Jesus Loves Me

I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good. As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me. For I know that good itself does not dwell in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing. Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it.

So I find this law at work: Although I want to do good, evil is right there with me. For in my inner being I delight in God’s law; but I see another law at work in me, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within me. What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body that is subject to death? Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord!

Romans 7:15-25

Jesus loves me, this I know, for the Bible tells me so. Little ones to Him belong, for I am weak but He is strong. Yes, Jesus loves me, yes, Jesus loves me. Yes, Jesus loves me, the Bible tells me so.

I know, I know, you know that song. But do you know the second verse?

Jesus loves me when I’m good, when I do the things I should. Jesus loves me when I’m bad, even though it makes Him sad. Yes, Jesus loves me, yes, Jesus loves me. Yes, Jesus loves me, the Bible tells me so.

Many people know that first verse and it makes all the difference in the world. To know that Jesus loves you and that He went to the cross for you makes all the difference in the world – it means that you know that your sins are forgiven and that you will spend eternity with Him. Praise God! It means that you have a clean slate, a fresh start, a new life in Him! Your sins are forgiven, you have a new life in Him!

But what if in your new life in Him, you screw up and sin again? What if you take your fresh start and screw it up? What if you still sin even though you know that you shouldn’t? What if you accept Jesus and give your life to Him but you still do the things that you shouldn’t and don’t do the things that you should? Who will rescue you from yourself?

Thanks be to God that He does! He rescues us from our own sinful, self-destructive tendencies! Many Christians know the first verse – that Jesus loves them – but they don’t know the second verse – that He loves them even when they screw up and sin even though they know better. They don’t understand that the love of God not only covers their sins in their life before they accepted Christ, but it also covers their sins in their new life in Christ. Many people think that they accepted Christ as Lord and Savior, then tried to live the Christian life but failed or were hurt by other Christians, so they quit going to church or even quit following Jesus and now they feel that they are doomed to finish their lives without Him. Some might even feel that they are doomed to go to eternity without Him. How sad!

They don’t know that the blood of Jesus covers their sins after their confession of faith as well as before. The difference is that before they accepted Jesus, they really didn’t know better. They were simply carried along their sinful, self-destructive path by their own sin nature and the ways of this world. However, after coming to know Jesus and understanding about His sacrifice for them, they understood what it cost Him and how much He loves them. But still they made mistakes, they sinned, and sometimes even people who have put their faith in Jesus feel like they tried it once but now it is too late, they had their second chance, their new life in Him, but they failed all over again and now there is no hope for them. No forgiveness, no new life, no eternity in their Father’s house because they couldn’t live what they thought was the Christian life.

Nothing could be further from the truth! Even if we sin after we have accepted Christ as Lord and Savior, we still have salvation in His name. Yes, it makes Him sad if we sin, as the second verse in the children’s song says, but we still have forgiveness. Our sin, though, makes Him sad because we could have the abundant life He offers – not only peace with God for all eternity but also love, joy, and peace in this life, right now! When we sin after giving our lives to Jesus, we don’t necessarily forfeit our eternal salvation but we do cheat ourselves out of the abundant life that He offers.

In other words, if we give our lives to Jesus but our hearts are still full of hate and unforgiveness, we don’t necessarily forfeit our salvation but it is very hard if not impossible to sense His presence and experience the love, joy and peace of the abundant life in Him. Or, to put it another way, if we know that we can have victory over sin in Christ Jesus but continue to feed our addictions and self-destructive behavior patterns instead of feasting on the Word and spending time with Him, it makes Him sad because we could have so much more in this life than the misery of being in bondage to sin.

The solution, the way to experience not only eternal life but the abundant life of love, joy, and peace in this life, is to reckon ourselves dead to our sin nature, to understand that we no longer have to submit to every temptation that comes along, whether it be anger, unforgiveness, greed, lust, covetousness, immorality, idolatry, addictions to alcohol or drugs, pornography, whatever it might be. We who have faith in Christ and believe that He died so that our sins might be forgiven can begin to thank Him for His work on the cross and ask Him to save us from our own fleshly temptations and help us to live in His presence, in the love, joy, and peace that He offers. We no longer have to be carried away by every sinful tendency, we can say “No!” in the name of Jesus.

