Walking With Jesus

The Essence of Temptation

”And this same God who takes care of me will supply all your needs from His glorious riches, which have been given to us in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:19 NLT)

*This devotional by Dr. Neil Anderson must be understood if we’re to ever be free of the cycle of defeat with which many of us have wrestled. Please read carefully and prayerfully. Blessings, Ed 😊

“For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin.” (Hebrews 4:15.

I have found that many Christians struggle with the distinction between temptation and sin. Bombarded by tempting thoughts, they conclude that there must be something pretty sick about them. But even Jesus was “tempted in all things as we are.” As long as we are in the world, we are exposed to temptation just like Jesus was. But He didn’t sin, and we don’t have to sin either (1 Corinthians 10:13).

The basis for temptation is legitimate human needs. We will either look to the world, the flesh and the devil to have our needs met, or we will look to Christ who promises to meet our needs (Philippians 4:19). The essence of temptation is the invitation to live independently of God.

The power of temptation depends on the strength of the strongholds that have been developed in our minds as we learned to live independently of God. If you were raised in a Christian home where magazines and television programs of questionable moral value were not allowed, the power of sexual temptation in your life will not be as great as for someone who grew up exposed to pornographic materials. Why? Because your legitimate need to be loved and accepted was met by parents who also protected you from exposure to illegitimate means of meeting your needs. The person who grew up in an environment of immorality may experience a greater struggle with sexual temptation simply because that stronghold in the mind was well established before they were born again.

Jesus was tempted to meet His own physical needs by using His divine attributes independently of the Father to turn a rock into bread. But instead He responded, “Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God.” (Matthew 4:4). We also must respond to temptation by relying on God to meet our needs.

Dear Jesus, help me not to listen to the voice of the tempter today but to run to You as the source for meeting all my needs.

But I’m a Good Person!

“Now there was a good and righteous man named Joseph. He was a member of the Jewish high council, but he had not agreed with the decision and actions of the other religious leaders. He was from the town of Arimathea in Judea, and he was waiting for the Kingdom of God to come.” (Luke 23:50-51 NLT)

Having shared the plan of salvation – how to become a Jesus follower, with many people across the years, it’s not uncommon for me to ask someone: “If you were to die tonight and stand before a holy God and He were to ask you: ‘Why should I allow you to enter My perfect heaven?’ what would you say?” One of the most common answers is: “Because I’m a good person!” And, in many cases, I would have to agree, but our goodness isn’t the qualification God requires for us to enter heaven.

In other scenarios, people have asked me why God allows good people to go to hell? And while I understand theologically what the answer is, from a human standpoint sometimes it still doesn’t feel right. I have personally loved people and walked with them closely knowing they’d rejected the Lord time and time again and knowing when they closed their eyes in death, they wouldn’t be in heaven.

Should I have tried harder? Made a better argument? Prayed more intentionally or passionately? Ultimately, we have to understand that sometimes people who are “good” from all outward appearances are lost simply because they’re trusting their own goodness to get them to heaven, and that’s the worst kind of sin! Self-righteousness was the critical issue with the Pharisees that blinded them from knowing and receiving Jesus as Lord. He didn’t fit their mold, and they couldn’t believe they weren’t good enough as they were.

Many had memorized the Torah, the first five books of the Bible, and knew the hundreds of Jewish laws by heart. They knew about goodness, but they still found ways to cheat widows out of their property and withhold money that rightfully should have been used for the care of their elderly parents. They were very religious, but far from righteous.

Here’s the bottom line: if anyone but Jesus was good enough to pay the penalty for sin, He wouldn’t have had to live, suffer, and die in our place, but the truth is, He is the ONLY ONE who lived a perfect, sinless life that qualified Him alone to become the Lamb of God who could take away the sin of the world.

There’s a sense in which the vilest sin that any of us can commit is thinking our life equals the sinless and perfect life of Jesus; that our good works could somehow qualify us to enter a perfect heaven; that our sin-laden, imperfect attempts to meet the qualifications of heaven could possibly be good enough to meet God’s holy standards.

