Why are we here? This question has puzzled humanity for almost as long as humanity has existed, but probably never more so than it does in this 21st century. What children are taught in the public schools of our generation and the message we all are eventually subjected to by the world is simple: life is meaningless. We are said to be a mere byproduct of random chance, essentially consisting of little more than rearranged pond scum that will one day die and be forgotten. We’re supposedly no more valuable than a passing breeze or a stick of wood, for they, too, will soon pass away with little notice.

And yet despite Satan’s best efforts to convince us of these things, within each of our hearts is the yearning to do something important, something lasting, with our lives. Few of us never aspired to be an astronaut, the president or a movie star. Perhaps these aspirations were not as eternally significant as we once believed, but they nonetheless reflected a desire to live a purposeful life. Even as adults we pursue romance not only to love, but to be loved; we have children to leave a living part of us behind once we ourselves are gone; we write blog posts because we want to be part of a conversation deeper than next week’s weather forecast. Ultimately, I think one of the greatest fears deep within the heart of every human is that we will one day be forgotten.

As Christians, however, our faith is that we not only can find purpose in life, but that we were actually created with a Divine purpose – specifically, to enjoy an intimate relationship with our Creator and to do so in a way that brings constant glory to His name (Ps. 112:1; Rev. 3:20). And not only were we created with a purpose to fulfill in this life, but we have been given an invitation from God Himself  to spend eternity free from every doubt, fear, and insecurity in heaven with Him. If all of this isn’t enough to keep you motivated, recall that in the meantime we have been commissioned to execute the biggest rescue mission of all time by preaching the Gospel of salvation in all corners of the earth (Mark 16:15).

I’m not trying to give anybody an overinflated sense of importance. There are enough authors, speakers and musicians who make it their priority to build your self-esteem. That’s not my goal here. It’s simply to remind you of a simple yet profound Biblical truth: when He was on the cross, it was out of love for you and me. And through His death and resurrection, we are given hope and meaning much greater than we ever thought possible. So as you live your life, be careful never to allow this realization to slip away. The greatest misery one can experience is in feeling you haven’t a future (1 Cor. 15:19), but if you’re a Christian then the best is yet to come.

 

So how are your New Year’s resolutions going? You know, those commitments everybody made a few weeks ago that they’re already trying to forget about? My guess is that, if you’re anything like the rest of us, your vision of the future probably isn’t a reality quite yet.

How do I know this? Because life never goes as planned. Just as you are gathering the courage to go on that mission trip, a family member will suddenly take ill and need a caretaker. The very month in which you plan to increase your giving will always be the month that the car breaks down, and spending more time with God is a lot harder when your boss asks you to take on an extra shift.  Life happens, and it usually does so at the most inopportune times.

“But as for you, ye thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save much people alive.”

          -Genesis 50:20

The worst part of it all is that many of us become so discouraged when things don’t go our way that we give up on change altogether. Just because you’re struggling with reading through the Bible in a year is no reason to quit studying the Scriptures, nor is a rocky start to your diet an excuse for another year of unhealthy living. As David Brinkley once said, “A successful man is one who can lay a firm foundation with the bricks others have thrown at him.” By giving up in the face of adversity, we’re actually losing out on the opportunity for growth that far surpasses what we could have planned with a pen and paper.

Maybe life has thrown quite a few bricks at you over these last four weeks. Maybe “successful” is the last work you would use to describe the month of January, and you don’t yet see any silver linings or light at the end of the tunnel. If this is you, don’t be discouraged by the obstacles you’ve encountered. Instead, learn to view every hardship as an opportunity for growth and realize that God’s plans for you are far more significant than your own. What you may view only as another brick to dodge, God may see as building material.

 

“Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow…”

             -James 4:14

Can you believe the holidays are almost over? It seems like just a few short weeks ago that we were carving turkeys and putting up Christmas lights, yet my calendar tells me that the old year has just ended and a new one just begun. 2012, now officially upon us, offers us a fresh start at things we may have done less than succeed at in 2011.

I typically don’t make an official list of resolutions for the New Year, but I do of course have a few things I’d like to improve on throughout the months ahead. Things like buying a car and graduating were fairly simple goals for me to come up with, whereas some soul-searching was required to realize the areas that need changing on a much deeper, spiritual level. Add my name to the list of Christians determined to pray more, study harder, and live a godlier life this year than ever before.

