Category: Jesus Moments

“The glory that you have given me I have given to them, that they may be one even as we are one.” John 17:22

Several years ago, Saudi Arabia and Israel flirted with making an alliance. The reason? They shared a mutual concern over a common enemy ~ Iran. These two nations were strange bedfellows, and under any other circumstances, they would have been adversaries. There was no way their temporary alliance could be strong.

The same is true of personal connections. Friendships, even marriages, are pursued for similar reasons. Two people come together because they are against the same things. Their bond is, likewise, fragile. Common values are missing. Unity in the things that really matter is absent, and well-founded unity is what creates strong fibers between people.

This matter of unity was so important that Jesus prayed about it the night He was betrayed. This was His ‘goodbye prayer’ before leaving His disciples. He asked God to help them experience the kind of unity that He and His Father enjoyed. When hard times hit them in the days ahead, Jesus knew that only spiritual unity would keep the early church strong.

I have had many soulish friendships over the course of my life. We would often recount all the things we shared in common. They were good things, but it took maturity to realize they weren’t deep things. Our fellowship was only as deep as our passions, and without Jesus at the center, we were just playmates.

I’ve gotten to know a lot of people who married for reasons other than spiritual kinship. Things were fine until life tested their values. They discovered that they were worlds apart in what they deemed most important. Unity was impossible as long as only one of them was passionate about Jesus. The fiber of their marriage eroded until God intervened by saving faith for the unbelieving spouse.

So, it is good to put each of our relationships to the test. Upon what is our unity based? How deep does it go? What issues would put us at odds? What things are we most passionate about, and are we unified? If Jesus is not at the center of our shared affections, we can expect the stability the likes of a Saudi/Israeli treaty.

As I remember Your words, “Let them be one as we are one”…I celebrate and I also lament. Strengthen the bonds of my holy alliances. Expose all unholy affiliations and show me how to pray for change. Don’t let me lose my voice to keep the peace. It is false peace, Lord. Amen

Come, you children, listen to me; I will teach you the fear of the Lord.  Psalm 78:5

Children grew up faster in the first century. Jesus knew, prior to school age, what living under the boot of the Roman Empire meant for his neighbors and the people of Nazareth. Evidence of oppression was everywhere. During the time of His childhood, Caesar Augustus, just for the pure pleasure of flexing his power, sent a mounted army into the temple to slaughter 3,000 Jews at the time of the Passover. (An event recorded by historians.) The Jewish people also had to pass crucifixion scenes lining the road in and out of Jerusalem. Parents taught their children early about God and eternal life. Evil was prevalent so faith was necessary.

In my generation, it was possible to raise children in an overly protective bubble. Many children never went to a funeral; they never encountered a deceased relative. Small communities were usually church going communities. People rarely locked their homes as civility ruled and trust in mankind was possible. While this was wonderful on the one hand, it also produced a generation of people who lived for ‘the now’. There was no urgency to provide spiritual instruction. Need for God was numbed out by peace and contentment.

But “Leave It To Beaver” has long passed. Our world has deteriorated into chaos and evil. Children can’t be protected from the news. Attempting to keep them in a protective bubble is impossible once they approach Kindergarten. While we grieve for their loss of innocence, we are also presented with an opportunity to show them what hope in Jesus looks like. We can model how to live in the promises of God. When scripture is life-saving for adults, children will embrace it as life-saving. Prayer will no longer be perfunctory at mealtimes. It will be a way of life as families look to the heavens together for the grace to live and the hope to endure.

I remember that Josiah, a righteous King, was raised in violent times. His father was the wicked King Amnon. Horrific scenes of child sacrifice were commonplace and Baal worship prevailed. Amnon made Josiah and his other sons pass through fire, practice magic, learn divination skills, and thought nothing of shedding innocent blood in great quantity in front of his children. In spite of this, when Josiah inherited the throne, he turned to the God of his fathers and walked righteously. He was not scarred for life. He did not embrace wickedness though it was modeled exclusively for him as a young boy.