The Bible is clear in Romans 3:10: “No one is righteous – not even one.” Only Jesus, God poured into human flesh, can qualify as Savior, Master, Lord of all mankind. Only He is the pathway to heaven and only He has the words of eternal life. Do you know Him? Please, by an act of God’s Spirit, allow Him to help you get over yourself and realize you’re not nearly as good as you think you are. If you believe for an instant that you’re good enough to enter heaven without the saving virtue of Jesus filling and enabling you, you’re going to spend an eternity in hell regretting it.

Please don’t let that happen! Please tap on anewstory.com and let Ron Hutchcraft walk you through a simple, straightforward explanation as to why you need a Savior, then commit your life to Him today!

Blessings, Ed

Harmless

“Do everything without complaining and arguing, so that no one can criticize you. Live clean, innocent lives as children of God, shining like bright lights in a world full of crooked and perverse people.” (Philippians 2:14-15 NLT)

Philippians 2:15 in the King James Version of the Bible says: “That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world.” What first comes to your mind when you think of “harmless.” A young child, puppy, kitten, an elderly person, someone who is very weak, a dove?

Jesus said in Matthew 10:16: “Look, I am sending you out as sheep among wolves. So be as shrewd as snakes and harmless as doves.” What was Jesus suggesting? That we be the proverbial “doormat” that everyone walks on or of whom others take advantage? Was Jesus a doormat? Did He let others take advantage of Him? Of course not! He was “shrewd as a snake and harmless as a dove.”

So, what’s He asking of us? To be like Him! But how? The word Jesus used that is translated “harmless” in many of our English translations means: “Simple” in the sense of uncomplicated. We say what we mean and mean what we say. It means “unmixed, pure as in wines or metals; of the mind, without a mixture of evil, free from guile, innocent.”

From the time I first owned my first car I’ve taken as good care of it as I knew how. I kept it clean, changed the oil, checked the tire pressure regularly, and had it serviced when something was needed. So, when it came time to sell the car, I had all the service records and could honestly say it had been taken care of over the life of my ownership.

When I sell something, I want to be “harmless” to the person to whom I am selling whatever it is. That’s the way I want to be when I present the Gospel to someone. When I explain to them their sin is separating them from God and Jesus is the only way back to Him and the only way to heaven, while those are bold claims, when they stand before the Lord, I want to be blameless in the Lord’s eyes, having been honest with those with whom I’ve shared.

We, as Jesus lovers and followers, must be crystal clear when sharing with others the Truth of who Jesus is and what He did. One fear that I have is that I will be too “soft,” by not expressing the urgency of the matter with enough intensity or boldness. The last thing I want to happen is someone to believe their walking away from Jesus is harmless. “Of what consequence is this to me? I’m a good person. Yes, I understand there are those who need a Savior, but I’m not one of them!”

According to Scripture there is “None righteous, no not one!” (Romans 3:10) EVERYBODY NEEDS A SAVIOR AND JESUS IS THE ONLY SAVIOR! We must compassionately, but clearly and forthrightly present the claims of the Gospel, compelling people to come to Jesus while there’s still time. “But I’m not ready?” Ready for what? To turn from your sin? No one ever is! That’s the point. Satan’s favorite line is “Not now!” or “There’s a better time!” “You have more life to live!” or “You’ve waited too long! You’re just too far gone!” All of these lies must be challenged and, as the Lord gives us wisdom, overcome to His glory and to the good of the one with whom we’re speaking.

Time is short. We have no promise of the next second. We must be about our Father’s business of sharing Jesus with anyone who will listen. We must be harmless as doves, but bold as lions for the Lord.

Food for thought.

Blessings, Ed 😊

A Portrait of Your Heavenly Father

*While Sylvia Gunter is featured on the 15^th of each month, this Father’s Day message was just too good not to share. Regardless of what kind of earthly father you had, your heavenly Father is perfect and will love you with unwavering faithfulness, purity, and goodness. Enjoy! Blessings, Ed 😊

Father’s Day can stir many different emotions. For some, it is a day of gratitude and celebration. For others, it may awaken grief, longing, absence, disappointment, or memories that still need the tender care of God. Our understanding of fatherhood is often shaped by our earthly experiences, both the beautiful ones and the painful ones.

A.W. Tozer said, “What comes into our minds when we think about God is the most important thing about us.” Pain and disappointment have a way of distorting in our minds what is true about our Heavenly Father. When life gets hard, the temptation is to believe that God is uninterested and uninvolved. Yet, He is near and He cares.

