Walking With Jesus

Who Are You Waiting For?

“I wait quietly before God, for my victory comes from Him. He alone is my rock and my fortress where I will never be shaken.” (Psalm 62:1-2 NLT)

Among the most frustrating occurrences in a person’s life is to wait for someone who doesn’t show up. A few years ago I went to a doctor’s appointment, checked in, then sat down to wait. There was no one else in the waiting room, so I wondered what was taking him so long to see me. Finally, I went back up to the window, to the same young woman who had checked me in, and asked her if she had any idea how much longer the doctor would be.

In a very “matter-of-fact” way she said: “Oh, he won’t be coming into the office today.” Why couldn’t she have called me so I wouldn’t have had to make the trip to his office? Or, at least, tell me when I first came in, so I didn’t waste time waiting for someone who wasn’t coming?

Human beings aren’t born with the gift of “waiting.” As a rule, our patience quota is very small, yet uncharacteristically, we seem very willing to wait to make things right with the Lord. I’ve often spoken with people whose life was a mess, a mess only the Lord could enable them to resolve, but rather than joyfully embrace the clear answer, and open themselves to the Lordship of Jesus, they chose to remain miserably unchanged.

They seem bent on waiting until things in their life improve, seeming oblivious to the fact that apart from Jesus any improvement will only be temporary. Like me in the doctor’s office, they’re waiting for someone who isn’t coming.

Who are you waiting for to make your life better? Someone to offer you a dream job? A person to fulfill your dreams of marriage? A child? A family member or friend who has hurt you, to apologize? Whomever you’re waiting for, even if they show up, and even if that piece of your life is made whole in your mind, at best, it’s temporary.

Nothing this world can give us has the capacity to satisfy our deepest longings. Everything we can see, hear, taste, touch, or smell is temporary and will one day be gone. Only Jesus offers forgiveness and freedom from the penalty of sin we deserve; only Jesus offers us eternal life that begins the moment we yield our life and allegiance to Him; only Jesus opens the doorway to heaven where we’ll finally find everything we’ve ever hoped for and more. Only Jesus!

Sometimes, even as believers, we’re frustrated and disappointed by the Lord’s “slowness” in answering prayer or resolving an issue with which we wrestle. Rarely, if ever, do we stop to consider the issue we’re having is a gift from God allowed by Him to conform us more perfectly to His Son’s righteous image.

The longer I live and love Jesus, the better I’m understanding Paul’s dilemma with which he shared in Philippians 1: “I’m torn between two desires: I long to go and be with Christ, which would be far better for me. But for your sakes, it is better that I continue to live.” Serving soothes the “pain” of waiting for Jesus’ return.

So, for me, and I trust for you, the troubles and trials of life are made more bearable in light of the presence of God’s Spirit as He walks with us through them, and the hope of eternal life with Jesus when this life comes to an end. Either way, Jesus is Who I’m waiting for! How about you?

Blessings, Ed 😊

This Present Evil Age

“May God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ give you grace and peace. Jesus gave His life for our sins, just as God our Father planned, in order to rescue us from this evil world in which we live. All glory to God forever and ever! Amen.” (Galatians 1:3-5 NLT)

Have you ever wondered why you were chosen to live in this present age when darkness and evil are so prevalent?

When my kids were small, we did a lot of camping. At night when someone needed to go to the bathroom, fortunately, it wasn’t hard to find. Why not? If was the area where there was a light. The darker the night, the less light you need to make a difference. A small flashlight can make all the difference when you’re trying to find your way in the dark.

In this present evil age, the darkness at times seems debilitating. That’s Satan’s plan. The harder he can make it to find the “Light,” the better chance he has to trip us up. The term “evil,” as used in the above verses can also be translated “wicked, wicked one, or evil things.” It means: “full of labors, annoyances, hardships.”

One of the pictures this word paints is of something, or someone being pressed and harassed by labors, bringing toils, annoyances, perils. It speaks to a time in a believer’s life when just being a believer sets you up to be ridiculed, attacked, or to become the target of pain and trouble. In this specific context it very likely has reference to “the evil one,” who is Satan himself.

When I was in elementary school, my best friend lived on a street that required me to ride past an older boy’s house who was in junior high. I’m not sure what I did to make him angry with me, but every time I rode by his house, he would run after me, trying to push me off my bike. I dreaded going that way, but it was the only way to get to my friend’s house.

