Walking With Jesus

Are “White Lies” Okay?

“And so blessing and cursing come pouring out of the same mouth. Surely, my brothers and sisters, this is not right!” (James 3:10 NLT)

Some of the most unforgettable and irreparable damage we do for the Kingdom of God is caused by using words, the negative effects of which, we give little or no thought. We are so prone to open our mouths before we consult our brains, which often leads to hurt feelings, strained and broken relationships, or worse. The Biblical writer James spends much of chapter three addressing this issue.

One avenue of this subject is commonly referred to as a “white lie,” and is often justified by our desire to not hurt someone’s feelings. Say, for example, a male friend asks me: “How does this new shirt look?” I have a lot of options. I could honestly say: “Other than it’s three sizes too small, I think it looks great.” Or “I hate the pattern and it clashes with everything else you’re wearing.” Both of those may be true, but is there a more delicate way to respond?

That’s when we’re tempted to use the “white lie.” A “white lie” is a lie that’s couched in terms that we hope will be acceptable to the hearer. Using the above example, we could say: “Wow! That shirt looks great on you!” Or “It matches your pants perfectly.” But are we telling the truth?

Remember, we’re Christ’s Ambassadors, so honesty is the best policy. But how do you answer honestly without blowing your cover when you really don’t have a positive opinion? As a rule, I don’t struggle with what to say when my wife asks me about something she wears or cooks, etc. It’s easy to compliment her because we’ve been together a long time and we love each other. If I don’t like something I can tell her, but I need to explain why.

The plot thickens when it’s someone we don’t know well, a “first date” kind of thing. The safest way to avoid misunderstanding is to not comment unless asked directly to do so. But if she asks: “I tried this new eye liner, what do you think?” It’s probably not going to fly if you say: “I’d rather not say.” Busted! But even if you don’t like it, you can say something like: “I think it brings out the color of your eyes and I love your eyes.”

In case you haven’t guessed, I’m not all that good at this, but what I am really trying hard to be good at is finding ways to sincerely compliment someone whom I’m just meeting. They’re not likely to ask an awkward question, but if we’re proactive in affirming them in some way, it can go a long way in getting the relationship off to a good start.

What we must do well is exhibit the character of Christ through how we speak, not only the words we use, but our body language, especially to those we love the most.

In a recent Family Life devotional Janel Breitenstein said:“Rather than handing out half-truths like lollipops and calling it grace, honesty is actually an opening for true grace to pry its way in. As my husband and I speak accurately and humbly to each other, the culture in our marriage is changing. We are less defensive, less sensitive. This kind of culture says, ‘When we’re honest, this is what we are: both made in the image of God, and totally broken.’”

The bottom line for me is this – I want to be as honest with others as Jesus has been honest with me. It didn’t make me feel particularly good to be called a sinner in dire need of a Savior (not His exact words 😊), but it got my attention and ultimately led to my desire to walk with Him. His intention wasn’t to offend me. His desire was to love me. That’s what I want to do, but I don’t believe lying is the best way to accomplish it.

Blessings, Ed 😊

Rejoicing When Times Are Hard

“Even though the fig trees have no blossoms, and there are no grapes on the vines; even though the olive crop fails, and the fields lie empty and barren; even though the flocks die in the fields, and the cattle barns are empty, yet I will rejoice in the Lord! I will be joyful in the God of my salvation! (Habakkuk 3:17-18 NLT)

There have been seasons in my life when things seemed barren. One of the hardest weeks of my life was shortly after my divorce. I was in a new commission only job and my check for two weeks was just under $20. I missed some meals and got lots of eviction notices in that season, but I wouldn’t trade them for anything.

While we’re generally reluctant to ask for difficult times, they’re very often God’s tools to shape us for His future service. Paul writes in 2 Corinthians 1:4: “He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others. When they are troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us.”

Some of the most rewarding moments in my life have been when I was able to secretly slip someone some money and say with genuine empathy: “I know what you’re feeling. I’ve been there.” Those are some of those “Ah hah!” moments when the Lord whispers: “Now aren’t you glad I let you go through that rough patch?”