Regardless of what your current or past circumstances try to tell you, take a moment to meditate on this portrait of your Heavenly Father. Let His Word tell you again who He really is.

Your Father is perfectly faithful.

Deuteronomy 31:8 “The LORD Himself goes before you and will be with you; He will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.”

Your Father is a generous provider.

Matthew 7:11 “If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask Him!”

Your Father is loving and compassionate.

John 17:23 (Jesus speaking to His Father) “You have loved them even as you have loved me.”

Psalm 103:13 “As a father has compassion on His children, so the LORD has compassion on those who fear Him.”

Your Father is forgiving and accepting.

Psalm 103:12 “As far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us.”

Your Father is a patient teacher.

Isaiah 30:20-21 “Your eyes will behold your Teacher. Your ears will hear a word behind you, ‘This is the way, walk in it,’ whenever you turn to the right or to the left.” (NASB)

Your Father is an understanding counselor.

Isaiah 9:6 “He will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”

Your Father is a wise communicator.

James 1:5 “If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.”

James 3:17 “The wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere.”

Your Father gives good gifts.

James 1:17 “Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.”

Your Father is attentive to your needs.

Matthew 6:26 “Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?”

Your Father is strong yet personal.

Isaiah 40:26 “He who brings out the starry host one by one and calls forth each of them by name. Because of His great power and mighty strength, not one of them is missing.”

Matthew 10:30 “And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered.”

And He is so much more. He is more wonderful than our minds can comprehend and more faithful than our circumstances can measure. He is there when we feel Him near, and He is there when we wonder if He has left. He stays when we are weak, weary, disappointed, afraid, or unsure how to come close.

Your Father is not distant, distracted, harsh, or reluctant to love you. He is love, pure love, and He does not change. On this Father’s Day, may your heart receive again the truth of who He is, not merely as doctrine to believe, but as love to rest in.

Blessing:

Beloved child of your Heavenly Father, be blessed to know Him as He truly is.

Be blessed where pain, disappointment, absence, or fear have distorted your picture of fatherhood. Let the Father Himself restore the truth of His heart toward you. He is near. He is attentive. He is faithful. He is good.

Be blessed to rest in His care, receive His love, and hear Him say, “You are My beloved child. I see you. I know you. I have not forgotten you.”

Be blessed to trust His wisdom, receive His provision, and live today secure in His unfailing love. Be blessed as a deeply loved child of your Heavenly Father.

An archive of past devotionals are available on our website.

Spielberg Wants to “Mess With” Your Faith

By: John Stonestreet and Timothy D. Padgett

*This Colson article is interesting and informative, but also helpful in showing us how we can more carefully view our Christian heritage, especially the power and authority of the Faith we believe and share. Blessings, Ed 😊

Award winning film director Steven Spielberg said recently that his new film will likely “mess with” a lot of people’s theology. “Disclosure Day” is about what would happen if there were a sudden mass revelation about the existence of extraterrestrial life. According to Spielberg, it will force people, especially Christians, to rethink Who God is.

As he told CBS Sunday Morning,

What does this do to the fundamental beliefs that many of us have? … Is God our God only on this planet or is God a God for every system where there’s civilization, intelligent life, and even developing life?

It’s not unusual for celebrity artists to weigh in on things outside of their expertise, but this talented filmmaker is out of his depth. Even if there were a real life disclosure day, it would not alter anything about Christians’ fundamental beliefs. The God portrayed in the Bible created and oversees the entire universe. As the Psalmist said, “The Lord established his throne in the heavens, and his kingdom rules over all.” That could easily include other worlds and other life forms.

But of course, there is no evidence of that anyway. This is a film. Spielberg must think that Christianity is barely hanging on from falling into the dustbin of history.

If so, he’s certainly not the first. Expectations of Christian extinction go back to the beginning. According to the Gospel of John, the High Priest Caiaphas thought that killing Jesus would erase His influence. When He failed to stay dead, the Jerusalem authorities thought that bribes and rumors would keep them quiet.

