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.

Best Friends

Yesterday Joy decided that she wanted things her way and Nana did not comply which resulted in a full-blown temper tantrum. They are few and far between these days, but when she hits one it is epic. We’ve learned in these moments to just let her get it out of her system and then she is usually okay. That proved true yesterday as she spent all her angst and afterwards, we resolved the issue calmly.

When the dust settled and we were snuggled in the rocker, she said, “Nana, do you think we can be best friends again?” Oh, how that wrenched my heart. I drew her extra close and said, “Sweetheart, you and I will always be best friends, no matter what. On good days and bad days and happy days and angry days. I will always, always, always love you.” She drew in a contented sigh and laid her head on my shoulder.

If that touched your heart, I have another story for you. It’s about God and a ragtag bunch of rebellious people. While Moses was on the mountaintop meeting with the Lord, the Israelites were down below worshiping a golden calf. The Lord was quite angry. So much so that he intended to withdraw Himself from their presence lest He “destroy you on the way” (Ex. 33:3).

Thank heavens for Moses, who intervened on behalf of the people and the Lord relented. Then Moses got bold. He said, “Now [please] show me Your glory” (v. 18). And wonder of wonders, He did. The Lord tucked him into the cleft of a rock, covered him with His hand, and as He passed by him, He “proclaimed His name, the Lord” (v. 5) and His nature: “The Lord, the Lord, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion, and sin” (34:6-7 – yes, there’s more and we’ll cover that later).  The Lord, who had every authority to destroy the rebellious Israelites instead declared his compassion, grace, patience, love, faithfulness, and forgiveness.

Have you sinned? Have you stomped your feet and told God “NO!”? Have you run from Him and fallen into a pit? Do you feel like God doesn’t want to be your friend anymore?  Don’t give in to those feelings. Ours is a God who loves to forgive and restore. Hear this loud and clear Beloved, you cannot make God stop loving you. You cannot make Him turn His back on you. No matter what you do, He is your best friend for life – and forever.

A Divine Appointment

It was a Sunday morning twelve years ago and we went to Waffle House for breakfast because we had to bug-bomb our house. We took a seat and waited for the server. And waited. And waited. If you’ve ever been to a Waffle House, you know service is always swift. We decided to leave after 15 minutes – it’s like we were invisible. We headed up the road to McDonalds, quickly placed our order, and sat down. A young man caught my eye, shivering in a corner of the restaurant. Holy Spirit spoke to my heart. “He’s cold and hungry – what are you going to do?”  

I approached and asked him if he was okay. He told me he had spent the night with a friend whose dad came home drunk and kicked him out at 4 in the morning. He had called his mom to come get him but she didn’t get off work until 9. I asked if I could buy him some breakfast. He was very grateful so we headed to the counter together. He asked for a small coffee and a muffin. I told the girl to give him a big breakfast and a large coffee instead. I sent my son out to the car to grab a jacket and sat him down at our table. He thanked me profusely with tears in his eyes. I put my hand on his shoulders and told him God had sent me there to help him. Then I looked him in the eye and said, “God loves you and sent His Son Jesus to die for you and save you and give you eternal life.” His mom drove up just then and the young man hugged and thanked me again and headed out the door.

I’m not bragging on myself. I’m piggybacking on yesterday’s devotional about God’s sovereign hand over all of the events of our lives. Think about it – He used bugs to get me out of my house that morning. I’m convinced He made us invisible to the staff at WH to get us to that exact McDonalds at that exact time to meet that particular young man. Remember Paul’s message to the Athenians in Acts 17? God determines the times and places that are set for us so that we can encounter Him.

Bugs and bad service. How like God to use the worst things to accomplish His good plans.  Beloved, always look for His hand in the good and the bad. You may be heading to a divine appointment.

East and West

I was reading in the Psalms this morning and came across David’s prayer, “Remember not the sins of my youth and my rebellious ways; according to your love remember me, for you are good, O Lord” (Ps 25:7). What a comfort this verse is. I’ve always tried to be transparent but I have done things that I will probably never share with you. They are things I am not proud of, things that I am, in fact, ashamed of. If you’re honest, you have some of them too.

