God’s Great Promise

We know that the Bible is chockful of promises from beginning to end – promises of His faithfulness and protection, provision, and presence. Promises to fight for us, to come near when we are broken, and to be our shield and sword in the heat of battle. Most of all, He promises salvation and eternal life and an eternal home with Him. All these promises are wrapped up in one beautiful statement: “I will be your God” (Genesis 17:7). And our faith finds its security in that promise.
That was what He told Abraham when He declared a covenant with the patriarch of the Hebrew people. He promised to make him “the father of many nations” (v. 4), to make him very fruitful (v. 6), and to give him the land of Canaan as an everlasting possession for himself and his descendants (v. 8). And He promised the old, childless man a son (v. 16). Then He put His seal on all those promises by saying “I will be your God.”
One of the most important lessons the Lord has been driving home to me in recent years is to trust Him. “For what?” you ask. First, that He will be God. That He is faithful. That He is good. That He is trustworthy and righteous in all His ways. That He will never change or contradict Himself. That He is completely holy. That His Word is true because He is Truth.
And from that foundation, I trust He will be my God. That He will love me with unfailing love (Is 54:10) and show me everlasting kindness (v. 8). That He will never leave me nor forsake me (Jos 1:5). That He will carry me (Is 46:4) and give me rest (Matt 11:28), peace (Jn 14:27), and Joy (Ps 16:11) in Him.
When I trust in His promise to be my God, it is enough. Because He is enough. I have staked my life on that promise. I believe that is the heart and soul of faith. When my life is hard, I return to that assurance: “I am your God.”
I could (and want to) go on and on and on. But most of all I want you to know that He will be your God too, if you trust in His Son. That Beloved, is a promise you can rest in.

What is the Desire of Your Heart?

“This, then, is how you should pray: ‘Our Father in heaven . . .'” (Matthew 6:9)
Somewhere in my life, I got the message that God, being sovereign and all, was going to do what He was going to do without any commentary from me. He had a plan and it would be enacted. I had no say in the matter. He wanted no arguments or suggestions from me. From that, prayer became a dry, rote practice. And from that, prayer became a moot point. I mean, what could I say that would make any difference at all? And “unanswered” prayers reinforced that warped theology.
Then I looked more deeply into the idea of prayer and I realized the point of prayer isn’t changing God’s mind or gaining His approval for my desires. It is about changing my heart and aligning my desires with God’s desires so that He can answer my prayers affirmatively. In a sense, I am still subject to God’s sovereignty, but through prayer, it is not begrudging God’s plan but rather submitting Joyfully to it. And that changes everything about prayer for me.
Consider this – we all love Psalm 37:4: “Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart.” We claim that frequently for all sorts of desires. I took it to heart through seven years of infertility. If I delight in the Lord, He will give me a baby. And I wanted a baby so much that I forced myself to be “happy, happy, happy” in God. But that is not the point of this verse at all. Like me, we tend to misunderstand the first part of the verse in the rush to get to the second part.
But the heart of this verse is – well – your heart. It is not delighting yourself in the Lord to get what you want. It is delighting yourself in the Lord so that He is your heart’s desire. And He will give you what you want – Himself. God is not about giving you everything you want. He is about giving you everything He wants for you. His presence, His peace, His Joy, His righteousness, His glory, and His home.
If your heart longs for God, your prayers will reflect His heart which loves you beyond measure and has a “good, pleasing, and perfect will for you” (Rom 12:2). When God is the desire of your heart, Beloved, you will have your heart’s desire.

God of the New Year

We have been anxious to get this past year over with. Goodbye, 2023! Good riddance! But there’s something else that has caught my eye. I noticed all over the book of faces that we are asking God to bless 2024. Now this may be semantics, but that isn’t quite biblically correct. Do you remember what Jesus said in the prayer He taught to His disciples? “Give us today our daily bread” (Mat 6:11). Just what I need for this 24-hour period.
Please understand, I’m not chastising anybody. It is good to seek God’s favor and blessing anytime and if you have prayed those “bless this year” prayers you are seeking a good thing. But don’t forget about the daily prayers and the daily needs. Don’t forget to seek God for Tuesday and Wednesday and Thursday and – well you get it. We need God daily – minute-to-minute even. We need Him for every breath we draw.
The past year has seen so many hard days for me. I prayed for God’s presence and power and provision and protection. And He always came through. In the worst of it, I prayed every morning as I drove to work, crying and pleading for God to intervene in some big, heavy things. When I got to work, I drew a deep breath, wiped my face, and said, “Lord, would you please help me pull myself together before I walk into my office? Would you hold me up for the next eight hours?” And He did. And I got through the day. The next morning the cycle would start all over again. But He was faithful to help me day by day, minute by minute, step by step. I’m still counting on Him that way.
I also witnessed God’s provision for literal “daily bread.” Every time the pantry was bare, I prayed for help and somebody had extra food to share. When my gas tank was dry, I would find money tucked into my purse in answer to my prayers. When a large sum of money was urgently needed, God provided to the penny. Some of you were His conduit of provision.
I tell you all this because I want you to know that He is not just willing and able to bless your year, He cares about you every single day. He cares about your hurting heart, your empty pantry, and your empty gas tank. He cares about your patience with your toddler. He cares about the decisions you need to make. Rest assured, Beloved, your Father cares about you. He is God over the next 366 days of your life.

