Walking With Jesus

The Basis of Faith

“So we are always confident, even though we know that as long as we live in these bodies we are not at home with the Lord. For we live by believing and not by seeing.” (2 Corinthians 5:6-7 NLT)

Though every person in every generation has and does exercise faith in something, we still wrestle with the whole issue of what faith is and why it’s so vitally important. What is the foundation upon which our faith in Christ is built?

People who have no faith in the Lord Jesus are quick to criticize those of us who do walk by faith in Him, faulting us for needing a “crutch” to lean on. Yet, those very same people will go to a doctor they have never met, who prescribes a medication they’ve never taken or know nothing about, then have it filled by a pharmacist who is a complete stranger, then take the medication believing it will help them with their illness. Talk about faith!

Photo by Asad Photo Maldives on Pexels.com

Everyone walks by faith. It’s not a question of whether we have faith, it’s only a matter of what will be the object of that faith. Non-believers in Jesus still get married, believing their “love” will carry them through, not understanding who the Author of that love really is. They jump in their car, having faith the brakes will work, the steering wheel will guide, and the doors won’t fly off mid journey.

We apply for a job, set up an interview and have faith there will be someone there to meet us and offer us a job. Life is filled with “faith” opportunities, but when the Bible says: “we live by believing and not by seeing,” it has something very specific in mind.

Being a Jesus follower entails a focus on the Person and completed work of the One we’re following, the Lord Jesus Christ. But we don’t see Him with our physical eyes, only with the eye of our faith. Physical sight is limited to material things, but the things of the Spirit are invisible to the human eye, only to the eye of our heart.

Craig Groeschel addresses this when he writes: “Our faith isn’t based on what we see. Our faith is based on who God is.” So, the logical question then becomes: “Who is God?” Who is this God in whom we can put our trust to save us from sin and give us eternal life? Is He trustworthy? Does He tell the truth? Can He be counted on in a crisis?

Make no mistake, there are many gods who vie for our attention, our worship, but only One of them is the God of the Bible, the true and living God. That’s why our faith isn’t built on what we see, but on who the God of the Bible actually is.

Okay, so who is He? What does the Bible say? He is a multi-faceted, multi-dimensional heavenly Being who is invisible to the human eye. He is love, laughter, longing, leadership, and the provider of thousands of other human needs, but best described in the Person of His only Son, the Lord Jesus Christ.

Paul writes in Colossians 2:8-9: “Don’t let anyone capture you with empty philosophies and high-sounding nonsense that come from human thinking and from the spiritual powers of this world, rather than from Christ. For in Christ lives all the fullness of God in a human body.”

Jesus came in a human body to give physical substance to the invisible God. The basis of faith is trust in the living God, illustrated and defined by the person and work of the living Christ. He is the One who gives visibility to our heavenly Father and substance to our Faith.

Food for thought.

Blessings, Ed 😊

Power

“For I am not ashamed of this Good News about Christ. It is the power of God at work, saving everyone who believes – the Jew first and also the Gentile.” (Romans 1:16 NLT)

What first comes to your mind when you think of power? Ashamedly, I must admit, the power of God wasn’t first to enter my mind, and I suspect, it wasn’t in yours. But why? The power we live by each day as a new creation in Christ should bear a powerful witness to us that God is on His throne and actively invested in His children, but, unfortunately, we too often forget the source of our real power and lean instead upon our own.

Power can be defined and evidenced in many ways. An Atom bomb displays great power, but not as much as one of God’s volcanoes. “Powerful” people hold office and weld “power” over the masses, yet a word from the Lord and all of man’s power is dissipated. The power of sin over a person is inescapable except at the whisper of a repentant heart.

Craig Groeschel’s powerful words spoke to me when he said: “You don’t always have the power of control, but you always have the power to surrender.” Can we even begin to count the times we’ve “lost” our temper, resulting in untold damage, but how grateful to know we can find grace and forgiveness as we surrender our failures to our Savior.

