Walking With Jesus

When God Is Pleased

“So Jesus said, ‘When you have lifted up the Son of Man on the cross, then you will understand that I Am He. I do nothing on My own but say only what the Father taught Me. And the one who sent Me is with Me – He has not deserted Me. For I always do what pleases Him.’” (John 8:28-29 NLT)

It seems clear to me that Jesus found pleasure in the Father as the Father found pleasure in Him. It’s the proverbial mutual admiration society on steroids. Only God the Son knew fully and with complete understanding and appreciation the love and heart of the Father. And only as we have intimacy with the Son can we gain the right perspective and have a right appreciation of the heart of the Father.

It’s hard to please a father who is angry, vindictive, and mean, but it’s much easier when the father is loving, kind, caring, understanding, and open with us, even when we fail and disobey. Often our view of God is slanted and guided by our opinion of our earthly father. If he was absent, angry, uncaring, unloving, and mean, we’ll too often project those ideas onto God our heavenly Father.

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But, if our earthly father was understanding, patient, kind, loving, supportive, and forgiving we can more easily see our heavenly Father in that kind of role. What’s my point? It’s easier to please a father who is kind and caring than one who is aloof, dominant and uncaring; thus, the reason Jesus found it so easy to love His Father and why we should as well.

Augustine made an insightful observation when he wrote: “God finds pleasure in us when we find pleasure in Him.” But how do we do that? As human beings we find pleasure in many things. I find great pleasure in writing, listening to the Lord and recording His thoughts, as, I suspect, some of you do. Others find pleasure in sports – participating in them and/or watching them; others in crafts of various sorts, reading, researching, investigating, inventing – the list is long of those things in which we find pleasure.

However, my sense is there is no equal to the pleasure we find in relationships, especially our fellowship with our heavenly Father and His Holy Son, the Lord Jesus. Having walked with the Lord for more than 60 years, nothing satisfies like intimacy with my Savior. To sense His presence, to hear His voice, to walk in obedience to His directives – there’s nothing like it that can be achieved on a human level.

The byproduct of pleasing and seeking to honor the Lord in every avenue and aspect of our lives is living in His pleasure. As Augustine observed, God’s pleasure with us begins and thrives in our pleasure in Him. But how? What does it mean? What might it look like to find pleasure in God? How do we find pleasure in a relationship with anyone? How do you find pleasure with your spouse? Your kids? Your relatives? Friends?

Yes, of course, there’s a level of physical pleasure that can be achieved in relationship with our spouse that was designed by God to be enjoyed exclusively between us as husband and wife, but even that intimacy can be copied, cheapened, and still enjoyed by those who take it outside of marriage and outside the boundaries of God’s design.

But the intimacy we share with God which results from our pleasure in Him and His pleasure in us, can ‘t be duplicated by some artificial means, not even drugs. It’s an unadulterated enjoyment of pure love that’s from the heart of God to our heart – an ecstasy of spirit that cannot be gained through artificial means, but only comes from our heavenly Father as a means of expressing His joy and pleasure in us when He sees and knows that He’s the center and focus of our joy and pleasure in Him.

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 comes first to mind when you think of power? Being a lover of Mustangs, I think of a strong, powerful engine, but I also thought of the power of nuclear energy, illustrated through the destructive force of a nuclear explosion. However, as massive as the destruction caused by such a blast can be, it pales in comparison to the unharnessed power of sin unleashed in a person’s life.

Sin is what nailed our Savior to the Cross and what sentences many each day to an eternity of separation from a loving God and His holy heaven. We tend to think of gross evil when we think of sin, and it certainly is, but what’s scary is the subtlety of sin at work in people’s lives who think their own goodness is going to earn them a place in heaven.

It’s easy to understand why a rapist, murderer, gangster, or someone steeped in corruption should go to hell, but what about a person who loves their family, provides for their needs, pays their taxes, goes to church, serves the PTA or other social network and is just a good all-around person? Should they go to hell also?

That’s the frightening dimension of sin. Sin is gross negligence of the presence and power of God available to every person but only activated in and on behalf of those who choose Jesus as their Lord and Master. Sin is choosing to do things our way rather than God’s, believing what we think is best, rather than what God’s Word (the Bible) says.