Satan loves to go back through the record of my life and say, “Remember THIS sin? Oh, you were rotten.” “And don’t forget this day, you even made your mama cry.” “What were you thinking when you did THAT?” “How could God ever want someone like you? He is disgusted with you!” Does any of that sound familiar? Guilt is his favorite tool to beat us down and shut us up. It worked with me for a long time. But God . . .

A few years ago I was studying the names of God, particularly Elohe Chaseddi – The God of Mercy, and found Psalm 103, once again by David. He praised the Lord, “who forgives all your sins . . . who redeems your life from the pit . . . [who] is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, [and] abounding in love” (vs. 3, 4, and 8 ). This doesn’t sound at all like the angry God the enemy was touting, does it? This sounds like the God who “does not treat us as our sins deserve” (v. 10). Oh, praise His name!

This is the God who “has removed our transgressions from us – as far as the east is from the west” (v. 12). Do you know how far the east is from the west? Infinity. There’s a reason why East and West are represented on a compass by arrows. They stretch out in opposite directions and go on forever, never to meet again. Do you understand what that means in the context of this verse? If you have received God’s mercy and grace through Christ Jesus, your sins can never circle back on you.

If you have a past – and you do – that’s good news. Whatever you have done, God has placed it under the blood of His Son. You are free. He has given you a new life and a new hope. Go after it, Beloved.

It All Matters to Jesus

I love to see the tender side of Jesus in the Scriptures. I’m reading in Mark’s gospel, where the Lord ministered to a sick woman and a dead little girl. Take a few minutes to read Mark 5:21-43.

Jesus is approached by a desperate father who pleads, “My little daughter is dying. Please come and put your hands on her so that she will be healed and live” (v. 23). On the way they are interrupted by an equally desperate woman with “an issue of blood.” She hoped to discretely touch the hem of Jesus’ garment and be healed but when Jesus felt healing power leave his body, He stopped and demanded to know who had touched Him.

Why? Why would Jesus call out someone publicly who obviously didn’t want to be identified? Two reasons that I see. First, He wanted to commend her faith. “Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace and be freed from your suffering” (v. 34). Her faith stands out sharply when we see that Jesus returned to His hometown where “He could not do any miracles there, except lay his hands on a few sick people and heal them. And He was amazed at their lack of faith” (6:5-6).

Secondly, He wanted to publicly announce her healing. For twelve years she had been “unclean” due to her bleeding. She would have been considered “untouchable” by her neighbors and even her family. Imagine no loving physical contact for twelve long years. Jesus wanted to put an end to her physical and emotional suffering. Such tender compassion.

The delay must have worried the father and his worst fears were realized when someone came to tell him that his daughter was dead. But the tender-hearted Jesus reassured him saying, “Don’t be afraid, just believe” (v. 36). And He went to the home and raised the girl from death to life. When the little girl got up Jesus told them to keep it quiet and “to give her something to eat” (v. 43).

That tells me that Jesus – the Creator of the Universe and the perfect Son of God cares about the big stuff in our lives as well as the little stuff. Jesus pays attention to every aspect of your life – even the smallest, most insignificant things. You can take it all to Him. Whether you need healing, rent money, restoration, wisdom, or just a snack. Nothing is too big or too little for Him; if it matters to you, Beloved, it matters to Jesus.

In the Darkness

I’m not a fan of the nighttime. I don’t like being in the dark. That’s true in the physical world – and in the spiritual realm too. God is light and His children live in His light. So why do we experience times of darkness? Has God left us and taken His light away? No. Not ever. Remember, God is faithful. So, what is happening when the light dims and our world turns dark?

I watched a documentary some time ago about gem mining. Do you know where gem mining happens? In caves in the deepest part of a mountain. Where it’s dark. All. The. Time. Miners spend all their working hours in darkness, looking for little glints and sparkles to know where to dig for buried treasure. Treasure in darkness. The Lord declared, “I will give you the treasures of darkness, riches stored in secret places . . .” (Is 45:3).

