Walking With Jesus

A Shapeless Lump of Clay

“Well then, you might say, ‘Why does God blame people for not responding? Haven’t they simply done what He makes them do?’ No, don’t say that. Who are you, a mere human being, to argue with God? Should the thing that was created say to the one who created it, ‘Why have you made me like this?’ When a potter makes jars out of clay, doesn’t he have a right to use the same lump of clay to make one jar for decoration and another to throw garbage into?” (Romans 9:19-21 NLT)

One could assume a rather dismal frame of reference after reading the verses above, if it were not for one very vital aspect of the equation. Yes, of course, we can bemoan our poor state of existence: “Why didn’t God make me smarter, prettier, taller, shorter, an athlete, a scholar!” Or “Why didn’t the Lord let me live in ___________ instead of where I live?” “Why is my house the smallest in the neighborhood?” Why did I have to have that person for my parent, child, teacher, boss…” The questions continue ad infinitum.

Our questions will never stop until we come to grips with the fact the Lord made us exactly as He did for a very specific reason. He knew before the brilliance of the sun was ever allowed to shine that you would be who you are, where you are, why you are! You are not an accident! You and I were made very much on purpose to be God’s instruments where He has “planted” us.

Ron Hutchcraft wrote (See How God Makes You a Masterpiece – 02-09-23): “We’re all that shapeless lump of clay until we put ourselves in the hands of the Master Potter. Only the One who gave you your life can shape your life into what it was created to be.” There’s an extensive process that we go through to become everything the Lord desires us to be, but it’s completely voluntary.

The Lord doesn’t force us to become what He created us to be, but He stands ready to shape, mold, and equip us to be exactly what He has in mind for us to become, when we’re ready to yield our lives to Him. My experience has been that people do a lot of whining and complaining when they’re trying to rule their own lives, but when someone turns the reigns of control over to Jesus, their complaining turns to praise and they’re given the life they never dreamed they could ever have.

A masterpiece is born out of suffering and pain, struggle and hardship, not out of an easy life. As a rule, we learn very little, if anything, when times are good and we’re coasting through life. Growth comes when a loved one leaves or dies; the lights are shut off; the doctor says, “It’s cancer!” or the boss says: “You’re fired!”

When life is out of our control and our only hope is to look up, that’s when the learning curve begins, and our life is molded into the masterpiece the Lord envisioned before time began. What we once thought were curses become the very blessings upon which our faith journey is built. Yes, there are tears! Yes, there are doubts and moments of despair, but when we see the face of Jesus, even through our tears, we’re still able to smile and say with genuine confidence: “Thank You, Lord!”

There’s nothing this world can offer to compare with intimacy with Jesus. It isn’t until we have what the world can’t take away that we begin to experience what only Jesus can give us. Closeness with the Lord has nothing to do with material things or even spiritual “gifts.” It has only to do with relaxing in the capable hands of the Potter and allowing Him to do what only He can do with, in, through, and for us.

Food for thought.

Blessings, Ed 😊

Focus

“That is why I tell you not to worry about everyday life – whether you have enough food and drink, or enough clothes to wear. Isn’t life more than food, and your body more than clothing? Look at the birds. They don’t plant or harvest or store food in barns, for your heavenly Father feeds them. And aren’t you far more valuable to Him than they are? Can all your worries add a single moment to your life?” (Matthew 6:25-27 NLT)

Worry is a killer! The stress on our body brought about by anxiety is a billion-dollar industry for medicine alone, not to mention therapy and related costs. Why do we worry? Largely, I’m convinced, because we lose focus on Jesus.

How and why do we do that? Largely because we choose to live in a constant state of discontent. We won’t focus simply on the issues of today, we want to solve the problems of tomorrow, next week, and next month without certainty that any of what we fear COULD happen, ever will.

Photo by SevenStorm JUHASZIMRUS on Pexels.com

Do you ever wonder why God gave us time? Seconds, minutes, hours, days, weeks, etc.? One of the challenges we face is disciplining ourselves to focus on what’s in front of us to do in this moment. We have a slow draining sink, so our mind goes into overdrive, not on a strategy to evaluate the problem, but to ponder all the what ifs!