History has shown many times over the power of evil in the hands of unscrupulous men and women yet has too often failed to reveal the power of a faithful parent’s prayers for their children. While we can only begin to fathom the efficacy of our prayers, may we allow it to stimulate our heart and stir our spirit to pray more fervently for those in our spheres of influence.

Prayer matters! The power of prayer is incalculable! YOUR prayers matter! Life can be debilitating, discouraging, ravaging, so much so we can lose sight of the power of God at work in small ways. Even as I type these words my body is begging me to go to bed. I just don’t feel well, but there are things to me that are more important than how my body feels.

Some of you who faithfully read these words inspire and encourage me to keep fighting, keep moving forward. Your struggles and how you stand strong in the face of them, inspire and give me strength to keep fighting. What I’m facing is miniscule in comparison to what some of you have to deal with on a daily basis. I applaud you and thank the Lord for your faith and stamina in the face of great hardship, pain, and suffering.

Thank you for courageously displaying the power of God through your faithful perseverance. By God’s grace and by His might you will win! You are victorious in Christ your Savior, Lord, and Leader through this season of great difficulty. Thank you for displaying the peace of Christ in the presence of turmoil and conflict.

We can only guess at the vast power that resides within the earth, planted there by our Creator. But that pales in comparison to the reservoir of strength that God has planted in you, my faithful friend. The power for good that you possess is beyond description yet is being displayed every day in the way you live and love. Thank you for the faithfulness, kindness, goodness, mercy, and love that you allow the Lord to channel through your life. You are making a major difference.

That’s the power of God the world doesn’t see and cannot explain. That’s the power of the Gospel being put on display in and through His faith-filled people…like YOU!

Blessings, Ed 😊

I Told You so!

“Long ago I told you what was going to happen. Then suddenly I took action, and all my predictions came true.” (Isaiah 48:3 NLT)

To me one of the most undeniable proofs of the truth of Scripture is the fulfillment of Prophecy. Through the accounts of God’s messengers the birth of the coming Messiah was described in unmistakable detail. Ray Majoran describes it this way: “And while Your works in the past are undeniable, what stands above them all is how clearly You pointed to Your one and only Son, Jesus Christ. Hundreds of prophecies, scattered across generations, all found their fulfillment in one Person. He was born in Bethlehem (Micah 5:2, Matthew 2:1), betrayed for silver (Zechariah 11:12–13, Matthew 26:14–15), pierced for our transgressions (Isaiah 53:5, John 19:34–37), buried with the rich (Isaiah 53:9, Matthew 27:57–60), and raised in victory (Psalm 16:10, Acts 2:31). Not one detail missed. To ignore it would be to close our eyes to truth.

Father, You don’t make predictions; You make promises. And when You act, it’s never random, but always part of what You’ve already made known (Acts 2:23). So please help us live with that in mind, grounded in what You’ve already spoken — steady in our faith, thoughtful in our choices, and ready for whatever You set before us.”(See He Spoke. It Happened. 06-22-25)

While that’s amazing and helpful, the best part for me is that the Lord knows exactly what’s happening and is going to happen in my life and yours. Why is that helpful? We worry and fret about our outcomes, but they’re already a “done deal” for the Lord. He sees the ending as clearly as the beginning and knows every detail in between.

And you may be thinking, “Well, yeh, but how does that help me to know how to walk through what I’m going through right now? Yeh, sure, I’m going to heaven, but how is that helping me navigate my troubles now?” And, of course, I get it but think about it. If the all-knowing, all-loving, all-seeing Lord of Creation lives in your heart, don’t you think He can give you sound guidance through the maze of your present circumstances?

Isn’t the Holy Spirit’s presence a vital resource in helping you make decisions from day to day, illuminating your mind and heart, activating your faith, strengthening your confidence in the adequacy of the Lord’s insights, wisdom, and understanding? Not knowing what the future holds may be among the best gifts the Lord has given us.

What if, as an ailing grandfather, I sat my only grandchild down and said: “You’re young and full of promise, but one day, sooner than you can imagine, you’re going to be an old, worn-out shell of your former self. There’s no use applying yourself or making an effort to improve, it’s not really going to matter in the end.”

