Tag: jesus

Our Kingdom Presence: Cultivating a Honeycomb of Humble and Gracious, Encouraging Words. Proverbs 16:24 

Proverbs 16:24 English Standard Version

24 Gracious words are like a honeycomb,
    sweetness to the soul and health to the body.

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.

It’s true.

People are drawn to those who speak to them and about them kindly.

Speaking to others in a kind manner is a characteristic that we don’t come in contact with today like we use to.

IT TAKES VERY LITTLE COURAGE TO CLICK SEND.

In the past when anyone wanted to speak poorly about someone, they did it behind their back (still a terrible thing to do) but today, in this age of the smart phone and the internet, people get to “hide behind” their computer screens and phones and we get a whole lot more wild, bold with how we respond to others.

You don’t even have to share your name.

You can send something “anonymously” and hide your computers address.

If one was inclined, they can just be blatantly mean and remain anonymous.

SWEETNESS TO THE SOUL

I think today, more than ever before, it’s incredibly refreshing to hear kind and gracious words – such rare words have a huge impact on our mind and our body.

Like the verse says in Proverbs 16:24

Proverbs 16:24 King James Version

24 Pleasant words are as an honeycomb, sweet to the soul, and health to the bones.

I know how much my soul grieves, I know that I have felt sick to my stomach for days when someone has been downright mean toward me and I have felt a renewed sense of joy and energy when I hear true encouragement and praise.

Words affect our entire being. And they can remain a part of our souls makeup for the rest of our lives. I can remember as a child things I was told, both good and bad, and even today I really have to battle all the lies to embrace the truth.

I WANT TO BE REMEMBERED AS KIND AND LOVING

As one who is getting more mature in their years, if I leave one Kingdom legacy, I believe I would want it to be that I left others feeling good about themselves.

Not because I lied to to be politically correct, to over inflate their egos, to butter them up or with man’s wisdom made things up to baby them into feeling good.

But because I truly found the good in someone and left them feeling like I saw that piece of them and treated them in a way that they felt loved and respected.

Even when I have to share something negative, I want to turn to God, I want to strive to do it in a way that is gracious and kind – I want to turn them onto God.

There really are ways to give constructive criticism, to not be so blunt and so disrespectful, both in our every day lives and our social media lives. There are real people on the other side of that screen, who feel hurt, pain, joy, and love.

CHOOSE TO SPEAK LIFE

We each have the power to speak life and/or death into those around us.

We each can make a person feel either incredibly small or incredibly loved.

We need to be more careful with our words.

With our friends, with strangers, and for sure with our families- the ones who sometimes get the brunt of our frustrations.

So, in these days of 2024, stand out from the crowd – please have the courage to be kind – have some courage to speak life into those we come into contact with.

CULTIVATING A HONEYCOMB OF GRACIOUS WORDS

Proverbs 16:24 Amplified Bible

24 
Pleasant words are like a honeycomb,
Sweet and delightful to the soul and healing to the body.

What words are you putting out into the world?

Are we choosing our words thoughtfully, are we taking every opportunity to be Kingdom builders, Kingdom edifiers, speaking to encourage and uplift others?

our words “adding honey” sweetening the lives of those who hear, read them?

Or, are we following the Social Media trend to be anonymous, speak your mind, speak truth to set someone straight, or put another in his or her rightful place?

Maybe you try to be encouraging but others just push your buttons to the point where you feel like you have to say something, anything or you’ll simply burst!

It’s so easy in heated moments of conflict to get caught up in the latest political, social, fashion, or celebrity debate, say things you’ll wish later you hadn’t said.

So if you and/or I have slipped up in our words a few times, we are not alone.

James 3:2 describes how, “We all stumble in many ways. Anyone who is never at fault in what they say is perfect, able to keep their whole body in check.”

Still, Scripture reminds that,

“Those who consider themselves religious and yet do not keep a tight rein on their tongues deceive themselves, and their religion is worthless” (James 1:26).

Maybe we have been surprised by things we have heard or have read by other Christians and perhaps even our own words at times have caught us off guard?

Proverbs 13:3 gives incentive for choosing to be careful with your words, describing the difference it can make in your life to do so, stating,

“Those who guard their lips preserve their lives, but those who speak rashly will come to ruin.”

If you struggle with speaking careless words, ask God to, “Set a guard over my mouth, Lord; keep watch over the door of my lips” (Psalm 141:3).

As well, Psalm 34:13 urges to

“Keep your tongue from evil and your lips from telling lies.”

When you do, Proverbs 12:14 encourages that from the fruit of your lips you will be filled with good things.

Proverbs 12:14Easy-to-Read Version

14 People get good things for the words they say, and they are rewarded for the work they do.

Likewise, Proverbs 16:23 describes how, “The hearts of the wise make their mouths prudent, and their lips promote instruction.”

Speak truth, Speak of God, Speak Jesus, Speak Holy Spirit, ask God to direct your speech so that your words are helping to build up the faith of those around you.

As Colossians 3:16 urges, “Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts.”

What is the object lesson of Proverbs 16 24?

As Proverbs 16:24 tells us, pleasant words are like a honeycomb, bringing sweetness to the soul and health to the bones.

We want to be known for the fruit of our gentleness and for the fruit of our compassion and be using our words to uplift and encourage those around us.

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

Let us Pray,

Psalm 34:1-10 The Message

34 I bless God every chance I get;
my lungs expand with his praise.

2 I live and breathe God;
if things aren’t going well, hear this and be happy:

3 Join me in spreading the news;
together let’s get the word out.

4 God met me more than halfway,
he freed me from my anxious fears.

5 Look at him; give him your warmest smile.
Never hide your feelings from him.

6 When I was desperate, I called out,
and God got me out of a tight spot.

7 God’s angel sets up a circle
of protection around us while we pray.

8 Open your mouth and taste, open your eyes and see—
    how good God is.
Blessed are you who run to him.

9 Worship God if you want the best;
worship opens doors to all his goodness.

10 Young lions on the prowl get hungry,
but God-seekers are full 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.

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As We Have Accepted Christ Into Our Lives: Freedom From Worldly Rules. Colossians 2:6-7

Colossians 2:6-7 New Living Translation

Freedom from Rules and New Life in Christ

6 And now, just as you accepted Christ Jesus as your Lord, you must continue to follow him. 7 Let your roots grow down into him, and let your lives be built on him. Then your faith will grow strong in the truth you were taught, and you will overflow with thankfulness.

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.

Parents quickly understand the necessity of rules in order to keep children safe.

Six years ago, when I ventured into pre-school teaching for four and five year old’s, I learned for toddlers, the rules are very simple but often life or death!

Rules like listen to your mom and dad, listen to your teachers, sit up straight, don’t run out into the street; don’t touch a hot stove; don’t run into a burning campfire; don’t jump into the water without a life jacket before you can swim …don’t get lost.

When they reach school age, the rules include manners- respecting their teachers and other adults in their lives; and honesty, reading, and studying hard for tests instead of their peering over onto another classmate’s paper.

As they grow older, and they observe people, the rules become a more tangled mess of life, morality we, ourselves, struggle alongside our kin to maintain.

At any age, rules more often allow us to frame how we become the best version of ourselves rather than always inhibiting us from experiencing life to the full. 

A rule, as a noun, is defined as a principle or regulation governing conduct, an action, procedure, arrangement, etc.

As a verb, to rule means to control or direct; to exercise domination power, to have authority, or influence over; to govern.

I found it interesting that the heading before today’s verses, in the NLT translation of the Bible, reads: “Freedom from Rules and New Life in Christ.” 

Jesus didn’t come to abolish the necessary growth we obtain through following rules; He came so we would have freedom, “to be free indeed,” to benefit from complete obedience, though we cannot obtain perfection this side of heaven.

Christ Jesus makes up for our lack.

Freedom From Rules?

Matthew 5:17-18 The Message

Completing God’s Law

17-18 “Don’t suppose for a minute that I have come to demolish the Scriptures—either God’s Law or the Prophets. I’m not here to demolish but to complete. I am going to put it all together, pull it all together in a vast panorama. God’s Law is more real and lasting than the stars in the sky and the ground at your feet. Long after stars burn out and earth wears out, God’s Law will be alive and working.

Two spiritual poisons are deadly to the soul: legalism and lawlessness.

Legalism implies that God loves and accepts us because of our performance.

We ingest this toxin when we look favorably at our own brief history of good behavior and think and then (gasp) come to believe that’s why God loves us.

Lawlessness says we are free to live however we wish because God’s love is not based on our good works.

We ingest this toxin anytime we brush aside the importance of obedience to God or we self reason and self rationalize then (gasp) minimize some sin in our life.

Jesus warns against both.

To those who insist that God’s law is unimportant, Jesus says he has come to obey God’s law perfectly.

Obedience to God matters so absolutely much that Jesus had to keep God’s commandments perfectly (fulfilling the law) so that we might have salvation.

At the same time, also Jesus warns that if we try to gain God’s approval based on our moral and ethical performance, our goodness must then surpass that of the Pharisees and teachers of the law – “be the wisest above everyone’s eyes.”

They were high and mighty religious authorities and experts famous for their “obedience to the law” but still so far from perfect, as Jesus often pointed out.

The Gospel is that although we cannot obey God’s law, Jesus fulfilled it for us.

Then he was punished for our sake as a law-breaker so that God might view us as law-keepers!

As the gospel truly lives in us, may we live a life of obedience to God that flows from deep gratitude to Jesus, who frees us from both legalism and lawlessness.

