Walking With Jesus

Need Grace?

“And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen His glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.” (John 1:14 ESV)

If you’ve ever wondered what God is like, look at Jesus, He was God poured into human flesh. The beauty, majesty, power, authority, knowledge, wisdom – every attribute that God the Father possesses is present in full measure in His Son.

Paul wrote in Colossians 1:19: “For God in all His fullness was pleased to live in Christ, and through Him God reconciled everything to Himself. He made peace with everything in heaven and on earth by means of Christ’s blood on the cross.”

If you’ve ever hoped to have peace, life, hope, joy, eternal contentment, and a satisfaction in life that nothing of this earth could ever provide, give your life to Jesus. He will receive you as a father receives his newborn son; He will love you as a mother loves her nursing child; He will walk with you through life so you’ll never walk alone; He will guide you in the ups and downs of your journey so you’ll never be lost; and He will welcome you home to heaven when your measured days on earth are fulfilled.

This may be a frightening season in your life, it is for me, but I can assure you, on the authority of God’s Word and my more than 60 years of walking with my Savior – He’s got you! All He asks is that you trust Him and follow Him closely. Perhaps someone reading today may be wondering: “But how can I do that? I’ve sinned until my life is a disgusting mess. God is perfect and I’m anything but that. I’ve hurt more people than I can remember, and I’ve damaged relationships with those who once loved me to the point of no return. I can’t even stand myself; how can I believe that a perfect God would have anything to do with me?”

Please hear the words of Ron Hutchcraft: “No matter what hits you, God is no less in charge; His plan is no less on target. Things may be out of your control. They are never out of His control. If you trust Him, He will give you just the equipment you need for the battle you’re facing right now, because God’s plan will not lead you where His grace cannot keep you.”

By God’s grace I’ve seen people’s lives transformed (including my own), broken hearts mended, families reunited, bodies healed, reputations restored, miracles performed. John Blanchard wrote: “God’s purposes always have God’s provision.”

The first step in finding God’s grace is to humbly ask Him for it. “But how?” Find a quiet spot where you can get alone, if possible, hold your hands out in front of you with your palms up. “Why?” Because it’s a position of openness to God; it’s symbolic of offering Him your life; like everything you are or have is in those hands and you’re by faith surrendering them to God. The Lord Jesus will never turn you away. How do I know?

Because He said: “Come to Me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you. Let Me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.”

Please trust Him. Let Him have your life. I promise He’ll do a lot better job with it than you can.

Food for thought.

Blessings, Ed 😊

To Serve or Be Served?

“’Get out of here, Satan,’ Jesus told him. ‘For the Scriptures say, “You must worship the Lord your God and serve only Him.”’” (Matthew 4:10 NLT)

Serving God takes many forms and can at times create a very thin line between serving and being served. There are three words in Greek that can be translated “serve,” but they have different shades of meaning. The word translated “serve” in the verse above is a different word than is commonly used in the New Testament that we typically translate “serve.”

It can have reference to someone who is hired for a menial task, essentially, something no one else would want to do. But it can also refer to someone who ministers “either to the gods or men and is used alike of slaves and freemen.” (Strong’s) This can include priests and those who work “to discharge the sacred office.”

In some ways it can refer to what we call Pastors or preachers. When I first shared my call to ministry with my Mentor he said to me: “If you can do anything else, do it!” That, of course, can be understood in different ways, but I understood exactly what he meant. If I’m not compelled by the Spirit insomuch as He eliminates all other options, I should do something else.

Over the years I’ve met Pastors who had grown to believe they were a lot more than they really were. They had the mistaken idea that the people of the church were there to serve them, not the other way around. That’s not only blasphemous, it’s unhealthy for people of God to be subjected to that kind of leader. It begs the question that Tim Keller asked: “Did you get into the Christian faith to serve God or for God to serve you?”

