Author: Thomas E Meyer Jr

Formerly Homeless Sinner Now, Child of God, Saved by Grace.

I realize this a ridiculous question but I must ask; do any of us truly realize, scripturally, what are the differences Between Anything and Everything?

You say, I am allowed to do anything —but not everything is good for you. You say, I am allowed to do anything —but not everything is beneficial. Don’t be concerned for your own good but for the good of others. Looking at it one way, you could say, Anything goes. Because of God’s immense generosity and grace, we don’t have to dissect and scrutinize every action to see if it will pass muster. But the point is not to just get by.

1 Corinthians 10:23-24 Amplified Bible

23 All things are lawful [that is, morally legitimate, permissible], but not all things are beneficial or advantageous. All things are lawful, but not all things are constructive [to character] and edifying [to spiritual life]. 24 Let no one seek [only] his own good, but [also] that of the other person.

The Word of God for the Children of God.

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

Do All to the Glory of God …

There is that all encompassing word.

All means that one thing, a series of specific somethings is to be done each and every time … without exception … as in an instruction manual or repair guides.

A set of processes must be done in an exact order each and every time it is done.

GOD IS GOOD, AND ALL THE TIME, GOD IS GOOD!

DO ALL TO THE GLORY OF GOD

(ALL) Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

So, how does that all encompassing command from the Word of God, “do all to the glory of God” sit with our usual daily routines? Who can accomplish “ALL?”

Do you struggle to do it all? I don’t know about you, but more oftentimes than not, the burdens of life weighs heavy on my shoulders. Between chores, tending to my spouse’s needs, working out, prioritizing spiritual disciplines, and caring for myself, my church, distant family, many days leave me weary and ragged. 

I know that Jesus calls me away from what’s not a priority to the things that are.

I know that Jesus doesn’t always want me to be always weary, famished, and flailing, drowning from the waves that surround me. And yet, I am human. My flesh is weak. I stumble and fall more than I’d like to admit. Can you 1% relate?

Philippians 4:12-13 Amplified Bible

12 I know how to get along and live humbly [in difficult times], and I also know how to enjoy abundance and live in prosperity. In any and every circumstance I have learned the secret [of facing life], whether well-fed or going hungry, whether having an abundance or being in need. 13 I can do all things [which He has called me to do] through Him who strengthens and empowers me [to fulfill His purpose—I am self-sufficient in Christ’s sufficiency; I am ready for anything and equal to anything through Him who infuses me with inner strength and confident peace.]

As I approach all these coming days of 2025, one statement has rung repeatedly in my mind: “You can do anything (you are called to do), but not everything.” The difference between anything and everything is found in 1 Corinthians 10. In a long address to the Church in Corinth, Apostle Paul preaches a similar message. 

As Christians, we are to learn all we can from Israel’s long history of idolatry.

We’re also summoned by the Word of God to learn all we can from those who have come before us.

This is why 1 Corinthians 10 explains that while we are given freedom in Christ, this freedom isn’t an excuse to cease our bible studies or to keep on sinning. 

Galatians 5:13 points to a similar message:

“You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one” (NIV).

Galatians 5:13-15 Amplified Bible

13 For you, my brothers, were called to freedom; only do not let your freedom become an opportunity for the [a]sinful nature (worldliness, selfishness), but through [b]love serve and seek the best for one another. 14 For the whole Law [concerning human relationships] is fulfilled in one precept, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself [that is, you shall have an unselfish concern for others and do things for their benefit].” 15 But if you bite and devour one another [in bickering and strife], watch out that you [along with your entire fellowship] are not consumed by one another.

What does this have to do with doing it all?

While our faith should enable us to do all things (Philippians 4:13), through Christ who strengthens. Paul reminds us in 1 Corinthians 10:23 to carefully evaluate who and what we give priority, devote our time and our faith to.

Yes, our freedom in Christ has set us free.

We are more than just a little capable of anything God gives us the ability to do.

But that does not mean we should engage in other things that aren’t good for us or causes or makes others stumble and fall. This also means that we should not fall captive to believing that we should automatically say “YES” to everything. 

Our mission as Christians is to spread the Good News of the gospel.

This is called the Great Commission in Matthew 28:16-20. Our goal is not to please man, but God (1 Thessalonians 2:4).

Unfortunately, many of us, myself included, often get this misconstrued.

We believe the lie that we must do everything. Before we know it, we think we’re invincible superhumans who can’t let anyone down ever.

Saying “no” becomes a curse word, a relationship tried and true sure breaker, and what truly matters to us has fallen far behind, getting lost in the noise. 

As much as I’d love to say I can do it all, I simply can’t, and neither can you.

But that’s okay.

In Acts 6, the disciples learned a similar lesson we can all learn from.

When disputes broke out over widows being overlooked in the daily distribution of food, they felt distraught (vs.1).

This was an unfair issue that needed justice!

Yet, the disciples knew that while they could attempt to do it all, they shouldn’t.

Their mission was to study Scripture and share the gospel.

What did they do?

They shared the burden and lightened the load by delegating that task (and many others) to those who could help. 

Acts 6:2-4 says it this way:

“So the Twelve gathered all the disciples together and said, ‘It would not be right for us to neglect the ministry of the word of God in order to wait on tables. Brothers and sisters, choose seven men from among you who are known to be full of the Spirit and wisdom. We will turn this responsibility over to them and will give our fullest attention to prayer and the ministry of the word'” (NIV). 

If you’re struggling to do it all this year, might I remind you that you were never meant to do everything, that is, us to 100% recall; “we are the Body of Christ.”

God has empowered us through the Holy Spirit to do incredible things—things far beyond that which we could ever ask, think, or imagine (Ephesians 3:20).

Yet, we were never called to do it all. We are all finite humans with limited time, energy, and resources. The difference between anything and everything is our realizing what’s a priority Give God all the Glory (Proverbs 3:5-8) and what isn’t worth our time or God’s precious time, remembering often enough …

Proverbs 16:18 Amplified

Pride goes before destruction, And a haughty spirit before a fall …

Proverbs 11:2 Amplified Bible

2 
When pride comes [boiling up with an arrogant attitude of self-importance], then come dishonor and shame,
But with the humble [the teachable who have been chiseled by trial and who have learned to walk humbly with God] there is wisdom and soundness of mind.

https://www.biblegateway.com/quicksearch/?qs_version=AMP&quicksearch=Pride&begin=24&end=24&resultspp=25

As our Creator, God know how quickly we’ll try to do it all. But if we’re honest, this leaves us feeling famished, exhausted, and weary. As we start moving into 2025, please God help us to prioritize the “anything’s” from the “everything’s.”

Bring our priorities to the surface, give us peace in knowing that while we can do all things through Christ, Give God all the Glory, save none for yourselves, we were never intended, meant, to bear up all of our sinful life’s burdens alone. 

In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,

Let us Pray.

Psalm 23 (AKJV)

A Psalm of David.

1 The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.
2 He maketh me to lie down in green pastures:
he leadeth me beside the still waters.
3 He restoreth my soul:
he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.
4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil: for thou art with me;
thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.
5 Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies:
thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.
6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life:
and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

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Sometimes we just need to stop right where are and reflect upon Memories of God’s Goodness. Deuteronomy 4:9

Deuteronomy 4:9-14 New American Standard Bible

9 “Only be careful for yourself and watch over your soul diligently, so that you do not forget the things which your eyes have seen and they do not depart from your heart all the days of your life; but make them known to your sons and your grandsons.  10 Remember the day you stood before the Lord your God at Horeb, when the Lord said to me, ‘Assemble the people to Me, that I may have them hear My words so that they may learn to [a]fear Me all the days that they live on the earth, and that they may teach their children.’ 11 You came forward and stood at the foot of the mountain, and the mountain was burning with fire to the heart of the heavens: darkness, cloud, and thick gloom. 12 Then the Lord spoke to you from the midst of the fire; you heard the sound of words, but you saw no form—there was only a voice. 13 So He declared to you His covenant which He commanded you to perform, that is, the Ten [b] Commandments; and He wrote them on two tablets of stone. 14 The Lord commanded me at that time to teach you statutes and judgments, so that you would perform them in the land where you are going over to take possession of it.

The Word of God for the People of God

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

This will probably sound odd to some, but the book of Deuteronomy is one of my favorite Old Testament books of the Bible. Much of Deuteronomy is a review and summary of the law, but nestled in between this review are valuable words of true wisdom from Moses. Today’s verse is one we should pause and consider.

From our text, Moses is speaking to the Israelites.

They are on the edge of the Promised Land. Moses is told h cannot pass over to the promised land in clear view of his eyes. Moses is old and he will die soon. As he reflects back on his 120 years of life, considers the length and breadth of his long life and sheer numbers and weight of experiences, he gives us these verses.

Deuteronomy 4:9-14 The Message

9 Just make sure you stay alert. Keep close watch over yourselves. Don’t forget anything of what you’ve seen. Don’t let your heart wander off. Stay vigilant as long as you live. Teach what you’ve seen and heard to your children and grandchildren.

10 That day when you stood before God, your God, at Horeb, God said to me, “Assemble the people in my presence to listen to my words so that they will learn to fear me in holy fear for as long as they live on the land, and then they will teach these same words to their children.”

11-13 You gathered. You stood in the shadow of the mountain. The mountain was ablaze with fire, blazing high into the very heart of Heaven. You stood in deep darkness and thick clouds. God spoke to you out of the fire. You heard the sound of words but you saw nothing—no form, only a voice. He announced his covenant, the Ten Words, by which he commanded you to live. Then he wrote them down on two slabs of stone.

14 And God commanded me at that time to teach you the rules and regulations that you are to live by in the land which you are crossing over the Jordan to possess.

He warns each of us to be careful and diligently keep our soul lest we forget the things we saw. What specifically did the Israelites see and experience from God?

