed people to the Father in heaven. He shaped and molded some disciples. Jesus made every moment count, and every town became an opportunity to share the gospel and administer acts of mercy. 

Our little life is precious and when we submit it to the Lord, He will lead us and keep us on the good path. The season of Lent lends itself perfectly for observing the way Jesus lived out His life and help us fully realize how important it is to use our “little life” to its fullest in accordance with the will of God demonstrated through the life of Christ Jesus. 

Jesus, every day may I be about good work, fulfilling the Father’s purposes planned in advance for me to do. Amen

(March 18, 2025)

And immediately he rose up before them and picked up what he had been lying on and went home, glorifying God. And amazement seized them all, and they glorified God and were filled with awe, saying, “We have seen extraordinary things today.”—Luke 5:25-26, ESV

Before Jesus healed the paralytic, He cleansed a leper that same day (Luke 5:12-14). Jesus had not only spoken to the leper but touched him even though the leper was covered with sores. After being healed by Jesus the man was able to return to his home, reunite with family and friends, go back to work and contribute to society and community life; that was amazing. 

Now Jesus was healing a paralyzed man who had been brought to Him by a group of caring friends. When no straight path to Jesus could be found they cut a hole in the roof of the house where Jesus was and lowered their friend that way. Jesus did not disappoint them. He spoke with the paralytic, healed him, not only of his paralysis, but gave spiritual healing. The man got off his mat, rolled it under his arm and went away glorifying God for what had been done for him. Luke said the onlookers were seized with amazement, filled with awed at the extraordinary things they had seen in one day. 

Is there any way we can say the name of our God and use the word common or ordinary in the same breath? Is there anything about God that is common or ordinary? Doesn’t everything become extraordinary when God is involved? The Scriptures show us God is no ordinary God but a great God. Moses asked the Israelites, “For what great nation is there that has a god so near to it as the LORD our God is to us, whenever we call upon him? (Deut. 4:7).

Indeed, no matter how great the nation may be, there is no God that is greater, no God that can leave us amazed or filled with awe at what they do and accomplish as our God can. 

When the disciples were at sea and the winds kicked up so high that water began to fill their boat and they feared they would drown, Jesus stood up and spoke to the winds, commanding them to be still and the winds obeyed. The disciples were filled with awe and wondered what kind of person would do something like that? (Mark 4:35-41). Concerning the power and majesty of God, their amazement of Jesus never left them, and it would be well if our amazement of what God does in our midst never leaves us. 

Does God still amaze you? Do you still have that sense of awe when God does something in your life or circumstances you know was not humanly possible and no one except God could accomplish it. What extraordinary things have you seen God do today or lately? The things we testify about God that amaze and fill us with awe should make us say like John when he wrote at the conclusion of his gospel,

“Now there are also many other things that Jesus did. Were every one of them to be written, I suppose that the world itself could not contain the books that would be written (John 21:25). 

What are we witnessing God do that should amaze us, fill us with awe and worship, yet we have filed in the mental folder marked “common” or “ordinary.” The best and most powerful testimonies are not the ones we read and quote from the Scriptures, but the ones we share that are personal. Being able to say what God has done for us as only God can. 

We enter this life by a miracle of birth, we join the family of God through the miracle of rebirth, and we cross the threshold of heaven through the miracle of faith in Jesus. From beginning to end we should be amazed and filled with awe at what our extraordinary God can do in the lives of common, ordinary humans.

Jesus, may our sense of amazement and awe at what you do among and within us, never leave us. Amen

(March 17, 2025)

  But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed—Luke 5:16, NIV 

Certainly, we don’t read about all the times Jesus removed himself from the group or went off to be alone with the Father, but Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John noted enough of them for us to know being alone with God was one of the practices Jesus had. It was something that must have been important to Jesus. More than anyone, Jesus would have known what was spoken through the prophet Isaiah was true, 

“For thus said the LORD God, the holy One of Israel, “In returning and rest you shall be saved; in quietness and in trust shall be your strength.” (Isa. 30:15) 

These days we might be hard-pressed to observe quietness. Quietness might seem a luxury rather than a necessity. We might intend to be quiet in the Lord but end up visiting our favorite social media sites, uploading some videos, checking our email, sending off a few quick texts, And before we know it our supposed quiet time with the Lord, has turned into enabling the brain’s inability to be quieted, succumbing to the flesh’s weakness for being busy and falling into the devils clever snares to keep us away from God.

One famous minister long ago said, “It is in the privacy of our heart and in the quiet of the moment that we know God is with us, near to us, and beside us. In those moments know that God loves us and is interested in all that we do, concerned about all our affairs.” 

Quietness is important for the interior to remain alive and aware of God. It’s in the quietness we become aware that we have the companionship of the God who created the vast universe with a big sweep and created the little human with a tender hand and careful consideration. As David wrote, “who am I that you are mindful of me; that you made me just a little lower than the heavenly beings” (Ps. 8:1) It’s the place where we realize that before we reach up to God, God is already reaching down to us.

When we think of it, it’s not so important that we have more times recorded where Jesus went off alone to be with God but just knowing that He did is enough. His servant spirit, determination to go to the cross, loving manner, and patient long suffering with insufferable humans, prove quietness in God helped him keep and find his strength to do what was necessary to win our salvation. 

They were his words, after all so Jesus knew that a right relationship with God brings quietness, the ability to be calm because we trust God to keep his promises. 

The last thing Satan wants us for us to find that place in the Lord. The last thing Satan wants is for us to make that quiet connection where our heavenly Father reminds us of who He is and what He does, and that He is with us always to the very ends of the age. 

The evil one knows once we have sat in the Lord’s presence, we regain our peace of mind and heart. We are comforted. We are strengthened. We are no longer running around pulling our hair out and fretting, but trust in God has strengthened us and we are good-to-go, good-to-stand, good-to-respond in fullness of faith. 

Jesus, I don’t spend nearly enough time in seclusion with the Father. Thank You for Your example of withdrawing to lonely, or desolate places to spend time with God; may I make that my practice also.

(March 16, 2025)

A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger. The tongue of the wise commends knowledge, but the mouths of fools pour out folly—Proverbs 15:1-2

Dear Jesus, 

it’s a good thing Lent is about repentance. I’ve got so much to learn from You. No one I know is filled with more kindness or has gentler responses than You. There is no one who is wiser or uses words better than You. You are truly living what Solomon so wisely advised.

There are three not-so-little words I need to learn to invest in and they are: humility, gratitude, and submission. They are innocent enough but applied to speech and handling emotions and responses they are powerful and can make all the difference in the way a conversation goes. They can defuse a verbal altercation and turn a potentially volatile encounter into a softened agree-to-disagree ending. Unbeknownst to my confronters, they give me power, put me in the right position of being defended by You, and give me the upper hand.

In today’s world we see more than enough examples of people who ignore Solomon’s wisdom. They are immature in their language and response skills and have the ability to fan an already tense situation into a full-blown, raging fire. They do not police their tongue and their fear of losing an argument makes them unnecessarily abrasive, teetering on verbal abuse. 

During Lent, as I follow Your life and ministry, Lord, I’m reminded and refreshed in Your ways; how You handled the confrontational. Those who rushed into Your presence with demands dressed up like questions. Those who pretended to be confused but were in truth, arrogant. Those who approached You with clenched fists rather than hands raised in submission and worship. Those who were insecure and irritated and those who just wanted to pick a fight with God because God challenged them in some way, and those who wanted to justify their actions and way of doing things. 

But You handled each one magnificently. You did not respond-in-kind even when they were off-putting, insulting, and disrespectful. You always spoke the truth, and never became unnerved. You managed to remain nondefensive and welcoming. Your responses may have been firm, but they were never harsh. You met insecurities with remaining secure in yourself; You never forgot who You are and there was no need to defend Your actions, Your responses, Your emotions, and assuredness. 

Why do I let (foolish) people rile me up, Lord? Why am I so easily provoked? Why do I allow the foolish and immature to unsettle me or control my emotions and responses so much? Jesus, let me take on more of Your ways when it comes to my responses. I could save myself so much agony and stress. 

As I journey through Lent let me see the gospel differently. As I study Your responses let me feel a little less defensive and a lot more controlled by the truth I know. Let me see when my response is as—and even more—immature than the one standing in front of me, who wants to provoke and pick an argument. Let me put those three not-so-little words into play and surprise even myself.

Jesus Your words give me life; they change me and challenge me in the very best ways. By the power of Your Holy spirit preach the gospel to my own heart, first. All day and every day, free my tongue for praise and help me put those three not-so-little words into action. Amen 

(March 15, 2025)

When the disciples reached the other side, they had forgotten to bring any bread. Jesus said to them, “Watch and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees.” And they began discussing it among themselves, saying, “We brought no bread.” But Jesus, aware of this said, “O you of little faith, why are you discussing among yourselves the fact that you have no bread? Do you not perceive? Do you not remember the five loaves for the five thousand, and how many baskets you gathered? Or the seven loaves for the four thousand, and how many baskets you gathered? How is it you fail to understand that I did not speak about bread? Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees.—Matthew 16:5-11, ESV

Matthew could have presented this account differently. He didn’t have to be so transparent. He could have written this conversation in a way that made the disciples look spiritually savvy and on top of things. But under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit there is always truth. Even though the disciples should have remembered what Jesus did in feeding the five and four thousand, they had forgotten as quickly as it was over. So busy going to the next thing they didn’t lock in fully, the miraculous God-thing they had witnessed and been part of. 

