Tag Archives: Christian faith

My Word For The Year: 2024

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Who does a word of the year? For the last 5-6 years I have chosen my word for the year, along with 4 goals, hopes, or prayers for the year ahead. Last year my word was “beloved”. It was a word that caught me off guard and intrigued me when I chose it, and one that caught me off guard and left me in deep thought when I reflected on 2023.

As I think back, on my goals and hopes, I really only achieved 1 and a half of them. That was because I greatly failed at the “half” of one of them, and was so broken by it, that I knew I had to shift how I was going about things. I won’t get into the details, but I bet many of you can relate to how I was feeling.

Beloved

As I reflected on on the goals and hope that I didn’t achieve, I was at first upset. My goals and hopes weren’t wrong. Life just kind of went a different direction, and didn’t leave a lot of time for what was on my list. But as I reflected more, I came to see that I had chosen the better portion. I spent more time with the people in from of me.

Instead of trying to check box a list of goals and hopes, out of love I said yes to things that God handed to me, sometimes that was driving a friend to the airport the day after her husband’s funeral, sometimes it was praying for someone at the airport as I was waiting for the bus to take me to my car or at the grocery store when in my mind I didn’t exactly have the time. Or even deeper, when my best friend called me in the middle of the night and we went to go put her dog down, or sitting in a hospital room with another friend, who was expecting a baby but having early contractions, reading psalms over her.

What about you?

So I ask you? Are there goals that you haven’t met or achieved? If so, can you look back and say that regardless of that, did you choose the better portion?

I definitely didn’t understand the word “beloved”. Even at the beginning of 2024 as I reflected on 2023. But as I think back, I did see why “beloved” was my word for 2023. Because regardless of how difficult some of the things were that I had to walk through, and the brokenness and disappointment I felt in myself, God was always faithful despite my failures, constantly with me, and always showing His love to me. Yes, I was dearly loved. Beloved.

My Word For This Year. 2024

As I did my study one day recently, I noticed something that I never have, in a story I have read countless times. You have probably heard the story. Jesus gets arrested. It says everyone fled, but we remember that Peter followed at a distance. Stays in the courtyard to keep warm by the fire. And denies Jesus 3 times. 

But Peter wasn’t the only disciple who followed Jesus as He was arrested. I am not sure why the gospel of John is the only gospel to account this, but John 18: 15-18 says this disciple knew the high priest and went with Jesus into the high priest’s courtyard. Peter stayed outside until the disciple spoke to the servant girl there and brought him in.

Scripture doesn’t say, but I am guessing (and many commentators believe) this disciple was John. Although I can’t be certain, let’s consider this for a second because I feel like there is something good here. He is known for referring to himself in the third person. He was the “one that Jesus loved”. Then he was disciple that was with Mary at the cross. And the disciple that was left with the knowing that Jesus wanted him to care for His mother. I can’t imagine it was anyone else but John here, walking into the house of the high priest. 

I imagine he did it all with composure and strength that can only come from love of the One who first loved him. These were desperate times, and he must have had unwavering confidence in these moments in order to convince the servant girl to allow Peter in as well, and walk through the hours and days ahead. It could only be the deepest devotion and love for Jesus that kept John from deserting Him. 

What is my word for 2024?

What am I learning from this?  The love and devotion to Jesus is what will cary us through, and give us the strength in our weakness to carry out all He has for us. It will keep us close to the cross, and then running to the see Him alive, resurrected from the grave… like John.

I have been considering my word for this year, and one word has been sticking out in my mind as I have read about different people in scripture over the last few weeks. Devotion. Devotion to Jesus, completely, wholeheartedly. And that is my prayer for you as well as we walk through this year ahead, through the valleys, and the mountains tops, the storms, the battles, but also the green pastures where we will find rest.  

The Anchor For Our Souls

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Confession time. I have greatly struggled getting words on a page recently. Since Mother’s Day really. I kind of felt knocked down. And usually when I feel knocked down, I want to quit and run the other direction. If you have followed my blog for a while you know that my past is filled with moments of quitting when things got hard, or when I wasn’t good enough at something. 

And this is exactly what I wanted to do again. I had swept it under the rug for a little bit, until I was confronted with sharing publicly again. All the fear, and insecurities flooded back to me. And I wanted to just hide under a rock. However, someone wrote me a text that made me start to put one foot in front of the other again. The text said “To keep the gift, give it away”.

That was a hard truth to swallow. It felt like a balance of encouragement and warning at the same time. But putting one foot in front of the other can be easier said than done. Am I right?