But sadly, it goes further than just Pastors. Some folks come to the Lord because they believe they then have the proverbial “Aladdin’s Lamp.” Just rub the lamp and out jumps Jesus ready to do their bidding. “Okay Lord, I need a new job. I want minimally 20% more than I’m making now, plus I want better insurance and a car as part of my benefits package.” Or “Lord, the doctor tells me I need heart surgery. That’s going to be a hassle and it’s going to cripple my social calendar. I need You to heal me now, so I don’t have to go through all of that.”

In short, we make a sham of prayer and faith in Christ. We get the roles reversed believing Christ is our slave, not we His. It reminds me of the old Bob Dylan song, the first verse of which says: “You may be an ambassador to England or France; You may like to gamble, you might like to dance; You may be the heavyweight champion of the world; You might be a socialite with a long string of pearls; But you’re gonna have to serve somebody, yes indeed, You’re gonna have to serve somebody. Well, it may be the Devil or it may be the Lord, But you’re gonna have to serve somebody.”

As a Jesus follower the sooner we get the pecking order right – that Jesus is Lord and He alone deserves our worship, adoration, praise and service, the sooner we’ll find fulfillment in being His humble servant. I have no greater privilege than to be my Savior’s slave, not only in this life, but throughout eternity. How about you? Who are you serving?

Food for thought.

Blessings, Ed 😊

Are You Hanging by a Thread?

“When the people recognized Jesus, the news of His arrival spread quickly throughout the whole area, and soon people were bringing all their sick to be healed. They begged Him to let the sick touch at least the fringe of His robe, and all who touched Him were healed.” (Matthew 14:35-36 NLT)

When our lives are in turmoil and chaos is guiding our every move, perhaps the reason we’re struggling so much is because we haven’t recognized who Jesus is. In the verse above the people who were healed, first needed to recognize who Jesus was and put their faith in Him, evidenced by their positive response to His permission to touch His robe.

What’s holding you back from coming to Jesus for healing? What is it in your life that has your stomach in knots and your emotions in flux? Why is it so hard for you to reach out to Jesus and allow His presence to make you whole? Toby McKeehan wrote: “When you are hanging by a thread, make sure it is the hem of His garment.”

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Even for believers in Jesus, life can be cyclical. What does that mean? It means things can be going great, then something large or small can change our direction of thought, attitude, or mood. It doesn’t have to be anything major, it can be a cross word, even a wrong look from someone, a disappointing text or troubling conversation and we head into a downward spiral.

As a young boy my parents would say to me and my sisters when we’d gotten our feelings hurt: “Don’t wear your feelings on your sleeve.” In other words, don’t let your emotions be so subject to someone else’s words, tones, or attitudes. We used to say of someone who could easily be set off that they had a short fuse, or they had a chip on their shoulder.

Some people just seem more volatile than others, in terms of their emotions, but when it’s me or you and our heart’s desire is to walk pleasingly before the Lord, it’s important that we keep a tight rein on our emotions, both positively and negatively. That isn’t to say that we become a zombie and be emotionless.

The Lord made us to be emotional, but emotions can be misleading and get us in trouble. There needs to be balance for all of us, governed by the Holy Spirit and honoring to the Lord. And please don’t hear what I’m not saying. I’m not suggesting that we not express emotion. We must, it’s a vital part of who we are as believers. We’re to love the Lord with our heart, mind, soul, and body, but where we get in trouble is when we let our emotions lead us, rather than our mind.

One of my biggest areas of struggle is my emotions, so, I seek the Lord’s directives when I’m low, high, or in between. My desire is to honor and obey the Lord regardless of how I feel, but when I’m really low, that’s when I need to get someone else involved. My wife, a godly brother, someone who can help me be more objective about what I’m feeling and experiencing.

There are times, especially if we’re not following Jesus, when the Lord allows us to hit the proverbial “bottom” to help us finally see our need of Him. If that’s you today, call a believing brother (if you’re a man) or sister (if you’re a woman) and ask them to help you give your life to Jesus. If no one is available, click this link to Ron Hutchcraft’s Bridge to God to help you understand how to give your life to the Lord.