The real power of God is the Holy Spirit’s activity living in and through the life of a born again believer. The writer of the Hebrew letter reminds us in chapter 12:14: “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.” The word translated “work” in this verse conveys the idea of “running after” or to pursue with intentionality or on purpose.

Holiness doesn’t automatically happen in our lives, we have to long for it, pursue it, desire it. And yes, of course, it’s a gift from God, but like the gift of salvation, it must be received, cherished, protected, and sought after all the days of our lives. Like salvation, our holiness isn’t received in idleness, but in pursuit of carrying out God’s purposes every second of every day and activated in and through our lives by HIS power, not ours.

William Gurnall reminds us to: “Pray not only against the power of sin, but for the power of holiness also.” What is he suggesting? Holiness of heart and life demands energy that we cannot supply ourselves, it must come as the result of believing prayer, prayer not offered by those who believe they’re good enough without it.

And here’s the scary, subtle part of that to me: my sense is too often people aren’t negligent because they don’t care, but because they don’t know to care; they haven’t been taught to care by those of us who know and love Jesus. Might our ministry to our friends and loved ones, especially those who are nominal or “borderline” believers, be to awaken them to their need to (a) seek Jesus with their whole heart, and (b) learn to pray with diligence and intentionality as they seek to grow in holiness of life.

There’s power in sin to separate us from God, but there’s more power in God’s Spirit to save, sanctify, and satisfy us in the Lord Jesus.

Food for thought.

Blessings, Ed 😊

Dry Bones Praying

*As I do the 15^th of each month, I’m featuring a devotional message by Sylvia Gunter. May her words encourage, inspire, and motivate you as they have me. Blessings, Ed 😊

You may be standing in a desperate situation in the battle of a lifetime. You may feel that you are in the darkest storm of your life. It seems that everything in your world is out of your control. Good news! It is! But God is still in control. El Roi, the God who sees, knows it all and has a plan that he is working out.

You may be in a new place of desperation that can only squeak ‘Jesus’ or ‘God, help me’ or ‘God, do something.’ These are incredibly powerful squeaks because of the desperation that throws itself entirely on God. They are cries from a desperate heart for God to do what only God can do.

God gave the vision of the valley of dry bones to his prophet Ezekiel because his heart weeps over the dry bones of his people, as Jesus wept over the city of Jerusalem. The Spirit of God wants to breathe new life into vast areas of spiritual dryness, barrenness, and deadness.

This passage can be intensely personal. Take strength and comfort from these prayers. Re-center yourself on God’s purposes and promises, and take up new prayer weapons to fight the real enemy, not the person or situation. Ask for a weeping heart of mercy, not judgment. Until you can put your tears and your life on the line for the person, marriage, family, church, city, or nation, you do not have the heart and mind of Jesus towards them. Open your Bible to Ezekiel 37 and read, crying out to God for your own “dry bones” situations.

Ezekiel 37

37:1 Father, your hand is upon us in Spirit-led intercession for (my loved one). Purify our hearts by your Spirit and deposit your burden of prayer in us, unmixed with unsanctified sympathies, anger, bitterness, or human judgments. We are trusting you to bring us through the valley of the shadow of death, as you promised. Lead us to pray as large, deep, and wide as your providence in this situation. Give us a heart of wisdom and mercy that rejoices against judgment for (my loved one).

37:2 We trust that you have gone before and are working, even when we don’t see your purposes. Spirit of the Lord, lead us to rightly discern the real condition of (my loved one), not just react to what we think or have been told. You see the dry bones of barrenness and desolation. You know the entrances that (my loved one) has given the kingdom of evil.

37:3 Spirit of counsel, you know everything. You don’t need us to inform you. You want from us restful, trusting communion and absolute surrender to your will, your ways, and your timing. We humbly acknowledge our total dependence on you for faith to stand, for knowledge and counsel, for comfort and security, for direction and outcome. Let us speak only your prayers. Let us not accept as final the circumstances of evil and iniquity that our eyes see. You alone know the end from the beginning, and you are the God of the impossible.

37:4 Say to deaf ears, “Hear the word of the Lord!” At your direction, let us discern and pray your purposes for (my loved one) . Speak your words to them and cause them to respond obediently to you. Enable us to pray your prayers for the dry bones of (my loved one’s) whole being. Holy Spirit, call forth your purposes and the future and hope that you have planned for (my loved one).