Jesus offers us a better life in this world as well as in the age to come. Don’t let the world or the culture around you tell you different. Don’t buy into the lie that you will be trapped in sin forever. Receive from Jesus not only the eternal forgiveness of sin but the power to not sin and live a holy life in Him. You will be glad you did!

Let’s Pray Together: Lord, forgive me for the times when I wallow in my sins and addictions instead of bringing them to You and gaining victory over them. I know it makes You sad to see me stuck in hatred or unforgiveness or lust or greed instead of enjoying freedom over those things. I know it breaks Your heart to see me caught in a web of isolation and destruction instead of being close to You and other believers. Help me to gain victory over those things that keep me from enjoying abundant life in You. Forgive me these sins and give me victory over these issues that I bring before You now...(keep praying as you feel led…)

Scriptures: Romans 6:1-8:13

He's Got the Whole World in His Hands

For the Lord is the great God, the great King above all gods. In his hand are the depths of the earth, and the mountain peaks belong to him. The sea is his, for he made it, and his hands formed the dry land. Come, let us bow down in worship, let us kneel before the Lord our Maker; for he is our God and we are the people of his pasture, the flock under his care.

Psalm 95:3-7

He’s got the whole world in His hands, He’s got the whole world in His hands…..He’s got the whole world in His hands, He’s got the whole world in His hands.”

As I slowly awakened this morning, the children’s song kept going through my mind as I laid in bed and began to meditate on the truth of that song and my response to it over the years.

When I was a young child going to Sunday school and learning it for the first time, it was simply the obvious truth. God created the heavens and the earth; he made me and my parents; I was safe and secure and life was good. There wasn’t much worry or stress about what I should be doing nor was I doubting or even wondering about the goodness of God or His loving hand upon me and my life. The whole world was in His hands and there was nothing to worry about.

And then I hit puberty and junior high school and friends that betrayed me or made fun of me. I also realized that parents aren’t omniscient nor omnipotent; they sometimes made dumb decisions and were often powerless to bring healing to my world or correction to my circumstances. So I withdrew into myself and tried to build a wall of protection around me, telling myself that God has the whole world in His hands and that one day He would make everything right by setting the world straight and vindicating me in the eyes of those who were hurting me.

As I grew into adulthood, though, I began to see just how hard and unfair life can be. I began to think that if the whole world is in God’s hands, why is there so much pain? Why are there so many senseless wars and horrible genocides and unspeakable atrocities? Why was it that good people that I knew were cut down in the prime of life while others who were violent cheaters lived prosperous lives? Why did my prayers go unanswered? Where was God when I needed Him? The questions haunted me and I began to think that if the whole world was in God’s hands, He was either evil and manipulative or He was simply doing a bad job because life basically sucked and the world was full of pain and injustice.

Then, through a series of seemingly unfortunate events, God got my attention and brought me to an end of myself. As He called me to Himself and opened my eyes to how much He had done for me through Christ Jesus, I began to understand that the seemingly unfortunate events were actually good for me as it drove me to Him. I began to understand that God has a perspective that is far different than mine; He can see the whole world, every person in it, and each person’s eternal destiny as well. I realized that there is more to life than our earthly circumstances; there is a whole new in God that is waiting to be explored. I was born again, born from above with an abundant and eternal life of limitless love, unspeakable joy, and everlasting peace. I understood that God has the whole world in His hands, and He loves every one of us, but to truly experience Him and His love a person has to put his or her trust in Jesus and His work on the cross.

So I set myself to live for God and help Him spread the Good News that there is hope for this life and for all eternity. I tried to be an evangelist and even a church planter but soon realized that my true gifting is as a pastor and teacher who was made for the purpose of shepherding God’s people. I still share the Good News with people from time to time but primarily I shepherd the people of God, prayerfully watching over them and feeding them the Word and encouraging them to follow Jesus and the teachings of the New Testament. I knew that God had the whole world in His hands but I also knew that He gives people free will and that we have an adversary who roams about like a roaring lion, causing chaos and wreaking havoc around the world. As a result, my life revolved around serving God and trying to persuade people to give Him first place in their lives.