Freedom from rules, through Christ, releases the pressure of a burden we can never hope live up to. Jesus was the perfect sacrifice, willing to walk out the will of His Father to free us from the burden of our own sin …and lack of obedience.

Though our hearts are often in the right place as we wake each day to follow Jesus, we carry with us a hopeless entanglement of sin that trips into our daily lives and then, prayerfully rolls over into our confession of them in the next.

Grace-filled and unfailing in love for us, God made a way for us to be forgiven and a chance to repent …to change. 

From the Parable of the Sower, we know that seedling planted in the ground slowly makes its way up through the soil and breaks through to see the sun.

Our lives are a continual process of blooming where we are planted.

Paul uses the illustration of our “being rooted in Christ,” the Life Application Bible explains, “Just as plants draw nourishment from the soil through their roots, we draw our life-giving strength from Christ.

Colossians 2:6-7 The Message

From the Shadows to the Substance

6-7 My counsel for you is simple and straightforward: Just go ahead with what you’ve been given. You received Christ Jesus, the Master; now live him. You’re deeply rooted in him. You’re well constructed upon him. You know your way around the faith. Now do what you’ve been taught. School’s out; quit studying the subject and start living it! And let your living spill over into thanksgiving.

The more we raise up, draw our strength from him, the less we will be fooled or entangled by those who falsely claim to have life’s answers apart from Christ.”

Our Life Now On God’s Terms, New Life In Christ.

Romans 8:1-2 The Message

The Solution Is Life on God’s Terms

8 1-2 With the arrival of Jesus, the Messiah, that fateful dilemma is resolved. Those who enter into Christ’s being-here-for-us no longer have to live under a continuous, low-lying black cloud. A new power is in operation. The Spirit of life in Christ, like a strong wind, has magnificently cleared the air, freeing you from a fated lifetime of brutal tyranny at the hands of sin and death.

Today’s verses from Paul’s letter to the Colossians I pray encourage us to keep raising up, a life straining for the light and to let our roots grow down into Him.

Perennials are those plants that return year after year and spread out each time they come back to life in the Spring.

I like to plant things that tend to grow and spread out without my obvious lack of a green thumb to hindering their life cycle.

What begins as a spacious garden soon overflows with fresh wildflowers.

I love giving nature a space to take over in my yard and plodding out to pick fresh blooms each day as more and more cut through to the light of the sun. 

Our lives are new every day, just as God’s mercy is new every day.

He is faithful to complete His promise of our new life in Christ.

We are a new creation in Him, and it doesn’t happen overnight!

A bulk of the change occurs progressively over time, season after season, and year after year.

“New life in Christ starts and continues when we acknowledge Him as leader over all we are and do,” just as the Life Application Study Bible explains;

“Then we must accept his leadership daily by being rooted, built up, and strengthened in the faith.” 

Intersecting Faith and Life

Ephesians 2:16-22 The Message

16-18 Christ brought us together through his death on the cross. The Cross got us to embrace, and that was the end of the hostility. Christ came and preached peace to you outsiders and peace to us insiders. He treated us as equals, and so made us equals. Through him we both share the same Spirit and have equal access to the Father.

19-22 That’s plain enough, isn’t it? You’re no longer wandering exiles. This kingdom of faith is now your home country. You’re no longer strangers or outsiders. You belong here, with as much right to the name Christian as anyone. God is building a home. He’s using us all—irrespective of how we got here—in what he is building. He used the apostles and prophets for the foundation. Now he’s using you, fitting you in brick by brick, stone by stone, with Christ Jesus as the cornerstone that holds all the parts together. We see it taking shape day after day—a holy temple built by God, all of us built into it, a temple in which God is quite at home.

Today’s verses talk of freedom in Savior Christ overflowing with thankfulness as a result of the truth we are being taught.

Gratitude is a natural by-product of knowing God.

It’s impossible to know Him and not be able to grasp gratitude, even in the worst and hardest of times.

Today’s beautiful verses, written by the apostle Paul, I pray remind us all of the amazing gift of freedom we have as we embrace life within the love of Christ.

If ever we find ourselves feeling burdened by rules, we can be assured the guilt is not rooted in Him!

But freedom is.

We are free to admit our weaknesses, run to Him in our lack, and know without a doubt He sacrifices His perfect life so we could live ours to the full.

He is with us, always.

Let’s release the pressure, follow Jesus, allow our roots to grow down in Him, and our lives be built on Him.

Let’s proclaim freedom, embrace the promise Paul penned: Then our faith will grow strong in the truth we are taught, and we will overflow with thankfulness.

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

Let us Pray,

Psalm 16 The Message

16 1-2 Keep me safe, O God,
    I’ve run for dear life to you.
I say to God, “Be my Lord!”
    Without you, nothing makes sense.

3 And these God-chosen lives all around—
    what splendid friends they make!

4 Don’t just go shopping for a god.
    Gods are not for sale.
I swear I’ll never treat god-names
    like brand-names.

5-6 My choice is you, God, first and only.
    And now I find I’m your choice!
You set me up with a house and yard.
    And then you made me your heir!

7-8 The wise counsel God gives when I’m awake
    is confirmed by my sleeping heart.
Day and night I’ll stick with God;
    I’ve got a good thing going and I’m not letting go.

9-10 I’m happy from the inside out,
    and from the outside in, I’m firmly formed.
You canceled my ticket to hell—
    that’s not my destination!

11 Now you’ve got my feet on the life path,
    all radiant from the shining of your face.
Ever since you took my hand,
    I’m on the right way.

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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The One Invitation of All Invitations: ‘O Come On, My Soul, Let’s Listen to God, Come, Let Us Rest in God Alone. Psalm 62

Psalm 62 New King James Version

A Calm Resolve to Wait for the Salvation of God

To the Chief Musician. To Jeduthun. A Psalm of David.

62 Truly my soul silently waits for God;
From Him comes my salvation.
2 He only is my rock and my salvation;
He is my [a]defense;
I shall not be greatly moved.[b]

3 How long will you attack a man?
You shall be slain, all of you,
Like a leaning wall and a tottering fence.
4 They only consult to cast him down from his high position;
They delight in lies;
They bless with their mouth,
But they curse inwardly. Selah

5 My soul, wait silently for God alone,
For my [c]expectation is from Him.
6 He only is my rock and my salvation;
He is my defense;
I shall not be [d]moved.
7 In God is my salvation and my glory;
The rock of my strength,
And my refuge, is in God.

8 Trust in Him at all times, you people;
Pour out your heart before Him;
God is a refuge for us. Selah

9 Surely men of low degree are [e]a vapor,
Men of high degree are a lie;
If they are weighed on the scales,
They are altogether lighter than vapor.
10 Do not trust in oppression,
Nor vainly hope in robbery;
If riches increase,
Do not set your heart on them.

11 God has spoken once,
Twice I have heard this:
That power belongs to God.
12 Also to You, O Lord, belongs mercy;
For You [f]render to each one according to his work.

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.

Matthew 11:28 New King James Version

28 Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.

Whenever you receive invitations, you probably find yourself asking the same sorts of questions: Who is it from? Who is it for? Why does it matter?

This verse presents one of the loveliest invitations in the whole of the New Testament—but to understand it best, we must ask those same questions.

First, this is a personal invitation.

It is not an invitation to a program, nor is it an invitation to a religion or to a philosophy to be included alongside Hinduism, Buddhism, Confucianism, New Age-ism, humanism, or any other “ism” found among today’s worldviews.

It is an invitation from Jesus Himself – He is bidding each of us, “Come to me.”

The significance of the invitation lies in who is issuing it.

In the Gospels, Jesus declares who He is: the Messiah, the Savior of the world, the Son of God (see John 4:25-26; 1 John 4:14).

By virtue of this identity, Jesus should anticipate, should expect, even could command an instant response—but instead, here – He extends an invitation.

And who does He invite to come? “All who labor and are heavy laden.”

This invitation is all-inclusive.

It doesn’t single out a certain group among a larger group based on arbitrary standards invented by academia and culture, but it describes all of humanity.

Each of us absolutely need to hear these words over again, because there’s not one person who isn’t figuratively pushing around a wheelbarrow filled with all the cares, responsibilities, fears, and failures that surely make up his or her life.

Why does all this matter? Jesus invites us to find “rest for your souls.”

He’s speaking in eternal terms of a rest that never fails.

He’s beckoning us towards a banquet, He doesn’t even ask us to provide clothes.

We show up for the banquet just the way we are.

God takes all our “Here are my fears, doubts” and “Here are my good deeds” clothes so many of us like to dress up in, calls them rags, and tosses them aside.

He takes all the self deprecating self debasing “I’m so bad and messed up that there’s no hope” clothes and unceremoniously tosses all of them aside too.

In their place, He covers us over with “the robe of righteousness” (Isaiah 61:10), which is provided by Jesus Christ Himself.

When we find our doubts weighing us down like a millstone, we can rest from our striving to make something of ourselves or to earn heaven for ourselves when we come to Jesus, receive all we need, all we could ever need, from Him.

This is the invitation of all invitations that our doubts do not want any part of.

O’ Come On, My Soul, Let’s Listen, Let’s Rest In God!

Psalm 62 Easy-to-Read Version

To the director, Jeduthun.[a] A song of David.

62 I must calm down and turn to God;
    only he can rescue me.
2 He is my Rock, the only one who can save me.
    He is my high place of safety, where no army can defeat me.