There’s no such thing as having a conversation out of earshot of our ever-present, always attentive, Triune God. There is nothing we can think, say, or imagine that God isn’t aware of beforehand or at the time. It’s impossible to have a conversation expressing our concerns about any matter and God be unaware. 

David testified of God, 

“Even before a word is on our tongue God knows it full well (Ps. 139:4). 

Furthermore, David says, 

“Where shall I go from your Spirit? Or where shall I flee from your presence? If I ascend to heaven, you are there! If I make my bed in Sheol, you are there! If I take the wings of the morning and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, even there your hand shall lead me, and you right hand shall hold me (Ps. 139:7-10) 

If there is nowhere we can go or flee to, and nothing—not even darkness—that can hide us from God, then we can know there is no thought or worry we can have that God is not aware of.

Jesus’ loving admonishment of the disciples was meant to shake them from spiritual dullness and to recall what they had witnessed Him doing. 

Jesus multiplied crumbs and piddling’s so that thousands were fed and filled, yet they still worried about not having bread to feed a small group of people for lunch. It was important to know the leaven Jesus spoke about was not about physical bread but how contagious and infectious faithlessness can be. 

Paul reminds the Galatians that all it takes is a little bit of yeast to work through the whole batch of dough and spoil it (Gal. 5:9). It only takes the faithlessness and spiritual dullness of one person to work its way through the entire group. All it takes is one person strategically placed, one person who controls the purse strings, or signs off on the paperwork, who is spiritually dull and faithless, to keep the work of God from going forward or souls being saved. 

Like the disciples, Jesus needs us to “get-it”. He needs us to have spiritual eyes that see fully and a heart of faith that is wide open. Enabling us to take bold steps of faith. We cannot see Jesus pay our rent or mortgage today and tomorrow secretly worry how he will pay our car payment, put food on our table, or pay our tuition. We cannot experience healing in our body one day and later secretly worry or doubt that Jesus is able to heal our cancer. We cannot learn that it’s by grace we are saved and then fret about doing “enough” good works to get into heaven. 

There is not one thought or concern Jesus doesn’t hear and know we have. Like the disciples, Jesus reshapes our thoughts to have a solid, unshakable faith that says “I know what my God can do. I’ve seen him in action. I know he does not fail.” 

Lent is our journey to walk with Jesus, witness his miracles and wonders, be amazed by the power of the Living Word, and it’s also a time to trade in our leaven for solid faith that cannot be shaken or influenced by the faithless. 

Dear Jesus, thank You for reminding me and when necessary admonishing me about entertaining the leaven that diminishes my faith.

(March 14, 2025)

  Surely he took up our pain and bore our suffering, yet we considered him punished by God, stricken by him, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed. Isaiah 53:4-5, NIV

While my husband was recovering from knee surgery a good friend sent him a gift in the mail. We burst out laughing as soon as he unwrapped it. The inscription said, “I wish I could take your pain and give it to someone we both hate.” She’s funny like that. We adore her sense of humor.

My husband’s journey entailed a lot of physical pain while he was and continues to heal but physical pain isn’t the only pain we can experience in our lifetime. We can also have pain that goes beneath the surface, pain we carry in our heart and emotions. Sometimes that kind of pain is harder to deal with and not easily spotted since we can do a good job of hiding it from others.  

The Hebrew words translated as “griefs and sorrows” refer to physical sickness, disease, and mental pain. Jesus promises to take our pain—all of it—upon Himself. In fact, the prophet Isaiah said the coming Messiah was going to be a pain-bearer.

When Jesus went to the cross, He not only took our sins upon Himself, He took our pain. That doesn’t mean we won’t have pain at times; that we won’t hurt in our heart as well as our bodies at times. But it means Jesus has borne our pain and will receive our pain, no matter what kind of pain it is. He’s not only our pain-bearer but the healer of our pain, the soothing salve we need to bring relief and cure us. As Isaiah said Jesus is the suffering Servant. 

Of course, we must be willing to give our pain over to him. Jesus willingly took upon himself the weight of our pain and suffering so that we could find healing and redemption. This act of selfless love demonstrates our Savior’s deep empathy for us. He didn’t just observe our pain from a distance; He entered it and took it upon himself.

The world offers many ways to cope with our pain: drugs, alcohol, pornography, harming ourselves and others but none of it has lasting impact, none of it is the cure we need.   

What do you do with the pain you experience? Are you trying to carry your own pain? Jesus wants to share your burdens; He wants to take your pain. Giving your pain to Jesus is as easy as asking Him to take it from you. Then be patient to wait on Him. Since Jesus has promised to do so, it will happen. As you wait on Him, wait in Him. Meaning: continue to pray and worship. Before you know it, your pain will not be the size it is today but will continue to become smaller and smaller in size and the impact it has on your life. 

Jesus, You took our pain upon Yourself and still You enter into our brokenness to carry our pain when we cannot bear up under it. We thank You for not only being our Savior, but our faithful companion on this journey. Amen

(March 13 2025)

 Nicodemus also, who earlier had come to Jesus by night, came bringing a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about seventy-five pounds in weight. So they took the body of Jesus and bound it in linen cloths with the spices, as is the burial custom of the Jews—John 19:39-40, ESV

It was two secret disciples, Joseph of Arimathea, and Nicodemus, who took Jesus’s body down from the cross and prepared Him for burial. If you’ve ever wondered what happened to Nicodemus after his late night, confidential conversation with Jesus, John lets us know. 

Joseph of Arimathea was given permission to take Jesus lifeless body from the cross and Nicodemus brought seventy-five pounds of myrrh and aloes to dress the body for burial. Afterward wrapping Jesus in strips of linen. Whether Nicodemus had demonstrated his devotion to Christ prior to this or not, his involvement with the Lord’s burial would become widely known and his devotion and faith a secret no more. 

We might think critically of the eleven, wondering where they were and why one or two of them didn’t do as Joseph and Nicodemus did. We might be judgmental that they were in hiding, fearful for their own lives, afraid to be identified with the crucified Jesus of Nazareth but who can say on this side of history and the cross how they would have reacted during this time. What we would or would not have done under the same circumstances.

Thinking with the mind of Christ we might see it differently. Jesus’s statement at his arrest might open our eyes to how God lines things and arranges opportunities so greater good can be accomplished. When they came to Jesus assured his stunned and frightened disciples, 

“But all this has taken place that the Scriptures of the prophets might be fulfilled” (Matt. 26:56; John 18:8-9)

If the eleven disciples had never been in hiding Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus might never have had the opportunity to demonstrate their faith in and devotion to Christ through an act of mercy. In one day, their hidden faith turned into undeniable, indisputable devotion.

Can you look back on events and circumstances in your own life and see “This happened so that God’s plans for your life might be fulfilled”? How, at just the right time, God arranged events in such a way the most natural response was a demonstration of faith and evidence of devotion to Jesus. In John’s letter to the church in Laodicea Jesus told them, 

“I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth (Rev. 3:15-17) 

The Lord despises lukewarm Christianity. He will not let us go on forever being in places of comfortability. Private devotion must be demonstrated. This testing is not for others to take notice of us but for us to show God.

Jesus’ tests our devotion to strengthen our faith. To take us from lukewarm to hot. Devotion to Christ needs to show in all we do; show every day in the way we act towards others. Not by the standards of the Law which are off-putting and offensive but by acts of mercy towards others which demonstrate Jesus’ love for them. 

Christ’s death was the fulfillment of the Scriptures and provides opportunities for us to demonstrate our devotion to Him, not through the law which He fulfilled but through acts of mercy we show to others.

Jesus, thank You for arranging opportunities for us to demonstrate our devotion to You and in the process, perform acts of mercy towards others. Amen

(March 12 2025)

  Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation—2 Corinthians 5:17-18, ESV

While you're going through Lent one of the things that stands out for you may be how Jesus operated from both his divine and human natures. 

Every day, Jesus did what came naturally. 

It was natural, instinctive for Jesus to talk to people. It’s apparent He enjoyed holding conversations with people, getting to know and enlightening them and they enjoyed their conversations with him. It’s also apparent Jesus could not turn away from the suffering. If he saw suffering, He was not going to turn a blind eye or pretend He didn’t see it. Jesus was holy but He never denied healing to those who weren’t, and He never left the person in the same condition He found them. 

Jesus also had a strong inner sense of compassion which He demonstrated in everything He did. There were times the Pharisees or scribes brought someone to Him they wanted Jesus to condemn, but Jeus did not. His instinct was to forgive the sin and set the sinner free.

It was natural for Jesus to teach the Scriptures with authority. He had not attended the traditional seminary as the Rabbis, but He did not feel threatened or intimidated by those who had; He was the living word become flesh. Concerning preaching it seemed Jesus had what the prophet Jeremiah described as “fire shut up in his bones” (Jer.20:9). His messages let us know He was a fiery and passionate preacher and could not withhold the messages of God despite suffering and opposition. 