37:5-6 Sovereign Lord, speak your creative and restoring miracle to (my loved one’s) life with the same resurrection power that brought Jesus to life from the dead. Breathe new life into them by your Spirit. Set everything in place in your order in their life, so that (my loved one) will know that you are Lord, Sovereign Ruler, rightfully due their loyalty and obedient service.

37:7 By faith, we believe you, obey you, and pray as you command. Answer by your Spirit and open a way where there seems to be no way. You go before, for you are the God of break-through. Give us a sign of encouragement. Let us hear the “rattling bones” coming together as you make (my loved one) who you intend them to be: healthy, whole, functioning, life-giving. By your blood, Lord Jesus, regenerate life in them and cause the marrow of their inner being to begin to sustain life.

37:8 Thank you for every sign of Your goodness we see, no matter how small. You are answering, and we ask you to do it thoroughly. Stop short of nothing less than a new heart, a new spirit, a new life.

37:9 Sovereign Lord, call forth from the north, the south, the east, and the west the breath of life for (my loved one). You formed them in their mother’s womb, and as you breathed in them the first breath of their life, breathe into them the new life of the Spirit in all your favor and purpose. Restore them to wholeness.

37:10-11 No situation is hopeless to you. Sovereign Lord, break off the shackles of captivity. Cause (my loved one) to stand up in all the fullness of your redeeming power. Make (my loved one) mighty in your Spirit. Deliver them as an effectual weapon in your hand. Let us see your glory in these things that were intended for evil.

37:12 You have the keys to open the prison doors of sin, bondage, and destruction. Bring this captive out into all their true inheritance in you. Restore them to the family and the family of God.

37:13-14 Father, act in such a way that (my loved one’s) transformation will be a testimony to your redemptive power. What you are doing, do quickly. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

An archive of our devotionals is available at on our website

The Open Way

“Your word is a lamp to guide my feet and a light for my path.” (Psalm 119:105 NLT)

Following a path, especially at night, even with a light can be difficult. Yet it seems as we grow in the Lord, we have this mistaken idea that our way as a believer should be paved and well lit. Where did we get such an idea? Certainly, not in the Bible.

Think of Joseph about whom we spoke a few days ago, or Abraham, the father of our faith, or Moses, or David, or the prophets, and especially the Lord Jesus! Anyone who sets their face to follow God’s plan is guaranteed to have trials, troubles, and hard times. Jesus clearly stated in John 16:33: “I have told you all this so that you may have peace in Me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.”

The Lord doesn’t open clear pathways for us before we come to them or even provide help before we need it. He isn’t some spiritual bulldozer who goes before us clearing the way, yet when we need Him, He’s always near to help us address every need. Too often we let the worries of what might be paralyze and immobilize us from ever taking any meaningful steps for the Lord. We want to envision miles of clear highway before us when God promises “a lamp to guide my feet,” not a floodlight.

We’re too quick to forget Psalm 46 “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.” God’s help is “present,” not future. Remember God is ever-present, which means He is present in every moment from the beginning of time to the end of time. Yes, absolutely He will be with us in the future, but not until WE are there in time. He goes before us and waits for us, preparing the way so we can accomplish His plans and purposes, but sometimes those plans include hardships and trials we’d never choose for ourselves.

But why? Just as athletes are shaped and formed through rigorous training, so, we as children of God must exercise our faith in and through hardships, trials, and troubles. We’ll grow soft and useless unless and until our faith is challenged. We must not believe trials are meant to hurt or push us away from the Lord, quite to the contrary, they’re designed to draw us into His holy arms.

Our way isn’t open for us to see from start to finish, only the next step, that’s why it’s called faith, and according to Hebrews 11:6 “it is impossible to please God without faith.” Faith isn’t given in its fullness at the beginning of our journey, but grows, develops, and expands as we exercise it. Our faith muscles are strengthened; thus, the Lord allows our troubles to increase because He knows with His help we can handle them.

Are you in a difficult season? The Lord knows! He’s with you and for you! He knows your need and His presence will equip you with strength in each moment as you need it. Don’t worry about tomorrow, next week, next month or even 10 minutes from now, just bask in His holy, comforting, strengthening presence in THIS MOMENT!

He’s all you need, all you’ll ever need and will be with you every step of your faith-journey, regardless of how hard it might become. You’ve got all you need because you have HIM! Trust Him in this moment and the next and the next as He continually opens His way before you as He has faithfully opened His way for me for many, many years.