My love and prayers are with you.

Blessings, Ed 😊

What Is Evangelism?

“The next day we went on to Caesarea and stayed at the home of Philip the Evangelist, one of the seven men who had been chosen to distribute food.” (Acts 21:8 NLT)

Are you aware that the word “Evangelism” isn’t found in the New Testament? The closest we come to finding a verse to describe what it means is found in 2 Timothy 4:5 where Paul writes: “But you should keep a clear mind in every situation. Don’t be afraid of suffering for the Lord. Work at telling others the Good News, and fully carry out the ministry God has given you.”

Being an evangelist or having the gift of evangelism isn’t mentioned in the New Testament, but it’s certainly encompassed in Jesus’ words in Matthew 28:19 when He said: “Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations…” According to the Greek-English Concordance, Evangelist is “the name given to the NT heralds of salvation through Christ who are not apostles.”

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Do you find that odd? To me it seems of all people the Apostles, who were specifically chosen to be sent out with the Gospel message, should have been designated “Evangelists,” but the only person in the New Testament referred to as an “Evangelist” was Philip who was one of the seven men chosen to distribute food? Do you remember who else was chosen for food distribution?

Does the name “Stephen” ring a bell? Stephen was murdered for sharing the “good news.” Are you beginning to see a pattern here? Evangelists aren’t slackers, they’re the Lord’s varsity team. Someone might be tempted to think: “Oh, I don’t want to be on the front lines sharing my faith, I just want to help distribute food!” BOOM! That’s the point!

EVERYONE, from food distributor to Apostle, to me and you! EVERY Jesus follower is chosen by God to be an Evangelist. If we’ve been saved by grace and filled with God’s Spirit, we have a responsibility and a calling to help the people in our spheres of influence to understand who Jesus is and what He did. Burk Parsons wrote: “Evangelism isn’t a fish on your car, a cross around your neck, or your personal testimony—it’s proclaiming the good news of Jesus Christ.”

Evangelism isn’t something we say or do, it’s who we are as a Jesus follower. It’s our attitude towards those who are “different” from us; those who antagonize us; who frighten us; who, truth be told, hate us and everything we stand for; as well as, of course, our family, friends, neighbors, co-workers, classmates, and on and on.

Evangelism isn’t something we learn, it’s something we pray God will be honored that we become in Him. Sharing the “Good News” that someone bound for hell can be forgiven and given new life in Christ, isn’t something we learn and practice, it’s something God ingrains in the very fiber of our being when we yield our life and allegiance to Him.

Love for lost people should ooze out of our pores, spill out of our countenance, be foremost in the way we speak and live. We don’t have to cram Jesus down anyone’s throat, we just let Him fill our heart and use our body, mind, and spirit to put Him on display in how we love the people in our spheres of influence. We don’t have to turn anyone “off” by preaching to them, we just need to let the Holy Spirit turn us ON for Him!

Food for thought.

Blessings, Ed 😊

Our Limits

“Even perfection has its limits, but Your commands have no limit.” (Psalm 119:96 NLT)

Nothing shouts “LIMITS” like aging. I remember playing football with friends when I was first in ministry and one of the guys said to me: “I didn’t think Pastors were supposed to run that fast.” Now the fastest run I make is to the bathroom. Everything, even AI has its limits.

What limits you? It’s ironic that some people have learned to maximize the use of the resources they’ve been given, while others squander their time like it has no end. One day time will run out and when that happens, we’ll all stand before a perfect God to give Him an account of how we lived our lives – how we invested our time, money, energy, intelligence, and other gifts.

God equips people with exceptional skills and abilities, everything from intelligence that is used to build a nuclear weapon to the one(s) who will one day soon (?) find a cure for Alzheimer’s and other debilitating diseases; and others to have a body that can run a mile under 4-minutes or hold their breath for 24+ minutes.