And Jesus has some harsh truths for those who “put one hand to the plow, and then walk away”. He says they are not fit for the Kingdom of God. Ouch. Who is fit for the Kingdom of God then? Those who persevere for the sake of His name. Those who walk forward keeping their eyes on Christ, and not the wind and the waves. 

But if you are in a place where you feel stuck like I felt and still feel, you may be asking how can I move forward when I feel immovable?

My simple answer is this: Cling to the anchor. 

What is an anchor?

An anchor is a heavy and large object attached to a rope or chain and used to keep a boat or ship secured to the sea bottom.

An anchor prevents a vessel from drifting, and from floating into danger. It keeps a vessel from running aground and from the risk of crashing into rocks and sinking. And the tighter the anchor, the less a vessel drifts. It keeps the vessel firm and secure.

Hebrews 6:17-19 says this:

Because God wanted to make the unchanging nature of his purpose very clear to the heirs of what was promised, he confirmed it with an oath. God did this so that, by two unchangeable things in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled to take hold of the hope set before us may be greatly encouraged. We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure.”

The Hebrew translation says God confirmed his promise to Abraham with an oath. And God did this so that we, who have taken refuge of the hope set before us (Jesus) would have strong (mighty, firm, sure) encouragement (solace, comfort, refreshment). 

Do you feel the truths in these verses? Hope anchors our soul. And did you catch this?… Our hope is set by God himself, so that we can be greatly encouraged. When we are anchored, our anchor is usually so deep that it isn’t visible. And isn’t that like the hope we have in Jesus? The hope that doesn’t disappoint. We can’t really see it. However, Romans says, a hope that is seen is not hope at all.

God through the promise of Jesus keeps us secure: our hearts, and our minds, and our souls. 

Wow. God wants this for us. That is why he sent Jesus. So we can have this hope that brings encouragement, solace, comfort, refreshment.

Jesus is our hope. He is our anchor.

He secures our place in heaven. and guides us so that we don’t sink. Tells us to keep our eyes on Him while walking on water, and keeps us firmly planted so that we don’t get tossed around in the waves more than we should. He is the solid rock on which we can stand, our hiding place, and strong tower. Our safe refuge. When the storm comes, His anchor, His hope, keeps us protected.

This is the anchor that we have for our souls, that is firm and secure.

Take comfort in these truths, because they are beautiful, sure, true, and for us to take hold of, and have refuge in.

Let me leave you with this bit of interesting thoughts for you to take with you. Have you ever noticed what the top of an anchor looks like? 

It is a cross. And at the top of the anchor is what they call a crown. Kind of like where the crown of thorns would have been. 

So, the next time you feel stuck, or you see an anchor… remember Jesus.

Because what a beautiful truth. A beautiful hope. A beautiful Savior. Our anchor. 

The Importance Of Being Rooted in Christ

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A couple years ago I tried to transplant 2 hydrangea plants. I made the mistake of putting one in the direct sunlight in what would be the hottest part of the day. The poor plant would wilt every single day, and then in the morning it would be a little happier. I thought to myself that if I didn’t transplant it to a place that had more shade in the afternoon, the plant wouldn’t make it. So I moved it by the other plant, and as I cared for it, it started to thrive. Last year both plants were doubled in size, and although they didn’t bud flowers, it looks like this year they will. This brings me to the importance of being rooted in Christ, so that we can bear the fruit of the Spirit.

What the Holy Spirit does…

These days have been hard. There have been moments that I have felt like that plant who wilted in the summer heat, struggling to survive without the proper care. But God is always so good when He has us in the perfect place in scripture that helps us navigate the path forward. This week I found myself in Romans 8:26-27. It that says that the Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness, and intercedes for us in accordance to God’s will when we don’t know what to pray.

And then we get to 8:28. In all things God works for the good of those who love Him, and have been called according to His purpose.

In all things…

I am not sure I have noticed these verses as a whole before. But we see that when this verse says “in all things”… that means He even works our weakness for our good, and His glory.

What beautiful promises here. And I love that right before Jesus was betrayed, when He was agonizing in the garden, after praying take this cup from me, but nevertheless, not my will, but Yours be come, an angel from heaven appeared and strengthened Him. We have this example in Jesus. That even though He was all powerful, He was still human. 

In that moment Jesus wasn’t strong on His own. And like Him, we don’t become strong on our own. There are times that like Jesus, we need to be strengthened as well. And we have the promise that His joy is our strength. That joy and strength are found in His dwelling place. And the Holy Spirit dwells in us. 