3 How long will you people attack me?
    Do you all want to kill me?
I am like a leaning wall,
    like a fence ready to fall.
4 You want only to destroy me,
    to bring me down from my important position.
It makes you happy to tell lies about me.
    In public, you say nice things,
    but in private, you curse me. Selah

5 I must calm down and turn to God;
    he is my only hope.
6 He is my Rock, the only one who can save me.
    He is my high place of safety, where no army can defeat me.
7 My victory and honor come from God.
    He is the mighty Rock, where I am safe.
8 People, always put your trust in God!
    Tell him all your problems.
    God is our place of safety. Selah

9 People cannot really help.
    You cannot depend on them.
Compared to God, they are nothing—
    no more than a gentle puff of air!
10 Don’t trust in your power to take things by force.
    Don’t think you will gain anything by stealing.
And if you become wealthy,
    don’t put your trust in riches.
11 God says there is one thing you can really depend on, and I believe it:
    “Strength comes from God!”

12 My Lord, your love is real.
    You reward all people for what they do.

Psalm 62 is a window into David’s heart and reminds us to trust in God alone.

Like many of the psalms he wrote, David starts with praise and God’s Truth before he navigates into his struggles and emotions.

Even in 2024, it is an intelligent strategy that is abundantly helpful to all of us.

Spending time daily in God’s Word helps us view life through His perspective. 

The psalmist states that because God is his rock, salvation, and stronghold, he won’t be shaken (verses 1-2).

As the Psalmist reflects further upon trouble, his doubts and the enemy, David prays, counsels his own heart to entrust all fear and frustration into God’s care.

As if to go heart to heart with his innermost self to plead, “O’ Come on, my soul, let’s listen to what God says about this,” he remembers what he has learned:

Rest in God alone, my soul, for my hope comes from him. He alone is my rock and my salvation, my stronghold; I will not be shaken. My salvation and glory depend on God, my strong rock. My refuge is in God. Trust in him at all times, you people; pour out your hearts before him. God is our refuge. Selah Psalm 62:5-8

The Psalms remind us that God created us with feelings and emotions that help us respond to life’s experiences.

They are beautiful because God created them.

Doubts cause us to question who, what and why standing in front of us.

Sadness helps us respond to grief.

Fear helps us flee danger.

Anger helps us respond to injustice.

Best of all, love leads us to express care and affection.

However, the fall of man has tainted emotions like these with sin, and we often automatically default to our human nature, which can absolutely keep us from experiencing the purity and peace we can have in our Lord and Savior Christ.

Here, we get stuck in feelings like fearfulness, hopelessness, and unforgiveness instead of freedom.

Feelings can begin to define, box us in rather than help us process and emote.

Yet, praise the Lord because of the finished work of Jesus at Calvary; we can live free rather than stuck or enslaved to sin. (John 19:28-30)  

As we read throughout the Psalms, over a lifetime David learned God’s Truth.

Amid the struggle, he listens to God’s Truth.

Beautifully, he then leads others to rely on God’s Truth.

As it says in Psalm 62:8, “Trust in him at all times, you people; pour out your hearts before him. God is our refuge. Selah”  

Learn!

Listen!

Invite!

Lead others!

By the power of the Holy Spirit, this is the beautiful pattern of writing God’s Word on our hearts, weaving His wisdom into our souls, so that we have it to anchor and encourage ourselves and can then share the good news with others. 

Life absolutely, abundantly challenges us for the rest of our days here on earth.

It’s okay to feel, but by the transformative power of the Word of God, but as a child of God, we don’t have to live stuck in a downward spiral or a stagnant pit.

Whether we have a friend nearby to sit with us as we process our emotions or whether you sit alone today, cling to what God says about your circumstances.

Think about the words you might tell a friend going through the same thing.

We are too hard on ourselves, and perhaps today, you need to give yourself the grace and pep talk anchored in God’s Truth that you would give a friend today.

“O’ Come on, my soul, let’s listen to God! O’ Come, Let Us Rest in God Alone!”

Just as I am, without one plea
But that Thy blood was shed for me
And that Thou bidst me come to Thee—
O Lamb of God, I come, I come.[1]

1 Charlotte Elliot, “Just As I Am, Without One Plea” (1835).

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

Let us Pray,

Psalm 100 Easy-to-Read Version

A song of thanks.

100 Earth, sing to the Lord!
2 Be happy as you serve the Lord!
    Come before him with happy songs!
3 Know that the Lord is God.
    He made us, and we belong to him.
    We are his people, the sheep he takes care of.
4 Come through the gates to his Temple giving thanks to him.
    Enter his courtyards with songs of praise.
    Honor him and bless his name.
5 The Lord is good!
    There is no end to his faithful love.
    We can trust him forever and ever!

Father God, thank you for the gift of your Holy Spirit, who counsels me and ministers to my heart and my soul daily. Friends are a gift and a blessing, but none can fill the perfect friendship of Your Son, Our Savior Jesus Christ. Help my soul to always listen to your Truth. Settle my soul, Help me speak kind words and thoughts to myself that are gentle, encouraging—just as I would walk with, talk to, a friend in need today. 

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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Togetherness in Christ: ‘Deliverance When We Doubt’ — Isaiah 43:18-19

Isaiah 43:16-21 New Living Translation

16 I am the Lord, who opened a way through the waters,
    making a dry path through the sea.
17 I called forth the mighty army of Egypt
    with all its chariots and horses.
I drew them beneath the waves, and they drowned,
    their lives snuffed out like a smoldering candlewick.

18 “But forget all that—
    it is nothing compared to what I am going to do.
19 For I am about to do something new.
    See, I have already begun! Do you not see it?
I will make a pathway through the wilderness.
    I will create rivers in the dry wasteland.
20 The wild animals in the fields will thank me,
    the jackals and owls, too,
    for giving them water in the desert.
Yes, I will make rivers in the dry wasteland
    so my chosen people can be refreshed.
21 I have made Israel for myself,
    and they will someday honor me before the whole world.

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.

I don’t know where we find ourselves emotionally today.

But I do know that, being human, we are finding ourselves locked into some emotional state that we cannot seem to shake as easily as we would like to do.

Life seems to guarantee that we will face significant times when we feel alone, abandoned, under attack, forgotten, targeted, under siege, and overwhelmed.

In such difficult times, I like to remind myself of three biblical truths:

Jesus felt abandoned on the cross (Matthew 27:46) even though He knew God would never abandon Him (John 16:32). 

We need to acknowledge that our feelings are real and sometimes raw, even too raw, but they are not always correct.

Jesus’ “My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?” expressed how He felt.

But reading the rest of Psalm 22 it goes on to describe the horrors of the cross that the Lord knew were coming on Him, yet finishes with the truth of what God was going to accomplish through His death on the cross and His resurrection.

We do not have to believe our feelings and doubts.

We can express them to God and remind ourselves of God’s promises.

When we have difficulty believing, we can cry out like the father who desperately wanted to believe that Jesus could heal His son and said,

“I do believe, but help me overcome my unbelief!” (Mark 9:24)

We can look back on God’s history of work with His people and see how God repeatedly delivered His people through harsh times — Israel from Egypt through the plagues and the Red Sea are but one of many examples.

Even John the Baptizer’s ministry that led to the coming of Jesus seems to be foreshadowed in today’s passage. (Mark 1:1-8)

And, as Mark’s narrative reminds us as God’s people in His Gospel word, despite all the worst, there is room for our publicly declaring over the very worst of personal doubts; “I do believe, but help me overcome my unbelief!” 

We have the God Who is “about to do something new” to deliver His people!

Isaiah 43:18-19 New Living Translation

18 “But forget all that—
    it is nothing compared to what I am going to do.
19 For I am about to do something new.
    See, I have already begun! Do you not see it?
I will make a pathway through the wilderness.
    I will create rivers in the dry wasteland.

We have the promise of God’s permanent presence in us and with us made clear by Jesus (John 14:15-17) the Holy Spirit (Hebrews 13:5-6), from Apostle Paul. (Romans 8:32-39)

Those promises are forever sealed by Jesus’ loving sacrifice for us to deliver us from sin, death, and hell.

John 19:28-30 New Living Translation

The Death of Jesus

28 Jesus knew that his mission was now finished, and to fulfill Scripture he said, “I am thirsty.”[a] 29 A jar of sour wine was sitting there, so they soaked a sponge in it, put it on a hyssop branch, and held it up to his lips. 30 When Jesus had tasted it, he said, “It is finished!” Then he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.

And, as Paul reminds us, that if God would allow the gift of His Son to save us, will not He also give us all the things we need to get us home to Him, as well? (Romans 8:31-34)

Romans 8:31-34 New Living Translation

Nothing Can Separate Us from God’s Love

31 What shall we say about such wonderful things as these? If God is for us, who can ever be against us? 32 Since he did not spare even his own Son but gave him up for us all, won’t he also give us everything else? 33 Who dares accuse us whom God has chosen for his own? No one—for God himself has given us right standing with himself. 34 Who then will condemn us? No one—for Christ Jesus died for us and was raised to life for us, and he is sitting in the place of honor at God’s right hand, pleading for us.

Dear brother or sister in Jesus, don’t let the devil’s deceiving words, personal doubts, or the voices of cynics, skeptics, and haters rob you of your confidence.

Your Father in heaven is the God of new things – after all, He Created them all!