Sometimes that’s what Satan desires to do to us. God sets us on a path to a destination that will bless and help us, but the path often leads us past danger and possible harm. For example, my wife and I have gotten acquainted with a young couple in our neighborhood whom we love and with whom we enjoy spending time.

We’ve had them over to our house and have been to theirs. I’ve often spoken with the husband about the Lord and how vital it is to become part of a healthy church family if he desires to follow Jesus. He’s told me numerous times they’re going to start coming, but it’s been almost two years and they have yet to make it. Why not? Because their life as young parents is “full of labors, annoyances, hardships.”

I get it. I really do. They have two kids under 4 years of age, and both parents are working. Yes, of course, it’s hard, but unless and until they work through the “hard” things that stand in their way, they’ll one day be retired, with grown kids who are now going through the same things they went through, never making time to have a relationship with the Lord.

The words of Jesus ring in my heart and mind: “And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul? Is anything worth more than your soul?”

So many are blinded by the darkness of this world, and we’re the only light that can show them the way to Jesus. It’s frustrating, painful, but critical that we continue to shine the light of love on Jesus, illuminating the pathway to life that can only be found in Him.

Yes, of course, we live in a very evil world, but we serve a Savior who has overcome the world. We’ve been chosen to be His light, and for as long as this body of clay has breath, we must not stop helping others until they finally see His light and find rest and peace in Him.

Blessings, Ed 😊

Boundaries (Part 2)

“Don’t you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourself, for God bought you with a high price. So you must honor God with your body.” (1 Corinthians 6:19-20 NLT)

In yesterday’s post we looked at some boundaries we need to set in terms of the people with whom we have contact whose negativity or gossip or other inappropriate comments about us or others drain and defile us and/or the Lord.

Today I’d like for us to look at the boundaries we put in place to protect ourselves physically, whether from a dating situation, extramarital relationship, or general safety as we face the potential for problems every day in the world in which we live.

The purpose of setting boundaries isn’t to be prudish or project a “holier than thou” kind of attitude, but to heighten our awareness that we must honor the Lord in EVERY area of our life. In a conversation I had with a young man who is in his late 30’s, he mentioned to me that he’d developed a relationship with a young woman online, that seemed to be going well. But when they met in person, she wanted to have sex with him, but he refused. His conviction as a believer demanded he wait until marriage to have sex, but that was so offensive to his “Christian” girlfriend, that she ended the relationship.

I applaud his conviction and wish it was shared more widely among believers, but the sad reality is, not having sex before marriage seems archaic in many people’s minds, and seems to be something “outdated” even among professing Christians. But the Bible leaves no doubt as to God’s view of sex, as illustrated by the verses above.

One problem seems to be a confusion between virginity and purity. As I’ve stated many times in these posts, virginity doesn’t equal purity, and vice versa. It’s God’s plan that we wait until marriage to have sex, but many haven’t followed that plan and find themselves in a difficult spot when they find out after the fact that they didn’t follow God’s desire in maintaining their virginity until marriage.

As a result, many assume since they’ve already lost their virginity, then it must be okay to continue to have sex outside of marriage. That’s where an understanding of purity comes in. Purity speaks, not only to our physical restraint from sex outside of marriage, it speaks to our heart’s desire to maintain purity of heart, mind, soul, and body.

How we behave (i.e. whether we have sex outside of marriage) issues from how we think. If we see no reason not to violate God’s will to engage in any behavior unbecoming to a person of God, we obviously see no reason to set boundaries in those areas. But if my heart beats with desire and determination to walk in holiness and purity before the Lord, then ANYTHING in my life that’s offensive to Jesus needs to become offensive to me.

That’s why we need to set boundaries in terms of what we view, what we listen to, and how we conduct our lives, inside and outside of marriage. Does what I allow my eyes to see cause me to desire closeness to the Lord, or does it lead my heart and mind away from Him? Similarly, does what I listen to (i.e. radio, internet, conversations, etc) lift my thoughts heavenward or shift them to darkness and wrong desires?

Every action we take is motivated by a thought or desire created by what we see or hear. Our eyes and ears are windows and doors to our mind, which governs every avenue of our behavior. What you think about comes about, so if you want your life to reflect the majesty and beauty of Jesus, you have to set boundaries on that to which you allow your eyes and ears to be exposed. That’s why reading and memorizing God’s Word, listening to godly music and teaching, and engaging regularly in conversations with godly people are invaluable in becoming more like Jesus.