Advent 2023 – Christmas Wish List

“Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart” (Psalm 37:4).
What do you want for Christmas? Jewelry? Clothes? Something for your house? A car or a cruise might top your list. How about a Red Ryder carbine-action two-hundred-shot range model air rifle? (Say it with me: “You’ll shoot your eye out!”) When I was a kid all I wanted was paper and pencils. Or you might prefer the one-size-fits-all cash gift. Then again – maybe your Christmas list is less tangible – something that can’t be wrapped up and put under the tree.
If you wish for peace, Jesus said “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you” (John 14:27). Peace in our hearts only comes through Jesus Christ. Maybe you’ve lost your Joy. David wrote, “You will fill me with joy in Your presence” (Psalm 16:11). Joy is found in Immanuel – the God who is with us. If you need hope this Christmas, hear God’s words in Jeremiah 29:11 – “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” In the Lord’s hands, we have hope – for this life and for all eternity. Do you wish for love? “How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called the children of God” (1 John 3:1). Not just a little, not even a “bushel and a peck,’” but poured out on you lavishly, without measure and overflowing. If freedom tops your list you can find release – the Psalmist says “O Lord, truly I am your servant . . . You have freed me from my chains” (Psalm 116:16). The blood of Jesus breaks the chains of this world. Maybe you just want a little rest this Christmas. Jesus said, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28). Just sink back into His arms and let Him carry your burdens and you.
Whatever you long for this Christmas, you can find it in Jesus. There is nothing on your list that He cannot provide. He is the greatest Gift of all and your heart’s deepest longing. This gift is more precious than jewelry, toys, or clothes wrapped in paper and ribbons. He is peace, joy, hope, and love wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.

Advent 2023: Gifts Fit For a King

“They opened their treasures and presented Him with gifts of gold and of incense and of myrrh,” (Matthew 2:11)

What kind of gift do you bring to a newborn King? When royals or celebrities have babies, gifts pour in from all around the world. Lavish, expensive presents like giant stuffed animals, beautiful baby clothes, and the very latest in baby transportation. Only the best will do for these little ones of such high standing. When the wise men came to visit Jesus, they brought gifts worthy of a first-century king – gold, incense, and myrrh. Many scholars believe there is significance in each of these gifts: “Gold might represent His deity and purity, incense the fragrance of His life, and myrrh His sacrifice and death (myrrh was used as an embalming spice).” (From The Bible Knowledge Commentary: New Testament). Scholars believe these costly gifts funded the family’s flight to Egypt and back to Nazareth to protect Jesus from Herod.

I love the story of the little boy who, during the offering at church, set the plate on the floor and stood in it. His embarrassed mother pulled him back to his seat and whispered “What are you doing?” He replied in a very loud voice, “But Mommy, I don’t gots no money, so I wanted to give Jesus myself!” He preached a sermon by his example But our little friend is right on target. Just as the magi presented Jesus with gifts, the Bible tells us that we are to “present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God,” (Romans 12:1). In the first two verses of Romans 12, Paul tells us that our gifts to God are our bodies (v. 1) and our minds (v. 2) – what we do and how we think. In other words, we are to give every bit of ourselves to the Lord. Remember Jesus’ words about the great commandment: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength” (Mark 12:30). This covers your affections, your emotions, your convictions, and your life-focus. It’s total surrender. We love God by giving Him ourselves, inside and out.

The greatest treasure you have is you. Beloved, let all of you be your gift to Jesus this Christmas.

