Walking With Jesus

Where Are You Investing?

“But the master replied, ‘You wicked and lazy servant! If you knew I harvested crops I didn’t plant and gathered crops I didn’t cultivate, why didn’t you deposit my money in the bank? At least I could have gotten some interest on it.’” (Matthew 25:26-27 NLT)

What is the largest investment you’ve ever made? Be careful, I’m not talking about money, and neither was Jesus in the parable referenced above. The most valuable gift you’ve ever been given is your life. What are you doing with it? How are you investing your life in the Kingdom of God?

Like so many areas of our lives we tend to believe the life we’ve been given is our own, but it’s not. Listen to the words of Paul in 1 Corinthians 6:19: “Don’t you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourself, for God bought you with a high price. So you must honor God with your body.”

To what “high price” is Paul referring? Certainly not dollars and cents, but the blood of our Savior, God’s perfect, holy, sinless Son. Jesus gave everything, including His life, for you and me. What we do with the life we’ve been given is how we honor the Lord for all He did for us, not just in dying, but in living His life as a perfect example of what our life should look like.

And yes, of course, none of us is perfect, but isn’t that our goal? Remember Jesus’ words in His sermon on the mount: “But you are to be perfect, even as your Father in heaven is perfect.” The word Jesus used in this verse doesn’t mean without flaw or mistake, it means: “of full age, brought to its end, finished, wanting nothing for completeness, mature.” (Strong’s)

In much the same way as children grow and mature, we, as Jesus followers, are to grow and mature in our faith. “But how?” you may ask. By investing our lives in God’s Kingdom. “But what might that look like?” It looks like a life fully devoted to the Lord Jesus; a life that is centered and focused on doing God’s will, not our own.

Perfection in the life of a Jesus follower is our intentional endeavor to be approved by God. In 2 Timothy 2:15 Paul writes to his young protégé Timothy: “Work hard so you can present yourself to God and receive His approval. Be a good worker, one who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly explains the word of truth.”

“Approved” means “pleasing, acceptable.” How do we gain that approval? By living like Jesus. By living lives that reflect His character; by making choices that result in a standard of living that is centered on pleasing the Lord and not ourselves; by living a quality of life that backs up and affirms our words when we are speaking to someone about the difference knowing and loving Jesus makes in our lives.

Corky Calhoun said: “Eventually we all have to rest in the places we invest.” Like the servant in the parable above to whom Jesus gave the single talent, rather than make an effort to invest himself in ways that would benefit his master, he was lazy and fearful and chose to do nothing.

How like so many who profess Christ’s holy name today. They’re satisfied to warm a pew and live their lives to their glory rather to His. But one day, having chosen to invest themselves in themselves, they will “rest” in a place they never desired to be; a place of separation, torment, and darkness.

We must take stock of our lives and determine for whom we’re investing the one life we’ve been given. We only get one shot at living it well, to the Lord’s glory and honor. We dare not mess it up! And by “mess it up,” I’m not pretending that I or anyone else will get it 100% right. We don’t mess it up by not getting it perfectly right, we mess it up by not trying at all.

Food for thought.

Blessings, Ed 😊

What’s Your Choice (Part 2)

“Salt is good for seasoning. But if it loses its flavor, how do you make it salty again? You must have the qualities of salt among yourselves and live in peace with each other.” (Mark 9:50 NLT)

How many times have you or I said something that the second the words crossed our lips we regretted them? That’s one of the reasons the Bible is so clear that we’re to control our anger, and our words that are carelessly spilled as a result.

In yesterday’s post we looked at the potential damage that can be caused by allowing our emotions to be stirred to the point of anger, then choosing to say and/or do something we can never take back. What if there was a way to prevent those things from happening, especially when it involves someone you love very dearly and deeply.

Photo by Andrea Piacquadio on Pexels.com

It’s ironic on some levels that the one or ones we hold most dear are the very ones we’re most prone to hurt with our words. But doesn’t it make perfect sense? If I don’t care about you, I’m much less likely to allow your words to get under my skin. It’s only someone who knows how to push our “buttons,” someone with whom we’ve shared our inmost thoughts and dreams who can take advantage of that knowledge to hurt us.