Jeus was naturally loving, patient, kind, gentle, and peaceful. He was living in a dark world, but his natural light shone through and lit up dark places. He was living among the most miserable people, but He was not miserable, in fact the joy about the kingdom of heaven could not be denied and when He spoke about heaven He did so enthusiastically, with a sense of longing for home. 

Concerning his human nature. It was natural for the body to need sleep, to observe times of rest and to eat and Jesus did all of these. He was not going to live in His natural body forever, but He made sure he took care of his physical needs. A lesson for us to understand we are never so holy we should neglect the needs of our physical body. 

Many times, we will deny our nature, assuming what comes naturally must be evil. But we were originally created in God’s image which is good (Gen. 1:26,27). It wasn’t until sin entered that our original nature became flawed, and sin became our natural state and inclination. Yet, as Jesus says those who He has set free are free indeed (John 8:36). And Jesus has set us free to be those beautiful creation God designed in the beginning.

When we are baptized in Christ our original nature for good and holiness is restored, we are washed clean, and we have power to deny the old nature. As Paul wrote in Romans 7, we will always have a struggle within because the good and right that we want to do we have difficulty doing and the wrong and sin we don’t want to do that is what we seem to do. But Paul also gave the solution how to win this battle. He says thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! (Rom. 7:25). 

Lent's a great time to reconnect to what comes naturally—not the nature that came about because of sin and disobedience—but the nature that has been restored through holy baptism and continues to be sanctified by the powerful partnership with the Holy Spirit.

Since you are a new creation in Christ the old nature has gone, and the new nature has entered and wants permission to take overcome. What comes naturally to you by way of your new nature? What are you discovering about yourself? Are you learning to cultivate and let attitudes and characteristics like kindness, compassion, generosity, peace, patience, take the lead as they naturally want to do? Have you allowed your good nature—which Christ has sown into you—to be that which determines how you act and react? 

Through his life examples Jesus encourages you to be all that you are meant to be and now can be. Don’t worry about how it looks to those in the world that don’t understand, instead know the more space you give your new nature the more you will become that nature. Just as the Apostle Paul preached, “For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery” (Gal. 5:1).

During Lent we can practice operating in and becoming the new that is now natural for us and by Easter we will rejoice in the new nature which leads to new blessings and strength. 

Jesus the heavenly Father made me in his image at creation, sin entered but through Your death and resurrection and now holy baptism I have been restored. Just like You, I can operate in both my divine and human nature. Amen 

(March 11 2025)

 And she had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s Feet and listened to his teaching.—Luke 10:38, ESV

What a beautiful way to be remembered in the Scriptures: as one who sat at the Lord’s feet to be taught and filled up spiritually. Augustine wrote that Mary’s positioning was important since that was the position a student who was learning from a rabbi would assume. Mary taking that position indicated both her hunger for the word which flowed from Jesus, and her boldness in her worship. In Mary’s day her worship would have been considered radical for a woman. 

The lower Mary sat the more she received from her Lord and Master. We can picture great amounts of water cascading down a hill, collecting in caverns where it puddles before saturating the area. While others may have been listening to Christ teach, Mary was soaking him in. 

Mary’s worship should inspire and intrigue us. The difference between Mary and her sister Martha—who was happy to be within earshot as she performed the task of feeding others—Mary could not be in the same vicinity with Jesus and remain at a distance. Her need was to be as close to him as possible. Mary did not want to be occupied with anything else that might become a distraction. She wanted to fill her spirit like the water flowing down from a mountain. 

How picturesque: Mary sitting at the feet of her Head. Mary’s worship pleased the Lord and made others uncomfortable. They also would have preferred Jesus send her to the kitchen. Mary was like the feminine of the apostle John who could not be anywhere around Jesus without wanting to lay his head upon the bosom of Jesus. 

James said, “Draw near to God and he will draw near to you.” (Jas. 4:8). Mary certainly drew near and just as Paul wrote, she was “not ashamed of the gospel of Jesus Christ for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes” (Rom. 1:16). Even if others rebuked and secretly criticized her for being that close, that intent, that submitted in her spirit, Mary was not concerned. Her gaze was on Jesus and her focus was drawing near and soaking in everything the Lord said. 

Are our Bible’s well-worn, pages a little ragged, the binding showing wear and tear from being opened and much used? Or do the pages look as fresh as the day we purchased it? Does the binder still creak when opened because it has not been broken in yet? To open our Word or see nothing more important than being present when the preacher takes the pulpit, or the teacher sits at the head of the table is the same as sitting at the Lord’s feet. Taking the lower position to be in the presence of the Word is the same as sitting at the feet of our Head.

Jesus’ support of Mary can remind you that Jesus will defend your desire to worship and come close. When you position yourself at his feet his essence will flow down to meet yours. Jesus will pour into you as you present yourself as an empty vessel wanting to be filled. 

Jesus, what a wonderful place to be; sitting at your feet! May I spend as much time at your feet as I can.  

(March 10, 2025)

But the LORD God helps me; therefore I have not been disgraced; therefore I have set my face like a flint, and I know that I shall not be put to shame—Isaiah 50:7, ESV

Gloria was a determined person. She loved hearing stories about herself as a toddler and little girl. Her parents knew once she made up her mind about something there was no stopping her. When she was diagnosed with brain cancer at seventeen, everyone knew she was going to beat it. And though it took some doing and many times she wanted to let the cancer have its way with her body, something deep inside her made her fight with all her might. Her determination paid off. 

The prophet Isaiah prophesied this is how the Christ would be in his life. Everything Jesus did took him toward Jerusalem and Calvary. We see this demonstrated time and again as Jesus moved and ministered intentionally. He was not a juggernaut bouncing from one purpose to another. He was not torn in objectives, not torn between following the gods of this world and the God of heaven and earth, but his face was set to accomplish that for which the Father had sent him to do; set to do the Father’s will. 

Flint was historically and widely used to make stone tools and start fires. It is produced by chemical changes in compressed sedimentary rock. Because of its properties and hardness, the saying “I have set my face like flint” indicates a determination we will not be moved from what we are doing, what we are about, what we are or have set out to accomplish. 

Paul reminds us to set our face also. About himself, Paul testifies, 

“Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it. Every athlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable. So I do not run aimlessly; I do not box as one beating the air. But I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified” (I Cor. 9:24-27).

Jesus set his face for Calvary,

“And when the days drew near for him to be taken up, he set his face to go to Jerusalem (Luke 9:51)…And taking the twelve, he said to them, “See, we are going up to Jerusalem, and everything that is written about the Son of Man by the prophets will be accomplished” (Luke 18:31). 

What have you set your face to do? Have you abandoned something to set your face like a flint for something higher and greater? Of course, there are many grand and worthy goals to set while on earth. Setting your face to complete a level of education or excel in your studies. Setting your face to share the love of Jesus with others. Setting your face to be the son or daughter your parents can be proud of.  Setting your face to serve the Lord with your spiritual gifts and talents. 

Every one laudable and commendable goals to strive for with great integrity. All will serve you in your earthly journey but there is another goal you can set your face for that will impact your eternity and that is setting your face for heaven. Setting your face for the things that are imperishable and setting your face like a flint to obey God’s will which will bless you both now and in eternity.

Paul reminds us, 

“Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on 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 will also appear with him in glory (Col. 3:1-4).

Isaiah said, when we have set our face like Christ, on the things that are above, on our heavenly home, the matters of eternity and obeying God, we will not be disgraced we will not be put to shame. God will not disappoint us. 

The wicked and godless in this world may have set their face to do wicked things. To cause destruction and chaos. To promote evil and be disciples of the evil one, but that’s their business. Belonging to Jesus Christ we set our face like a flint to promote and lift up Jesus from the earth. We set our face to be loving and forgiving and compassionate. We set our face to do good and obey the Father’s will and there is no shame in that. 

Jesus, Lent is a good time to reacquaint myself with how you set your face like a flint to do the Father’s will. You set your face for Jerusalem now help me set my face toward heaven and sharing You with others along the way. Amen 

(March 8, 2025)

 And this is the will of him who sent me, that I shall lose none of all those he has given me, but raise them up at the last day—John 6:39, NIV 

Recently, my husband saw a video of a man being swallowed by a great white whale, then being spit back out. As the man was out in the ocean a great white whale surfaced, opened his mouth and swallowed the man and his small boat, disappeared, and minutes later, reappeared, opened his mouth and spit the man out. The man’s son, who witnessed and videoed the entire miracle, could be heard in the background, shouting with amazement. Ever since my husband saw the video, we have been wondering what God had planned and has in store for this modern-day Jonah.

Clearly, God has a plan for this man and not even a big whale in the middle of the ocean who held the power of death in his jaws was going to keep God’s purposes from being fulfilled in this man’s life.

One of the promises God speaks through the prophet Isaiah says, “For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return there but water the earth, making it bring forth and sprout, giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater, so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it” (Isa. 55:10-11).      

There is no one more determined than God. No plans of the enemy, nothing we do, no mistakes we make, no wrong turns we take, no freak accidents, nor anything others can do to us, can keep God from accomplishing what He wants and wills for our lives. There is nothing you can do that will keep God from accomplishing His purposes in and for your life. 