Before long, in our mind, we’re spending thousands of dollars on replumbing the whole house, when in reality, it likely won’t cost anything to remove the trap, clean it and be done with the problem. It may be more but take it a step at a time.

We have a misunderstanding with our spouse, and we’re heading to divorce court! NO! Our first course of action must be immediately stopping to pray, to seek the Lord’s counsel as to where to go from here. Do we just need a “time-out” to regain our composure before we re-address the issue? Do we need outside help – a trusted believing friend, Pastor or Counselor? Maybe, but why not focus on what’s in front of you right now – getting calm and relaxed so you can allow your mind to work positively and proactively as you seek the Lord to help you focus on the real problem.

Dr. David Jeremiah gives sound advice when he writes: “But we can minimize anxiety. One of the greatest techniques of peaceful people is learning to go about today’s business while leaving tomorrow in God’s hands. As you focus on what God has placed in front of you today, the giant of worry about the future will fade! God will take care of today and tomorrow.” (See Turning Point Horrors! – 02-07-23)

What’s troubling you today? Why not pause right now and lift it to the Lord. I’ve found if I take the time and make the effort to pray first, many potentially troubling issues can be resolved very quickly. Most often our worry is compounded by borrowing from the future. Corrie Ten Boom reminds us: “Worrying is carrying tomorrow’s load with today’s strength—carrying two days at once. It is moving into tomorrow ahead of time. Worrying doesn’t empty tomorrow of its sorrow, it empties today of its strength.”

What’s got you weighted down today? Please allow the Lord to lighten your load by helping you refocus on the largeness of His capacity to provide everything you need, exactly when you need it. If He doesn’t give it, we don’t need it.

Food for thought.

Blessings Ed 😊

Feeling Low?

“Comfort, comfort My people,’ says your God. ‘Speak tenderly to Jerusalem. Tell her that her sad days are gone and her sins are pardoned. Yes, the Lord has punished her twice over for all her sins.’ Listen! It’s the voice of someone shouting, ‘Clear the way through the wilderness for the Lord! Make a straight highway through the wasteland for our God! Fill in the valleys, and level the mountains and hills. Straighten the curves, and smooth out the rough places. Then the glory of the Lord will be revealed, and all people will see it together. The Lord has spoken!’” (Isaiah 40:1-5 NLT)

King Hezikiah had served Israel admirably and done many good things for his people, but in the end he made a very foolish decision that, while it didn’t have ill-effect on him personally, cost his children and the children of Israel dearly.

There’s a lesson here for parents that the Lord has shown me in my own life. Though I have sought throughout my life to make good and right decisions, the ones that haunt me are the bad ones that have so dramatically affected my children spiritually. While my kids are good and doing well on many levels, they’re not walking with Jesus, which breaks my heart.

Bad decisions have consequences, some of which may not seem to be hurting us but have the potential to decimate those in our spheres of influence, especially our children and grandchildren. That’s what brings me down.

When I think about the damage I’ve done and the people I’ve hurt over the years, it causes me to struggle. Because the Lord has laid this on my heart to share, my sense is, I’m not alone. I know the Lord has forgiven me and I believe my children have forgiven me, but the pain it still causes is something with which I wrestle.

It’s in this context that Corrie Ten Boom’s words lifted my heart and blessed my spirit when she wrote: “We are never so low that He is not beneath us.” Regardless of the tormenting thoughts that caused or are causing you to feel low, despondent, saddened by past or present behavior, relationships, or any other cause, know the Lord is with you.

We are undergirded by the strong arms of our Savior in every circumstance that causes us grief. I’m reminded of Jesus’ words in Matthew 5:4: “God blesses those who mourn, for they WILL BE COMFORTED.” No “might’s” or “maybe’s,” only the assurance that our loving Heavenly Father WILL comfort and sustain us.

But another thought arises as I consider the Lord’s comforting presence. He never comforts us in order that we might stay the same. Comfort is for strength to return to the battle. Every day I seek to live the life of a Jesus Follower, not only in my circle of friends, neighbors, and acquaintances, but for the glory of God and the benefit of my kids.

It’s my heart’s desire, as my children age and make their own mistakes, that they may accept my failures in the context of my immaturity, not only as a believer, but as a father. I’ve offered my apologies and asked for and received their forgiveness, but to date they’re still not walking with the Lord.

