Author: Sherrilyn Kaye Johnson

I am the vine, you are the branches. If you abide in Me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from Me you can do nothing.

John 15:5

I love this picture of what the Lord desires for our relationship with Him.  He wants us to be as closely connected to Him as a branch is attached to the vine. 

The Lord calls us to a relationship with Himself as our source of spiritual life.  He desires us to “bear fruit.”   What is the fruit that will be evident in our life as we are connected to Him?  In Galatians 5:22 we find a list of the fruit of the Spirit: 

Love

Joy

Peace

Patience

Kindness

Goodness

Faithfulness

Gentleness

Self-control

One Bible teacher defined self-control as “Self under the control of the Holy Spirit.” I especially like that definition! Instead of just gritting my teeth to control myself and my attitudes or my words, I can depend on the Holy Spirit and trust Him to produce in me whatever is needed at the moment.

As followers of Jesus, we have the Holy Spirit living in us, and He produces these attributes in us.  But it doesn’t happen immediately or automatically.  It is a growth process that begins when we are born again and then continues throughout our life.  We can’t just try harder on our own to produce this fruit of the Spirit.  The fruit will be produced as we stay connected to Him. 

How do we do that?  Our relationship with Him grows stronger as we spend time with Him in prayer, studying His Word, and responding to His teaching.  Bearing fruit requires a choice on our part to stay connected to Him, cooperating with Holy Spirit as we trust, obey, and depend on Him moment by moment throughout each day.

A branch no longer attached to the vine will wither and die because it has lost its source of nutrients necessary for life.  If we turn away from God, refuse to listen and obey, our spiritual life will suffer.  If we stay connected to Him, He works in us to fulfill His purpose for our life.  As we seek Him and His will, we gain a sense of His pleasure and the fulfillment of meaning and purpose. Our lives will show evidence of the fruit He desires to produce in us. He will use us to encourage others in their walk with Him.

PERSONAL REFLECTION

Look again at the above list of the Fruit of the Spirit.  Do you see evidence of this fruit in your life?

Ask the Lord to show you what needs to change in your life to bring about the fruit that He desires.

What steps will you take to be obedient to what He has shown you?

He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty… He will cover you with His pinions, and under His wings you may seek refuge…

                                                                    Psalm 91:1, 4

Security.  It is one of our basic needs.  But where do we go to find it?  When our physical, emotional, or spiritual safety is threatened, what should be our response?  The fact that we will often need a place of safety and refuge from the turmoil of the world should come as no surprise to us.  We are clearly warned that the devil prowls about like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour (1 Peter 5:8).  The problem comes in our decision of where to seek shelter.

            Here is the situation we read in Jeremiah, chapters 39-44.  The people of Judah had been released from captivity in Babylon.  They had returned to Judah from all the nations where they had been scattered.  They were feeling very weak, vulnerable and fearful.  The people gathered together and asked Jeremiah the prophet to pray for direction from the Lord about what they should do.  The Lord answered very clearly that they were to stay in their land and not fear the king of Babylon.  He promised to be with them, to save them and deliver them from the king’s hand.  He warned them very specifically not to go to Egypt for protection and what the consequences would be if they did go.  There would be famine and war and there would be no survivors.  Jeremiah came back with this clear answer, and the people accused him of telling a lie!  Sadly, they did not listen to the word of the Lord.  Against God’s explicit direction, they marched straight down to Egypt for protection!  They chose to trust a mighty nation for their protection instead of relying on God and obeying Him.

            Once again, I am shocked at the outright disobedience of the Israelites — until I look at my own life and see that I have done the same thing.  God has clearly shown me not to go a certain direction and warned what the consequences would be.  But my mind was made up to do what I wanted to do.

         God’s heart is broken over His rebellious children.  O Jerusalem, Jerusalem,…How often I wanted to gather your children together, the way a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were unwilling (Matthew 23:37).  He longs to provide a place of security, a place of comfort and refuge.  But often we refuse what He offers.  We can hear sermons, we can know what the Bible says, we can listen to the advice of Christian friends, and still stubbornly refuse what God is saying to us.  Read His words in Isaiah 30:1-2: 

            Woe to the rebellious children…who execute a plan, but not Mine, and make an alliance but not of my Spirit, in order to add sin to sin; who proceed down to Egypt without consulting Me, to take refuge in the safety of Pharaoh.

            Think of times you have refused God’s clear direction in your own life.  Think of the consequences you paid.  What is your “Egypt?”  What is it you run to for protection instead of running to God?  Is it your work?  Is it a relationship?  Is it drugs or alcohol?  Money?  Television?  Busy with too many activities?  Enslavement is the result.  God wants to set us free.  He wants us to enjoy His comfort and protection.  But we have to make the choice to go to Him.  No matter how far we have strayed, no matter how many times we have run from Him, He is longing to have us back under His wings.

            Spiritual famine and war are the consequences of refusing God’s call.  There are no survivors.  If you are even now on your way to “Egypt,” turn back.  Take God’s offer of refuge and shelter under His wings.

PERSONAL REFLECTION

What is your “Egypt?”  What is it you turn to for security instead of turning to God?

Think of times you have been disobedient to God.  What were the consequences?