Jesus promised He will not lose one of those sent to Him by the Father. That includes those we don’t think have a chance, if they confess Jesus as their Lord and Savior, He’s going to get them home. 

We’ll all be like that beautiful worship song that says we can only imagine what it will be like once we arrive knowing we shouldn’t be there, but yet we are walking the streets of heaven, eating from the banquet table, singing the praises of our God in brand new bodies that never get sick or tired, living in heaven where there will be no more pain or suffering, tears or crying, problems or darkness. 

Jesus is determined we will not miss any of this beauty or joy. No matter how determined Satan is to pull us away from Jesus, Jesus is even more determined to not lose even one of us and He’s never broken a promise to us.  

Jesus, it’s not our goodness, loyalty, faith that keeps us bound to You, it’s Your determination and binding promise that holds us close.     

(March 7, 2025)

Keep your servant also from willful sins; may they not rule over me. Then I will be blameless, innocent of great transgression—Psalm 19:13, NIV

Some people are determined to do bad things regardless of the consequences. They’re not worried about people nor what God might do in response to what they do.

The New Testament starts out with Herod trying to locate the baby Jesus. Herod was determined to find and then kill the Messiah, and he was livid when the wisemen didn’t return to tell him where the Christ child was (Matt. 2). Herod’s fear was not merely that of a political ruler facing a potential rival, but it was compounded by the prophecies and expectations surrounding the Messiah—the anointed one promised in Jewish scripture—who would restore Israel and reign as a just and righteous king.  

King Herod and Judas—who later betrayed Jesus for a mere 30 pieces of silver—roughly 4 months wages—felt they were right in their determinations. Judas was so determined to turn Jesus over to the religious leaders, not even Jesus’s loving heart could persuade Judas otherwise.     

It’s good to talk to God about the things we want to do. No one is better to search out our motives and let us know if what we are determined to do is in line with the good we should be doing. David wrote, “Search me, O God, and know my thoughts! And see if there be any grievous way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting! (Psalm 139:23-24). And Jeremiah wisely journaled, “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?”

Jeremiah warns about the determinations of the human heart and the need for divine guidance. Human desires and plans can be misleading. It’ easy to be under the influence and counsel of the deceitful one who leads people away from God’s truth while all the time making us feel we are wanting and planning to do what is pleasing to God.   

God can sift and set the human heart and mind and put us on the right path. We should not be afraid for God to search us and know us. Once God approves of what we are determined to do we can go forward with a sense peace, joy, and assurance. 

Jesus, search me and know me see if the things I am determined to do are in line with Your will for my life. Amen  

(March 6, 2025)

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—I Corinthians 9:24, NIV  

Are you someone who cannot be deterred once you have determined to do something? When it’s about something good that’s a good thing. You shouldn’t be easily deterred or persuaded otherwise. But when it’s about something that could end up being harmful to yourself or others, or something that would worsen your situation or put you in danger, then being determined isn’t good, in fact, we might more call that being “stubborn.”

Yesterday the season of Lent began. It started with getting ashes either upon the forehead or the palm of the hand. It will last for 40 days. Some say all it takes is six weeks to start something new and make it stick.  

If we’re observing the season in the spiritual sense, for the next six weeks we’ll keep our eyes focused on Jesus and what His last days looked like as He went toward Jerusalem to die on the cross. But we’ll also take stock of our own sinfulness and why we desperately needed a Savior to redeem us.

As we begin a new season in the church year, today’s a good day for us to make some determinations. Not only about this Lent season but our life going forward. A good day and season to determine if that abundant life Jesus died to make sure we could have will be ours because it’s already been won. 

A good day and season to determine if heaven is our ultimate destination and what that means for how we live out our todays. 

A good day and season to determine the kind of person we want to be going forward, regardless of our past. 

A good day and season to determine how close we want to be to God and that we want to draw as close to Jesus as humanly possible. 

Are good day and season to determine to be praying with power and make reading our Bible part of our daily practices so we can experience the spiritual growth that follows time in God’s word. 

A good day and season to determine that we’re finally going to let go of that anger, resentment, and unforgiveness we’ve been harboring for longer than we can remember. 

A good day and season to determine we’ll trust in the promises of God that find their “Yes” in Christ Jesus.

A good day and season to determine we’ll believe we’re truly forgiven through the blood of Jesus and living under the grace, mercy and unconditional love of God our Father. 

When we determine to do not only good, but what God sees as good we’ll have all the help of heaven to help us accomplish what we’ve determined in our heart and mind to do. 

Jesus, you determined to go to Jerusalem so You could bring salvation to all the world. My sins have been washed away and because Your Holy Spirit is with me, I can determine to do good things in Your name. Amen 

(March 5, 2025)

And he has appointed sone with grace to be apostles, and some with grace to be prophets, and some with grace to be evangelists, and some with grace to be pastors, and some with grace to be teachers. And their calling is to nurture and prepare all the holy believers to do their own works of ministry, and as they do this they will enlarge and build up the body of Christ—Ephesians 4:11-12, TPT

In this particular passage, Paul is helping believers to understand how God has graciously touched some to fulfill His purposes of enlarging the body of Christ. Here, Paul points out those God graciously appointed to be apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers. In other letters Paul helps us learn that God has graciously touched some believers to be gifted in the area of hospitality, giving, healing, and faith (I Cor. 7; 12; Eph. 4). No matter where we read about our spiritual assignments in the Bible, one thing is clear, God has made sure each believer has a job to do, each believer has a calling on his or her life.  

Even before you were born, while God was knitting you together in your mother’s womb, He was speaking over your life, assigning you a job, giving you purpose, and putting a calling on your life. Once you are born it’s up to those around you and then you, as you grow and mature, to discover what your personal calling is.

I am married to someone whose calling is to be a pastor in the Christian church. In nearly forty years of ministry, I’ve seen how he lives true to his calling as he preaches and teaches, equips, and cares for the flock the Holy Spirit has placed him. I am called to heal the brokenhearted through healing words and sharing the promises of God for the grieving heart. As our adult children live out their lives, we can see how they are operating in their calling: nurses and medical professionals, teachers and essential workers, bringing joy to others through a gifting of hospitality. 

They, in turn, are helping their own children realize how and what God has called them to. 

The Bible stories make us privy to conversations between God and those He selected to accomplish ministries or services. When they doubted or were uncertain, God reassured and encouraged them. 

When we are uncertain what our calling is we can talk to others about what they have observed in us. We can look at our natural abilities the Lord has knit into us. We can list our special talents, and spiritual gifting. 

We can take career and personality assessments. As we study the Scriptures, we can consult our heart and learn what people group we feel especially drawn to help, and of course we should talk to God. Asking Him questions and for wisdom to know. God will not keep our calling a secret. His purpose is that we know how He has called us so we can be about our assignment.

Once we discover our calling we can stay close to God, stay in His word, stay in prayer, and do as Paul told Timothy “study to show ourselves approved” (2 Tim. 2:15) so we can be equipped and effective where God has called us.

God, thank You for calling me to…

Other places you can read this promise in the Bible 

Isaiah 42:6 (NLT)

“I, the LORD, have called you to demonstrate my righteousness. I will take you by the hand and guard you, and I will give you to my people, Israel, as a symbol of my covenant with them.” 

Isaiah 49:1 (NLT)

Listen to me, all you in distant lands! Pay attention, you who are far away! The LORD called me before my birth; from within the womb he called me by n

(March 4, 2025)

  We know that when Jesus was raised from the dead it was a signal of the end of death-as-the-end. Never again will death have the last word—Romans 6:9, MSG

Death. What a sobering topic. We’re all going to die someday. As surely as we’re born, we will die. Nothing living on earth and no one born into this world will live forever. Flowers bloom, but after their season they die. Grass springs up fresh, but once its season ends, it dies. Even our beloved pets who have been loyal companions don’t live forever. Whether its from old age or health issues, they also die.   

One TV ad for a mattress brand tiptoes around death. Trying not to offend the viewer they hint that death “may” happen to us one day. Like it or not, death is imminent. Death is in our future. It could be far away, or it could come quickly, without warning. God’s servant Job said “Man born of a woman has but a few days (Job 14:1-4). “A few days” meaning there is a limit on how long human life will go on upon earth. Humans will not live on earth forever and only God knows how long any of us will live. 

God doesn’t hide this truth from us. He does not want us to be uninformed about our mortality or the brevity of earthly life. Though the world will bombard us with messages about the possibility of avoiding death if we do-this-or-do-that, take-this-or-take-that, eat-this-or-eat-that, nothing can save us from our destiny. No matter how well we preserve ourselves on the outside (or inside) death will come.

The word of God teaches us that although death is guaranteed, death does not have to be the end. Those who avoid God all their life and reject Christ’s incessant knocks on the door of their heart, will experience not only physical death but they will spend an eternity in a place where there is no life or possibility of future joy, peace, happiness, wholeness or light. 

Whereas those who not only believe in the God of heaven and earth but believe in His Son Jesus Christ and the work Jesus accomplished on the cross to redeem sinners, will die their physical death, but they will live again. An unbeliever is born, lives, dies, and dies eternally. While the believer is born, lives, dies, then lives again for all eternity. 