What changes have you slated for 2012? Regardless of what goals you’ve set, let me encourage you to take proactive steps toward making that happen. Do you want to get in shape? Then sign up for a 5k run in August. Do you want to start praying more? Then turn off your computer and go pray. As simple as it may sound, changing something in your life requires actually changing something in your life! You can’t expect to do the same things you’ve always done and get closer to God or lose weight; a positive change requires decisions to be made and action to be taken.

The mistake we often make with New Year’s resolutions is in believing they are one-time decisions – something we commit to once and then can simply watch for the results. If you’re really serious about accomplishing something, however, then it’s probably a commitment you’ll have to renew at least 366 times throughout the coming year¹. Tomorrow when you wake up, the will to improve your relationships or get out of debt won’t greet you with a morning kiss; you’ll have to again remind yourself of just how much change is truly needed and pray for the strength to make progress in your war against complacency.

Tomorrow is a day which always holds the best intentions, yet never does any good because it’s always 24 hours away. The worst mistake you could make next to discarding your resolutions altogether is to put off making a difference until tomorrow. Decide now to fulfill the resolutions you talked about yesterday and make 2012 a year to remember, not for failed attempts, but for fulfilled commitments. This could be your best year yet and it starts today.

 

_____________________

¹ It’s leap year.

“For consider Him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds.”

                -Hebrews 12:3

We’ve all heard people say that what happens in your thought life is unimportant. Unfortunately, even some Christians have been tricked into believing the lie that sin is okay so long as you don’t let it go further than the confines of your imagination. It’s as if we’ve created an imaginary barrier between what we think and what we do, not realizing that our thoughts directly affect our actions and vice-versa. The truth of Scripture reveals to us, not that our hands and heart are at a disconnect, but that what we fill our mind with will ultimately affect every other aspect of our life when simply given the time (Prov. 23:7).

Imagine with me for a moment what it would look like if every thought you entertained throughout the course of a day was recorded in a book and put on display. Would you hold a book signing and give away free copies to all your friends? Probably not. Yet despite the embarrassment it would likely bring if our innermost thoughts were shared with the world, remember that the very God Who created us hears our thoughts just as clearly as He is able to hear our words (Matt 9:4). Every selfish ambition and secret lust resonates loudly in His ears, even if we’re blissfully unaware of how serious these transgressions truly are.

“Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.”

                -Philippians 4:8

Truth, honesty, justice, purity, and loveliness are the things Paul said should saturate our mind on a daily basis. What fills our head will also fill our heart, and so purifying your thought life is the first and most important step toward purity of the soul. Have you ever tried to break old, sinful habits without first praying for a clean heart and a right spirit (Ps. 51:10)? If so, then you know from firsthand experience that this is a futile attempt. To yield our mind to the enemy of our soul is to grant him the greatest foothold he could ever seek to gain, and is an advantage he will absolutely take advantage of (1 Pet. 5:8; Eph. 4:27).

Despite the overemphasis often placed on “positive thinking” by the world, the mind is the most crucial battleground any person will ever tread. If we subject ourselves to the discouragement of “being wearied and fainting in our minds”, then we have little hope of being the conqueror God has called each of us to be (Rom. 8:37). Win this battle and you’ll be well-equipped to win the war.

 

“What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?”

               -Romans 8:31

The moment you choose to follow Jesus is the moment you choose to head down a path of persecution and worldly opposition (2 Tim. 3:12). Of all the promises afforded us by the Scriptures, none guarantee our life will be easy or comfortable but instead assure of just the opposite: “If they have persecuted Me, they will also persecute you,” was the warning of Christ to His disciples, yet they counted the sufferings of this present time unworthy to be compared with what they knew their Lord could offer (John 15:20; Rom. 8:18). We are told from the beginning exactly what we’re getting ourselves into by becoming a Christian and it should be anything but surprising when trouble comes our way.

It’s helpful when we understand that, just as no man can serve two masters (Matt. 6:24), it is impossible for a person to feed their soul while indulging their flesh. How many of us actually faced persecution when our soul was being starved of truth? In most cases it’s not until a person embraces things of eternal importance that they begin to encounter opposition, and so rather than despairing when rejected for your faith, learn to “rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.” (Matt 5:12)

“Yet if any man suffer as a Christian, let him not be ashamed; but let him glorify God on this behalf.”