God has chosen these times in which to raise our children and grandchildren. He who calls a people unto Himself makes a way for them to hear His voice. He cups His hands around their spirits and preserves their ability to understand and treasure righteousness instead of evil. Hope is alive and God can be trusted with our little ones.

Though your children walk through the fire, we will not be consumed. Amen

This is my comfort in my affliction, that Your word has revived me.  Psalm 119:50 

I saw a quote earlier. “Your past is not God’s future for you.”  Many would argue that. They say that so much of what they have suffered continues to visit them over and over again. They continue to get sick. They continue to sustain disappointments. They continue to get fooled by people. They continue to face losses. They continue to work with challenging financial parameters. They experience life as a cruel cycle and the abundant life seems nothing but a dangling carrot.

This fallen world will continue to be fallen until Jesus comes or I die and step into His presence. My ultimate future will look nothing like my past or my present. Praise God! But until then, my circumstances here will continue to be challenging, if not cyclical. Life will continue to present set after set of problem solving exercises, but in the midst of that reality, the kingdom is also here now with respect to my internal world.

How am I to regard my life when painful things keep repeating themselves? I have to remember that from the outside, things are often the same. But the inside is to be in the process of continual change. Here’s an example. When my mother died, I was thirty years old. I did not have a strong connection to God. I had no idea how to draw close to Him to weather the trauma. I floundered, grew depressed and inconsolable, and my faith suffered for another decade. Much further down the road, my father died of cancer. My relationship with God was alive. Scripture had driven my root system deeper into the person of Jesus. I knew how to live in hope, draw strength from my Savior, and put scripture into practice. Everything was different even though cancer had once again re-appeared in my life in the death of a parent.  Same circumstances. Different internal world.

My past is not my future. Right now, my internal world can resemble eternity with Jesus.  In Christ, God has made it possible for my soul to live in paradise.

You walk with me and talk with me. You tell me I am your own. That changes today entirely no matter how ongoing my affliction. Amen

After three days they found him in the temple courts, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions. Everyone who heard him was amazed at his understanding and his answers. Luke 2:46-47

Was it difficult for Joseph and Mary to give Jesus a normal upbringing? Was he just one of the villager’s children? Scripture doesn’t say but as Michael Card encourages believers to read the Word with their God-given imaginations, we can wonder. In this one account from Luke, Jesus goes to the temple when He is twelve, asks a few questions, offers some insights in response, and the scholars are amazed.

How do you hide the Light of the world in a dark and oppressive Roman society? In Nazareth, there very well could have been stories among the villagers about Jesus. Though His first public miracle was at the wedding at Cana, did things happen earlier that could only have been explained by the word ‘miracle’? We’re not told but I find it interesting that Mary turned to Jesus at the wedding and casually asked if He would do something about the fact that the wine had run out.

This child, Jesus, was also divine. He was also the One who spoke the world into existence. How could His words have been common, even as One Incarnate? As He saw the broken world around Him, wouldn’t He have addressed it on more than one occasion? Surely He would have seen parents, brothers, and extended family members get sick. Surely there would have been demonic manifestations near Him in everyday life. I wonder if the presence of God, resident in Christ, caused cataclysmic reactions at various points in His childhood. It could be that God Himself veiled the eyes of those around the Christ child to protect His identity until it was time for Him to begin His ministry. But surely something extraordinary happened in the temple when Jesus was twelve. This we know ~ His divinity was on display that day.

What does all of this mean for us? When God gives a gift, there is no indication that it should be used indiscriminately. When God entrusts His disciple with spiritual abilities, they should remain inoperative until God says it’s time to use them. Thirty years of age is a long time for Jesus to wait to be released into public ministry. In God’s wisdom, there were thirty years of preparation for three years of ministry.