It occurred to me recently that, especially in marriage, we grow in our frustrations with one another because we’re so different, yet imagine how boring it would be if we were exactly alike – if we loved the same food, loved to go the same places, play the same games, watch the same movies, etc. And, yes, I can see that it might be good on some levels, but the Lord didn’t put us together to be the same.

It’s our differences, while they may get in the way at times, that generate the groundwork for needed change. Think of two alcoholics that have drinking as their commonality. They drink themselves into a stupor, then awaken to help one another clean up their messes. Of course, nothing bothers them because they drown whatever sorrows or dislikes in alcohol and mutual condolences. But is that the answer?

More to the point of yesterday’s post, what if we come to a place in our relationship, whether in marriage or otherwise, where we’ve just had it, we’re ready to walk away. What then? Sometimes it seems that our disagreements are rooted in our understanding that we’re not the same person, but in some weird way we want the other person to be more like us.

Think about it. If you could see “you” from “my perspective,” wouldn’t that help you see everything more clearly? In other words, what if the problem is that you’re upset because you want me to think and act like you? But I can’t because I’m me! Isn’t that the critical point? And if so, why must it lead to separation? Why can’t it lead to reconciliation?

Think about it! Why not, with just the two of you, or in the presence of someone else or maybe another couple you trust, you begin to explain to one another exactly why you said or did whatever it was? Understanding is the basis of agreement, so if you can come to an agreement on why something happened the way it did, it may lay the foundation for a much stronger relationship.

However, realizing that even two Jesus followers, married or otherwise, may not in their angry or disagreeable state, be able to think clearly enough to work through something that is long standing. What if one of you went to a Pastor, Counselor, or close, objective friend and asked them to help you get started on a plan for reconciliation. Make the choice for health in your relationship, then seek the help you both need to make it happen.

Food for thought.

Blessings, Ed 😊

What’s Your Choice?

“Today I have given you the choice between life and death, between blessings, and curses. Now I call on heaven and earth to witness the choice you make. Oh, that you would choose life, so that you and your descendants might live!” (Deuteronomy 30:19 NLT)

Researchers at Cornell University estimate we make 226.7 decisions a day related to food alone. Based on those kinds of statistics it stands to reason that we clutter our brain with nonessential choices. Could it be we’re so engrossed in things that don’t matter, we have very little time or even interest in making choices about things that do matter, things that have eternal significance?

While billions of people likely give this no thought in the course of any given day, there will come a point in each of our lives when it will literally be too late to make a choice between heaven and hell. If asked, many people default back to something like: “I’ve lived a good life. I haven’t hurt anyone. I pay my taxes. What else can I do?”

Many ponder whether there is a heaven, given all the hell they see on earth, while others write off the idea of God altogether because of man’s inhumanity to man. Yet, the very fact we recognize evil is a strong argument for the existence of God. Where do the ideas of right and wrong originate? How can someone define what’s wrong without the existence of an eternal good? But, for our purposes today, let’s look at a more practical application of this issue of right and wrong.

Have you ever had a disagreement with someone that became “heated?” Rick Warren wrote in a recent Daily Hope devotional: “When you meet someone to resolve a conflict, you first have to confess your part of the problem. Then you need to listen for the other person’s hurt and perspective. In every conflict—from our personal relationships to politics—we think we argue over ideas. But we actually argue over emotion.

Anytime there’s a conflict, someone’s feelings were hurt; somebody felt abused or slighted. It’s not the idea that causes the conflict. It’s the emotion behind the idea. Hurt people hurt people. The more someone is experiencing hurt, the more likely they are to lash out at everyone else.

People who aren’t experiencing hurt don’t hurt others. People who are filled with love are loving toward others. People who are filled with joy are joyful toward others. People who are filled with peace are at peace with everybody else. But people who are filled with hurt are going to hurt others. They’re going to lash out.”

What are you and I filled with? If we’re walking with Jesus, we profess that we’re filled with the Holy Spirit, and we are, but how often, during an argument do we get our “feelings hurt,” then swiftly kick the Holy Spirit aside and with our attitude take control of our “discussion.” We make the choice to defend ourselves and in the process damage close relationships that can lead to lifelong regret.

