A Kaleidoscope under God’s Christmas Tree

“For God sent not His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him, MIGHT BE SAVED.” John 3:17, KJV

Question: “What do you see when you look at a Christmas tree? “

For me it takes a hard turn.  A Christmas tree reminds me of a call from a Christian I’ll call Grace. “Where are you?” She said, “I’m in the hospital in the Psychiatric Ward.” I had no idea what to expect when I asked to see Grace. Let me stop right here and say, DON’T EVER JUDGE OTHERS TOO QUICKLY, FOR YOU MAY WELL BE THE ONE A BUZZER IS PRESSED TO VISIT YOU!

I gently sat beside her in complete silence to say “I’m here”. Weeping and trembling, she said, “I’m so sorry, I’ve wrecked my whole life. I thought of suicide to end it, attempted it, but no, so here I am in the Psychiatric Ward. I can’t face anyone anymore. I’M FOUND OUT. I’m ashamed of what I‘ve become. I’ve fallen away from God.” In tears and trembling she screamed out, Dear God what have I done?

QUESTION?  Is this you?

I said, “Let’s take a walk.” What followed, I know came by the Holy Spirit, through me, to her. I well knew that just one wrong word could drive her deeper into the valley of darkness. Then there it was “GOD’S CHRISTMAS TREE.” “Look! The Christmas Tree, its shape. Grace said, “What are you talking about?”  

The height of the tree represents our lifetime. The bottom branch is the day we were saved. As babes, we backslid but returned to center, to God. The branches get shorter as they grow up. See the top? It’s our walk. How we’ve aged and grown to be closer as one with God. The old made new. We’re white as snow in heaven, bathing in God’s Love forever. This was the turning point for her that day, she’s now with God.

God’s Kaleidoscope

Its under your Christmas tree. Look down thru it there is only darkness, but look up into God’s Light and behold THE BEAUTIFIL COLORS. It’s God’s gift to see us as He sees us. Not worthless, but worth dying for. Can you see Jesus on the Cross better now?

 Jesus’ hands bleeding red, outstretched from east to west nailed to a Cross. The big question is, WILL YOU SURRENDER YOUR MESS BEFORE YOU TOO BE FOUND OUT? TAKE HIS HAND AND BE SET FREE TO FINALLY LIVE? As we turn our Kaleidoscope it represents each new day’s walk in Christ; a new picture forms with each turn. If you’ve fallen, as we all do, STOP looking down! Today, open up your gift under “God’s Christmas Tree.” Your name is on it. It’s a new life in Christ. Look up into the heart of God, into LIGHT, and see what Christ can do with broken people, with our broken pieces.

Merry Christmas to all, I love you all so dearly!                  

Anchor in the Storm

We have this as a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul, a hope that enters into the inner place behind the curtain, Hebrews 6:19 ESV 

In 2022 and 2023, there were times I felt so overwhelmed. It seemed like everyone who relied on me was falling apart. I was running as hard as I could to keep up, trying to take care of everyone that was depending on me. But there wasn’t enough of me.

 My Granny moved in with us with Alzheimer’s, and I had to get a caregiver to stay with her while we worked. My daughter was having complications with her pregnancy. My son broke his leg and was non-weight bearing and in a wheelchair for 3 months. And my husband’s health was failing him. I didn’t know if I was coming or going. We faced a lot of storms, one after the other, and sometimes two or three at a time. As the saying goes, “When it rains, it pours.”

With all that going on, it could get overwhelming. BUT GOD, my Anchor. I don’t know how people that don’t know Jesus even make it. They don’t have anyone to truly depend on that will never fail them like we, as Christians, do. We forget, though, to rely on Him. Sometimes we try to handle everything alone.

God speaks to us through prayer and through His Word. It’s what kept me anchored and calm while being hit by the waves of the storm. His promises give us hope and peace—a reminder we are not alone. He doesn’t promise we won’t have storms, everyone goes through trials, but we can trust that we will remain steadfast and secure through our storms as long as we keep our eyes on Him.

As it says in Hebrews 6:19, “We have this as a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul, a hope that enters into the inner place behind the curtain.” We have a confirmed hope through Jesus, who has gone on before us, giving us a direct anchor to God. No storm is bigger than our God.

Trust in God

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.” Proverbs 3:5-6, NKJV

 Growing up in a broken home with a mother who battled an addiction much of my life, I was always surrounded by trauma, chaos, and instability. Our family went to church on holidays and special occasions.

Becoming a mother and a wife at the age of 17 was a challenge. At that time, I did not have the Holy Spirit to lean on. Yes, we went to church occasionally, but my personal relationship with my Father in Heaven was not there. I was mostly filled with anxiety and leaned on exercise to relieve stress. At least I thought that was working.