Food for thought.

Blessings, Ed 😊

Have You Stepped In?

“They even did more than we had hoped, for their first action was to give themselves to the Lord and to us, just as God wanted them to do.” (2 Corinthians 8:5 NLT)

Recently Dr. David Jeremiah, in one of his Turning Point devotionals, wrote: “One day when twelve-year-old David Grant went with his father to a church service, a missionary named Charles Greenaway made an appeal for Christ. When the ushers later passed the offering plate, young David put it on the floor and stepped in it. The Lord seemed to say to him, ‘David, you will go to India.’ In the decades that followed, David Grant had a powerful missionary career.’”

What might the Lord be waiting to accomplish in your life or mine, if only we’d “step into the offering plate?” It’s ironic that many, if not most believers in the Lord Jesus want to be used of Him, while only a relatively few actually are. Why is that? Could it be we want to be used on our terms? Might it have something to do with “our” schedules, “our” desires, “our” restrictions that we place on the Lord’s use of us?

The first requirement of doing anything epic for God is realizing nothing is “ours,” it’s all HIS! When we’re baptized into new life with Christ, we’re lowered into a watery grave, then rise to new life in Him. What happens when we die? Everything about us dies, nothing survives. Why is that important? Because if nothing survives, EVERYTHING is new!

Paul writes in 2 Corinthians 5:17: “This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!” That means we don’t hang on to our old lifestyle, our old way of thinking and doing things. We let go of the childish ways of human reasoning and begin to use the logic of the Spirit who teaches us to rely completely on the Lord Jesus for everything, even our thoughts.

Jesus said in John 15:5: “Those who remain in Me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from Me you can do nothing.” David Grant (see above) wrote: “When the Holy Spirit passes the offering plate, step in…. God is not so much interested in your money; He’s interested in you.” He’s not interested in our excuses, He’s interested in our actions.

A famous preacher said: “Give me 10 men who love nothing but Jesus and I’ll change the world.” How could that be possible? It’s not except through the power of God who infills, empowers, and enables us to be more than we hoped or imagined we could be. I love D. L. Moodys’ quote about Moses when he wrote: “Moses spent forty years thinking he was somebody; forty years learning he was nobody; and forty years discovering what God can do with a nobody.”

Here’s the truth, whoever you are, if you’ll step into the “offering plate” of God’s transformational power and allow the Holy Spirit to take up residence in you, there is nothing that you and God can’t accomplish that’s in line with His will. There’s no greater joy than walking in obedience to and conformity to God’s will. The things He will teach you and use you to accomplish will stagger your mind and encourage your spirit.

When we yield our life, with all our limitations, to the One who has no limitations, we find strength, liberty, joy, and fulfillment we never knew existed. Step into the “offering plate” of God and watch Him do in and through you what you never dreamed possible.

Food for thought.

Blessings, Ed 😊

Punching Holes in the Darkness

“You are the light of the world – like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden. No one lights a lamp and then puts it under a basket. Instead, a lamp is placed on a stand, where it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father.” (Matthew 5:14-16 NLT)

Anne Graham Lotz tells of a night in Robert Louis Stevenson’s boyhood when his nanny just couldn’t get him to bed. Young Robert just kept staring out the window, oblivious to her talking to him. Finally, she said, “Robert, what in the world are you looking at out there?” As she pulled back the curtain, she realized he was watching the lamplighter making his way down the street, lighting one streetlamp after another. Young Robert Louis Stevenson saw something more. He said, “Look at that man! He’s punching holes in the darkness!”

That thought grabbed my attention as I consider what Jesus said: “YOU (WE) ARE THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD!” We, you and I as followers of the Most High God, are bearers of God’s eternal light to the people in our spheres of influence. Every second of every day we bear witness to His light or fail to do so. “Yeh, but what about the time I’m alone?” Perhaps the most important time to allow His light to shine!

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The older I get the more aware I become of the need of those whose lives our light shines upon to see and feel the effects of His Holy presence. What is His light, but evidence of His presence? As I spend time sitting in waiting rooms in doctor’s offices I’m struck by the sadness, loneliness, and lostness of many of those I see. That’s why at every opportunity we should engage them with words of encouragement and even offer to pray with them, but unless His light fills us by His Spirit it cannot flow out of us to brighten someone else.