Our boundaries shouldn’t be designed to make us unapproachable, but enable us to calculate the degree of exposure we allow in “dangerous” circumstances.

Blessings, Ed 😊

Boundaries

“For there are many rebellious people who engage in useless talk and deceive others. This is especially true of those who insist on circumcision for salvation.” (Titus 1:10 NLT)

Driving home from a visit with my daughter, who lives in Seattle, Washington, I passed through a lot of open country. Eastern Washington, Montana, and Wyoming were beautiful and vast, but I noticed a lot of fencing. Obviously, the people who owned large areas of acreage didn’t want there to be any misunderstanding as to when you entered and left their property.

As Jesus followers we belong to Jesus; we are HIS “property.” And while we may be tempted to take offense at that statement, it’s no less true. Paul reminds us in 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 “Don’t you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourself, for God bought you with a high price. So you must honor God with your body.”

That seems so foreign to the way we think these days, even as believers. So, what does it mean? The context is sexual sin, which, of course, takes many avenues of expression today. But there are also other applications of this idea.

As it relates to our body. In ANY relationship we need to establish boundaries. There are people with whom we have contact every day, from a neighbor to a co-worker, friend, or family member, to strangers we encounter while shopping or doing any number of other things we do in the course of our day.

Admittedly, under most circumstances our contact with others is above board and harmless, but there are times we’re given opportunities to cross lines in our thought life or physically that can not only test our Christian convictions but threaten our marriages or other relationships we value. How so?

Sometimes people we see trigger thoughts that should send up “red flags” in our heart and mind. Why? Because they send our mind down pathways that only lead to sin, not only in thought, but in actions. And I’m not just speaking here of sexual or lustful thoughts, but thoughts that can lead to envy, jealousy, or gossip, all of which can hinder or damage our reputation or character.

That’s why we need to create boundaries, not only physically, but spiritually, in our hearts and minds in order to protect our character and our witness for Christ. B.J. Thompson wrote: “Beware of any relationship that will not allow you to communicate your boundaries.” How might that translate?

Let’s say there’s a neighbor, friend, or co-worker who is constantly making inappropriate comments about other people. They may be observations based on how someone is dressed, or related to their anatomy, that take your mind places you don’t desire it to go. Or it could be a reference to a person’s character that has the potential of leading you to think negatively about that person. Or it could just be that they always view the proverbial “cup” as half empty. These are areas in which you need to have boundaries, in terms of not only what you will look at, but what you will listen to.

You may need to say something to them regarding how inappropriate what they’re saying or suggesting is, or just limit the time you spend with them. Our goal as believers is to feed our mind on what is pure, holy, right, and Christ-honoring. King David reminds us: “May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing to you, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer.”

Setting boundaries in our thought life can protect us in every other area of our lives. We’ll look at another aspect of setting boundaries in tomorrow’s post.

Blessings, Ed 😊

When All Hope Seems Gone

“Would you wait for them to grow up and refuse to marry someone else? No, of course not, my daughters! Things are far more bitter for me than for you, because the Lord Himself has raised His fist against me.” (Ruth 1:13 NLT)

Naomi’s words above reflect a heart that is broken from the trauma of life. Her husband and two sons have died, and she’s left with two daughter’s-in-law to whom she’s sharing these pain-filled words. She’s encouraging them to go back to their families and find a husband from their people, but while one of them leaves, the other, named Ruth, chooses to stay.

Ruth says to Naomi: “Don’t ask me to leave you and turn back. Wherever you go, I will go; wherever you live, I will live. Your people will be my people, and your God will be my God. Wherever you die, I will die, and there I will be buried. May the Lord punish me severely if I allow anything but death to separate us!”

Do you love anyone that much? You can’t stay hopeless very long when you’ve got someone who loves you like that. It’s a beautiful story and in the end, Ruth marries a Jewish man and bears a son whose name is Obed. Obed became the father of Jesse and the grandfather of King David, who was a descendant of Joseph, the husband of Mary who bore King Jesus.

As long as our hope is in Jesus, there’s never a reason to be dismayed or hopeless. God is able to work through all things to bring good to those who love Him and are called to carry out His plans and purposes (see Romans 8:28). Look back across your life, as I have, and see the hand of God leading you. Yes, of course, like me, you very likely had some heart-breaking losses, but in the end, God never failed and the place you find yourself today, if you’ve lived long enough, is better than you ever imagined it would be.