               -1 Peter 4:16

Not only should we expect persecution, but should follow the example of the apostles by learning to rejoice in them (Acts 5:41). Certainly the trial itself gives us no reason whatsoever to be joyful, but the knowledge that we are living in obedience to the Scriptures and their Author in a noticeable way is reason enough to leap for joy (Luke 6:23). For each hardship, consider both the physical and mental sufferings of Christ which far surpassed what any of us are able to experience or imagine. Did He agonize and weep? Of course! That’s never the problem, as long as we can pray the same prayer He did in the garden of Gethsemane: “Father, if Thou be willing, remove this cup from Me: nevertheless not My will, but Thine, be done.” (Luke 22:42) Nobody ever having prayed these words from their heart was given a heavier load than they were able to bare (1 Cor. 10:13).

 

Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away.”
                                                           -James 4:14

As much as I appreciate the blessing of tomorrow, I’ve also come to see it as a blessing too often abused. Though most people will readily admit their life could be snuffed out at any time, for some reason we continue to live as if there is always another page to be turned, another chapter to be written. Like the rich man in Luke 12 who fell into the lap of luxury only to “fall into the hands of the living God” when he least expected it (Heb. 10:31), many times we embrace unnecessary responsibilities today while postponing what God says is truly important until tomorrow.

What do I mean by unnecessary responsibilities? Well, let’s start with the obvious. Hunting trips, shopping ventures, and web surfing are all nonessentials. We could live without them if it became necessary. More subtle distractions such as extra-biblical literature and blogging may at times seem indispensible, but even these should be a distant second to our God and our family. We as Christians are called to demonstrate faithfulness, not just in the “big” things, but in the countless smaller responsibilities that shape our character and mold our relationships (Matt 25:23).

Of course that’s not to say whatever is unnecessary can also be categorized as sin. Solomon himself believed “there is nothing better for a man, than that he should eat and drink, and that he should make his soul enjoy good in his labor.” (Eccl. 2:24) Our lives are a gift from God and should be enjoyed in holiness (Heb. 12:14), but putting your family on hold to accommodate a self-induced busy schedule is a sacrifice no one can afford to make.

“Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have omitted the weightier matters of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone.”

               -Matthew 23:23

Just like the Pharisees, how often have we allowed our zeal for God to tear us down rather than build us up? Peter cutting off Malchus’ ear when His Savior’s life was threatened revealed an inner passion worth emulating, but in the end he earned only a rebuke from the One he was attempting to defend (John 18:10-11). Is it any different when a Christian passionate about truth spends more time reading Bible commentary than the Word of God itself, or can quote their favorite theologian more fluently than their risen Lord? We procrastinate making the changes we know are needed but somehow always make room for the lesser things we could do without. Isn’t it true that “procrastination is the thief of time”¹ God calls us to redeem (Eph. 5:16)?

God has a special blessing in store for those who make Him, not religion or good works, the focus of their heart and the love of their life. We “shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ” someday to answer for the decisions we’ve made (Rom. 14:10), and this reality should encourage God’s church in the pursuit of holiness and “faith unfeigned.” (1 Tim. 1:5) There’s no need to wait until the 1^st of January to enact these commitments. Act now! Determine what you must do, put your hand to the plow, and don’t look back (Luke 9:62). It’s this kind of dedication we need to break the chains “tomorrow” can so easily ensnare us with.

 

---

¹ Edward Young

“Are ye so foolish? having begun in the Spirit, are ye now made perfect by the flesh?”

               -Galatians 3:3

One of the greatest struggles for any Christian is finding the delicate balance between discipline and legalism. In my own experience there have been occasions when everything seemed to be going so well that I actually took mental notes on what I was doing at the time and determined to keep doing those things indefinitely. If spending 2-3 hours a day in my prayer closet seemed to do the trick, I would make that my standard and feel ashamed anytime I fell short.

Of course praying for hours in a day is excellent, but, as I soon learned, is not always possible. It’s certainly possible much more often than we’d like to think so, but the truth of the Gospel is that God gave us His very best and asks in return that we give Him ours. If our best gift to Christ is consistently offered we can rest assured in the truth He will be pleased with our service, just as He was pleased with the widow who offered her entire substance of only two mites at the temple’s treasury (Mark 12:42).

“For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:”

               -Ephesians 2:8

The key to true spiritual discipline is not always found in devotional books or Bible reading plans. These are indeed powerful tools, but, like all tools, are only constructive when used properly. I’m obviously not encouraging you to forsake routines which have proven helpful in the past, but simply to ensure these things are treated as stepping stones in your journey to heaven rather than an end in themselves. As the Apostle reminds us in 1 Corinthians 15:19, if Christianity offered hope only in this life we would be “of all men most miserable.”