John 1:1-5 New Living Translation

Prologue: Christ, the Eternal Word

1 In the beginning the Word already existed.
    The Word was with God,
    and the Word was God.
2 He existed in the beginning with God.
3 God created everything through him,
    and nothing was created except through him.
4 The Word gave life to everything that was created,[a]
    and his life brought light to everyone.
5 The light shines in the darkness,
    and the darkness can never extinguish it.[b]

When the doubts assail, take heart my friends, take refuge in the heart of God.

Nothing in this life is so stuck the Lord will not provide us a new way forward!

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

Let us Pray,

Psalm 23

A psalm of David.

1 The Lord is my shepherd;
    I have all that I need.
2 He lets me rest in green meadows;
    he leads me beside peaceful streams.
3     He renews my strength.
He guides me along right paths,
    bringing honor to his name.
4 Even when I walk
    through the darkest valley,[a]
I will not be afraid,
    for you are close beside me.
Your rod and your staff
    protect and comfort me.
5 You prepare a feast for me
    in the presence of my enemies.
You honor me by anointing my head with oil.
    My cup overflows with blessings.
6 Surely your goodness and unfailing love will pursue me
    all the days of my life,
and I will live in the house of the Lord
    forever.

Father, I do believe, but help my unbelief. I want to trust in Your deliverance in my current circumstances as I read about those great acts of salvation. You performed to deliver Your people in the past. I need the Holy Spirit to help me sense Your presence and infuse me with the power to endure as I place my faith in You, not listen to my doubts, circumstances, and enemies. I pray all this in the authoritative name of Jesus.

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When God Is Doing Something New, and We’re Still Stuck in the Old Stuff. Isaiah 43:18-19

Isaiah 43:16-21 The Message

16-21 This is what God says,
    the God who builds a road right through the ocean,
    who carves a path through pounding waves,
The God who summons horses and chariots and armies—
    they lie down and then can’t get up;
    they’re snuffed out like so many candles:
“Forget about what’s happened;
    don’t keep going over old history.
Be alert, be present. I’m about to do something brand-new.
    It’s bursting out! Don’t you see it?
There it is! I’m making a road through the desert,
    rivers in the badlands.
Wild animals will say ‘Thank you!’
    —the coyotes and the buzzards—
Because I provided water in the desert,
    rivers through the sunbaked earth,
Drinking water for the people I chose,
    the people I made especially for myself,
    a people custom-made to praise me.

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.

Sometimes… truthfully, more often than we I believe actually realize, God is wanting to do, reveal, something “new” and yet we’re still stuck in the “old.”

It’s hard at times.

To let go.

It is not so hard at times … refuse to give up any control over what we value, even if what we have valued so highly has pretty much all of lost its shelf life.

Of what’s familiar, and what we know, of what has always worked best for us.

It seems easier to stay “comfortable,” to stay in control, or give the illusion of staying in control, to just keep going with the flow, so not to mess anything up.

But then “new” happens, and it often sends us spiraling, on one big, long loop.

For those adrenaline junkies who 100% love change – “new” is mostly exciting.

For those who don’t like change and 100% resist it- “new” is mostly stressful.

Your home, your family, or workplace if you’re like most, or anyone who thinks and believes far more differently than you is probably a mix of those two traits.

But here’s what I love about God.

Isaiah 55:8-11 The Message

8-11 “I don’t think the way you think.
    The way you work isn’t the way I work.”
        God’s Decree.
“For as the sky soars high above earth,
    so the way I work surpasses the way you work,
    and the way I think is beyond the way you think.
Just as rain and snow descend from the skies
    and don’t go back until they’ve watered the earth,
Doing their work of making things grow and blossom,
    producing seed for farmers and food for the hungry,
So will the words that come out of my mouth
    not come back empty-handed.
They’ll do the work I sent them to do,
    they’ll complete the assignment I gave them.

He always thinks and always works far outside our own finite box of thinking.

He doesn’t always work in the ways that we would have chosen for our “new.”

If we had to have a “new.”

He always sees the big picture.

He always knows what He’s doing.

He always works behind the scenes of life that unfold our every day, in the unexpected places where we can’t always see or understand all the “why’s.”

1 Corinthians 2:9-13The Message

6-10 We, of course, have plenty of wisdom to pass on to you once you get your feet on firm spiritual ground, but it’s not popular wisdom, the fashionable wisdom of high-priced experts that will be out-of-date in a year or so. God’s wisdom is something mysterious that goes deep into the interior of his purposes. You don’t find it lying around on the surface. It’s not the latest message, but more like the oldest—what God determined as the way to bring out his best in us, long before we ever arrived on the scene. The experts of our day haven’t a clue about what this eternal plan is. If they had, they wouldn’t have killed the Master of the God-designed life on a cross. That’s why we have this Scripture text:

No one’s ever seen or heard anything like this,
Never so much as imagined anything quite like it—
What God has arranged for those who love him.

But you’ve seen and heard it because God by his Spirit has brought it all out into the open before you.

10-13 The Spirit, not content to flit around on the surface, dives into the depths of God, and brings out what God planned all along. Who ever knows what you’re thinking and planning except you yourself? The same with God—except that he not only knows what he’s thinking, but he lets us in on it. God offers a full report on the gifts of life and salvation that he is giving us. We don’t have to rely on the world’s guesses and opinions. We didn’t learn this by reading books or going to school; we learned it from God, who taught us person-to-person through Jesus, and we’re passing it on to you in the same firsthand, personal way.

So we can trust…that He has our best in mind.

That He’s got our back.

He’s with us right now.

And He’s secured our future too.

Sometimes our “new” comes out of great blessing, new opportunities.

And sometimes it comes through great pain, huge loss.

People move, life happens, decisions are made, many change jobs, kids grow up, and there are times we might go through some really tough struggles.

We may even start to feel cheated.

Like life is unfair.

But it still breathes this truth: God is not finished with our lives yet.

We are still here.

And on a never ending basis, He has great purpose in all that we walk through, even in every life change and season.

Whether we recognize it or not, we’re rubbing shoulders everyday with people that we needed to meet in our “new,” however hard that new thing might be.

We can rest in His care for us.

He knows.

He sees.

He works in ways we do not always “get,” but there’s a special place of peace in our knowing, in our acknowledgment that we don’t have to try to control it all.

By these ancient yet still relevant words from Isaiah 43:18-19 God says we can let go – of the need to figure it all out, and the striving to make things happen.

We can trust Him.

Our future awaits, and there’s still good around the bend. God has more in store.

Intersecting Faith and Life – The Joy of Forgetting

Isaiah 43:18-19 Easy-to-Read Version

18 So don’t remember what happened in earlier times. Don’t think about what happened a long time ago, 19 because I am doing something new! Now you will grow like a new plant. Surely you know this is true. I will even make a road in the desert, and rivers will flow through that dry land.

Do you like new stuff?

Many of us do.

Part of the excitement for kids as they open presents at Christmas or on their birthday is that they’re getting something new and hopefully more exciting.

Older family members may get excited about new clothing, a new vehicle, or new tools for the workshop, even the fresh smell of new carpet in their home.

Yes, we like new things.

But, and it bears to be repeated that it’s also possible to get stuck in the past.

Some of us may have a nostalgic hope that we can recover the “good old days,” and others of us may be locked face to face with a past we simply can’t ­escape.

Maybe we feel stuck by the circumstances of a broken home, made bad financial choices, stuck on sins we now regret, or of an injustice that has been done to us.

Though Christians do not and should not ­ever ignore the hardcore lessons of their past, Isaiah 43:18-19, faith in Christ always challenges us to look forward.

Our goal is not and should not be exclusively “change for the sake of change,” as if instantly new things by themselves could give us 1% hope and fulfillment.

But these ancient yet always relevant words from Isaiah 43:18-19 reminds us of the only One who brings lasting change: “I am doing a new thing!” God says.

Take a photograph of the old stuff and frame it because we can each find joy in forgetting our past only when our future rests on the change Christ works in us.

Philippians 3:13-14 The Message

Focused on the Goal

12-14 I’m not saying that I have this all together, that I have it made. But I am well on my way, reaching out for Christ, who has so wondrously reached out for me. Friends, don’t get me wrong: By no means do I count myself an expert in all of this, but I’ve got my eye on the goal, where God is beckoning us onward—to Jesus. I’m off and running, and I’m not turning back.

The years are gone, finished, past.

We cannot reclaim them nor can we undo them.

We cannot, should not rest on the great distance those years have brought us.

If and when tomorrow dawns, and we exercise our lungs to breathe, it will be another day, a new opportunity, and the time to show our faith in Jesus as Lord.

It is God’s gift of a new day Let’s journey forward, knowing our God already inhabits the future, promises to provide us refreshment on our journey there.

Because of Christ’s work on the cross, we can experience the joy of forgetting our sinful past (Philippians 3:13-14) pressing on as new people in Jesus Christ.

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

Let us Pray,

Psalm 40 The Message

40 1-3 I waited and waited and waited for God.
    At last he looked; finally he listened.
He lifted me out of the ditch,
    pulled me from deep mud.
He stood me up on a solid rock
    to make sure I wouldn’t slip.
He taught me how to sing the latest God-song,
    a praise-song to our God.
More and more people are seeing this:
    they enter the mystery,
    abandoning themselves to God.

4-5 Blessed are you who give yourselves over to God,
    turn your backs on the world’s “sure thing,”
    ignore what the world worships;
The world’s a huge stockpile
    of God-wonders and God-thoughts.
Nothing and no one
    compares to you!
I start talking about you, telling what I know,
    and quickly run out of words.
Neither numbers nor words
    account for you.