In a recent Ron Hutchcraft devotional, he shared the following story. “I saw a particularly moving first-person story of one woman who miraculously survived the collapse of the North Tower that awful day. She tried to make her way down the long stairwell from her office on the 64th floor. She got to the 13th floor. That’s when the entire tower began to crumble. She fell to the ground as the building continued to literally collapse around her. She dropped 13 floors and ended up with her head pinned between two concrete pillars and her legs trapped in a staircase. She said, ‘I saw that no one came, and I wasn’t hearing any noises around me. So I thought, ‘I’m going to die here. I’m going to see myself slowly die here.’ The young mother; well, she prayed, she slept, she prayed some more. And at one point, she just asked God for a miracle. That’s when she heard noises. She yelled out, and someone answered back. She had been trapped under tons of debris for 27 hours. Here’s how she described what happened next: ‘I took a piece of concrete. I knocked the stair above me. And when they heard the knocking, they started to come closer. And then I put my hands through a little crack in the ceiling, and I felt the person hold my hand. The fireman found my hand and he said, ‘I’ve got you.’ And I said, ‘Thank God.’ She was the last person pulled alive from the wreckage of the World Trade Center.”

What “hopeless” situation are you facing today? May I be the first to let you know: If you know Jesus, it’s not hopeless! “Hopeless” isn’t a word in God’s vocabulary. If you aren’t dead, God’s not done with you. Your future may not look like you’d planned, but I’ll guarantee you this – it will be better than you have ever dared dream it could be.

Right now, please bow your head and read these words slowly and attentively, letting them reverberate throughout your soul: “Father, You are all I need. I may feel like I’ve lost everything, but when You are near, I can breathe hope for my future. I know no one loves me like You do. Today I’m going to trust You with all I am and all I ever hope to be. You’re my good, good Father, and I know with certainty that the future You have planned for me is far better than anything I could ever plan for myself. I love You! I trust You! I yield all of me to all of You from this day forward! Through Christ my Lord I pray. Amen.

If you don’t yet know Jesus, but you’d like to, please click this link. The Bridge to God | Ron Hutchcraft Ministries, Inc.

Blessings, Ed 😊

When Has Rescuing Someone Ever Been Easy?

“There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.” (John 15:13 NLT)

In the Men’s Group I’m a part of there are some who are or have been Firefighters, Soldiers, and Police Officers. I capitalize these titles because I respect the men and women who risk their lives every day for the good of others.

The reality is, being a rescuer of others isn’t as glamorous as the movies portray. Sometimes it’s thankless, humiliating, and dangerous. One of my closest friends in ministry was a Captain in the local police force. He told me of a domestic call – a woman had called because her husband was beating her. My friend, John, told me these were the calls he least liked because he never knew what was going to happen. In his efforts to subdue the violent husband, the wife, who called for help, hit my friend in the head with a telephone. This was in the 70’s when phones were bulky and heavy.

What’s my point? Rescuing people – physically or spiritually – can be trying, frustrating, and dangerous. There are people for whom I pray everyday who are running as fast as they can down the road that leads to destruction, but they’re blind to what awaits them, and deaf to my efforts to steer them toward Jesus.

Having walked with the Lord for almost six decades, I sympathize with those who are faithfully sharing Jesus with their friends and loved ones. It’s an uphill battle when you’re fighting for the soul of another person. It’s rarely easy, but it’s worth the effort and risk.

When I was in college I met regularly to pray with other students. We would pray for those in our spheres of influence who didn’t yet know Jesus. I remember having the privilege of praying with one for whom we’d been praying, when he yielded his life to the Lord. I can’t adequately express the elation I had. I ran out of the dorm looking for someone with whom I could share this great news. It was almost like I couldn’t feel my feet hitting the ground.

I was literally running when I spotted a brother coming towards me. I grabbed him with tears running down my cheeks, joyfully sharing the good news of our friend’s decision to respond to Jesus’ invitation to life. We hugged and cried and jumped up and down, celebrating in joy. I don’t know what people were thinking as they passed by, but I didn’t care.

It’s easy for us in America to share our faith with little or no risk. But there are brothers and sisters in Christ whose lives are literally at risk, not just because they share their faith, which they do, but because they’ve chosen to give their life and allegiance to Jesus.