Now that I am in my fifties and have served the Lord for more than 30 years, I am realizing that God doesn’t really need me as much as I thought when I was younger. Yes, I have had the privilege and great joy of being a part of people’s lives and influencing them to embrace life and live for Jesus. In a sense their eternal destiny and the course of their world did depend on me being faithful to extend the Word of life to them. But on the other hand, if I didn’t do it, God could have used someone else. So I still have that sense of urgency that comes from knowing that we have an adversary and that people have free will but I no longer feel the weight of the world on my shoulders or that a person’s only hope is that I alone point them to Jesus. I take comfort in the knowledge that the whole world is in God’s hands and I get to be a part of His plan of redemption but it’s not all up to me. It’s up to Him and all of us who make up the Body of Christ and become His mouth, His hands, and His feet.

As I look forward to growing older and continuing to love Jesus and serve Him, I realize that the pendulum is swinging back towards where it started. I began with an innocent trust and an understanding that He has the whole world in His hands. Then I doubted and wandered, but eventually came to understand that while He has the whole world in His hands, I was a part of His body and have a responsibility to represent Him to others and extend His reign on earth. I look forward to continuing to dispel darkness with the light of the Word, to set death to flight with the life of Christ, and to see people healed and set free from sin by the blood of the cross.

But I also know that as I approach the evening of my life, I have less energy to serve enthusiastically and am drawn more to simply spending time with God. I still have a heart to serve, but my heart is drawn more and more to simply spending time with Him, enjoying being with Him and ministering to Him with songs of worship and words of praise. I still have a heart to pray for people, but the prayers have become shorter and the praise has become longer as I trust that God knows what they need better than I do. In short, I now spend more time loving God and trusting Him to intersect people’s lives, bring them to salvation, and go before them in whatever they are facing.

As I grow older, assuming the Lord grants me a long life, I will likely grow in childlike faith. My body might not be as strong to serve and my mind might not be able to grasp the deep theology, but in my heart I will know that the whole world – including my world and my eternity – is in His hands. I will once again be able to rest easy and live free from stress and worry, because the whole world is in His hands.

As we go to prayer today, know for certain that the whole world is in His hands and as we go through life we have different responses and different responsibilities to that truth. Embrace the season of life in which you find yourself, and pray and live accordingly.

Let’s Pray Together: Lord, thank you that you have the whole world in Your hands and that we can trust You to extend Your reign – your life, your light, and your loving-kindness – to people throughout the earth. Show me Your plan for my life in the eternal scheme of things. Guide me as I pray for Your plan for my life and for these people that I lift before You now….

Scriptures: Romans 8:28, Matt. 6:33, Matt. 24:14, Romans 12:1-8, 1 Cor. 12:1-31

The Power of Words

Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.

Ephesians 4:29

“Not that song!” I exclaimed as I jumped off the couch to grab my phone and fast-forward to the next song on the playlist.

“Wow, that really got a reaction out of you! I’ve never seen you move that fast!” laughed my wife. “Why don’t you like that song, anyway?”

“You know why.” I said. “It’s the song we were singing when I was in junior high and the choir director shamed me in front of everybody.”

My wife knows me well enough to just let it drop, as she had heard the story before, even if she didn’t remember which song it was that caused me so much pain. The truth is, though, that it wasn’t the song that caused the pain. It just caused me to remember the pain. Whenever I hear the first notes of the song all the embarrassment and hurt feelings just come flooding back as if it were yesterday. Even after 40 years and a lot of healing, and even though I can talk about it and even laugh about it now, there is something about hearing that song that brings it all back.

It all started when the new church choir director decided that us junior highers were going to sing this beautiful but hopelessly hard song to sing. None of us seemed to be able to get it right – the required range called for professionals, not junior highers whose voices were changing – and the choir director got madder and madder. He had a vision for what it would sound like, and we just weren’t measuring up to his high standards. I’m sure he felt pressure to get it right; he was newly hired and everyone was expecting great performances by the church choirs and musicians.