My first marriage quickly ended, and I was sent a true angel, my now husband John. We continued going to church as a family of 3, but I still felt I did not belong. Seven years into our marriage, we found out we were expecting twins. We made sure we attended church regularly, and that our twins grew up around Christian caregivers while we worked. Attending church for me was extremely stressful, and socializing at church was so uncomfortable. I still struggle with the social aspect of church. 

My mother continued to struggle with addiction. She was hospitalized and during the month she was there, I stayed and loved on her as much as I could. At the conclusion of her hospital stay, I was assigned the hardest decision of my life, and that was to remove my own mother from life support. She was brain dead, and there was no hope of regaining anything. She was in a good relationship with God and I knew it was in God’s hands. She passed when the twins were just 5 years old. I didn’t understand how someone that was supposed to love and guide me could choose drugs over her own daughter.

It was not until the twins and I were baptized at Marion that things for me started to really change. I realized that what I had always done before to fix things myself, or so I thought, really did more harm than good. It was then that I started praying and asking the Lord to teach me, and I truly recognized needed changes. I learned not to lean on my own understanding, but to instead rely on my Father in Heaven. My mother did the best she knew how at the time, and I needed a relationship with the One who created me in His image.

Through my struggles and personal growth, I learned to avoid drugs and became more addicted to the Word of God. Trusting the Lord meant to let go and let God. As it states in Proverbs 3:6, “In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths”. 

Give Your Best

Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven

- Matthew 5:16 (NKJV)

As a young married couple in 2006, my wife and I took the plunge and began building our forever home shortly after our first anniversary. Many people chuckled and told us that if we survive the challenges of building a house together, then we can handle anything marriage could possibly throw our way. We dreamed of the perfectly decorated home, a big manicured yard, a large driveway for our future children to ride bikes upon, dogs running freely in the yard, and many more memories to be made in our home. While my wife and I didn’t have any conflicts of interest in the details of planning our new home, what we did struggle with were the financial obligations of owning a new home.

Our home cost us much more than expected and stretched our finances very thin. That manicured lawn I so desperately desired seemed more like a dream than a reality. I was too ignorant to have considered all the other expenses that come with purchasing a home, one of which was the need for a lawnmower. It wasn’t long before my father-in-law also saw our need for a lawnmower. In fact, he saw the need before we moved into our new home and gifted us his own personal riding mower.

While ecstatic to receive such a generous gift, the offering didn’t make sense to me, as he had chosen to gift us with the better of the two mowers he owned. The mower he decided to keep for himself looked like it was ready for the scrap yard and as if it could break down at any moment. So, I couldn’t help but ask the question, “Why are you giving us your best mower?” My father-in-law’s response still resonates with me today. He said, “God gave us His best when he sent his only son Jesus to die on the cross for us; as Christians, we should be giving the very best we have too.” While the mower was a gift to me, it was God who was glorified that day. 

This story often makes me ask myself if I am giving my best to glorify God. When I pray and read my Bible, am I giving God my sharpest mind, or my leftover time? When I hear of a need in the church, do I give the best that I can provide, or do I give in a way that will temporarily meet the need? When a job needs to be done at church or within the community, do I set out to complete the job professionally, or do I help in a way that the job looks “good enough?”

May we never forget Christ gave His all for us on the cross. Strive to give your best, and in doing so, let your light shine so God may get the glory.

Finding Wisdom

Proverbs 9:9-10 Give instruction to a wise man, and he will be yet wiser: teach a just man, and he will increase in learning. The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the holy is understanding.

• NKJV

Is it just me or do we live in a time of some pretty strong opinions? I recall learning about the difference between “fact” and “opinion” in elementary school using scenario examples such as “vanilla is an ice cream flavor” versus “vanilla is the best ice cream flavor.” Of course, the former is a fact because it is undeniably true, while vanilla being the best is just an opinion. But wait a minute… vanilla IS the best ice cream flavor – after all, it is the foundation of all other flavors and the most ideal on a hot day, not to mention it is also my personal favorite. And, just like that, I’ve presented my personal opinion as a fact.

Perhaps this is why our knowledge of what we consider “facts” seems to change all the time, i.e., medical practices, science, historical accounts, healthy foods, and much more. Can you believe people thought the earth was flat!? Well, that may have been an undisputed fact for lots of people. People that may have been considered very wise in their time may today be considered unwise because we have new facts they didn’t. I wonder if future generations will make fun of us for thinking we live on giant ball. Okay, time to take the tinfoil hat off.

How can we confidently lead lives of wisdom and discernment to make the right choices when it becomes less and less clear on what is truth or falsehoods?