When they were leaving Egypt, God sent 10 plagues.

Then, when it seemed they would have no escape, God parted the Red Sea and he wiped out the whole of the pursuing Egyptian army.

God had led them through the wilderness with a cloud by day and pillar of fire by night. God’s very presence was unmistakably with them every single day.

God had provided manna, quail and water throughout their 40 year journey.

God would fight for them over and over again.

And yet, as we continue to read into Deuteronomy, they would forget all of God’s goodness and provision for them. It’s human nature. When times are good, we are very happy and when times are hard we grumble and complain.

Through it all, we too soon forget. We especially forget God’s work in our lives.

Moses pleads with us to remember all the works of God in our lives and pass our faith to our spouses, our children and our children’s children. Too tell all of our neighbors and friends and coworkers. Tell them, witness to, testify about all God’s miracles, tell them about how God continuously works in our lives, tell them about how God has always worked through all history and is still working.

If we don’t tell of God’s works, we forget them and our children will not know.

God is faithful to us, let’s reflect, on that faithfulness and let us likewise reflect upon God’s goodness towards us, remember to be faithful teaching our children our grandchildren, our spouses our friends, coworkers, neighbors, of his works.

Many of us have truly beautiful memories and stories of our parents, siblings, pastors, teachers, or neighbors showing their love and care for us, and we will never forget to recount what they have done for us. Many of us also share these stories with our children, friends, coworkers, and others. All these wonderful stories will always be part of our personal history, always work to shape life.

Similarly, as believers in God, we remember stories of God’s deliverance, grace, protection, and greatness shown to us. Memories of our spiritual formation and personal blessings give us encouragement and strength.

We would not be who we are nor where we are without God and what he has done in our lives. And when we remember and tell our stories, God receives the glory. Our faith is strengthened, renewed. When we tell others, especially the next generations, we share with them our love for and dependence on the Lord.

We can always find so very many ways to remember. Some of us may use daily or weekly journaling, daily times of reflection with prayer, pictures, artwork, and music that remind us of those significant times and places where we have encountered God in our lives. Some families and churches also designate times to tell stories about the teachings of Jesus and Holy Spirit’s work in their lives.

What are some ways you remember God’s goodness?

Who are you going to tell of these wondrous events in your life with God?

In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,

Let us Pray,

Psalm 119:1-16 The Message

119 1-8 You’re blessed when you stay on course,
    walking steadily on the road revealed by God.
You’re blessed when you follow his directions,
    doing your best to find him.
That’s right—you don’t go off on your own;
    you walk straight along the road he set.
You, God, prescribed the right way to live;
    now you expect us to live it.
Oh, that my steps might be steady,
    keeping to the course you set;
Then I’d never have any regrets
    in comparing my life with your counsel.
I thank you for speaking straight from your heart;
    I learn the pattern of your righteous ways.
I’m going to do what you tell me to do;
    don’t ever walk off and leave me.

* * *

9-16 How can a young person live a clean life?
    By carefully reading the map of your Word.
I’m single-minded in pursuit of you;
    don’t let me miss the road signs you’ve posted.
I’ve banked your promises in the vault of my heart
    so I won’t sin myself bankrupt.
Be blessed, God;
    train me in your ways of wise living.
I’ll transfer to my lips
    all the counsel that comes from your mouth;
I delight far more in what you tell me about living
    than in gathering a pile of riches.
I ponder every morsel of wisdom from you,
    I attentively watch how you’ve done it.
I relish everything you’ve told me of life,
    I won’t forget a word of it.

* * *

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

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Our Communion with God. “I cannot even imagine how a religious person can live satisfied without the practice of the presence of GOD.” John 15:4-5 

John 15:1-8 New American Standard Bible

Jesus Is the Vine—Followers Are Branches

15 “I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. 2 Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit, He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit, He [a]prunes it so that it may bear more fruit. 3 You are already [b]clean because of the word which I have spoken to you. 4 Remain in Me, [c]and I in you. Just as the branch cannot bear fruit [d]of itself [e]but must remain in the vine, so neither can you unless you remain in Me. 5 I am the vine, you are the branches; the one who remains in Me, and I in him [f]bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing. 6 If anyone does not remain in Me, he is thrown away like a branch and dries up; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned. 7 If you remain in Me, and My words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. 8 My Father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit, and so [g]prove to be My disciples.

The Word of God for the Children of God.

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

https://hymnary.org/text/nearer_my_god_to_thee_nearer_to_thee_een

The Christian life is meant to be marked by union with God. By the powerful sacrifice of Jesus, from heaven to earth, to show the Way, the Truth, the Life and back to Heaven again – leaving an indelible physical presence with us all.

Jesus ascended into heaven to sit at the right hand of God. The Holy Spirit now dwells within us—longing to make his nearness known. He longs for his perfect love, peace and wisdom to be the foundation of everything we do, think, we feel.

Brother Lawrence wrote about a life lived in continual communion with God in the book, The Practice of the Presence of God.

He said

“I cannot imagine how religious persons can live satisfied without the practice of the presence of GOD. For my part I keep myself retired with Him in the depth of the centre of my soul as much as I can; and while I am so with Him I fear nothing; but the least turning from Him is insupportable.” The more we grow in our knowledge of the profound union that exists between our spirit and the Holy Spirit, the more we will discover our great need of his tangible, constant presence.

Maybe, individually, we are at a place where we don’t feel like we really know God. Maybe we believe we know of Him, know some small things about him, but don’t know him like a friend. Perhaps our churches are in that mindset?

In describing the process of coming to know God, Brother Lawrence wrote,

“In order to know God, we must often think of Him; and when we come to love Him, we shall then also think of Him often, for our hearts will be with our treasure.”

Ponder the imponderable! An amazing transformation takes place in our hearts as our long sleeping souls awake to our union with God. The truly immeasurable depths of His love, of His ultimate sacrifice in the face of his enemies, has that power to ignite us toward a lifestyle of seeking a greater communion with him.

In so many ways our God is infinitely more knowable than any other person.

Because God is spirit and now dwells within the hearts of believers, He is now perfectly able to reveal himself in deeper, more intimate more knowable ways than we can possibly have that measure of complete access to with anyone else.

He has the ability to reveal his thoughts, feelings, power, love, and will moment by moment and in ways that far surpass the miscommunication that language often brings. He speaks straight from his Spirit to ours that we may truly know him to greater depths than anyone else. The question is not can we know God, but are we willing to center our hearts and lives around the knowledge of him.

Pondering the imponderable! Take time in guided prayer to experience union with God. Ask Him to test your thoughts, reveal his nearness that you might know him in deeper, more tangible ways. May our moments be marked by God’s presence and love moment by moment as we seek to walk with Him in all we do.

Guided Prayer:

1. Meditate on Scripture about God’s nearness. 

Allow the word of God to build up your faith to meet with God.

“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 your right hand shall hold me.” Psalm 139:7-10

“Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me.” Revelation 3:20

2. Do you, will you, live in moment by moment union with God? 

Is your whole life marked by his nearness? Know that God has the fullness of grace and mercy for you no matter what your relationship with him looks like.

Tell God to investigate your life, to rigorously test you and know your thoughts, reveal to you if there is any wickedness that desperately needs to be removed.

Offer that ultimate sacrifice of yourself, greater and greater still the greatest depths of your selfishness to desires that you’ll know his love to greater depths.

3. Ask God to reveal his nearness to you. 

Take time to simply seek a greater knowledge of him. By straining the eyes of your heart and your soul, ceaselessly, relentlessly seeking only his face you will open your heart to experience that everything that comes from union with him.

Psalm 27:7-9 New American Standard Bible

7 Hear, Lord, when I cry with my voice,
And be gracious to me and answer me.
8 When You said, “Seek My face,” my heart said to You,
“I shall seek Your face, Lord.”
9 Do not hide Your face from me,
Do not turn Your servant away in anger;
You have been my help;
Do not abandon me nor forsake me,
God of my salvation!

“Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will hear you. You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you, declares the Lord.” Jeremiah 29:12-14

“The Lord is good to those who wait for him, to the soul who seeks him.”  Lamentations 3:25

“And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.” Hebrews 11:6

Your God is both patient and kind. He longs to be with you so you might know his peace. Jesus is ALIVE! He longs for the foundation of your life to be his love.

Seek his face throughout your day today that your life may be marked by his nearness.

Don’t settle for an ordinary day, strive for the fullness of life God has for you.

May your life begin His Way, His Truth, His Life; to be marked by a moment to moment knowledge of God’s most intimate measures of His nearness and love.

In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,

Let us Pray,

Psalm 27 New American Standard Bible

A Psalm of Fearless Trust in God.

A Psalm of David.

27 The Lord is my light and my salvation;
Whom should I fear?
The Lord is the [a]defense of my life;
Whom should I dread?
2 When evildoers came upon me to devour my flesh,
My adversaries and my enemies, they stumbled and fell.
3 If an army encamps against me,
My heart will not fear;
If war arises against me,
In spite of this I am confident.

4 One thing I have asked from the Lord, that I shall seek:
That I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life,
To behold the [b]beauty of the Lord
And to [c]meditate in His temple.
5 For on the day of trouble He will conceal me in His [d]tabernacle;
He will hide me in the secret place of His tent;
He will lift me up on a rock.
6 And now my head will be lifted up above my enemies around me,
And I will offer sacrifices in His tent [e]with shouts of joy;
I will sing, yes, I will sing praises to the Lord.

7 Hear, Lord, when I cry with my voice,
And be gracious to me and answer me.
8 When You said, “Seek My face,” my heart said to You,
“I shall seek Your face, Lord.”
9 Do not hide Your face from me,
Do not turn Your servant away in anger;
You have been my help;
Do not abandon me nor forsake me,
God of my salvation!
10 [f]For my father and my mother have forsaken me,
But the Lord will take me up.