Have you discovered that any other source of security is only temporary?  What are the situations which have shown that to be true?

When your security is threatened, how could you respond in a way that would be pleasing to God?

If you are even now straying away from God, turn back.  He will never leave us, but the longer and farther we stray, the less we feel His pull to come back.  Our hearts become hardened.  Confess your sin and disobedience and let Him gather you under His wings.

From the ends of the earth, I call to you; when my heart is overwhelmed, lead me to the rock that is higher than I…

Psalm 61:2

            My husband and I had been separated for several months. With the hope of restoring our marriage, we agreed to attend a ten-day session of counseling in the foothills of the Colorado Rockies to help us get back together.  One early morning, I felt the need to be alone for a while, so I went for a walk.  Sitting on a rock overlooking a magnificent view of huge red rock formations scattered over the landscape of the Garden of the Gods, I cried out to God for help in my emotional and spiritual crisis.  

Psalm 61:2 was God’s answer. I began to ponder “the Rock that is higher than I.” and asked God to help me understand what it means.  The picture that came to mind was a flood.  I have never personally experienced a flood, but I have seen on television the devastation that occurs.   I thought, “Where do people go when their land is flooding?  They go to the highest place they can reach so they will be safe.”

            That morning, I could relate.  I was experiencing an emotional “flood” which threatened to pull me under its swift currents.  Meditating on this verse filled me with the assurance that God is my Rock, the highest point I will ever need to stand on to be saved from the flood of circumstances and emotions.  He is the firm foundation on which I can stand and never be swept away. 

            This new awareness and assurance did not free me immediately from the “flood.”  The waters continued to rage for some time.  But it the midst of it, I knew my feet stood on the Rock that is higher than I, and I would never be destroyed.  By God’s grace, our marriage is restored and is stronger than it ever was before.  I am filled with humble gratitude and amazement for what God accomplished.

PERSONAL REFLECTION

Are you in a situation in your life right now that seems like the “flood waters” are threatening to overcome you?

What truth about God can you claim that will give you strength to hold on?

I encourage you to spend time in God’s Word and ask Him to show you His promises that you need in this moment.

Maybe your own life is safe from “flood waters” at this time.  Do you know someone else that you can encourage with the promises in His Word?

For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.

                                                                  Ephesians 2:10

How do we know God’s plan for our life?  Christians often seem to struggle with how to know God’s will.  “If He would just show me, I’d be happy to do it.  If only He could put it in writing and send it to me, it would be so simple.”  I’ve said those words on many occasions.  I used to be tempted to think, “Maybe I’ll miss the answer when it comes.  Maybe I won’t hear correctly.” I no longer believe that!

            First, we must begin by believing in Him and receiving His gift of salvation through faith in Jesus.  Jesus was willing to die on the cross to forgive our sins so He can adopt us into His family as His sons and daughters.  As we respond in faith, we are to invite Him to be Lord of our life, making a commitment to follow Him instead of our own desires. 

            The Holy Spirit gives every believer one or more spiritual gifts which prepare and enable us to do the work He has designed for us.  You can read about spiritual gifts in 1 Corinthians 12, Romans 12, and Ephesians 4. 

             Ephesians 2:10 offers real encouragement to me, that God has specifically created us and given us spiritual gifts to use for His purpose.  I am content knowing that He will reveal His plan for me as I ask Him, get to know Him more through spending time with Him in prayer, studying His Word, and commit to follow wherever He leads, using the spiritual gifts He gave me.

            Years ago, a friend gave me a beautiful lily for Easter.  Any plant in my possession at that time might as well have an immediate death sentence pronounced against it.  I just didn’t take the time and effort to discover exactly how to care for plants.  When the Easter lily died, I felt bad about my friend finding out.  Then another thought came to mind:  What would I say to God if I had never bothered to find out what spiritual gifts He has given me?  What if I never took the time and effort to find out what how He wants me to use them?

            It is of utmost importance we discover our gifts and use them diligently to serve the Body, wherever God has placed us.  Those who are familiar with their gifts, and are using them to serve, know there is nothing else that brings such joy and fulfillment, and the Body will grow as we all work together for God’s purpose.

PERSONAL REFLECTION

If you are a Christian and have not yet discovered your spiritual gifts, I encourage you to begin by asking God to lead you.  Read the passages of scripture devoted to these gifts.  It will help you determine God’s will for your life.  It will also enable you to function as part of Christ’s Body as He intended.  You will be prepared to walk in the good works God chose for you.

If you have discovered your spiritual gifts, what are they?  How are you using them to serve? If you don’t know how God wants to use your gifts, ask Him to show you, and trust that He will.

Remember that you are an important part of the Body.  We all need to be doing what God has planned for us to do in order for His Church to function properly.

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If you are interested in taking a Spiritual Gifts Assessment Test, click here.
This is just one simple test that can help you begin to discover your own spiritual gifts.  It may be helpful to discuss the results with your pastor or another spiritual leader to consider where you might best use your gifts to serve God in your church.

…You are not your own, for you have been bought with a price…

             I Corinthians 6:19-20

  Every Sunday for years, these are the words I saw carved into the wall behind the platform at church.  I lived much of my life with a mindset far removed from that message.  Even though I faithfully attended church with my family every Sunday, participated in youth groups and other Christian activities, somehow all that knowledge about God had never penetrated my heart.  