You and I may be aware of spiritual gifts that lie in waiting. We strain to exercise them and second-guess God’s wisdom of how long we must wait for the door of our calling to be opened. Could it be that God raises up a disciple for forty-five or fifty years before commissioning him/her to realize their usefulness? Could there be a lifetime of preparation for a few short years of ministry?  Could destiny follow decades of obscurity? In God’s economy, yes. John the Baptist was a flash of Light but never, according to Jesus, did anyone burn brighter.

Oh, the mystery of Your ways. For every place that I wait for You, I submit to Your wisdom and timetable. Amen

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Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God. Matthew 5:8

Purity and defilement are polar opposites. A pure heart sees God. A defiled heart does not. A pure heart has a cleansed conscience. A defiled heart has a seared one.

Can I achieve purity of heart with mere mental discipline? Not remotely. Some would say to just ‘think on the things’ that Paul advocates in Philippians. But those mental gymnastics don’t make me pure. Though they might help me stay pure in heart, purity is the gift God gives to me upon confession of sin.  A defiled heart is one that is deceived. To the degree that I have a history of unconfessed sin, I can be sure that deception has a hold on me and has rendered me partially blind. Christ won’t be someone I treasure because my vision is impaired.

When mentoring women, I take them through a life inventory. I explain that past sins, not yet confessed, bear consequences of spiritual blindness. Unholy spiritual legacies from family bloodlines will also pass on deception. Let me speak from personal experience. My father, and his parents, belonged to the Masonic Lodge. When he asked to be released from his vows, he initiated a freedom for my sister and me. If he had stayed in the Lodge, he would have passed on spiritual blindness since the belief system of the Lodge is rooted in Eastern religion. Our family did some significant spiritual work to fully renounce the ties of our ancestors. Just as they took vows, one at a time, they needed to be renounced one at a time. Some vague general prayer didn’t really hit the mark.

Paul addressed this subject another way. “To the pure, all things are pure, but to those who are corrupted and do not believe, nothing is pure. In fact, both their minds and consciences are corrupted.” Titus 1:15   My rudder, resident in my conscience, is corrupted by unbelief.

If I want to see God and remain pure in heart, I need to be tough on sin. I aim to be a sin-killer. Otherwise, I risk wearing foggy eyeglasses when I behold the face of God.

Bad eyesight can creep up on me. Expose my sin before it metastasizes. I want to see You in all of Your glory. Amen

And when the devil had finished every temptation, he departed from Him until an opportune time. Luke 4:13

I find that temptation rarely comes on a good day. I would have more resources to resist. Temptation comes when I’m worn down, when I’ve lost a night’s sleep, when I’m grieving something, or when I’m stressed by life. That’s when the enemy pours it on. Is there a scripture to support that? Actually, yes.  Jesus went from his own beautiful baptism by John the Baptist to the desert for 40 days. His calling was followed by a season of testing. (Isn’t that the way it is!) When Jesus was alone, weathering the elements of an unforgiving wilderness, hungry, tired….that’s when Satan came with guns loaded. One temptation after another bombarded him to offer Jesus a way out of distress early.  Instead of persevering and waiting for God’s intervention and care, Satan wanted Him to take advantage of a counterfeit fix. All Jesus had to do was worship him.

We can also be sure that temptation will involve an offer of pain relief that encourages us to circumvent waiting on God. Jesus showed us what to do. He didn’t cave no matter how weakened He was. He quoted scripture and put the enemy in His place. He stayed the course and waited on God’s grace and comfort, and eventually, deliverance.

Today’s scripture is what concludes His wilderness temptation. When the devil had been unsuccessful at every juncture point, he departed from Jesus until another opportune time. When would that be? When Jesus would be weary from ministry, misunderstood by those who once loved Him, and betrayed by Judas. These would comprise the next opportunities for temptation.