One of our pastors returned recently from a country in which it is unlawful to be a believer in Christ. Three things happen when someone comes to Jesus. 1. Their family forsakes them. 2. They lose their employment. And 3. They run the very real risk of losing their life. Yet, knowing this, many are coming to the Lord, risking everything just to find forgiveness, hope, and eternal life in Jesus.

There’s no way I have of knowing who reads these articles, but whoever you are, wherever you live, if you know Jesus, boldly declare who He is and what He came to accomplish for us. And if you don’t yet know my Savior, open your heart and mind to Him today. This life is nothing compared to the life you’ll have with Jesus while you’re here on earth, and it only gets better after you leave this world.

Whatever we have to suffer to help another person come to know the Lord is worth it – yes, even to lay down our life for them. No one ever said it would be easy to live for Jesus or share Him with others, but this one thing I know: It’s worth whatever it will cost us, because nothing this world has to offer can come close to comparing with knowing, loving, and serving Jesus!

Blessings, Ed 😊

Are You Ready for Heaven?

“But I warn you – unless your righteousness is better than the righteousness of the teachers of religious law and the Pharisees you will never enter the Kingdom of Heaven!” (Matthew 5:20 NLT)

These words of Jesus were given in the context of His Sermon on the Mount, which was given early in His public ministry. The specific point He was seeking to make when He made reference to “the righteousness of the teachers of religious law and the Pharisees” was regarding the purpose of the law.

It’s ironic that while the Scribes and Pharisees knew the laws of God inside and out, they were so focused on God’s laws that they missed God’s Son. We can do a similar thing when we become so legalistic regarding the “rules and regulations” of our particular brand of Christianity that we miss Christ.

Being ready for heaven, in some ways is like being ready for marriage. It demands we understand we’re not committing to an institution; we’re pledging our lives to a person. Similarly, when we yield our lives to Jesus, we’re not joining a religious “club,” we’re pledging our allegiance to a Person. It’s not about religion, it’s about a relationship with a holy God.

In marriage, as in the Christian faith, it’s not about what we can achieve – i.e. how many times we take out the trash or do the dishes. It’s about how effectively I express my undying love to this person to whom I’ve promised to be faithful “‘til death do us part.” I can be a “perfect” husband in the eyes of my family and friends, but still lose my wife if she doesn’t feel cherished and treasured.

The purpose of marriage, as I understand it, is to exhibit the joining of two lives living for one purpose – to reflect the character of Christ in and through our love for one another. It involves humility, selflessness, sacrifice, and the surrendering of our will in favor of God’s will. Yet, understanding that and having a Christ-centered marriage are two different things.

Similarly, we can have great insights and understanding of Christian theology and still miss heaven. Our knowledge isn’t enough, and neither are our good works. Our service for Jesus isn’t going to get us to heaven, but if it’s done in the right spirit and for the right reason, it will magnify and exalt His holy name and give evidence of our submission to His authority in our lives.

We don’t serve to gain His favor; we serve out of gratitude to Him because we already have His favor. We don’t do good works in order to earn our way to heaven, we do good works to give visibility to the fact we’re going to heaven. Not because of anything we have done or could ever do, but always and only because of what Jesus has done on our behalf and in our place on the Cross.

My love and devotion to my wife grows out of and is enhanced by my love and devotion to Jesus. She’s a gift from God, not for my possession, but to be my partner in loving and serving Jesus. Jesus is our Treasure! He’s the goal of everything we do, say, or think. To the extent we love the Lord well, to that extent we’ll be freed to love one another well.

Often marital issues aren’t caused by a lack of love for each other, but by a lack of love and devotion to Jesus. When we put Him first in everything; when He’s exalted, cherished, and treasured, having first place in our hearts, we’ll find it easier to submit to one another in marriage.

The bottom line to me, in terms of knowing with certainty that I’m going to heaven, isn’t based on my performance, it’s based on God’s promise. “And this is what God has testified: He has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have God’s Son does not have life.” (1 John 5:11-12)

That’s the only way to have assurance that you’re ready for heaven!

Blessings, Ed 😊

Refined By Fire

“And because the king, in his anger, had demanded such a hot fire in the furnace, the flames killed the soldiers as they threw the three men in.” (Daniel 3:22 NLT)

The story of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego is the kind of unbelievable, impossible tale as to only be believed by fools or people who know and love Jesus. It’s a literal occurrence that changed the heart of a heathen king and emblazons itself into our heart and mind. What can we learn from this amazing incident in these faithful men’s lives?