This is good news! For the believer, death is not the end. Death is not final. Death is merely a necessary conclusion to earthly life and unless we die on earth, we cannot be made new to live in heaven for ever and ever.        

Thank You, God for providing a way for us to live again after we have died on earth. Amen  

Other places you can read this promise in the Bible

I Corinthains 15:53-55 (NLT)

For our dying bodies must be transformed into bodies that will never die; our mortal bodies must be transformed into immortal bodies.

54 Then, when our dying bodies have been transformed into bodies that will never die,[a] this Scripture will be fulfilled:

“Death is swallowed up in victory.[b]
55 O death, where is your victory?
 O death, where is your sting?[c]

2 Timothy 1:10 (NLT)

And now he has made all of this plain to us by the appearing of Christ Jesus, our Savior. He broke the power of death and illuminated the way to life and immortality through the Good News.

(March 3, 2025)

But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God—John 1:12, ESV

Our children grew up hearing stories of their father’s and my childhood. My husband grew up in a family where mother and father and five sons always had something exciting going on as one might imagine with five boys in the house. I grew up in a family with two sisters and my single-parent mom. Our growing up experiences couldn’t be more different than night from day, but one thing we have in common is we knew our parents loved us and even though life awas not perfect and had more than enough challenges and troubles, we knew we were wanted and loved, and our best interest was always the motivation behind everything our parents did.

For some, childhood isn’t filled with warm or tender moments. Their memories or experiences are not those that affirm them or where they felt surrounded by love, protected, cared for or supported emotionally. For some childhood isn’t loaded with enjoyable experiences and happy memories but more like one trauma after another and something they couldn’t wait to get through.

The Spirit guides us faithfully through the word of God so we can learn what it means to be a child of the One who created the heavens and the earth and everything upon it. What it means to be a child of God who spoke everything into being and can say “let it be.” And it is so. A child of the One who can touch, heal, deliver, comfort and save. 

From Genesis to Revelation God reveals His eternal promises and plans for His children. His plan to get us back home to heaven where we’ll live eternally with Him, the Son and the Holy Spirit, and plans and strategies to help us navigate this life that is tricky and filled with hidden boobie traps our arch enemy has planted to cut us off from the blessings our Father has in store for us. 

Our Father is the most powerful being in heaven and on earth. There is no greater blessing than to be His child. No limit to what He will do and no distance He won’t go for those who are called by His name.

Father, I am blessed to be your child. There’s no more important relationship and no greater covering than the one I enjoy as Your child. Amen       

Other places you can read this promise in the Bible

Romans 8:16 (ESV)

The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God

I John 3:1 (ESV)

See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are. The reason why the world does not know us is that it did not know him.

(February 22/23, 2025)

By His stripes we are healed—Isaiah 53:5,  

Modern Christians may automatically think of physical healing when the subject of healing and Jesus Christ comes up in conversation. We are familiar with the Bible stories where Jesus made the cripple walk, the deaf hear, the blind see, and the mute talk. There was no illness Jesus Christ could not heal. Whenever people learned Jesus was coming to their town or village they gathered in the streets. Not  to get a glimpse of Him, like we might do a celebrity, but that He would heal them. They brought their relatives and friends; everyone they knew who needed to experience healing, following Him wherever He went.  

The name Christ means “Anointed One.” Jesus was given the title ‘Christ’ by His followers because they believed he was the long-awaited Messiah or, in the Greek, “Christos” because He would deliver His people. 

Jesus Christ is truly our Deliverer. By His suffering and death we were delivered from sin and the sentence of eternal death, and by His suffering and death we are also delivered from our earthly conditions that hold us in unhealth and keep us from having the abundance and wellbeing we are created by God to have. Jesus touched the bodies of the sick and made them whole, but He also healed the lives of people. The healing Christ brings to us is more than physical, it is emotional, mental, relational, and spiritual.  

Not everyone Jesus Christ encountered needed physical healing. Some needed healing for their life situations. When Jesus met the woman at the well in the Gospel of John, He helped her have healing for her life. She was so excited to have been set free she ran to tell others the power of Christ to bring deliverance (John 4:1-42). When Nicodemus came to Jesus at night he wasn’t seeking healing for a physical ailment, Nicodemus needed healing for his spirit. His mind needed to be opened so he could receive the truth and be enlightened (John 3:1-21).  

Christ, as the Ultimate Healer is a profound expression of God’s love and mercy toward His beloved creation. His healings for every area of our life are signs of His Kingdom with us. In eternity there will be no sickness, suffering, and death, only fullness of life. Even as we dwell on earth the Kingdom of God is ours through faith in Jesus Christ and that means the healing the Anointed One has in His hands is our also.

Being healed by Christ means we can experience restoration and wholeness in our physical, emotional and spiritual well-being. Christ’s healing is a manifestation of God’s love and compassion towards us. 

Just like those who approached Jesus saying, “Lord, you can heal me if you will.” Jesus did not reject them and he won’t reject us no matter what kind of healing we need for our life.  

Jesus Christ our Healer, I pray, touch my  that I can experience healing for my  and life. 

Other places you can read this promise in the Bible

Acts 3:6 (NIV)

But Peter said, “I do not possess silver and gold, but what I do have I give to you: In the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene—walk!”

Matthew 8:2 (NCV)

The man bowed down before him and said, “Lord, you can heal me if you will.” 

(February 20, 2025)

Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing if your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything—James 1:2-4, NIV

Many of us don’t appreciate being challenged. We’d prefer it if things went along smoothly from beginning to end; no bumps in the road, no delays, no hurdles to cross. But that’s not realistic. As Jesus said in the Gospels “in this world we will have trouble, but we should take heart because He has overcome the world (John 16:33).

The Bible assures us we’re going to meet up with challenges and if we have not lived long enough all we need to do is keep living and we will experience troubles and challenges of all kinds. The apostle James wrote when troubles and challenges of any kind come our way, we should consider it an opportunity. Not only that, but we should also have great joy because we know in our heart of faith we are being tested which means our ability to endure will grow and increase. 

God has been strategic to plant words of both encouragement and instruction so when we do meet up with challenges we’ll know how to react. Through the prophet Isaiah God exhorts us to “fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God and will strengthen you, yes, I will help you (Isa. 41:10).

Paul reminds us “we know that all things—that includes our challenges—will eventually work together to produce God’s good” because we love God and God loves us (Rom 8:28). Though we may not recognize it at the time, that situation or person that’s challenging today will result in a blessing and work out to our benefit down the road.  

And Peter encourages us by saying, “The God of all grace, who called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after we have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen and settle you (I Peter 5:10).

These are good and encouraging words to hold onto. Sound counsel and promises that come directly from God whenever we are faced with challenges, so we can hold on, be strengthened and persevere.

As we live life, we learn that challenges come about because of several reasons: Sometimes the devil has strategically placed challenges in our path to try and harm us. Sometimes our challenges come from living in a fallen world where the perfection or wisdom of God is not sought, and challenges arise. Sometimes challenges come out of man’s selfishness and hard heart. And sometimes we have made decisions or taken paths that naturally create challenges. And sometimes challenges are a natural part of getting to the next place or advancement.

Challenges can make us better people. They can grow our character and help us become the men and women God desires. As Paul says, regardless of how our challenges come we don’t need to be anxious or despair, we need only turn to God, being assured He is with us and pray about our situations and challenges (Php. 4:6), God will help us, He will not leave us alone nor abandon us.  

During challenging times, we can meditate on Scripture and find strength, solace and assurance that God is with us. 

Thank You, God for Your promise of help, heavenly wisdom, and Your presence whenever we have challenges in life.     

Other places you can read this promise in the Bible:

Isaiah 43:2 (NIV)

When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze.

2 Corinthians 4:17 (NIV)

For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that for outweighs them all.

(February 19, 2025)

 Be strong and of good courage, for to this people you shall divide as an inheritance the land which I swore to their fathers to give them…Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, do not be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.”—Joshua 1:6,9, NKJV

It was one thing for Joshua to be assisting Moses. One thing to be serving and leading beside this great man of God but another thing to be the lead person; the one in charge. 

Moses had been an excellent mentor and partner but now Joshua needed to go it alone; Joshua would need to take the lead. He would be the one to lead Israel into the Promised Land after Moses’ death. 

That had to be a scary feeling. Especially since Joshua had seen and experienced firsthand how obstinate and rebellious a million plus people could be. Moses had been a strong leader, an excellent example of what it meant to be courageous. He wasn’t a pushover. Can we blame Joshua for needing to be reassured and reminded he could do it. He could finish the job Moses started. He could be full of courage.

What do you have in front of you that you need that extra boost of encouragement and need to have courage?

At times we need courage to do something. Courage to not do something. Courage to stand up. Courage to sit down. Courage to speak. Courage to remain silent. Courage to take our hand away. Courage to extend our hand. Courage to take that next and needed step. Courage to stand still. Courage to fight a battle. Courage to let God take the lead and fight our battle for us. Courage to know when and courage to know when now is not the time. We need courage to live the kind of life God is calling us to live and courage to die the kind of death God is asking us of us. Courage to look up to heaven instead of here on earth. Courage to trust what we are seeing isn’t the truth and courage to believe what we don’t see is really in place for us.