11 Teach me Your way, Lord,
And lead me on a level path
Because of my enemies.
12 Do not turn me over to the [g]desire of my enemies,
For false witnesses have risen against me,
And the violent witness.
13 I certainly believed that I would see the goodness of the Lord
In the land of the living.
14 Wait for the Lord;
Be strong and let your heart take courage;
Yes, wait for the Lord.

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

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“Will somebody please teach us how to Pray? Teach us ways we can build up our Prayer Lives?” Luke 11:1-13

Luke 11:1-13 English Standard Version

The Lord’s Prayer

11 Now Jesus[a] was praying in a certain place, and when he finished, one of his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray, as John taught his disciples.” 2 And he said to them, “When you pray, say:

“Father, hallowed be your name.
Your kingdom come.
3 Give us each day our daily bread,[b]
4 and forgive us our sins,
    for we ourselves forgive everyone who is indebted to us.
And lead us not into temptation.”

5 And he said to them, “Which of you who has a friend will go to him at midnight and say to him, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves, 6 for a friend of mine has arrived on a journey, and I have nothing to set before him’; 7 and he will answer from within, ‘Do not bother me; the door is now shut, and my children are with me in bed. I cannot get up and give you anything’? 8 I tell you, though he will not get up and give him anything because he is his friend, yet because of his impudence[c] he will rise and give him whatever he needs. 9 And I tell you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. 10 For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened. 11 What father among you, if his son asks for[d] a fish, will instead of a fish give him a serpent; 12 or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? 13 If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!”

The Word of God for the Children of God.

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

Prayer is an essential part of the life of a disciple of Jesus Christ.

1. When we pray we are speaking to our father God.

2. When we pray, we begin by honoring the greatness of God.

3. When we pray, we need to be in harmony with the priorities and plans of God.

4. When we pray, we express our dependence on God.

5. When we pray we ought to confess our sins before God.

6. When we pray we need to ask for spiritual protection.

7. When we pray, we are invited to come boldly to the throne of God.

Hebrews 4:16 Amplified Bible

16 Therefore let us [with privilege] approach the throne of grace [that is, the throne of God’s gracious favor] with confidence and without fear, so that we may receive mercy [for our failures] and find [His amazing] grace to help in time of need [an appropriate blessing, coming just at the right moment].

8. When we pray we must trust the goodness of God.

Charles Spurgeon once talked about a pastor having two legs:

a preaching/study leg and a prayer leg.

He said that “preachers needed to be balanced or else they’d walk funny. And I suppose you could also say that if one of those legs is incredibly short, you will end up spinning in circles.”

With a gimpy left hip, my prayer leg is that much shorter than my preaching leg.

In other words, I confess I probably shouldn’t be the one writing this article.

Now that most of you readers have probably left, for those of you readers remaining, I pray we can forgive each other, we be honest with each other?

There is something about the concept of prayer that seems a little, I don’t know…boring? How many sermons have you heard, devotions have you read?

That doesn’t sound right to say.

Uncomfortable? Unappealing?

None of these words are helping my case in the slightest.

We know that we ought to be people of prayer.

We know that God is the one who makes things happen, that we’re dependent upon Him, and that prayer is vital part of our relationship. But we still struggle.

In order to help with this, a whole bunch of very well-meaning, well educated well intentioned wise intelligent people have attempted to give us a nice simple definition of prayer:

“as we’re talking to our earthly fathers we’re talking to our Heavenly Father.”

Maybe that’s part of our problem.

Let’s think about this for a second.

Let’s say the wife and kids are out of town for the weekend and I want to invite a friend over.

How do I do it?

If I’m a guy, I’m probably not going to say, “Hey bro, want to come over so we can watch some football, have pizza, and maybe talk together afterwards too?”

Even if both of us are hungry for food, companionship and having a good talk, the reality is he’ll likely tell me he has to “do some work around the house” and won’t be able to come over. But what if I say, “Hey, the house is empty and I am buying, I am alone, want to come over and watch the game with me anyway”?

Chances are He’s all in this time.

We’ll probably have some conversation in-between timeouts – or if it’s an inferior sport we can quietly converse during a commercial. The point, though, is that us dudes don’t tend to schedule “guy talk time” on their “calendars.”

And I think that is why “prayer time” is starting from a deficit for many of us.

An idea occurred to me that if maybe we reframe our thinking on this a little. Compare it to say, more to “7 ways to get the most out of a ball game” and less on “7 ways to muster up the courage to attend our unscheduled ‘talk time.’”  

I don’t want to cast my weighted fishing net too far, too fast here.

Some of us guys aren’t nearly as threatened as we are apt to believe by the idea of talking and they’re probably in a better place with this whole prayer thing.

They might be better ones more qualified to write this devotional article. But for the time being you have only got me. So presented here are seven things that I have found which have help me with my prayer time. I pray they may help you.

I’ll try to make each of them mercifully short.

1. Set a Time and Place

This is where we can learn something from sports.

If I say, “our favorite teams are playing against each other today,” you are immediately going to ask, “What time?”

An athletic contest has a specific time and place for the event.

Unless it’s a weather delay, and then you spend a couple hours watching old episodes of Bonanza or Gunsmoke while you wait for the tarps to come off.

Attendance would almost certainly plummet if they said,

“The game will start at some point today, maybe, be sure to show up at the ballpark sometime, whenever you get around to it, the game might be going on, it might not be going on. But you know, whatever. that is the chance you take when you buy in”

Instead, you set a specific time and place when you’re committed to something.

It means that it’s going to happen.

Prayer should be the same way.

If we say, “I’m going to devote some time to prayer every morning at 7 AM” we will get into a disciplined practiced habit of keeping that appointment — even though we might have a brief encounter with that occasional “rain delay.”

2. Use a Prayer Journal

I probably lost some of you here.

I’ve had people tell me, “we don’t keep journals.” It is too out of fashion.

I’m a writer so it’s a little less weird for me, but I hear you.

I’ll pretend for a second that I’m weirded out by keeping a journal, just for your sake. I’ll try to bring out that super macho part of me where I have a ‘pray’ shop and will go in there and ‘saw’ things (that is true of me, minus the macho part).

In my ‘pray’ shop I do have a few things written down in various places. In fact, I tend to keep a white board in there so I can write down pressing issues, think through writing plans, and make a list of topics I don’t actually have the next level of expertise to try to write about while I drive down to the grocery store.

Why do I do this? Because I am writing down things that are important.

Some of them I might even save because I pray I’ll keep coming back to it.

Consider keeping something like this.

You don’t have to call it a journal.

Call it something that makes you feel more manly if that’s your schtick.

Keep a captain’s log of all the important things you are thinking about and praying about.

3. Have a prayer list

I’ve found this to be helpful in keeping me focused.

I know another pastor of a pretty large church that has a high stack of prayer requests that he goes through daily. He prays maybe 10-20 seconds for each one, just pausing for a moment, thinks about the person, entrusts them to God.

It’s a beautiful thing because I’ve been on the receiving end of this prayer list ministry. He’d text me at times and say, “Just prayed for you today.” That’s one of the benefits of keeping a prayer list — it keeps us focused and allows us to do things like tell other people we’ve prayed for them. That can encourage others.

You can use the notes feature on your phone or keep a little notebook with you.

I need to do a much better job of this one as well. I’m far too confident in my own ability to remember things. I used to be much better at this when my life was a bit simpler, less worried about my surgically repaired heart. But now I have “a million” thoughts running through my head. I just forget things.

4. Pray the Psalms or Other Scripture

Discipline yourself to download a Bible App and spend time with it. You will find a God sized treasure trove of inspiration within that book of Psalms-Psalm 23.

Psalms are God’s own book of worship … Dig In …

5. Pray with Others

6. Use Prayer Apps or Tools

7. Learn Breath Prayers

Okay, this is where you’re going to think I’m a little crazy. And if you’re one of those super theological nerds (like myself) you might be a little uncomfortable thinking this sounds like New Age mumbo jumbo instead of scriptural practice.

I’ll admit that, in my opinion, some people take this a bit far and will go in some weird directions.

A breath prayer, though, is really just a prayer that can be said in a single breath.

Breath prayers are exactly what they sound like: prayers that can be said in a single breath. To practice this discipline — which has been shared by Christians for many ages — you simply take in a deep, calming breath and, while exhaling, pray quietly or aloud a simple phrase meant to reorient you to God’s presence, his kingdom, and his good will for you. It’s a practice that brings the whole person — heart, mind, and body — back to an awareness of God’s presence.

I think it’s a way for us to “pray continually.”

Remember earlier when I said I was awful at praying?

Well, the reality is that I’m probably being too hard on myself. I do these breath prayers many times throughout the day. I’ll give you an example.

I’m a pastor. This means that sometimes I have difficult hospital visits. Before entering almost every room I will pause, take in a big breath, and simply pray something like, “God, Help me be your presence to this hurting person.”

Sometimes my breath prayer is as simple as, “Lord Jesus, keep my mouth shut and don’t let me say something stupid.”

Or when people are being kids and I’m just wanting a month full of Sabbath rest, “Help me be more like Jesus for them for what they need is a boxing ring.”

You get the picture. This has you praying throughout the day.

Pick a few phrases that you can start with and practice these little breath prayers throughout your day.

Lord, I pray that ….

In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,

Let us Pray,

Psalm 17 Complete Jewish Bible

17 (0) A prayer of David:

(1) Hear a just cause, Adonai, heed my cry;
listen to my prayer from honest lips.
2 Let my vindication come from you,
let your eyes see what is right.

3 You probed my heart,
you visited me at night,
and you assayed me without finding evil thoughts
that should not pass my lips.
4 As for what others do, by words from your lips
I have kept myself from the ways of the violent;
5 my steps hold steadily to your paths,
my feet do not slip.