I was twenty-eight years old when my husband and I moved to another state and I started attending church with a new friend.  It was there I finally heard, understood, and responded to the message that Jesus had died for me so that I could be forgiven for my sin and have a personal relationship with Him.  Death on the cross was the price He paid to save me.  I realized Jesus loves me and He wants to be Lord of my life! That is when I committed my life to Him and began a life-long journey of knowing, loving, and following Him.

            At first, even after making a personal commitment and inviting Jesus to be Lord of my life, I was still living as though I had to earn God’s love. I added more Christian activities — attended a weekly Bible study, taught children’s Sunday School, sang in the choir. As I grew in my knowledge of God, I even incorporated somewhat regular “quiet times” and began leading a women’s Bible study. 

            Several years passed before I finally began to truly understand that God loves us unconditionally, not based on our Christian activities and trying harder to please Him. He was willing to die so that we could have a relationship with Him.  He desires to be Lord of our lives.  He wants to live His life through us. He wants us to be His hands and feet, going where He wants us to go and serving where He wants us to serve.  His Holy Spirit indwells every follower of Jesus and equips us for what He calls us to do.

            Perhaps we think negatively of this master/servant relationship, having to give up our freedom, our rights, the things we think we need to make us happy.  But actually, it is only as we surrender ourselves completely to God that we can experience the joy and fulfillment, the abundant life He intends for us.  Anything else we seek may offer temporary pleasure, but nothing else will completely satisfy us and give the deep joy and peace as we experience in loving relationship to Him. 

              It is easy to just go through the routine of living day after day, responding to the urgent situations that demand our attention, being drawn to all kinds of activities, without ever stopping to ask God what He would choose to do with our life. I pray that God will draw us closer to Himself and give us the desire expressed by this song:  “Take my life and let it be consecrated, Lord, to Thee.  Take my hands…my feet…my voice…my lips…my silver and my gold…my intellect…my will…my heart…my love.”  The last verse ends with “Take myself and I will be ever, only, all for Thee.” 

PERSONAL REFLECTION

Read again I Corinthians 6:19-20 You are not your own, for you have been bought with a price…

Is Jesus truly Lord of your life, or are you just going through all the right motions of being a Christian?

If you are still living life as if it is your own, you can ask God to change your heart and make you willing to live completely for Him. I encourage you to spend time alone with Him each day acknowledging that you are not your own.  Ask Him how He wants to live His life through you today.  Jesus bought you with the price of His own life.

Be strong in the Lord, and in the strength of His might. 

Put on the full armor of God…

                                                                Ephesians 6:11-13

I memorized this Scripture about the armor of God as a child during Vacation Bible School many years ago. On a flannelgraph board, we saw colorful pictures of a soldier wearing a belt of truth, the helmet of salvation, the breastplate of righteousness, the shield of faith, the sword of the Spirit, and shoes of the gospel of peace   But it is only years later as an adult  I have come to a deeper understanding of spiritual warfare, the spiritual life-and-death importance of being prepared for spiritual battle. 

The Scriptures tell us we have an enemy who is out to destroy us.  Who is the enemy?  It is Satan, the devil.  1 Peter 5:8 says: “Be of sober spirit, be on the alert.  Your adversary, the devil, prowls about like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.”   God has clearly warned of the enemy’s intent.  Do you take the warning seriously?  Do I? 

In the Garden of Eden, Satan tempted Eve to disobey God’s clear command not to eat from the tree of life.  He is still very much at work with his forces of darkness attempting to destroy us emotionally and spiritually.  His temptations are altered to meet our own vulnerable areas. What can we do about it?  How can we remain strong?

Ephesians 6:11-13 gives us the battle plan to fight the enemy, God’s provision of spiritual armor for the spiritual battle:

            Put on the full armor of God, that you may be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil.  For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places.  Therefore, take up the full armor of God, that you may be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm.

              The first piece of armor is TRUTH.  We need to know God, know what His Word says about who He is, what He has done for us, and who we are as those who have received His gift of salvation through faith in Jesus.  The next piece is RIGHTEOUSNESS.    We must be cleansed of sin and be born again in order to be in a right relationship with God. It is necessary to understand the gospel of PEACE, the good news that we are no longer separated from God because of our sin.  We need to be prepared to take the good news to others wherever we go.  FAITH in God is the shield that will protect us from the fiery darts (the temptations) Satan throws.  We need the solid foundation of SALVATION, to recognize we have been saved from sin to live for God. The WORD OF GOD is the one offensive weapon.  We need to know God’s Word, to have His Word hidden in our hearts.  When Jesus was being tempted by Satan, He was able to firmly respond, “It is written….”  He added nothing, just spoke the Word of God.  We must be able to do the same.  Finally, we are to pray and “be on the alert.”

            Years ago, I was reading these verses on spiritual warfare and asked God to help me understand it better.  What finally became clear to me is that Jesus Himself is the full armor. He is truth, He is righteousness, He is peace, faith is a gift He has given, He is our salvation, He is the Word of God.  I am to “put on Christ” (Romans 13:14).  I am to acknowledge that I am in Him and He is in me.  He has made Himself and His power completely available to fight the spiritual battles and the temptations that will inevitably come.  But the choice is mine, moment-by-moment, to be in Him and claim His protection, or to set Him aside and listen to the lies of the enemy and respond to the inviting temptations Satan places before me.