Regardless of what is breaking your heart, don’t lose faith. Know the Lord is still on His throne and His Word promises us that He “…causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to His purpose for them.” (Romans 8:28 NLT) He’s still working. We must trust Him!

Food for thought.

Blessings, Ed 😊

Carpenter to Washer of Feet

“Jesus knew that the Father had given Him authority over everything and that He had come from God and would return to God. So He got up from the table, took off His robe, wrapped a towel around His waist, and poured water into a basin. Then He began to wash the disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel He had around Him.” (John 13:3-5 NLT)

For all His adult life Jesus had worked with His hands as a carpenter. Some suggest His work was exquisite and His services were in high demand. That’s not a hard scenario to believe when You consider who He was. But for Him to go from an “in-demand carpenter” to a washer of the feet of humble men seems a stretch, even for Jesus…or was it?

Ron Hutchcraft gives us insight when he writes: “You demonstrate your dignity, not by how many people do things for you, but how many people you do things for. That’s manhood! Jesus, the ultimate model of manhood – a muscular carpenter – can be a foot washer. The mighty Son of God can be a servant.”

Jesus was only modeling what He expects and demands of us. In Matthew 20:25ff Jesus said: “You know that the rulers in this world lord it over their people, and officials flaunt their authority over those under them. But among you it will be different. Whoever wants to be a leader among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first among you must become your slave. For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give His life as a ransom for many.”

As a Pastor it amused, but also frustrated me, when someone wanted to be considered for a leadership position but never showed up on workdays; they wanted esteem in the sight of their fellow Jesus followers, but didn’t want to help clean the church bathrooms (among other parts of the church). My kids would sometimes ask me how I knew how to do so many things around the house. My answer was always the same: poverty! When you’re poor you learn to do whatever needs to be done or do without.

That mentality has followed me into my senior years. While a lot of things have far surpassed my ability to even understand, let alone repair, I still do things around the house that I can do. I did learn a valuable lesson when I was, let’s just say, “short on funds,” and that is, it’s still less expensive to hire someone to do a job, than it is to hire them to redo what I messed up. Sometimes a thin line 😊.

What’s my point? As Christ’s servants, He may call us to do something that, in our mind, is far below our “qualifications,” yet, if that’s what He’s asking us to do, who are we, regardless of how long we’ve walked with Him, to question His judgment? Some of the richest and most beneficial “services” I’ve provided to the Lord’s glory have been to visit someone in a hospital or Nursing Center in the last stages of their life.

Others are just as “qualified” or more so, than me to make those calls, yet the joy the Lord brings when we pray together is not something that can be dismissed or devalued. To sense the Lord’s closeness as questions are answered about eternal things, as family members are relieved to know their loved one is ready to meet the Lord; when questions with which they’ve wrestled for years are resolved, there’s almost no greater sense of fulfillment.

While in Peru on my first mission’s trip, I had the privilege of literally washing the feet of the poorest of the poor. I’ve never sensed the Lord’s closeness as richly as in that setting. The Lord is no respecter of persons, so, we should never risk thinking more highly of ourselves than we should. The only appropriate answer when the Lord asks us to do anything is a simple: “Yes, Master!”

Food for thought.

Blessings, Ed 😊

A Closer Look at Holiness

“But that isn’t what you learned about Christ. Since you have heard about Jesus and have learned the truth that comes from Him, throw off your old sinful nature and your former way of life, which is corrupted by lust and deception. Instead let the Spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes. Put on your new nature, created to be like God – truly righteous and holy.” (Ephesians 4:20-24 NLT)

Holiness isn’t a pretense of something we’re not, it’s a revelation of who we now are as a new creation in Christ Jesus. Holiness isn’t pious behavior lived in an effort to conceal a lie, it’s a channel to make known a revelation of Truth we’ve personally experienced.

The holiness to which we’re called as followers of Jesus is a quality of life lived in and through His life as He revealed to us the life of His Father in heaven. That’s the life to which we’re called. There’s a sense in which we’re to be microcosms of the living God populating the earth, spreading His love and life in and through the lives we live from day to day.