Good days and happy prayers are too small a thing to live for. If the yardstick whereby we measure our spiritual progress is nothing more than the minute hand on a clock, then we need to seriously examine ourselves in the light of Scripture and pray with David, “search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: and see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.” (Psalm 139:23-24)

 

“Wherein I suffer trouble, as an evil doer, even unto bonds; but the word of God is not bound.”

               -II Timothy 2:9

Have you seen the newest poll on my sidebar? I put it up a while back hoping to get some feedback on a very important question that I myself have been pondering a lot lately: will the U.S. government ever ban the Word of God? Of course I’ll be one of the first to admit that it seems pretty unlikely right now since, after all, our country’s greatest pride is its establishment of religious freedom; but if you’ll remember, there was a time when we stood firmly on the individual rights of all humanity and now our congressmen and women are passing legislation which daily destroys innocent life by way of abortion. Our country is headed downhill both morally and spiritually, and I believe it would be a dangerous mistake to take anything for granted at this point.

So what were the results of my poll? 87% of my readers believe the Bible could one day become illegal. Yes, that’s right: 87%. That’s a huge majority, and yet would you believe that one study indicated more than a third of all verbally professed Christians (Titus 1:16) do not read this precious Book at all? The very Word of God, which most of us are apparently afraid of losing, would probably not even be missed by a large part of those who claim to love it so much! Too often, we find it more convenient to hide the Scriptures in our bookshelves than to hide it in our heart (Psalm 119:11), and to hang a verse or two on the wall than to read and apply It to our lives (James 1:21-25).

“This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come.”

                 -II Timothy 3:1

Though we generally tend to think questions beginning with the words “What If” are dangerous, I believe they can sometimes be the most healthy questions one can ask. What if your Bible was taken away from you tomorrow? Would you know enough of it to live according to God’s will? What if you had to choose between your life and your faith? Would you waver or stand firm? What if you were arrested for being a Christian? Would there be enough evidence to convict you? These are questions we may one day have to live out our answer to, and it is time now for us to prepare ourselves for whatever the future may hold – no matter how unlikely we think it is.

 

 

“And there arose a great storm of wind, and the waves beat into the ship, so that it was now full.
And He was in the hinder part of the ship, asleep on a pillow: and they awake Him, and say unto Him, Master, carest Thou not that we perish?
And He arose, and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, Peace, be still. And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm.
And He said unto them, Why are ye so fearful? how is it that ye have no faith?”

                                                      -Mark 4:37-40

For someone who writes as much as I do, if I’m going to be honest I must admit that it doesn’t come easily to me at all. Sometimes I can sit down at this desk and pour my heart out to you guys in a matter of only 30 minutes or so, while there’s other times – like this one – when God lays something so heavily on my heart that I just can’t find any words to express it. I don’t know why, but I feel more so than ever before that this post is meant for somebody who really needs to be reminded of God’s faithfulness.

With more than 300 followers, I think it’s safe to assume there’s at least a few of you going through the worst moments of your life. Some of you just lost your best friend to death, or your parent to divorce. Maybe faith has been close to your heart, and yet peace far from your mind as you wonder if that loved one will ever be saved, that prayer ever answered, or that need ever met. The promises of God are there for you in big, red letters, but perhaps it seems more as if they are mere words on a page than something written to bring you the individual blessing you so desperately need.

“I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.”

                                                  -Philippians 4:13

Wherever you are in life, know that it’s the same Jesus Who walked on water that offers His everlasting presence and protection to you today. It’s the very same Lord Who turned water into wine that can turn your curse into a blessing (Deuteronomy 23:5), and the One who raised Lazarus from the grave longs to resurrect the shattered pieces of your broken heart (Psalm 34:18). His grace is sufficient to supply all your needs, and it is only through our own weakness that His strength is made perfect (Philippians 4:19; 2 Corinthians 12:9-10).

 

 

 

In Psalm 46:1, God is described as “our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.” Like a modern-day storm shelter built to protect us from the physical elements of nature, our God is One Who provides us with a spiritual shelter when trials come even though the storms themself often continue to rage around us. He doesn’t speak peace to every wind that blows our way, but offers His continued presence and protection even during the most difficult of circumstances (Matthew 28:20).

"Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love Him."