The path of courage is not easy so thank God we don’t need to hone courage all by ourselves. Most of us aren’t naturally courageous. Most of us aren’t born with a boatload of courage in our bones. Most of us will live too much of our lives with the absence of courage. Most of us will need to call upon the Lord when situations present themselves where courage is the only way we’re going to make it through. Most of us will take feeble baby steps when God is asking us to take that big bold step. 

Most of us will lose the little courage we have when facing enemies bigger than we are and need a thousand pep talks before we get any of it back. 

Joshua discovered he could do it. He got the people to the Promised Land. He finished what Moses (and he) started together. Somewhere between Moses’ words of encouragement and crossing over into the promised Land Joshua took hold of the courage God had poured into his heart. 

Your courage won’t be found by looking down, it won’t even be found by looking inward, but it will be found by looking to God’s Word, looking to God in prayer, looking up and looking straight ahead where the Lord is nudging us to go. 

As some have said, if we begin a journey with the end in mind, we will find the courage to take the steps we need to get there even if the steps are filled with struggle, opposition and strife.

Lord, grant me courage to…

Other places you can read about this promise in the Bible

2 Chronicles 32:7-8 (NIV)

“Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or discouraged because of the king of Assyria and the vast army with him, for there is a greater power with us than with him. With him is only the arm of flesh, but with us is the LORD our God to help us and to fight our battles.” And the people gained confidence from what Hezekiah the king of Judah said.

Psalm 27:14 (ESV)

Wait for the LORD; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the LORD!

(February 18, 2025)

His intent was that now, through the church, the manifold wisdom of God should be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms, according to his eternal purpose that he accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord—Ephesians 3:10-11 (NIV)

Not only did God plan for His manifold wisdom to be made known to rulers and authorities through the church, but that through the church the good news about Jesus as Savior and Redeemer of the world would be made known and the church would grow.  

God had a plan. He was going to send His Son Jesus to earth and Jesus would make disciples of men, women, and children through His teaching, preaching, healing and miracles. Before going to the cross to die Jesus would train a select group of men, appointing them as apostles, and they would spread the good news about Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection to all nations. Baptizing them in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit so they would become part of God’s family. Through these men and disciples, the earthly church would be formed and increase in numbers. 

Jesus is Lord of the church. The church is the Bride of Christ and Jesus loves the church with all His heart and soul. To ensure the earthly Church has all it needs God sent the Holy Spirit to lead and guide us in His truth and help us spread the good news to everyone near and far. God’s plan was that the earthly church would be a powerful, life changing. Life-giving spiritual force. The Apostle Matthew reminds us even when as few as two or three are gathered Jesus is in the midst of us (Matt. 18:20), and wherever Jesus is miracles and wonders happen.    

Luke records, “The church then had peace throughout Judea, Galilee, and Samaria, and it became stronger as the believers lived in fear of the Lord. And with the encouragement of the Holy Spirit, it also grew in numbers (Acts 9:31).

In the care of the Lord Jesus and the Holy Spirit sent from heaven, the church will become stronger and grow in numbers. The Spirit strengthens and equips believers to live out their earthly lives and spread the good news of Jesus to everyone, everywhere. He helps us conduct Christ-centered, God glorifying worship, teach and preach with authority, identify and use the spiritual gifts He distributes throughout the Body of Christ.

The people who make up the Christian Church may not be perfect—for we have all sinned and fall short of the glory of God (Rom. 3:23)—but our Father, Jesus is perfect, and the Holy Spirit is perfect and, in their perfection, we can accomplish all that Jesus has assigned us as we await His return.  

Lord Jesus, You have built Your church and we are part of something big. We are those who will spread the Gospel, the Good News to those near and far and the Church will increase in numbers and strength.   

Other places you can read this promise in the Bible:

Matthew 16:18 (NLT)

Now I say to you that you are Peter (which means ‘rock’) and upon this rock I will build my church and all the powers of hell will not conquer it. 

Ephesians 4:15

Instead, we will speak the truth in love, growing in every way more and more like Christ, who is the head of his body, the church.

(February 17, 2025)

Even before the world was made, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes—Ephesians 1:4, NLT

Being chosen can be a great feeling especially if it’s for something you really want to do or be part of. I can remember being chosen to receive a scholarship for a program I really wanted to be in. I was so excited especially since without financial assistance I would not have been able to afford it. But I can also remember occasions where I was passed over. I wasn’t the one chosen to participate or receive something I really wanted.    

Being chosen or being passed over or rejected will happen in life. We are one person in tens, hundreds, thousands, even millions who are vying for or applying for the same opportunity.

There are several passages in the Bible that remind and reassure us we are chosen. We know Satan chose Adam and Eve as his target when he wanted to get back at God and destroy the relationship mankind enjoyed with their Creator and Friend. To this day Satan and his fallen angels still target God’s creation to bring misery and destruction into our lives.

But there is another choosing we should be aware of and that is God has chosen us. The Bible says even before the earth was formed God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in His eyes.

This is good news for each of us. Good news for all who have not been chosen for things they are (still) disappointed about. Good news to know how God looks at us: through the eyes of grace and forgiveness, not judgment. Good news for everyone who wonders if they will make it to heaven after this life is over. 

God chose Abraham to become a great and powerful nation so all the nations of the earth would be blessed through him (Genesis 18:18). God chose us to be His people, and He would be our God (Deut. 7:6). When Paul wrote the Church in Rome, he reminded them and now us, that God knew His people in advance, and He chose us to become like His Son Jesus so that His Son would be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters (Romans 8:29). 

God does not feel saddled with us. God does not regret sending His only Son to die for us. God is not trying to distance Himself from us. And when we messed up—as we continue to do—God is not looking to make others to take our place. God still chooses us to carry out His plans. He still chooses us to be in relationship with. He still chooses us to receive His blessings and show us great and marvelous things. God still chooses us to live eternally in heaven with Him. Even when the world rejects us for any reason God still chooses us to be His own special people.    

God, thank you for choosing us in the very beginning, even before you formed the world and thank You for choosing us today and eternally.  

Other places you can read this promise in the Bible

I Thessalonians 1:4-5 (NIV)

For we know, brothers and sisters loved by God, that he has chosen you, because our gospel came to you not simply with words but also with power, with the Holy Spirit and deep conviction. You know how we lived among you for your sake.   

2 Thessalonians 2:13-14 (NIV)

But we ought always to thank God for you, brothers and sisters loved by the Lord, because God chose you as firstfruits to be saved through the sanctifying work of the Spirit and through belief in the truth. He called you to this through our gospel, that you might share in the glory of our lord Jesus Christ. 

(February 15/16, 2025)

 Praise the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and the God of all comfort—2 Corinthians 1:3, HCSB 

One of the most difficult parts for many during the height of the Pandemic was the isolation. Not being able to stand beside the bed of the sick and dying and hold their hand to comfort them. If you’re a “hugger” by nature it may have been especially difficult not being able to embrace someone who was hurting or crying and give them a warm hug. 

It’s been scientifically proven that hugging improves our ability to deal with stress and can boost our happiness significantly. The impact of a hug coupled with comforting words can help us feel supported, seen, and ease our mental distress, feeling alone and reduce anxiety.  

The Apostle Paul wrote that God is the God of all comfort. God is our Consoler-in-Chief. No one comforts the way He does. It is the nature of God to comfort His children. God has a way of wrapping His Fatherly arms around His children and calming us. 

The best way to describe someone who gives comfort is that they address our state of physical dis-ease and pain, and someone who consoles is someone who offers or provides support or solace for our emotional distress or sadness. So, we might say that comforting is the activity of making strong assistance and invigorating and consoling is the activity of imparting strength and hope. Either way the one who comes to us in our time of need, whether physical or emotional is a true comforter and this is the nature and activity of God in our lives situationally and daily.

We can feel God’s comfort as we pray. Pouring out our heart and seeking His presence. How often Daivid and others found comfort in God when they drew close to Him in prayer. 

We feel God’s comfort as we read His word, delving into the Bible to find verses of comfort and hope. God comforts us as we connect with others who share our faith. There is comfort in belonging to a Christian community. 

We feel God’s comfort when we engage in worship and praise, focusing on God’s goodness and faithfulness, and we are comforted by God when we rest in the knowledge that God is in control; when we trust in God’s sovereignty.

When we are hurting God will not leave us comfortless: He will come to us (John 14:18). God will comfort us in all our troubles through His mercy, love, and presence. 

God, thank You for Your comforting presence always.  

Other places we can read this promise in the Bible

Matthew 5:4 (ESV)

Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. 

2 Thessalonians 2:16-17 (ESV)

Now may our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and our God our Father, who loved us and gave us eternal comfort and good hope through grace, comfort your hearts and establish them in every good work and word.  

(February 14, 2025)

The elder to the beloved Gaius, whom I love in truth. Beloved, I pray that all may go well with you and that you may be in good health, as it goes well with your soul—3 John 1:2, ESV

When John the apostle wrote to his dear friend Gaius, he opened by inquiring about Gaius’s wellbeing. Sure, John knew Gaius was strong in his faith. Gaius was instrumental in helping spread the gospel and build the church. It was clear he loved the Lord Jesus with all his heart and soul. Gaius’s spiritual life was good, but John was also concerned for the person Gaius. He wanted to know how every other aspect of his friend’s life was going.