The Romans spent centuries trying to stamp out Christianity, from Nero who infamously burned believers in his gardens to Marcus Aurelius who believed he could mock them out of their faith. By the 200s, the Church had grown so much that Emperor Decius decreed an empire-wide assault on Christians. By the beginning of the fourth century, Diocletian instigated the Great Persecution. In the end, persecution set the stage for toleration. Eventually, under Theodosius I, the Roman Empire was Christianized.

Later, when the Western Empire fell to Germanic tribes, the Church did not fall with it. Instead, Christianity not only endured but the pagans were converted. Islam tried to take down the Church a few centuries later. After subjugating Christianity in the Middle East, Muslim raiders seemed poised to conquer Western Europe. They were stopped in the middle of what is France. Almost 1,000 years later, armies of the Turkish Sultan advanced to Vienna, twice, before being pushed back. The smart money would have been that Christianity would fall, but it did not.

During the Enlightenment, confidence that the Church would fall was at an all-time high. In the 1700s, the influential French thinker Voltaire claimed that he was “living in the twilight of Christianity.” In 1822, Thomas Jefferson added that, “I trust there is not a young man now living in the U.S. who will not die a Unitarian.” Voltaire’s home later housed a Bible society, and Jefferson’s generation was followed by religious awakenings and an explosion of missionaries sent around the world.

In the twentieth century, the Communists predicted the end of what Marx called the “opiate of the masses.” Everywhere they went, revolutionary groups assaulted religion, especially Christianity. In Russia, China, Cuba, and elsewhere, the first targets of the Communists were churches, pastors, priests, and other religious groups. Often the persecution worsened out of frustration that the Faith simply would not die. In the end, Christianity stood over Communism’s grave, after contributing to its demise.

Whether from internal failings or external threats, Christians can be discouraged. But, to borrow a quip from Mark Twain, predictions of the church’s demise are greatly exaggerated. If emperors and empires and armies haven’t stamped it out, Steven Spielberg doesn’t have a chance.

Offensive!

“The Lord has given me a strong warning not to think like everyone else does. He said, ‘Don’t call everything a conspiracy, like they do, and don’t live in dread of what frightens them. Make the Lord of Heaven’s Armies holy in your life. He is the One you should fear. He is the One who should make you tremble. He will keep you safe. But to Israel and Judah He will be a stone that makes people stumble, a rock that makes them fall. And for the people of Jerusalem He will be a trap and a snare. Many will stumble and fall, never to rise again. They will be snared and captured.” (Isaiah 8:11-15 NLT)

The above words from the Prophet Isaiah would have been highly offensive to his fellow Jews, as he exposed their shallowness and lack of understanding of the ways of the God they supposedly loved and served. Isaiah was warning them of impending destruction because of their disobedience and disregard for the Lord’s instructions.

Many today detest the Old Testament for its violence, destruction, and seeming lack of consideration for the sanctity of life, but the battles the Lord described in the Old Testament are “pictures” of spiritual truths that became evidenced in and through the ministry of Jesus. The “battles” we face with temptation and Satanic attack are just as real and when you factor in the billions of people in the world who are falling victim to Satan’s attacks, the wars in the Old Testament pale in comparison.

Many want to dismiss the authority of Scripture and treat it, at best, as an historical account, but Robertson McQuilkin describes it this way: “We call this book—and only this book—the Word of God. That is why it has supreme authority for our lives.” To dismiss the Bible is to dismiss life as it was always meant to be lived, not only here, on this planet, but in heaven when this planet is no more.

It seems in the days in which we now live too many believers in Jesus tread very lightly around the issue with which the world wrestles. The real question behind many questions today is: “Who’s in charge?” “Why isn’t someone doing something about __________?” David Platt had it right when he said: “The most offensive claim in Christianity is that God is the Creator, Owner, and Judge of every person on the planet.”

Why is that so offensive? Largely because people assume if God is in charge, why did He allow the the world to become such a mess? When in reality, God is the only one trying to fix things. SIN is the reason the world is in such a mess, which was man’s choice, and Jesus is the only answer God has given the world to make things right again. But we’re so in love with our sin, we can’t allow the Lord to change us individually, thus, the issues we have collectively.

Here’s the truth. To the extent we yield our life and allegiance to Jesus, the mess in our lives will find a cure. The offensiveness of the Gospel of hope and help in Jesus is that people don’t really want an answer to their sin, they want a pass to continue to wallow in it. That’s why hell is so offensive to so many, they don’t want to face the consequences of their own disregard of the truths of Scripture.