The Word of God is the unchanging truth that has stood firm and uncompromised since the beginning. Where better to learn how to live a life of wisdom?

King Solomon, the wisest man to ever live, gives us guidance on living a life of wisdom in the book of Proverbs. He makes it abundantly clear that the beginning of wisdom starts with fear of the Lord (Proverbs 1:7, 9:10). This is step one that can’t be skipped. Period.

I struggled to understand this phrase when I was younger. God gave His Son to die for me in the ultimate act of love, but I’m supposed to be scared of Him? The older I became, however, the more I understood what fear of the Lord was all about – the understanding that God, the Creator of the Universe, is the ultimate deity and Lord of all. The first step to become wise is understanding God’s holiness and sovereignty in a way that demands our ultimate reverence and humility. We must never become desensitized to how holy and great God truly is. If we do, we undermine the sacrifice and how huge an act of love Jesus dying on the cross was for us. One can never be wise without first acknowledging this truth.

Knowing this allows me to start down the path of a God-fearing life. I struggle to give up what I think is control, but acknowledging it all comes from a holy God reframes my life to be a good steward of what the Lord has given me. He will guide and protect me through the ups and downs and open the eyes of my heart to the real, unchanging knowledge of truth if I follow His lead and plan for my life.

Fear of the LORD is an essential aspect of our relationship with God. It’s not about being scared, but recognizing God’s greatness and authority over our lives. As we grow in fear of the Lord, we will begin to grow in true wisdom and understanding. This is where we start.

Manna and Mercy

“But now we have lost our appetite; we never see anything but this manna!”

Numbers 11:6, NIV

Have you ever looked at a map of the Israelites' 40-year journey through the wilderness?  Check it out really quick.

I'll wait....

It was before the days of GPS, but I'm pretty sure they knew they were taking the long way. 

By the fifteenth day of the second month of their journey, when they could have already been to their final destination if they had taken a straight path, they start complaining about their lack of food. They actually would have rather been back in Egypt eating all the food they wanted.

Exodus 16:3 says, "The Israelites said to them [Moses and Aaron] “If only we had died by the Lord's hand in Egypt! There we sat around pots of meat and ate all the food we wanted, but you brought us out into this desert to starve this entire assembly to death.””

Can you imagine them acting like this?!  "I wish we had died in Egypt!  At least we had foooood!" 

So dramatic. (We’d never act like that…wink wink)

But God hears His people and tells Moses that He will rain down bread from heaven for them.

Exodus 16:14-15 says, "When the dew was gone, thin flakes like frost on the ground appeared on the desert floor. When the Israelites saw it, they said to each other, “What is it?” For they did not know what it was. Moses said to them, “It is the bread the Lord has given you to eat.””

Manna literally means "What?" I think it's kind of funny. They didn't know what these thin flakes on the ground were when they woke up the next morning. They were like, "What??" "Ma-nuh?"  So, that's what it is called. Manna. 

"The manna was like coriander seed and looked like resin.  The people went around gathering it, and ground it in a handmill or crushed it in a mortar.  They cooked it in a pot or made it into cakes. And it tasted like something made with olive oil." (Numbers 11:7-8)

It was going to be enough to get them through that one day. They couldn't hoard it. This wasn't for a feast. It couldn't be stored for later use, except for the Sabbath days.

This was God's providence and mercy. 

So, they ate this manna every day for the rest of their journey. Eventually, they got sick of eating manna. (Man, this is so like us, isn’t it??) They grew tired of God’s provision, compassion, and mercy in this form. They were complaining about the lack of meat, cucumbers, melons, onions, leeks, and garlic. “But now we have lost our appetite; we never see anything but this manna!” (Numbers 11:6)

God sends a wind out and it brings quail in from the sea. A lot of quail. They gathered plenty of quail, but God was angry and they were struck by a plague and buried the people who were craving other food.

I probably would have been buried. I would have been complaining about manna.

What mercy has God provided for us that we’ve grown tired of and/or complained about? Do we even see mercy in His provision?

You Can’t Get Jesus Dirty

“Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; let him return to the Lord, that he may have compassion on him, and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon. For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord.”

Isaiah 55:7-9, ESV

Have you ever looked at that person sitting in a pew across the church and thought something like, “I can't believe they can sit there with how they live!” Or, “There's no way someone like that can be saved.” Perhaps you have looked into the mirror and thought the same types of thoughts? ”I'm too far gone.” “I'm too old; I've blown my chances.” “I'm beyond help.” Or how about, “I'm too dirty, it's hopeless!”