Do you have people who check on you? Call or text you asking, “How are you doing? How is life going?” It means a lot when people show concern for us. It’s touching to know we matter to them. 

From Genesis to Revelation God repeats His concern for human life. Even after Adam and Eve sinned God did not turn His back or lose His concern for His creation. In fact, God’s concern continues, and He revealed His plan to show how much He loves us and wants to enjoy unbroken relationship, by sending His own dear Son to live among us and then pay the penalty for our sins by dying on the cross to save us.  

Jesus’ concern for people was one of His core values and character traits that drew others to Him. Jesus sat with people. He listened. Whether Jesus healed their body or soul or set them free from burdens, Jesus made it a point to leave people better off than He found them. He talked with them about how life was going and helped them see a better way that led to experiencing an abundant life and eternity in heaven. 

Some people do not believe that Jesus understands human problems. They see the Lord as being far removed and oblivious, unconcerned about their day-to-day situations, thinking His only interest is in getting people to heaven and not caring about how they are making it in life under all their cares and burdens. 

When we question our God’s involvement and concern for us we need only ask ourselves, “Is it really possible that God would not have a loving concern for the world He carefully and lovingly created and the people for whom He sent His own Son, Jesus to die?” 

God’s word proves that’s not possible. His actions towards us and movement throughout the world around us show us this isn’t so. The presence of His holy Spirit testifies to what’s true: God loves us unconditionally and His concern for us never wavers nor lessens. 

Thank You Father, Son, and Holy Spirit for your concern for human life and the activities of this world.

Other places you can read this promise in the Bible

I Peter 5:7 (NIV)

Give all your worries and cares to God for he cares about you

Matthew 6:26 (NIV)

Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, yet your heavenly Father feeds them., Are you not much more valuable than they?  

(February 13, 2025)

  For unto us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon hos shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace—Isaiah 9:6 

We know Jesus is our Shepherd, our Redeemer and Savior, our Brother, our Comforter, our Provider. So many names, 

characteristics and attributes we’ve locked in and know we can find when we turn to Jesus Christ. Isaiah reminds us that Jesus is also our heavenly Counselor. In fact, Isaiah calls Him our “Wonderful Counselor”.

Counselors are trained to give guidance and advice on personal, social, and psychological problems. Some counselors specialize in marriage and family issues. Some put their focus on mental health, grief and loss, or substance abuse disorders. 

There are those who especially see clients who are children and teens. You can find a well-trained, board certified and reputable counselor for every need you have. A good counselor is worth his or her money since the end result will be greater mental or relational health, deeper awareness of yourself, and identifying new tools to cope with life and the problems that arise. Some don’t believe in paying others to listen to their problems, but at times having an unbiased professional hear your concerns and help you sort through the gray areas of life is the wisest thing we can do in order to move forward in a healthy way.   

Jesus our Wonderful Counselor. There is nothing we cannot talk to Jesus about. We may not be able to see Him in the flesh, but He is as near to us as the whisper of His name. James said we can “draw near to God and He will draw near to us (James 4:8). Jesus embodies perfect wisdom and guidance. He is always available to talk with us about life, our problems, our concerns, our relationships. He can tell us how to get past our past, how to put our fears in check, how to live a good life even when things are not so good. He will counsel us about our finances, our academic endeavors, our chosen career paths, our parenting, and the care of our bodies.

The writer of Hebrews reminds us “in the past God spoke to our ancestors through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir all things, and through whom also he made the universe (Heb. 1:1-2).

Jesus saved us and redeemed us for God’s holy purposes. He sets us free from sin and walks this path with us. And added to everything else He does, He’s the greatest, most Wonderful Counselor we can have.      

Thank You Jesus for Your timely, on point, never failing counsel. 

Other places you can read about God’s promise to give us counsel in the Bible  

Psalm 32:8 (NIV)

I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my loving eye on you.

Matthew 11:28-30 

Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and You will find ret for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light. 

(February 12, 2025)

 I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my loving eye on you—Psalm 32:8, NIV

Ever found yourself in need of clarity about something? You can trust God to provide the clarity you need. Open your Bible and you’ll see verses like “Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take” (Prov. 3:5-6). 

“Your word is a lamp to guide my feet and a light for my path (Psalm 119:105). 

“If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you (James 1:5).

Verse after verse God assures us His promise of provision includes giving us the clarity we need, so we can make wise choices and good decisions about our life and future. 

To possess clarity means the quality of being coherent and intelligible; being certain and definite. 

The Bible encourages clarity in teaching, communication, beliefs, vision, relationships, and thoughts and it warns us against confusion, dullness and fuzziness when seeking and imparting truth. 

When God was talking to young Jeremiah, God assured Jeremiah could know definitely he had been chosen by God; he was more than ready and equipped. God gave Jeremiah the clarity he needed so he could go forward confident of being God’s servant: a special prophet to the people. Let’s be clear Jeremiah, “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations…For I know the plans I have for you…plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future” (Jer. 1:4-5, 29:11-13).

Whatever you have going on in life, whatever decision you are trying to make, whatever next move you need to know before you take that step, God will give you clarity so you can make it confidently based upon His words and precepts. Just ask God and He will provide the clarity you need. 

Whether it’s about a relationship, your education, career path, health concerns or finances God has a word for you. God has something to say about every area of your life and He will not leave you in the dark or under a cloud of unknowing.

When Jesus taught and preached, He taught and preached with such clarity it amazed the people. They were used to having God’s word presented in such a way it was incomprehensible and ambiguous. When Jesus entered, He warned the religious leaders to stop doing this. Jesus presented the Word of God with clarity so people could make clear-cut choices about the direction of their lives and concerning their faith.   

God’s, word is a lamp. It lights our path. It turns the light on. God gives us clarity so we’re not in the dark, fuzzy or confused. We can thank Him for His counsel and the promise of clarity in every area of life.

Heavenly Father, we are blessed to gain clarity for making life decisions and knowing what to do and what not to do. 

Other places you can read about God’s promise of clarity in the Bible

Psalm 25:4 (NIV)

“Show me your ways, LORD, teach me your paths.”

Isaiah 30:21 (ESV)

And your ears shall hear a word behind you saying, “This is the way, walk in it,” when you turn to the right or when you turn to the left.” 

(February 11, 2025)

This is what I’ve learned through it all: Every believer should confess their sins to God: do it every time God has uncovered you I the time of exposing. For I you do this, when sudden storms of life overwhelm, you’ll be kept safe—Psalm 32:6, TPT

When Adam and Eve sinned, they tried to fix things themselves. Their first instinct was to cover their nakedness and then hide when God came into the Garden. Even when God confronted them Adam tried to wrangle out of his guilt, pointed a finger, first at Eve then at God. God wasn’t having it. Adam needed to confess his sin.

The Bible teaches us there can be no forgiveness without confession. Mercy follows confession. King Solomon wrote, “Whoever conceals his transgressions will not prosper, but he who confesses and forsakes them will obtain mercy.”

A biblical definition of confession is: “An open profession of faith. Acknowledgment of sins to God. Acknowledgement of sins to a neighbor whom we have wronged. Agreeing with God about our sinfulness. Humble admission of sin to others and seeking forgiveness and reconciliation with God.”

Confession means admitting we are wrong or guilty of not doing or doing something that is wrong against God or our neighbor. Ultimately, all sin is against God and His perfect order, His Word, and the law of love.  

Admitting our sinfulness is not easy. Just like Adam and Eve our first instinct is to avoid any conversation, to doge God’s straightforward questions in our quiet moments and shut off the conscience which convicts us of wrongdoing. As Solomon said, there will be no prospering without confession. Nothing in our life will go right as long as we pour our energy into hiding our sin. God is not human. He is not bribe-able. God is not like us. There is nothing we can blackmail God with, nothing we can bargain.    

We might be surprised that God doesn’t convict us of sin because He wants to catch us in the act or blackmail us like Satan does, God allows our sin to weigh heavily upon us so we will turn to Him. God knows true freedom, ease of conscience, health and lightheartedness can only come after confession. 

God, once we have confessed our sin to You we can get on with life. We can serve You with a free heart. We can look in the mirror without the guilt of our wrongdoing looking back, we can face our neighbor. Only You could have made such arrangement that leads to life and then to eternal life. Amen        

Other places we can read about the promise of being set free if we confess

Leviticus 26:40-42 (ESV)

“But if they confess their iniquity and the iniquity of their fathers in their treachery that they committed against me, and also in walking contrary to me, so that I walked contrary to them and brought them into the land of their enemies—if then their uncircumcised heart is humbled and they make amends for their iniquity, then I will remember my covenant with Jacob, and I will remember my covenant with Isaac and my covenant with Abraham, and I will remember the land.”

I John 1:8-9 (NIV)

If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.   

(February 10, 2025)

   Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us—Romans 5:3-4, 

Before sin entered through the crafty serpent there wasn’t one dark smudge on Adam nor Eve’s character.  They were truthful, humble, optimistic, reliable, responsible, open, agreeable, patient, trusting one another and God. But sin turned them into liars, fussy, accusing, hating, distrustful. Sin not only turned them against one another, it turned them against God. Sin corrupted their pure faith in God who created and cared for them. 