6 Now I call on you, God, for you will answer me.
Turn your ear to me, hear my words.
7 Show how wonderful is your grace,
savior of those who seek at your right hand
refuge from their foes.
8 Protect me like the pupil of your eye,
hide me in the shadow of your wings
9 from the wicked, who are assailing me,
from my deadly enemies, who are all around me.
10 They close their hearts to compassion;
they speak arrogantly with their mouths;
11 they track me down, they surround me;
they watch for a chance to bring me to the ground.
12 They are like lions eager to tear the prey,
like young lions crouching in ambush.

13 Arise, Adonai, confront them! Bring them down!
With your sword deliver me from the wicked,
14 with your hand, Adonai, from human beings,
from people whose portion in life is this world.
You fill their stomachs with your treasure,
their children will be satisfied too
and will leave their wealth to their little ones.

15 But my prayer, in righteousness, is to see your face;
on waking, may I be satisfied with a vision of you.

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

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Therefore, let us be committed, let us be .1% more resolved, to give heed to these ancient Words from the Lord: “Do not be afraid of them; the Lord your God himself will fight for you.” Deuteronomy 3:21-28

Deuteronomy 3:21-28 New International Version

Moses Forbidden to Cross the Jordan

21 At that time I commanded Joshua: “You have seen with your own eyes all that the Lord your God has done to these two kings. The Lord will do the same to all the kingdoms over there where you are going. 22 Do not be afraid of them; the Lord your God himself will fight for you.”

23 At that time I pleaded with the Lord: 24 “Sovereign Lord, you have begun to show to your servant your greatness and your strong hand. For what god is there in heaven or on earth who can do the deeds and mighty works you do?  25 Let me go over and see the good land beyond the Jordan—that fine hill country and Lebanon.”

26 But because of you the Lord was angry with me and would not listen to me. “That is enough,” the Lord said. “Do not speak to me anymore about this matter. 27 Go up to the top of Pisgah and look west and north and south and east. Look at the land with your own eyes, since you are not going to cross this Jordan. 28 But commission Joshua, and encourage and strengthen him, for he will lead this people across and will cause them to inherit the land that you will see.”

The Word of God for the Children of God.

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

Deuteronomy 3:22 in the King James Version of the Bible reads, “Ye shall not fear them: for the Lord your God he shall fight for you.”

This verse comes from the book of Deuteronomy, which is the fifth book of the Old Testament and is attributed to Moses.

The context of this verse is very important for understanding its meaning.

In the preceding verses, Moses is recounting to the Israelites the victories they had over the kings of the Amorites and Bashan.

He reminds them that it was not their own strength or military prowess that had enabled them to defeat these enemies, but rather it was the Lord alone who fought for them and gave them the victory. In verse 21, Moses encourages the Israelites to not be afraid of the enemies they will face as they continue their journey to possess the Promised Land, for it is the Lord who will fight for them.

One of the key themes of this verse is the now nearly foreign idea of courage, strength and trust in God’s protection.

The Israelites were facing formidable enemies as they advanced towards the Promised Land, and it would have been quite natural for them to feel fear and uncertainty entering a “promised” land they knew virtually nothing about.

However, Moses assures them that they do not need to fear because the Lord their God will be the one to fight for them. This theme of courage and strength in the face of an unknown measure of adversity and crisis level trust in God’s provision is a recurring motif throughout the Bible is particularly emphasized in the book of Deuteronomy – Moses’ final discourse before Joshua took over.

The verse also highlights the absolute sovereignty and limitless power of God.

The Israelites are reminded their victory over their enemies is not dependent on their own capabilities or resources, or lack thereof, but on the Lord alone who is and always will be able to fight for them and secure their success.

This serves as a powerful reassurance to the Israelites that their security and wellbeing are ultimately 100% safe in the hands of a mighty and faithful God.

Symbolically, this verse can be interpreted as a representation of the broader theme of spiritual warfare.

While the Israelites were facing physical battles against their enemies, the underlying message is that there are spiritual battles taking place as well.

The assurance that the Lord will fight “unbeatable foes” for them serves as a reminder that believers are not alone in their struggles against spiritual forces, but that God is actively interceding, continually intervening, on their behalf.

Additionally, this verse speaks highly to the concept of divine protection and provision. The Israelites were being led to a land flowing with milk and honey, but they had to face numerous challenges and adversaries along the way.

The promise that God would fight for them is an undeniable demonstration of his everlasting commitment to care for his people and to ensure that they will ultimately inherit the blessings he has promised to them from the beginning.

Deuteronomy 3:22 contains a powerful message of assurance, confidence and courage, of strength, trust, and divine intervention.

It reassures believers, even us today, that they can face their enemies with confidence, knowing that the Lord their God will be the one to fight for them.

This verse serves as a source of encouragement and hope for believers facing adversity and serves as a sure reminder of the faithfulness and power of God.

One too many of us will always trust in Chariots and Horses …

Psalm 20 New International Version

Psalm 20[a]

For the director of music. A psalm of David.

1 May the Lord answer you when you are in distress;
    may the name of the God of Jacob protect you.
2 May he send you help from the sanctuary
    and grant you support from Zion.
3 May he remember all your sacrifices
    and accept your burnt offerings.[b]
4 May he give you the desire of your heart
    and make all your plans succeed.
5 May we shout for joy over your victory
    and lift up our banners in the name of our God.

May the Lord grant all your requests.

6 Now this I know:
    The Lord gives victory to his anointed.
He answers him from his heavenly sanctuary
    with the victorious power of his right hand.
7 Some trust in chariots and some in horses,
    but we trust in the name of the Lord our God.
8 They are brought to their knees and fall,
    but we rise up and stand firm.
9 Lord, give victory to the king!
    Answer us when we call!

I do not know of anyone who has not been afraid of something or someone at some time in their life.

Have you experienced the fear of a medical diagnosis, or of being harmed, or of being threatened by someone in authority, or of moving from a place of comfort and safety to a place that could be unwelcoming or even dangerous?

Have you feared growing old, or being alone in your old age, or perhaps of our losing your cognitive and or physical abilities or something you have worked for? Have you been getting afraid of losing loved ones or even your own life?

When we are afraid, it can be helpful to recall times when God demonstrated his love, care, and power.

We can trust in the Lord, who is faithful. We do not have to be afraid (Psalm 27:1).

Psalm 27:1-2 Complete Jewish Bible

27 (0) By David:

(1) Adonai is my light and salvation;
whom do I need to fear?
Adonai is the stronghold of my life;
of whom should I be afraid?
2 When evildoers assailed me
to devour my flesh,
my adversaries and foes,
they stumbled and fell.

Moses faced his own fears when hostile kings and their armies threatened the people of Israel (see Deuteronomy 2:24-3:11).

But God told him not to be afraid because God would defeat their enemies.

God told Moses to encourage and strengthen Joshua so he too would trust God, not rely on his own limited abilities or be afraid of other nations as they crossed the Jordan River. (Joshua 1:1-9)

Joshua 1:1-9 Christian Standard Bible

Encouragement of Joshua

1 After the death of Moses the Lord’s servant, the Lord spoke to Joshua son of Nun, Moses’s assistant: 2 “Moses my servant is dead. Now you and all the people prepare to cross over the Jordan to the land I am giving the Israelites. 3 I have given you every place where the sole of your foot treads, just as I promised Moses. 4 Your territory will be from the wilderness and Lebanon to the great river, the Euphrates River—all the land of the Hittites—and west to the Mediterranean Sea. 5 No one will be able to stand against you as long as you live. I will be with you, just as I was with Moses. I will not leave you or abandon you.

6 “Be strong and courageous, for you will distribute the land I swore to their ancestors to give them as an inheritance. 7 Above all, be strong and very courageous to observe carefully the whole instruction my servant Moses commanded you. Do not turn from it to the right or the left, so that you will have success wherever you go. 8  This book of instruction must not depart from your mouth; you are to meditate on[a] it day and night so that you may carefully observe everything written in it. For then you will prosper and succeed in whatever you do. 9 Haven’t I commanded you: be strong and courageous? Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”

We can face our fears on our own, or we can listen to God. We should obey when the Spirit nudges or tells us to be still. God has our back. He will give us strength and courage to stand. The Lord is always with us and will always take care of us.

In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,

Let us Pray,

Psalm 8 Christian Standard Bible

Psalm 8

God’s Glory, Human Dignity

For the choir director: on the Gittith. A psalm of David.

1 Lord, our Lord,
how magnificent is your name throughout the earth!
You have covered the heavens with your majesty.[a]
2 From the mouths of infants and nursing babies,
you have established a stronghold[b]
on account of your adversaries
in order to silence the enemy and the avenger.

3 When I observe your heavens,
the work of your fingers,
the moon and the stars,
which you set in place,
4 what is a human being that you remember him,
a son of man[c] that you look after him?
5 You made him little less than God[d][e]
and crowned him with glory and honor.
6 You made him ruler over the works of your hands;
you put everything under his feet:
7 all the sheep and oxen,
as well as the animals in the wild,
8 the birds of the sky,
and the fish of the sea
that pass through the currents of the seas.

9 Lord, our Lord,
how magnificent is your name throughout the earth!

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

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He Carried Us All the Way! This is My Prayer, My Plea, for us to Renew Our Max Trust in God in the coming Year. Deuteronomy 1:29-31

Deuteronomy 1:29-31 Living Bible

29 “But I said to them, ‘Don’t be afraid! 30 The Lord God is your leader, and he will fight for you with his mighty miracles, just as you saw him do in Egypt.  31 And you know how he has cared for you again and again here in the wilderness, just as a father cares for his child!’

The Word of God for the Children of God.

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

Echoing the ancient pleading words of God’s sure and ancient promises,

that our heavenly Father desires us to hear and hear and hear for all eternity …

“Do not be Afraid!”

“The Lord is your Leader!”