Friend, every single one of those thoughts is wrong. Untrue. Why? Because God is BIGGER than every circumstance you face! EVERY. SINGLE. ONE. How can I be so sure? Allow me to tell you a little story. An 18-year-old girl, strong in her faith; she wasn’t perfect, but she was a leader. This made her a target for a man who made it his life's work to break and destroy her. A year of attacks and abuse followed. The cuts he gave were not mere scratches, and each burn left scars much more than skin deep.

When she found herself alone in the darkness after one such attack, her thoughts were dark indeed. She begged God to take her home, cried out with every breathe she could manage. What followed changed everything. A simple whisper, “You are not alone.” A peace overwhelmed the moment beyond comprehension. The truth that I can't get Jesus dirty. 

That is such a small piece of my story, but you need to see that Jesus was not afraid nor hesitant to walk into my dirty life and carry me out. He won't hesitate to do the same for you. You can be neck deep in the filth of this world, BUT GOD will reach down and have compassion. That compassion isn't just a deep sympathy or sorrow felt for your suffering, but a call to action and a desire to alleviate that suffering. God isn't interested in leaving us in the muddy pits. He is interested in abundantly pardoning us. That means a forgiveness that goes beyond the mere removal of punishment, offering a restoration to a relationship with God. It is far beyond what we expect or deserve.

Praise the Lord! His ways are not our ways! He is worthy of our all. Forsake any wicked ways, friend. Abandon those thoughts that are not true, honorable, just, or pure (Philippians 4:8). Return to the Lord! No matter where you find yourself, no matter your age or the time since you left. Romans 8:38-39 promises us that NOTHING can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord! Until you take that final breath and are ushered into eternity, KNOW that you still have hope, found in Christ Jesus!

God’s Peace

  “And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” Philippians 4:7, NIV

Back in 2022, my husband and I had to work through a very stressful situation. We had purchased a business as an avenue out of our current unhappy work situations. The business seemed like a great avenue to not only replace those jobs but also to do God’s work as stewards of the earth and operate as an honest Christian company. When our boots hit the ground, we were hit hard with the reality that finding and keeping help would be very difficult, and that the business side of things is just not as fun as the tree work. My husband and I were faced with the difficult decision of either letting it go or pushing forward. We spent months deep in stress, to where I could see the physical changes in my husband and feel the physical changes in my body. All the while we were still working and raising our kids.

I will never forget the day I sat in my “Bible study chair” and prayed to God for direction and peace. Verse 6 of Philippians says, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.” (NIV) I truly turned the situation over to God, and the peace that immediately surrounded me was undeniably by our heavenly Father’s strength and grace, and not of my ability.

I realized that no matter which decision we made, it would have no bearing on our eternal home. You see, my focus was on earthly things: work, finances, and self-employment. My priority and focus should always be on God’s kingdom and His kingdom agenda, which is to show others Jesus and make disciples while here on earth. This world is not my forever home, but at the time that was my focus. We are instructed to set our “minds on things above, not on earthly things”. (Colossians 3:2, NIV). It’s simple, and yet I had it all backwards. While finances play a big part in our earthly lives, we cannot allow them to become idols and take priority over our kingdom agenda.

We had allowed this decision to take up so much space in our minds and lives it became our first priority, allowing God’s presence to take a backseat. That’s when Satan began to strike. He would have loved to keep us there, focused on turmoil and defeat, and not the power and peace of God. But we serve a God who has already defeated Satan, and desperately wants us to focus on Him! When my thought process shifted, I felt the importance and stress of the decision quickly fade away and peace flood into its place.

I challenge you to let go of the earthly things you stress over each day and realize their unimportance. Never take your eyes off the cross because then you focus on the storm. Cling to God’s power, Word, and peace in your life every day!

God Really Does Love Me

For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities— all things were created through him and for him.

Colossians 1:16, ESV [emphasis mine]

I am prone to skepticism and doubt. It simply could be the temperament that God designed me with. Or perhaps it’s evidence of the old man still writhing and wrestling within. Either way, the assurance that God actually loves me is often elusive. When I read landmark verses such as John 3:16, it’s easy to accept that God loves us all. But when it comes down to whether or not God loves me as an individual, doubt seeps in.

 I am reminded, though, that Jesus didn’t just interact with large crowds of people. He came to individuals and made them feel seen and cared for. A man with leprosy asked to be healed, but instead of only healing the man’s illness, "Jesus stretched out his hand and touched him." (Matthew 8:3, ESV) Jesus made it a point to connect physically with a man who had been socially ostracized and likely hadn’t felt the embrace of another human being since the outset of his illness.