While that might be an old person’s perspective, it’s not only discouraging, it’s also a lie. Because of the grace and mercy of God, and because He knows the end from the beginning, He can and will guide us in the best ways we can invest ourselves in His eternal Kingdom in such a way that nothing we do for Him is ever wasted. It becomes an investment in what He is preparing for all who love and honor Him.

Then our grandkids who learn to follow Jesus can look back on their life and say: “My Grandparents were right. Following Jesus is everything they said it would be. I’m so glad I learned to love and follow Him!”

Food for thought.

Blessings, Ed 😊

Decluttering

“When everything is ready, I will come and get you, so that you will always be with Me where I am.” (John 14:3 NLT)

Especially when we’re old, moving is an opportunity to “downsize.” That’s just another word for decluttering or getting rid of things you no longer need or want. It’s also helpful to declutter our mind and heart. But how?

Having a proper focus can be very helpful in weaning our mind and heart from things of this world that have no eternal value. If you want to get a sense as to what will last here is the proverbial “litmus” test: If it’s physical: i.e. if you can see, hear, feel, taste, or touch it, you won’t be seeing it in heaven. If it’s a material object it won’t get through the pearly gates.

“All Things New” “Used by permission, © Ray Majoran, GlimpseOfInfinity.com”

What does that have to do with decluttering our mind? It helps if we don’t think only of the things of this world. For example, Eugene Peterson suggests: “If our future is dominated by the coming again of Jesus, it declutters our lives.” If we viewed everything through the lens of eternity few things would bother or burden us.

Whatever’s weighing you down, ask this simple question: “What difference will it make to me in a hundred years?” Very likely, it won’t matter at all. But how does that apply to someone who is ill? I’m ill and I’m not burdened by the eternal impact of my illness. It may kill me, but it only serves as an avenue of deliverance so I can be in the presence of my Savior.

But what about the time between now and then? I can’t fret about that. Worrying only robs me of the good moments I can experience now. My concern focuses more on my caregivers. How will my potentially debilitating disease rob them of their strength and vitality? How will their focus on my care deplete them of opportunities to care for themselves and more fully enjoy their lives?

That involves choices only they can make. My dear mom cared for my dad at home for as long as she could, but there came a point she had to entrust him to the care of others. She continued to visit as much as she could and care for him in ways she alone could, but in the end, he died in a strange bed while his loving family, that he no longer knew, stood by watching helplessly, but not hopelessly.

My dad knew Jesus, and though he may have forgotten every earthly connection, the Lord Jesus would never in eternity ever forget him. That’s why much of my thinking focuses on my life in Christ. Perhaps a lot will change in the way I think and the things I can recall, but I pray I will never forget the Lord, because He is my life.

But even if I do, I have peace in this season knowing He will never forget me. It’s His hand I will grasp when I pass to the other side; it’s His face I long to see; it’s His loving arms I so desire to have wrapped around me as I worship and adore Him throughout all eternity. He’s my focus on this side of heaven and I pray He’s yours as well.

Please allow your love for and dependence upon the Lord Jesus to declutter, not only your mind and heart, but your life as you prepare to put it all behind in your unencumbered effort to give all and be all you can possibly be to your Savior’s glory and honor – in this life and the next!

Food for thought.

Blessings, Ed 😊

The Road to Fruitfulness

So we have not stopped praying for you since we first heard about you. We ask God to give you complete knowledge of His will and to give you spiritual wisdom and understanding. Then the way you live will always honor and please the Lord, and your lives will produce every kind of good fruit. All the while, you will grow as you learn to know God better and better.” (Colossians 1:9-10 NLT)

What comes to mind when you think of fruitfulness? The first thing that comes to my mind is winning souls to the Lord, but I’m convinced fruitfulness involves much more. How about the disciplines of reading and studying Scripture and intercession on behalf of our loved ones, friends, and those who are hurting or lost?