Holiness isn’t something we attain; it’s a gift we’re given when we yield our life and allegiance to Jesus. It isn’t earned or deserved; it’s a gift that becomes a tool of the Holy Spirit to spread Jesus’ fame. Being set apart for the sacred use of our Savior isn’t something for which we piously and carefully work, but to which we open ourselves when we invite Jesus to become Lord of our life.

Sanctification is a process that in many ways parallels our salvation. I think of salvation and sanctification as parallel tracks, both of which have a distinct beginning as we open our heart, mind, soul, and body to the ownership and authority of Jesus, and an anticipated ending when we close our eyes in death. They are progressive activities that result from the partnership of our lives with the life of the Spirit who takes up residence in us as believers in Jesus.

What I fear we miss in many of our efforts to win others to Jesus is a lack of emphasis on a person’s resultant responsibility to live a separated, distinct, and yes, holy life to the honor of Christ Jesus. To lead someone to believe all they have to do is pray a prayer, receive Christ as Savior, then continue to live their lives as they please is a lie from the pit of hell.

R.C. Sproul wrote: “The failure of modern evangelicalism is the failure to understand the holiness of God.” We defame and deny the power and authority of God when we fail to help people understand their need to live a holy life. But that also demands an explanation of what that means. Rich Mullins got my attention when he wrote: “Save me from trendy religion that makes cheap clichés out of timeless truths.”

The short answer is, stop living like the devil and start living like Jesus, but, unfortunately, sometimes there is so little difference in the way a nonbeliever and many believers choose to live, that doesn’t really say much. Perhaps a more accurate and helpful response would be to base our lives on what the Bible teaches, originally outlined in the 10 Commandments. The priority being, Love God with all our heart, mind, soul, and body, and loving others as ourselves.

Of course, there are specific ways the Bible describes sin, as in the writings of Paul in Romans 6, as well as many other verses. The point here is that we can’t ignore our obligation and responsibility to live holy lives, separated as unto God, for the purpose of honoring God and illustrating to others how good, gracious, righteous, and powerful He is.

Food for thought.

Blessings, Ed 😊

The Power of Words

“Then Nathan said to David, ‘You are that man!” (2 Samuel 12:7a NLT)

Think of the words that have shaped and/or broken you. Words like: “I hate you! I wish I’d never met you!” “You’re worthless! I hope I never have to have contact with you ever again!” Think of the emotions those kinds of words have had or are having on you. But, on the other hand, think of words like: “I love you; I can’t imagine life without you!” “Thank you for the tremendous contribution you’ve made to my life.” “I wouldn’t be the person I am today if I hadn’t met you.”

We never know when a simple “Thank you” or “I really appreciate your kindness/thoughtfulness” will mean to someone. I used to think there was a class that all old people were required to attend in order to be trained how to be slow…then I got old! There’s nothing that can prepare us for the uncertainty of the future, so, it’s nice when someone shows us kindness.

While in line at the drug store recently I was waiting while an elderly woman was checking out. She must have been trying to use some kind of government issued card, I’m not sure. But she kept swiping it and the cashier, with increasing frustration, kept telling her, “It’s not going through!”

Finally, without recourse, she apologized and told the cashier she wouldn’t be able to take the items she’d selected and prepared to leave. But to everyone’s amazement, the person right behind her told the clerk, “Put her things on my bill.” Those few words lifted a load, raised spirits, and transformed what might have been a very embarrassing and discouraging moment into a very joy-filled and encouraging occasion. Even the cashier was smiling, and I was about to cry. 😊

How we use words will shape us and mold us into people of God or people of the world; people who build up or tear down; people who encourage or people who discourage. And sometimes it’s not even the words we use, but the tone with which we speak them. Solomon wrote in Proverbs 15:2: “The tongue of the wise makes knowledge appealing, but the mouth of a fool belches out foolishness.” Then in 18:21 he writes: “The tongue can bring death or life; those who love to talk will reap the consequences.” The obvious implication in verse 21 is the one who loves to speak gossip or to use words deceitfully.

R. Kent Hughes made the chilling observation: “Words do not dissolve mere organs and nerves, but souls!” With our words we can point people to life or death, heaven or hell, good or evil, right or wrong, salvation or destruction. Where are your words pointing you? Others? Are your words wholesome, uplifting, encouraging, life-giving, and life-sustaining?

