Walking With Jesus

The Affairs of the Heart

“The human heart is the most deceitful of all things, and desperately wicked. Who really knows how bad it is? But I, the Lord, search all hearts and examine secret motives. I give all people their due rewards, according to what their actions deserve.” (Jeremiah 17:9-10 NLT)

Malaria is a mosquito-borne disease caused by a parasite that is spread through the bite of an infected mosquito. People often experience flu-like symptoms and, if left untreated, they can develop severe complications and die. Satan has a similar strategy when it comes to sin. He “inoculates” us with the Truth of the Gospel, but not enough to really change our life.

We tend to believe that if we know something we’re good, but that’s not the truth of the Gospel. James 2:19 reminds us: “You say you have faith, for you believe that there is one God. Good for you! Even the demons believe this, and they tremble in terror. How foolish! Can’t you see that faith without good deeds is useless?”

Of course, good deeds don’t save us, but neither does faith alone. Saving faith is belief WITH good works. Yes, of course, faith is the foundation upon which our works are built, but faith without evidence that faith exists is of no value. We are saved by grace, the free, unmerited favor of God, through faith, which, of course, is itself a gift of God, as Paul writes in Ephesians 2:8-9 “God saved you by His grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this, it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it.”

We sometimes wrongly believe once we give expression to a belief we hold, our sins are forgiven and we’re good to go, but that’s not how it works. Yes, of course, that’s how it begins, but the same faith that affords us salvation must fuel our journey to sanctification, which essentially means our life in the Spirit.

The Spirit supplies the resource of strength to put our faith into action as we seek moment by moment to not only “rest” in our salvation, but allow it to be activated by the good works the Lord prepared in advance for us to do (Ephesians 2:10). If we’re not actively living out our faith, we’re very likely allowing it to lie dormant, which is not unlike allowing ourselves to have Malaria, but ignoring it.

We lie to ourselves about things the Bible teaches are clearly wrong. We say things like: “What harm is a text to thank her for our conversation today? She’s so thoughtful and caring and attentive to me.” or “My male co-worker will really like this picture of me in my new outfit. He’s so complimentary of how I dress.”

Are we really that stupid? (Don’t answer that, it’s too embarrassing). Yes, of course, we treat our co-workers, friends, neighbors, virtually everyone with kindness, but we cross lines when we carry our kindness too far in male-female relationships when we’re married and they’re not our spouse.

Emotional affairs can be swift and fatal to our marriage in a similar way as Malaria can kill our body. Janel Breitenstein gives us an insightful instruction when she writes: “Keep yourself from rationalizing the danger of opening your heart to someone who isn’t your spouse.” In much the same way as if you’re bitten by an infected mosquito, you run the risk of Malaria, if your heart is smitten by an emotional affair, please seek treatment!

Silence isn’t golden when you’re flirting (literally) with the demise of your marriage. You must tell someone (i.e. a Pastor, Counselor, close Christian friend, etc. – unless, of course, one of those is the one with whom you’re having the affair ☹). The best course is to tell your spouse, then seek help together. It will be scary and may risk your marriage, but truth is, your marriage is already at risk. You need help and you need help NOW!

Food for thought.

Blessings, Ed 😊

We Don’t Clean What We Don’t Know Is Dirty

“Repent of your wickedness and pray to the Lord. Perhaps He will forgive your evil thoughts, for I can see that you are full of bitter jealousy and are held captive by sin.” (Acts 8:22-23 NLT)

These stern words to Simon the sorcerer came from the Apostle Peter following Simon’s request to receive the Holy Spirit’s power by paying Peter money. Then, upon hearing Peter’s words, he begged Peter to pray for him so those things wouldn’t happen to him. My sense is we won’t find brother Simon in heaven. It’s obvious his concern centered on him, not on Jesus.

A lot of people are like Simon today. They don’t realize the foulness of their sin until they see something about Christianity that is appealing, so they pursue it in the energy of the flesh, never stopping to consider if they could have what Christ offers without Christ, the Cross served no purpose. David Jeremiah reminds us: “The stench of sin is worse than all the foul odors of earth. When we dishonor the commands of Scripture, it’s a stench rising to heaven.”

