August 21, 2025

II Corinthians 4: 16 Therefore, we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. (NIV)

He came to transform us so we could live here in a way that anticipates how we will live in Heaven.*

There are steps we can take to improve our chances for good health and a longer life. By neglect and poor choices, we can also reduce the number of healthy days we experience. But the truth is, when it comes to our bodies, we are essentially powerless. People who participate in risky behavior often lead long healthy lives, while others die from diseases that should never have had a toehold in their systems. But Paul says that while our bodies are guaranteed to turn on us eventually, we have no reason to despair.

“Therefore, we do not lose heart,” Paul writes. Therefore begs the question: why? Because of what he wrote in verse 14: we know that the one who raised Jesus from the dead will also raise us – with Jesus! This is a promise that became more meaningful for me as I watched my husband struggle with terminal pancreatic cancer. Outwardly, he was definitely wasting away. But inwardly . . . he was renewed.

What does inward renewal look like? With our eyes fixed on the unseen (verse 18), we view life on earth from a different perspective. When spiritual renewal is your reality, you become hyper-aware of the meaninglessness of most human pursuits. Relationships matter more than things. Joy is not impacted by outward influences. Coming face-to-face with God is a much-anticipated occasion, not a vague and almost-dreaded future event. As it turns out, by admitting that we are dying, we really begin to live!

If we know the way life in God’s kingdom will one day be, why don’t we begin to live that reality right here, right now in the midst of troubled days?*

August 20, 2025

I Peter 4: 12 Dear friends, do not be surprised at the painful trial you are suffering, as though something strange were happening to you. (NIV)

When before the throne we stand in Him complete . . . we shall know in fulfillment what we now believe in faith – that all things work together for good in His eternal purpose.*

Floridians are always prepared for hurricanes. Our houses are built according to strict codes. We have candles, matches, flashlights, and batteries stored in a handy location. We have a few containers that can be filled with water at a moment’s notice. Some of us may even have extra ice already on hand in our freezer. Many have a pantry well-stocked with non-perishable food items. We know the safest areas in our home in which we can hunker down and ride out the storm. But being prepared is not the same as BEING PREPARED! Nothing could have prepared me for my first hurricane, even though I knew to the minute when it was going to pass over my house.

So, it might not be possible to be totally prepared for what lies ahead in the Christian life, but Peter tells us we shouldn’t be surprised by it. He warns us specifically about the bad things we might experience – but we shouldn’t be surprised by the good things, either. Jesus made some promises that should encourage us - not just to help us endure until we reap our heavenly reward, but promises that can sustain us here and now. He says that if we make God’s kingdom and righteousness our priority, we won’t have to worry about what we will eat, drink, or wear (Matthew 6: 33). If we ask, we will receive; if we seek, we will find; and if we knock, the door will be opened (Matthew 7: 7). Are you tired and burdened? “Come to me,” he says, “and you will find rest for your weary souls.” (Matthew 11: 28, 29) He promises life to the full (John 10: 10), and, my personal favorite, he promises to be with us always (Matthew 28: 20).

We don’t know what storms are approaching. Some of us may get through this life without ever having suffered for our faith, but life itself can be turbulent. Peter advises us not to think it’s strange when bad things happen to us. But while life offers up many surprises, Jesus lives up to our expectations. Every time.  

Hard times don’t erase God’s promises.*

August 19, 2025

I Timothy 6: 11 But you, man of God, flee from all this, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness. (NIV)

The devil gets into the garden wherever the fence is the lowest.*

In this passage, Paul is admonishing Timothy to flee from the particular dangers of the love of money, but his counsel is applicable to any temptation. Students of Paul’s letters will note the usual pattern of his advice: stop doing the bad thing; start doing the good thing. 

Jesus illustrated this principle in a lesson we find in Matthew 12: 43-45. He told of how an evil spirit might return with a vengeance when it leaves a man if it comes back and finds the “house” swept clean, put back in order – and vacant. It isn’t enough, says Paul, that Timothy should flee from the temptations and traps involved in one’s pursuit of riches; instead, he says, replace it with the pursuit of righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance, and gentleness. Don’t leave room for the bad stuff to come back to roost!

Are you trying to overcome a particular temptation? Do you have a signature sin that you are struggling with? Don’t just quit, avoid, flee, resist. Abandoning the negative behavior leaves a vacuum that begs to be refilled. Look for new, good habits to replace the old. Find an accountability partner. Go to church. Get involved in activities that promote the opposite of your old way of life. Adopt the godly qualities Paul has listed here – not with your own strength but by the power of the Holy Spirit.