How many divorces are the result of unresolved conflict with our spouse? We argue over the same things day after day until there comes a point we decide: “This is stupid! I give up! I’m not doing this anymore!” Marriages are ended, men, women, boys’ and girls’ lives are forever affected by a bad choice that could have easily been avoided if we’d just looked in the right place for the answer.

So, what is the right choice? “To seek the Lord!” is the “right” answer, but how we do that and to whom we turn for help is the critical piece of that answer.

Let’s look at this more closely in tomorrow’s post.

Blessings, Ed 😊

The Details of God’s Plan

“Yet God has made everything beautiful for its own time. He has planted eternity in the human heart, but even so, people cannot see the whole scope of God’s work from beginning to end.” (Ecclesiastes 3:11 NLT)

Make no mistake, God has a call on your life. So, the logical question becomes: What has God called you to do or be? Has He mapped out a strategy for you to get from where you currently are to where He wants you to go, or to what He desires you to become? The Psalmist wrote in Psalm 119:105: “Your word is a lamp to guide my feet and a light for my path.”

Have you ever tent camped with small kids? Inevitably, in the darkest point of the night you’ll hear this little voice: “Daddy, I need to…!” So, what do you do? You fire up the lamp and lead them to the bathhouse. Unless there are other lights, the lamp doesn’t show you the whole way to your destination, only the next step or two.

That’s very much how God works. Initially, when God asked Noah to build a huge boat, He painted the big picture, but as Noah began the project, God didn’t leave him to figure out the details on his own. He gave Noah explicit instructions, not only for how to build the Ark, but what to do during the storm and after the flood waters receded.

Being a human being, my sense is that even though Noah heard God’s words, he likely didn’t understand all that their meaning entailed, and how could he? He’s been asked to build a boat, but there’s no water nearby, nor has it ever rained. Yet, there’s no indication that Noah asked God a lot of questions. He simply accepted God’s directives and began to go to work building a huge boat. Unfortunately, we join him in not understanding completely what God has in store for us, but we also aren’t always as quick to respond as Noah was.

Likely depending on the assignment, the Lord may lay out His plans in full and whoever He’s speaking with understands and sets in motion God’s plans immediately. But that’s not been the case with me. Matthew Henry wrote: “Those who have the new Jerusalem in their eye must have the ways that lead to it in their heart.” That sounds wonderful, but what does that look like in my life and yours? Yes, of course, there are some similarities, but there are also differences.

David Jeremiah wrote: “Ecclesiastes 3:11 might be a summary of the whole Bible: ‘[God] has made everything beautiful in its time. Also He has put eternity in [our] hearts, except that no one can find out the work that God does from beginning to end.’

This earth, God’s creation, is beautiful. Yet we long for more; we long for eternity, for the roots of humanity in Eden. But our longing requires walking by faith because we can’t know the details of God’s plan by our own efforts.”

You’ve likely heard the adage: “The devil is in the details,” but so is the Lord. Think of what might have happened if Noah had improvised on some of God’s instructions. What if he’d failed to seal everything correctly or not packed enough food?

The truth is, we never know exactly where what God is instructing us to do will lead, yet we must, with diligence and determination, make every effort to do exactly what God tells us to do, because often the details aren’t given until they’re needed.

Food for thought.

Blessings, Ed 😊

Do You Know Your Limits?

“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)

What’s your strongest temptation? How long has it been an issue? Are you gaining victory or being sucked in even deeper? Temptation is not a sin, but it can quickly lead to sin if we don’t learn how to divert it – QUICKLY!

The irony is, Satan isn’t smarter or stronger than us, he’s just more persistent. He comes at us the same way over and over and over again, hoping to wear us down and cause us to sin, but we have Jesus and He will lead us to victory, if we’ll let Him. That’s why it’s so critical to know our limits.

We all have loved ones or friends who are addicts. Some may even profess faith. Some actually believe God has given them His blessing to continue in their sin. Because of social pressures some have begun to believe that having an addiction to alcohol, drugs, sex, or violence are just expressions of who they are. Sin has a numbing effect on us. We can believe almost anything we do habitually is okay; “otherwise,” our twisted logic goes, “why hasn’t God delivered me from it?” Or “why hasn’t He taken it away?”

When I was younger, I was addicted to lust. In my sick mind and heart every woman was more beautiful than my wife and I imagined doing things with them would be so much more satisfying than with my wife. Do you want to know when I got my “wake up call?” When my wife walked out the door into the arms of another man – a man who saw her for the wonderful, gorgeous woman she was.