            Entire books have been written on the subject of spiritual warfare.  God’s Word clearly warns us of the battle and provides all the protection we will need.  I encourage you, as I remind myself, to take very seriously the battle we are in, to consciously put on Christ each day, to pray, be on the alert, and be strong in the Lord. 

I just read these words from the Jesus Calling devotional book, September 18th: “You inhabit a fallen, disjointed world, where things are constantly unraveling around the edges. Only a vibrant relationship with Me can keep you from coming unraveled too.”

Yes, even in the midst of this current worldwide pandemic, where life as we knew it has changed so dramatically, we can be strong in the Lord! We can keep our focus on the Lord who is the same yesterday, today and forever. He will never leave us. He is our strength to endure anything we are going through.

PERSONAL REFLECTION

Satan is very crafty.  He knows your weakest areas.  Do you?  Have you identified the areas where he is most likely to attack?  What are they?

We must prepare ourselves daily by putting on the armor, “putting on Christ.”  Review the parts of the armor. Ask God to make each one a reality that you can understand in a meaningful way.  Write down what you learn about each piece of the armor.

            Truth

            Righteousness

            Peace

            Faith

            Salvation

            Word of God

Know the Truth.  Refuse to listen to the lies of Satan!

Pray and ask God for opportunities to share God’s truth with others who are struggling.  We all need God’s truth to stand firm in our faith.

… present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship.

Romans 12:1

In the Old Testament, we read God’s commandments to the people of Israel about how they were to offer animals as a sacrifice for forgiveness of sin and to express their worship to Him.  The animals were to be without blemish or defect.

In the New Testament, Hebrews 9:14, we learn that Jesus is the Lamb of God who offered Himself as the perfect sacrifice, crucified on the cross, to pay the penalty for the sins of the world.  Now, instead of offering animal sacrifices, God asks us to respond to Him in worship by offering ourselves in complete surrender to Him — to know Him, love Him, and follow Him in obedience to His Word. 

So how do we “present our bodies to God as a living and holy sacrifice?”  It is not a one-time-once-for-all response.  Here are some thoughts about what we can offer Him daily:

Our best time of the day to spend with Him, making Him our highest priority

Our worship for who He is and what He has done for us

Our surrender, trust, obedience, complete dependence on Him

Our mind, will and emotions

Our abilities, strengths and gifts, and even our weaknesses

Our loved ones

Our possessions

Our past, our present, our future

I’m sharing a few lines from “A Prayer for First Thing in the Morning” by the author Asheritah Ciuciu. I received permission to quote a few lines if I include the link to her website:  onethingalone.com.

“Thank you that Your compassion is renewed every morning.  Great is Your faithfulness and Your steadfast love, O Lord!…. Holy Spirit, come and hover over my mind like You hovered over the waters at creation and speak order out of the chaos! Help me to cease striving and trust that you will give me all I need today to do the work You’ve given me to do…. Everything I am is Yours.”

I especially love the idea of asking the Holy Spirit to bring order out of chaos in my mind. I’m sure we all struggle with distracting thoughts as we spend quiet time with the Lord in prayer. We can specifically pray for the Holy Spirit to lead us in how to worship, how to seek Him with our whole heart, and how to pray for others.

And here is one more prayer of surrender from Sheila Walsh in her book Honestly. I want to have this attitude each day! “Lord, I stand before You with open hands.  Whatever you place in them I will welcome.  Whatever you take away I will gladly let go”

PERSONAL REFLECTION

Ask God to reveal any area of your life you are not surrendering to Him.

Praise Him for His sacrifice that has accomplished for you what you could never accomplish for yourself.  In obedience, you can respond to Him by “presenting yourself as a living sacrifice.”

Consider writing your own prayer of gratitude and surrender to God.

And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue His work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns.

Philippians 1:6 (NLT)

In last week’s post (August 31st), I shared the encouragement that God has a plan for our lives. This week I pray you will be encouraged that He is at work in us to complete that plan!

Years ago, my daughter and her family were able to move into a rental home that God provided for them.  Making the house ready before they moved in was a huge task!  Walls, floors, carpets, appliances all needed to be thoroughly cleaned.  We spent many hours over several days making it ready to move in.  The house was transformed!

We learn from Scripture that our lives need to be transformed.  Romans 3:23 tells us that we all have sinned and we all fall short of God’s holiness.  Isaiah 53:6 says All we, like sheep, have strayed away.  We have left God’s paths to follow our own.    The good news is that God loves us and is working in our lives to accomplish the transformation.  Jesus gave His life on the cross to pay the penalty for the sins of the world.  For those who have received that gift of salvation and forgiveness, we have been born again. Our spirit that was dead because of sin is given new life. Our sins have been removed “as far as the east is from the west” (Psalm 103: 12).  We are wrapped in Christ’s robe of righteousness (Isaiah 61:10). 