Anyway, for whatever reason, he got angrier and angrier until he finally blew up. Intense instructions and terse exhortations gave way to outright yelling at us. And then, to make it worse, he singled me out and screamed at me, telling me to try harder. We tried again, and I guess reality hit him or something, because then he simply told me to just pretend to sing, just lip sync while the others he selected sang louder.

I was so embarrassed I wanted to go climb under a rock and hide there for days. Remember, I was in junior high and kids that age seem to feel everything a little more deeply than everyone else. Sometimes something happens when you are at that age and it seems like your whole world is crashing in on you.

I somehow made it through the choir practice but I was never the same. I quit choir, avoided church and the choir director and even the other kids. I distanced myself from church and, in some ways, from God. In fact, I didn’t really have much of a relationship with Him again until I was 23 and had a life-changing event that made me think about eternity and spiritual things. I gave my life back to Him and have never regretted it.

It took me several years, though, of going to church and growing in Christ to get to the point where I could sing along with everyone else without fear of embarrassment. And when I felt called to the ministry and went to Bible college, it became apparent that I would need to be able to lead singing in small groups or classes even if I wasn’t a musician or worship team leader. So I talked to a trusted musician friend about it and he told I wasn’t tone-deaf, just tone-challenged! Just lead out, he said, and as others joined in the singing, let the better singers take the lead.

So I’m still not singing any solos in public, but I sure enjoy singing to the Lord in the car or wherever I can find solitude. And, believe it or not, He really enjoys it when I sing to Him. He created me, He is the one who made my voice the way it is, and since He likes to hear me, that’s good enough for me. And since I am secure in His love for me, I can start up a song in a small group or even a large group if the Lord leads that way. He has healed me from those wounds of so long ago and He has made me whole again.

The lesson in all this is twofold. First, the Lord really does enjoy it when we sing His praises. So don’t hold back. Whatever is in your heart, sing it to the Lord and enjoy being in His presence. Don’t worry about hitting the right notes or forgetting some of the words, just go for it and enjoy being with Him. Sing His praises, give Him thanks, and call to mind His faithfulness as you sing hymns, choruses and other spiritual songs. And don’t be surprised if He gives you some new words to a song or even a whole new song as you let loose and express your love and affection for Him.

The second thing I hope to have communicated is that words really do have power behind them. A poison tongue can inflict wounds that take years to heal. Harsh words, outright lies, hurtful put-downs, even a joke at someone’s expense can tear a person down and keep them from being everything God wants them to be. Uplifting and encouraging words, on the other hand, can empower, equip, and motivate a person to be all that they can be. So guard your tongue and choose your words wisely; you never know the effect you are having on those who are listening to you.

Let’s Pray Together: Lord, help me to guard my tongue and be a blessing to others, not a stumbling block. Help me to build others up, not tear them down. Forgive me for when I have fallen short and hurt others. I love you, Lord; help me to express my emotions for you in songs. I confess that I have felt shame in my singing or lack of talent; help me to get over that and sing wholeheartedly to You...(continue praying as you feel led)

Scripture – James 3:3-12, Psalm 96, Psalm 22:3, Psalm 150, Ephesians 4:29

Action Point: Make a plan for a time and place for you to have some alone time with God. Think about the songs you enjoy and want to sing to Him. Put some thought and effort into it – make a playlist if you want music to sing along with or print off some song sheets if you need help remembering the words.

The Command With A Promise

Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” (Matt. 28:18-20)

I have a confession to make. Whenever I see an article like this that has the Great Commission at the top, I am tempted to quit reading as I think, “Here it comes, another guilt trip about missions. Another exhortation to go or give to someone who is going. I think I’ll pass.” And the funny thing is, I have always had a heart for the mission field and had prepared to go there when I was younger! If I’m tired of hearing it, I bet there are others who are tired of it too.

So you can rest assured that this isn’t another pitch for people to go to Africa or give to the mission board. On the contrary, our focus here will be upon the promise that seems to be overlooked in most sermons or writings on this passage – Jesus promises to be with us! Pause for a moment and let that sink into your heart and mind. Jesus, the One to whom all authority has been given, is with me! And He is with you as well! He is with all of us who have put our faith in Him!