6 Doing something for you, bringing something to you—
    that’s not what you’re after.
Being religious, acting pious—
    that’s not what you’re asking for.
You’ve opened my ears
    so I can listen.

7-8 So I answered, “I’m coming.
    I read in your letter what you wrote about me,
And I’m coming to the party
    you’re throwing for me.”
That’s when God’s Word entered my life,
    became part of my very being.

9-10 I’ve preached you to the whole congregation,
    I’ve kept back nothing, God—you know that.
I didn’t keep the news of your ways
    a secret, didn’t keep it to myself.
I told it all, how dependable you are, how thorough.
    I didn’t hold back pieces of love and truth
For myself alone. I told it all,
    let the congregation know the whole story.

11-12 Now God, don’t hold out on me,
    don’t hold back your passion.
Your love and truth
    are all that keeps me together.
When troubles ganged up on me,
    a mob of sins past counting,
I was so swamped by guilt
    I couldn’t see my way clear.
More guilt in my heart than hair on my head,
    so heavy the guilt that my heart gave out.

13-15 Soften up, God, and intervene;
    hurry and get me some help,
So those who are trying to kidnap my soul
    will be embarrassed and lose face,
So anyone who gets a kick out of making me miserable
    will be heckled and disgraced,
So those who pray for my ruin
    will be booed and jeered without mercy.

16-17 But all who are hunting for you—
    oh, let them sing and be happy.
Let those who know what you’re all about
    tell the world you’re great and not quitting.
And me? I’m a mess. I’m nothing and have nothing:
    make something of me.
You can do it; you’ve got what it takes—
    but God, don’t put it off.

God of all Creation, God of new beginnings, thank you for a fresh start in Christ. Help us to leave behind our sin and to live joyfully for him. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

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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Cherishing God’s Word: Where’s the Art of Lifelong Learning Nowadays? Proverbs 7:1-3

Proverbs 7:1-5 Easy-to-Read Version

Wisdom Will Keep You From Adultery

7 My son, remember my words. Don’t forget what I have told you. 2 Consider my teaching as precious as your own eyes. Obey my commands, and you will have a good life. 3 Tie them around your finger. Write them on your heart. 4 Treat wisdom like the woman you love and knowledge like the one dearest to you. 5 Wisdom will save you from that other woman, the other man’s wife, who tempts you with such sweet words.

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.

I find it a dangerous thing to go grocery shopping when I’m hungry.

I find myself tempted to buy food that under normal circumstances would not appeal to me at all.

Reading my Bible, I am not alone, according to King Solomon: “One who is full loathes honey, but to one who is hungry everything bitter is sweet” (Proverbs 27:7).

This same principle can be applied to our pursuit of wisdom’s purity.

There is a real danger in going through our days spiritually hungry because we have not fed well upon the word of God.

If we are going to make any meaningful attempt at maintaining our purity, it is imperative that we not only read God’s word; we must also cherish it.

Solomon—the king of Israel to whom God gave wisdom that surpassed anyone else’s (1 Kings 3:3-14)—here uses language that gets directly at the notion of cherishing God’s word when he tells his son to;

“keep” his words, to “treasure” them, to keep them “as the apple of [his] eye,” to “bind” them, and to “write” them on his heart.

For us to relate to God’s word this way requires us to get beyond using the Bible merely as a textbook to study, a book of proof texts for arguments, or a promise book to which we will occasionally turn to on a Sunday morning when preached.

Our Cherishing God’s word requires us to seek the perspective of the psalmist who, far distancing himself from the proud and the scoffers of his day, says of the man who is walking with God, “His delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night” (Psalm 1:2).

There is a direct correlation between our delighting in God’s word—allowing it to lead, to control and ergo, guide our lives—and maintaining a zeal for purity.

As our text clearly admonishes, If we fail to cherish Scripture, the question is not if we will stumble in the matter of purity but inevitably – when.

Every one of us can keep our way pure by hiding God’s word in our hearts (Psalm 119:9-16).

Psalm 119:9-16 The Message

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.

Do we have a plan for memorizing Scripture?

Let me challenge you to make a commitment to memorize a verse of the Bible, whether it’s every other day, every day, every week, or whatever it might be.

Make a plan, and stick with it.

Feast on God’s word and be satisfied. Cherish the Scriptures and be pure.

(Re)Discovering The Lost (?) Art Of Lifelong Learning

Proverbs 19:8 The Message

8 Grow a wise heart—you’ll do yourself a favor;
    keep a clear head—you’ll find a good life.

I love to learn something new, exciting and different!

Every day, I try my best to take advantage of opportunities God brings me to learn something new.

Those opportunities take many forms: reading books, watching documentaries, listening to podcasts when I can find them, asking people questions, going to events, traveling when I can, even my praying about the meaning of my dreams.

It’s exciting for me to discover more about all sorts of topics that interest me.

In the process, God gives me glimpses of His miraculous creative works in the world, so I have a taste for discovering God’s wonder through lifelong learning. 

Proverbs 19:8 urges students and readers of all ages and all ideological bents to learn all they can and then remember what they learned so they can prosper.

We should embrace the pursuit of wisdom, since it not only enhances our spiritual growth but also edifies, equips us to navigate life’s challenges well.

Education – in all its forms – empowers us with the tools to make informed decisions, understand the world around us, deepen our relationship with God.

God calls us to be lifelong learners, continuously seeking to grow in wisdom.

Proverbs 18:15 NIV advises: “The heart of the discerning acquires knowledge, for the ears of the wise seek it out.”

Our ultimate teacher is the One who knows everything, as well as the source of everything there is to learn about: being God and His Son Jesus Christ Himself.

In Proverbs 1:7, we read “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction.”

The Bible tells us that “the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom” in both Proverbs 9:10 NIV and Psalm 111:10 NIV.

Proverbs 9:10 New International Version

10 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom,
    and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.

Psalm 111:10 New International Version

10 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom;
    all who follow his precepts have good understanding.
    To him belongs eternal praise.

In Matthew 11:28-30 NIV, 

Jesus urges us to learn from him and promises that the process of learning as we enjoy relationships with him will be easy and refreshing:

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” 

God wants us to cultivate a hunger for learning.

Psalm 34:8-10 New International Version

8 Taste and see that the Lord is good;
    blessed is the one who takes refuge in him.
9 Fear the Lord, you his holy people,
    for those who fear him lack nothing.
10 The lions may grow weak and hungry,
    but those who seek the Lord lack no good thing.

We can “taste and see” by our taking advantage of the many opportunities God gives us to acquire more knowledge and wisdom. Here are some ways to do so: 

-Engage in regular Bible study to gain spiritual insights.

-Pray regularly for the Holy Spirit to renew your mind.

-Read books and articles on topics that interest you.

-Listen to podcasts when we can find them and listen to audiobooks on our phones or satellite radios while we’re shopping or doing household chores.

-Watch educational videos, such as documentaries.

-when we can afford to we can travel, attend conferences and workshops to learn from experts and network with other learners.

-In times of fellowship, discuss the news and other topics with people you know, asking them what they think and learning from their perspectives.

-Travel to experience new cultures and ways of life.

-Reflect on your dreams and ask the Holy Spirit to help you learn from them. 

The keys to lifelong learning are for us to be more open to new experiences and more resolved and willing to put in the effort to discipline ourselves, to truly learn and apply what we learn to our lives with holy discernment and wisdom.

Our disciplined pursuit of knowledge should align with biblical principles and contribute positively to our spiritual growth.

Through lifelong learning, we open ourselves to the thriving lives God intends us to live.

So, resolve to get excited about learning more every day God gives us to live! 

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

Let us Pray,

Dear God, we acknowledge that you are the source of all wisdom, and we humbly seek your guidance as we commit ourselves to lifelong learning. Please give us a hunger for your Word so we can diligently study and meditate on your teachings in the Bible. Help us to immerse ourselves in the Bible and find treasures of wisdom that will transform our minds and hearts. May Your Holy Spirit constantly be our teacher, guiding us and leading us into all truth and revealing the mysteries of your kingdom.

Grant us discernment to distinguish between knowledge aligning with your will and that knowledge which leads astray. Father, we ask for a humble and teachable spirit, recognizing there is always more to learn and ways to grow. Open our minds to new perspectives, experiences, and knowledge from diverse various sources, while always keeping your truth as our foundation. Help us to apply the knowledge we gain in practical ways, living out your principles in our daily lives, interactions with others.

Creator of all life, Author of all wisdom, Master Educator, Enable us to be a blessing to those around us, using our knowledge for your good purposes. Thank you for the gift of life and lifelong learning and the opportunity to grow wiser throughout our lives. We pray this in the name of Jesus Christ, whose our Savior and Teacher. Amen.

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Into the Word of God: More Truth Than We Can Ever Dare To Imagine. John 21:25

John 21:25 The Message

25 There are so many other things Jesus did. If they were all written down, each of them, one by one, I can’t imagine a world big enough to hold such a library of books.

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.

It’s called hyperbole.

That’s the literary device John uses here to express his thoughts about the astonishing signs and wonders of Jesus.

In these closing words from his Gospel narrative, John is using wonder and imagination to say that the sum total of Jesus’ life and teachings and all the amazing things he did were so great the world could barely contain them all.

Hyperbole is a literary tool that helps us express the inexpressible, to say, to try and communicate, express, the depths of what one’s words cannot fully say.