First, when God promised never to leave us, He meant that quite literally. In Daniel 3:24-25 the Bible says: “But suddenly, Nebuchadnezzar jumped up in amazement and exclaimed to his advisors, ‘Didn’t we tie up three men and throw them into the furnace?’ ‘Yes, Your Majesty, we certainly did,’ they replied. ‘I see four men, unbound, walking around in the fire unharmed! And the fourth looks like a god!”

When God is for us and with us, enabling us to be obedient and submissive to His authority in the face of severe, life-threatening consequences, we can trust Him to be with us and protect us. And I can almost hear the skeptics saying: “Yeh, but what about all of those in Hebrews 11, and even the Apostles who were closest to Jesus? Where was Jesus when they faced death?”

“Walk the Path” “Used by permission, © Ray Majoran, GlimpseOfInfinity.com”

Perhaps a better question would be: “Where are they now?” They’re with the same Jesus who walked with them through their brutal murders. And He’s the same Jesus who walks with us every step of our journey.

God obviously had other plans for the three Hebrew men, not the least of which was their influence on the pagan King’s life. Listen to Nebuchadnezzar’s words: “Then Nebuchadnezzar said, ‘Praise to the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego! He sent His angel to rescue His servants who trust in Him. They defied the king’s command and were willing to die rather than serve or worship any god except their own God.”

He promoted the three Hebrew men and ultimately gave his life to the God above all gods. In Daniel 4:37 he said: “Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and glorify and honor the King of heaven. All His acts are just and true, and He is able to humble the proud.”

Three takeaways for me from this story. First, as hot as the “fire” of our trials become, we are never alone. Jesus is always walking with us, even unto death. We may think dying for Christ is for “heroes” of the faith, but the day is fast approaching when each of us will need to decide just how much our faith in Jesus is worth to us.

And secondly, our faithfulness in walking humbly in and through the “fires” of our lives can result in untold numbers of people coming to know the Lord, often beginning with those who are most defiant when it comes to believing in and following Him.

Thirdly, we never know who is watching our lives, so walking in and through the “fires” of life triumphantly and without grumbling and complaining, not only blesses others and helps them see Jesus more clearly, but it also helps us to grow closer to the Lord. We gain insight and understanding of spiritual truths in the midst of pain and suffering that we can learn in no other way.

Do you have any doubt that the faith of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego grew monumentally after the experience in the furnace? Can you not “see” with your eye of faith how God wants to stretch, grow and refine you and me in and through the trials and tribulations of life?

That’s why James was able to write in James 1:2: “Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow.”

Blessings, Ed 😊

The Greater Work

“But we prayed to our God and guarded the city day and night to protect ourselves.” (Nehemiah 4:9 NLT)

Most often, it seems we’re tempted to see prayer as a means to an end rather than an end in itself. When we pray, like Nehemiah, our expectation focuses on what we want God to do for us, but immediately begin taking measures to answer our own prayer.

Nehemiah prayed that God would intervene and stop those who opposed the rebuilding of the wall around Jerusalem, then he set guards at strategic points around the half-finished wall. I understand their rationale, but at some point, we need to stop viewing God as our proverbial “genie in a bottle,” and view Him as the majestic and holy Creator and Sustainer that He is.

Oswald Chambers showed great insight into this process when he wrote: “Prayer does not fit us for the greater work; prayer is the greater work.” Prayer isn’t simply asking God for what He can do for us or even through us. Foundationally, prayer is the means God uses to build us into the men and women of God He chose us to become.

The “end” of prayer isn’t receiving the answer we seek, it’s becoming the person God envisioned we could be when He created us. Prayer is the avenue across which we travel to become more like Jesus. Jesus didn’t pray to receive power, He prayed because He HAD power and He wanted to appropriate what God had given Him in a manner that magnified and exalted His Father, not Himself.

Prayer IS the work, then God works. To the extent we’re willing to spend time in God’s presence – basking, sitting, listening, rejoicing, worshipping – to that extent we’ll become more like Jesus. To “say” a prayer – “Lord, help me be more like Jesus.” – then run off into our day never giving it another thought, is to miss the point of prayer.

When my wife and I first began to date, she was all I could think about. I wanted to be with her 24/7. If we weren’t together, I wanted to be speaking to her on the phone, but obviously, we couldn’t do that. So, who filled my thoughts when we weren’t together? Guess who? Right? Then we got married! Then the real work began!