I’m not going to lie, it’s not easy to rejoice in difficult times, but something the Lord is teaching me is that while I’m not required to love the difficult circumstance, I do need to always love Him. He is the reason for my rejoicing, not necessarily my immediate circumstance.

James writes I 1:2: “Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy.” I’ve learned to look for God’s fingerprints on my circumstances. What does that mean? There were times when I had no money and God would send someone to take me to lunch or shake my hand and give me $10 or $20. In times of great loneliness someone would become the arms of Jesus as they held me and let me cry.

God is good all the time! Whatever you’re having to deal with in this season of your life – don’t waste it! There’s always someone who is worse off than you. If you can still read these words, you’re blessed! If you have family, you’re blessed! If you have a job, you’re blessed! If you can speak, taste, touch, and smell, you’re blessed! The list is virtually endless of things for which we can give thanks regardless of our circumstances.

One suggestion. Rather than sit around bemoaning the fact you have problems, and please hear me, I know some who read these words have serious issues with which they must wrestle. But if only for a moment, focus on someone the Lord will bring to your mind, who could really use a call or note from you. Be the source of joy for someone else and I guarantee you the Lord will bless you for your kindness and thoughtfulness. You might be surprised at how encouraging the person you reach out to can be for you.

A loud thunderstorm was raging one night, and a mother rushed upstairs to check on her young son, as she suspected he would be frightened. But as she opened his door, he was sitting on the windowsill shouting with each boom of thunder: “Bang it again God! Bang it again!

Regardless of how bad things get, you’re never alone. NEVER!

Blessings, Ed 😊

Avoiding Infection

“For the hearts of these people are hardened, and their ears cannot hear, and they have closed their eyes – so their eyes cannot see, and their ears cannot hear, and their hearts cannot understand, and they cannot turn to Me and let Me heal them.” (Matthew 13:15 – Jesus quoting Isaiah 6:9-10)

In a recent devotional article I read, Carlos Santiago was talking about a surgery he’d had and how the doctor explained that a single wayward bacteria could feed on his body and wreak havoc and how crucial clean bandages would be to keep any hint of them away from his wound.

He connected that to the Apostle Paul’s admonition in Ephesians 5:3 when he wrote: “Let there be no sexual immorality, impurity, or greed among you. Such sins have no place among God’s people.”

It’s ironic that we’re so careful to wear masks to protect ourselves from germs but pay little attention to the things we watch on TV or listen to. Our eyes and ears are windows to our soul that must be guarded as well. We take careful steps to guard against infection in our body, while opening the avenues of our mind to infection in our soul.

Carlos wrote: “Most of us are a lot more careful about our outward actions than our inward thoughts. But Jesus said, ‘… everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart” (Matthew 5:28).’”

I’ve heard people say things like: “It’s okay to look at the menu as long as you don’t order anything.” Or “It doesn’t matter where you get your appetite as long as you eat at home.” Those are lies of Satan. It DOES matter if you look at a woman who is not your wife and ponder desire for her. It DOES matter if lust for another person is fueling your desire for your spouse.

Inappropriate sexual behavior has infected whole generations with poisonous lies that have ruined marriages and shattered families. Paul continues in verses 4-5: “Obscene stories, foolish talk, and coarse jokes – these are not for you. Instead, let there be thankfulness to God. You can be sure that no immoral, impure, or greedy person will inherit the Kingdom of Christ and of God. For a greedy person is an idolater, worshiping the things of this world.”

“Yeh,” you may retort, “but I’m saved. God will forgive me when I sin.” Yes, and no! If you’re a brand-new believer and are working towards eliminating these behaviors, yes, by all means, keep running back to the Cross and find forgiveness. But if you’ve said a prayer asking for forgiveness but have ignored all avenues of growth as a person of God, that’s a clear indication that God’s Spirit doesn’t reside in you, thus showing you aren’t walking with the Lord. If your walk doesn’t match your talk, you’re walking on a very precarious pathway.