                                                       -James 1:12

Trials, believe it or not, are some of the most important moments of our life according to Scripture. If our faith was never tested, how would it grow? If our hope remained unchallenged, how would we ever know it to be real? Even the crown of life promised to those who love the Lord is, as James wrote, something that only trials allow us to obtain. Of course we shouldn’t go around looking for valleys to walk through, but, when we do find ourselves in one, we should realize that it was sent our way to bring about patience and completeness in our walk with God, and continue to praise Him for Who He is (James 1:2-4). After all, God wouldn’t have reminded us through His Word to praise Him as many times as He did if it were always an easy thing to do (I Thessalonians 5:18).

Perhaps lately it seems as if the “valley of the shadow of death” has become your permanent home (Psalm 23:4). The rain won’t stop pouring, and it feels as though this trial will never end. Don’t worry; it will. God will one day wipe away all tears from the eyes of His children, and there will be no more death, sorrow, pain, or crying (Revelation 21:4). In the meantime, though, let us learn to cast all of our cares upon Him (1 Peter 5:7); He cares for us more than we’ll ever know.

 

 

A few days ago as I was walking through our yard, I spotted what seemed to be an old, yellow yard ornament lying some distance away. I didn’t give it much thought at first since my Grandma has an abundance of such things lying around the yard, but just as I was getting ready to go back inside several minutes later, my curiosity got the best of me and I decided to go ahead and check it out. As someone who spends a good amount of time outdoors, I was confident I should’ve noticed something like that before then.

Surprisingly enough, as I got closer and closer to the suspicious object, I began to slowly realize that it was not some broken yard ornament at all; it was actually my Grandma’s crocuses beginning to bloom after a long and hard winter, boldly declaring that spring was on its way. I reasoned that there was no reason at all for me to be surprised because, in reality, it had been fairly warm over the past few days and it hadn’t snowed in quite a while. “Why shouldn’t they be blooming?” I told myself

Anyway, a couple mornings later I was very surprised to wake up to 4” of snow on the ground. Having been told by the friendly crocuses that winter was over, I felt betrayed and vowed never to trust the first flowers of spring, groundhogs, or any such wives’ tales again. After the snow was at least partially melted, I went back outside to see what had become of that old, broken down yard ornament and this is what I saw:

 

 

Spring, they told me, was still on its way. Snow and freezing temperatures couldn’t change that and they were proving it. The fact that they’d spent the last 24 hours covered in snow didn’t matter; they were made to bloom, nothing was going to stop them, and that was that.

 

Don’t you see? As God’s children, we are called to be a living testament to our Creator. Whether or not we shine for Him cannot depend on whether the circumstances are convenient for us to do so; we must be faithful no matter what. Really, there’s nothing at all special about someone who serves God only when everything is going their way. It’s only when our lives begin to fall apart that we have the opportunity to make our faith real and, like flowers abloom in the snow, people are going to notice when we do.

 

 

Out of all the verses found throughout God’s Word, few have been more inspiring than Philippians 4:13: “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.”  It’s not that we ourselves have any strength worth mentioning, but rather that the source of our strength, Jesus Christ, is omnipotent and empowers us to be “…more than conquerors through Him that loved us.” (Romans 8:37) When we rely on God to give us the victory, we have all the power in the world backing us up.

“...and the children of Judah prevailed, because they relied upon the LORD God of their fathers.”

                      -2 Chronicles 13:18

When Abijah went to war against Jeroboam in 2 Chronicles 13, anybody would’ve told you he was bound for defeat. His adversary had an army twice the size of his own (v. 3), and even then they fell into an ambush and found themselves surrounded by the enemy. They were outnumbered, outwitted, and, by all indications, going to lose and lose miserably. Yet because they relied on God and made Him the captain of their army (v. 12), they were victorious in their battle and walked away with a renewed understanding of what it really means to trust God. After all, if we can trust Him with our eternity, shouldn’t we be able to trust Him with our today?

“I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help.”

         -Psalm 121:1

Perhaps you, just like Abijah, are fighting for what seems to be a lost cause. When you look around, all you see is the enemy, and it seems obvious that you are outnumbered. If so, be reminded of the words of Elisha when he found himself is a similar situation in 2 Kings: “Fear not: for they that be with us are more than they that be with them.” (2 Kings 6:16) It turned out they weren’t outnumbered at all. In fact, heaven’s angels were surrounding them and ready to help win the battle, and they’ll help you win yours too.

 

We all worship something. Whether you’re a Christian, an atheist, or anything in between, you have a god somewhere in your life that you, though perhaps indirectly, are worshipping. How do you identify what that is? Simply ask yourself this question: “On a day-to-day basis, where do I seek shelter? Where to I look for comfort, happiness, and fulfillment?” You answer is your god.