This means that when I bump into my neighbor and make small talk, Jesus is right there with me to help me find the words to tell my neighbor how much I love God and the life He has given me. It means that when I’m locked in a struggle with a contrary co-worker, Jesus is right there to help me be kind and conciliatory. It means that when I am going the extra mile by giving someone a ride, He is right there between us, hoping to be a part of our conversation. Jesus is with me in my marriage, my parenting, whatever I endeavor to do, Jesus is right there with me, especially if I am being obedient to what He has told me to do.

So what, then, has He told us to do? It’s quite simple, really. We are to make disciples. That is the central command of the passage. As we are going, whether it be to the market, our job, or the mission field, we are to be making disciples who are dedicated followers of Jesus. We are to be leading people into relationship with Him and His church by baptizing them and teaching them how to be followers of Jesus. That’s it. Simple and straight-forward. The Body of Christ – all of us who follow Jesus – are to be making other disciples who obey everything Jesus commands us.

Discipleship, then, isn’t a program or a book where one person sits with another for one hour a week for a year and then he or she is officially a disciple and able to disciple someone else. There isn’t a hierarchy of whose discipling whom. And it isn’t only the clergy who are to be making disciples – it’s all of us who follow Jesus.

I hope by now that you are getting the idea that discipleship isn’t optional, for neither you nor I can say, “Discipleship isn’t for me. I just want to be a lone ranger Christian, listening to the sermon or getting my teaching online without getting involved in the lives of others.” The fact is that we need each other. We need other brothers and sisters in Christ to speak into our lives and pray for us and help us out when we need it.

And in like manner, there are others out there who need our input into their lives. There are people all around us who need the message of salvation or encouragement to live for Jesus. We can’t just leave it to the seminary-trained or the extroverts to get the job done. Jesus – the One who has all authority on heaven and earth, the One to whom we will all give an account – commands us all to be making disciples as we go through this life. We are to be bringing people into relationship with Him and teaching them to obey everything He taught us. It’s that simple. No excuses. So let’s get going on what He has told us to do.

After all, His command comes with a promise. He will be with us always – in the coffeeshop, in our workplace, at the supermarket, everywhere we dare to talk about Jesus – even to the end of the age.

Let’s Pray Together: Lord, thank you for your promise to be with us always, even to the end of the age. Help me to be faithful and obedient to the commands you have given us. Show me what my part is in the disciple-making process. Bring people into my life that can encourage me in the Lord and challenge me to live for Jesus more wholeheartedly. Lead me to people that I can teach and encourage in the Lord. I pray for this whole process of disciple-making and ask you to lead me in the following ways….(continue praying as you feel led)

Scriptures: 2 Tim. 2:2, Prov. 27:17, Ecc. 4:12, Heb. 5:12-14

Action Point: Begin thinking about who God has put in your life that you could ask them if they would like to get together to pray and talk about what it means to be a follower of Jesus. Look for potential mentors as well as friends who would benefit from your input in their lives. Take the initiative and call/text someone and set up a time to get together to have some coffee and talk about these things.

Lord Remember Me

Then he said to Jesus, “Lord, remember me when You come into Your kingdom.”And Jesus said to him, “Assuredly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise.” (Luke 23:42-43)

Two criminals hung on crosses next to Jesus. Both witnessed first-hand the torture and execution of the Son of Man. They both saw the soldiers mocking Him, Mary mourning Him, the Man in agony as the wrath of God and the sins of the world came upon Him. Each of the criminals there, though in agony themselves, had a decision to make: Should I join in with the soldiers who don’t believe in Him and start making fun of Him? Or should I join Mary and the others who believe in Him? Or should I just watch from a distance and see what happens?

One criminal chose to mock Jesus and challenged Him to come down off the cross and save Himself and the criminals who were being crucified. The other decided to believe and he turned to Jesus and said, “Lord, remember me when You come into Your kingdom.”

The first criminal, by mocking Jesus and challenging Him, was basically saying, “I don’t believe you are the Son of God but I might believe in you if You do what I want you to do.” The second criminal, though, by asking Jesus to remember Him when He came into His kingdom, was acknowledging that Jesus was indeed a King and that he would submit to Him and be a part of His kingdom.