Ideally, the foul odor of our lives will point us to Jesus, but often, until the stench of our own sin becomes too much to bear, we’ll continue down our path to hell without a thought of changing. Like the baby’s diaper, we don’t usually change it until it stinks or gives us evidence of its need to be changed.

Too often the beauty and majesty of Jesus fades in the light of our own “goodness.” When we’re full of ourselves there’s no room left for Jesus. Max Lucado makes an interesting observation when he writes: “We can never be cleansed until we confess we are dirty.” We can’t be forgiven for a sin for which we haven’t asked forgiveness.

The tragedy is, we often wait too long before we realize our perilous plight. I think of the 5 bridesmaids from Matthew 25 who didn’t have enough oil for their lamps, but while they went to purchase more, the bridegroom came, and the door was shut. Jesus’ words haunt us as He said: “Believe Me, I don’t know you!”

The point of the parable is simple – BE PREPARED! If someone isn’t prepared when they die or Jesus comes, for them it’s too late. Are YOU prepared? If your heart would stop and your life would end this moment, are you certain you’d have a home in heaven with the Lord Jesus. The only reason any of us can have that certainty is Jesus.

There’s nothing about any of us that deserves heaven except Him, so, to believe we’re good enough because of all the good we do, all the money we give, all the compassion we show, or anything else is to let our lamps run out of oil. There’s no hope of heaven without Jesus and the only way to know we’re right with Him is through recognizing the stench of our sin and seeking the Savior who is Christ the Lord.

If you’re certain of your right standing with Christ because of your faith in Him alone, then please, be attentive to those around you who are dying in their sin but believing they’re going to heaven because of their own goodness. And, yes, I understand it’s sometimes a thin line to cross when someone believes they’re right with God, but like Simon the sorcerer, they’re clearly not.

The Lord will help you find a way to let them know, but more importantly, make sure you’re not approaching them under the cloak of your own self-righteousness. Allow the Lord to search your heart first before you seek to help guide anyone else in the cleansing of their heart.

Food for thought.

Blessings, Ed 😊

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Is Obedience to God Optional?

“I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth. Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:18b-20 NLT)

There are no “super Christians” in the family of God. There are only those who obey and those who disobey God. The Great Commission (see above) are not words to Pastors and leaders of the Christian Faith alone, they are to me and you, if you’re a follower of Jesus. And the weight and responsibility of that command doesn’t expire until we do.

As long as we have breath, we have responsibility to reach and teach people about Jesus. Our churches are filled with people who see themselves as spiritual minnows called to catch whales, but we take courage because we believe our Pastors, leaders, and the ministries of our churches are doing the job!

Here’s the deal – no one can do the job that you or I are leaving undone! NOONE! There are lost loved ones, neighbors, co-workers, classmates, friends, acquaintances…and on and on it goes! People who won’t be reached for Christ if we don’t reach them. Infant believers who won’t grow unless we take them under our wing and teach them what it looks like for a person of God to act and live like a person of God.

R. C. Sproul wrote: “Christ has commissioned us to be light and salt in this world. We have no option but to obey.” We try to treat Jesus’ compelling words as if they were written for someone else, but they weren’t. If we profess faith in Jesus these are His words to me and you. Hudson Taylor reinforces Sproul’s words when he wrote: “The great commission is not an option to be considered; it is a command to be obeyed.”

And I can hear the hearts of many saying: “But I’m not ready! I don’t know enough! I’m not well enough equipped to take on an assignment like that!” And here’s God’s answer: “Then get ready! I’ve given you everything you need to be everything I designed and equipped you to be. I’ve given you My Word and My Church and a mind and heart that when submitted to Me will be all you’ll need to be and do everything I’m calling you to be and do. TRUST ME!”

A. W. Tozer wrote: “Every man is as close to God as he wants to be.” In other words, we’re as well equipped to win and serve others as we want to be. But here’s the irony, you’ve already got everything you need to get started in moving in the right direction.