People love the thought of heaven and want to believe everyone will go there, but sin separates us from God here on earth and will continue to separate us from Him for all eternity unless and until we allow the holiness of God’s only perfect Son to take our place on the Cross and we recognize as we see Him there – that was FOR ME! Jesus died on that Cross FOR ME!

When the offensiveness of our sin grows strong enough to drive us to the foot of that old rugged Cross, that will be the day our sins will be forgiven and we’ll finally celebrate the privilege of becoming a child of God who can look forward to one day being in the heaven Jesus died to allow us to go. If you don’t know Him, please tap on anewstory.com and find out how you can have your sins forgiven and begin a new life in the Savior, the Lord Jesus.

Blessings, Ed 😊

You Be You

*Please let these challenging words of Ron Hutchcraft bless and encourage you as they did me. Blessings, Ed 😊

My next door neighbor in our dorm in college always wanted to preach like Billy Graham. I mean he really wanted to preach like Billy Graham. He would record Billy Graham on his radio program, and then he would listen to the tapes over and over again. He would copy everything, including even the inflections of Billy’s voice. And then he would watch Billy Graham. He studied his gestures; he’d try to get them down and gesture just when Billy Graham would. He’d hold his Bible like Billy Graham. Now you are going to think he was really a fanatic, but this really is true. He told me he even counted the words per minute that Billy Graham averaged and tried to get the same pace. Wow! That’s a crazy way to approach ministry, huh? Well, it’s more common than you might think.

I’m Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about “You Be You.”

Our word for today from the Word of God – one of the most challenging, exciting statements in all of the New Testament – is in Ephesians 2:10. This is about you now. “For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works which God prepared in advance for us to do.” Wow! God has created you as a unique, one-of-a-kind servant, uniquely prepared, uniquely wired by Him for a very unique set of plans which He prepared in advance for you to carry out.

The problem comes when we start to compare ourselves with other people. You really can’t compare yourself because you are a category all by yourself. You might never count the words per minute in somebody’s sermon to copy them, but maybe you are looking at someone else God is using and you’re saying, “You know, I can’t talk like that. I don’t know what they know. I’m sort of shy; I’m not that outgoing. You know, I don’t have the training they have. I could never serve God like that; I’m not like that person.” You’re right! You’re not like them. Hurray! You weren’t meant to be. You were created for works only you can do.

I think we should look for models and learn from their values and their thinking and their ways of working, but not to become clones. The Mona Lisa is an original, it’s priceless, but you can buy a postcard of the Mona Lisa for like 50 cents at the museum, because copies are cheap. Originals are priceless. Don’t devalue yourself by copying someone else; trying to be like someone else. There’s so much in social media that makes us want to do that. Don’t do it! That’s an awful, unnatural bondage if you’re still trying to be like someone else.

You see, everything you need – to do what God put you here to do – you have. And all those things that you don’t have? Guess what? You don’t need. You’ve got the right hair, you’ve got the right height, you’ve got the right body, you’ve got the right voice, you’ve got the right intelligence, you’ve got the right talents, and you’ve got the right limitations – even your background. See, God is using your background to make you into that unique servant of His. He’s weaving a tapestry, and putting into that tapestry the people and experiences that will make you the man or woman you were designed by Him to be.

So be yourself! Relax! Be the person that God made for a unique role that you are destined to fulfill. You compare with somebody else? You’ll never get off the ground. You try to copy someone else, and you will never be the person you were created to be.

I think you can say as you look at your life and the plans that God has for it, “God, you know what You’re doing.” He sure does. Thank Him for making you the only you there is, and don’t try to be a Christian clone. You are an original. So, you be you.

Awe!

“Let the whole world fear the Lord, and let everyone stand in awe of Him. For when He spoke, the world began! It appeared at His command. (Psalm 33:8-9 NLT)

When the Lord speaks, important things happen! When the Lord speaks, it just makes sense that we should listen! As impressive as Creation is, the Creator is even more impressive. Without the Creator there would be no creation. Without the Lord Jesus, who IS the Creator, we would have no life. And without His sacrifice there would be no eternal life in heaven for us.