Fortunately, sickness, even sin-sickness, has a cure. His name is Jesus and His chief Agent lives in us when we confess our sin and receive the Lord Jesus as our Savior, Lord, and cleanser of our sin. However, while yielding our lives and allegiance to Jesus immediately restores our right relationship with God, it doesn’t always immediately free us from our addictions.

It can and sometimes does, but knowing and learning to love Jesus sets in motion a journey of healing and wholeness that includes others who have wrestled with our sin of choice. The first and most helpful step is to admit we have a problem. And, yes, of course, it’s a “sin” problem, but like me with my lust, I couldn’t be set free until I admitted my need and sought help.

Am I healed of that “disease?” Yes and no. Yes, I’ve been forgiven, cleansed, and freed from the tentacles of a lust-filled mind, but as with any recovering addict, I’m always and only one thought from relapse. So, how do I handle wrong thoughts? First, by God’s grace I had to train my eyes. I can’t prevent my eyes from seeing attractive women, but I can train them to not look a second time or stare. I’m also compelled to redirect my thoughts.

Regardless of your sin of choice you have the tools you need to defeat Satan. First, your will must be aligned with God’s will. You’ve got to want to stop lusting, drinking, drugging, viewing pornography, participating in immorality – whether heterosexually or homosexually, gossiping, or whatever else you’re struggling with.

The only way you’ll be free is to confess whatever your sin is to God and to someone else who loves and is openly and unapologetically committed to Jesus. If you can align yourself with someone or even a group of believers who are now victorious over that sinful behavior, that would be great, but start with a Pastor or close friend you trust.

You have to get help in setting limits and training your heart and mind to desire Jesus more than your sin of choice. It’s worth the pain you’ll experience to finally be free.

Food for thought.

Blessings, Ed 😊

What Do You Want?

“Though He was God, He did not think of equality with God as something to cling to. Instead, He gave up His divine privileges; He took the humble position of a slave and was born as a human being. When He appeared in human form, He humbled Himself in obedience to God and died a criminal’s death on a cross.” (Philippians 2:6-8 NLT)

What do you want to be when you grow up? Were you asked that when you were a child? When I was a kid, I wanted to be a cowboy, like Roy Rogers, a Firefighter, or a Police Officer. They seemed noble endeavors then, and still do in my mind, but unfortunately for me, the Lord didn’t open those doors of opportunity.

Today, my goal isn’t to have us reminisce about things we can’t change, rather I’d like for us to consider what we would like to become now that we’re maturing in our faith and, hopefully and ideally, we’re no longer babes in need of just “milk.”

There is a chorus I sang as a new believer that came to mind today and stirred my heart. It says: “To be like Jesus, to be like Jesus! My desire – to be like Him! All thru life’s journey from earth to glory, My desire – to be like Him.” That desire has never been stronger than it is today, but am I living that desire out in this season of my life? How about you? What do you want?

If you’d asked me 30-40 years ago, I’d likely have told you the same thing, but it would have meant something quite different than it does now. Then I wanted to be like the “Jesus” who drove a Shelby Mustang and was married to the “Babe of the universe.” It was all about me and what I wanted for me. I should let you know, though I never have owned a Shelby Mustang, I did, thanks to my son, get to drive one. But I did get my “babe of the universe” and I wouldn’t trade her for anyone.

Now, to get back on track, seriously, whatever season of life you’re now in, what do you want? Whatever it is, what’s it worth to you? Because if you want it badly enough it will cost you your soul! You will, consciously or otherwise, give your soul to gain what you really want. I used to envy the movie stars, sports figures, businessmen and women, and others who drove the fancy cars, dressed in the most expensive clothes, lived in mansions that covered acres, but now I see the shallowness of their smiles and the emptiness of their hearts.

Satan seeks to sell us a bill of goods on which he can’t deliver. He promises all the things the world can offer, but he never tells you what it’s going to cost you until you’re on your death bed, but by then your thoughts are only on “good things,” of which hell is not a part.