If you’ll get on your knees before the Lord and hold your hands out in front of you, palms up. And tell the Lord in your own words, some version of: “Lord, this is my life. Take it, use it, it’s Yours. Do in me, through me, on my behalf everything I need You to do so that I can be everything You’ve called me to be. Fill me with Your Holy Spirit and empower me to put my ‘yes’ on the table. “Yes” to whatever You want. I’ll go wherever you want me to go and do whatever You desire me to do. In Jesus’ Name. Amen!”

When you mean it, He’ll do it!

Food for thought.

Blessings, Ed 😊

While There’s Time

“We must quickly carry out the tasks assigned us by the One who sent us. The night is coming, and then no one can work. But while I am here in the world, I am the light of the world.’” (John 9:4-5 NLT)

Jesus had a deadline, and so do you and I. We all have only so many ticks of the clock to accomplish what the Lord put us here to do. Are you doing what you’ve been put here to do? Jesus did. He had a very specific assignment, one only He could accomplish and here’s the kicker – so do you and I!

Why do you think the Lord made the effort to form you perfectly in your mother’s womb. There’s not another person on earth exactly like you and there are assignments for God that only you can do. If you or I don’t do what God calls us to do, it won’t get done.

*“Acknowledging the Creator”* “Used by permission, © Ray Majoran, GlimpseOfInfinity.com”

Why do you think there are so many unreached people and people groups in our world? It’s not because there isn’t anyone to reach them, it’s because the right person hasn’t answered their call and stepped up to do what only they can do.

So, that raises some questions. How do I know what I’ve been equipped and called to do? How does God speak? To whom does He speak? Does He speak? There are things the Lord is showing me in this time and season that I could have heard thirty, forty, fifty years ago if I’d been listening. He spoke, I was just too busy and too distracted to listen.

That’s what millions of believers in the world are doing right now. They think their life is about them. Their career, their family, their relationships, their business, their relaxation, their ________ (and you can fill in the blank). When we believe life is about us we don’t listen to the Lord because we think we already have life figured out.

I’m “hearing” the words of George Bailey in It’s a Wonderful Life saying: “I’m going to travel the world, I’m going to build skyscrapers…and bridges…and…” but he ended up staying in the “measly little town” he despised, taking over the Savings and Loan his father had established and ran. But as much as he thought he hated it; in the end he realized what “A Wonderful Life” he’d been given. Why? Because he did what only he could do in that circumstance.

You have been given “a wonderful life,” too, my friend, you just may not have realized it yet. God speaks to those who will listen. Are you listening? What is it that God has given you? Where has He uniquely placed you? What experiences have you had that uniquely equip you to do what needs to be done where He’s placed you or in the place to which He’s calling you?

Jesus’ mission was to do one thing – to seek and save the lost! He had a very specific role in that process, one that no one else in all of history could have filled, but He stepped up and at the cost of His life, He paid the penalty for our sin. Then what? He called me and you to continue the quest of seeking the lost. He’ll still do the saving, but we have to take them to Him. WE MUST MAKE HIM KNOWN!

We’re not here to run a company or work at one; we’re not here simply to raise a family and go to church when it’s convenient. We’re here to spend ourselves in the Master’s service. And yes, of course, that often involves families and jobs and responsibilities, but it’s in that context we discover what Jesus has specifically and uniquely called us to. It’s not outside, beyond, or even in addition to what we find ourselves enmeshed in. If we’ll allow Him, He’ll show us our “mission,” our part in seeking the lost, right there in the midst of our mess.

Are you listening? Time’s running out.

Blessings, Ed 😊

Taking a Spiritual Retreat

“O Lord, you have examined my heart and know everything about me. You know when I sit down or stand up. You know my thoughts even when I’m far away. You see me when I travel and when I rest at home. You know everything I do. You know what I am going to say even before I say it, Lord. You go before me and follow me. You place Your hand of blessing on my head. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too great for me to understand.” (Psalm 139:1-6 NLT)

How can God know so much about us when we know so little about Him? Why would He even care to know US? The Lord’s knowledge is infinite. He knows everything about everything, including about us! But get this – He not only knows what we’ve done, but what we’ll do, ultimately, what we’ll become as a person, including where we’ll spend eternity.