“Whoa! Genesis 1:1 says: “In the beginning GOD created the heavens and the earth.” Yes, it does, but in John 1:1 the Bible clarifies the passage in Genesis when John writes: “In the beginning the Word already existed. The Word was with God, and the Word was God. He existed in the beginning with God. God created everything through Him, and nothing was created except through Him. The Word gave life to everything that was created, and His life brought life to everyone. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness can never extinguish it.” Jesus IS God! Why is that fact so vital for us to understand?

In some people’s minds it’s almost like Jesus is a second thought or on some subpar level under God. “What’s the big deal about Jesus?” is the thought on some people’s mind. “Isn’t He just another religious teacher like Muhammed or Buddha?” He certainly was a great teacher, but what makes Him great is He was God in human flesh. There has never been, nor will there ever be another Jesus. He alone was qualified to die in our place for our sin.

In the Bible He’s described as “one of a kind” through the Greek term monogenēs (μονογενής), which literally means “the only one of its kind.” Why is it so important that we have a proper understanding of who Jesus is? Because unless and until we do, we’ll never even begin to grasp the privilege we have to know Him as Lord and Savior.

Until we’re awestruck at the mention of His holy name we’ll be tempted to be casual about our life in Him and our love for Him. But when the thought of Him brings tears of joy to our eyes and an attitude of gratitude, respect, and awe we’ll begin to understand that nothing, absolutely nothing is beyond His ability to accomplish for the sake of righteousness and the furtherance of His eternal purposes.

Why is that important? Because it should make a difference in how we pray if we keep His absolute authority in clear view, but it should also help us in the way we live. It should strengthen our faith so that it leads to unquestionable obedience and worship, equipping us to be vessels of love, kindness, gentleness, and the other fruit of the Spirit, but more importantly, enabling us to be vessels through whom His life will freely flow into those around us who have no clue who He is or why He died.

Ray Majoran puts it this way in his powerful prayer: “Forgive us for the times we grow impressed with what we can build, control, measure, or explain, while our hearts fail to recognize Your sovereign reign. Open our eyes to see Your eternal power in what You have made (Romans 1:20) and deepen our reverence to Your glory. May we be people who declare Your mighty acts, passing on the testimony of Your greatness from one generation to the next (Psalm 145:4-6). By the power of Your Word and Spirit, strengthen our faith so that awe leads us to obedience and worship. May each and every one of us confess with our lips and show with our lives that You have done great things, and You are worthy of our trust.”

Awe for the Lord Jesus grows out of love for and life in Him, so, if you don’t know Him, please tap anewstory.com and find out how you can have a life you never dreamed possible, a life filled with awe and expectation.

Blessings, Ed 😊

An Infinite God

“He heals the brokenhearted and bandages their wounds. He counts the stars and calls them all by name. How great is our Lord! His power is absolute! His understanding is beyond comprehension!” (Psalm 147:3-5 NLT)

Most of us struggle to wrap our minds around the enormity of our God’s capacity to care, to understand, and to help. He is unlimited in His resource of strength, knowledge, and ability. For example, by multiplying the number of stars per galaxy by the number of galaxies, scientists estimate the total number of stars in the universe to be roughly 10²² to 10²⁴, or up to one septillion stars, yet, the Lord calls them each one by name. And we’re concerned He’s going to lose track of the measly 8 billion people on our little planet.

It’s easy to believe, especially if we don’t know the Lord, that He’s too busy caring about everyone else’s issues to know what’s going on with each of us, but that’s not the case at all. In fact, He even knows the number of hairs on our head, which of course, is easier with some of us than others. But more importantly, He knows the deep thoughts that we struggle to understand and the emotions that entangle us and bring endless tears.

As my personal issues intensify and I find tears harder to hold back, it drives me to my Father’s heart as I know He captures my tears and understands my deep longings. Life is hard and it can get harder as we age, but I’m comforted to know the Lord is with me and for me. A. W. Tozer addressed this when he wrote: “An infinite God can give all of Himself to each of His children. He does not distribute Himself that each may have a part, but to each one He gives all of Himself as fully as if there were no others.”