John’s words clue us in to the fact that no human agent can fully capture the divine.

The sum total of who Jesus is and the sum of what he has done cannot ever be adequately transcribed by human hands and truly grasped by human minds.

The sum total of Jesus is infinitely more than what can be expressed in words.

“Oh, for a thousand tongues to sing my great Redeemer’s praise,” says one of the great church’s hymns – yet even that many is so very woefully insufficient.

Sometimes we may think we have Jesus completely figured out. But that’s impossible. Jesus is always more than what we can wrap our minds around.

Thankfully, Jesus wants to be known, and he reveals himself to us.

He reveals to all that He is God, that He is the Way, the Truth, and the Life.

In receiving his love and forgiveness, Jesus becomes our brother, friend, and Savior – In the words of another church song, “Jesus is all the world to me”!

And even singing that great hymn a million times comes up indescribably short of what my Lord, Savior, Jesus Christ has truly come to mean to me personally!

I Believe There Is Always More Truth To Be Learned!

John 21:25 Amplified Bible

25 And there are also many other things which Jesus did, which if they were recorded [a]one by one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that would be written.

In these words closing out this Gospel narrative, we uncover a profound truth about our Lord and Savior – a truth that calls us to pursue lifelong learning.

There is always more to learn about Jesus!

“I do not know it all!”

“I cannot know it all!”

“I will never know it all!”

“But, that does not stop my desire from trying to learn more of my Jesus!” 

The Gospel of John features many inspirational revelations about Jesus.

However, the closing verse should intrigue us, reminds us that the recorded accounts are only a glimpse into what Jesus did during his earthly life – not even considering the far innumerable things that Jesus has done in heaven!

This verse is an intriguing invitation for us to embark on a journey of discovery, to dive deeper into the depths, mysteries of God, to be inspired with wonder. 

Why is this pursuit of lifelong learning and wonder so important?

It’s because our faith is not stagnant; it’s a living, breathing relationship with a God whose depth surpasses our understanding – every verse, every story, every revelation is another opportunity to encounter profound truths about Jesus. 

Ecclesiastes 12:9-10 English Standard Version

Fear God and Keep His Commandments

9 Besides being wise, the Preacher also taught the people knowledge, weighing and studying and arranging many proverbs with great care. 10 The Preacher sought to find words of delight, and uprightly he wrote words of truth.

By actively engaging with the Bible, by actively disciplining ourselves to read God’s Word, we open our hearts to the transformative power of God’s Word.

Luke 24:28-35 New King James Version

The Disciples’ Eyes Opened

28 Then they drew near to the village where they were going, and He [a] indicated that He would have gone farther. 29 But they constrained Him, saying, “Abide with us, for it is toward evening, and the day is far spent.” And He went in to stay with them.

30 Now it came to pass, as He sat at the table with them, that He took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to them. 31 Then their eyes were opened and they knew Him; and He vanished from their sight.

32 And they said to one another, “Did not our heart burn within us while He talked with us on the road, and while He opened the Scriptures to us?” 33 So they rose up that very hour and returned to Jerusalem, and found the eleven and those who were with them gathered together, 34 saying, “The Lord is risen indeed, and has appeared to Simon!” 35 And they told about the things that had happened on the road, and how He was [b]known to them in the breaking of bread.

Just as the disciples experienced Jesus in countless ways during their time with him, we too can encounter him in fresh ways through the pages of the Bible.

There’s always something more to learn, a new facet of God’s character to uncover, and a deeper, infinitely richer understanding of his will for our lives.

As we read and study God’s Word, let’s approach it with a sense of wonder and anticipation – may we be like children, eager to discover the hidden treasures within each passage, knowing that the more we seek, the more we will find. 

God promises us in Jeremiah 29:13: “You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.”

When we wholeheartedly seek God, we all should always be about the Father’s business of listening to Jesus, always learning something wonderful about him.

Luke 2:43-50 New King James Version

43 When they had finished the days, as they returned, the Boy Jesus lingered behind in Jerusalem. And [a]Joseph and His mother did not know it; 44 but supposing Him to have been in the company, they went a day’s journey, and sought Him among their relatives and acquaintances. 45 So when they did not find Him, they returned to Jerusalem, seeking Him. 46 Now so it was that after three days they found Him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the teachers, both listening to them and asking them questions. 47 And all who heard Him were astonished at His understanding and answers. 48 So when they saw Him, they were amazed; and His mother said to Him, “Son, why have You done this to us? Look, Your father and I have sought You anxiously.”

49 And He said to them, “Why did you seek Me? Did you not know that I must be about My Father’s business?” 50 But they did not understand the statement which He spoke to them.

In a world that often emphasizes instant gratification and quick truths, the pursuit of lifelong learning and wonder seems like a countercultural virtue.

Pray, it encourages each of us to approach our faith journey with a curiosity that spans a lifetime, acknowledging that we’re always students inside God’s school.

It’s an invitation to a transformative journey of the heart.

The more we read, study, learn, and the more our discoveries inspire us with truest awe, the more we can fall in love with the God who loves us completely. 

Pursuing learning and wonder every day God gives us to live is an important way to gain wisdom – but even more than that, it’s a soul-stirring adventure, soul stirring time of the deepest of discoveries that draws us into God’s heart.

Psalm 119:9-16 New King James Version

ב BETH

9 How can a young man cleanse his way?
By taking heed according to Your word.
10 With my whole heart I have sought You;
Oh, let me not wander from Your commandments!
11 Your word I have hidden in my heart,
That I might not sin against You.
12 Blessed are You, O Lord!
Teach me Your statutes.
13 With my lips I have declared
All the judgments of Your mouth.
14 I have rejoiced in the way of Your testimonies,
As much as in all riches.
15 I will meditate on Your precepts,
And [a]contemplate Your ways.
16 I will delight myself in Your statutes;
I will not forget Your word.

The acknowledgment in John 21:25 that the world could not contain the books if every knowable deed of Jesus were recorded, should righteously humble us.

It reminds us of the limitations of language and severe limitations of human expression when attempting to even minimally encapsulate God’s majesty.

It calls us to approach Jesus with reverent awe, recognizing that our own finite minds can only finitely grasp a fraction of his infinite glory as the Son of God. 

By embracing the endless wonder of our knowing Jesus, we position ourselves for spiritual growth – our lifelong learning becomes a rhythm of discipleship.

The more we learn, the more we love.

The more we love, the more we are transformed into his likeness and the more we grow in holiness. 

Romans 12:1-2 The Message

Place Your Life Before God

12 1-2 So here’s what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life—and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him. Don’t become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You’ll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what he wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you.

So, let’s dare ourselves to take our lives on a sacred pilgrimage into God’s heart.

Let’s dare ourselves to look forward to what Jesus will teach us day by day, and further dare ourselves to allow those discoveries to spark wonder in our souls.

The more we dare ourselves to seek, the more God will reveal, and we will find, and the more we find, the closer our relationships with our Savior can become. 

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

Let us Pray,

Dear Lord, as I read these passages of scripture, show me Your truth, what you want me to learn. Pinpoint the things in my thinking and my life that aren’t right. Help me to remember that Your word is life and always true, whereas my ideas are too often fleeting. Use the truth of Your Word to transform my limited thinking and behavior. Let Your truth, your wisdom, inform my faith, let my faith guide my actions. Amen.

O God, your love is much greater than we can imagine. Thank you for your salvation, revealed, offered to us in Christ Jesus. May our hearts and lives overflow with thanks.

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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First, Foremost, Utmost, Uppermost: Our Great High Priest! Hebrews 5:5-6

Hebrews 5:1-10 New King James Version

Qualifications for High Priesthood

5 For every high priest taken from among men is appointed for men in things pertaining to God, that he may offer both gifts and sacrifices for sins. 2 He can [a]have compassion on those who are ignorant and going astray, since he himself is also subject to weakness. 3 Because of this he is required as for the people, so also for himself, to offer sacrifices for sins. 4 And no man takes this honor to himself, but he who is called by God, just as Aaron was.

A Priest Forever

5 So also Christ did not glorify Himself to become High Priest, but it was He who said to Him:

“You are My Son,
Today I have begotten You.”

6 As He also says in another place:

“You are a priest forever
According to the order of Melchizedek”;

7 who, in the days of His flesh, when He had offered up prayers and supplications, with vehement cries and tears to Him who was able to save Him from death, and was heard because of His godly fear, 8 though He was a Son, yet He learned obedience by the things which He suffered. 9 And having been perfected, He became the author of eternal salvation to all who obey Him, 10  called by God as High Priest “according to the order of Melchizedek,”

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.

The concept of priesthood and the ancient sacrificial system is so far removed from our contemporary Western world, but here it is mentioned in the Word of God for our studying and understanding it is fundamental to Christian living.

The practice of animal sacrifice in Old Testament Israel was not a man-made system created as a futile attempt to reach God, to make humans acceptable to Him.

Rather, it was devised by God, related to man’s ears, it was meant to help God’s covenant people understand His character, His expectations, and the wonder of His plan of redemption and renewal (and it can still help us in this way today).

In all of its nuances, God was pointing His people toward the finished and perfect work of the Lord Jesus Christ, who would come both as His people’s Great High Priest and as the one perfect sacrifice offered on their behalf.

Historically, Israel’s high priest would have come from the line of Aaron, Moses’ brother, and would have been considered “chief among his brothers” (Leviticus 21:10).