Darkness prevails in our world today and God’s express purpose for us is to punch holes in it with our life, our kind, encouraging words, and our witness for our Risen Savior. Who will spread the light if not us? You and me, filled with His Spirit, activated by His love, motivated by all He’s done and is doing in our own lives? We ARE His lights, we don’t have to muster anything to become light, all we have to do is allow Him to shine through us to those in our spheres of influence.

What are some ways we can punch holes in the darkness? These are a few that come to my mind first: kindness, thoughtfulness, love, generosity, prayerfulness, openness to the Lord’s Spirit, and sensitivity to His leadership. Often the first step in getting someone to see their need of Jesus is to help them see their need of friendship…with us, as children of God.

Do you realize how inviting kindness is? I can’t count the number of conversations I’ve had because of some kindness I’ve extended without giving it a thought. Opening the door for someone, complimenting their smile or clothing; offering to help them in some way, paying for their meal, buying them gas, giving them a hug.

People are starving for kindness, to be noticed, to understand that their life counts for something more than the mundane existence they’re experiencing. Light drives out darkness and kindness can help drive out pain and heartache. Kindness isn’t the only way to let the Lord’s light shine, but it’s certainly a great opening to sharing His love and life with those who are hurting. People are much more open to listen to someone they like than someone they don’t. And, of course, light shines much more brightly through a clean vessel.

Food for thought.

Blessings, Ed 😊

When Character Is Formed

“Then He sent someone to Egypt ahead of them – Joseph, who was sold as a slave. They bruised his feet with fetters and placed his neck in an iron collar. Until the time came to fulfill his dreams, the Lord tested Joseph’s character.” (Psalm 105:17-19 NLT)

According to The Merriam-Webster Dictionary character is defined as “the complex of mental and ethical traits marking a person or a group; moral excellence.” How does that translate? What makes you “tick”? What motivates you to do what you do, say what you say, work as you work, love as you love, live as you live? How would the ten people who know you best describe you?

Think of Joseph in Genesis 37 when he has a dream, which is fine, but then he shares it with his brothers, not so fine. What was his dream? Joseph speaking: “We were out in the field, tying up bundles of grain. Suddenly my bundle stood up, and your bundles all gathered around and bowed low before mine!” What was he thinking? My sense is he was just attributing his vision to the Lord and expected his brothers to understand. Perhaps not the wisest interpretation.

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It may seem very strange, inappropriate, or just plain dumb to say that kind of thing to our siblings, but it illustrates the kind of innocence and purity of heart Joseph had. He didn’t intend it to be offensive, just informative. It was a vision from God that he had no clue what it meant, but God would reveal its beauty in the years to come. I’m convinced that was the foundation of Joseph’s character upon which God built to make him the great man of God that he became.

According to Scripture Joseph was his father’s favorite child and, as such, was the recipient of “a coat of many colors,” which was a beautiful, colorful, majestic robe designed for someone very special. Joseph no doubt knew of his father’s affection but didn’t translate that into how it might make his brothers feel. They were older and did the lion’s share of the work, but their work seemed to go unnoticed in comparison to their father’s affection for his son born in his old age.

What’s the lesson for us? Character is forged and formed not through a life of ease and luxury, but hardship, pain, suffering, and disappointment. Joseph didn’t really rise to the heights of recognition until he’d served his time as a slave. The Bible tells us (Genesis 39:2) that the Lord was with Joseph and allowed him to prosper in all he did. While it’s not explicitly recorded, Joseph must have been a student of God’s Word. Somewhere he learned to love and trust God.

There’s no indication in his story that he ever questioned or suffered setbacks in his love for and trust in the Lord due to his mistreatment. Rather, in every instance he chose the highroad, putting his efforts into doing the best he could given his circumstances and the Lord did the rest.

We would likely never have heard of Joseph and his triumphs for the Lord were it not for God’s Word, the Bible. My sense is our character, who we are, who we will become, if formed, will be in and through our love for and devotion to the Bible. God’s words shape us, mold us if you will, into the person He has designed and desires for us to be.

Paul David Tripp showed great insight when he wrote: “Your Bible is unlike anything else in your life. Your Bible has been put together and preserved for you as an irreplaceable tool of God’s grace in your life…You will not be spiritually healthy if you aren’t being shaped by God’s Word. The Bible is the soil in which your Christian life is rooted and grows.” If we want godly character, we’ll be students of God’s Word.