Why do you suppose the Lord makes us so different? I think of the parable Jesus told we often refer to as the Parable of the Talents. “He gave five bags of silver to one, two bags of silver to another, and one bag of silver to the last – dividing it in proportion to their abilities.” It’s evident from this parable that the Lord is the Author of our limitations, but why?

Could it be He knows us better than we know ourselves? I have a sense that the Lord knows who He can trust to invest their talents for Him and who will not. And no, that doesn’t mean He only gives superior “gifts” to those He knows will become His followers. There are geniuses who don’t have an ounce of common sense, and who invest themselves in pursuits that grossly dishonor the Lord.

Then there are people of very average intelligence who become remarkable men and women of God. The issue isn’t with what measure we are given, but the point of the parable shows it’s the measure we’re willing to invest to glorify our Master.

Rick Warren wrote: “Sadly, as human beings we’re not very adept at recognizing our limits. We constantly overestimate our abilities and underestimate obstacles and how much time it will take to do something. On top of that, we live in a culture that constantly tells us, ‘You can do it all! You can have it all! You can be whatever you want!’ But it’s not true. You can be all that God wants you to be, but you cannot be whatever you want to be. There are limits in your life.”

One of the things the Lord is teaching me in this season of my life is that I have a choice. It’s the same choice you have, which is: “What will you do with what you’ve been given? There are days I have very limited energy, so, I want to invest that energy in ways that will honor the Lord and bless others. Sometimes the best use of my energy is to write, but other times it’s to help my wife trim plants and bushes or vacuum and help her clean.

The Lord never says to us: “You need to be like so and so!” He only says, “Do your best with what I’ve given you. Be the best ‘you’ you can possibly be.” That’s what I’m seeking to do in this season of my life, how about you? Have you learned to harness your energy to maximize your usefulness to your Master?

Food for thought.

Blessings, Ed 😊

Another View of Prayer

“And I will rescue you from both your own people and the Gentiles. Yes, I am sending you to the Gentiles to open their eyes, so they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God. Then they will receive forgiveness for their sins and be given a place among God’s people who are set apart by faith in Me.” (Acts 26:17-18 NLT)

Even though Satan is a defeated foe he’s still far more powerful than we are, unless and until we rely fully on the Holy Spirit’s protection. John Piper wrote: “You cannot know what prayer is for, until you know that life is war.”

Have you ever wondered why prayer is sometimes so hard? And you may be thinking: “It’s not hard, you just speak with God like you do anyone else.” And that’s mostly correct, but the mechanics of prayer and the purpose of prayer are sometimes at odds. How so? Too often our prayers are a quick: “Father, bless my day!” or “Forgive me for being so abrasive with my co-worker.” And there’s nothing wrong with that, it’s just not enough.

Wars have casualties. Unfortunately, many pay with their life who didn’t need to die, largely because they didn’t listen to their Commanding Officer or didn’t carry their instructions out as ordered. Prayer is an open line to heaven through which we receive our orders on an ongoing basis. When we’re under satanic attack we may not have time to get on our knees and seek God’s guidance.

Prayer isn’t simply a casual conversation with God about what I should do to help my little toe that I stubbed, it’s a crucial communication dealing with life and death decisions. And no, I’m not being melodramatic. There are people in our spheres of influence who will miss heaven if we’re not seriously storming heaven on their behalf.

I think of the movie Hacksaw Ridge that told the story of Desmond Doss who wouldn’t carry a weapon, but wanted to serve as a medic to help those who were wounded. It’s a wonderful, inspiring movie about what he went through to hold to his Christian convictions. I remember the scene when he’d stayed behind after all the other soldiers had retreated to safety, committed to saving as many wounded as he possibly could from certain death.