Loaves and Fishes and Walking on Water

The Bible is more than simple soundbites and stories. It is a continuum of God’s story and his activity and interaction with His creation. There are common threads that run throughout the Scriptures. Case in point: Peter walked on the water. A meager lunch fed thousands of people. What is the connection? Faith. Faith to accomplish the impossible with the limitations of nature – water vs. weight vs. mass. Faith to accomplish the impossible with the smallest offering in the face of great need. It was faith in Jesus that made Peter swing his legs over the side of that boat. It was faith in Jesus that led a little boy to give up the only food he had to the Teacher. Without faith, Peter sits in the boat and wonders “What if?” Without faith, one little boy has a full tummy, thousands of people go hungry, and the miraculous work of Jesus goes unfulfilled. Peter could have “logically’ reasoned that the water could not hold him up. The little boy could have kept his lunch to himself, after all, Mama made it for him, besides, “That’s a drop in the bucket for a crowd like this” (John 6:9-The Message).

What are we afraid of? That the water won’t hold us up? That the little we have won’t be enough? Christ honors and esteems our faith. Will you hold on to the meager things, thinking it’s best to keep what little you have than lose it? Will I decide that the risk of failure outweighs the call of God? I’m preaching to myself right now. What am I afraid of? That Jesus will let me down, let me sink, leave me hungry? That I will be embarrassed by stepping out in faith and failing? That’s not my Jesus.

You see, by definition, faith is more than warm thoughts; faith is a belief and a confidence that leads to action. I want to be a woman of faith. I want to step out of the safe confines of the boat; I want to give to Jesus the little I have and trust Him to not only provide everything I need but to spread the little I have out to bless many more. Bill Bright, founder of Campus Crusade for Christ said, “God does not require you to have great faith. You simply are to have faith in a great God.”

Beloved, how is your faith today?

Your God Will Come

I need a word this morning. I’ll bet you do too. This life can be tough. This world is a scary place sometimes. All you have to do is read the daily news and you will want to crawl under a rock and hide. Some of us are struggling with difficult family issues. Some of us are discouraged in our jobs. Some of us are facing health problems, or financial problems, or even car problems. Some of us are trying to pick up the pieces after physical, emotional, and spiritual hurricanes. Like I said, I—we—need a word.

God gave me the word we need this morning. It comes from the Old Testament prophet Isaiah. “Strengthen the feeble hands, steady the knees that give way, say to those with fearful hearts, ‘Be strong, do not fear; your God will come . . .’” (Is 35:3-4). I can’t think of anything better to hold on to than knowing that God will come. He will come for the weary. He will come for the weak. He will come for the fearful. He will come for the lost. He will come for the sick. He will come for the persecuted. He will come for the lonely. He will come for the grieving. He will come for the poor.

He comes with sovereign power (40:10). He comes with gentleness (40:11). He comes with righteousness (Zec 9:9). He comes with healing (Mal 4:2). He comes with justice (Is 42:4). He comes with hope (Ps 10:17). He comes with peace (2 Thess 3:16). He comes with comfort (2 Cor 1:3). He comes with strength (Ps 29:11). He comes with Joy (Ps 30: 5,11). He comes with wisdom (Ps 25:8-9). He comes with love and mercy (Ps 31:21-22). He comes with help and deliverance (Ps 37:40). He comes with forgiveness (Ps 37:39.) He comes with grace (Rom 5:20).

Whatever your need, whatever your circumstance, God will come. How can I be so sure? Because His word declares it. His Son proved it. And His daughter has seen it over and over and over in my life. I may sound like a broken record but I will proclaim it till I draw my last breath: God is faithful. He will always be faithful because it is His nature.

I will leave you with the most encouraging words you will ever hear. It comes from the heart and mouth of Jesus. “Behold, I am coming soon” (Rev. 22:12). And He will Beloved. Maybe even today.

Great is His Faithfulness

I sat on the back porch in the wee hours of the morning and prayed, “God I want to know you.” And for the next three years, the Lord pulled me out of a deep depression by taking me on a study of His names in the Bible. I still go back to those notebooks and it never fails to refresh and encourage me. If you want to know who God is, look at what He says about Himself in His Word. His attributes are woven throughout the Scriptures – His great power, His mighty strength, His sovereignty, holiness, wisdom, love, grace, mercy, goodness, kindness, gentleness, sweetness . . . the list goes on and on.

But when I reflect on all He is, the attribute that I think I love the most is His faithfulness. When Moses asked the Lord to “show me your glory,” He revealed Himself as “The Lord, the Lord, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness . . .” (Ex 34:6).  David declared, “You love, O Lord reaches to the heavens, your faithfulness to the skies (Ps 36:5). Probably my favorite verse on the subject is Lamentations 3:22-23: “The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.” And least I ever think God’s faithfulness is dependent on my faithfulness, Paul said, “If we are faithless, He will remain faithful, for He cannot disown Himself” (2 Tim 2:13).