What kind of treasure? Treasure for your soul. Treasures that start as little flashes of hope and peace. Treasures of comfort. Treasures of trust. And yes, even treasures of Joy. But the greatest treasure I’ve found in times of darkness is the treasure of a deeper, stronger knowledge of God. That’s the other half of our key verse: “so that you may know that I am the Lord, the God of Israel, who summons you by name.” When I was down for weeks with a serious leg infection, I learned that God is my Healer. When my pantry was as empty as my bank account, I found that God is my Provider. When the enemy came roaring after me, God was my Strong Tower. In this season of anxiety, God continues to be my Hope and Peace and Joy.

But there’s more to these treasures in the darkness. Jesus said, “What I tell you in the dark, speak in the daylight (Matt 10:27). Tell somebody about the treasure you found. Paul wrote, “The Father of compassion and the God of all comfort comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God” (2 Cor 1:3-4). That’s why I am so open about my life – I want you to know Him like I know Him.

Seasons of darkness will come, but God always brings the Light. And when you find those treasures hold out that diamond of faith, the emerald of trust, the ruby of Joy, and the sapphire of hope for someone else. Grab a pick, Beloved. I’ll show you where the good stuff is.

The Art of Gentleness

I was going in a whole other direction this morning, climbing up on my soapbox with my script in hand. Then the Holy Spirit drew my attention to a small yellow post-it tab peeking out of my Bible. “Hmmm – wonder what you were marking there?” I flipped to the page in Ephesians where I found a verse I had previously underlined: “Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you” (4:32). And I heard very clearly, “Remember Gentleness.” In case you missed it, “Gentle” is my “word for 2023.” Yes, I realize it’s the third time I’ve written about it since the beginning of the year – and it’s only the 25^th of January, but that’s because God keeps bringing it up to me. Probably because I keep dropping the ball.

I’ll be honest, I’ve been chaffing at this call lately. I don’t always want to be patient and kind. I want my way. I want my time to be my own. I want to spend my money on what I want.  I want my priorities to be other people’s priorities. I don’t want to be inconvenienced. I hope that doesn’t make you think less of me, but that’s just my human nature coming out. You’ve got one too, you know.

My verse is sandwiched between a call to “get rid of all bitterness, rage, and anger . . .” (v. 31) and the command to “live a life of love . . .” (5:2) This, Paul said, makes us “imitators of God” (5:1). Think about it – God has every right to be angry at us because we are sinners, but He instead offers us forgiveness and love. He is gracious and gentle with us – even though we don’t deserve it. Can we do any less for those who have hurt, used, and offended us?

The culture panders to our human nature. “You don’t have to take that. Put yourself first. Nice guys finish last.”  But God says, “Be gentle. Be gracious and kind and compassionate. Forgive. Be loving. Be like Me.” God keeps bringing to mind Romans 12:10 “Honor one another above yourselves.” What will you choose, Beloved? The world may look down on you for giving yourself away, but you will never be more like God than when you do.

Hebrews: The Hands and Feet of Jesus

Photo Credit: Ashley Andrews

Now that the Advent season is done, it’s time to finish up our study of Hebrews. We’re in the last half of the final chapter. Since we’ve been away a while, let’s review a little. Hebrews was written to Jewish believers who were under tremendous persecution to abandon their faith in Jesus Christ. The writer wanted to encourage them to stay true to the Lord. He showed them how Jesus was superior to every aspect of Judaism because He is the Son of God and equal in divine power and authority. Yet Jesus was also a man who suffered for the sins of humanity and fulfilled the demands of the Mosaic Law.

He also used the example of the heroes of Jewish history to prove that faith, not adherence to rules, made them righteous before God. He encouraged them to persevere despite their suffering because suffering was God’s tool for perfecting His children. Here at the end of his message, the writer exhorted his readers to live in a community of love, purity, contentment, faithfulness, diligence, and praise.