Catch the difference there? I hope so, for it is the difference between eternal death or eternal life. It is the difference between dead religion or a life-giving relationship with God through the cross of Christ. It is the difference between being separated from God forever or being with Him for all eternity.

And what it is that makes such a difference? It is the person’s approach to the Almighty. Do we mock Him, believing that we know best and declaring that if He does what we demand of Him, then we will put our faith in Him and maybe follow Him when it is convenient and beneficial for us? Or do we submit ourselves to Him, declaring that He is our King and the Lord of our lives?

Most all of us have been in the camp of the first criminal, telling God what He should do to make us believe in Him or to rescue us from the circumstances of our own bad choices. This is the wide road that leads to destruction and many people, even many church-goers, go down this road. They are the ones who Jesus tells, “Depart from me, for I never knew you.”

Only a few of us join the camp of the second criminal, accepting His lordship and entering into His kingdom by actively doing His will instead of our own. This is the narrow road that leads to eternal life, and few find it for it is the road of the cross. It is the road that requires picking up our own cross and following Jesus even when it costs us something. It is going the extra mile, turning the other cheek, giving to those who ask of us, loaning to the person who wants to borrow. It is loving people the way Jesus loved people and serving God sacrificially just as Jesus did.

The criminal on the cross who asked Jesus to remember him had it easy if you think about it. He died later that day and went to be with Jesus in Paradise even though he never did much for Him. He was like one of the workers hired late in the day who gets the same reward as those who worked most of the day. (See Jesus’ parable in Matthew 20 if you aren’t familiar with this story.)

Most of us are more like the workers hired earlier in the day; we give our lives to Christ while we still have some time left to serve Him. We tell Him, “Lord, I believe, remember me when you come into Your kingdom.” He replies, “My kingdom is upon you, go and spread the Gospel of My kingdom throughout the earth. Invite people to give their lives to Me. Pray that My will would be done on earth just as it is in heaven. Teach them to pray as I taught you. Proclaim freedom for those who are imprisoned by sins and addictions. Heal the sick, deliver the demon-possessed, and proclaim life to the dying. My kingdom is here now, starting like a little mustard seed or a little bit of leaven, and it will grow and fill the whole earth and you get to be a part of it! So go and proclaim My kingdom and make some disciples!”

I don’t know about you, but even though I have said it many times before, I am ready to say, “Lord, remember me when you come into Your kingdom in all its fullness. And remember me today as I endeavor to live for You, to do Your will here on earth just as it is in heaven.”

Let’s Pray Together: Lord, remember me when you come into Your kingdom and remember me as we go out into the world together. Help me to proclaim Your Good News boldly and faithfully. Give me faith to pray for people and to see Your kingdom and Your will be done. Give me strength and courage to live for You, to obey You even when it costs me something or I would rather not. You are my king and I gladly give You my life….(keep praying as you feel led...)

Scriptures: Luke 23:32-43, Matthew 7:13-14, Matthew 7:21-23, Matthew 20:1-16

Action Point: Respond to Jesus today. Get serious about making Him your King. Resolve to be a follower of Jesus, taking up your cross and laying down your life for the Kingdom and for the sake of others. Read Matthew Chapters 5-7 and other teachings of Jesus and ask Him how to live it out in our modern day culture.

This Is the Day

This is the day the Lord has made;

We will rejoice and be glad in it.

Psalm 118:24

This is the day that the Lord has made…..I will rejoice and be glad in it….the song kept running through my head this morning as I lay in bed waiting for the sun to come up. As I lay there thinking about the day ahead and contemplating whether the Lord was speaking to me about getting up out of bed, it dawned on me (pun intended!) that I had never fully grasped the full meaning of that statement.

This is the day that the Lord has made, I thought. The whole day stretches out before me. The sun will come up and light will burst forth and the sun will warm the earth as well as my aching bones. Joy really does come in the morning, at the beginning of a new day, when the night has past and the new day has come.

How many times, I thought, have I weathered through a dark night of the soul, a darkened path in my journey through life? And why didn’t I realize that there would soon be a new day dawning, a new season to be entered into, a new bursting forth of life and light? God created the night as well as the day and I will rejoice and be glad in it. Yes, sometimes it takes perseverance to get through the hard times but I will put my trust in the Lord that He will bring me through it to enter into a new day that He has made.