“And if it seem evil unto you to serve the LORD, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.”

                -Joshua 24:15

As foolish as it would be for us to serve anyone but the Lord, it’s a choice God has nevertheless left us the option of making. We can serve anything or anyone we want, for God has given each of us a freewill to make that decision. Joshua’s words, though spoken to the Israelites, apply just as much to us today as they did to Israel then: “choose you this day whom ye will serve.” His own, personal choice was made clear with the famous words, “As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.”

“I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot.
So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth.”

                         -Revelation 3:15-16

God would rather us not serve Him at all than to do so half-heartedly. In reality, though that lack of commitment may not seem like much at any given moment, it will manifest itself at crucial times in your life that give clear evidence of your spiritual condition. You might seem “committed” when surrounded by your Christian friends, but are you committed when peer pressure strikes or witnessing opportunities come your way? As it was said by C.S. Lewis, “The virtue of courage is a prerequisite for the practice of all other virtues; otherwise one is virtuous only when virtue has no cost.”

Where do you seek shelter from day-to-day? At you computer desk? At your school, or the town square? If so, know that those things provide a temporary and incomplete satisfaction. Only those who find shelter under the shadow of God’s wings are fully protected (Psalm 17:8).

I don’t know about you, but this is a question I always have a difficult time answering. It seems God is constantly revealing to me the hidden treasures of His Word through the most unlikely verses, and so it’s not uncommon for my favorite Scripture to change on a monthly, or sometimes even a weekly, basis. With that said, rather than trying to pin down one verse and calling it my favorite, I want to give you a list of four verses that have proven especially influential in my own life.

“The LORD did not set his love upon you, nor choose you, because ye were more in number than any people; for ye were the fewest of all people:”

                           -Deuteronomy 7:7

While this verse doesn’t necessarily answer the question “Why me?” that we so often ask ourselves, it does clear up any misconception that it was because we were something special. In Israel’s case, they were not chosen because they had impressed God or because they were a great multitude of people; in our case, it wasn’t because we had earned God’s favor or because we had anything great to offer Him. It is for this reason that Paul wrote, “…by grace are ye saved.” (Ephesians 2:8)

“Thou hast seen it; for thou beholdest mischief and spite, to requite it with thy hand: the poor committeth himself unto thee; thou art the helper of the fatherless.”

                  -Psalm 10:14

Most of you don’t know this about me, but I come from a broken home. About three years ago my life was turned upside down, and yet this is a verse that brought comfort to me countless times when nothing else could. Whether you are without a father, a mother, a healer, or a friend, know today that God can be whatever it is you have need of (Philippians 4:19). He can be your helper in a way that nobody else ever could.

“Nevertheless the LORD thy God would not hearken unto Balaam; but the LORD thy God turned the curse into a blessing unto thee, because the LORD thy God loved thee.”

                       -Deuteronomy 23:5

It’s amazing to me when I look back over the most difficult times of my life and see how God was able to bring good out of a situation that seemed completely hopeless at the time. I know now that if I hadn’t experienced some of those trials I most likely wouldn’t even been saved today, and perhaps wouldn’t be here at all. God’s love for Israel moved Him to turn their curse into a blessing, and I know that, if you let Him, He’ll do the same for you.

“There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.”

        -Romans 8:1

Obviously I wouldn’t base the URL of this blog on a verse that didn’t have a very special place in my heart. When I remember the bondage of sin that used to weigh me down and then consider the freedom I now have in Christ, a sense of joy fills my soul that couldn’t possibly be described in a blog post. When the devil, the accuser of the brethren (Revelation 12:10), brings up our past sins to the Lord, I can imagine our heavenly Father answering, "Sin? I see no sin when I look on my child. He is without condemnation." Truly, there is no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus.

So what about you? What Scriptures has God used to encourage, motivate, and uplift you when nothing else seemed to do the trick? Leave a comment and let me know, as I’m sure I’m not the only one who would love to read your story. Whether it’s one verse or even a whole chapter, I always love reading how God speaks to others through verses I myself might have been overlooking.

“For God, Who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.”