That reinforces the idea the Bible conveys that the Lord loves each of us as if we were the only child He had to love. But here’s the mind-blowing part of that idea – even if someone has never heard of Him, or even if you don’t know Him as Lord and Savior, He knows every detail of your life and still loves you with His whole heart, enough that He allowed His only Son to die for you. You have the Lord’s full attention when you speak with Him. Are you taking advantage of that great privilege? Often throughout my day, even as I’m struggling to type these words, I’m communicating with the Lord my deep need of Him and my desire to please and honor Him with every fiber of my being.

But need alone isn’t sufficient to touch the heart of God. Yes, of course, He hears when we call out to Him, but like any loving parent, my sense is He loves it when we come to Him, not only because we have needs, but when we come simply to be with Him and to love Him for who He is. He’s not human and He doesn’t need anything, but it’s helpful to us to love Him for more than what we perceive we can get out of Him.

He can’t be manipulated or tricked into doing something for us that is out of His character to do. He responds to us with complete understanding of not only what we’re asking, but why. That’s why He knows perfectly who belongs to Him and who does not. Which raises the logical question: Do YOU belong to Him? Have you given Him your life by faith?

The Prophet Isaiah reminds us: “What sorrow awaits those who try to hide their plans from the Lord, who do their evil deeds in the dark! ‘The Lord can’t see us,’ they say. ‘He doesn’t know what’s going on!’ How foolish can you be? He is the Potter, and He is certainly greater than you, the clay!” The greatest human intellect is like that of a gnat compared to the Lord. For someone to believe they can outsmart the Lord or think they know better or more than Him is to magnify their ignorance and increase their need of pity. As the Psalmist confirms: “For You are great and perform wonderful deeds. You alone are God!”

If you don’t know Him, please tap on anewstory.com and let Ron Hutchcraft walk you through a helpful explanation as to why you need Him and how to accept His invitation to a new life you may never have imagined existed.

Blessings, Ed 😊

Trust and Healing

*Please allow these powerful words of Sylvia Gunter to encourage and warm your heart. Sylvia’s tender heart for the Lord is such a blessing. Let these words from the Lord speak and help you. Blessings, Ed 😊

Father God has spoken a promise over your life that cannot be broken: “I will never leave you nor forsake you” (Hebrews 13:5). Your Father has not abandoned you. He is not distant or disinterested in your story. His perfect love drives away fear and gently quiets the anxious places in your heart (1 John 4:18).

So come and rest in His love. Let your heart receive from your heavenly Father the blessing your soul has longed for, the affirmation, protection, and tenderness that perhaps your earthly father could not fully give.

Be blessed with fresh encounters with the Father heart of God. May He meet you personally and intimately, revealing the depth of His affection for you. Be blessed to receive His perfect healing, the kind of healing that reaches the deepest places of your soul and restores what has been wounded.

Your Father delights to bring healing, recovery, and restoration where trust has been broken. His work is not rushed or mechanical; it is careful and personal. He restores your heart according to the beautiful design He dreamed for you before the foundation of the world (Ephesians 1:4).

As you drink deeply of your Father’s love, He renews innocence within you. He gently restores childlike faith—the simple trust that knows it is safe in a Father’s embrace (Matthew 18:3). In His presence, your heart learns again what it means to rest, to believe, and to belong.

A Prayer of Response

Father God,

Today I choose to trust You. I choose to believe that Your heart toward me is kind, good, loving, approachable, and welcoming. I choose to align my will with Your will. I bind my mind to the mind of Christ (1 Corinthians 2:16). I bind my emotions to the Holy Spirit, inviting His healing and His alignment within me.

Thank You for inviting me to know You as Father, not merely as my Master, my Judge, or my King, though You are all these and more. You are my Abba, my Papa.

“How majestic is Your name in all the earth!” (Psalm 8:1). I stand in awe of who You are, yet I am overwhelmed that the God of the universe welcomes me close as His child.

Thank You that You created me to be loved by You and to love You in return. Thank You that Your heart delights in me—that You enjoy having me near You.

The greatest blessing in my life is nearness to You. Thank You for drawing me close so that I may experience joy, peace, and fullness of life in Your presence (Psalm 16:11).

Thank You for holding me in Your everlasting arms (Deuteronomy 33:27).

Today, I accept Your invitation to come closer to rest deeply in the safety of Your Father’s heart.

Amen.