Grace doesn’t overlook habitual sin from which I have no intention of turning. We are ambassadors of Christ, commissioned to carry the Good News of salvation to the people in our spheres of influence. But if our lifestyle is no different from the ones we’re seeking to reach, what are we calling them to? “Hey, come to Christ. He’ll forgive you, but you can continue to live any way you want.”

Paul wrote later in chapter 5:15-17: “So be careful how you live. Don’t live like fools, but like those who are wise. Make the most of every opportunity in these evil days. Don’t act thoughtlessly, but understand what the Lord wants you to do.”

When sin is infecting our heart and mind, we have no recourse but to give illustration to our sin-sickness in and through the way we live. If this is where you find yourself, seek out a godly person to walk with you if you genuinely desire to walk with Jesus. He will forgive you and fill you with His Spirit as you determine to allow Him to redirect your life.

And, yes, of course, it won’t be you doing the changing, but His power within you. But the point is – you change as you become a new person in Christ! You don’t stay the same.

Blessings, Ed 😊

Have You Let Jesus Change Your “Want to?”

“He will take our weak mortal bodies and change them into glorious bodies like His own, using the same power with which He will bring everything under His control.” (Philippians 3:21 NLT)

Our progress in conforming to the likeness of Jesus is in direct proportion to our willingness to obey His commands. Ultimately, our goal is to allow Jesus to own us and control, not only our behavior – what we do – but our mind – how we think!

Yes, I get it. That’s really scary to think about and can be a big turn off to those who have yet to yield their life and allegiance to Jesus. Our minds flash back to a “Jim Jones” kind of cult where people become mesmerized by a charismatic person who demands things of them, they may not like, but allow due to the pressure of others.

That’s a complete 180 to what Jesus is asking of us. Obedience to anyone will never be helpful if it’s done with an attitude that “I have to.” Jesus doesn’t desire us to be His “robots,” that when properly “programmed” become compliant with His every wish. Obedience in and of itself is never the desired end, love is.

Our church family has a saying regarding giving that I find appealing and affirming. They say: “We don’t give because we have to. We give because we get to.” I believe that’s an attitude I want to adopt for every area of my life as it pertains to my obedience to Jesus.

When we begin to understand that Jesus isn’t out to “get us,” rather He’s out to “love us,” the whole complexion of our life and living can be drastically changed for the better. Obedience to the commands of our Lord isn’t designed to force conformity, but to move us in the needed direction of desired conformity. What’s the difference?

It’s the difference between cults and Christianity. Cults force obedience to maximize the power of the leader. Christianity allows obedience to maximize the potential our Leader has died to give us. We don’t obey for Jesus’ benefit. We obey for our benefit. The more submissive we become in the capable hands of our Savior, the more fulfilled we are in living the life we were designed to live.

God’s desire isn’t to choke the life out of us, rather He desires to infuse us with His life-giving Presence in the Person of His Holy Spirit. The sooner our “have to” becomes our “want to,” the greater measure of contentment and enjoyment we’ll have in our walk with Jesus.

On some levels our walk with the Lord is much like our walk with our spouse. Men and women are very different in a lot of ways, but as we begin to allow our differences to complement our relationship, the happier and more satisfied we become.

For example, men tend to be more physically strong than women, thus, better fitted for things like doing yard work or working on the car. While women tend to enjoy cooking, decorating, etc. However, those aren’t the only factors to consider. What if my wife is a mechanic and loves fixing cars, or I’m a chef, and a whiz in the kitchen? What’s my point?

God has uniquely designed and gifted us to complement one another. So, the roles we play in marriage and in the Body of Christ aren’t determined by expected roles, but by what we enjoy doing. That’s the beauty of submission to Christ’s authority in our lives. He doesn’t “pigeonhole” us, He allows us to discover the ways in which we can most significantly and appropriately respond to His love for us by allowing us to function in a role that isn’t a burden, but a delight.

That whole process begins to come together when we allow the Lord to change our “have to,” to our “want to.”

Blessings, Ed 😊

The Purifying Power of Prayer

“Such a prayer offered in faith will heal the sick, and the Lord will make you well. And if you have committed any sins, you will be forgiven.” (James 5:15 NLT)

In the last church I served something that elicited the greatest positive response was our time of prayer on Sunday morning. As James 5:13 instructs, we invited people with all kinds of issues, not just for physical healing, to come forward and be anointed with oil and prayed over.