My heart’s desire in this season is to love, honor, and serve the King of kings and Lord of lords, but what does that look like? Of course, I attend a great church, I serve and give money and read my Bible. I write a blog and love my wife and family. My heart aches to see my kids, family, friends, and neighbors come to a saving knowledge of Jesus, but there’s more.

Today my heart aches, not only for those who have no knowledge of Jesus, but for those who profess a knowledge, but their heart is still empty. They jump through the proverbial religious “hoops,” but if you could open their mind and see into their heart, Jesus isn’t on the throne of their life.

What I most want now is to BE like Jesus, not simply know Him. I want to think His thoughts, walk in His shoes, love like He loves, sing like He sings, laugh like He laughs, let my heart break over the things that break His heart. In short, I want Him to live His life out through me as though I were dead and only He remained.

How about you? What do YOU want?

Food for thought.

Blessings, Ed 😊

Are We Selling Our Soul?

“So don’t worry about these things, saying, ‘What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear?’ These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs. Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and He will give you everything you need.” (Matthew 6:31-33 NLT)

Do we really understand why we’re working? The long hours and endless fretting – are they really leading to the “secure future” we’ve dreamed of having? And even if they do, will it be worth the price we will have paid?

Ron Hutchcraft wrote: “I remember this seminar where I was teaching years ago about Peaceful Living in a Stressful World. A man in his 30s was there, and he was very successful in business. He told me he’d come that day to find out how to be more successful. At the end of it he walked out in tears. He told me, ‘All these years I’ve been climbing the wrong mountain. And I want the rest of my life to be in the service of the Lord.’”

Consider the view from the “mountain” you’re climbing – lots of money, prestige, position, privilege. You can travel the world, have the best accommodations, know all the “right” people, give your family their every wish, but at what cost? And, yes, I understand, the things I listed above don’t automatically exclude you from loving and serving Jesus, but too often it’s like trying to ride two horses, at some point you’re going to have to decide which horse you’re going to ride.

Jesus will not bless a narcissistic endeavor that’s desired and designed by you that has nothing to do with “seeking first God’s Kingdom.” First means first, not somewhere in the middle or, most likely, last. Something I’ve never been able to wrap my head around is the fact that the moment we close our eyes in death everything we’ve worked a lifetime to have becomes someone else’s junk to get rid of or horde until they die. What’s the point?

The Lord has given me everything I could ever want and more, but I don’t worship my “stuff.” I realize it all belongs to Him and once I stand in His presence my sense is I’ll never give it another thought. We won’t sit around in heaven missing our big screen TV or our car that could go 0-300 in a millisecond. None of it will matter then.

All that will matter then is that our name is written in the Lamb’s book of life; that we’ll have an eternity to celebrate, worship, and honor Him with every ounce of our being. It’s incomprehensible to us as we waste away continually seeking more for ourselves, what eternity with Jesus will be like. We get glimpses in Scripture, but we can’t possibly understand how rich, enjoyable, and eternally satisfying it is.

To gain the whole world, but lose our soul is the epitome of stupidity, shortsightedness, and unimaginable regret. How many times have we thought or said: “If I’d only known then what I know now.” Hell will be that thought on steroids.

Even as I write I realize that yes, of course, we need to make a living, but there can be a huge difference between making a living and making a life. If your idea of a “living” is a driven determination to have everything this world offers, hopefully, I can save you a lot of heartache. How? By letting you know that all the world offers is the glitter and glamour of the kingdoms of this earth, which are nothing compared to the majesty, beauty, and breathtaking excitement of being a part of the Kingdom of God.

It’s the difference between combing the earth for every worthwhile sight, knowing you can’t possibly see them all in one lifetime, and taking your time to explore the galaxies knowing you’re no longer bound by time. The view from the top of the Kingdom of God is not only more beautiful than words can express, but also more expansive than anyone can imagine.

Please don’t sell your soul for trinkets when you can have the Treasure of knowing, loving, and serving Jesus – FOREVER!

Food for thought.