We will always have the strength we need. Because God is good, and He doesn’t leave us lacking. The Holy Spirit is interceding for us. We can trust in that good promise, from our good Father.

The Holy Spirit is interceding for you.

These verses don’t remind us that the Holy Spirit will help us in our weakness, they assure us that it will help us in our weakness. It says that the Holy Spirit will help (or take hold of us) in our times when we lack strength.

Last week, it felt like a truck hit me as I was confronted with truth. A truth that broke my heart, leaving me feeling “stuck”. I didn’t know know how to proceed, because I felt too weak and incapable of moving forward at all.

We can remember that we can do (actual translation is “endure”) all things in Christ who gives us strength. 

Our strength doesn’t come from our own efforts. But I remember when I thought that it did. And how the stronger I tried to become, the weaker I actually was. 

The importance of being rooted in Christ.

I love that with Jesus, the pressure of trying to walk in our own strength is taken off of us. 

This reminds me of the hydrangea plant. I had to plant it in good soil, to give it the best chance of surviving. The plant didn’t grow on its own. It was just still in the good soil, soaking up water, that made it strong enough to grow.

The only thing that will help us grow through the Holy Spirit in our weakness, and all things, is abiding in Christ. Rooted, in the word of God.

No our strength doesn’t come from our efforts. Our strength, in all things comes from only Jesus.

This is a beautiful refreshing truth, that I needed this week. And a truth that I hope encourages you if you are in a place of weakness.

How To Carry Your Cross

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A Facebook memory popped up earlier in April. It was a reflection I had on Easter. It was at the beginning of Covid. But the message was loud and clear to me as I read it again, 3 years later.

April 2020

“I heard a life changing message a few days ago on carrying your cross. I cried as the speaker shared that she had all but put her cross down. She didn’t want to carry it anymore. And honestly, I think it that it can seem easier to put down the things that burden us,  or walk away from them so that we don’t have to endure the pain. 

The speaker had a dream where she was sitting with her back against the wall. She is an elderly woman, maybe late 80’s. And she saw a cross. She asked God if that was her cross. And He said it was. She asked Him how long she was supposed to carry it, and He said “All the way home.”

That message lead me to think and consider a lot that was going on in my life. There are a lot of things that I would rather put down, and not endure. And I have said more than once “I wish the burden wasn’t so strong, I will it was easier to not be obedient.”

Yes, I did wonder if it would have been easier to have put down my cross. But I have come to see that a lot of the times our crosses are rooted in love. Sometimes love for others, sometimes the love God has for us, and sometimes the love we have for God that leads to obedience. And it is a love that is really hard to explain. But it was the love that Christ had for us. His burden was heavy, because it was about His undying love for us, and His unwavering obedience to His Father.

How long are you willing you to carry your cross?

And this is a message that can be really hard to hear, because we want the love, peace, and joy that God offers without the obedience part. I am so guilty of sometimes wanting to put my cross back down and not pick it back up again.

But then we don’t get to today. We wouldn’t have the risen King, with the scars in His hands as He reaches out to us. ALIVE. We wouldn’t see that the promises He makes stand firm. 

Let’s not miss it. Let’s carry our crosses, all the way home, so that we can see the empty grave. Everyday. May our prayers reflect Jesus prayers. Not my will, but Yours be done.”

I remembered how hard it was just a few months before I wrote that. It definitely felt like a cross. And I wanted to put it down. At one point, I actually had put it down, and somehow I picked it back up.

How to carry your cross…

Just recently things felt hard again. And I longed for the days when things were easier, and filled with gratitude instead of feeling like I had fiery darts being shot at me in many directions.

I wanted joy, but God wanted my endurance. It can be easy to believe the lie that if we are Christians, life should be easy, and it should be easy to endure. But the reality is that is not true. And in times like this, I need to look at Jesus.

He agonized in the garden right before He was betrayed. He asked God to take the cup of suffering away if at all possible, and an angel had to come to strengthen Him. Then His disciples scattered. His journey to the cross was not easy. It was painful, and He wasn’t just carrying the weight of the cross, He was carrying the weight of our sin.

No, it was not easy for Him. Just the same, there are times that won’t be easy for us. And we must remember that and know that it is okay. We can’t hold ourselves to a higher standard than Jesus.

Hebrews 12 says that He endured the cross, for the joy set before Him. The resurrection, and His place at the right hand of God, His father.

There is joy set before us as well. The promise of eternal life with the perfecter of our faith. And the author of Hebrews encourages us to remember Him, so that we don’t grow weary and lose heart.