Notice in the verses above Paul mentions his intentional and persistent (faithful) prayers on behalf of his brothers and sisters in Colossae. He asked the Lord to give them knowledge of His will, spiritual wisdom and understanding. “Then” he said their lives would reflect honor for the Lord and would be lived pleasingly before Him and out of the context of those kinds of lives will come “every kind of good fruit.” But that’s not all. The growing and learning process never stops because those are the avenues over which we get to know the Lord “better and better.”

Fruitfulness grows out of faithfulness that focuses on our relationship with the Lord. Notice the progression Paul outlines. Nothing happens in the building of our faith without believing (faith-filled) prayer. Fruitfulness is a by-product of prayerfulness. No prayer, no fruit.

But prayer alone isn’t enough. Our prayers are the avenue of gaining complete knowledge of his will. Do you want to know what God wants you to do? Ask Him! Because it’s out of the context of prayer that we grow in wisdom and understanding of His intentions as He grows us up in Him and His plans for us.

Those are the steps to building a strong foundation in the Lord. Without that foundation there can be no fruit because there can be no real faith. As J. D. Greear explains: “Fruitfulness matters, but the only road there is through consistent faithfulness.”

The fruit of a Spirit led life: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, faithfulness and self-control, are only evidenced in the life of someone surrendered to the Lord and seeking daily to walk in His will. Faithfulness, as well as the other “fruit” of the Spirit, are the pictures that are painted when God’s will becomes pre-eminent in our prayers and in our pathways, the way we order and live our lives.

What fruit do you want your life to bear? The only way anyone bears anything of value is by clinging to the Vine, the Lord Jesus. There are no “Lone-Ranger” Jesus followers, only slaves longing to obey their Master. The more we learn to value intimacy with our Savior, the more our lives will grow in their likeness of His.

We must not discard or discount the byproduct of fruitfulness: “you will grow as you learn to know God better and better.” The fruit is secondary to the intimacy we long to have and must maintain with the Lord Jesus. There is no reward for which I long more than closeness with my Lord.

Food for thought.

Blessings, Ed 😊

The Greater Work

“Afterward, when Jesus was alone in the house with His disciples, they asked Him, ‘Why couldn’t we cast out that evil spirit?’ Jesus replied, ‘This kind can be cast out only by prayer.” (Mark 9:28-29 NLT)

What do you consider the “greater work” of a Jesus follower? Casting out demons? Leading someone to the Savior? Healing the sick? Raising the dead? Speaking in an unknown language?

Each of those things demands faith, but is faith alone what fuels those activities of the Spirit? What grips the heart of God? What gets the Lord’s attention? Yes, of course, faith, but where does faith originate? According to Paul’s words in Ephesians 2:8 (NKJV): “For by grace you have been saved through faith.”

What does that mean? Grace is the unmerited favor of God, but grace alone doesn’t save us. Grace makes salvation available, but it must be activated by faith. What is faith? Faith is the exercising of our will to seek something that we deem valuable and worthwhile. But when it comes to faith in Christ, where does that faith originate? How is that faith activated? Appropriated?

There’s only one way: through believing, childlike prayer. God’s response to believing prayer casts out demons, enables someone to open their heart to Him, in essence, raising the dead to new life. Every faith-oriented goal of a believer originates and is launched through prayer.

No one is saved without prayer. No one is healed except through believing prayer. No one is sanctified without sacrificial and agonizing prayer. No one is called to Christian service, set apart for duty, save by the prayers of the righteous. No one stands (or should stand) behind the sacred desk to deliver God’s anointed messages to God’s people unless bathed in prayer.

As Oswald Chambers so rightly says: “Prayer does not fit us for the greater work; prayer is the greater work.“ Nothing of eternal value happens in the Kingdom of God unless and until it first originates in the heart of God and is accessed by believing prayer. We can spout words into the air day and night, but until our words align with the will and plans of God, we’ve babbled in vain.

Remember how Jesus prayed before Lazarus was raised from the dead: “Father, thank You for hearing Me. You always hear Me, but I said it out loud for the sake of all these people standing here, so that they will believe You sent Me.” (John 11:41b-42)

We want to believe that “we can ask anything in Jesus’ name” as we’re told in John 14:13, and we can, but unless that “anything” will bring glory to the Father, it’s empty and void of power. What brings glory to the Father? Faith activated by believing prayer, the kinds of prayers Jesus prayed.