When tempted, look. Look for the way out. Taking the way out leads to victorious living.*

August 18, 2025

John 15: 15 “I no longer call you servants . . . Instead, I have called you friends . . .” (NIV)

With privilege comes responsibility.*

As I worked my way up the ladder in my career, each promotion meant more money – and more responsibility. Many times it meant giving up some of the tasks that I really enjoyed and supervising others in performing them. Each step up was also a sign of my boss’s faith in me as she continued to earn my loyalty. We did a lot for each other during those years.

Jesus’ disciples have just gotten a promotion – from servants to friends. What did that mean for them? It meant that they went from ignorance of their master’s business to being on the inside track. Their step-up included the usual more responsibility: Go and bear fruit (verse 16); and Love each other (verse 17). It did not come with a bigger paycheck, but there were some perks: The Father will give you whatever you ask in my name (verse 16).

While the downside of my upward career moves involved giving up a few fun jobs, the disciples’ promotion came with a dire warning: “If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first.” (verse 18) Jesus didn’t promote the disciples from servants to friends just to buy their loyalty – but they were going to need to maintain their loyalty if they wished to retain their new positions.

In spite of the risks that go with the promotion, being a trusted friend is so much more rewarding than being a servant/employee. In this case, it is eternally rewarding!

God has always called us to faithfulness over success.*

August 17, 2025

Proverbs 3: 5, 6 Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight. (NIV)

My schemes have been the planning of fools, assuming my way is better than God’s.*

Motivational speakers, self-help books, blogs about empowering yourself – they're all about believing in yourself and making your dreams come true. According to them – even the Christian ones – each of us has within us the power to make it happen. Believe in yourself. You can do it. You are good enough. You are strong enough. You are smart enough. 

Really?

In this verse, Solomon provides us with the secret to a successful, fulfilling life . . . and it has nothing to do with believing in ourselves. Quite the opposite, actually. Don’t trust in your dreams or your ability to accomplish your goals. Trust in the Lord, he says.  With all your heart. That leaves no room in your heart for your own plans. Trusting the Lord involves submitting your dreams to him, not empowering yourself. Lean not on your own understanding, he adds. You can’t rely on what you know or understand or what you can do.

No, we aren’t the self-empowered machines we’ve been told we can be – but we do have a source of power. In all your ways, acknowledge the Lord’s sovereignty and his involvement in your life and he will direct your path. You don’t have to do it yourself. You can’t do it yourself. And the sooner you admit that you aren’t strong enough or smart enough, the sooner you will be on the road to abundant, productive living – to the glory of God.

The one who seems to be acquiescing control is actually inviting the God of the universe to be in control.*

August 16, 2025

Ezekiel 45: 9, 10 “‘This is what the Sovereign Lords says: You have gone far enough . . . Give up your violence and oppression and do what is just and right. Stop dispossessing my people . . . You are to use accurate scales, an accurate ephah and an accurate bath.’” (NIV)

God claims lordship over all the details of our lives.*

In this passage, Ezekiel delivers a message from God to the princes of Israel. Clean up your act, he tells them. Stop the violence and the oppression and the unlawful eviction of people from their homes. And by the way: stop cheating your customers. When we consider evil behavior, we seldom think of our own particular "little" sins. But when God addresses sin, he measures it differently. Violence and oppression are on equal footing with dishonest weights and measures. Cheating on your taxes is as bad as abuse of power. 

The Creator of the universe is also the Creator of the atom. The God of all creation is also the God of the details. No matter the size of your sin or your problems, how small or large your joys and your victories, God is mindful of them. He can forgive the perpetrator of the most heinous atrocities, and he wants to forgive the liar and the cheater. He is with you when you celebrate huge victories and in your private moments of delight. 

Take Ezekiel’s advice. Do what is just and right. In big ways and small ways. God is Lord of all.

The more we respect God’s power, the more we appreciate his approachability.*

August 15, 2025

I John 3: 16 This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers. (NIV)

. . . love so profound, so utterly magnificent, that it cannot be defined, only demonstrated.*

“Love means never having to say you’re sorry.” Remember that line from the 1970 movie, Love Story? Love means a lot of things in the English language but I’m pretty sure this isn’t one of them. We love our children and we love pizza. We love it when a plan comes together. With so many meanings, both deep and shallow, how do we know what love really is?

Paul gives us some great examples of what love is and is not in First Corinthians, chapter 13. But John reveals the ultimate meaning of love, as demonstrated by Jesus Christ. Jesus laid down his life for us. Then John adds that we ought to lay down our lives as well. Seriously? What good would it do for me to die for my brothers? Maybe none. But dying isn’t the same as laying down your life. Laying down your life is what you do while you’re living.

Of course, it is because Jesus died that we can live eternally, but his death would have been meaningless without his life of selfless service for the sake of others and the glory of God. Dying is easy compared to the daily grind of sacrificing what you want on the altar of love. Sometimes love means that you do have to say you’re sorry! But love always means doing what Jesus would do.

It is much easier to die than to lay down your life day in and day out.*