                       -2 Corinthians 4:6

In Ephesians 5:8, Paul vividly described our spiritual condition prior to salvation when he referred to us as having been darkness. He didn’t say we walked in darkness, or even that we were deceived by the darkness; no, he said plainly and simply that we were darkness. That’s pretty blunt but, in reality, it’s only the tip of the iceberg. In Ephesians 2:1, we were “dead in trespasses and sins”; in verse two, we were “the children of disobedience"; in 1 John 3:10, we were the “children of the devil” (see also Romans 3:10); and in Romans 5:10, we were God’s enemies. The message is plain and the emphasis clear: we were in bad shape.

Yet despite the miserable self-portrait we find of ourselves in these verses, Paul quickly reminded us that the story didn’t end there for God’s people. He continued, “…but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light.” (Ephesians 5:8) Again, I think it’s important to notice that we aren’t described as just being in the light; we actually are light (Matthew 5:14)! How did this incredible transformation occur? The answer is simple: God shined in our hearts. This means He penetrated and dispelled the darkness that was once present. It means that, rather than roaming through the darkness of sin, we can now enjoy what Jesus called “the light of life” (John 8:12) and help bring that light into all the world (Matthew 28:19-20). Perhaps most importantly, it means we have opened the doors of our heart to Christ (Revelation 3:20), and that our God is now for us rather than against us (Romans 8:31). The concept is amazing; the reality of it is even greater!

“I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called,
With all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love;
Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.”

                      -Ephesians 4:1-3

We could never deserve the gift of salvation. As we are reminded in Romans 11:35, there is nothing we could possibly do that would make God a debtor to us, and any act of obedience or sacrifice to Him is nothing more than our reasonable service (Romans 12:1). Yet in Scriptures like the ones we’ve just read, we are urged to walk worthy of our vocation (i.e. calling). We’re the children of light (I Thessalonians 5:5), and we’re being told to start acting like it.

In just a few days, 2010 will come to an end. As it does, people everywhere will resolve to get in shape, out of debt, and any number of other things they would feel proud to accomplish. Unfortunately, most of these  resolutions will be discarded before February, and the people who made them will divert their attention to something far less strenuous than going to the gym every week. The problem we face, however, is much more serious than a failure to shed a few pounds; it’s that most of us are annually wasting a God-given time of new beginnings.

You see, I believe that what this country needs is not another handful of broken New Year’s resolutions. It needs a revolution. It needs each of us standing up for something bigger than we are and making a Godly difference in our society for the glory of God. While I think it’s great for a person to determine they will get out of debt or spend more time with their family, what’s even greater is when people resolve together that they will put God first every single day of the coming year. When we do that, we can rest completely assured that everything else will fall into place accordingly (Matthew 6:33).

As we have read in the Scriptures, “… ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away.” (James 4:14) In light of this truth, let us make a resolution each and every day to serve God from the depths of our heart and not allow something as uncertain as time to shape our actions. After all, who’s to say this day won’t be our last?

“Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,”

                          -Hebrews 12:1

“Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world.”

                           -James 1:27

This afternoon as I sat in the parking lot of a nearby grocery store, preparing to leave and go to the next place on our list,  an elderly woman very slowly pushed her shopping cart next to her vehicle and began loading her groceries. I watched with pity as she made one or two trips between her cart and trunk, taking several seconds just to walk those few feet. As I sat comfortably in the AC of our car watching her struggle and strain just to load a few groceries, I thought to myself, “What am I doing just sitting here?” It was at that moment I felt the Lord unmistakably leading me to go and help this woman do something that wouldn’t take me more than a few seconds, as opposed to taking her several minutes. So I did.

It was through this experience that the Lord has began dealing with me about the message of James 1:27 (above). You see, in Bible times it was not at all uncommon to see fatherless children and widowed women quite often. Basically, these type of people were every where! To the best of my knowledge, there were no orphanages or Social Security benefits  in those days. In other words, these people were without help and often without hope.  So you see, James was telling us, in essence, that if we want to do something great for God, we need look no further than our own neighborhood. He was telling us, “Hey! You want to make a difference for God? Look around you! There are people right next door who need your help, so what are you waiting for?”

The song below that I’m about to share with you carries a powerful message. How many times have we simply passed up an opportunity to bless others because we were too consumed looking to be used for “bigger” things. The truth is, there is no “big things and little things” with God. Whether its evangelizing a country, or giving a cup of cold water to those who do so (Matthew 10:42), we will not be without reward in heaven for any good deed done in the name of Jesus Christ. Don’t miss a single chance to be a light for Jesus – whether it means getting on a plane, or taking a walk over to the neighbors.

“This is a call for a change in my heart, I realize that I’ve not been doing my part. When I needed a savior, I found it in Him; He gave to me so I’ll give back to them.”