The work of prayer is seeking the Father in quietness and solitude that the fruit of our relationship with the Him and the glory of His Holy Name can be made manifest in and through our lives. We don’t pray to get what we want; we pray to glorify the Father as He gives us what He wants. He wants to glorify His Son in and through our life the way He put His power on display so often in and through the life of His Son.

We can’t use prayer to make a name for ourselves, but only and always to exalt the Name that is above every name, the Name of our Lord Jesus. The work of prayer is bringing death to our old nature and allowing the resurrection of the new nature of our Savior to become preeminent in the ways we honor and glorify Him, not ourselves. Then when we pray, we’ll get what we really want – whatever the Lord wants for us!

Food for thought.

Blessings, Ed 😊

The Purpose of Pruning

“I am the true grapevine, and My Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch of Mine that doesn’t produce fruit, and He prunes the branches that do bear fruit so they will produce even more. You have already been pruned and purified by the message I have given you. Remain in Me and I will remain in you.” (John 15:1-4a NLT)

If you’ve ever had a serious cut, you understand that it isn’t pleasant. There’s a lot of blood and pain and the healing process can be long and troublesome. Unfortunately, that’s not the kind of “pruning” the Lord does in our lives. I say “unfortunately,” because in many, if not most cases, physical pain is much easier with which to cope than spiritual and emotional pain.

The anguish caused by loss often involves a lifelong process of healing. Our own illness or that of a loved one can be stressful, painful, and hard to deal with its implications. Why does the Lord allow us to suffer in these painful ways? Why would He allow us to go through these often long and heart-wrenching trials?

As is often the case with the hurtful, painful issues of our walk with the Lord, His purpose is never to make us bitter, but to make us better. Gunner Gundersen says it this way: “The vinedresser prunes the branch not to multiply hurt but to multiply fruit.” What does that mean?

It essentially means the Lord allows us to struggle to make us stronger; He allows pain to make us more compassionate and caring for others; He allows disappointment to build our trust in Him, not in our own plans; and He postpones answers to our prayers to build our perseverance and confidence that He knows best, and His clock keeps perfect time.

In some ways it’s like learning to ride a bicycle. Few take off riding on their first try. It took me many times to gain balance and learn how to ride, but even after gaining some measure of skill, I still had “wrecks.”

The “pruning” process of learning almost anything is painful. It involves trial and error, learning what works and what doesn’t, who to listen to and learn from and who to ignore, where to find resources that are helpful and useful and where not to waste our time looking.

We must learn to view “pruning” as training. In our walk with the Lord, we must “train,” for example, to be students of God’s Word and spend time in prayer. It takes time to do those things, which means we’re going to have to “prune” our schedules. There’s only 24 hours in the day, so we have to work with what we have.

If I’m accustomed to spending “X” numbers of minutes or hours a day watching TV, scrolling through my phone, iPad or computer and conclude I don’t have time to read the Bible or pray, what needs to happen? I need to “prune,” I need to carve out time from my otherwise “busy” schedule to make time to do what I believe the Lord wants me to do.

In my life I’ve found there are few things as helpful, meaningful, and satisfying as allowing the Lord time to speak to me through His Word or have Him listen as I share my heart with Him in prayer. These bring nourishment to my soul, as important as eating is to my body.

Food for thought.

Blessings, Ed 😊

Deliverance

“Therefore, dear brothers and sisters, you have no obligation to do what your sinful nature urges you to do. For if you live by its dictates, you will die. But if through the power of the Spirit you put to death the deeds of your sinful nature, you will live. For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God.” (Romans 8:12-14 NLT)

Are you a child of God? Upon what do you base that conclusion? If you’re basing it on how you feel in this moment you could be completely wrong, because salvation isn’t dependent upon emotion, it’s dependent on faith alone in Christ alone. However, there are other considerations.