 Yes, I can see that God loves specific individuals, but doubt isn’t quieted so easily. Frustratingly, I exclaim, “But does God love me?” Maybe you can relate to me. I have heard it said that believing that God actually loves us is one of our biggest problems in life. All of my sin has its roots in the lie I have believed that God does not love me. Since God does not love me, I can’t trust that He has my happiness and best interest in mind. God is holding out on me, and if I want to be happy, then I need to do things my way. We have not only our own lives as proof but also an entire world that testifies how our belief in that lie has led to nothing but suffering and death.

 What we need more than anything is to truly believe that God loves us and delights in us. Reflecting on Colossians 1:16, God showed me that "All things were created through him and for him." If I have been created, I was created for Him. Since I know that I have been created, I also have confidence that God loves me because He only created things for Himself. God designed me and brought me to life because He wanted to be with me. I am loved.

 You are loved too. If you have been reading this, you can be assured that God created and loves you as well. Take heart. God really does love us.

Out With the Old; In With the New

“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

-1 John 1:9, ESV

One day, after thoroughly vacuuming the floors, I put away the vacuum cleaner and began mopping. As I reached my kitchen table, I noticed I had missed some crumbs beneath a chair. I stood there for a moment looking at the crumbs, trying to decide if I needed to pull the vacuum cleaner back out.

 As I looked at my dilemma, I suddenly realized the crumbs under the chair were very similar to unconfessed sins in our lives. If I had mopped over the crumbs, I would have spread that bit of dirt over the rest of the clean areas of my floor. Instead of having one hidden, dirty spot, I would now have it mixed into every area of the floor.

 Our spiritual lives are very much like the small area of dirt on the floor. We may feel we have confessed all our sins to the Savior, yet we know in one corner of our hearts there is one sin we really do not want to take the time to address with Him. Instead, we push it back, but, ultimately, that “hidden” sin is going to spread itself into all areas of our lives. By not confessing every sin in our hearts to God, we create a barrier in our relationship with Him. God already knows each sin we struggle with, so why do we hesitate to fully open ourselves to Him and His healing power? We should remember 1 Peter 5:7, where Peter tells us to cast all our cares on God. He loves us so much and wants to help and heal us. We also need to remember what 1 John 1:9 tells us. If we confess our sins, Jesus will forgive us and cleanse us.

 As we begin this new year, do not close out any area of your heart from God. Confess all to Him and allow His healing power to work in your life. Like the crumbs on my floor, it may take some work on your part to address something you would rather skip over. But not even my clean floor can compare to having a heart completely confessed to God and open to whatever He has in store for your life!

The Unexpected Gift

“For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son

that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have eternal life.”

John 3:16, KJV

My Mama loved Christmas and loved getting gifts. Gifts, that is, she had asked for and expected to receive. When I was a teenager in the mid-eighties, I remember my Mama getting a microwave oven for Christmas. Microwave ovens during this time were finally affordable for average families. We thought it would be the perfect gift for Mama since she was always cooking for us. We thought she would love it because it would help make meal preparations so much faster. Boy, were we wrong! You see, Mama had not asked for a microwave oven and threw a complete hissy fit when she opened that gift.  

Maybe you are much the same way at Christmas. You expect one thing and receive something entirely different. But, sometimes unexpected gifts are the best kind.

 The Israelites had been waiting for over 400 years for a Messiah to come to save them. I am sure they were expecting anything other than what they got. I am sure they were expecting a royal king wrapped in a regal robe and riding in on a beautiful stallion. Instead, they received a lowly baby born in a stable to a young and unknown virgin. Who would imagine that a king would come this way?

 God in Heaven knew exactly what we needed. It was all part of His perfect plan set in motion before the foundation of the earth. God knew from the beginning of time we would need a Savior to save us from our sin. Who could possibly handle this seemingly impossible task? God knew that only He could save us, His creation, from eternal death. God sent His only Son Jesus wrapped in flesh, to show us how to live. He would live a sinless life to become the perfect sacrifice for us. God loved us so much that He used the unexpected gift of Jesus to bear our sin so we could have eternal life with Him.

There are still so many who are waiting for a Messiah not realizing that He is standing at the door of their heart waiting for them to accept His free gift of salvation. You may be uncertain of how life will change if you choose Jesus. Maybe you think that you can save yourself by getting a better job, making more money, buying the perfect house, finding the perfect spouse, or quitting some nasty habits. Trust me, there is nothing you can do that will save you from eternal damnation BUT JESUS!

 My mama finally gave that microwave a chance and found out it was an unexpected gift that made life in the kitchen a lot easier. I pray you will consider accepting the free gift of salvation this Christmas. This gift won’t necessarily make life easier for you, but it will give you a joy-filled life full of peace.    

The Greatest is Love

So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love.