Remember the words of Jesus in John 15:7: “But if you remain in Me and My words remain in you, you may ask for anything you want, and it will be granted!” Another word for “remain” is “abide.” Another way of thinking of this is: If we allow Jesus’ words to dwell within us – in our mind, our heart, our spirit. If we allow His holy presence to seep into every fiber of our being, bringing to our remembrance His words of life that sustain and strengthen us, we can then pass them on to others who need encouragement.

Each word can have power. Think of Jesus’ words when He invited Lazarus to return to life from death. He didn’t preach a lengthy discourse. He simply said: “Lazarus, come out!” Perhaps rather than a “sermon,” we can invite someone to Jesus with simple words: “Friend, I love you too much to let you live another moment without Jesus. Please, come to Him now!”

Food for thought.

Blessings, Ed 😊

Was Jesus a Nice Guy?

“Anyone who hates Me also hates My Father. If I hadn’t done such miraculous signs among them that no one else could do, they would not be guilty. But as it is, they have seen everything I did, yet they still hate Me and My Father. This fulfills what is written in their Scriptures: ‘They hated Me without cause.’” (John 15:23-25 NLT)

Does it bother you if someone doesn’t like you? It used to bother me. I wanted everyone to like me, not only because I was insecure, but I wrongly believed if they didn’t like me they’d never let me share Jesus with them. The reality is, often because they already knew I had a relationship with Jesus, they automatically wrote me off as a weirdo they didn’t like. They didn’t have to know me not to like me. And that’s completely okay. Jesus told us in the verses above that it would be that way.

Jesus wasn’t a nice guy in the traditional sense. He was kind, loving, caring, forgiving, all the things a good man is and would be, but “nice” guys don’t buck the system, they don’t stand against the prevailing winds of doctrine held by the powers that be. I’m in no way comparing Jesus with Donald Trump, but that’s exactly why people hate Mr. Trump.

He’s not God, a Savior, or the Messiah, he’s just a man (in my humble opinion) who is trying to do the right thing for the right reason at the right time. Is he perfect? Of course not, he’s a man with feet of clay just like the rest of us. But I believe he’s God’s appointed for such a time as this, to do things no one else was willing to do.

The late Timothy Keller wrote: “Jesus wasn’t just a nice guy who did good in the world. You don’t crucify nice guys. You crucify threats.” If your life isn’t a threat to anyone, why not? If your holiness of life isn’t challenging anyone, why not? If your socio-economic, yes, even your political views aren’t causing the hair on the back of anyone’s neck to rise, why not?

Jesus was loved by the people, but certainly not by the government, nor by most of the Jews who were the predominant religious “law” of Jesus’ day. Jesus wasn’t sent to make everyone happy; He was sent to be and tell the Truth. Truth divides, separates, causes division, even among friends and family. That doesn’t mean we have to be cantankerous or contentious, deliberately stirring people up for the sake of being unpleasant, even mean.

Jesus wasn’t mean, but He told the Truth, and Truth always separates the sheep from the goats, the lost from the found, the truth-bearer from the phony. In the day in which we live there is no place for Truth to hide. If we’re bearers of the message of the Risen Savior we’re by virtue of our convictions, allowing the Lord to set us apart for His sacred use, thus, positioning ourselves for criticism, complaint, persecution, and injustice.

It’s already happening all over the world and is coming to a neighborhood near me (and you) in the coming days. It’s going to get a lot harder for us and those who come behind us, to hide behind our niceness. We’re either people of substance, willing to lay down our lives for our Savior, or we’re an empty shell with a painted happy face.

Jesus wasn’t simply a “nice guy” in His day, nor can we be in ours. We’re holy warriors willing to lay down our lives for our Savior or we’re frauds. I just can’t be nice about it!

Food for thought.

Blessings, Ed 😊

Time

“She (Potiphar’s wife) kept putting pressure on Joseph day after day, but he refused to sleep with her, and he kept out of her way as much as possible. One day, however, no one else was around when he went in to do his work. She came and grabbed him by his cloak, demanding, ‘Come on, sleep with me!’ Joseph tore himself away, but he left his cloak in her hand as he ran from the house.” (Genesis 39:10-12 NLT)

Time seems to be exaggerated in times of trial. When we’re under pressure to get a project completed, finish an assignment, sell our house, receive a much-needed check, or a thousand other scenarios that involve us in a race with time, it seems there’s never enough of that precious commodity.