That means He is too faithful to give up on me. And I have given Him ample reasons to do so. I have wandered often and far. I have drawn water from tainted cisterns. I have sought comfort and peace and love in all the wrong places. I have made more foolish decisions than wise ones. I have run away. I have given up and given in. I have failed Him over and over and over.

But He never once shook His head and said, “I can’t deal with your messes.” He never dusted His hands and said, “I am done with you.” He never glared at me and said, “You’ve gone too far this time.” He never said, “I can’t love you anymore.” He is my El Emunah – My Faithful God. And He is yours too Beloved. You can trust Him. He is faithful and true.

Acts: I Cannot Tell a Lie

What sets the church apart from every other organization? Consider all the benevolent organizations in the world that are dedicated to good causes. What makes the church different?  I see two things in today’s Scripture – grab your Bible and read Acts 4:32-5:11. Luke wrote, “All the believers were one in heart and mind” (Acts 4:32). Unity is the first point that stood out. Their focus was caring for one another and proclaiming the resurrection of the Lord Jesus (v. 32-33). The first is at the heart of today’s Scripture lesson, but the second, declaring the gospel, was – and still is – the mission of the church and we’ll see that as we continue through Acts and into the history of the church.

The first believers were selfless and “shared everything they had” so that “there were no needy persons among them” (vs. 32, 34).  We’ve been through some very tough times financially, but God put us on someone’s heart and they met our needs with gracious plenty. I am forever grateful for their compassion and the Lord’s provision.

Not only did the believers share out of their own supply, but they often sold property and brought the money to the church for distribution. And this brings us to another distinguishing mark of the church: integrity. A man named Ananias and his wife Sapphira sold some property and brought some of the money to the apostles as an offering. But he told them it was the full amount. The Lord was not pleased – not because of the sum of money given, but because of the lie. Peter told Ananias that the money was his to do with as he chose. He would not have been at fault for bringing a portion of the money – if he had been honest about it. Peter said, “You have lied to the Holy Spirit . . . you have not lied to men but to God (v. 3, 4).” His wife confirmed the same lie. Both Ananias and Sapphira were struck dead for their deception.

That seems pretty extreme, but we have to understand that dishonesty is an ugly stain on the church. It harms the reputation and the mission of the Body of Christ. When a person is known for deceitfulness, we disregard everything they say. When a representative of the church is dishonest, even their testimony about Christ is in doubt.  Simply put, nobody trusts a liar, even when they are speaking the truth. When a church member is untrustworthy in their business or their marriage or their relationships, nothing they say is worth believing.

The Bible is clear: “God does not lie” (Nu 23:19; Titus 1:2; Heb 6:18). Nor should we. For the sake of Christ and the gospel, we must be people of integrity. Beloved, you were made in the image of God – speak in His image too.

God knows

Every word of the Bible is true and speaks with authority and purpose and wisdom. I’ve never read a verse and thought, “Meh, that’s not for me.” But often I will read something that has my name written all over it – like this morning.

“The Lord is a God who knows” (1 Samuel 2:3).

I’ve been sitting here staring at those words for several minutes and pondering all that things that God knows. And I am awestruck.

God knows that I am weary and overwhelmed. David said, “the Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in Him, and I am helped. My heart leaps for Joy and I will give thanks to Him in song” (Ps 28:7).

God knows when I am in trouble. “He reached down from on high and took hold of me; He drew me out of deep waters . . . He rescued me because He delighted in me” (Ps 18:16, 19).

God knows when I am struggling with temptation. “God is faithful; He will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, He will also provide a way out . . .” (1 Cor 10:13).

God knows when I’m in need. Jesus said, “Your Father knows what you need before you ask Him” (Matt 6:8).

God knows when I’m confused and don’t know what to do. He says, “I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you and watch over you” (Ps 32:8).

God knows when I am depressed and discouraged. The Psalmist said, “You hear, O Lord, the desire of the afflicted; you encourage them, and you listen to their cry” (Ps 10:17).

God knows when I have been treated unfairly. “But I call to God and the Lord saves me. He ransoms me unharmed from the battle waged against me” (Ps 55:16, 18).

God knows when I have sinned. “Have mercy on me, O God, according to your unfailing love; according to your great compassion blot out my transgressions. Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin” (Ps 51:1-2).

God knows, Beloved. And most important of all, God knows you. He hears you. He sees you. He understands you. He cares about you. He loves you. David said, “But I trust in You, O Lord; I say, ‘You are my God.’ My times are in your hands” (Ps 31:14-15). You can trust Him too. He is your God. You are in His hands. They have your name written all over them (Is 49:16).