1 Corinthians 13:13 ESV

There are many thoughts, philosophies, movies, songs, books, even religions based on love. Love is everywhere! Or is it…?

 How much does God love you? So much that He not only describes it in great detail here, but He demonstrated it perfectly through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus. This is no ordinary love; it is AGAPE love. The unconditional, sacrificial love that only God has for us, and only He can produce in the life of a Christian.

Before Paul tells what love is in this chapter, he explains what it is not. In verses 1-3, Paul does much like Jesus did in the Sermon on the Mount. In Matthew chapter 6, Jesus dismantles the Jews’ practice of giving, prayer, and fasting—not to dismiss these practices in and of themselves, but to show how meaningless they are when done in the wrong spirit. In much the same way, Paul begins to strip apart their religion—the outward ways in which they served God with their mouths, but not with their heart.

Paul specifically mentions speaking in tongues, prophesying, having ALL knowledge and understanding, and even having ALL faith. Imagine THAT worship service!! Then imagine it not even raising one hair on one eyebrow in heaven. Why? Because it lacks the one thing that makes it pleasing to God… LOVE. Don’t you see why we need God? Even our best worship can be freely expressed with the wrong heart. If you took away your “religion” this week, what would you be left with spiritually?

So now faith, hope, and love abide… and I sure do need all three to make it through the day! Won’t it be great when we won’t need the first two? One day I will not need faith. I will have no need for hope. And I will forever abide in His love.

Slow to Anger

So then, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath; for the wrath of man does not produce the righteousness of God. Therefore, lay aside all filthiness and overflow of wickedness, and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls.

James 1:19-21, NKJV

If I’m being honest, reigning in my temper has been a lifelong struggle. Alongside countless other young men, I spent the early years of my adult life attempting to prove to everyone that I was right rather than being righteous. Unfortunately, it seems what was once a young man’s ailment has become a plague on much of our world, regardless of age or gender. Disconnected screaming matches that once happened primarily online have spilled over into the real world and rage is quickly becoming a state of being rather than a temporary emotion.

 James provides the antidote for this disease of wrath in the passage above. He instructs his audience to listen more, speak (or shout) less, and to reel in anger because it is empty and shameful compared to the righteousness of God. He then goes on to share why this is so important. We have to cast off the wrath that is self-serving so that we can be humbled and transformed through the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ. What it really points to is the same denial of self that Paul writes about in Galatians 5:17. We must set aside our sinful desire to seek our own glory rather than God’s.  

 Why fight when we know the battle is won by the resurrected Christ? Rather, our lives should be spent simply inviting those around us to share in the victory.

Do Not Love the World

 “Do not love the world or the things in the world.

If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.”  -1 John 2:15, ESV

The word love here is a form of the Greek word agape. It speaks of a love given over to another that springs from a heart of love. It’s the love that Jesus has for us. He has no reason to love us yet He does so unconditionally (Romans 5:8). We are not to have this kind of love for the world.

John is not talking about the literal world—the one of earth, wood, air, and people. John is talking about the spiritual world of the enemy. Remember what James 4:4 says, “You adulterous people! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore, whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.”

We cannot ever love the things of God and also the things of the enemy. They are two totally different world systems. One, the way of the Father, is that of love, justice, holiness, righteousness, truth, and life, to mention just a few. The way of the enemy is that of hate, lying, and death. Yet so often, the enemy makes the dying way, the lying way, seem so much more attractive to us. This is what he did in the garden to Eve, then to Adam as well.

The writer of Hebrews states that sin is pleasurable for a season (Hebrews 11:25), and oh what truth. But sin is totally against all that God is and against all that God stands for. Everything about this world is dying and nothing of it has eternal value. The things of heaven, the things of the Lord, are the things of eternal value; they will be with the believer for all eternity.

It’s easy to say we love the Father and not the world. Yet it begs the question, do we show this in our actions? Do we show this in our walk? Do we show this in our talk? If someone was to look at our lives, what would they deduce from it? Would they say we loved the world or the Father?

We need to look at our lives, look at where we spend our time and invest our time? Does more, much more, go to the Father, or to the enemy and the way of this world.

Where Worship Starts

How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? - Romans 10:14, ESV

We can define worship as loving God back and giving Him the glory He deserves. We often think that corporate worship only involves the singing. But it also includes—and in fact even starts—with preaching the Word. Let’s look at why preaching the Word is vital to corporate worship.

Part of worship is knowing God; we cannot love Him and give Him glory if we do not know Him. We come to know Him by being under a pastor’s preaching and teaching. Yes, we need to have time in the Word every day, but reading and studying on our own does not replace being under a pastor. Romans 10:14 lays out the steps. In our corporate worship services, we hear the preaching and we come to know Him so that we can love Him back and give Him the glory that He deserves.