Blessings, Ed 😊

Some Very Good Advice

“Then the Lord God made a woman from the rib, and He brought her to the man. ‘At last!’ the man exclaimed. ‘This one is bone from my body, and flesh from my flesh! She will be called “woman” because she was taken from “man,”’ This explains why a man leaves his father and mother and is joined to his wife, and the two are united into one.” (Genesis 2:22-24 NLT)

John Stonestreet wrote in a recent BreakPoint article, “two-time Super Bowl champion kicker Harrison Butker of the Kansas City Chiefs gave very different advice in a commencement address to Georgia Tech grads: ‘I don’t care if you have a successful career. … In the end, no matter how much money you attain, none of it will matter if you are alone and devoid of purpose. … I can offer one controversial antidote that I believe will have a lasting impact for generations to come. Get married and start a family. No temporary happiness—not even winning the Super Bowl—compares with what Butker has found as a husband and a dad.’ It may be the best advice these grads could hear.”

With the divorce rate of first-time marriages still hovering around 50% in America some may wonder why that’s such good advice, but when you factor in that the rate is nearly half that for Christian couples and it gives some significant credence to the idea.

Marriage is hard, especially when you’re young and just starting out, but the good news is, it’s still hard when you’re old. Why is that good news? Because nothing worthwhile is ever easy! See how easy it is to lose 40 pounds, or stay on an exercise plan, or build a house, or raise a child, or run a business. If it’s too easy it’s probably not worth your time.

Why is marriage so hard? Personally, I believe that’s the wrong question. As I just said, anything worth investing your life in is going to be hard, but hard doesn’t have to translate “bad.” My wife and I have been married 30 years and we’ve struggled and fought to stay together because we believed what we had was worth fighting for. And after staying together, even though we still fuss at each other, it’s satisfying and continues to grow in its richness with each passing year. I believe the right question is: “How can we most glorify and honor Jesus through our marriage?”

One thing that’s been helpful to us, since both of us had experienced a divorce, we made a commitment to never let the “D” word enter a disagreement. We might have to call a “time-out” and come back to our “discussion” later, but we never let our emotions rule. Neither of us has ever seriously considered running to someone else to satisfy needs that God designed and equipped us to meet for each other, and we’re very happy we didn’t.

As a Pastor I married a lot of couples and counseled many as well. On one occasion a couple came to me for counsel, so I met with each one alone, then brought them in to let them share what was on their minds with one another. When I asked the wife to share with her husband what she saw as the biggest barrier to their happiness as a couple, she screamed – I mean red-faced with her teeth clenched and her neck drawn – “HE PROMISED TO CHERISH ME! WHY ISN’T HE CHERISHING ME?”

Sometimes the problems are obvious, and you can create a pathway to healing, but regardless of how difficult or simple the solution is, it begins with commitment to make it work. “Cherishing” is a two-way street, and often we get what we give and vice versa.

Jesus said to treat others like you want them to treat you, and that’s no more needed than in marriage. Do you want to be cherished, respected, loved, treated with honor, listened to? Let those qualities guide you in how you relate to your spouse.

Food for thought.

Blessings, Ed 😊

You Are The Beloved – John 17:23

“I am in them and You are in Me. May they experience such perfect unity that the world will know that You sent Me and that You love them as much as You love Me.” (John 17:23 NLT)

*On this Valentine’s Day, please read these words by Sylvia Gunter carefully, recognizing your position in Christ, out of which should flow our love for others. Blessings, Ed (used with permission).

Hear and receive God’s Word in John 17:23 NLT. “I in them and you in me, all being perfected into one. Then the world will know… and will understand that you love them as much as you love me.”

At His baptism and transfiguration, your Father said to Jesus, “You are the Son I love. I am well pleased with you” (Mathew 3:17; 17:5). It was a great affirmation of His love and pleasure in His Son. Because you are in Him, the Father loves you with the same love (John 17:23, 26). You are God’s beloved; that is the most intimate truth about you. It has to be true, because Jesus said it to His Father.

Let these words reverberate in you. Be blessed to live from the blessing of belovedness, not trying to earn it. Hear your Father speak to you about His deep bonds with you, His deep attachment to you with cords of unfailing love (Jeremiah 31:3; Hosea 11:4). Hear Him speak to you about trust, faith, and love that is much deeper than your mindset of survival. Hear Him speak to you about your deepest yearnings, your wishes, your hopes, and your dreams.

The soft voice of your Father speaks in the core of your essence: you are the beloved. On you His favor rests. He sees you as a precious being. You are welcome to exist. God celebrates your existence. Be blessed to know how you were infinitely loved before you were wounded. That’s the truth of your life. There is no burden on you to prove you are worthy of being loved, of being heard, of being respected and honored and given dignity. Your life is an unceasing “yes” to the truth that you are beloved because of God’s great love. In Him you deserve to be valued.