Since sin marred our character God provided a way to regain the stellar character He gave us at creation. Anyone can have a good character, but Christians are to embody the qualities and behaviors that reflect the teachings and example of Jesus Christ, living in a way that aligns with the values and principles found in the Bible. 

The Apostle Paul said one of the ways Christian character is honed is through suffering. No one likes to suffer. We’d prefer not to suffer and many times we cannot see the meaning or benefit of suffering at the time. However, the Bible teaches us there is great benefit in suffering. Suffering teaches us the art of persevering and as we learn to persevere, we develop character. There is only one who did not need to suffer in order to have Christian character and that is Jesus Christ. Jesus’s character was already perfect and without sin which is why God chose Him to become our perfect sacrifice and die in our place. 

Character can be defined as what makes a person distinct from others, often with a particular emphasis on moral qualities. Is there someone special who comes to mind when you think about a good or godly character? Someone who has integrity, is honest, has strong moral fiber, is someone who shows care and concern for others. Someone who has a good heart. That good heart doesn’t come naturally or by reading Christian self-help books. It can only come through the Holy Spirit, living within us and changing us. 

The Holy Spirit of God can work wonders and miracles in the human heart. He can turn someone who is still clinging to their old nature and fallen character into someone who is growing and glowing with Christian character. 

Between the sufferings we experience and the Holy Spirit of God at work within us our character can be transformed to be the godly character we were fashioned to have in the beginning.

Heavenly Father, You created us good both inside and out. Where my character reflects the world’s, I pray transform me through the indwelling of Your Holy Spirit. Amen 

Other places you can read about having a transformed character in the Bible 

Galatians 5:22-23 (NLT)

But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.

2 Peter 1:5-7(NLT) 

In view of all this, make every effort to respond to God’s promises. Supplement your faith with a generous provision of moral excellence, and moral excellence with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with patient endurance, and patient endurance with godliness, and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love for everyone. 

(February 8/9, 2025)

 Those who live in the shelter of the Most High will find rest in the shadow of the Almighty. 2 This I declare about the Lord: He alone is my refuge, my place of safety; he is my God, and I trust him. 3 For he will rescue you from every trap and protect you from deadly disease. 4 He will cover you with his feathers. He will shelter you with his wings. His faithful promises are your armor and protection—Psalm 91:1-4 (NIV).

At times, when my husband and I are out with one of our adult doing some shopping, when we get to the register they will say “mom/dad, put your card or money away, I’ve got you covered.” What a great feeling! Even though we put up a fuss or try to reason with them, they insist. It’s a wonderful feeling to be covered. 

To cover is to place something upon or over, so as to protect or conceal; to overlay or spread with something. Being covered by God means to have and experience His protection, His rescue, His provision, His healing, His blessing. 

David describes God’s covering as being placed under the wings and feathers of God. A beautiful prayer of Saint Patrick goes,

“Christ with me, Christ before me, Christ behind me,

Christ in me, Christ beneath me, Christ above me,

Christ on my right, Christ on my left,

Christ where I lie, Christ where I sit, Christ where I arise,

Christ in the heart of everyone who thinks of me,

Christ in the mouth of everyone who speaks to me,

Christ in every eye that sees me, Christ in the ear of every ear that hears me.”

We cannot get more covered than how our God of heaven and earth covers us. As close as we may get to visualizing what this is like may be in seeing how a mother hen covers her chicks, shielding them from inclement weather or from fierce predators. Her wings spread wide as her little chicks take shelter under her wings. Nothing can harm her little ones, and nothing will get to her beloved chicks. These are her babies whom she has carried, watched over to hatch, and fed from her own mouth. 

Even with her impeccable maternal instincts and protection the mother hen doesn’t come close to what we experience when we belong to our heavenly Father. His providential care is unmatchable and immeasurable. God plants us in the womb, watches over us, feeds us, protects us, sends His Son whose blood covers us with His own righteousness. 

Outside of God we are vulnerable and wide open for the enemy but belonging to the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit we are completely covered: 

Triune God with us, Triune God before us, Triune God behind us,

Triune God in us, Triune God beneath us, Triune God above us,

Triune God on our right, Triune God on our left,

Triune God where we lie, Triune God where we sit, Triune God where we arise. As David wrote there is no place we can go that our holy God has not gone. 

Dear God, no matter what storms arise Your protective covering isn’t just physical but extends to our heart and mind, guarding us against fear and anxiety, reminding us that we always have a safe haven in You. 

Other places you can read about the promise of covering in the Bible

Psalm 5:11 (ESV)

But let all who take refuge in you rejoice; let them ever sing for joy, and spread your protection over them, that those who love your name may exult in you.  

Psalm 121:5-6 (NIV)

The LORD is your keeper; the LORD is your shade on your right hand  

(February 4, 2025)

  [The righteous] are confident and fearless ad can face their foes triumphantly—Psalm 112:8, NLT

God wants us to have confidence in life. That’s not the same as being arrogant, prideful or braggadocious, but having an assurance of who we are in the Lord. Our self-worth is seen through the eyes of God who created us, and everything God made—including humans—was created perfectly and was pleasing to God. 

The confidence we have should come from knowing we have been fearfully and wondrously made and knowing we have been made worthy and belong to Jesus Christ who died on the cross to set us free. The more we stay in the word of God the more our confidence increases. We learn from God’s word even when we are not feeling strong (enough) or good (enough) God makes us so, and whispers to us that we are!

Special nuggets are scattered throughout the Scriptures to keep us pointed in the right direction so when we are beginning to doubt our strength in God or question if we can accomplish something we can be reminded of where our strength and confidence come from. The writer of Hebrews says, “So do not throw away your confidence it will be richly rewarded (Heb. 10:35).

When the king of Assyria had invaded Judah, seizing their fortified cities and believing it was going to be easy to take them for himself, king Hezekiah bolstered the confidence of God’s people by issuing a word from the Lord. Hezekiah said, “with him (Sennacherib) is only the arm of flesh, but with us is the LORD our God to help us and to fight our battle (2 Chron. 32:8). The Bible says, “And the people gained confidence from what Hezekiah the king of Judah said (2 Chronicles 32:8).

When we trust in the word of God which does not fail us, even if we are facing some strong opposition, come up against a seemingly unmovable obstacle or mountain, are standing in front of an ocean that appears uncrossable, being rejected or having a door slammed in our face, we can say with confidence “the Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can mere mortals do to me? (Heb. 13:6). 

Nothing is too hard for God, not even filling His children with the confidence they need to experience the victory He has planned for them.

Dear God, whenever we need to build our confidence, we don’t have to rely on the same resources as the world, all we need to do is turn to Your Word and call upon Your Holy Spirit.          

Other places you can read about the promise of confidence in the Bible

Isaiah 32:17 (NIV)

The fruit of that righteousness will be peace; its effect will be quietness and confidence forever.

Jeremiah 17:7 (NIV)

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

(February 3, 2025)

Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows—James 1:7, NIV

James sets the record straight. Whereas we often settle for “okay”, James reminds us that God only sends good and perfect gifts to His children. God’s gifts to His children are not “fool’s gold.” They are the real thing.

“The Lord is good to those who wait for him, to the soul who seeks him. It is good that one should wait quietly for the Lord” (Lam. 3:25-26). When we wait on God we are assured of perfect outcomes and solutions for our problems and complicated situations even in an imperfect world. God is a good God. God wants to give us good gifts that are perfect for where we are, the situations we are going through, and where He wants us to go.

We should not be mistaken. Sometimes the good and perfect God sends doesn’t seem either good nor perfect to or for us. Sometimes God gives us what we need but don’t yet recognize we need what’s He’s giving. God’s “good” and “perfect” can include withholding, closing doors, ending something we thought we’d hold onto forever. At the time what God does or doesn’t do may seem more like He is punishing us but God has promised never to hurt or harm us. But God will never hurt or harm what He loves.

So often we pray for things we want but because God loves us, He won’t always answer our prayer the way we want, or think is best. It’s not because He’s being mean to us or is angry with us, but because He loves us too much to hurt us in any way. 

When God knew the perfect gift for sinners who needed to be redeemed and set free from the stronghold of sin, He sent no less than what was going to be our perfect solution. God sent His only Son Jesus. Jesus is sinless, pure, holy, the perfect substitute, the only perfect sacrifice and solution to an otherwise imperfect and complex situation. There was no accusation Satan could bring against God’s Holy Son, and try as he might, Satan could not even tempt Jesus to sin. Satan could not sully the goodness of Jesus nor make him compromise his heavenly appointment to bring salvation to earth. 

God will send good and perfect gifts to us from the time we are born until the day we close our eyes and then God gifts us with the perfect eternity. Even when life is over on earth God is not done blessing us with what’s perfect for us.  

We give thanks to You, O Lord. For You are good and Your steadfast love endures forever (Ps. 107:1) and You only send and bring good and perfect gifts to Your children. 

Other places we can read how God wants the best for us in the Bible

Romans 8:28 (NLT)

And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.  

Jeremiah 29:11 (NIV)

For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”