Another aspect of worship is delighting in God. Again, we cannot give love back to Him if we do not delight in Him. We cannot give Him the glory that He deserves if we do not delight in Him. We learn to delight in Him by hearing His Word preached in corporate worship. In 2 Timothy, Paul encouraged Timothy to preach the Word (2 Timothy 2:4). The Greek word used means to preach, to herald, to proclaim. We come into corporate worship and sit under a pastor’s preaching so that he can herald to us, “Come and hear what it says about the Lord.” It is proclaiming to us truths about God so that our hearts will then delight in Him.

We were made to worship God. We were made to love Him back and to give Him the glory that He deserves. We must not neglect the start of worship—the preaching of the Word.

The Anchor that Holds

“You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you, all whose thoughts are fixed on you! Trust in the Lord always, for the Lord God is the eternal Rock.”

                                                                                    - Isaiah 26:3,4, NLT

 An anchor is a heavy object that holds a ship in place on wavy waters. No matter what storms pass, that ship will not move. Trust in God is the anchor that holds the Christian’s life steady as the storms of life pass by. God is the steadfast Rock that will not be shaken by the things of this world.

 Is your life being tossed about? Are you riding the violent waves and losing control? Do you seek perfect peace in your life that seems out of reach? Isaiah informs us that God will keep us in perfect peace if we keep our thoughts fixed on Him. Once we choose to anchor ourselves to the Rock that will not be moved and stop anchoring our lives to things of this world, we will find that the storms are not as severe. The waves won’t take us off course.

 We must give up our selfish desires and our self-reliance and allow God to guide our lives where He desires. The seas won’t always be peaceful, but with our lives anchored to God, we won’t drift away. Our vessels won’t be shattered or sunk. Instead, we will overcome the storms that pass. We will stay on the course God created for us.

 If you are currently anchoring your life to money, a job, your family, drugs, alcohol, or anything else of this world; let today be the day you choose to cast your anchor on God, the Rock. He will hold your life together and not let it be torn apart.

Leaving a Legacy

He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you
but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?

Micah 6:8

Each day, as you start, pray: Ask God to give you an understanding of His Word through His Holy Spirit.

Each day respond in prayer: Write out a prayer in response to what you have read today.

MONDAY

Read & Meditate: Micah 6:8

Reflect: Often this verse is shortened to “Act Justly, Love Mercy, Walk Humbly”. This is the life verse of my wife’s late grandfather, “GrandPap Ed”. Before I met him, I heard so many stories about how great of a man he was. After meeting him and spending time in his presence, I realized he was a person I wanted to be more like. I did not know why until I learned about his life verse, Micah 6:8. He lived this verse daily and was a man that was continuously seeking God’s heart. What is your life or favorite verse from the Bible? What does this verse mean to you? How do you try to live out that verse in your daily walk?

TUESDAY

Read & Meditate: Mark 12:30-31, James 2:1-13

Reflect: ACT JUSTLY – Do you love your neighbor as yourself, as Mark instructs in verse 31 of Chapter 12? If you do not love all your neighbors, how are you showing justice? James refers to Mark 12 in James 2:8. To act justly in the eyes of God, you need to know sin and evil from good and holy. How do you allow the Holy Spirit to lead you in living a life in which you treat all people as God has commanded in His Holy Word?

WEDNESDAY

Read & Meditate: Luke 6:38, Matthew 5:7

Reflect: LOVE MERCY – How do you show compassion and forgiveness to others? As Christians, we have witnessed the greatest example of mercy ever shown: God allowing His sinless Son to go to the cross and die for the sins we commit. Reflect on how you may act toward someone that has wronged you, but God allowed His son to die for your sins! Where are the opportunities in your life that you can show mercy that you may not have done so before? Ask the Holy Spirit to guide you on this journey.

THURSDAY

Read & Meditate: John 13:1-17, Philippians 2:3-4, Psalm 8:3-4

Reflect: WALK HUMBLY – How is your current relationship (walk) with God today? To have a meaningful walk with God, you must have a teachable spirit and lack any self-pride. We must acknowledge the supremacy of God as King David does in Psalm 8:3-4. Jesus shows us the example of being humble by washing of the Disciples’ feet in John 13. Where in your daily walk can you humble yourself? Will you humble yourself in the presence of the Lord? How is the Holy Spirit speaking to you?

Why Endure Suffering

For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing

with the glory that is to be revealed to us. (Romans 8:18, ESV)

Thomas Watts said, " Christianity is not the removal of suffering, but the addition of grace to endure suffering triumphantly." Do our sufferings in life show we belong to Christ, or do we as Christians suffer as if Christ is not even in us?