If you are in a difficult period of life, beware of the one who doesn’t play fair. Satan loves to prey on the vulnerable. Listen for the roar of the pretend lion. Have a plan. Have some scripture picked out and ready so that when you want like everything to compromise, you can withstand the temptation. Every victory tones our spiritual muscles for the ‘next time.’

And when Your wilderness was over, You entered ministry with power. I want everything You promised. Don’t let me cave. Amen

So faith comes from hearing and hearing through the Word of Christ.  Romans 10:17

Life-saving advice means that what was shared with me was so valuable that I couldn’t wait to go away and apply it.  I have complete confidence in it.

One of the meanings for faith, in the Greek, is ‘to have complete confidence in something.’  The evidence of confidence is application.

Abraham had faith in God.  How do we know that?  He left his home village of Ur and took off for a new life.  Saul had faith after experiencing Christ on the road to Damascus.  How do we know that?  He went from hunting down Christians to becoming ‘the hunted.’  Peter and Andrew had faith after hearing Jesus’ call to them.  How do we know that?  They left their fishing business and their families to follow Jesus, even unto death.

Many today say that they believe in God; that he lived, died, and spoke the truth.  They equate belief with faith.  Yet, there has been no action that has proven their confidence.  Words are cheap without evidence of life-change.

Ultimately, this is not a devotional about unbelievers vs. believers.  It is more personal.  I must ask myself the question, “Do I have faith that Scripture is true?”  I answer ‘yes’ without even blinking.  But if that’s true, am I acting upon what I read without hesitation?  Am I one who looks for loopholes?  Do I rationalize why I haven’t obeyed yet?

Or, am I bold in my application?  Will I stand up for truth in a meeting where it will cost me something?  Will I take on a challenge God has led me to if I fear I’m not qualified?  Will I risk offending family or even a good friend by charting a different course from them?  Will I leave a group where I’m comfortable if God is telling me to join a different Bible study, Sunday school class, or even go to a different church?

Difficult obedience is the proof of faith.  “Faith comes by hearing”….yes, but faith is more than saying “I believe.”  The essence of faith is a confidence that bears proof through actions.

I believe You, Lord.  In everything You speak, I believe You.  Where do I need to act on it today?  Show me where I’ve been lying to myself.  Amen

But though He had performed so many signs before them, yet they were not believing in Him. John 12:37 

My husband, Ron, is a seasoned Bible teacher. At the conclusion of almost every lesson, he prays for everyone before they leave. “Lord, help others see Jesus in us this week.” Now, he’s praying this with his eyes wide open, knowing the possible outcomes of what happens when unbelievers encounter Jesus in a believer. They are either warmed and move closer to Jesus or they are repelled and reject Him.

I do well to remember this as I’ve often possessed magical thinking. I’ve believed that if people could just see Jesus in me, they would love Him and want Him in their lives. But when Jesus was here in the flesh, John revealed that the opposite is true. When someone comes into contact with the Light of the world, the majority is offended by holiness. They feel exposed. Unclean. And then, angry.

This is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed. John 3:19-20

Should I pray for others to see Jesus in me? Yes. I’m told to be Spirit-filled and Spirit-led. My life’s purpose is to glorify my Father in heaven by the way I live. But I should also be aware that if someone sees Jesus and feels the impact, and they are an unbeliever, I shouldn’t be surprised by a combustible reaction. The very presence of Light in me will be felt by children of darkness. The more oppressed the person, the more violent will be his reaction to me. A simple business exchange at the dry cleaners, grocery store, restaurant, can become contentious because there is a ‘darkness and light’ undercurrent happening. Often, what we chalk up to a mysterious ‘rub’ is really two kingdoms colliding and giving off sparks.