"Every man shall give as he is able, according to the blessing of the LORD thy God which he hath given thee."

                            -Deuteronomy 16:17 

Edmond Burke once said, "No one made a greater mistake than he who did nothing because he could do only a little." This means that no matter who you are, you can make a difference. It means that even if you aren't able to do much, what you can do is important and you are robbing yourself of countless blessings if you do nothing at all for fear of having little impact.

The truth is, none of us are able to do much on our own. I know of nobody who could single-handedly evangelize the entire world,  put an end to poverty, or even meet the needs of their own neighborhood entirely by themselves. In fact, I think that's the way God intended it to be. I mean if we could do all of that on our own, we'd be nearly helpless to the sin of pride - not to mention that the body of Christ is designed to operate as just that: a body, with each individual doing what they can.

The apostle Paul wrote in II Corinthians 8:12, "...if there be first a willing mind, it is accepted according to that a man hath, and not according to that he hath not." In other words, if we are eager to do something for the Lord, God doesn't look down on us and think about how little we'd really be able to do; He looks at what we He can do through us, and when God is working through us there are no limits to what He might accomplish.


Perhaps God has been trying to use you, but you feel all too insignificant, not seeing how on earth you could ever accomplish what He is calling you to do. If you're in that boat, I know how you feel. In fact, I've been there myself. But just remember, where God ordains, He sustains. He wouldn't call you to do something if it wasn't possible. Do what you can, and God will make up the difference.

"One of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, saith unto him,
There is a lad here, which hath five barley loaves, and two small fishes: but what are they among so many?
And Jesus took the loaves; and when he had given thanks, he distributed to the disciples, and the disciples to them that were set down; and likewise of the fishes as much as they would.
When they were filled, he said unto his disciples, Gather up the fragments that remain, that nothing be lost."

                            -John 6:8-9, 11-12

"My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations;
Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience."

                            -James 1:2 

When James wrote this epistle, the first thing he did was encourage his fellow brothers and sisters in the faith to withstand temptation (meaning trials, in this context). He spoke of when they encountered hardship - not if they encountered it. This is because  he realized that all Christians will go through their fair share of difficult times, no matter how Godly they are. In fact, the Godlier we are, the more trials we will go through. But instead of discouraging us, these times should cause us to be all the more joyful, knowing that it is through these times that we will be brought closer to the Lord.

Look through the 1,000+ pages of the Bible, and you will not find a single verse where we are promised that the cross will not get heavy from time to time. On the contrary, we have promises assuring us that it will at times become difficult to bear (see II Timothy 3:12). But during those trials, we can hold on to the promise that, not matter what we go through, we will never go alone (Matthew 28:20). As has often been said, God wouldn't lead you to it if He couldn't bring you through it.

"There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it."

                            -I Corinthians 10:13

Whatever you may be going through right now, remember that you aren't on your own. Not only is God with you, but He has brought many other Christians through this same valley safely to the other side. As it says in this verse, when the cross become heavy, God will enable us to bear it.

"Be strong and courageous, be not afraid nor dismayed for the king of Assyria, nor for all the multitude that is with him: for there be more with us than with him:
With him is an arm of flesh; but with us is the LORD our God to help us, and to fight our battles. And the people rested themselves upon the words of Hezekiah king of Judah."

                            -II Chronicles 32:7-8

If I had a dollar for every time I quoted from this passage, I would be rich. To me, it perfectly illustrates the fact that if we have God on our side, then we have nothing to fear. Though they were surrounded by the Assyrian army to the point that they could not so much as leave the city, Hezekiah and his men put their trust in God and knew that they would not be forsaken. King Hezekiah understood what many of us have yet to learn: when God is fighting our battles, we will always win.

"What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?"

                            -Romans 8:31

The problem we often face is that when trials and tribulations come our way, we look at our own weakness and conclude we are doomed to failure. Convinced that we aren't strong enough to gain the victory, we throw our hands in the air and give up. But the Biblical way of handling such situations is to remember that "greater is He that is in us, than he that is in the world." (I John 4:4) If we depended upon our own strength, we would lose every time. We've got to let the Lord fight our battles if we want to be victorious.

"Or what king, going to make war against another king, sitteth not down first, and consulteth whether he be able with ten thousand to meet him that cometh against him with twenty thousand?"

                            -Luke 14:31

 As Christians, we will always be outnumbered. But by trusting in the Lord, we can be victorious despite our often discouraging circumstances.