That is how God sees us in Christ, but He continues His work in us to make our daily life match that inward reality.  When we receive His gift of salvation, God also gives us His Holy Spirit to live in us.  His Spirit gives us wisdom and understanding, the desire and the ability to live the way God calls us to live.  We enter a lifelong process called sanctification, being transformed into His image, which will continue until the day Jesus returns, or until we see Him face to face in heaven.

Our part in that process is to acknowledge our sin, receive His gift of salvation, choose His lordship in our life, growing closer to Him in a personal relationship, confessing when we sin, turning back to Him when we have wandered.  We can’t make ourselves right with God on our own by simply trying harder or doing good works.   

What does a transformed life look like? His will for us is to know Him, love Him with our whole heart, to seek His will, listen to Him through prayer and through His Word, and obey through the power of His Spirit in us. He wants us to trust Him with every part of our life, yielding ourselves and everything we have to Him.

Read Philippians 1:6 again and be encouraged!

 And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns.

PERSONAL REFLECTION

Take some time to think about what Jesus did for you at the cross.  He died to pay the penalty for the sins of the whole world – for you and for me!  He was raised from the dead and promises we also will be raised from the dead to eternal life with Him.  Write out a prayer of thanksgiving to Him.

How can you cooperate with Him in the work He is doing in your life right now?  Is there anything that needs to be confessed?  Any area of your life that you are holding back from Him?

What steps can you take to follow Him more closely in obedience to His will?

For I know the plans that I have for you…

Jeremiah 29:11

My husband and I are now retired, our two children are married adults and have children of their own.  In this season of life, I have a lot more time than when I was raising children and working, and many choices exist for ways to spend time throughout the day – time with my husband, church ministries, family and friends who need help and encouragement – the list goes on. 

How do we choose what to do with our time? I have learned the most important thing is to spend time alone with the Lord early each morning before anything else happens.  I start by asking Him to quiet my mind and delete all the distractions so I can focus on Him.  I ask for eyes to see Him, ears to hear His voice, and a heart to respond to how He leads. This verse in Jeremiah greatly encourages me:  I know the plans I have for you (Jeremiah 29:11).  The Lord knows the plans He has for me!  And I know He waits for me to ask Him.  I can rest and enjoy peace as I trust Him to lead me through the day, watching for what He has planned!  I am learning to depend on Him completely, and I delight to see how He leads! 

I made a list of Scriptures that encourage me as I am waiting for God’s direction for life and ministry opportunities.  I keep it on my desk so that I can refer to it often.  These scriptures and the quotes I included from another source help me, and I pray they will encourage you too.

Ephesians 2:10 We are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works which God prepared beforehand, so that we should walk in them.

Jeremiah 29:11 For I know the plans that I have for you, declares the LORD, plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope.

Proverbs 3:5-6 Trust in the Lord with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding.  In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will direct your paths.

John 10:4 When He puts forth all His own, He goes ahead of them, and the sheep follow Him because they know His voice.

John 10:14 I am the good shepherd, and I know My own and My own know Me.

Isaiah 43:19 Behold, I will do something new, now it will spring forth…I will even make a roadway in the wilderness.

Psalm 46:10 Be still and know that I am God…

Psalm 37:7 Rest in the Lord and wait patiently for Him…

Psalm 32:8 I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go.  I will counsel you with My eye upon you.

John 15:5 I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing.

II Chronicles 16:9 The eyes of the Lord move to and fro throughout the earth that He may strongly support those whose heart is completely His (NASB)… whose hearts are fully committed to Him (NIV)

I didn’t get permission from the author to use the quotes I would like to include, but if you have the Jesus Calling devotional by Sarah Young, I recommend reading her messages for January 25th and October 27th.

PERSONAL REFLECTION

Are there changes that need to be made in your priorities, your attitudes, your choices that will make a positive impact on the way you spend your time?

What is a specific step you can take to begin?

They have forsaken Me, the fountain of living waters, to hew for themselves cisterns, broken cisterns that hold no water.

                                                                   Jeremiah 2:13

            Over and over again throughout the book of Jeremiah, God reveals His deep sadness over His people who continually turned away from Him.  The contrast between what He longed to give them and what they actually chose for themselves could lead to the question, “Why?  How could they turn away from God who loved them so much and had promised blessing and abundance if they would only obey Him?”  The warnings against disobedience were absolutely clear, and the consequences of disobedience were devastating. 

            Listen to God’s words in Deuteronomy 6.  He has been speaking to the people of Israel through Moses of the blessings awaiting them when they entered the land He had promised to give them – great and splendid cities which you did not build, and houses full of all good things which you did not fill, and hewn cisterns which you did not dig, vineyards and olive trees which you did not plant, and you shall eat and be satisfied (vs. 10, 11).  And the warning immediately follows:  Then watch yourself, lest you forget the Lord who brought you from the land of Egypt…You shall fear only the Lord your God…otherwise, the anger of the Lord your God will be kindled against you, and He will wipe you off the face of the earth (vs. 12-15).  God’s people could have enjoyed the fountain of living waters, but instead they chose broken cisterns that hold no water.

            It is no different for believers today.  God still generously offers that fountain of living water to all who come to Him. He who comes to me shall not hunger, and he who believes in me shall never thirst (John 6:35). Jesus came to give us abundant life and joy in Him. 