Jesus died on the cross. But Sunday came. It was a promise, and God’s promises never return void.

Let’s keep walking, carrying the crosses that lead us to the cross, because after the cross, comes resurrection.

Truths To Remember On Palm Sunday

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As we have begun to read about passion week, I have been reflecting on a few things that I have never thought much of before. So today, I am sharing with you 3 truths to remember on Palm Sunday.

I began a little reading a little before the typical Palm Sunday story begins, and Jesus instructed 2 of His disciples to go and get an unbroken colt. It was the Parable of the King’s 10 servants. You can find the story in Luke 19:11-27, but I am focusing solely on verses 11-15. Here is the cliff notes version. A man of noble birth went to a far off land to have himself appointed as king, and then he would return home. He gave his servants a portion of money to put to work until his return.

His servants hated him though, and did not want this man to be their king. Regardless, the man was appointed king, and returned home. There is so much more to this parable, but I stopped here. 

Because we are about to approach the moment in history where Jesus rides into Jerusalem as the crowd of disciples joyfully began to praise God in loud voices for what they had seen. 

“Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord.”

Here is the thing about Jesus being king. Although they were calling him king, He was not appointed king by man. He was like the man of noble birth in the parable, who had gone to a distant land to be appointed king, and then returned home. 

Jesus needed to come to earth to be appointed king. But His appointing came from God. His rule would be unending, and wouldn’t be able to be taken away by the hands of man. 

Jesus is who He is regardless of who the world wants Him to be.

So the first thing to remember on Palm Sunday is what has come from God, can not be taken away by man.

And so we now come to the story of Palm Sunday.

As I began reading the account of Jesus riding into Jerusalem on the colt, I became more reflective on the man who gave the colt to His disciples because the Lord needed it. Jesus instructed 2 disciples to find in the village a colt that had never been ridden. 

He further instructs them that if anyone asks why they are untying it to tell them that the Lord needs it. And that is what happened. The owner of the colt, asked the 2 disciples “why are you untying the colt?” They responded as Jesus had instructed, and it seems like the owner didn’t hesitate on giving the the Lord what was needed. His response was an unspoken “yes”.

This made me think, “What does the Lord need that I have?” Am I quick to respond to God’s ask by saying “The Lord needs it.”? Or do I hesitate when He makes the call? Knowing me, I sit in the latter. 

But this unnamed man in scripture encourages me. He is a man that I look over most of the time, but his story is essential, and his faith encourages me. 

Here is the second truth to remember on Palm Sunday: When we are asked for what God has given to us, may we quickly respond with an unspoken “yes”.

Another truth to remember on Palm Sunday…

So I continued to reflect on the colt, and its owner. I have to confess that I have greatly misunderstood the significance of this in the past. 

The purpose of a donkey during Jesus’ time was in fieldwork, as well as trade. It was also traditional for kings and rulers to mount themselves on donkeys (You actually find instances of this sprinkler throughout the Old Testament). 

The donkey was a symbol of peace, but is a sharp contrast to a horse. When horses are mentioned in the bible, they are mostly in relation to kings and war. A king rode a horse when he was going to meet an enemy. But donkeys were not used during times of war. A king who rode on a donkey was common during a transfer of rulership.  

So here we have Jesus riding into Jerusalem on a colt that had never been ridden before.

As He rode through the crowds, the people were saying “Hosanna”. An expression of having the highest praise for Him, and also translated in Hebrew as “Save now.” They cried out to Him for rescue, as they believed He would be the one who would rescue them. And Jesus was sending an unspoken message. He was the king they had been waiting for, and His nature was of peace.

He was showing humility and not intimidation, but He would be met with resistance, and pride. There was a great misunderstanding on what Jesus came to do. Jesus wasn’t coming to conquer, or to overthrow a government that rested on His shoulders. He was coming to show that His way was different. It was the way of peace. 

And there is significance to Him coming in peacefully, because He wasn’t entering a peaceful situation. 

The Pharisee’s wanted Him to rebuke His followers, the temple had become “a den of robbers”, and chief priests, teachers, and leaders were trying to kill Him.

This is the place that Jesus peacefully entered on Palm Sunday.

And the first thing that Jesus does after telling the Pharisees that even if He rebuked His followers, that the rocks would cry out in worship, was weep over the city. And He wept over the city because they did not know the peace that He came to bring. 