Food for thought.

Blessings, Ed 😊

The Value of Pain

“He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. All these things are gone forever.” (Revelation 21:4 NLT)

Why do you think God allows things on earth that will not be allowed in Heaven? Sin certainly will be exempted from heaven and it’s easy to understand why it cannot be allowed there, but other things like those mentioned in the verse above, have significant value for us who are alive on earth. But how?

There are many aspects of the value of pain, but none so dramatic as its redemptive value seen in the lives of the many who have been transformed by the renewing of their minds and hearts in Christ Jesus. We can stub a toe, cut our finger, have an automobile accident or experience a painful injury or disease and if we’re open to the Lord’s life in us, we can see the ways those things enhance our walk with Him and our ministry to others.

In many ways pain alerts us to make changes that prevent those painful things from happening again. But the greatest lesson, the one that illustrates most vividly the value of pain is the Cross of our Lord Jesus. While He experienced unimaginable agony, torment, and pain we don’t have the capacity to understand, its value is heightened as we realize it wasn’t for anything He had done wrong.

Jesus is the only human being who ever lived who got it all right – from birth to death, from start to finish. Why is that important to understand? Because if the only perfect human being who ever lived suffered pain and heartache, why should any of us believe we should be exempt? His suffering was completely for others, not for anything He’d done wrong.

So, what should that tell us? Pain and suffering aren’t punishment for our wrongdoing, but because we’re part of the human family. Pain and suffering are common to all of God’s creation due to the ravaging effects of sin. One of the values of pain is to heighten our awareness of and attentiveness to our affinity to sin. As a rule, pain is a signal for us to steer clear of whatever the source of our pain; however, while relationships can be a source of much pain, they can also be a source of much delight and pleasure.

Often pain in a relationship isn’t a sign to give up or quit, but to dig in and make it better. Especially in marriage, our commitment to one another and to God must outweigh the pain of any given moment’s disagreement or uncertainties about our future together. Pain’s value is derived from the result of a better, more enjoyable and satisfying life together, the kind of life we can have with the Lord when we learn to deal with the pain of our development as a child of God.

Perhaps this is a season of pain for you, and you’ve not yet weathered the storm and derived the value. Especially in the loss of a loved one, valued relationship, or job, it takes time, but much can be gained, even in the midst of our pain, by spending extended time with the Lord and His Holy Word. Many of the Psalms were written in the midst of painful and hard circumstances.

Seek the Lord’s presence, not just with words, but with YOUR presence. Sit with your open hands, palms up, out in front of you. Why? Two things are accomplished when we do this: first, we offer Him all we have that is weighing us down, troubling us, holding us back (especially our sin), but, secondly, we’re in a position to receive His presence, which is what gives the most value to our pain.

Food for thought.

Blessings, Ed 😊

When Human Help Isn’t the Answer

‘So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive His mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most.” (Hebrews 4:16 NLT)

There are times in our life when human effort is not enough, when human resources fall short. Even when others are willing to help us, all our resources combined aren’t equal to the task at hand. There comes a point in each of our lives when no one can help but Jesus. Yes, of course, that’s true in salvation, but the closer we get to the Lord, the more intimate our fellowship, the more we must rely on His holy counsel above all others.

There are obstacles that Satan puts in our path to our purity that are so personal, on many levels, so holy, that no other person but Jesus can understand, not only what we’re dealing with in our spirit, but in our mind and body. Yes, of course, another person can understand the dynamics of temptation and its very personal effect on each of us as human beings, but only the Lord knows us in the intricacies of who we are and how we’re made, thus, only He can help us tailor a plan to overcome the evil one and gain victory to His glory.

I’m reminded of the hymn by Elisha A. Hoffman “I Must Tell Jesus,” the chorus of which says: “I must tell Jesus! I must tell Jesus! I cannot bear my burdens alone; I must tell Jesus! I must tell Jesus! Jesus can help me, Jesus alone.” Have you ever felt that way? The longer I walk with the Lord and the more time we spend together, the more my conviction is deepened that I don’t want to make ANY decisions about ANYTHING without His input.

And it’s not even that it’s so personal or private. It’s just that over time we learn to trust the Lord’s input and accuracy, so we don’t need to depend on human wisdom or resources. Does that mean we never share what’s going on in our lives with our friends? Not at all, but just as I consult the Lord and the leadership of His Spirit first before consulting commentaries and other resources when I’m studying Scripture, I must get the Lord’s insights first in personal situations.