“The Lord will fight for you with His mighty miracles!”

“The same way as He did when He led His people from Egypt to His Mountain!”

“He has cared for you, He has carried you, again and again, as a loving father constantly, continually, cares for his children, carry’s them on His shoulders!”

Deuteronomy 1:29-31 Complete Jewish Bible

29 “I answered you, ‘Don’t be fearful, don’t be afraid of them. 30 Adonai your God, who is going ahead of you, will fight on your behalf, just as he accomplished all those things for you in Egypt before your eyes, 31 and likewise in the desert, where you saw how Adonai your God carried you, like a man carries his child, along the entire way you traveled until you arrived at this place.

The picture of a father gently carrying his son is an incredibly heart and soul grabbing image of God’s love, and protection extended unto us as his children.

When we cannot go any further, when we cannot take one more step to save our lives, we’re drained of our desire, drive to thrive, too exhausted to keep going.

We feel beat up by life’s circumstances and don’t want to show up anymore.

I remember vividly watching a replay of the 1992 Olympics men’s 400-meter semifinals in Barcelona when British runner Jim Redmond injured his leg.

The announcer said, “He’s out!” Redmond was in obviously severe pain and couldn’t run, but he stood up, hopped on one foot, heading for the finish line.

The crowd cheered and clapped because he didn’t stop. He refused to quit. He wouldn’t let anyone help him until his dad ran out onto the course and wrapped his arms around him, told the officials he was the runners father, supporting, carrying his crying hopping son to the finish on the Olympic and World stage.

Redmond’s dad wore a cap that said, “Just Do It.” But Redmond’s pain was too intense, barely able to go one hop further and he cried hard. Yet the crowd never stopped cheering. The father held up his son until he made it to the finish line.

When we’re running our race in life and we cannot see our way through, losing our desire, our will to continue, the angels are in heaven, cheering (Psalm 91:11) and our heavenly Father will come to us, hold us up, gently carry us all the way.

Sometimes, life walks and tries to balance itself on the most decrepit of fences.

Still we are summoned by God and our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ to stop trying to do our own healing, place our full trust in our Heavenly Father.

Proverbs 3:5-8 Complete Jewish Bible

5 Trust in Adonai with all your heart;
do not rely on your own understanding.
6 In all your ways acknowledge him;
then he will level your paths.

7 Don’t be conceited about your own wisdom;
but fear Adonai, and turn from evil.
8 This will bring health to your body
and give strength to your bones.

There’s no reason to feel shame or guilt because you failed or fell far behind. We cannot “just do it.” Trust God will carry us through the wilderness. God is 100% always with us, wherever we are, He promises us that we WILL make it through.

In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,

Let’s Pray,

Psalm 23 Authorized (King James) Version

Psalm 23

A Psalm of David.

1 The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.
2 He maketh me to lie down in green pastures:
he leadeth me beside the still waters.
3 He restoreth my soul:
he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.
4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil: for thou art with me;
thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.
5 Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies:
thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.
6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life:
and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

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Sometimes the Wait For My Change to be Realized, Feels Like an Eternity of my Bearing the Unbearable Burden Psalm 119: 153-160.

Psalm 119:153-160 Living Bible

153 Look down upon my sorrows and rescue me, for I am obeying your commands. 154 Yes, rescue me and give me back my life again just as you have promised. 155 The wicked are far from salvation, for they do not care for your laws. 156 Lord, how great is your mercy; oh, give me back my life again.

157 My enemies are so many. They try to make me disobey, but I have not swerved from your will. 158 I loathed these traitors because they care nothing for your laws.  159 Lord, see how much I really love your demands. Now give me back my life and health because you are so kind. 160 There is utter truth in all your laws; your decrees are eternal.

The Word of God for the Children of God.

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

With every botched career move, failed relationship, and deferred hope, we hear that familiar, accusatory whisper in our ears getting louder. “It’s too late now.”

Are you now, have you already, going through that soul shredding separation, divorce? Didn’t get that promotion? “Don’t preach “Just be happy where you’re at.” Another loan rejection? Did you really think this time would be different?”

Your Primary Care Doctor just told you that your heart is showing how tired you are, that shortness of breath you have been having is not due to “just age” but is actually the arteries around your heart working too hard to keep up with stress, and you need to be admitted to the Hospital to determine how close your Heart Attack is. Trust in the Lord with all your Heart suddenly means something else!

Death from a badly diseased poorly cared for heart or Death to those whispers?

“It sucks getting older … it is really a major drain when our body breaks down! And then it becomes to late to do anything meaningful or .01% life preserving.

I still love God with everything I have, but I don’t have that much left anymore.

Does it mean that my love for God is exponentially diminishing, disappearing?

Is it too late for me to pray expectantly for God to lift high my recovery, my rehabilitation, my last ditch, my only once in a lifetime John 16:33 moment?

John 16:31-33 Living Bible

31 “Do you finally believe this?” Jesus asked. 32 “But the time is coming—in fact, it is here—when you will be scattered, each one returning to his own home, leaving me alone. Yet I will not be alone, for the Father is with me. 33 I have told you all this so that you will have peace of heart and mind. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows; but cheer up, for I have overcome the world.”

It’s never too late to overcome.

To think and act differently.

To see that dream become reality or overturn 50 years of hard living or regret.

Truth: There are no time constructs or limits in God’s Kingdom, so we need to cease our believing the lies and focus on His truth. Beginning with the best one.

#1: God Never Gives Up

Ecclesiastes 3:11-14 Complete Jewish Bible

11 He has made everything suited to its time; also, he has given human beings an awareness of eternity; but in such a way that they can’t fully comprehend, from beginning to end, the things God does. 12 I know that there is nothing better for them to do than to be happy and enjoy themselves as long as they live. 13 Still, the fact that everyone can eat and drink and enjoy the good that results from all his work, is a gift of God. 14 I know that

whatever God does will last forever;
there is nothing to add or subtract from it;
and God has done it so that people will fear him.

God is the giver of second, third, and 1,000 chances.

He never stops believing in us, and time is irrelevant for Him.

He knows our dreams because He’s the one who imparted them within our minds and hearts when He created us.

The most important truth to remember when being tempted to quit going after a dream or goal is that God never quits nor forsakes us.

He’s always working for our good, always there for strength, and never gets discouraged by our failures, setbacks, or snail-like progress.

Whether you’re attempting to finally get healthy, rebuild your marriage, or restore a broken part of yourself, He won’t give up on your efforts, so don’t let the enemy mortgage any living space in your Temple convince you otherwise!

1 Corinthians 6:15-20 English Standard Version

15 Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ? Shall I then take the members of Christ and make them members of a prostitute? Never! 16 Or do you not know that he who is joined[a] to a prostitute becomes one body with her? For, as it is written, “The two will become one flesh.” 17 But he who is joined to the Lord  becomes one spirit with him. 18 Flee from sexual immorality. Every other sin[b] a person commits is outside the body, but the sexually immoral person sins against his own body. 19 Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God?  You are not your own, 20 for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.

Read the Word of God, study the Word of God, pray the Word of God asking God to increase our faith that He will move you forward to finish a good work in you.

Whether it’s an entrepreneurial venture, new mission or ministry endeavor you’ve been chipping away at for years or a bad habit you’ve been half-kicking and half-bearing more of the burden for decades, it’s simply never too late.

Choose to believe every morning brings new mercies, pressing in with prayer and trust that in God’s timing will be just right. This leads us to the next truth.

#2 Sometimes the Wait is Supposed to Feel Like an Eternity

Isaiah 40:27-31 Complete Jewish Bible

27 Why do you complain, Ya‘akov;
why do you say, Isra’el,
“My way is hidden from Adonai,
my rights are ignored by my God”?
28 Haven’t you known, haven’t you heard
that the everlasting God, Adonai,
the Creator of the ends of the earth,
does not grow tired or weary?
His understanding cannot be fathomed.
29 He invigorates the exhausted,
he gives strength to the powerless.
30 Young men may grow tired and weary,
even the fittest may stumble and fall;
31 but those who hope in Adonai will renew their strength,
they will soar aloft as with eagles’ wings;
when they are running they won’t grow weary,
when they are walking they won’t get tired.

In today’s instantly gratified world, we want immediate if not quicker results.

“We’ve prayed every day for a year, for five years, a decade, for two, three and four of those now, Lord. Why the holdup now? Who, what’s, holding you back?”

But sometimes God’s “slowness” is quite intentional, purposeful and can be an unexpected blessing arriving at a (God only knows) critical moment in our life.

He may be allowing us to sit in the pain or growing process (think cocooned caterpillar) until we’re refined, prepared, and positioned for the right time.

Take relationship struggles, for example. Heart and soul lessons can be learned, and revelations can be experienced during our process of working through a difficult relationship or heavily challenged marriage or a serious health crisis.

Psalm 139:23-24 Complete Jewish Bible

23 Examine me, God, and know my heart;
test me, and know my thoughts.
24 See if there is in me any hurtful way,
and lead me along the eternal way.

When it comes to our personal ambitions, our circumstances, our crises, what if we’re not quite mature enough for the influence/following/success change we have been praying for and working towards…just yet? Our taste for seeing, for accepting, the works of the Lord in our challenges, isn’t sufficiently developed?

It’s easy to mistake God’s slower pace for ambivalence or even abandonment.

It can feel utterly defeating when we still haven’t seen a prayer answered or years of toil come to fruition, but God is faithfully working in the meantime.

When struggling to believe God’s ability or even desire to help us change, the enemy would love for us to believe one of three lies: God’s forgotten about us. He’s obviously punishing us. Or he’s just plain chosen ambivalence towards us.

Maybe God’s trying to “test us” to see if we’ll crack, backslide, complain, etc.

All lies!