So then, in each day that the Lord gives me, I will rejoice in His faithfulness to me and to the whole world. The sun will come up; light will burst forth; He will provide for our needs; He will lead us through the day; He will be with us as we rest through the night and wait for the next day to begin.

He is so faithful to bring the sun and the moon to shine upon us each 24 hour period, why do we have such a hard time trusting Him to bring us through the dark days of the soul? After all, in both Hebrew and English we often use the word “day” to refer to a season of time as well as a 24 hour period. For example, as I write today (Nov. 22) I am looking forward to that day (season of time) when there will be no more tears and we will be dancing on streets that are golden and everyone will know the Lord.

Therefore, when I sing that this is the day that the Lord has made and I will rejoice and be glad in it, I can sing with a full understanding that whatever the new day, the new 24-hour period brings, I can rejoice and be glad that the Lord is on the throne of my life and I can trust Him to take me through whatever that day brings. Even if it brings me through the valley of the shadow of death or even physical death itself, I know that my God is faithful and He will bring me through to enjoy a new day, a new season, in Him.

No matter what happens – whether it be something fantastic or something terrible, whether I am victorious or humbled in defeat, whether I lose my job, go through a divorce, come down with a horrible disease, become disabled, go bankrupt – whatever happens, God is with me and He will bring me through it and lead me into a new season of peace, prosperity, and rest in Him. Sometimes we are blessed with a taste of this new season, a taste of heaven, here on earth. Other times we can only patiently wait, knowing that this is the day the Lord has made and there is also another Day that He has made that we can only look for and anticipate from a distance.

All of this, this Day of the Lord that Scripture speaks about and we look forward to, is reserved for those who call upon the Lord and put their trust in Him. They are promises made to God’s people, not to the whole population of planet earth. Even though all are invited, not all hear the Message and only a few accept the Lord’s invitation into His kingdom. Many are not willing to bow their knee and give Him the throne of their life. They miss their Day of visitation, the moment in time or even season in life when God is revealing Himself to them and calling them to lay down their lives and follow Him.

Wherever you are at in this process, whether you have been a follower of Jesus your whole life or whether you are just now considering if this might be the day God visits you and changes your life, please know this: God loves you and He has revealed Himself in Jesus Christ. More than two thousand years have passed since the Light burst forth and marked the beginning of a brand new Day of the Lord. Those who receive the Light, who receive Jesus and accept Him as their Lord and Savior, enter into a new day, a day where there sins are forgiven, their mistakes are forgotten, and they have the victory over sin and the grave. They will be with the Lord forever and ever, no matter what happens.

This is the Day that the Lord has made. I will rejoice and be glad in it. Will you join me?

Let’s Pray Together: Lord Jesus, this is the Day that You have made and I will rejoice and be glad in it. You have called me to Yourself in the past, You are calling me now, and You will continue to call me and lead me until that Day when I see you face to face and we are together for all eternity. In the meantime, today and every day you give me, help me to live for You. I give you my life and everything I have and everything that is within me. After all, You gave Your life for me. Thank you, Lord, and thank you for this day that you have made. Help me to enter into the fullness of everything You have for me today. Help me to be a blessing to others and to tell them about this Day that you have made….(continue praying as you feel led...)

Scriptures: 1 Peter 2:12, Psalm 118, 

Action Point: Take time today to thank God for this day that God has made. Thank him for the literal 24-hour day and rejoice that He will be with you throughout the day and that He will help you through whatever happens. Then thank Him for the this Day of the Lord that He has made and rejoice that your sins are forgiven and you will be with Him forever. Contemplate these things as you go through your day today.

God is Faithful

God is faithful, who has called you into fellowship with his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. (1 Cor. 1:9)

He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. (Phil. 1:6)

The other night I was sprawled out on the couch with my kids cuddled up in my lap as I read them a book. This was a special time for us – the nightly ritual of reading books before bedtime. But this time became extra special as the Spirit of God led us to talk about something that I had not planned.