The students of God’s Word across the ages have shared much wisdom and insight that I respect, but even their opinions vary depending on the Scripture and their frames of reference. We must not depend solely on the opinions of others, even very scholarly “others” when it comes to what the Bible teaches. There are things the Lord wants to show us and teach us that others haven’t yet learned or understood, but must, of course, coincide and agree with the other teachings of Scripture.

And that’s true in personal matters as well. Wisdom related to marriage, having and raising children, sex, family, friendships, work, and many other social topics have changed over the years, but the steady, wise counsel of Scripture has maintained it’s wisdom and practicality even to this day and beyond.

So, with what are you dealing in this season of your life? Have you read all the books and listened to all the gurus and still find it hard to make a decision? Why not consult the Author of the Universe, the Inventor of all Wisdom, The Lord Jesus! If you already know Him, grow in your intimacy with Him and learn to trust Him without question.

But if you don’t yet know Him, please click on the highlighted link and allow Ron Hutchcraft to walk you through a simple, straightforward way to open your heart and life to Jesus and walk with Him through whatever you’re having to deal in this season. He’s with you and for you. He loves you and will embrace you with open arms. You can trust Him because He never lies.

Food for thought.

Blessings, Ed 😊

What Is Jesus Worth to You?

“After some discussion they finally decided to buy the potter’s field, and they made it into a cemetery for foreigners. That is why the field is still called the Field of Blood. This fulfilled the prophecy of Jeremiah that says, ‘They took the thirty pieces of silver – the price at which He was valued by the people of Israel, and purchased the potter’s field, as the Lord directed.’” (Matthew 27:7-10 NLT)

Worth is largely determined by the eye of the beholder. Sports memorabilia can go for millions of dollars. Babe Ruth’s 1932 “Called Shot” Jersey sold for $24.1 million. 1952 Topps Mickey Mantle card – $12.6 million.

Yet, we sometimes think we’re being generous when we toss a $20 bill in the offering basket when it’s passed, and, honestly, for some that’s a very generous offering. I’ve seen times I didn’t have $20 to give. It’s not necessarily and only what we give, it’s why we give and what we value. When we value things more than we value our relationship with Jesus, we’ve lost perspective as His child.

George Whitfield’s conviction was that Jesus is worth everything or He’s worth nothing. What does that mean? It means to me that Jesus gets first priority in everything – time, energy, money, thought, every avenue and aspect of my life. That’s why prayer is my first priority in the morning and the last thing on my mind when I go to bed.

It’s why we see every person as a person of value, created in the image of God, regardless of how obnoxious and vile they may be. “There but for the grace of God go I without Jesus” must be our attitude. None of us, regardless of how long we’ve walked with the Lord, is any better than anyone who may have just begun their journey with Him.

We add no value to our relationship with Jesus regardless of how long we’ve journeyed with Him. HE IS the VALUE! He paid the cost of our redemption and no amount of sacrifice we make will add anything to that. His priceless blood paid it all, that’s why He said from the Cross: “Tetelestai!” “It is finished!” Which literally means: “The debt is paid in full!”

What debt? Our sin debt, the cost of our sin that separated us from God. We treat our sin so lightly, but when we begin to grasp what our unfaithfulness and disregard to the desires of God cost our Savior, it should cause us to see our sin in a new light. It’s like stepping on the arm or leg of our infant child, then laughing about it as they scream in pain. It’s insensitive, cruel, uncaring, and inappropriate.

Satan’s goal is to keep us so focused on ourselves we ignore or disregard anyone else’s feelings, even God’s, but when we begin to value the cost of our salvation and see the worth of our Savior in it’s proper light, it should humble and convict us. Sin – every sin – is serious in the sight of God, that’s why sin separates us from God.

Sin caused the chasm between us and the Lord that the Cross bridged, but to pray a prayer and believe we can still continue to live in sin is to spit in Jesus’ face and laugh as we walk away. It’s not only hypocritical, it’s blasphemous. Repentance and confession should lead to a holy life that is built on the sacrifice of our Savior but evidenced by the quality of our lives as we live in appreciation of the tremendous cost of that sacrifice.

Food for thought.

Blessings, Ed 😊