To Know Him is to Love Him

To know, know, know him is to love, love, love him
Just to see him smile make my life worthwhile
To know, know, know him is to love, love, love him
And I do.

Written by Phil Spector and first recorded by “The Teddy Bears,” this song hit the number-one spot in 1958. Through the years it was covered by many other artists and I bet as you read those lyrics, you were singing the melody. I know I did as I typed them. Do you remember those early days of love, when you just couldn’t get enough of your beloved? You wanted to spend every moment together, learning all you could about one another. What is her favorite flower? What is his favorite song? What makes her happy? What makes him laugh? Her fragrance was intoxicating. You hung on his every word. You became “a student” of the one you love, trying to discover all the wonderful things about them, like hunting for hidden treasures. It seemed that the more you knew about each other, the deeper your affection went.
Do you have the same desire to know and love God? Jesus said, “This is eternal life; that they may know you . . .“ (John 17:3). He also said, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind” (Matt 22:37). That’s not a casual Sunday-only relationship.
He is the greatest and deepest love you can ever know. Perhaps it never occurred to you that you can know God, but over and over His Word expresses His desire for us to know Him. The apostle Paul said God wants us to “seek Him and perhaps reach out for Him and find Him” (Acts 17:27) The same principle in our earthly relationships holds true in our relationship with God.
I have discovered that the more I come to know Him, the more I love Him and the more I love Him the more I want to know Him. Beloved, can there be any better pursuit for your life than to seek to know and love God? Not just know about Him, but know Him. In the Bible, the word “know” implies a level of intimacy that describes a marital relationship. It means there is nothing that comes between the husband and wife. It is deep. Committed. Unbreakable. Everlasting. That is the love God desires from us. “My heart says of You, “Seek His face!” Your face Lord, I will seek” (Psalm 27:8).

Jesus Cares About All of You

Several years ago I came home from work to discover that someone had broken into our apartment. What they took was of little value but the one thing they stole that really mattered was my peace of mind. The next day I told a coworker about our ordeal. He said, “Be grateful no one can steal your salvation.” Honestly, I was annoyed that he dismissed my feelings so flippantly – and so “spiritually.” Of course I was grateful that my salvation was eternally secure, but was my relationship with Jesus only good for the next life? What about the days when my heart is hurting, when my body aches, when my nerves are frazzled, and my load is heavy? Do I face those days and seasons on my own?
Let’s ask the widow of Nain whose only son had died. Jesus encountered his funeral procession and his broken-hearted mother. Luke said, “When the Lord saw her, His heart went out to her and He said, “Don’t cry.” He was moved deeply by this mother’s pain and He touched her heart before He touched the son’s coffin and raised him from the dead (see Luke 7:11-17).
When a great crowd of people stayed and listened to Him teach for several days, He was concerned for them. He told His disciples, “I have compassion for these people; they have already been with me three days and have nothing to eat. I do not want to send them away hungry, or they may collapse on the way.” He miraculously stretched a few loaves and fishes to feed more than four thousand people. He cared about their souls, and their empty bellies (see Matthew 15:29-39).
What would the leper say whom Jesus not only healed, but touched with His own holy hand (Matt 8:1-4). Or the centurion who came to Jesus to beg for healing for his servant? The man was made well by Jesus’ spoken word (Matt 8:5-13). How about Peter’s mother-in-law and a house full of sick and demon-possessed people who received healing? Ask the sick little girl and the sick old woman – Jesus ministered to both of them (Mark 5:21-43). All through the Gospels, He healed the physically blind, sick, and lame, comforted the hurting and marginalized, and ministered to the spiritually unwell.
Beloved, Jesus cares about you – all of you – body, soul, and spirit. He came to redeem and restore and He came to heal and comfort. Trust me when I say you can trust Him with your life – now and forever.