But please don’t get information confused with predestination. Knowing is a matter of the mind, our intellect, but predetermining is a matter of will, which is a subject for another post. If I’m in your presence, as God is ever-present with us (there’s never a second He’s not with us), He obviously will know everything about us, but His knowing doesn’t violate our will in any way. He may know we’re wearing a blue shirt, but He in no way influenced us to wear that shirt.

Why mention this in the context of taking a Spiritual Retreat? Because these and other subjects that often baffle us can be subjects of our retreat. However, if you’ve never taken a personal spiritual retreat, let me offer some observations and suggestions.

First, initially, let it be just for you and Jesus. Go to a quiet place in nature, a park, lake, or forest area, and leave your phone in the car. Take snacks and some water and plan to stay for at least 1 – 3 hours. Take your Bible and a pen and paper or your iPad or equivalent. Sit quietly for at least thirty minutes paying attention to what you’re seeing and hearing all around you. Nature is often God’s way of speaking when we’re ready to listen.

Second, have a subject, idea, or text in mind that will become the focus of your time with the Lord. For example, you may want to investigate God’s Promises. If you’re not that familiar with the Bible, you may want to Google “God’s Promises in the Bible.” You’ll quickly learn there are hundreds, but you can take 10 or 15 and write down their Biblical references. Then during your retreat, go to each promise, make note of its original context – why did God make THAT promise and to whom? Then think about how that promise effects or applies to you. Other subjects may be God’s Names, prayer, the Prophets of God, the Disciples, the Great Commission, the 10 Commandments, and on and on it goes. Pick a subject that will guide you in your time alone with the Lord.

Third, after each 30-45 minutes, take a break to eat a snack, walk around for 10-15 minutes pondering what you’ve just read or studied. Then go back and pick up where you left off.

Fourth, don’t feel compelled to complete the whole study. If you’re listening to the Lord’s voice and He’s guiding you into a deeper understanding of Himself, yourself, His Word, the specific subject you’re studying, that’s the “WIN,” continuing may be counterproductive. It’s not an assignment to complete, it’s time alone with your Savior in which your primary goal is to get to know Him more intimately.

This can also be beneficial for you and your spouse, a friend, or small group of friends.

Food for thought.

Blessings, Ed 😊

The Path of Everlasting Life

“Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. Point out anything in me that offends you, and lead me along the path of everlasting life.” (Psalm 139:23-24 NLT)

One of the tragedies of the sexual “revolution” of the sixties that has continued through to the present day is that it believes “freedom” to exploit one another sexually leads to satisfaction emotionally, but it doesn’t. We’ve believed that sex with multiple partners would lead to some measure of emotional contentment or even sexual satisfaction, but it doesn’t.

God had it right from the beginning – one man and one woman in a lifetime commitment to one another in marriage. Sexual intimacy that is satisfying and long-lasting grows out of the security of a lifelong commitment that can be difficult and takes effort to maintain. It grows out of a relationship in which we sometimes kick and scream and fight the temptation to not pay the price; to bail out of the marriage, but, unfortunately, many still do.

Photo by RDNE Stock project on Pexels.com

But the prize is to those who stay together and pay the price to break through to true intimacy where the two become one flesh. It’s a closeness that will never be achieved over night, but only comes over a lifetime of facing the ups and downs, tragedies and triumphs of love and life together, all along holding tightly to the hand of the King of kings and Lord of lords.

Intimacy with our spouse and with our God is a lifelong journey, one that demands time and work and a willingness to persevere. It doesn’t take minutes a day, it takes hours, but it’s worth every second.

If you’re serious about getting close to the Lord, you first must be willing to let Him be close to you. The Psalmist asked God to “Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. Point out anything in me that offends you, and lead me along the path of everlasting life.”

In order to allow the Lord to do those things you’ll need minimally 30-45 minutes to let your “engine” cool, so your heart and mind are in a suitable posture to listen. Sit with pen and paper close by because when He speaks, and He will, you’ll want to listen carefully and take lots of notes. Also have your Bible handy because sometimes He’ll point you to things He’s already told you, but you weren’t listening.

God’s Word will come to life for you like never before. You’ll read with a “sixth sense” that enables you to see things you’d never seen before; understand how to apply things you never saw before; and open avenues of intimacy to the heart of God you never realized existed before.