This chosen individual would have experienced the same societal conditions, pressures, and trials as the men and women he was representing, which would have helped him to become a more compassionate advocate on their behalf.

Long before the arrival of Jesus, however, the historical pattern of high-priestly appointments had been corrupted by Herod the Great and other political rulers, and other ambitious religious leaders who chose the high priest for themselves.

They didn’t understand that the high priest’s role was not an high honor to be bestowed by man but ultimately a call from God, as it had been for Aaron.

High priests of the lineage of Aaron were never to represent solely the political establishment; they were to represent everyone of God’s people to God Himself.

That is one of the factors that makes Jesus the very best high priest: He did not exercise his ego, exercise his considerable influence, to take upon Himself the high glory of becoming a high priest; rather, He was appointed by the Father.

Instead He publicly acknowledged, “If I glorify myself, my glory is nothing. It is my Father who glorifies me, of whom you say, ‘He is our God’” (John 8:54).

Throughout His earthly ministry, He perfectly endured the same hardships we face. He has gone before Almighty God for our sins even though He was sinless.

With a spirit of incomparable gentleness, Jesus spurs us toward righteousness.

Because He offered the perfect sacrifice—indeed, because He was the perfect sacrifice—you and I can enjoy God’s presence both now and forevermore.

No sin or suffering, no disappointment or despair, makes this glorious reality any less true: that each and everyone of us have a priest, forever, and therefore each and everyone of us have a secure and everlasting place with Him, forever.

Appointed By God, Eternal in the Heavens

Hebrews 5:5-10 New King James Version

A Priest Forever

5 So also Christ did not glorify Himself to become High Priest, but it was He who said to Him:

“You are My Son,
Today I have begotten You.”

6 As He also says in another place:

“You are a priest forever
According to the order of Melchizedek”;

7 who, in the days of His flesh, when He had offered up prayers and supplications, with vehement cries and tears to Him who was able to save Him from death, and was heard because of His godly fear, 8 though He was a Son, yet He learned obedience by the things which He suffered. 9 And having been perfected, He became the author of eternal salvation to all who obey Him, 10  called by God as High Priest “according to the order of Melchizedek,”

What were the qualifications for becoming the high priest?

The high priest was chosen from God’s people, from the descendants of Aaron (Exodus 40:12-15), and was able to “deal gently” with those who did not know God and were going astray.

Exodus 40:12-15 New King James Version

12 “Then you shall bring Aaron and his sons to the door of the tabernacle of meeting and wash them with water. 13 You shall put the holy garments on Aaron, and anoint him and consecrate him, that he may minister to Me as priest. 14 And you shall bring his sons and clothe them with tunics. 15 You shall anoint them, as you anointed their father, that they may minister to Me as priests; for their anointing shall surely be an everlasting priesthood throughout their generations.”

This person was also called by God rather than taking the honor upon himself.

Jesus did not come to appoint himself as the great high priest.

But he met the qualifications of this role.

As has been noted, He is fully human and fully God and can empathize with all our weaknesses.

Philippians 2:5-11 New King James Version

The Humbled and Exalted Christ

5 Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, 6 who, being in the form of God, did not consider it [a]robbery to be equal with God, 7 but [b]made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and  became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. 9 Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, 10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, 11  and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

He understands all that we go through, even all our temptations, and yet he did not sin (Hebrews 4:15).

Hebrews 4:14-16 New King James Version

Our Compassionate High Priest

14 Seeing then that we have a great High Priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. 15 For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. 16 Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

So God appointed Him as the great High Priest.

And because Jesus is the Son of God, from long before the time of Aaron, God declared him “a priest forever in the order of Melchizedek,” who served as a priest of God Most High (Genesis 14:18-20; Hebrews 7:1-3) outside the time Aaron.

At some points in the history of God’s people, the high priest office was in the hands of families who usurped it, took it on themselves or bought control of it.

Jesus does not take this on himself but is appointed by God.

He meets the qualifications, and he meets the needs of all of God’s people.

The office of the great High Priest is not to be bought.

It is filled by Jesus, God’s Son, who is fully human, appointed by God himself.

Jesus is the Source of Eternal Salvation

Hebrews 5:9-11 New King James Version

9 And having been perfected, He became the author of eternal salvation to all who obey Him, 10 called by God as High Priest “according to the order of Melchizedek,” 11 of whom we have much to say, and hard to explain, since you have become dull of hearing.

On the cross Jesus said “it is finished” right before he gave up his spirit.

With these three simple yet profound words, He was signifying that everything He came to do was accomplished, everything ever written about Him had been fulfilled and the redemption of the entire world was ultimately completed.

Since there was nothing left to do He ascended into heaven and sat down at the right hand of the Father taking his rightful place as Lord (Mark 16:19; Acts 2:33; Romans 8:34; Ephesians 1:20; Hebrews 1:3; 10:12).

This is an important truth to understand because Jesus is Lord whether you have personally confessed his Lordship. 

Not recognizing His position does not change it as fact. 

Peter stated this very thing at Pentecost, “Therefore let all Israel be assured of this: God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ.” (Acts 2: 32-36).

With one marvelous act of obedience on the cross, Jesus was perfectly equipped through this experience to become our High Priest in service to God.

With this completed exercise He became both the author and source of eternal salvation to everyone who puts their saving faith in Him.

Everything we know and experience as humans has a beginning and an end.

We are bound by time, distance and energy.

We set aside periods of rest and recharging by eating, sleeping and drinking.

This maintains our body’s health and energy.

In light of this, it is hard to wrap our brains around the fact that, Jesus is the source of eternal salvation.

Which means that it originated with him, it flows out of him and He is the supply for its power.

Jesus told this very truth to the woman at the well in John 4, 

“Jesus answered, “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life” (John 4:13-14). 

Once you and I and others whom God Himself summons, participate in this life that Jesus offers He is able to sustain us and keep us forever because Jesus is the wellspring to eternal life and its supply of abundant life will never be shut off!

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

Let us Pray,

Psalm 24 New King James Version

The King of Glory and His Kingdom

A Psalm of David.

24 The earth is the Lord’s, and all its fullness,
The world and those who dwell therein.
2 For He has founded it upon the seas,
And established it upon the [a]waters.

3 Who may ascend into the hill of the Lord?
Or who may stand in His holy place?
4 He who has clean hands and a pure heart,
Who has not lifted up his soul to an idol,
Nor sworn deceitfully.
5 He shall receive blessing from the Lord,
And righteousness from the God of his salvation.
6 This is Jacob, the generation of those who seek Him,
Who seek Your face. Selah

7 Lift up your heads, O you gates!
And be lifted up, you everlasting doors!
And the King of glory shall come in.
8 Who is this King of glory?
The Lord strong and mighty,
The Lord mighty in battle.
9 Lift up your heads, O you gates!
Lift up, you everlasting doors!
And the King of glory shall come in.
10 Who is this King of glory?
The Lord of hosts,
He is the King of glory. Selah

Heavenly Father, thank You for Jesus our Savior as God’s anointed High Priest, Who ever lives to make intercession for us. Thank You that He is the Mediator between God and man and that through Him we have access to Your throne of grace.. for mercy to find help in time of need. Thank You that the Lord Jesus finished the good work of redemption by means of His sacrificial death and glorious resurrection.. so that by grace through faith in Him I have been brought into eternal fellowship with You – May I live breath to breath, day by day to Your praise, and glory in Jesus name,

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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First, Foremost, Utmost, Uppermost: Every Promise Fulfilled! Matthew 1:1

Matthew 1:1-2 New King James Version

The Genealogy of Jesus Christ

1 The book of the genealogy[a] of Jesus Christ, the Son of David, the Son of Abraham:

2 Abraham begot Isaac, Isaac begot Jacob, and Jacob begot Judah and his brothers.

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.

The opening words of Mat­thew’s Narrative presents his readers with a list of names in the family line of Jesus.

Some readers skip over such lists, seeing them as boring or only filled with names that are hard to pronounce and or too probably, commonly unknown.

The gospel account of Luke has a list of names like this too.

These short lists are selective genealogies of Messiah Jesus—and in them God is saying,

“See, my people, I have kept my word; the promised Messiah and Savior has come through my chosen people.”

The list in Luke includes many names that are different from those in Matthew, possibly because Doctor Luke lists the ancestors of Mary, the mother of Jesus.

The list in Luke is also longer than the one in Matthew, going back all the way to the very beginning, to connect Messiah Jesus with God himself.

This helps us see that the story of salvation—indeed, the story of the whole world—is really all about God. God created a good, amazing world, only to have it permanently scarred by sin because our human parents disobeyed (Genesis 3).

But God did not sit idly by.

God did not have any all too human temper tantrums!

He set out to redeem and restore his world—including us!

From the beginning, God promised to renew us through his Son, Jesus.

To The Utmost, Uppermost: Every Promise is Fulfilled

The beginning of the New Testament may not immediately strike us as being all that inspiring.

In fact, if someone were reading through the Bible for the very first time and reached the end of Malachi, which points forward with anticipation, their excitement might falter when the very next book begins with… a genealogy.

They (and we!) might even be tempted to skip Matthew and begin with another Gospel altogether.

Keep in mind, though, that the promises God made to His people in the Old Testament all looked forward to their fulfillment.

As we read through the New Testament, we realize that in fact it couldn’t open in a more fitting manner, since the genealogy in Matthew draws the line from Abraham to David and at last to Jesus as the one who fulfills all these promises.