These were precious moments as we prayed and wept together, seeking a touch from God. The tradition in which I pastored wasn’t very emotional as a rule, but when God showed up, inhibitions were set aside, and people felt free to cry or hug one another. A lot of healing occurred in those moments on many levels.

There were some very godly people in that little church, so when they sang or prayed or spoke, God was liberated to do what He pleased, which often brought people’s needs to the surface. It wasn’t simply a display of emotion, though emotion was sometimes involved. It was more an effort to allow the Lord to do what only He could do, in terms of illuminating things in us that needed attention.

James MacDonald wrote: “Prayer is purifying – as you pray, you learn to want not just right things, but right things for right reasons.”

That is true on an individual level as well as in a corporate environment. Often in the church we do the right things, but for the wrong reasons. We preach, sing, pray, serve, and on and on, filling roles with an empty heart, that leaves us drained and God deeply saddened.

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Too often, like with so many other areas of our lives, we do things for God that are a means of checking off our proverbial “boxes,” hoping somehow God will be honored and others will be helped. Sadly, because our heart’s not in it, little of eternal value is accomplished. If we pray, too often prayer becomes an obligation we fulfill, not a conversation we cherish through which we grow closer to our Father.

We’re all about doing what’s right but derive less and less pleasure and satisfaction. Sitting before the Lord, allowing Him to search our hearts, giving Him permission to point out areas where we’re lacking, can be healing.

Prayer is not a solitary event, it’s a partnership between us and God that when approached with a contrite spirit can result in the release of the Holy Spirit’s purifying power that will touch our souls, healing us in ways nothing else can.

The root of every effective prayer is faith. The foundation upon which prayer is built is absolute trust in the One to whom we pray. If we don’t believe He will hear and respond, why waste our time? But if we speak to our Father in heaven as a loving child speaks to their caring parent, He will withhold no good thing from us. He may not answer like we desired, but will bring good that will bless us more than if He had.

My most effective seasons of prayer, those times when I sensed God’s presence with me most powerfully, and was able to trust Him without reservation, were those times I sensed my own brokenness, thus, my greatest times of personal need. We don’t need to approach God from a position of power and authority. We derive those things from Him.

He just invites His kids to come to Him with all concerns, knowing He will hear, that He cares, and that He will give us exactly what we need in exactly the way we need it. Then we’ll not be so focused on ourselves and will finally be able to do what is right, for the right reasons, because the purifying presence of our loving Savior will be our guide.

Blessings, Ed 😊

The Value of Prayer

“You can pray for anything, and if you have faith, you will receive it.” (Matthew 21:22 NLT)

Have you ever prayed earnestly and in line with what you believed to be God’s will, yet it wasn’t answered like you desired? I certainly have. I begged God to save my marriage. God hates divorce and marriage is His plan, so why wouldn’t He answer? He did. He said “no.” But why?

For months I prayed for my parent’s salvation, and God answered that prayer. Both were saved and baptized and began faithfully walking with the Lord. What was different? Why was one prayer answered, but not the other?

Would it throw you too much of a “curve ball” to tell you the value of prayer isn’t found in the answer? The purpose and highest value of prayer is the development of a deep and abiding relationship with God, not to get answers.

When you were growing up, did your parents give you everything for which you asked? Maybe yours did, but mine didn’t. Why not? Largely because what I would sometimes ask for was to feed my selfishness and greed. My parents were very generous. I was the youngest of three children and my parents would make sure we had what we needed even if it meant they had to do without something they needed.

In Matthew 6:33 Jesus said: “Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and He will give you everything you need.” Notice He said: “above all else,” not “in place of all else.” What’s the difference? Above all else denotes top priority, not exclusivity. We have other things – family, job, hobbies, etc. – that have their place, they just can’t be our top priority.

Jesus promised that if we would give Him the top spot in our priorities, He would give us everything we need to be everything He desires us to be. What’s the implication? He takes care of those who give Him first place in their heart and life. He doesn’t promise to cater to our every whim.