Mountains and Valleys

A verse in Deuteronomy struck me yesterday. It is tucked in the commands Moses gave the Israelites just before they finally entered the Promised Land. He was telling them how good the land was, “a land flowing with milk and honey” (Deut 11:9). Verse 11 provided a powerful visual for me: “The land you are crossing the Jordan to take possession of is a land of mountains and valleys that drinks rain from heaven.” I realized that mountains and valleys almost always develop together.
Mountains are glorious – tall, majestic peaks that seem to reach up to the heavens. They take our breath away with their beauty and grandeur. Men climb mountains and gaze in wonder at the world below them. Mountains inspire words of prose and songs of awe. My family visited North Carolina several years ago and when we hit the Smokey Mountains I was stunned by their beauty. I’ve seen part of the Rocky Mountains and they are beyond words.
I am sure you get where I’m going. Life is full of both mountains and valleys. And rain. We all want the mountain top experience, but nobody wants to go down into the valley. We want to scale the heights with the Lord. We want to gaze in awe and wonder from that high place. But the valley is where the rain soaks in and nurtures the ground so that there is growth and fruitfulness. Some of the most stunning flowers grow in the shade of the valley.
I have been through many valleys. The truth is, I am in one right now. But if my experience has taught me anything it is that the green pastures and the quiet waters are down in the valley (Psalm 23:1-2). The valley is where we learn to walk with God and trust Him day-by-day. It is where we can most clearly see God’s goodness and mercy (Psalm 23:6).
Here is something else that spoke to my heart. Moses said, “It [the Promised Land] is a land the Lord your God cares for; the eyes of the Lord your God are continually on it . . .” (Deut 11:12). David said, “Even though I walk through the valley . . . You are with me” (Psalm 23:4). God watches over His children in the valley – He walks with us and comforts us.
Yes, the valleys are hard, but that is where we grow closer to God. When you and I are in the valley, Beloved, let’s plant some seeds of faith and hope and watch them bloom.

Divine Appointments

“That day when evening came, He said to His disciples, ‘Let us go over to the other side.’” (Mark 4:35).
There was a reason Jesus wanted to cross that lake. “The other side” of the lake was the region of the Gerasenes (or Gadarenes) (Mark 5:1). Verse 2 says: “When Jesus go out of the boat, a man with an evil spirit came from the tombs to meet him.” I get the sense that this was a divinely arranged appointment. Almost like the man knew Jesus was coming. It is certain that Jesus knew the man was waiting for him there.
He was demon-possessed, living in the tombs and the demons had made him so physically strong that he tore through the chains people had used to bind him. “No one was strong enough to subdue him” (v. 4b). The demons had also made him self-destructive: “Night and day among the tombs and in the hills he would cry out and cut himself with stones” (v. 5). People were afraid of him. They ran away from him. But Jesus ran to him.
I’ve never been demon-possessed, but I have a long history of doing some self-destructive and foolish things that caused me a great deal of grief and pain. Things that caused people to turn away from me. I don’t blame them; I would have turned away from me too. Jesus never did. Not only did He not turn away, He pursued me. He came to me, like it was a divinely appointed meeting.
When Jesus and the demonic came together, miraculous healing happened. Mark said that “the man who had been possessed by the legion of demons [was] sitting there dressed and in his right mind” (v. 15). When Jesus came into my life, he did a miraculous healing work in me too. I won’t say I’m “in my right mind,” but I am not the self-destructive woman I was. My heart is full of peace and hope and He has filled my life with Joy. Because when others ran away, Jesus ran to me.
Maybe your mistakes and foolish decisions have left your life in shambles. Others have run away from the chaos and the neediness in your life. Beloved, do not despair. Jesus is running to you with healing and restoration in His hands and unfailing love in His heart. He has a divine appointment. With you.

Navigating the Unknown

Life is full of unforeseen twists and turns. A job loss, a death, a difficult diagnosis, a child in serious trouble, a decision that shakes your family – we all will face life-altering situations. We will all ask, “What do I do now?” “Where do we go from here?” “How will I cope with this?” It’s pretty unnerving to not know what’s up ahead. I understand this uncertainty very well. As I pray and seek God’s Word, these are the promises I’m clinging to.
God is my guide along the way – “[The Lord] leads me…He guides me…” (Ps 23: 2, 3). God knows where I’m going – even if I don’t. He knows the path I must take and what challenges lie ahead. He knows the best place to cross the river and where to stop and rest for the night. I can follow Him with confidence because He is a good guide.
God is always with me – “The Lord your God will be with you where you go” (Jos 1:9). God knows I need the comfort of His presence as I make my way through unknown territory. He knows I will become anxious and I will have sad days. He also knows I will wander from the path if I lose sight of Him. He is carefully attentive to me, knowing when I need encouragement, strength, help and comfort.
God will provide along the way – “These forty years the Lord your God has been with you, and you have not lacked anything” (Deut 2:7). As He guided them through the wilderness, God provided the Israelites with water (Exodus 15:22-25; 17:1-6), food (Ex 16:4; Num 11:31-32) and even kept their clothes from wearing out – for forty years (Deut 29:5). Jesus reminds me that my Heavenly Father knows all my needs, and is committed to providing all things for me if I will trust in Him (Matt 6:25-33).
I don’t know what uncertain path looms large before you, but God does. He has promised to be with you, to care for you, and to lead you all the way. To where? Your heavenly home. You and I may not be able to see what tomorrow holds, but we know Who holds tomorrow. Take His hand and let Him lead you, Beloved, He not only knows the way, He is The Way.