Consider viewing perceived delays and elongated struggles as His desire for our completeness instead. Crow’s feet and laugh lines aside, one of the true perks to our aging is seeing so many “waits,” and unanswered prayers come to fruition in ways no one could, would, never have expected in uncountable generations.

Psalm 33:11 Complete Jewish Bible

11 But the counsel of Adonai stands forever,
his heart’s plans are for all generations.

Psalm 89:1-3 Complete Jewish Bible

89 (0) A maskil of Eitan the Ezrachi:

2 (1) I will sing about Adonai’s acts of grace forever,
with my mouth proclaim your faithfulness to all generations;
3 (2) because I said, “Grace is built to last forever;
in the heavens themselves you established your faithfulness.”

When you’re tempted to feel like it’s just too late, try to shift your focus to expectation, thanking God ahead of time for the change you’re believing and striving for. This will increase your faith and convert anxiousness to His hope.

#3 If We’re Not Dead Yet, It’s Not Too Late

In this youth-obsessed culture, it’s common to feel pressured to achieve, overcome, and accomplish all our life’s goals before age 40 or even 30.

I remember hitting 35 and feeling so disappointed that I hadn’t fulfilled my dream of getting married. I eventually did, several years later – thirteen to be more precise, but I remember wondering why on Earth I felt so panicked.

I often reflect on Joel 2:28-32,

“In the last days, I will pour out my Spirit on all people; your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams.”

Then I reflect upon this part of Peter’s sermon at Pentecost … several hundred years later;

Acts 2:14-21 Living Bible

14 Then Peter stepped forward with the eleven apostles and shouted to the crowd, “Listen, all of you, visitors and residents of Jerusalem alike! 15 Some of you are saying these men are drunk! It isn’t true! It’s much too early for that! People don’t get drunk by 9:00 A.M.! 16 No! What you see this morning was predicted centuries ago by the prophet Joel— 17 ‘In the last days,’ God said, ‘I will pour out my Holy Spirit upon all mankind, and your sons and daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men dream dreams. 18 Yes, the Holy Spirit shall come upon all my servants, men and women alike, and they shall prophesy. 19 And I will cause strange demonstrations in the heavens and on the earth—blood and fire and clouds of smoke; 20 the sun shall turn black and the moon blood-red before that awesome Day of the Lord arrives. 21 But anyone who asks for mercy from the Lord shall have it and shall be saved.’

Why would God continuously bless both younger and older people with dreams if it’s always too late for dreams to be realized?

Think of all the people who were legitimately old, let alone past 30, when God had just started his “good work” in them.

Sarah had a baby at 90 after she’d given up hope. Elizabeth’s barren womb was dry as dirt until God gifted her with a baby, and Ruth is estimated to be 40 years old (very old for the time) when she married Boaz and conceived a son, and we all know about Abraham. We shouldn’t allow this frenetic, achievement-based culture get close enough to convince us it’s ever too late to experience change.

Not knowing if we’ll ever become better versions of ourselves can be scary and unsettling. But God knows the struggle, and he’s faithful. And from all I observe about Jesus in the Bible, He was never in a rush. God’s in it for the long haul.

He sees the big “forever” picture and understands what it really takes to grow.

He always wants the best for us and is 100 percent committed and invested in our growth. After all, He’s the one who created, imparted our talents, abilities, and passions in the first place. Why wouldn’t He want to see them to fruition?

When we learn to trust God completely, we will be more confident and more peaceful while we allow Him control to work everything for your good, in His timing. You are not the exception to Philippians 1:6: “…He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” Alleluia! Amen!

In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,

Let us Pray,

Psalm 139 Living Bible

139 O Lord, you have examined my heart and know everything about me. 2 You know when I sit or stand. When far away you know my every thought. 3 You chart the path ahead of me and tell me where to stop and rest. Every moment you know where I am. 4 You know what I am going to say before I even say it. 5 You both precede and follow me and place your hand of blessing on my head.

6 This is too glorious, too wonderful to believe! 7 I can never be lost to your Spirit! I can never get away from my God! 8 If I go up to heaven, you are there; if I go down to the place of the dead, you are there. 9 If I ride the morning winds to the farthest oceans, 10 even there your hand will guide me, your strength will support me. 11 If I try to hide in the darkness, the night becomes light around me. 12 For even darkness cannot hide from God; to you the night shines as bright as day. Darkness and light are both alike to you.

13 You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body and knit them together in my mother’s womb. 14 Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex! It is amazing to think about. Your workmanship is marvelous—and how well I know it. 15 You were there while I was being formed in utter seclusion! 16 You saw me before I was born and scheduled each day of my life before I began to breathe. Every day was recorded in your book!

17-18 How precious it is, Lord, to realize that you are thinking about me constantly! I can’t even count how many times a day your thoughts turn toward me.[a] And when I waken in the morning, you are still thinking of me!

19 Surely you will slay the wicked, Lord! Away, bloodthirsty men! Begone! 20  They blaspheme your name and stand in arrogance against you—how silly can they be? 21 O Lord, shouldn’t I hate those who hate you? Shouldn’t I be grieved with them? 22 Yes, I hate them, for your enemies are my enemies too.

23 Search me, O God, and know my heart; test my thoughts. 24 Point out anything you find in me that makes you sad, and lead me along the path of everlasting life.

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

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Every Christians #1 First New Year’s Resolution? Seeking God’s direction or Without Seeking God’s Direction? Proverbs 3:5-8 

Proverbs 3:5-8 Living Bible

4-5 If you want favor with both God and man, and a reputation for good judgment and common sense, then trust the Lord completely; don’t ever trust yourself. 6 In everything you do, put God first, and he will direct you and crown your efforts with success.

7-8 Don’t be conceited, sure of your own wisdom. Instead, trust and reverence the Lord, and turn your back on evil; when you do that, then you will be given renewed health and vitality.

The Word of God for the Children of God.

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

Throughout our lives, we will continue to need God’s direction. Without God’s direction, we will be prone to get lost in our Christian walk. The good news is that God never leaves us, nor does He make our paths blurry. Instead, He makes our paths straight the more we lean on Him instead of our own understanding (Proverbs 3:5-8). 

Proverbs 3:5-8 Amplified Bible

5 
Trust in and rely confidently on the Lord with all your heart
And do not rely on your own insight or understanding.
6 
[a]In all your ways know and acknowledge and recognize Him,
And He will make your paths straight and smooth [removing obstacles that block your way].
7 
Do not be wise in your own eyes;
Fear the Lord [with reverent awe and obedience] and turn [entirely] away from evil.
8 
It will be health to your body [your marrow, your nerves, your sinews, your muscles—all your inner parts]
And refreshment (physical well-being) to your bones.

First and Foremost; Turning to the Bible and going to God in prayer are the main ways to ascertain God’s direction. The Bible tells us the direct words of God and prayer enables us to speak personally with Him. By practicing these spiritual disciplines, we can sense where God is leading us. As we are following and obeying Him, it will be impossible to miss His guidance, direction, truth. 

If you are seeking God’s direction today, you have come to the right place. Never doubt the Lord’s guidance—He will always lead us where we need to be. 

Here are a few Bible verses to turn to when you need God’s direction. Through these passages, trust you will be directed by the Lord in the way you should go:

1. Psalm 32:8

“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

Whenever we need God’s direction, we can turn to Psalm 32:8.

In this ancient passage, we are told by God that He will instruct us, teach us, and counsel us.

Since this is true, we take comfort in knowing God is already directing our steps.

His direction has already been made known to us as we are following Him today.

He is instructing us and teaching us in the way we should go through the Bible.

It is also comforting to know God is counseling us with His loving eye on us.

This means God always has His eyes on us and is protecting us.

Never will the Lord fail us.

He is directing us and guiding us each day.

Listen to His gentle nudge and continue to follow Him. (1 Samuel 3:1-10)

God will keep you safe and protected as you continue to follow Him. 

2. Psalm 37:23-24

“The Lord makes firm the steps of the one who delights in him; though he may stumble, he will not fall, for the Lord upholds him with his hand.” Psalm 37:23-24

If we are faithfully following God, He will make our steps certain. 

Psalm 37:23-24 starts out by saying, “The Lord makes firm the steps of the one who delights in him.”

What this part of Psalm 37:23-24 tells us is the Lord will make our steps firm if we are delighting in Him.

Those who delight in Him are those who love Him, obey Him, and follow Him.

If we are delighting in the Lord, He will make our steps firm and steadfast. 

We also see that although we know we will certainly stumble, we will not fall.

The Lord will uphold us with His hand.

Therefore, even if we weave off course sometimes, God will place us back on the path we should be walking.

There will be times when we do stray; however, God will not allow us to fall.

Trust that He will straighten our paths and ensure His directions are known.

3. Jeremiah 10:23 

“Lord, I know that people’s lives are not their own; it is not for them to direct their steps.” Jeremiah 10:23

The prophet Jeremiah is calling out to the Lord. He tells the Lord he knows the people of Israel’s lives are not their own, it is not for them to direct their steps.

Instead, it should be God directing their steps.

The lives of Israel belong to Him just as the lives of everyone in the world today belong to Him. Never should we be as bold to say we should direct our own steps—instead, we need to wise up, look up, look forward, trust God’s instructions to allow the Lord to direct our steps (Genesis 12:1-3).  

Allowing the Lord alone to direct our steps looks like faithfully following Him, obeying Him, trusting Him and loving Him. Jesus will direct our steps if we let Him. It might be hard to discern His direction at times, but as long as we are obeying Him, we can trust that we are following His direction in our lives.

God has detailed plans for each one of our lives, and He will ensure we follow the right directions in order to fulfill these plans (Jeremiah 29:10-14).

4. Proverbs 20:24

“A person’s steps are directed by the Lord. How then can anyone understand their own way?” Proverbs 20:24

Each and every step is directed by the Lord.

As the writer of Proverbs says, “How then can anyone understand their own way?”