Paul’s contention in the passage above and their surrounding chapters and verses, is that a child of God is no longer dominated by their sinful nature, but by the powerful Holy Spirit who now resides in our life. We’re sometimes so relieved and grateful for no longer having to bear the penalty of our sin, we too quickly forget the price of our salvation.

Charles Spurgeon helps us when he writes: “Salvation is not deliverance from hell alone; it is deliverance from sin.” Yes, of course, that includes the penalty of sin, but it also includes the power of sin. Christ’s deliverance includes the power to break the bonds of sin that held us so tightly before He freed us. As Paul declares in the verses above: “…you have no obligation to do what your sinful nature urges…”

What does our sinful nature urge us to do? SIN! To blatantly and willingly disobey the clear and direct commands of our Savior to live and walk in holiness of life, just as He did. The writer of the Hebrew letter makes this clear when he writes: “Work at living in peace with everyone, and work at living a holy life, for those who are not holy will not see the Lord.”

And just to be clear, our holiness is wholly of God, not of ourselves. The writer’s intent isn’t to put us under obligation to secure our own salvation, but to live the quality of life that verifies and gives evidence of the holy life we have in Christ. It’s all and only Him, but that doesn’t excuse or permit our laxness in seeking with every ounce of our being to live above sin.

Purity of heart, mind, soul, and body is our mandate, one for which we must daily strive, not simply for the sake of our own reputation and effective witness, but for the glory of our Master. He is the One to whom all glory, honor, and praise should be given for every inch of progress we make in our walk with Him.

To believe walking in holiness is a virtue that should afford us greater recognition with man or God is to be blind to our obligation to “put to death the deeds of your sinful nature,” not in our own efforts, but “through the power of the Spirit you put to death the deeds of your sinful nature…” The Christian life is never accomplished through the energy of the flesh, yet, admittedly, it takes perseverance and effort to maintain our constant vigilance as we seek intimacy with our Savior.

Our walk with the Lord is a partnership, a companionship, a bond built and maintained by the Holy Spirit, between us and our Savior. I’m reminded of the verse from an article a few days ago from Ephesians 5 exhorting us to “Imitate God!” We will never be able to do that without a conscious awareness of our deliverance from the evil one and his favorite tool – sin!

Food for thought.

Blessings, Ed 😊

A Legacy of Light

“You are the light of the world – like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden.” (Matthew 5:14 NLT)

Even as followers of the Lord Jesus we can lose our love for and appreciation of His holy light. We don’t think of the light in our homes at night, until they go out. Groping in darkness to find a flashlight or matches can not only be frustrating, but dangerous, but not nearly as treacherous as groping in spiritual darkness.

Those of us who have walked with the Lord for many years are sometimes tempted to lose our appreciation for the light we bear, the light we are. No, it’s not a conscious decision, we just get lazy. Rather than keep the “wick” of our life clean and clear of interference, we get lax and allow our life’s light to grow dim, hardly noticing our ineffectiveness in positively effecting the lives of those around us.

“Steadfast Illumination” “Used by permission, © Ray Majoran, GlimpseOfInfinity.com”

Having grown to love and appreciate the heart of Ray Majoran, I pay special attention each Friday when he highlights someone he recognizes who carries the lamp of the Savior. Michaela Challies is such a person who inspires us when she writes:

“An autumn leaf, which once clung to a tree branch in summer’s fullness, falls to the ground, riding the gentle breeze to its end. Often, we pass by these without much attention given to them. It is easy to walk past the browning, crinkling leaves on the ground and forget what they really look like. This leaf (above) is that – fragile, faded, and forgotten. Yet, held up against the light of the sun, it transforms. The sunlight catches the faded colors and curled edges, and the true beauty of this dying leaf is revealed.

This is the pattern of life. In times of sorrow or difficulty, we long for answers, for clarity or healing. Yet we cannot force God to give us answers any more than this leaf can force the tree to release it before its time. We are invited to rest in the knowledge that God is shaping something beautiful, even when the path before us seems littered with decaying, browning leaves and nothing more.