Similarly Mark, throughout his Gospel narrative, reaches one hand back to the ancient prophets who pointed directly forward to the one who was yet to come.

Mark uses the Old Testament to set the stage for this striking reality, his second sentence beginning “As it is written in Isaiah the prophet…” (Mark 1:2).

And the first words he records Jesus as saying are, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand” (v 15).

Jesus’ disciples had the privilege of witnessing what prophets and kings had longed to see (see Luke 10:24)—a privilege that even now continues through the illuminating work of God’s Word.

The New Testament shows us that the means by which every single one of God’s promises are fulfilled can be summed up in two words: Jesus Christ. 

God made His promises to Israel using terminology and categories that they understood—words like community, family, neighbors, nation and temple.

Christ’s coming redefined, reframed the Old Testament concepts in light of the gospel: Old Testament prophecies, we discover, are all fulfilled Christo logically—by and in the very reflection and the revelation of the person of the Christ. (Hebrews Chapter 1)

Therefore, instead of looking for a new temple in the state of Israel, we meet with God through His Son, the Lord Jesus; enjoy His presence in each of us by His Spirit; and look to the indelible reality of Christ’s reign to renew, transform our lives both now and forevermore.

The coming of the Son of God breaks, shatters the boundaries of Old Testament categories.

This is not meant to be unsettling for God’s people; it is meant to be thrilling!

Christ is the perfect fulfillment of all God’s promises.

He is the reality of all God’s great assurances.

Wait no more, then, to see how God will fulfill His every promise.

We know now that each one was, is, and ever will be satisfied through Christ.

He has promised to be with us, to work for us and through us, and to bring us to an eternal kingdom of perfection.

There are times when it is hard to hold on to those promises.

It is nearly impossible to trust someone who cannot hold on to their promises.

When those times come, when that distrust comes, we look back to a man born of Abraham and David’s line, conceived of the Spirit, who was able to announce, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand” and who hung on a cross and rose from the grave so that all God’s promises would become “yes” in Him.

And when Jesus, the Savior, was born in Bethlehem, when the true Light of God illuminated our darkness, God’s promise, God’s plan took a major step forward.

Psalm 121 The Message

121 1-2 I look up to the mountains;
    does my strength come from mountains?
No, my strength comes from God,
    who made heaven, and earth, and mountains.

3-4 He won’t let you stumble,
    your Guardian God won’t fall asleep.
Not on your life! Israel’s
    Guardian will never doze or sleep.

5-6 God’s your Guardian,
    right at your side to protect you—
Shielding you from sunstroke,
    sheltering you from moonstroke.

7-8 God guards you from every evil,
    he guards your very life.
He guards you when you leave and when you return,
    he guards you now, he guards you always.

So as we look back to celebrating Christmas, when we look forward to the new year and all of the promises it holds, let us join with the angels who announced Jesus’ birth, singing, “Gloria! Hallelujah! Glory to God in the highest” (Luke 2:14)!

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

Let us Pray,

Psalm 100 The Message

100 1-2 On your feet now—applaud God!
    Bring a gift of laughter,
    sing yourselves into his presence.

3 Know this: God is God, and God, God.
    He made us; we didn’t make him.
    We’re his people, his well-tended sheep.

4 Enter with the password: “Thank you!”
    Make yourselves at home, talking praise.
    Thank him. Worship him.

5 For God is sheer beauty,
    all-generous in love,
    loyal always and 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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First, Foremost, Utmost, Uppermost, For literally Everything, There is God! Ecclesiastes 3:1-8

Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 GOD’S WORD Translation

Everything in God’s Own Time

3 Everything has its own time, and there is a specific time for every activity under heaven:

2 a time to be born and
a time to die,
a time to plant and
a time to pull out what was planted,
3 a time to kill and
a time to heal,
a time to tear down and
a time to build up,
4 a time to cry and
a time to laugh,
a time to mourn and
a time to dance,
5 a time to scatter stones and
a time to gather them,
a time to hug and
a time to stop hugging,
6 a time to start looking and
a time to stop looking,
a time to keep and
a time to throw away,
7 a time to tear apart and
a time to sew together,
a time to keep quiet and
a time to speak out,
8 a time to love and
a time to hate,
a time for war and
a time for peace.

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.

As this new year of 2024 begins to unfold before us, it’s vital we take time to both reflect on what God has done, allow him to prepare us for what’s to come.

A new year marks a fresh opportunity to center life around the goodness of God.

I pray that as we all begin looking toward what is to come we will allow God to unfold before us will, make space to gain God’s perspective, ground your hopes and pursuits on his grace, and celebrate all God has done and is, will be doing.

Begin to renew your mindsets from 2023 to 2024, May your time with God this week and beyond will be filled with the loving presence of your heavenly Father.

Ecclesiastes 3:1 GOD’S WORD Translation

Everything in God’s Own Time

3 Everything has its own time, and there is a specific time for every activity under heaven:

The seasons of the year which have just passed by were created by the powerful hands of our heavenly Father speak of the need to slow down, stop, and reflect.

With the Word of God for His Children in hand, times of reflection create space for God’s Spirit to speak, helping us remember what he has done, making us aware of what he is doing, and stirring our hearts for what he wants to do next.

God is the Author of Creation, God is the Author of all life, God loves to use a change in season to remind us to center our lives around his pervasive works.

Whether it be a change in jobs, weather, moving, our health, our wealth, or the day to day unfolding of a new year 2024, it’s crucial that we make space for God to live in us, ro speak to us, prepare us for the wonderful things He has planned.

Quite Literally, Everything Begins and Ends With God.

Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 The Message

There’s a Right Time for Everything

3 There’s an opportune time to do things, a right time for everything on the earth:

2-8 A right time for birth and another for death,
A right time to plant and another to reap,
A right time to kill and another to heal,
A right time to destroy and another to construct,
A right time to cry and another to laugh,
A right time to lament and another to cheer,
A right time to make love and another to abstain,
A right time to embrace and another to part,
A right time to search and another to count your losses,
A right time to hold on and another to let go,
A right time to rip out and another to mend,
A right time to shut up and another to speak up,
A right time to love and another to hate,
A right time to wage war and another to make peace.

The best place to begin reflection is in remembering.

I don’t know whether this past year was one filled with heartache or laughter for you, I do not know whether you experienced loss or brand new beginnings.

I don’t know whether in the year 2024 you will cry more tears of joy or sadness.

But please take heart right now that the #1 truth is your heavenly Father does.

And whether 2024 becomes a year to remember or to forget. recall it’s in quiet remembrance He wants to comfort you, rejoice with you, wrap you in His arms.

It’s in sacred and most holy remembrance that He wants to bring about healing, He wants to impart His grace, love, perspective – take time today to remember.

Next, resolve to take time to ask the Holy Spirit for revelation on the present.

Just as our seasons help us to remember the past, they beg us not to stay there, they beg of us to ask of God for the grace of God to move up, live in the present.

The indelible truth is God is doing a mighty work in and around you right now.

This is a time for faith and deep encounters with the transforming love of God.

This is a time to savor the beauty of the current and to rest in the goodness of the immediate.

Creator God is always going to be present to meet with you, love you, fill you.

He has more than sufficient strength, grace, comfort, and joy for you if we will renew our mindset, make space to receive the fullness of what He wants to give.

Resolve then, in the name of God, Jesus, Holy Spirit, to take time today to savor.

Lastly, God longs to fill you with hope and expectancy for his future plans.

The new year of 2024, filled with its infinite possibilities and also infinite new beginnings, is moment by moment, quickly unfolding right before your eyes.

Your heavenly Father, Author of your very life, who weaved you together in your mother, who dwells in all of eternity, longs to prepare us all for what is to come.

Moment by precious moment, He longs to lay a foundation for our days our year with a fresh anointing, fresh revelation of His love, faithfulness, and presence.

He longs to fill you with hope and desires that he will see through to fruition.

Resolved: Take time today to allow Him to prepare you for all next year holds.

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

May your time in guided prayer be marked by clarity and revelation in the Holy Spirit as you engage in these three practices.

Guided Prayer:

1. Reflect on this past year. 

What were your triumphs? What were your failures? How did God meet you in both? Allow Him to comfort you in any pain and rejoice with you in any victory.

“Know therefore that the Lord your God is God, the faithful God who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love him and keep his commandments, to a thousand generations.” Deuteronomy 7:9

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.” 2 Corinthians 1:3-4

“The Lord your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save; he will rejoice over you with gladness; he will quiet you by his love; he will exult over you with loud singing.” Zephaniah 3:17

2. What is God doing right now? 

What is He teaching and instilling in you? What is He calling you to savor?

“Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.” Matthew 6:31-34

3. Ask God to plant hopes and dreams for next year in your heart. 

What do you want to see happen personally next year? What do you hope God does in and the now through you? What good works has He prepared for you?

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.” Proverbs 3:5-6

“For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” Ephesians 2:10

“For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.” Jeremiah 29:11

May Galatians 6:7-10 stir within us a covenant commitment to fully engage in the season in which God has you and me:

Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap. For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life. And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up. So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith. 

Psalm 100 The Message

100 1-2 On your feet now—applaud God!
    Bring a gift of laughter,
    sing yourselves into his presence.

3 Know this: God is God, and God, God.
    He made us; we didn’t make him.
    We’re his people, his well-tended sheep.

4 Enter with the password: “Thank you!”
    Make yourselves at home, talking praise.
    Thank him. Worship him.

5 For God is sheer beauty,
    all-generous in love,
    loyal always and 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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