            Are you satisfied with living water from God?  Or are you experiencing the frustrations and dissatisfaction of a broken cistern you have made yourself?  At times we try to fill our lives with more people, more activity, more material pleasures.  Too often we turn away from God, perhaps not even consciously at first. We think we would be happy …if only I had more money…if only I had a less demanding (or more challenging) job…if only my kids didn’t need so much of my time and energy…if only my husband (or wife) were more understanding…if only….

Until we turn back to God in repentance, nothing can truly satisfy us.  We will always want more, and it will never be enough. There is no lasting peace and contentment from anything except being filled with living water.  The indwelling Holy Spirit is the living water offered to everyone who comes to Jesus by faith in what He has done for us on the cross.

PERSONAL REFLECTION

How would you honestly characterize your life right now?  Is your life a container filled with living water?  Or are you still creating your own cistern and discovering that it holds no water?  Don’t keep trying to patch the broken pot so that it can be filled with things that can never satisfy and will lead only to destruction.  Return to the fountain of living water, to God. 

Where are you tempted to turn to find fulfillment and happiness apart from God?  Will you take time now to confess and ask God to fill you with the living water?

If you are already experiencing the living water, thank Him for that!  Ask Him for opportunities to bring others to the fountain of living water — to God.

           

           

           

          

         

… Learn what is pleasing to the Lord

                                                                  Ephesians 5:10

            My husband and I had invited several friends for dinner one night, and he offered to help me get ready.  The guests were due to arrive shortly and the table wasn’t set, so I asked him to go to the hall closet and get the tablecloth.  While looking for the tablecloth, he discovered a box of ski gloves we had stored in the closet.  He noticed that spots of mold were growing on some of the gloves.  I was busily preparing for the dinner guests when I noticed that he was scrubbing ski gloves at the kitchen sink.  If we had been planning a ski trip for the next morning, it might have been more appropriate, but that was not the case.  The table still was not set for dinner.  Needless to say, I wasn’t pleased.

            Mold on ski gloves does need to be cleaned off. There was nothing essentially wrong with that activity.  It’s just that it wasn’t what I needed him to be doing right then.  There were more urgent things to be done at the moment, like setting the table for dinner!  Even now, many years later, we occasionally tease each other, “Is that mold on the ski gloves you’re working on?” 

            I am often reminded of this verse in Ephesians encouraging us to learn what is pleasing to the Lord.  We all have many choices to make throughout the day about how to spend our time.  How do we know what is pleasing to God?  By making time alone with Him our highest priority each day, spending time in the Word, in prayer, listening for His voice, trusting Him for all the resources necessary to do whatever He calls us to do.  He will be pleased as we follow Him.  I’m learning to start each day praying, “Lord, take my hand and lead me through this day.”  I recognize that He is my Shepherd, and His sheep know His voice.  That is the way I can keep from being distracted by the many choices that present themselves throughout the day.  

            I am confident that as we pray and ask the Lord for His will, the decisions we need to make will become clear — maybe not today, when we want to know, but in His time.  He has promised to be the still small voice saying, This is the way, walk in it… (Isaiah 30:21).

PERSONAL REFLECTION

Spend some time focusing on Ephesians 2:10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.”

If you have not already made this a part of your life, I encourage you to make time with the Lord a priority — daily, offering yourself to Him to do whatever would please Him during the day.  The only way you can know for sure is by asking Him!  Trust Him for all the resources to carry out whatever He places before you.

When is the best time for you to set aside to have time alone with the Lord?

What changes can you make in your current schedule of activities to make regular time with Him a priority?

Now unto Him who is able to do  exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or imagine…

Ephesians 3:20

A few years ago, my women’s Bible study group committed to support the ministry of a missionary couple in Papua New Guinea.  In their monthly prayer letter, we read of a major project – the printing of the New Testament and Proverbs their team had translated into the language of the people they had worked with for many years.  The missionaries had calculated the cost of printing each book and presented their supporters the opportunity to contribute toward the amount for printing an entire book or a partial amount.

As the Bible study leader, I presented this opportunity to the women to discuss what we could do as a group.  I’m ashamed to admit that I looked down the list to find the cheapest one – the book of Jude cost $159.  I thought if no one else wanted to contribute, I could write a check for that amount myself.  But one of the women said, “How about the book of John?”  We were currently studying the lessons I wrote for that book.  I looked at the price of $2,224 and laughed, saying “yeah, right.”  That ended the discussion for the day. 

The next morning, I woke up to spend my quiet time with the Lord.  As I prayed, the thought immediately came to me, “Why not the book of John?  Didn’t you just teach the lesson about Jesus feeding the 5,000 with five loaves and two fish?   Didn’t you just teach the lesson about Peter jumping out of the boat to walk on water when Jesus called him to come?” 

All day, thoughts continued about sponsoring the book of John.  In the afternoon, I called the group member who had suggested that book.  I told her my thoughts from the morning.  We prayed together and agreed that we should move forward and sponsor the entire book of John.  We both felt really excited!  I called each of the women in the study, and all agreed.  So, I emailed the message to the missionaries with our decision!  That was March 8^th.  We needed the total of $2,224 by September.  