You’ll learn to see who God is, what He loves, why He loves, how He loves, how He teaches us, corrects us, desires for us to know and love Him on more than a superficial level. You’ll see more clearly why the people of the Bible we consider “great” men and women of God were that way and how they got there.

Loving God and being loved by Him is the greatest adventure of a lifetime and the reason most people never learn to enjoy Him is because they think they’re too busy. I couldn’t find who said this, but it’s the truth. It says: “If the devil can’t make you bad, he’ll make you busy.” You’ll rarely, if ever, find the Lord in your busy-ness. You’ll find Him in your quietness.

In tomorrow’s post I’ll give you some guidance in planning a personal “spiritual retreat.”

Food for thought.

Blessings, Ed 😊

What Moves God’s Heart?

“Jesus replied, ‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment.” (Matthew 22:37-38 NLT)

In our harried pace we miss opportunities to grow in our relationship with the Lord, largely because we treat Him like a school project or work assignment. We disengage Him from the emotions of other relationships.

Would you listen to or read messages or letters from your spouse, but never engage in conversation? Would you content yourself to see words from them, but never desire to sit in their presence or do things together? We wrongly assume going to church, reading, even studying the Bible, and speaking to Him in prayer is enough, but it’s not. Where is the intimacy in that?

Photo by Christina Morillo on Pexels.com

Where is the fellowship, the blending of spirits, the joining of lives? I can read someone’s biography and learn a lot about them, but if I never meet them, exchange conversation, spend time together we’ll not really “know” one another.

Our goal as a believer in and follower of the Lord Jesus isn’t simply to know about Him, but to KNOW HIM! Jesus said in John 7:28-29 in reference to His relationship with His Father: “While Jesus was teaching in the Temple, He called out, ‘Yes, you know Me, and you know where I come from. But I’m not here on My own. The one who sent Me is true, and you don’t know Him. But I know Him because I come from Him, and He sent Me to you.”

Paul expressed his strong yearnings to know God personally when he wrote in Philippians 3:10: “I want to know Christ and experience the mighty power that raised Him from the dead. I want to suffer with Him, sharing in His death, so that one way or another I will experience the resurrection from the dead!”

Knowing, experiencing His power, suffering with Him, sharing in His death, experiencing the resurrection, what do all of these things share in common? They all shout intimacy, closeness, relationship! We can’t have intimacy with a book or an idea about someone or something. Intimacy implies closeness, companionship, friendship, the kinds of things most Jesus followers are too busy to pursue with Him.

For years I contented myself with reading, studying, preaching, teaching God’s Word, as well as my “token” hour of rehearsing my “prayer” list and telling God all the things I needed Him to do for me or others. I spent very little time in intimate conversation with the Lord where I not only spoke to Him, but genuinely listened to Him.

And yes, of course, I “listened” to Him as I read His Word, but most of my listening was for me, not Him. My goal was to get information from Him that I could use to “glorify” Him, but there was little or no intimacy in that. Now I listen to hear His heart – what He loves, what brings Him joy, what makes Him laugh, lifts His heart, and brings a smile to His holy face.

You know what it is? I believe Adam Mabry nailed it when he wrote: “The God of Scripture isn’t impressed by busyness; he’s moved by love.” What does that look like? It looks like you and me making an effort to spend alone time with Him without an agenda. Without a list of wants or needs or anything else. Just listening to His heart even more than His “voice.” I will warn you it takes time and effort.

This is too rich, let’s pick this up in tomorrow’s post.

Blessings, Ed 😊

The Hinge of History

“When the angels had returned to heaven, the shepherds said to each other, ‘Let’s go to Bethlehem! Let’s see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.’ They hurried to the village and found Mary and Joseph. And there was the baby lying in the manger.” (Luke 2:15-16 NLT)

As we find our way in this new year, we’ll find it more meaningful and more satisfying if we view our life and what we encounter through the clear lens of our relationship with the One born in the manger so many years ago. According to Ralph W. Sockman: “The hinge of history is on the door of a Bethlehem stable.”