“Lord, give me one more!” was his cry to His heavenly Father after each one he lowered down a steep wall to safety. It’s estimated that he was able to rescue 75 men, including a couple of Japanese soldiers, all the while dealing with raw and bleeding hands from the heavy rope he had to use to lower each one. That’s the cry of my heart for my lost family members, friends, and neighbors.

There’s too much at stake to get lazy about prayer. Prayer is the only means of seeing lost people come to Jesus. It’s not the only thing, but it’s got to be first. Remember we pray, then God works. John Piper had it right when he wrote: “Prayer is a war-time walkie-talkie, not a domestic intercom for ringing up the butler to change the thermostat. It is a war-time walkie-talkie to call in firepower because the enemy is greater than we are. If you try to turn this into a domestic intercom to bring another pillow, it malfunctions, and you wonder why. It’s not made to be an intercom. It’s made to be a war-time walkie-talkie.”

Food for thought.

Blessings, Ed 😊

For My God?

“Don’t be afraid, for I am with you. Don’t be discouraged, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you. I will hold you up with My victorious right hand.” (Isaiah 41:10 NLT)

How many decisions do you and I make in any given day without giving the Lord a thought? How often do we buy something or engage in something we see as enjoyable, but never think to ask the Lord what He thinks. We sometimes wrongly assume that because we like it or would enjoy it that the Lord is fine with it, when in fact He may not be.

And it’s not like we have to be paranoid about making wrong decisions, it’s just that as God’s child we need to learn to rely on His wisdom, insight, and directives to guide us in the ways He’d have us to go. The Scriptures are clear that when we give ourselves over to the Lord, we are no longer our own, we no longer simply make choices that fulfill our needs and desires.

Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 7:23: “God paid a high price for you, so don’t be enslaved by the world.” The trinkets of this world have no eternal value and can’t satisfy us long term. Our soul longs for what only Jesus can give us. He didn’t die in our place to enslave us, but to liberate us to become all we were created to be.

One of the most obvious pieces of evidence of who is in charge of our life is measuring our sense of fulfillment or satisfaction as we invest ourselves in someone else’s life; as we seek to help them find contentment and joy in knowing who they are in Christ.

The longer the Lord allows me to live the more fully I want to be invested in the spiritual health and vitality of others. I’m no longer the center of my own universe, Jesus is, so my greatest joy is derived from seeing others make much of Him. That’s one of the reasons I love my church. We have an outstanding team of musicians and vocalists who blend their talents to point us to Jesus.

Our Pastors are students of God’s Word, and their sole desire is to paint an accurate picture of Jesus so we can see Him more clearly. I’m constantly being reminded that my closeness to the Lord is evidenced in and through my availability and usefulness in speaking into the lives of others. A few weeks ago the Lord gave me the privilege, when the Pastor gave an invitation, to walk forward with my 90-year-old neighbor who wanted to give his heart and life to Jesus.

His desire in this closing chapter of his life is to know Jesus and to learn to please Him. Some might tend to believe that it’s a shame he waited so long, and I get it, but I’m just glad he didn’t wait too long and miss Jesus. Faith in the living Christ is the only option if we want to have a home in heaven.

According to Jesus’ words in John’s Gospel (14:6): “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through Me.” Ultimately, we should hope to arrive in heaven where every beat of our heart will scream desire to please our Father. While we’re in this life the greatest battle we will wage is the battle between who will be God in our life – us or Jesus?

My prayer for me and you today is that everything we do, say, or think will enable us to see Jesus more clearly, follow Him more nearly, trust Him more completely, and love Him more dearly; that our lives will be so focused on Jesus, we’ll forget about ourselves.

Food for thought.