Soon other ideas came to me – maybe we could have a bake/craft/garage sale.  What about including other Bible study groups, Sunday School classes, the whole church!  We were excited to see how God would lead and provide for this commitment.  The pastors and church leaders gave a clear go-ahead with their full support.  I made a personal announcement to the congregation the next Sunday telling of the opportunity and inviting them to participate.

The following week, I got a call from the church treasurer asking if I wanted to know how much money had been contributed so far.  In just one week, we received $1,215.  Less than a month later we had received a total of $2,220!

We had a garage sale, and contributions kept pouring in. By May 14th the contributions totaled $3,629.  Our commitment was exceeded by nearly $1,400!  We could apply the extra money to the printing of other books! In the May prayer letter from the missionaries, they announced they had received all the money needed for printing (and even shipping!) the entire New Testament, plus Proverbs.

            What a faith-training experience for me personally! I felt so humbled to see what God did with a very small step of faith.  More recently, as I recognized God’s call for me to publish the devotionals that I’ve written, I could look back at this experience and trust Him to lead each step to accomplish it.  Setting up a website was far more complicated, and at times more frustrating than I thought it would be. There were times when I was tempted to put all the pages back in the file cabinet and just leave them there!  But God is faithful to equip and provide for whatever He calls us to do.  And I’m so blessed as I grow in faith to follow wherever He leads.

I pray this experience will encourage you to trust God for His ability to do whatever He calls you to do.  He is able to do “exceeding abundantly above what we can think or imagine!”

PERSONAL REFLECTION

Has God called you to do something that seems impossible? 

How have you responded?

How has this message encouraged you?

What steps will you take to respond to the Lord’s call?

Jesus said, “Remove the stone…Did I not say to you that if you believe, you will see the glory of God?”

John 11:39-40

Jesus spoke these words at the tomb of Lazarus who had been dead four days.  He told the people gathered there to remove the stone from the tomb. 

When I read this Scripture recently, the question came to mind:  What “stone” needs to be removed from my heart so that I can see the glory of God. The Phillips translation says “so that I can see the wonder of what God can do.”  Any “stones” of sin in our heart stand in the way of our ability to see clearly all that God wants to do in our life, our ability to hear His voice.  They keep us from experiencing the closeness we can have in a loving relationship with Him.  They stand in the way of the blessing that God longs to pour out on us. Here are some examples of “stones” that come to mind:

• Busyness
• Fear
• Unbelief
• Pride
• Rebellion
• Lack of forgiveness
• Lack of trust
• Unhealthy relationships
• Need to be in control
• Self righteousness
• Lack of love
• Judgmental attitudes
• Serving other “gods”

Can you identify with any of these?  Can you think of others in your own life? As I was asking God to search my heart and show me anything that needed to be confessed, He brought to mind a long-held lack of forgiveness toward a family member who passed away a long time ago.  I thought I had worked through that issue over the years, but I was aware that the unforgiveness was still a problem.  I confessed, and asked God to change my heart and help me to release those feelings.  I realize how God has forgiven me, and He has made it possible to let go of the negative feelings I have held onto for so long.  By God’s grace, I am experiencing a freedom that could not happen with my own effort.

I noticed from the Scripture that removal of the “stone” comes first, then we can see the glory of God more clearly — not the other way around.  God will help us remove the sinful “stones” from our heart if we confess and ask Him for forgiveness.  The result is cleansing, freedom, peace and joy in a right relationship with the Lord.  We will “see the wonder of what God can do.”

Only through the death of Jesus on the cross for our sins can we escape God’s judgment.  Once we accept Jesus’ sacrifice to pay the penalty for our sin and place our faith in Him, His blood cleanses us from sin and removes it from us.  We can claim God’s promise in Ezekiel 36:26:

I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.

PERSONAL REFLECTION

If you have never received God’s gift of salvation through Jesus, it is not too late.  You can ask Him to forgive your sins, invite Him to cleanse you and give you a new heart and a new spirit.

Maybe you have been saved already, but you have been living life on your own terms without living a life that is pleasing to God.  Listen to Him calling you back and make the choice to follow Him. 

What “stones” need to be removed from your heart so that you can more clearly see the glory of God in your life?

…Walk as children of light…

                                                                   Ephesians 5:8

            Light is something I take for granted — until the power goes out.  On the rare occasions when the power is out, we can usually get out the flashlights and lanterns and create a temporary light source.  But I remember the time I was leaving an unfamiliar office complex, and I went into a restroom I’d never been in before.  It took me completely by surprise when suddenly the lights went out.  I could see absolutely nothing!  At least when I’m at home I remember where doors are and the general layout of the floor plan.  But here I had to stop and try to think which direction I had entered and slowly feel my way along until I found the wall which led to the exit door.  What a relief to step out into the bright daylight again.

            How often do we take for granted the spiritual light we have been given?  Do you ever think what life would be like if Jesus, the “light of the world,” had not come?  Those of us who are walking with the Lord have the incredible gift of His offer of wisdom and direction for every decision we must make, strength in the midst of any circumstance, certain hope for whatever the future holds.  We have the Bible, God’s Word, which is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path (Psalm 119:105).  We have the light, God’s truth, which shows us the way to freedom from enslavement to sin and fear. 