Marvelous God

“The LORD has done this, and it is marvelous in our eyes” (Psalm 118:23).
When I am in a low season in my spirit God comes to me and lifts me up. He knows what I’ve been through the past year and He cares about the hurt and anxiety it has caused. He also knows that the cure for depression is not chocolate (believe me I’ve had plenty) or pasting a smile over my face. The answer to my weary heart is Him. It is turning my thoughts from myself and turning them to the Lord and how wonderful He is.
I look out my window this morning and see the sun brushing the sky with shades of pink and purple and I see the silhouette of the trees and hear the birds fill the air with praise and think, “LORD, You have done this, and it is marvelous in my eyes!” I look forward to picking up my granddaughter today to spend the week with us and I remember that a year ago I didn’t have any contact with her for several months and I think, “LORD, You have done this, and it is marvelous in my eyes!” I look at this pile of seminary books around me and ponder the opportunity to study and learn about His Word (for free!) and I think, “LORD, You have done this, and it is marvelous in my eyes!” I look at this sweet ministry of writing and teaching and remember when I had a breakdown and thought God could never again use this shattered woman and I think, “LORD, You have done this and it is marvelous in my eyes!” I look at my life, once lost in the pit of sin and the misery of my own foolish mistakes, now redeemed and full of hope and a future and eternal security, and I think, “LORD, You have done this and it is marvelous in my eyes!” And I look at the uncertainty of the future and think, “LORD, You will handle this and it will be marvelous!”
The Scriptures are replete with reminders to consider all that the Lord has done. It is the best way I know to recenter and refocus my mind and heart when life has delivered a hard blow. Beloved, what marvelous thing has God done in your life? Praise Him for it then trust Him to do it again.

Grown-Up Faith

There are some things I know by heart, like how to get to work, how to make a pot of coffee, how to work the washing machine, and how to fall asleep in my recliner. Then there are things I need some help with. When I want to make cornbread, I pull out my mom’s cookbook and turn to the splattered pages. When I am having trouble cyphering numbers, I grab my calculator and hope I enter the figures correctly. And when I am going somewhere I’ve never been I plug in my Garmin and let her guide me. I am not too prideful to ask for help when I need it. Especially with my walk with the Lord.
I used to think the more mature I was in my faith the less I would have to ask for God’s help. Like a child growing less and less dependent on his parents, I thought the point of the Christian life was to be able to stand on my own two feet spiritually. But the more I learn about being in relationship with God the more I realize that the most mature believers are the ones who depend on Him for everything. Mind you, that is “wisdom” that I’ve gained the hard way, by doing what I think is best and suffering the consequences.
I’m struck by Jesus’ words: “By myself I can do nothing . . .” (Jn 5:30). Jesus depended on His Father for wisdom and direction and power that came to Him via the Holy Spirit. Why do we think we can manage life on our own? I am proof that it isn’t so. I need Him every day, every hour, every minute. I need Him because I am weak and He is strong (2 Cor 12:10). I need Him because my wisdom is foolish (1 Cor 3:19). He is the source of true, heavenly wisdom (Jas 3:17). I need Him because I have a bent to sin and only He can rescue me from my sin nature (Rom 7:24-25). I need Him because I can’t see past the moment or the next curve and He sees the end from the beginning (Is 46:10). I need Him because I am prone to wander and lose my way. He is the voice in my ear saying “This is the way, walk in it” (Is 30:21).
The sign of spiritual maturity is leaning on God. Beloved, you will never outgrow your need for your Heavenly Father – and that’s just fine with Him.