So much of what we fret about and with which we wrestle wouldn’t have such a hold on us if we could grasp the significance of what the infant Jesus grew to become and died to offer us. We want to compartmentalize and isolate our relationship with the living God, but what Jesus accomplished through the Cross has opened the door for us to walk with Him in a relationship that encompasses every detail of our lives.

Photo by Tuesday Temptation on Pexels.com

Regardless of what happens in our life, when we are walking with Jesus, He will guide, guard, inform, and surround us with His comforting presence. We’re far too quick to trade the intimacy we can have in our relationship with the Lord Jesus for religious duties, obligations, rituals, and rules, which can be fine as long as we see them and hold them in their proper perspective.

But when we relegate our walk with Jesus to religious exercise or practice, we reduce our relationship to that which we can control and rather than nourish our friendship we treat Jesus like a picture on the wall or an artifact on a shelf. We depersonalize the Spirit of God and reduce Him to an idea rather than treat Him as the alive, active, and engaged Savior that He is.

It’s like treating our spouse and/or children as if they were invisible and didn’t have the ability to speak or interact with us. Because the invisible God became flesh and blood in the Person of His Son, Jesus has given visibility to who the Father is and what He desires for us to know about Him. He’s personable, relatable, loving, kind, compassionate, caring, as well as all-powerful, all-knowing, ever-present and in many other ways, while different than us, He’s like us in that He shares many of the same feelings, aspirations, heartaches, pains, and avenues of joy and sorrow that we share.

To treat our relationship with Jesus simply as a “religion” is to be married and treat your spouse as an “institution.” We’re not saved and sanctified by a religion any more than, if we’re married, our spouse is a structure or set of documents. Jesus is a real Person who though not visible to our physical eyes is nonetheless visible in a thousand other ways.

He’s knowable in many of the same ways any other human being is knowable. We can carry on conversations with Him, hear Him laugh and cry, see Him smile and give expression to His emotions. Yes, of course, we “see” Him with the eyes of our heart, but it’s no less real and He’s no less alive to us.

Does it take time and effort to nurture our relationship with Jesus? Of course, but it’s no different than meeting someone who speaks a different language and taking the time and making the effort to learn to communicate with them. Though it will try you, it doesn’t have to be a chore, it can actually be revealing, uplifting, encouraging, and very enjoyable.

It’s taken me many years to feel comfortable speaking with my Savior, but because He opened the way to Himself through the “Hinge of History,” we can now nurture a relationship with Him that is literally as close as the air we breathe.

Food for thought.

Blessings, Ed 😊

Beyond the Visible

“For we live by believing and not by seeing.” (2 Corinthians 5:7 NLT)

Do you realize that on many levels the most meaningful aspects of our lives are created and stored in the unseen places of our heart? Can you draw a picture of love? Describe the impact of compassion? Formulate thoughts that can adequately express your appreciation for what Jesus has done and is doing for you? We try to act as if what is unseen doesn’t matter or count, but what about the air we breathe, the heart that pumps our blood, the devotion we have to our newborn child?

Many like to believe that faith is abstract and foreign to us, yet it simply joins the dozens of other unseen things that give meaning, joy, appreciation, sustenance, and a thousand other good things to our lives each moment of each day. Belief is in the fabric of our being. We’re going to believe, it’s only a matter of that in which we put our faith.

Beyond the Visible “Used by permission, © Ray Majoran, GlimpseOfInfinity.com”

Each day we choose the outlook, attitude, demeanor, pathway, in short, we map out our strategy as to how we will deal with what we encounter during the course of the day, all of which is invisible to us at that point in time. Our mind gives visibility to what we imagine, yet even then we’d struggle to explain what we’re seeing or imagining.

Each day Ray Marjoran shares his thoughtful and beautiful prayers and adds a picture to help us envision that about which he prays. A few days ago, he prayed: “Please help us to fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on the eternal promises You have given. When doubts whisper that we are alone, remind us that Your presence surrounds us, like the sunrise breaking through the winter trees.

Teach us to take each step with courage, knowing that Your plans for us are good, even when they are beyond our understanding. Guard our hearts from the need for constant certainty. Instead, may we have a deep trust in Your Word and in Your Spirit, who leads us with peace and assurance. Let our faith be a witness to those around us, reflecting the quiet confidence that comes from walking hand-in-hand with You.”