While this can be a confusing statement, we can interpret it to mean that God will direct our steps even if we are not aware at the time.

This is because God will fulfill His purposes in our lives—even if we mess up, even if we don’t know what’s next.

Whether we fail or not, God will still work through us and ensure we are going in the right direction.

If you are unsure of where God is leading you today, go to Him in prayer.

Use Proverbs 20:24 as a passage to direct your prayer.

Trust the Lord will give you clarity and guidance.

While we will not know all parts of God’s will on this side of heaven, we can trust Him with our steps. His directions will guide us and make our paths level. 

5. John 14:6

“Jesus answered, ‘I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.’” John 14:6 

Our ultimate map is Jesus.

Since Jesus is “The Way,” we can know we are following the Father’s direction by obeying the Lord.

Jesus is the Way, the Truth, and the Life.

Trust Him, with baby steps, Follow Him with your entire heart today.

The Lord is the way to everything we need for our life and the life to come. 

His directions will never fail us because He is our Good Shepherd (Psalm 23).

As you follow Jesus, don’t be afraid of where He leads.

Sometimes His directions might feel intimidating or scary, but resolve to make the choice to trust Him. Trust He will protect you and keep you safe. Whether He guides you to go on short and or long-term mission trips in distant lands, start leading a Bible study, or break away from a bad relationship, trust His direction.

God has a way of speaking to us and making His directions clear.

Listen to His voice and obey Him (Psalm 19).

God truly knows what is best for us, even if we don’t understand it at the time.

Go to Him in prayer, ask for His directions, and faithfully follow His leading. 

The Father, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit are worthy of our trust.

God’s guidance in our lives will bring about our ultimate joy and sanctification.

The path might be difficult and strenuous at times; however, we can know God is working it out for our good (Romans 8:28).

Be it resolved then …

Choose to follow His direction today, see how your life changes for the better. 

In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,

Let us Pray,

Psalm 121 Authorized (King James) Version

Psalm 121

A Song of degrees.

1 I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills,
from whence cometh my help.
2 My help cometh from the Lord,
which made heaven and earth.
3 He will not suffer thy foot to be moved:
he that keepeth thee will not slumber.
4 Behold, he that keepeth Israel
shall neither slumber nor sleep.

5 The Lord is thy keeper:
the Lord is thy shade upon thy right hand.
6 The sun shall not smite thee by day,
nor the moon by night.
7 The Lord shall preserve thee from all evil:
he shall preserve thy soul.
8 The Lord shall preserve thy going out and thy coming in
from this time forth, and even for evermore.

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

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May the Lord prepare us to receive something new this year to improve our lives. Make Us Ready to Receive! Deuteronomy 1:1-8

Deuteronomy 1:1-8 Common English Bible

The first heading: Introducing Deuteronomy

1 These are the words that Moses spoke to all Israel across the Jordan River, in the desert, on the plain across from Suph, between Paran and Tophel, Laban, Hazeroth, and Di-zahab. (2 It is eleven days from Horeb to Kadesh-barnea along the Mount Seir route.) 3 It was in the fortieth year, on the first day of the eleventh month, that Moses spoke to the Israelites precisely what the Lord had commanded him for them. (4 This was after the defeat of Sihon, the Amorite king who ruled in Heshbon, and Og, Bashan’s king, who ruled in Ashtaroth and[a] Edrei.) 5 Beyond the Jordan, in the land of Moab, Moses began to explain this Instruction. He said the following:

Leaving Mount Horeb

6 At Horeb, the Lord our God told us: You’ve been at this mountain long enough. 7 Get going! Enter the hills of the Amorites and the surrounding areas in the desert, the highlands, the lowlands, the arid southern region, and the seacoast—the land of the Canaanites—and the Lebanon range, all the way to the great Euphrates River. 8  Look, I have laid the land before you. Go and possess the land that I[b] promised to give to your ancestors Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, as well as to their descendants after them.

The Word of God for the Children of God.

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

Thanks be to God for this gift of life which we carry with us into this new year.

Thanks be to God for this gift of time which we are called by God to utilize for the sake of His glory, to edify and build His Kingdom, preaching, teaching the Good News of His Son, Jesus Christ unto new life, leading to salvation in Him.

Every new year brings new opportunities and challenges for both the secular world and the Kingdom of God – when two influential powerful worlds collide .

Proverbs 27:17 Authorized (King James) Version

17 Iron sharpeneth iron;
so a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend.

In this forge, sparks fly everywhere, a whole lot of fire and heat is generated, a whole lot of hard work from mighty men with muscles and wills as large as the largest mountains, try to their utmost to give perfect shape to their creations.

As these two mighty warriors clash for victory, May the Lord prepare us all to receive something new, exciting and different in this year to improve our lives.

Many people begin the year by making New Year’s resolutions and promises, but that approach rarely works well. To receive from God, we must believe that He has prepared something miraculous for us. We need to dismiss all old tired ideas, ancient thoughts of not being worthy or deserving of God’s blessings.

We are all brought here right now by the Grace of God for His purposes. We may imagine and speculate what God will do for us, but we do/can never really know. (see 1 Corinthians 2:9).

To receive from God, we must fully believe He will continue to do as He says.

We cannot lean into our own understanding or dwell too much on the past because we might miss seeing God’s hand at work (Isaiah 43:19).

Isaiah 43:16-20 Authorized (King James) Version

16 Thus saith the Lord, which maketh a way in the sea,
and a path in the mighty waters;
17 which bringeth forth the chariot and horse,
the army and the power;
they shall lie down together, they shall not rise:
they are extinct, they are quenched as tow.

18 Remember ye not the former things,
neither consider the things of old.
19 Behold, I will do a new thing;
now it shall spring forth; shall ye not know it?
I will even make a way in the wilderness,
and rivers in the desert.
20 The beast of the field shall honour me,
the dragons and the owls:
because I give waters in the wilderness,
and rivers in the desert,
to give drink to my people, my chosen.

When God nudges us forward, we cannot allow old tired doubts, ancient fears to keep us in our (dis)comfort zones or be .1% satisfied with our current situation.

We can’t allow ourselves to talk ourselves out of what God wants to do through us. Let us recount, recall, remember our history with God, be ready to receive.

Let us continue to struggle with our doubts, so we can all, through the Word of God, cast those doubts far into the Sea of Forgetfulness, trust him and we can be more responsive, more prepared, more confident, intentional in our obedience.

We can plead the Holy Spirit to help us receive God’s blessings in this new year.

Do we doubt God needs us to step out, receive the blessings He waits to give us?

In the name of God, the Father, and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,

Let us Pray,

Psalm 103 Authorized (King James) Version

Psalm 103

A Psalm of David.

1 Bless the Lord, O my soul:
and all that is within me, bless his holy name.
2 Bless the Lord, O my soul,
and forget not all his benefits:
3 who forgiveth all thine iniquities;
who healeth all thy diseases;
4 who redeemeth thy life from destruction;
who crowneth thee with lovingkindness and tender mercies;
5 who satisfieth thy mouth with good things;
so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle’s.

6 The Lord executeth righteousness
and judgment for all that are oppressed.
7 He made known his ways unto Moses,
his acts unto the children of Israel.
8 The Lord is merciful and gracious,
slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy.
9 He will not always chide:
neither will he keep his anger for ever.
10 He hath not dealt with us after our sins;
nor rewarded us according to our iniquities.
11 For as the heaven is high above the earth,
so great is his mercy toward them that fear him.
12 As far as the east is from the west,
so far hath he removed our transgressions from us.
13 Like as a father pitieth his children,
so the Lord pitieth them that fear him.
14 For he knoweth our frame;
he remembereth that we are dust.

15 As for man, his days are as grass:
as a flower of the field, so he flourisheth.
16 For the wind passeth over it, and it is gone;
and the place thereof shall know it no more.
17 But the mercy of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting upon them that fear him,
and his righteousness unto children’s children;
18 to such as keep his covenant,
and to those that remember his commandments to do them.

19 The Lord hath prepared his throne in the heavens;
and his kingdom ruleth over all.
20 Bless the Lord, ye his angels,
that excel in strength, that do his commandments,
hearkening unto the voice of his word.
21 Bless ye the Lord, all ye his hosts;
ye ministers of his, that do his pleasure.
22 Bless the Lord, all his works in all places of his dominion:
bless the Lord, O my soul.

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

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A New Years Resolution: How Does Your Relationship with God Shape Your Identity? Colossians 3:1-4

Colossians 3:1-4 Amplified Bible

Put On the New Self

3 Therefore if you have been raised with Christ [to a new life, sharing in His resurrection from the dead], keep seeking the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 2 Set your mind and keep focused habitually on the things above [the heavenly things], not on things that are on the earth [which have only temporal value]. 3 For you died [to this world], and your [new, real] life is hidden with Christ in God. 4 When Christ, who is our life, [a]appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory.

The Word of God for the Children of God.

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

Knowing God and Knowing Ourselves

2 Set your mind and keep focused habitually on the things above [the heavenly things], not on things that are on the earth [which have only temporal value].

What does it mean to be habitual?

1. : regularly or repeatedly doing or practicing something or acting in some manner : having the nature of a habit : customary. habitual candor. habitual behavior. habitual drug use.

What is the meaning of habitual behavior?

Habitual behavior is a form of automatic and routine behavior. It is behavior that people repeat, because this behavior is easy, comfortable or rewarding.

Habitual behavior’s automatic character is demonstrated by the fact that it is often started by a cue or a change in the situation.

What does habitual mean in humans?

If the same behavior is performed more frequently in response to specific situational cues, this may become more automatic, or quicker and easier. As a result, it may be experienced as “automatic” by those who perform it (Verplanken & Orbell, 2003), and categorized as “habitual” by researchers.

Examples https://www.merriam-webster.com/sentences/habitual

Augustine wisely, habitually prayed that he might know God and then himself.