 Persecution can be because of our own sin, stress, selfish desires, and bad choices (1 Peter 4:15), but it can also be trouble that occurs "for righteousness' sake" (Matt. 5:10). To be persecuted for righteousness' sake means you suffer solely for following Christ (Matt. 10:16-18, 21-22). The world is in rebellion against God and hates God. Jesus tells us the world will also hate us (John 15:20). The first followers of Jesus experienced suffering for following Him, and the persecution of Christians will only continue until Jesus calls us home.

 The FREE gift of salvation incurs opposition because being saved means we have to submit to God. People have always had a problem with submission. They want to be in control—decide what's best, right, or wrong. Opposition also comes because Christian behavior and beliefs make unbelievers angry and defensive.

Persecution is important in our Christian walk because it promotes character and courage, proves godliness, and produces joy and patience. It can even provide rewards. We should not reject suffering because we will miss out on blessings. (James 1:2-4) Persecution can mold us into who God wants us to be. (Romans 5:3-5) We can overcome persecution by being bold in our faith, proclaiming the truth of Jesus no matter the cost. We need to be like Paul, ready to engage in the conflicts. (Phil. 1:29)

 The call to follow Christ is not always an easy life, but God isn't working to make the circumstances we want. God is working in the circumstances to produce the character He wants. Suffering for righteousness' sake should be our honor, and it certainly pleases God. (Isaiah 53:10)

Fully Surrendered Faith

“Yes, everything else is worthless when compared with the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have discarded everything else, counting it all as garbage, so that I could gain Christ.” Philippians 3:8 NLT

In February 1952, Jim Elliot left a life of ease to go to Ecuador as a missionary. Four years later, while attempting to evangelize the Huaorani people, he was martyred by the cannibal tribe. His last journal entry read: “He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose.” Fully surrendered.                                            

Two years after his death, his widow, Elisabeth Elliot, obeyed God’s call to return to Ecuador to live with and evangelize the Huaorani. Many came to Christ including those who savagely killed her husband. Elisabeth wrote, “I know the truth of 2 Corinthians 4:17, ‘These little troubles (which are really so transitory) are winning for us a permanent, glorious and solid reward out of all proportion to our pain.’” Fully surrendered.

Our days are full of ‘worthless garbage,’ things we prioritize that have no eternal value but consume us, leaving us little time or energy to bow to His plan for our life. We choose to navigate our days with God’s will at a comfortable arm’s length. No inconvenience. No risk.

True faith compels us to live fully surrendered to God. Through the power of the Holy Spirit in us, we give up our right to be encumbered by the ‘worthless’ things of this life to passionately follow the Savior who gave His life for us. In unabashed surrender, we gain abundant hope. We find our God-given purpose. Our priorities align with God’s priorities. We experience unwavering courage and have a passion for both lost souls and His Church. We do not fear hardship, persecution, or death. We live in radical obedience, having the mind of Christ.

Father, help us to put the ‘worthless’ things of this life in proper perspective, to surrender to Your will for our lives. We acknowledge any amount of suffering or sacrifice is ‘little’ (momentary) in light of Your perfect plan and eternity. We choose You above all else. Amen.

The Lion and the Lamb

And one of the elders said to me, “Weep no more; behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has conquered, so that he can open the scroll and its seven seals. [6] And between the throne and the four living creatures and among the elders I saw a Lamb standing, as though it had been slain…

Revelation 5:5-6a, ESV

We have all heard the old Farmer’s Almanac folklore that says, “March comes in like a lion, but goes out like a lamb.” Though in nature the two are set in opposition, in God’s character, we find a powerful and comforting set of complimentary characteristics. As the Lion of the tribe of Judah, God show us His strength, majesty and authority. As the Lamb, He shows us gentleness, meekness, and sacrifice.

The image of a lion brings to mind the complete power of our sovereign God. Like a lion, He is fierce in His protection of His people, guarding them from spiritual dangers and fighting battles on their behalf. The lion also shows us how He rules over all creation, reminding us that He is in control during every situation.

The image of the lamb reflects God’s love and mercy. Just as a lamb is innocent and gentle, so is God’s compassionate nature. The sacrificial lamb points us to the expression of God’s love through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. We see His willingness to lay down His life for us because of the depth and love and grace He has for us.

As we walk through life facing trials and tribulations, we can take refuge in these two complimentary characteristics of God. We find strength in His lion-like protection and comfort in His lamb-like love. His roar assures us of His power, while His embrace reminds us of His love.

Let us approach God with reverence for His might and gratitude for His tenderness. He is the Lion and the Lamb. He is our protection and our salvation.