Joseph was the youngest of Jacob’s twelve sons and, according to Scripture, was Jabob’s favorite. Jacob had a special robe made for Joseph that only compounded Joseph’s bad standing with his brothers. Joseph obviously had a good standing with the Lord and the Lord revealed to Joseph that he would one day have authority over his brothers.

Without consideration as to how his brothers would react, he shared that great news with them and, as we might expect, they didn’t respond very positively. Circumstances presented themselves to the brothers who, in their jealousy decided to take matters into their own hands, and, ultimately, sold Joseph into slavery to the Egyptians.

That process set the stage for the scenario described in the verses from Genesis that ultimately landed Joseph in prison. You’d think after all the injustice committed against him, Joseph would have been discouraged and frustrated with the Lord, but he’s not. He continues to stand strong as God’s child and to excel in whatever tasks the Lord presents for him to do.

It’s interesting to me that there’s no evidence in Scripture that the Lord ever shared with Joseph: “Joseph, just stay faithful and believe I’m working things out for you,” still, Joseph never wavered. He stayed strong in his conviction that He was God’s child, and he was going to stay pure in every avenue and dimension of his life, including his sexual purity, even though it cost him a stay in prison.

What’s the lesson for us? God always keeps His promises. He will ALWAYS work things for our good and His glory if we leave them in His capable hands, which is exactly what Joseph did. What Satan intended for evil, God intended for good, and His holy will always prevails. Truth will always win in the end.

Lecrae wrote: “The less time you spend with truth, the easier it is to believe lies.” It stands to reason that the opposite of that is also true: “The MORE time you spend with truth, the harder it is to believe lies.” The obvious implication for me is, the more time and energy we invest ourselves in the truth of Scripture, the more easily we’ll recognize the lies that Satan couches in such innocent and appealing ways.

Joseph obviously prioritized his time with the Lord, so much so, he never had to question God about why things were happening in his life as they were. He trusted and waited and, ultimately, God’s will prevailed. That’s true in your life as well, fellow believer. Things may look very bleak in this season of your life, but that’s not the end of your story. Give it time.

Food for thought.

Blessings, Ed 😊

The Loudest Voice

“I am leaving you with a gift – peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid.” (John 14:27 NLT)

What frightens you? Darkness? Aloneness? Silence? Sickness? Personal assault or injury? The list can be very long, but the antidote to every fear is the peace that only Jesus can give.

Often our fears are the loudest “voice” in our heart and mind. We get a raspy voice, and we fear throat cancer; the car has a small rattle, and we conclude the wheels are going to fly off; our child gets in trouble at school, and immediately we fear they’re headed for a life of delinquency. It doesn’t have to make sense. Fear most often doesn’t.

“Peace Like a River” “Used by permission, © Ray Majoran, GlimpseOfInfinity.com”

Our individual “plot” thickens as a believer when we have an evil or wrong thought and immediately, we’ve backslidden. We read about or think we know “saints” present or past who seem to be living or have lived “perfect,” sinless lives, so, “why can’t I?” The voice of our heart cries relentlessly: “What am I doing or not doing that I have this relentless, nagging voice dragging me down, constantly criticizing, constantly berating me? Am I really that bad? Does God hate me? Is there an answer? Will I ever find relief or peace?”

In my life as I seek intimacy with my Father, I’m finding the “loudest” voice must become the “softest” or “quietest.” Because my hearing is failing, especially in a noisy environment, it is very difficult to hear. And the more loudly people around me interact, the worse it becomes. So, in order to hear someone with whom I’m speaking, I must literally focus on them – look at them and actively listen to what they’re saying. It’s like that with the Lord. We must learn to let Him be the center and focus of our undivided attention.

My intentionality in focusing on one person, one voice, makes it easier for me to hear them speak. It’s no different with the Lord. When I read His Word I must listen to the context, the individual persons involved (who are the key players in the story?), the environment (what’s going on? What’s the proverbial plot?), what are the questions being asked whether overtly or implied? What is the central message that if I miss, I’ve missed everything?

Even when He’s speaking to me individually apart from His Word, regarding something with which I’m wrestling, I must focus my undivided attention on Him – on listening to His still, small, undetectable by human ears, voice. And I assure you, it doesn’t happen overnight and even with practice, it’s still sometimes difficult.