So, back to the value of prayer. When God says no, it doesn’t mean He’s withholding something from us that we need, it simply means He IS the answer we NEED!

After my divorce, sobbing as I knelt by my bed, I poured out my heart detailing to God all I’d lost, which in my calculation was EVERYTHING! He didn’t speak in an audible voice, but just as clearly as if He had, He said to me: “You haven’t lost Me and I’m all you need!” Prayer is our limited endeavor to allow God to remain in the top spot of our heart and life.

In the garden of Gethsemane Jesus asked His Father to spare Him the agony of the Cross. On some levels essentially what He was asking was: “Let the world go to Hell, but let Me come back to You and bypass the Cross.” That’s what was implicit in Jesus’ request to “let this cup pass from Me.” And that’s clearly what the Bible says.

What’s also clear to me, but not explicitly stated in Scripture is what I believe the Father would have said had Jesus not added: “Nevertheless, not My will but Yours.” Jesus WAS God’s heart! Had Jesus’ desire been to avoid the Cross, I believe the Father would have said in a very loud, booming voice – “DONE!” – and the fate of every human being would have been sealed. That’s the eternal value of prayer.

Jesus wasn’t concerned about anything else but pleasing His Father and carrying out His will. He was privileged to know His Father’s will. We don’t always have that privilege. That’s where trust comes in. When God says “no,” I have to conclude that He sees and knows much more clearly than I do, so I yield my will to His and with Jesus say: “Nevertheless, not My will but Yours.”

When prayer becomes the heart-line between us and God; when prayer is not simply the rubbing of our proverbial “Jesus-lamp;” when prayer is the longing of our heart to not only know, but do, God’s will, then we’ll begin to see the eternal value of prayer, whether His answer is “yes” or “no.”

Blessings, Ed 😊

When Satan Attacks

“In addition to all of these, hold up the shield of faith to stop the fiery arrows of the devil.” (Ephesians 6:16 NLT)

Recently I had the privilege and honor of being among the ones who spoke at my mentor’s Celebration of Life. While the message the Lord gave me came quickly, I struggled for weeks to pray through my inadequacies and feelings of inferiority and just plain fear. Jim (my mentor) was a giant man of God in my mind and the hearts and minds of many others. He was among the most powerful orators I’ve ever heard. He was known nationwide and traveled abroad to teach and preach.

As the day approached, I became physically ill and wasn’t sure if I would be able to attend. But the Lord was merciful and enabled me to make the trip. When it came my turn to speak, I nearly fell on the couple of steps up to the platform. My hands seemed useless in separating the few pages of notes that I had, and when I began to speak it was as if I had cotton in my mouth.

It was like I was in middle school again trying to give a book report on a book I hadn’t read when the girl I had a crush on was sitting in the front row. I literally felt like running away. Then I saw someone walking down the aisle towards me with a bottle of water in his hand. Immediately, the verse came to mind about God giving a reward to anyone who would give a drink to the least of these.

Ironically, I didn’t even connect the proverbial “dots” until after the service, but I believe Satan’s emissaries were doing their best to distract me, for fear the message the Lord had given me would be a usable tool in the Spirit’s capable hands.

As a result of this experience, I would like to make a few observations. First, obey the Lord to the letter! What do I mean by that? Early in my preparation the Lord laid on my heart to open the message with prayer. I even wrote it on my notes and highlighted it. But instead of doing that, because there had already been five other speakers and I was trying to save time, I decided I would pray silently before getting up to speak. Big mistake!

Please don’t misunderstand. It’s not that the Lord was disciplining me for disobeying. Without thinking, which is often the way we get in trouble, I had let down my guard and given Satan the opportunity he needed to attack. It was embarrassing and humiliating, but the Lord enabled me to share His message and I believe He was honored and some of those present were blessed.

Another observation is, we don’t always know how important the message is that God has given us. For example, He may prompt us to make a call, send a text, email, or post on social media, but we don’t think there’s any urgency and/or we may not see the relevance of what He’s leading us to share. But we never know who will see it and how the Lord is stirring in their heart at the moment they receive our message or read the words the Lord has given us.