          Once we know Jesus, the true Light of the World, we are told to walk as children of light.  Matthew 5:14 says that we are the light of the world.  We are to be the light that draws others to the Lord.  I originally wrote this devotional before any of us had even heard of the Coronavirus which is now causing devastating effects in the lives of people around the world.  I am convicted by my lack of concern for the many who are still in darkness, living in fear, without hope that can only be found in a personal relationship with Jesus.  I’m challenged not to just be satisfied with the light I have been given to walk with the Lord, but to take seriously God’s call to represent Him to others, to share His light and truth, to let my light shine so others will be drawn to Jesus.  I’m encouraged to pray that the Lord will awaken a deep concern in my heart for those who do not yet know Him.  I’m asking Him for opportunities to shine His light through me so that others might find the way to Him.

            This world has changed so dramatically in the last few months. So many are suffering in these confusing, unsettling, uncertain times, fearing for their health and loved ones, the potential loss of jobs, businesses. But God never changes.  He is still sovereign.  He still reaches out with the offer of forgiveness of sin, salvation, wisdom, strength, hope, and abundant life through a relationship with Jesus through faith.  I want to share the Good News with others who don’t know Him. People need the Lord! May God open doors of opportunity to share His love and His truth so that others may be drawn to Him.

PERSONAL REFLECTION

Read Ephesians 5, the entire chapter.  This will help clarify “walking in the light” and “walking in darkness.”

What does it mean to walk in the light?

What is the condition of someone who is walking in spiritual darkness?

Who do you know personally who is still walking in darkness?  What can you do to be “light” to that person?

And my God will supply all your needs according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.

Philippians 4:19

Manna.  What is it?  That was the question the people of Israel asked when it first appeared on the ground.  They had been in the desert only a short time following their escape from slavery in Egypt.  They were hungry and began accusing Moses and Aaron of bringing them out to the wilderness to die of hunger.  Manna was God’s answer to their need for food.  (We read about this in Exodus 16:1-36.)

            Why did God command the people to gather only enough manna for one day?  Why not gather enough for several days or even a whole week?   Wouldn’t it save a lot of time if they gathered more than one day’s supply at a time? 

I believe the people needed a daily reminder that their manna, their food, was God’s provision for them.  If they were allowed to gather as much as they wanted, they could eventually forget this was God’s provision and begin to think it was their own ability to gather a lot that was to be admired.  Instead, the one-day-at-a-time supply forced the people to acknowledge daily that their food was a miracle from God.  Each morning as they went outside to get enough for the day, their minds should have turned in gratitude toward the God who had supplied it.

            Probably most of us are in the position the Israelites would have been in if they had been permitted to gather as much as they wanted.   If we think about it at all, we may be tempted to think that we have provided for our own needs.  We buy what we need with the money we have earned from our own jobs.  It is easy to forget that without God we would not even be able to take another breath.  Life itself, and every good and perfect gift, comes from Him (James 1:17). We need to remember to acknowledge God and thank Him for His daily provisions. 

            Not only should we acknowledge God’s daily provisions for our own lives, but we need to come to Him daily for “food” to give others.  Think about the miracle of Jesus feeding the multitudes (Mark 6:30-44).  Jesus had spent the whole day healing the sick.  When evening came, the disciples pointed out to Jesus it was time to send the people away so that they could go into the villages and buy food for themselves. Jesus said, “They do not need to go away; you give them something to eat!”  Of course, the disciples didn’t have the resources it would take to buy food for that many people!  I can hear the sarcasm in their voices as they respond, “Shall we go and spend 200 denarii on bread and give them something to eat?”  (200 denarii is equivalent to 8 months wages for a common laborer.) Jesus told the disciples to gather what was available.  They brought back five loaves and two fish–pathetically little compared to what was needed!  Jesus said, “Bring them here to Me.”  He blessed what they had, broke it, and “kept giving them to the disciples to set before the multitude” (Luke 9:16). Notice that the disciples had to keep coming back to Jesus to get refills so they could distribute food to the people.  In Jesus’ hands, that little offering became more than enough to meet the need!

            This is encouraging to me when I think of ministering to people Jesus brings into my life.  My first reaction is, “I don’t have what they need.”  And that’s true — I don’t.  But then I remind myself of the truth in 2 Corinthians 3:5. My adequacy comes from Him, not from myself.  I don’t have what they need, but God does.  I have to keep coming back to Him for wisdom to help them trust God to provide all they need.

            The needs around us are overwhelming.  People all over the world are in desperate need.  What do I have to offer?  Jesus says, “Apart from Me you can do nothing” (John 15:5).   But what about the needs of the people Jesus has placed right in my path?  The attitude I want to have every day is one of complete dependence on God for the provisions He wants me to have, both for my own life and for the needs of others that He brings to my attention.  I can bring to Jesus the gifts He has given me.  I can present myself to Him as a living sacrifice and be available to serve.  Through His miraculous power, I can do what He calls me to do because He promises to supply every need.

PERSONAL REFLECTION

Has God brought a specific need to your attention that He may be asking you to respond to?

Do you feel inadequate to meet that need?  Are you willing to trust Him to provide everything you need to take the next step in meeting the need?

Write out your prayer to God.  Remember to thank Him for His promise to provide everything you need.