Ray Majoran (See Peace Like a River – 02-09-25) helps us when he prays: “May the Holy Spirit be the loudest voice in us. Let Your peace not just visit but reign. Rule over our thoughts, our choices, our reactions. If You are our peace, then fear has no home in us (John 14:27). And for that, we are truly grateful.”

Ultimately, either fear or faith/peace will reign in our heart and mind. Which one is up to us. Sometimes when I get nervous at forgetting something I know I should remember, like a name of a friend or family member, my paranoia heightens and I sense fear creeping into my thoughts, I must intentionally choose faith, confidence that I’m exactly where God would have me to be. He is with me and for me and whatever the future holds, he holds me in that future.

Please allow faith to be your loudest voice in dealing with the frightening scenarios with which you deal each day. The truth is, they, for the most part, are out of our control, and, honestly, I would have it no other way. Leaving it in the Lord’s hands gives me all the assurance I need to know I’m secure in Him.

Food for thought.

Blessings, Ed 😊

Bitter or Sweet?

“You are the salt of the earth. But what good is salt if it has lost its flavor? Can you make it salty again? It will be thrown out and trampled underfoot as worthless.” (Matthew 5:13 NLT)

When you get the “midnight munchies,” where do you turn for satisfaction? Ice cream? Cake? Candy? The list is long and inviting, but, with rare exception, the things for which we crave are not healthy, thus, not good for us. On the other hand, bitter foods, such as greens, roots, nuts and herbs, while not on our favorite snack list, can offer some very nutritious and positive options.

Similarly, in our walk with the Lord, often the things that appeal to us most are least healthy for us spiritually. Perhaps that’s why Thomas Watson’s quote jumped out at me when he wrote: “Till sin be bitter, Christ will not be sweet.”

Photo by RDNE Stock project on Pexels.com

In some ways it’s like breaking up with someone but continuing to text or call them. What’s the point? If the relationship is over, let it die. If you’ve given your life to Jesus, cut off the devil’s access to you. Stop “flirting” with sin. It’s like playing with a rattlesnake and not expecting to get bitten. You’re not strong enough to withstand the enemy’s onslaughts on your own. And here’s a newsflash: you never will be!

We’re never strong enough on our own to stand up to Satan and his devilish emissaries. Our ONLY strength is found in the Holy Spirit’s presence living in and through us. Having walked with the Lord for many years, I’ve often thought doing battle with the enemy of our soul would get easier, and in some ways, it has, but it’s none-the-less a daily process.

Thomas Watson reminds us: “It must not be expected that the devil will let those rest who are laboring to destroy his kingdom.” Perhaps that’s the key to winning the battle! When we’re so focused on pursuit of the Kingdom and accomplishing the purposes of our Savior, giving Satan the time of day is secondary and hardly demands a thought.

Our focus can never be on Satan, but on our victory in Jesus. When we encounter hardships, our thoughts should immediately turn to the problem Solver, not the problem itself. We torment ourselves with worry when worry accomplishes nothing positive.

Among the first verses I committed to memory were Proverbs 3:5-6: “Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek His will in all you do, and He will show you which path to take.” When we worry, we take things out of God’s hands that rightfully belong to Him. Lack of trust leads to self-reliance which is the recipe for a bitter result.

Implicit in our lack of trust and insistence upon self-reliance is an unwillingness to desire God’s will above our own. In order to put our full trust in God and allow His will to become ours we must understand that what God wants for us is better than what we want for ourselves. As long as we believe God is holding us back or withholding something from us that we really want and/or need, our trust will be crippled and our lives left unprotected from the devil’s attacks.

Problems, hardships, illnesses, setbacks, trials, whatever name you choose, none of these things are final unless we shut the Lord out. Bitterness grows out of self-reliance but can be sweetened by a powerful infusion of the Holy Spirit’s presence into ANY situation. If you’re experiencing a “bitter” time today, please invite the sweetness of the Holy Spirit’s power to fill, empower, and enable you to sense the Lord’s closeness and willingness to walk with you through whatever you’re facing. You CAN trust Him! It CAN have a “sweet” result.

Food for thought.

Blessings, Ed 😊