The Power of Your Words

This may surprise you, but sarcasm comes naturally to me. My mom was always after me about it. “If you can’t say anything good, don’t say anything at all.” That’s one of the reasons I tend to stay off of the Book of Faces after I post the day’s devotional. I do not trust myself to not get snarky. It’s just that – gosh – some people really deserve it.
But that’s the “old man” in me. That phrase comes from the Apostle Paul who wrote often about the tug of war between who we were before Christ and who we are to be in Christ. Even though our sin has been put to death by the Lord Jesus, our urges and desires remain until we are perfected. It is a life-long battle. For some, it may be drugs or alcohol or physical pleasure or materialism. But God has been working on my mouth for a long time for good reason.
Years ago I read in Isaiah, “I have put my words in your mouth and covered you with the shadow of my hand” (51:16). That verse grabbed my heart and I prayed that God would put His words in my mouth. The next day another verse came to life – very clear in its meaning and application for me: “If you utter worthy, not worthless words, you will be my spokesman” (Jer 15:19). Boom! I had a calling and a caution. I have bitten my tongue more than once – and failed to more than once.
Jesus said, “Men will have to give account on the day of judgment for every careless word they have spoken” (Matt 12:36). In the original Greek, that means idle words, useless words, lazy words, ineffective words. In other words, worthless words. So then, what are worthy words? Words that are productive, words that accomplish God’s good purposes, words that work hard for the good of others, words that edify. As Paul wrote, “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” (Eph 4:29).
Solomon said, “The tongue has the power of life and death” (Prov. 18:21). Your words can do great harm or great good – you and I need to use them wisely and carefully. Beloved, let’s commit to speak only “apples of gold in settings of silver” (Prov. 25:11)

What About When You Run Out of Steam?

I took a couple of days off this week because I have been so tired lately – and because my house desperately needed some spring cleaning. We have been pushing hard at work since we came back from the holiday break. But I have also been emotionally tired. What do we do when we are more-than-a-day-off kind of tired?
Paul, who had every right to whine, also got tired. But he chose to look at his life from a different perspective. He wrote: “We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed” (2 Cor 4:7-9)
He acknowledged that his circumstances were hard – he was being pressed from many different directions by people with very different agendas. He was perplexed; he couldn’t understand why his own people were rejecting the Messiah they had so long sought. He was persecuted – his life was often in danger, his ministry was detested by the Jewish leaders and even by certain factions of the church. He was struck down – beaten and stoned more than once for his tenacious devotion to the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
Despite all that, he refused to give in to misery. He knew no human could crush him because he belonged to the Lord. He reminded himself that his Lord and Savior would never abandon him, and had even come to stand beside him in prison (Acts 23:11). He knew that the Lord he served with all his heart would not allow him to be destroyed.
This is your testimony too if you are in Christ. You are not a victim—you are a victor! Yes, life gets very hard sometimes, but you and I need not give in to despair because our Lord will not let us be crushed or destroyed. He has promised to never abandon His own, not even in our darkest, hardest moments. Like Paul, we must learn to hold fast to Jesus and trust Him despite our circumstances or feelings.
Yes, I am tired, but the Lord promises to give me strength. Yes, I get overwhelmed, but He will carry my burdens. Yes, I feel weary, but He will sustain me. I can focus on my exhaustion and emotions, or my faithful Father. And I can take some time to rest. Isaiah declared “In quietness and trust is your strength” (Is 30:15). Beloved, get a little rest and trust in the Lord.

Help Someone Find Heart

Joy – like most kids – parrots what she hears and copies what she sees, which is a huge wake-up call. I can always pinpoint who she has been spending time with the most by her attitude and personality. That’s not to say that I am always the model of sunshine and rainbows. On those days when she has pushed every button and stomped on my last nerve, I am not the paragon of patience. And it shows. In her.
Did you know that you have a great deal of influence on the people around you? I thought about that as I read in Deuteronomy this morning. Moses was retelling the story of Israel’s journey through the “vast and dreadful desert” (1:19) (There’s another devotional in the making.) to the Promised Land. When they reached the hill country of the Amorites, they sent twelve spies on ahead to scout out the land, discover the best route, and create a battle plan. They brought back glowing reports of the lush, fruitful vines – and terrifying reports of the people they would have to fight.
Moses reminded them of their rebellion – they refused to go on. Instead they “grumbled in [their] tents and said, ‘The Lord hates us; so He brought us out of Egypt to deliver us into the hands of the Amorites to destroy us.’” (1:27). Here’s what caught my attention: “Our brothers have made us lose heart” (1:28). Oh, what a telling statement. Even though Caleb and Joshua tried to encourage the people, ten of the twelve gave a negative, alarming report of giants versus grasshoppers. And the people soaked it all in.
Think about how the media always reports on crime and tragedies and crooked politicians and what is wrong in the world. Sure they may tack on a “feel-good” story at the end, but that does little to counteract all the discouragement they just dumped on us. Have you ever walked away from a news report feeling hopeful and positive? Me neither.
You and I are surrounded by family, friends, neighbors, co-workers, fellow students, our children’s teachers, and the list goes on and on. We don’t want to be the reason they lose heart. We want to be conduits of encouragement, comfort, hope, peace, Joy, and love. Especially love. Beloved, here’s a challenge for you: ask God to use you today to encourage and build up at least one person. Let’s be the one who helps them find heart. I’m starting today with you.