God’s plan which can at times seem so dim can be held against the light of his promises to us, and the true beauty of it is shown. Whatever the season, whether the leaves continue to cling to the branches or if they lie on the ground, you are held by the one who brings light to all. Whatever you carry on this path, the joy, the laughter, the sorrow and the pain, hold it against the light of God’s wonderful love, and you will know a hope you’ve not felt before. He will make it all beautiful in his own time–and when he does, the beauty of this leaf held against the late autumn sun will pale in comparison to the result of his perfect plan.

Struggling physically, emotionally, mentally, financially, relationally, even spiritually can dim the light of Christ’s light and life flowing in and through us. We must intentionally make the effort to maintain vigilance in our godly disciplines, especially prayer, as we seek to keep the light of our Savior’s love shining brightly in and through our life.

The thought occurred to me today, lying in bed as I felt too poorly to get up, tempted not to spend my regular time in prayer, that I may be the only person praying for some for whom I pray every day. The Lord convicted me, reminding me that I cannot let down, regardless of how I feel. I must continue to allow the “wick” of God’s light to glow in and through my life.

Knowing that some who read these posts are also struggling, please press on. Please hold fast to the Anchor of your soul. Please hold fast to your faith and pray faithfully with the fuel of the Holy Spirit enabling your legacy of light to continue for the Lord.

Food for thought.

Blessings, Ed 😊

Why Free Will?

“Then God said, ‘Let us make human beings in our image, to be like us…So God created human beings in His own image. In the image of God He created them; male and female He created them.” (Genesis 1:26a,27 NLT)

There is no one who has a greater measure of free will than God, yet He made the decision to share that gift with the crown of His creation – mankind; me and you! But why? It seems all we do is use it to make our own decisions, to go our own way, and to pull ourselves further from Him.

The simple answer is love. God is love. Love, ideally, gives and receives, but if we were robots or beings without a will, we have no means of giving or receiving love. It would be like having a stuffed animal rather than a living pet. Sure, they’re far less work. You don’t have to feed them or care for them, but you also don’t get to interact with them, play with them, love them, laugh with them.

C.S. Lewis spoke to this when he wrote: “Why, then, did God give them free will? Because free will, though it makes evil possible, is also the only thing that makes possible any love or goodness or joy worth having.” How does that speak to you? Seriously, think about it. What or whom in your life do you love? What brings you joy? What causes you to feel good? Why do you cry? Swear? Get frustrated and angry?

Love, while not in and of itself an emotion, certainly contributes to the long range of emotions we feel and experience from day to day. Think of the feelings you have during any given day. Why? What is the source or cause of those emotions? A hug as you leave for work? An increase in salary? A bonus for a job well done? A flat tire on your way to an important appointment? A refusal for a home loan? A negative report from your doctor or Accountant?

Life is filled with experiences that send us up and down on the roller coaster of our emotions, but when we’re grounded in God’s unchanging love, He gives us the resource of strength to deal with whatever comes. The love of God for us and our love for Him and one another serves as our “safety net” when life knocks us down.

When I first learned I had Alzheimer’s it was frightening because my dad died of dementia. He had Parkinson’s Disease, but it debilitated him until he was little more than a shell of the man I once knew. My thoughts immediately raced to the “end,” to the devastating finish to which my life was now headed. But in my fear the Lord reminded me of Jeremiah 29:11. And while I understand the context is completely different, God’s Words brought comfort and reassurance to my heart when the Lord said: “’For I know the plans I have for you,’ says the Lord. ‘They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope. In those days when you pray, I will listen. If you look for Me wholeheartedly, you will find Me. I will be found by you,’ says the Lord.”

I’m grateful God’s word to the exiles of Israel still rings true to the frightened spiritual “exiles” alive today. Because I have free will, I can choose to entrust my fear, doubt, and inability to clearly see what my future holds, into the capable hands of the One who can and does. And so can you, my friend, so can you!

Our free will gives us the choice and opportunity to be loved by the God who created us and to love Him in return. And when we do that, nothing, absolutely nothing, can cause us to doubt or fear anything, knowing our loving Father has our back and He will carry us through whatever life throws our way.

Food for thought.

Blessings, Ed 😊