Blessings, Ed 😊

Independence

“So Hosea married Gomer, the daughter of Diblaim, and she became pregnant and gave Hosea a son. And the Lord said, ‘Name the child Jezreel, for I am about to punish King Jehu’s dynasty to avenge the murders he committed at Jezreel. In fact, I will bring an end to Israel’s independence. I will break its military power in the Jezreel Valley’.” (Hosea 1:3-5 NLT)

It’s ironic on some levels that the very quality we long for our children to have is a quality that can stand in the way of our relationship with our heavenly Father. When our children are small and dependent upon us for literally everything, we find ourselves longing for the day they’ll walk out the door ready for a life no longer dependent upon us. Then, when they’re grown and we seldom hear from them, we long for the days when they weren’t so independent.

As adult children of the living God we’re in a peculiar position of being independent, well able to care and provide for ourselves, yet, dependent upon the Holy Spirit for virtually every detail of our lives. There’s sometimes a thin line between our dependence upon ourselves (which can border on pride), and our dependence upon our heavenly Father.

If you think about it, there is absolutely nothing we can do without the Spirit’s enabling. Jesus said in John 15:5b: “For apart from Me you can do nothing.” Oswald Chambers wrote: “Beware of refusing to go to the funeral of your own independence.” Seeking to be fruitful as a Jesus follower independent of the Spirit’s leading is not only a bad idea, it can also easily lead to sin.

When thinking about our vital dependence upon the Lord, we can’t only think of our children when they were small, we’ve got to think of how often we who had good parents, turned to them for wisdom and guidance in making difficult decisions even as an adult. Dependence upon the Lord in every detail of our lives doesn’t negate our ability to think and formulate reasonable plans. It does however, open the door to sinful pride that essentially says: “I’ve got this, I don’t need your help.”

Think of the bull-headed two-year-old grabbing a toy from a sibling or friend while screaming: “MINE!” Our whole orientation as a Jesus follower is to be ever growing in our likeness of our Savior who said in John 5:30: “I can do nothing on My own. I judge as God tells Me. Therefore, My judgment is just, because I carry out the will of the One who sent Me, not My own will.”

That’s our goal, not to become more independent of our Father, but in an ever-increasing measure to become more like Him. Chris Brown reminds us: “You can’t be grateful for what you feel entitled to.” In a lot of ways, we have an ongoing battle trying to keep balance between what we can do, with the Lord’s help, and what we must not do as we grow in our likeness of Jesus.

That’s why it’s so critical to keep in constant contact with the Spirit’s leading. Throughout our day there will come times when we believe we see clearly what we can and should do in any given situation, but we can’t assume and we must not fall back on “what I’ve always done,” but must submit our request to the Lord. Even a quick “Father, please give me wisdom to make the choice You would make if you were in my shoes,” is far better than making the wrong decision and having to live with the consequences.

For a believer in Jesus our independence should drive us to dependence upon our heavenly Father.

Food for thought.

Blessings, Ed 😊

How Do You Handle Temptation?

“The temptations in your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, He will show you a way out so that you can endure.” (1 Corinthians 10:13 NLT)

The scary issue with which we all deal when it comes to temptation is not whether God will give us a means of defeating it, it’s always the matter of our decision to take the “escape route” He provides. That’s why remembering my many failures is so painful, in the end I have no one to blame but myself.

As I’ve recently pondered this whole issue of how to overcome temptation in my life, I’m discovering it’s never an issue of not being able to overcome it; it’s always an issue of whether I will. And the basis of my choice isn’t will-power, determination, or spiritual maturity, it’s love. Who do I love more – me or Jesus?

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Erwin Lutzer said: “Our response to temptation is an accurate barometer of our love for God.” OUCH! That stings! When we allow temptation to defeat us, it’s always easier to think of our weakness than our lack of love for the Lord. In our heart and mind, we want to believe we’re “all in with Jesus,” until an attractive woman walks by, or I see a sale I just can’t pass up, or ___________.

How do we even measure something as intangible as love? Maybe that’s the problem, love isn’t as intangible as we might think. We’re tempted to believe that love is how we feel, but love, as I’ve often said, isn’t an emotion, it’s a decision. So, if that’s true, measuring our love for God or others isn’t as mysterious as we often make it out to be.