True legitimacy comes from the One who chose you with everlasting love. Your Father says, “I called you by name from the very beginning. You belong to me, and I know you as my own, and I am yours. You know me as your own true Father. I molded you in your mother’s womb. I carved you in the palms of my Son. I hide you in the shadow of my embrace. You have my infinite tenderness, and I care for you intimately. I have counted every hair on your head, and wherever you go, I go with you. Wherever you rest, I keep watch. I give you food that will satisfy all your hunger and drink that will quench all your thirst. I will never hide my face from you. Nothing will ever separate us. Wherever you are, I am. Live your life as my redeemed child. You can reach out to true inner freedom and find it ever more fully.”

Say “Yes” to your belovedness. His “Yes” is engraved on your heart. Rise up to your full stature and discover how to fulfill your deepest essence of who you are, beloved in God your Father and kept in His Son. You are accepted in the Beloved (Ephesians 1:6 NKJV).

Be blessed in the name of the Beloved Son (Matthew.3:17 NKJV).

© 2008 Taken from You Are Blessed In The Names of God, page 47,
by Sylvia Gunter. Available at www.thefathersbusiness.com

An audio recording of this blessing is available on Blessings From You Are Blessed In The Names Of God, Volume 2, track 2. Click here to purchase..

An archive of past devotionals is available on the website.

Are You Counting Your Blessings?

“He forgives all my sins and heals all my diseases. He redeems me from death and crowns me with love and tender mercies. He fills my life with good things. My youth is renewed like the eagle’s!” (Psalm 103:3-5 NLT)

Each morning as I prepare to eat my cheerios, I pause to look around at all the beauty that surrounds me because of the grace, mercy, and kindness of my heavenly Father. And I see not only the material blessings with which He has so freely provided, but my beautiful bride, my precious children and granddaughter, and the freedoms I enjoy in this country that I often take for granted.

Gratitude is a gift we too often leave unopened, but because of our negligence we soon become enmeshed in the small world of ourselves. Selfishness is not only the sin of the world “out there,” but of each of us who forget God’s abundant blessings to us.

When we focus on ourselves and our “little” needs, we lose the gift of seeing the much larger picture of all that God is doing, not only for us, but around us, in us, and through us. And even as I write I’m reminded of what it was like to have a child with cancer, to lose a loved one or pet, or to be penniless and out of work.

These and many other serious concerns are far from “little” to us, but when we limit our frame of reference to what’s happening to us or in us, we lose a valuable opportunity to realize life is not about us, thus, we forfeit the privilege of being grateful.

James reminds us in chapter 1:2: “Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy.” To express gratitude is to express joy for being in a love relationship with the King of kings and Lord of lords. Donald Grey Barnhouse wrote: “The vast majority of mankind never gives a thought of gratitude towards God for all His care and blessings.” Gratitude and joy should be closely aligned in the heart of a Jesus follower.

It’s to remember our place in the heart of the Father and to joyfully sing praises to the only One who truly deserves it. If you struggle with gratitude or with having a joyful heart in times of affliction, gaze at the Cross and ponder its magnificence. The world will never know the full extent of what Jesus accomplished through His selfless sacrifice for the sin of all mankind.

We forget how valuable our little toe is until we jam it into a corner of the dresser, then there’s no part of our body to which we give more attention. Why should conflict and pain give rise to gratitude? Because they reveal things for which we should have been thankful all along but have been too preoccupied with other things to notice.

Counting our blessings is an intentional practice that will lead to unexpected, but much appreciated results. When we intentionally and consistently express gratitude to someone for a job well done, what happens? It not only makes them feel good in the moment, but it also gives them increased incentive to keep doing a great job. It illustrates very vividly that someone has taken notice of their good work.

But what happens if that gratitude is never expressed? It robs us of an opportunity to bless someone else, but it also robs us of the good feeling we have in thinking of someone other than ourselves. Blessings are abundant to the one whose spirit is tuned to see them, and the rewards for expressing gratitude for them are out of this world!

Food for thought.

Blessings, Ed 😊