Faith is built in the details. Never question or disregard (like I did) the things that might seem optional to us but are vital in the accomplishment of God’s purpose in using us. By the way, He had also prompted me to pray at the end of my message, which I DID! 😊

Remember to always put on the armor God provides, because we have to be constantly aware that Satan is no respecter of persons and can attack when we least expect it.

Blessings, Ed 😊

Declaration Of Release

“It is God who works in you to will and to act according to His good purpose. Being confident of this, that He who began a good work in you will carry it to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” (Philippian 1:6, 2:13)

*Please read carefully and be attentive to the Holy Spirit as you read this devotional by Sylvia Gunter. This was just too good not to share. Blessings, Ed 😊 Used with permission.

We are selfish by nature. Nobody had to teach us to want things our way. When someone doesn’t do things our way, we try to change them, to make them conform to what we believe is right and best. We may feel that someone is heading in the wrong direction, and we want to get him or her on the track we believe to be right.

We may call it concern, but it really may be selfishness and control. No matter how right we may be, we are wrong to try to control others and make them conform to our desires, even our godly desires. It is God’s job to change people, not ours. Be careful of trying to control others. Give them to God so He can accomplish His perfect will in their lives.

Make this declaration of release as often as necessary.

Because Jesus Christ is my Lord, I free you from my anxiety, fears, and control.

I trust the Holy Spirit to lead you and show you the way that is right for you, the way of love, joy, and peace and all that salvation includes.

I place you at God’s throne of grace. I cannot force my will on you.

I cannot live your life for you. I give you to God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

You are a very special person. As much as I love you, God loves you more.

Your life today is totally in His hands, and I trust Him with it.

In Jesus’ name…

I release you from my expectations,

I place you on open palms to the Lord. I give you my blessings.

I let you go.

It is God who works in you to will and to act according to His good purpose. Being confident of this, that He who began a good work in you will carry it to completion until the day of Christ Jesus (Phi 2:13, 1:6).

A Healthy Look at Healing

“News about Him spread as far as Syria, and people soon began bringing to Him all who were sick. And whatever their sickness or disease, or if they were demon possessed or epileptic or paralyzed – He healed them all.” (Matthew 4:24 NLT)

Do you believe God cares about your physical, emotional, and mental health? Did Jesus care about those who were brought to Him or who came themselves for healing? What do you think are the biggest differences between those who needed healing in Jesus’ day, and today?

When you have symptoms that lead you to believe you might have a medical problem, what is your first course of action? Does it depend on how severe the symptoms are? Why? What difference should severity make? Where am I going with these questions?

Understanding that I can’t speak for you or anyone else, the Lord is stirring in my heart to take another look at health and healing in the Bible. Obviously, many things were different when Jesus was walking the pathways of this earth. There were doctors, but their capabilities and resources were very limited. But truth be told, many things were exactly the same.

Much of what we do related to our health is driven by the same types of things that drives every other area of our lives. How so? We’re creatures of habit. If I have a cold, I check the medicine cabinet. If I cut my finger, I look for a Band-Aid. If I have a kidney stone, I get to the ER as soon as humanly possible. What’s my point?

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Our reflex action is human intervention, not prayer. And again, I’m not speaking for you, I’m giving you insight into how I think, but my guess is, I’m not alone. It’s as if we think the Lord only cares about the “big” health issues, but even then, doctors and medicine are generally our first lines of defense. And please don’t misunderstand, doctors and medicine can and often are miraculous “tools” in God’s capable hands, but our first thoughts, regardless of how large or small the issue, should be prayer.

What if the same faith that drives our spiritual health, would drive every other aspect of our lives, including our physical health? And the scary part of that is – what if it already does?

Think about the people who came to Christ for healing – for themselves or their loved ones or friends. Why did they come to Jesus? They believed – they had faith – that He could heal. Do we not share that same faith? I believe we do, or at least we want to.

At one point during my son’s battle with leukemia, it became apparent to me that he was no longer taking his medication. In retrospect I’m ashamed to tell you I was a pastor then, but I panicked and confronted him. He simply said: “I believe God has healed me, that’s why I stopped taking my medication.”