For example, the Bible says in Galatians 5: “But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.” None of these qualities are of human origin, thus, the presence of them in our lives is evidence of the Spirit’s activity and investment, only made possible by our willingness to allow His presence to work in and through us.

Temptation isn’t isolated or separate from our love for the Lord, it’s an opportunity to prove our love and give expression to the Lord that we want His will more than our own, and to be filled and empowered by His life and love, not simply what we, in our flesh, most want in any given moment. We too quickly forget that Satan is a liar, so, when he brings temptation to us, he “dresses” it in glamor and appeal that he knows will get our attention.

The irony is he tempts us exactly like he tempted Jesus, and he never varies. He appeals to our cravings for physical pleasure, for everything we see, and to take pride in our own achievements and possessions. In short, Satan’s goal is for us to make much of ourselves, while God’s goal is for us to learn to first make much of Him, not for His sake, but for ours.

The more we make much of Him, the more personally and effectively we give expression to our love for Him, the more we open avenues of opportunity for Him to shower us with “gifts” that will enable those who see us to see more of Him. At heart we’re about us, so, temptation is designed to make that as easy as possible. Overcoming temptation, as hard as it may be for us, becomes easier with which to deal the closer we get to Jesus.

Food for thought.

Blessings, Ed 😊

Whose Will?

“Our Father in heaven, may Your name be kept holy. May Your Kingdom come soon. May Your will be done on earth, as it is in heaven.” (Matthew 6:9-10 NLT)

What we do, in every area of our lives, isn’t nearly as important as why we do it. On some levels it’s similar to – “it’s not what we say, it’s how and why we say it.” It all speaks to motivation. This is a vital consideration that could push us back to the moment of our conception – why did God allow us to have life?

Related to that, we can draw conclusions based on the authority of God’s Word. God is all-knowing, there is literally nothing that escapes His knowledge and complete understanding. Every “discovery” of man simply affirms what God has known forever. It’s never a question of “can it be known,” it’s only a matter of who will be the first to listen closely enough to the all-knowing One to hear His voice and pay attention to His directives.

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The point is, there’s an answer to every question and a solution to every problem, we just need to be willing to do the work of listening carefully and being willing to give credit where credit is due. Will is a precarious piece of every person. We’re born with a bent to sin, but we’re also created with eternity in our heart – an awareness that we’re created for far more than what we see, hear, and experience as a member of the human family.

As long as we live there will always be tension between what we want for ourselves and what God wants for us. To the extent we allow the Lord to conform our will to His, the more at peace we’ll be with whatever comes our way, knowing it’s not an accident, that it was allowed by our Savior, and that His intent for us is always for good.

When you think about it, maybe that’s the whole issue. My certainty that I am going to heaven grow’s, not out of any effort on my part, but on my ever-increasing desire to do what God wills for me. It has little to do with my efforts to be accepted, admired, envied, or gain any other human advantage, it grows out of God’s goodness, grace, kindness, and generosity.

Has it ever occurred to you that God wants (wills) for you to be in heaven with Him? Unfortunately, God’s will isn’t always done on earth as it is in heaven. 2 Peter 3:9 reminds us: “The Lord isn’t really being slow about His promise, as some people think. No, He is being patient for your sake. He does not want anyone to be destroyed, but wants everyone to repent.”

That’s the tension created by God’s will and our will. As long as we demand our will, God is a gentleman and will let us have our way; however, when we decide that we want what God wants for us, or, in other words, we desire to allow the Lord to enable us to conform our will to His, there’s a sense in which I/we no longer have a will of our own.

The longer we walk with the Lord the more fully He enables us to only and always want what He wants for us. Why would we ever do that? Because we learn that what God wants/wills for us is ALWAYS, without exception, better than what we desire for ourselves. He always has our best interest at heart, but, in the end it’s our choice – our will or His!

Food for thought.

Blessings, Ed 😊