Christ is your Maker. Therefore, to know Him is to know yourself: “For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. (Colossians 3:3)”

The better we know Him, the more we’ll grasp who and whose we are.

And the more we see who and whose we are, the more secure we are.

We all have fundamental personal worth needs: a need for security, a sense of unconditional love and acceptance by other people, and a sense of significance—the assurance that our lives absolutely matter. Finally, we need satisfaction and purpose. Is there anything we can accomplish for God that will endure?

Because God Himself endowed us with these needs, they cannot be satisfied in the temporal realm of this world.

People habitually turn to others for their sense of security and worth. But other people habitually let us down, and we, in turn, habitually let them down.

We habitually look to wealth and prosperity for our sense of significance, but soon, the hollowness of hoarding worldly possessions becomes all too real.

Luke 12:16-20 Amplified Bible

Parable of the Wealthy Fool

16 Then He told them a parable, saying, “There was a rich man whose land was very fertile and productive. 17 And he began thinking to himself, ‘What shall I do, since I have no place [large enough in which] to store my crops?’ 18 Then he said, ‘This is what I will do: I will tear down my storehouses and build larger ones, and I will store all my grain and my goods there. 19 And I will say to my soul, “Soul, you have many good things stored up, [enough] for many years; rest and relax, eat, drink and be merry (celebrate continually).”’ 20 But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your soul is required of you; now who will own all the things you have prepared?’

We often turn to performance, position, popularity, and prestige to gain a sense of true satisfaction in this world. Once again, these will all let us down. The only place where we can find those needs fully met is in our relationship with Christ.

Empowered to Love Others Compassionately 

Our relationship with Christ empowers us to love others compassionately.

Grasping our true identity in Christ is not a one-off once in a lifetime event but an ongoing journey of habitual discovery. But the more we come to grasp who and whose we are, the more we begin to realize that we are people who have a new identity and a new purpose. We’re no longer in Adam; we are in Christ. We have a new spiritual DNA, as it were. We have been adopted into His family.

We now have a foundation for understanding our true position in this world. At the beginning of the upper room discourse in John’s gospel, we get to listen to Jesus’s most intimate words to his disciples. Here, we discover that Jesus’s hour of departure was soon coming upon them, that He loved His own until the end. 

But the key verse to highlight, and one that’s often overlooked, is John 13:3, which tells us, “Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands and that he’d come forth from God and that he was going back to God.”

That little verse is the basis for what he was actually able to do.

He performed a visual parable when his disciples were too busy jockeying for higher positions regarding who was going to be first in the heavenly kingdom.

As His disciples are bickering over who will sit at His right hand, Christ lays his garments aside, putting on the clothing of a servant, began to wash their feet.

Though this was an integral part of Oriental hospitality, it appears that there was no “lowest” servant on hand to perform the ritual during the Last Supper.

Certainly, none of the disciples were going to do it if they were arguing, fighting and debating over what they believed was coming: highest honors and prestige.

So Jesus, to humbly, quietly, decisively settle the matter, took up the towel and the basin and began to wash their feet, giving them their model of servanthood. 

Even today, too many of us are visibly repulsed, too much like Peter who was almost too embarrassed “no, not ever, my feet” to let Jesus wash his feet.

What gave Jesus the real security and the power to serve in this manner, even knowing that his arrest, humiliation and crucifixion was so very imminent?

My conviction is that Christ focused on these three things:

1) He knew that the Father had given all things into his hands, and this was the true source of his dignity

2) He knew he’d come forth from God

3) He knew that he was going back to God.

This was His security.

Because of these three great truths, He was able to serve—to wash the disciples’ feet as they were fighting for their greatness and as he was awaiting crucifixion.

As Jesus shows, true greatness consists in service to others. Once again, the washing of the disciples’ feet is a visual parable of this astonishing insight. 

Mark 10:32-45 Amplified Bible

Jesus’ Sufferings Foretold

32 Now they were on the road going up to Jerusalem, and Jesus was walking on ahead of them; and they were perplexed [at what Jesus had said], and those who were following were alarmed and afraid. And again He took the twelve [disciples] aside and began telling them what was going to happen to Him,  33 saying, “Listen very carefully: we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be betrayed  and handed over to the chief priests and the scribes; and they will condemn Him to death and hand Him over to the Gentiles (Romans). 34 They will mock and ridicule Him and spit on Him, and whip (scourge) Him and kill Him, and three days later He will rise [from the dead].”

35 James and John, the two sons of Zebedee, came to Him, saying, “Teacher, we want You to do for us whatever we ask of You.” 36 And He replied to them, “What do you want Me to do for you?” 37 They said to Him, “Grant that we may sit [with You], one on Your right and one on Your left, in Your glory [Your majesty and splendor in Your kingdom].” 38 But Jesus said to them, “You do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I drink, or to be baptized with the baptism [of suffering and death] with which I am baptized?” 39 And they replied to Him, “We are able.” Jesus told them, “The cup that I drink you will drink, and you will be baptized with the baptism with which I am baptized. 40 But to sit on My right or left, this is not Mine to give; but it is for those for whom it has been prepared [by My Father].”

41 Hearing this, the [other] ten became indignant with James and John.  42 Calling them to Himself, Jesus said to them, “You know that those who are recognized as rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them; and their powerful men exercise authority over them [tyrannizing them]. 43 But this is not how it is among you; instead, whoever wishes to become great among you must be your servant, 44 and whoever wishes to be first and most important among you must be slave of all. 45 For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life as a [a]ransom for many.”

Imagine if Jesus listened to what people said about him.

He would never have been secure enough to serve.

People would say, “Can any good thing come out of Nazareth? Why is he eating and drinking with tax collectors and sinners? The son of man came eating and drinking.” They went on, “Behold a gluttonous man and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners.” Even His own siblings refused to believe in him. 

We Have the limitless Resources of Christ

Jesus was continually the subject of scorn, criticism, and abuse.

If He’d listened to what people said about Him, He would not have been secure enough to serve—to love others compassionately.

Instead, Jesus chose to allow His Father’s words to define Him.

His true dignity, His true security, and His true destiny then empowered Him to be a habitual servant of other people.

And He invites us to do the very same thing because, astonishingly, His resources have now become our resources. When we think about the fact that we’ve become children of God and have been given the security and destiny that comes along with this knowledge, nothing can separate us from the love of God.

If I had to stop and sum up the entire Bible in one word, it would be the word relationships. From Genesis to Revelation, Scripture is all about relationships.

It’s about knowing the love of Christ that liberates us to love others. Once again, there’s a tremendous risk involved in this.

People can be habitually painful and we can be habitually painful to them, and yet, we are able to serve them because we know who we are and whose we are. 

The great American theologian Jonathan Edwards was profoundly right when he said that real wisdom is for us to treat things according to their true value.

The perennial human temptation is to mistake the temporal for the eternal.

We habitually seek fulfillment in human relationships, wealth, fame, and power, only to have our hopes habitually shattered again and then again.

True wisdom, however, involves the recognition that you’re going to give your life in exchange for something.

As Paul, the apostle, informs us in Galatians 2:20,

“I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.”

If Christ authentically loves us and willingly, with no second thoughts, gave Himself for us, how can we not live for Him and for others? (Philippians 2:5-11)

5 Have this attitude [a]in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, 6 who, as He  already existed in the form of God, did not consider equality with God something to be [b]grasped, 7 but [c]emptied Himself by taking the form of a bond-servant and [d]being born in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death: death [e]on a cross.  9 For this reason also God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, 10 so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

If we leverage the temporal for eternal gain, what we’re really doing is treating people according to their true value.

We are going to give our lives in exchange for something, and we’ll be wise if we give in exchange for something that’s never going to let us down in the end.

God will never fail us, Christ will never fail us. Holy Spirit will never fail us.

Embracing this crucial truth allows us to forgive others when we’ve been wronged. It liberates us to accept both the people who are gifts to us and those we find to be draining. If we’ve been forgiven all, we ought to forgive others. 

Christ invites us then to treat people with mercy, forgiveness and to relinquish the demand for ultimate justice. Justice is getting what we richly deserve. Never ask God for justice. Not a one of us could ever hope to endure God’s real justice.

Rather, ask Him for mercy—not getting what we deserve—and ask Him for grace. When this is our habitual posture, we are freed to be people who navigate through this brief earthbound sojourn with an habitually eternal perspective.

In the coming year of our Lord and Savior 2025, habitually take the time to pray about your relationship with God and honestly pray how it shapes your identity.

In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,

Let us Pray,

Psalm 19 New American Standard Bible

The Works and the Word of God.

For the music director. A Psalm of David.

19 The heavens tell of the glory of God;
And their expanse declares the work of His hands.
2 Day to day pours forth speech,
And night to night reveals knowledge.
3 There is no speech, nor are there words;
Their voice is not heard.
4 Their [a]line has gone out into all the earth,
And their words to the end of the world.
In them He has placed a tent for the sun,
5 Which is like a groom coming out of his chamber;
It rejoices like a strong person to run his course.
6 Its rising is from [b]one end of the heavens,
And its circuit to the [c]other end of them;
And there is nothing hidden from its heat.

7 The Law of the Lord is [d]perfect, restoring the soul;
The testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple.
8 The precepts of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart;
The commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes.
9 The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever;
The judgments of the Lord are true; they are righteous altogether.
10 They are more desirable than gold, yes, than much pure gold;
Sweeter also than honey and drippings of the honeycomb.
11 Moreover, Your servant is warned by them;
In keeping them there is great reward.
12 Who can discern his errors? Acquit me of hidden faults.
13 Also keep Your servant back from presumptuous sins;
Let them not rule over me;
Then I will be innocent,
And I will be blameless of great wrongdoing.
14 May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart
Be acceptable in Your sight,
Lord, my rock and my Redeemer.

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

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