Being the pillar of faith that I was, how do you think I responded? Not well. My initial response was to ignore his faith and encourage him to continue taking his medication. Why? Because I didn’t trust God! I didn’t have enough faith to support my son’s decision. Why not? I loved God and I prayed for my son’s healing, which He ultimately granted, but where was my faith in that moment? It was more in medicine than in God.

I realize this is a multifaceted consideration, but at some point, we have to decide where to place our faith. I can’t lose sight of how Jesus dealt with disease in the Bible. Nothing was too hard for Him, and He turned no one away. Anyone who came to Him for healing, walked away healed. And in every case the common denominator was faith. They believed they would be healed if they even touched the hem of His robe. His presence WAS their medicine.

Food for thought.

Blessings, Ed 😊

Whom Will You Choose?

“Choose today whom you will serve.” (Joshua 24:15a NLT)

Joshua is one of the men I’m looking forward to meeting in heaven. In my mind’s eye I see him as a weathered, rugged looking man who shows his battle scars, not with pride in himself, but as trophies he’s earned in service to his Master. He knew what was right and sought with everything within him to do it. He was highly opinionated, but always came down on the side of the Lord.

He was one of only two of the ten men sent to check out the Promised Land and returned with bold confidence that the nations who then possessed the land were “ripe” for the pickin’. When he saw the size of the men they would have to fight, he didn’t see giant men, he chose rather to see how powerful his God was.

What do you see when you face the “giants” in your life? Perhaps your “giant” is financial, relational, physical, mental, emotional – whatever it is, God is bigger, stronger, and more than able to help you defeat your “foe.”

What’s interesting in the above verse is that’s what people most often quote, but that’s only part of the verse. The previous verse ends with the words: “Serve the Lord alone.” Then the opening words of verse 15 are: “But if you refuse to serve the Lord, then choose today whom you will serve.”

As Jesus followers you’d think our minds would already be made up, in terms of whom we’ve chosen to serve, yet, like the Israelites, we’re often very fickle in our service to Christ. Chapter 24 is essentially a history lesson where Joshua outlines many of the things the Lord accomplished on their behalf and warns them to serve Him faithfully.

He asks them: “Would you prefer the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates? Or will it be the gods of the Amorites in whose land you now live?”

Intellectually, we respond with the Israelites: “We would never abandon the Lord and serve other gods.” But, as you know, if you’ve served the Lord any length of time, following Jesus isn’t a sprint, it’s a marathon. We have the best of intentions, but too often we fall prey to the “daily grind.”

Of course, we read our Bibles and “say our prayers,” but if we’re not attentive to the Spirit’s directives, Satan will lull us into a deep, spiritual sleep, opening our hearts to his relentless tactics. We don’t mean to fall away, it just happens. At first, our friends at church may not even notice, but over time we lose our first love and if we’re not diligent to listen to the Spirit’s voice, our hearts harden over time.

Jesus warned the church in Ephesus: “Look how far you have fallen! Turn back to Me and do the works you did at first.” (Revelation 2:5 NLT) What did they do at first? They repented. They turned from their old ways and sought with all their hearts to walk closely with the Lord.

We tend to believe repentance is a one-time process. Yes, depending on what kind of lifestyle we followed before coming to the Lord, our initial change of direction in our lives can be dramatic. But the heart and mind change that enabled us to begin our walk with Jesus, is an ongoing process that will continue as long as we’re on this planet.

There’s a sense in which, in an effort to be healthy and continually walk as close to the Lord as possible, we, like King David, ask the Lord to search our heart often, desiring the Spirit to point out anything in us that’s unlike Jesus. Any wicked ways that may be seeking to infiltrate our heart or mind.

Perhaps we should more frequently begin our day with a declaration made with our whole heart and mind: “Today I choose to follow You, Lord Jesus. You’re my life and my heart’s desire. Spirit cleanse me of anything that’s not of You and fill me with Your Holy Presence. May I, this day, walk faithfully and wholeheartedly to Your honor and fame.”

Blessings, Ed 😊