The more I am Your image bearer, the more I will be despised. Just like You. Re-align my expectations. Amen

The mouth of the righteous brings forth wisdom, but the perverse tongue will be cut off. The lips of the righteous know what is acceptable, but the mouth of the wicked, what is perverse. Proverbs 10:31-32

Just as I had to learn to talk, Jesus had to learn it too.  It wasn’t long before He was too big to sleep in Mary’s arms.  He became an active toddler, embarking on the learning curves of life.  It’s hard to imagine a child who was sinless in how he related to adults.  He was perfect and though I’m sure His personality was evident in the way He spoke, his speech was without sin.  He teaches me whether I think of Him as a toddler, an adolescent, or adult in the way He communicates.

One thing is common among the flawed human race. We all use superlatives and paint with a broad brush in ways that are self-serving. When I’m angry and I feel like I need to make my point, I will say, “You never care about how I feel.” Do I really mean ‘never’? Probably not, but I believe that the exaggeration will increase the possibility that I’m taken seriously. When frustrated, I will misuse the word ‘always’. “You always come home late.” Is that true? Probably not. But there were enough times to set a precedent and enough times to inflame my frustration.

Then there are overused words like ‘incredible’, ‘amazing’, and ‘life-changing.’ These marketing triggers have invaded the church and colored the claims of those who use them until they are virtually meaningless. They’re thrown around as a way to increase attendance and/or convince someone that something is more effective than it really is. Here’s the thing; few things are incredible, amazing, and life-changing and when they are, I want to know that there are words available to adequately describe them.

Jesus was precise in his language. When He said, “All have sinned and come short of the glory of God”, He meant all. Every single person. In the upper room, when He said, “Tonight, one of you will be betray me”, I can know that He meant only one. Did that mean that none of the rest of the disciples ever let Him down? No. He teaches us about intent and what is premeditated as opposed to slipups. The other eleven disciples, though imperfect, possessed good faith efforts.

The difference between the ways Jesus talked and the way I talk is vast.  He never had ulterior motives. There was never a selfish agenda that colored his speech. He said what He meant and every superlative was true. When He promised abundant life, I cannot fathom the far-reaching heights of such abundance.

As a flawed woman who wants to be more like Jesus, I have to curb the temptation to exaggerate in order to bring relief to my pain and frustration. This is where God promises grace. In the trenches, I must pray and ask God for the wisdom to speak with integrity. Every superlative must be under the control of the Spirit of God and if I’m worked up and know that I can’t trust myself to speak well, I should be quiet until I can. Wisdom knows the power of restraint.

This year, Lord, I’ll be working on it. Amen

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Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water. John 7:38

A person’s deep emptiness will only be filled by a relationship with Jesus. Not only will it be satisfied but it will overflow from the reservoir of life that Jesus pours in. That is the meaning of Jesus’ words here. Even on a bad day, a believer’s heart will spill out abundant life. Get that person talking about Jesus and tender words of love will flow.

When I was 30, I sat in a counselor’s office.  My mother had just died.  Unbelievably just nine months earlier, my husband’s mother also died.  We were so young with two young children who would not know any grandmas.  My counselor, on my first visit, asked me why I was there.  I told him that I just couldn’t lose one more person.  I asked him to promise me (on behalf of God) that I wouldn’t face any more impending tragedies.  Wisely, he looked at me and said, “The issue is not whether I can promise you a life without more pain.  The issue is this ~ When the next thing happens, will you know Jesus in a way where He is enough?”  That question registered deeply in my soul and set the course for the rest of my life.

With the tumultuous events happening in our world at this moment, God is, and will be,  enough for each of us.  No matter how desperate our need is, He is deeper still.  The faith that we need to believe that God will strengthen, comfort, and undergird us in order to persevere, is granted to us one moment at a time.  If we cling to His promises, they will sustain us even when we can’t see our way ahead.

And finally, the scriptures we have known and thought we understood will take on new dimensions in the days ahead and each one will meet us where faith and unbelief collide.  God invites us to swim in the vast ocean of His love and Living Water will carry our tears ~ and our praises.

Father, You are still the beautiful answer to every cry of my heart. Amen