So we pick up where we left off with a good word in verse 16: “And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased.” For the past month, my church family has lived out this verse. You may be aware that, in September, my son and his family – including my granddaughter Joy, moved from our home to live with other family several hours away.  You may not know that they came back to us at the end of November. It has been a sweet reunion, but it’s also been difficult financially. We’re trying to stretch our very meager income to cover all five of us until my son goes to basic training for the Army National Guard in a few weeks. And in all that to give Joy a good Christmas.

Our church family and friends have exemplified our focal verse. They have stepped in and blessed us incredibly with food, funds, and so many gifts for Joy that we can’t stop shaking our heads in amazement. There is no doubt that God is well-pleased with their generosity and love. And here’s the amazing part – we didn’t tell anyone that we were struggling. But God did. And they listened and acted on it.

Jesus said whatever you do for the least of His brothers, “you [do] for me” (Matt 25:40). Somebody has a need that you can meet. Beloved, will you bless them – and Him – today?

Advent 2022: Hope and Love

While her husband loaded presents into the trunk, the woman hugged her friend and pressed some folded bills into her hand.  “I know this is a hard time, but God is going to come through for you. He has always come through for us.”  The woman thanked them both and sighed, “I hope so.  I don’t know how much longer we can go on like this.” “Keep that hope alive, sweetheart,” the man said as he closed the stuffed trunk. “The Bible says hope will never disappoint you.”

That’s good to know because hope is as essential to the spirit as oxygen is to the lungs.  When life is hard, hope seems more of a desperate gesture than a sure belief. Our hope fades, our spirit is weakened, we become disheartened, and our thoughts forlorn. That’s why the Bible always presents hope as a confident conviction, not a desperate, wishful longing.

The verse the man quoted was from Paul’s letter to the Romans: “Hope does not disappoint us because God has poured out his love into our hearts . . .” (5:5). You and I can have that kind of confident hope because we know God loves us. He proved His love at the manger. He proved it again on the cross. Then He sealed the deal at the empty tomb. Need more? John said the Father has lavished great love on us and called us His children (1 John 3:1). He said we can “know and rely on the love God has for us because He is love and His love is perfect (4:16, 18). His love is trustworthy and true. It is a firm foundation for hope.

Beloved, if hope is in short supply right now, I want to remind you that Christmas confirms the power of hope in the love of God. He will not – cannot – betray His love. It is His very essence. I also want to assure you that God does indeed always come through.  I was the woman hanging onto a thread of hope. And my hope was not disappointed.  God is faithful. God is love. Christmas is proof.

Advent 2022: There’s a Place for You

“While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn” (Luke 2:6-7).

Several years ago, while living in a Florida university town, my family was blessed to serve in college ministry. We helped prepare Thanksgiving dinner at the Baptist Student Center. We brought them with us into Shoebox ministry and I taught the College Sunday School class for a season. But the best part of that time was just having them all around my house. We came to love so many of those precious students, their feet were often under my kitchen table and it was not uncommon for them to crash on my couch for the night. One night we hosted a bonfire and had 45 young men and women in our backyard, from 9 different countries! It is one of my sweetest memories. These kids were—and are—dear to us and many still call us “Mom and Dad.” Through that time, I came to understand Paul’s words in 1 Thessalonians: “We loved you so much that we were delighted to share with you not only the gospel of God but our lives as well, because you had become so dear to us” (2:8). Like Paul, we made room for others out of love.

Love opens doors to the lonely. Love puts one more plate on the table. Love slides over to share the seat with a weary soul. Love pours a cup of coffee. Love labors in prayer. Love sleeps on the couch so the visitor can have the bed. Love opens the circle of friendship to add one more person. Love doesn’t shut others out; love welcomes people in.

In the town of Bethlehem more than two thousand years ago, a baby was born in a dark, damp, smelly stable—little more than a cave hewn out of a hillside—because there was no room for His little family in the inn. His father and very pregnant mother were turned away because there was no love there. Now—think about what Jesus told His disciples just before His death: “In my Father’s house are many rooms . . . I am going there to prepare a place for you” (John 14:2). Why?

Because love makes room.