We were reading, of all things, a silly yet thought-provoking book by Dr. Seuss – Horton Hatches the Egg. It’s a children’s classic that showcases an elephant named Horton who gets talked into sitting up in a tree on a tiny nest while the lazy bird flys south for a holiday. It’s quite uncomfortable and after a few days Horton thinks about quitting and climbing down out of the tree. But instead he says, “I meant what I said and I said what I meant, an elephant is faithful one hundred percent!”

Winter comes and icicles are hanging from poor Horton as well as the tree and still Horton faithfully sits on the egg. Spring comes with thunder and lightening but still Horton is faithful to his task. Friends come and mock him, calling him crazy for acting like a bird, but Horton simply declares, “I meant what I said and I said what I meant, an elephant is faithful one hundred percent!”

Summer arrives and hunters stumble upon him. Instead of shooting him, though, they laugh at such a ridiculous sight and decide to cart him away and sell him to the circus. Of course, Horton won’t budge out of his tree so they ship him – tree, nest, and elephant – across the ocean where he continues to sit upon his nest. Eventually, after nearly a year of sitting on his nest, the egg hatches and an elephant-bird pops out and a new species is born. Horton, true to form, reminds everyone around that, “I meant what I said and I said what I meant, an elephant is faithful one hundred percent!”

The book, even with its silly plot, teaches many life lessons that my kids and I had talked about before – the benefits of being faithful, the rewards of hard work, etc. But this time I asked my kids, “Who else do we know that is faithful?”

We talked about mom and dad and grandparents and their faithfulness before they finally got my point: God is faithful one hundred percent! We talked about Daniel and the lion’s den, David and Goliath, the fiery furnace, and other well-known Bible stories. We talked about God’s promises to protect us and provide for us and how we can trust what He says in the Bible to come true. After all, He said what He meant and He meant what He said, for our God is faithful one hundred percent!

The kids went to bed feeling happy and secure, knowing that their parents and their God would watch over them and provide for them. My wife and I, though, settled down in front of the fireplace and began to talk about how hard it is to have that childlike faith. After all, I had been discipling a young man whose life didn’t have a storybook ending – he went back to his alcoholism despite all my efforts. Another dear friend died of cancer even though we fasted and prayed with everything that was in us. Was God still faithful? Had He let us down?

In the natural, looking at only the temporal things of life, it appeared that God did let us down. But as we talked about God’s perspective and started looking at things in light of eternity, we realized that He not only didn’t let us down, He had made provision ahead of time. Our friend who had succumbed to cancer wasn’t gone forever, for she is with the Lord and we will see her soon enough. Jesus died and rose again for that very reason – that we who believe would share in his victory over death and the grave. Cancer was not victorious; it was simply a method the Lord used to bring His daughter home to Himself.

And when it comes to people making bad decisions with their life, the world is full of them and God has made provision for them as well. Jesus willingly went to the cross for that very reason – so that people like you and me can have a second chance and find new life in Him. I don’t know if my alcoholic friend ever came back to the Lord and got victory over the alcohol, but I know that God is faithful and the seeds that were planted during that time of his life will bear fruit. I trust the Lord to call my friend back to Himself and to break the chains that hold him back from becoming everything the Lord wants him to be. After all, Phil. 1:6 promises that “He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.”

Some people might say that I’m being naive or overly optimistic. I don’t think so. I think I am contending for that childlike faith that trusts in our Heavenly Father in the way that Jesus taught us. Remember, He meant what He said and He said what He meant. Our God is faithful one hundred percent!

Let’s Pray Together: Father God, help me to trust in You. I know that You are faithful; help me to rest in Your faithfulness. Help me to have childlike faith in Your protection, Your provision, and Your love for me. Thank you for Your mercy, Your grace, Your hand upon my life. Forgive me for when I have fallen short, and help me to get back up and live for You. Thank you that You are faithful even when I am not. I could use Your help in these issues I bring You now….(continue praying as you feel led)

Scriptures: Psalm 71:22-23, Psalm 98:1-3, Exodus 34:5-7

Action Point: Take time today to count all the ways that God has been faithful to you. Begin with the great eternal things He has done for all of us (salvation, forgiveness, interceding for us, etc.) and then make it personal, thanking Him for His help when you needed it, His provision at just the right time, His intervention in your life, etc.