Our relationship with God is a lot like marriage. Before we’re married, we tend to focus on all that will mean for us, not always thinking about what it will mean for our spouse. Similarly, when we respond to the Lord’s invitation to follow Him, we tend to think of all that will mean for us – forgiveness, new life, a 24/7 hotline to heaven, and a forever life of bliss. We don’t tend to think about what happens to all the “baggage” we bring into the relationship.

The Lord allows a problem to come to us and immediately we’re begging Him to take it away, rather than spending time with Him seeking the reason He allowed it in the first place. Answers are good, and He gives them faithfully, but answers won’t necessarily make us better or make it easier for people to see Jesus when they look at us.

Ultimately, Nehemiah led his people in the completion of the wall, which led to times of celebration, as well as confession and submission to the Lord’s leadership in their lives. The work of building the wall, as important as that was, was not God’s objective. He wanted a people set apart through whom He could put on display His grandeur, power, love, and life, which meant extended times of worship and praise.

Our conversations with the Lord about how we’d like for Him to intervene in our lives, as important as those things are, aren’t nearly as important as the discipline we choose when we’re satisfied just to sit in His presence, allowing Him to be enough. Not demanding His gifts, just being satisfied with the Giver. That’s the greater work!

Blessings, Ed 😊

Why All the Angst?

“Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. Point out anything in me that offends You, and lead me along the path of everlasting life.” (Psalm 139:23-24 NLT)

The thought of being in heaven without my kids is unbearable. To see them walking without an intimate relationship with Jesus breaks my heart. Everyday as I have conversations with the Lord, their names pass through His holy ears. I know He loves them more than I do, but sometimes my patience is tried as I seek to trust that the Lord is working in their lives, drawing them to Himself.

In a recent conversation with my daughter, I was trying to convey to her my concern, when almost with a shout she said to me: “Why all the angst?” I’m not typically an anxious person, but knowing the fleeting nature of our lives, I just want to make sure I do all I can to help her see the Jesus I know and love.

Couple that with the daily tragedies that fill our world’s headlines that scream “You never know when you walk out that door if you’ll be returning. There are no guarantees!”

Though I’ve never met him in person, I love Ron Hutchcraft. I love his heart for those who are without a saving knowledge of Christ. Regarding how he responded to the horrors of 9-11-01, he conveyed in one of his recent devotionals: “And I prayed. I was groping for what to say and what to pray. And I found myself praying, ‘Lord, would You please help me see this through Your eyes? What are You seeing in this tragedy that’s just too big for our hearts to handle?’ And in the hours that followed, I believe He answered my prayer. And what I saw – beyond the unspeakable events that raked our souls – has stuck with me for over a decade. Every year, watching those deeply moving remembrances of the events at “Ground Zero,” the echoes reverberate again in my heart. ‘Make every day count with the people you love.’”

“Prayer of Protection” “Used by permission, © Ray Majoran, GlimpseOfInfinity.com”

How can we “make every day count?” First, by allowing prayer to become the priority that it is. Remember, “prayer is the work, then God works,” and no one loves our children and loved ones more than Jesus. How do I know that? Because He voluntarily laid down His sinless life to pay the penalty for our sin debt. Not just our individual sins, but to give us grace, mercy, and guidance by His Spirit to tame and disarm our sin nature. Does that mean one day we’ll be perfect? Not in this life, but absolutely YES in the next life.

In this life we’re in a constant battle with the enemy of our soul, seeking victory, healing, and hope on every front. My friendship with Jesus, knowing He is with me and for me, and recognizing there are ways and means He has of reaching my loved ones that I can’t employ, gives me peace and confidence that one day my kids – and yours – will find their way home to Jesus.

When I was first saved, the Lord laid on my heart to pray for my parents. I grew up in an environment of constant uncertainty, never knowing if mom’s drinking was going to lead her to be nice or mean. My dad was very passive and seemed to tolerate it, but there was a part of me that wondered if one, or both of them would just one day walkout and never come back.

There was a man in my church named Les Moore. He worked with my dad, and every Sunday when I went to the altar to pray for my parents, he would come down from the choir and pray with me. It was a glorious day the morning my parents came to church with me and as the invitation was given, they both knelt to yield their lives to Jesus. They were baptized together and from that point forward I never wondered if they were going anywhere. I KNEW they were, and I look forward to joining them one day soon – in heaven.

Blessings, Ed 😊