What do you see when you pray? What thoughts guide you as you carry on a conversation with the living God? Have you ever stopped to realize that the words of Scripture are largely invisible words that the Lord shared with those who were in tune with His voice and were conveyed through prayer? In Isaiah 43:19 we read God’s words as He shared them with His Prophet: “For I am about to do something new. See, I have already begun! Do you not see it? I will make a pathway through the wilderness. I will create rivers in the dry wasteland.”

Is your heart parched today? Does your life feel like a vast wasteland too desolate to make sense? Or does it sometimes feel like you’re groping in the darkness trying to find your way? Hear God’s words through the Psalmist: “Even when I walk through the darkest valley, I will not be afraid, for You are close beside me. Your rod and Your staff protect and comfort me.”

In a very real sense, the most vital aspects of our lives are experienced without the benefit of our physical senses. Who God is and how we experience Him is a deeply spiritual matter that may result in a physical response but can only be processed and followed through the devotion of our heart, mind, and soul. The greater our willingness to understand the value and impact of that which is beyond the visible, the easier it will become for us to “see” and follow our Savior.

Food for thought.

Blessings, Ed 😊

When Wills Are Wed

“Everything is pure to those whose hearts are pure. But nothing is pure to those who are corrupt and unbelieving, because their minds and consciences are corrupted. Such people claim they know God, but they deny Him by the way they live. They are detestable and disobedient, worthless for doing anything good.” (Titus 1:15-16 NLT)

Our tendency can be to see everyone who walks away from the Lord as being in the category of those referred to above as: “Such people claim they know God, but they deny Him by the way they live. They are detestable and disobedient, worthless for doing anything good.” In our pious saintliness we can write off everyone who doesn’t fit our “Christian mold” as not being “saved” in the first place. But in my more than 60 years of walking with the Lord I’ve seen too many good, and yes, godly people, experience such heart wrenching tragedies and life circumstances that they lose their will to walk with God.

And, of course, that’s another discussion. But suffice it to say I’ve seen people who have made a genuine commitment to Christ, be baptized, and walk faithfully for years, then turn away. But why? God alone knows, but I believe the Lord gave me an insight that makes sense to me. I believe it’s an issue of our will.

I believe there came a point in each of the original Disciples lives and that must come in each of our lives when what God wants of and from them and us becomes more important and a higher priority than what we want for ourselves. There must come a shift in our heart, mind, and soul when our life means nothing to us without knowing, loving and serving Jesus.

In other words, there must come a point where we sacrifice our will on the altar of our love for Jesus and accept His will as our own. On some levels it’s like ending the “courtship” and committing everything on the altar of “Marriage to Christ.” How that translates for me is this: until our will becomes one with the Lord’s we have the capacity to walk away, but once our will and God’s become one, there’s no turning back.

It’s like when Hernán Cortés ordered his men to burn their ships so no one would be tempted to turn back. There needs to come a point in our walk with the Lord Jesus when we “burn our ships,” when something in our spirit determines we’re not turning back no matter what! It’s like Peter in John 6 when the Bible says: “At this point many of His disciples turned away and deserted Him. Then Jesus turned to the Twelve and asked, ‘Are you also going to leave?’ Simon Peter replied, ‘Lord, to whom would we go? You have the words that give eternal life. We believe, and we know you are the Holy One of God.’”

There must come a point in our lives where “We believe, and we know you are the Holy One of God.” Too many, me included, began our journeys without having a clue as to what it would cost us. When we start, we want to believe we’ll go the distance, that we won’t back down or bail out. But when reality happens and life gets hard: when a child dies, a spouse leaves, the diagnosis is terminal, we fail irreparably, or any number of other scenarios, some wash out, but some don’t. But why?

What makes the difference? Are you “married” or just “dating” Jesus? Do you not only have all of the Lord, but the Lord has all of you? Are you still hanging on to your will or have you let it be “wed” with the Lord’s? The bottom line for me is simple: Who owns your will owns your heart? When you have no will but His you’ll never walk away, your heart will be cemented to the Savior.

Food for thought.

Blessings, Ed 😊