No, Jesus wasn’t coming to conquer the things of this world. But there was something that Jesus would conquer. But it wasn’t what the people expected. He wasn’t coming to conquer an empire, He was coming to conquer death. And not just His own death. But the death sentence we had because of our sin. This wouldn’t be done by showing His great power. This would be done by showing His great love. This is the love that Paul describes as incorruptible, at the end of Ephesians, and the love that saved us, and goes before us. 

So the last truth to remember on Palm Sunday, is that Jesus may not be what we expect Him to be, but He is everything we need and more. He is the One who comes in peace, but is powerful enough to conquer death and the grave.

This is our King.

What We Need To Achieve Victory In A Battle

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I have been writing the last couple weeks on the armor of God. And today, we get to the what has probably grown to be my favorite. That is the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. I don’t want any of us to miss the importance of this, because this is the only offensive piece of the armor that we have. This what we need to achieve victory in a battle.

Have you ever noticed that most of the pieces of the armor of God are protective?  Think about it. The helmet protects your head, the breastplate protects your most vital organs, the belt protects your most private areas, and the shoes give your feet protection to stand firm. The shield is also protective in extinguishing the fiery darts thrown by the enemy.

Protective pieces of armor won’t get us a victory….

None of these pieces of the armor actually help you to fight when you find yourself in the battle. But here is the hard truth, without the sword of the spirit, we have no chance of victory.

And so, here we have the only offensive piece of the armor of God. The sword of Spirit. Word of God. The Hebrew word for “word” here is rhema-  which is translated as the declared spoken word of God. 

Our offense in the battle. The word of God, which is sharper than a double edged sword. This is the only thing that will actually take down the enemy. Everything else just protects us from the enemy’s attacks.

This is different than knowing scripture in our hearts. We fight with speaking what is spoken from God. This is what Jesus does when He is tempted by Satan in the desert.  He declares “It is written.”

If our only offense in a spiritual battle is the word of God, we need to know the word of God.

The sword is our only offensive piece of armor.

I have to go back to my fear of flying here. Last week I shared with how I protect myself while preparing for flights. But these are all things that I do that are protective.

I realize that when I face fears, peace and righteousness are only going to get me so far. As we approach a battle, at first the enemy can be far away. You do not need a sword if the enemy is for away. But eventually the battle comes close enough where the sword of the Spirit is needed. And that is the Word of God.

When the enemy is close though, here are some of the things he will throw at you:

  • You are not strong enough to win this battle.
  • Bad things will happen if you continue to move forward.
  • The battle is already lost, you might as well surrender.
  • You are not equipped for what is ahead.
  • You need more than you have.
  • Do you see how large the army of the enemy is?
  • You are not good enough for God to love you.
  • God is not enough for you.

Have you ever felt these things?

I have definitely felt all of these things at one time other another. And each of these things that require the Word of God. And honestly the moment the enemy is too close, is the wrong time to begin to know God’s word. No, we need to have the word of God in our hand when the battle gets close, just as Jesus did when He was tempted in the desert.

Here are our “words” of offense when the battle gets close…

  • I was chosen before the beginning of time to be adopted, and was predestined to do the good works God planned out for me to bring Him glory.
  • I can be still and know he is God, and that He will fight my battles as I am still.
  • His grace is sufficient for me in all things.
  • God will work all things together for His glory and my good because I love Him.
  • I do not have to worry about what I will say because at the right time the Holy Spirit will give me what I am to speak.
  • If God is for me, who can be against me?
  • I am confident in the end of the story, the enemy will be defeated once and for all, and my eternity is secured with Jesus in heaven.

How Can We Put This Into Action?

First we speak out loud the words of God in the face of the enemy. But I want to share another way, and that is using the spoken word of God to encourage others in their battle.

When I was on my way home from my trip last week, God gave me an opportunity that I wasn’t supposed to have. I was supposed to be on another flight, earlier in the morning, and originally I was supposed to fly home 3 days after that.

God was in every detail to get me where I needed to be and that was on a bench at the airport waiting for the shuttle to bring me to my car. The shuttle had just left as I walked out the airport doors, so I had 15 minutes remaining.

There were other benches open, but a woman came and sat next to me, and began to share some of her struggles for that day, and the next day. As she told the story she kept saying “oh it gets worse…”

Until she revealed that she had to fly out early the next morning, because she was a preacher and she had to preach the next morning anat her church, right after she got off the plane.

God perfectly positions us…. and gives us what we need to achieve victory in a battle.

I was perfectly positioned for this moment, because of God’s goodness. Immediately said “I am a follower of Jesus, and I am going to pray for you right now.”

Her battle was wondering how she would make it, there was almost a little defeat in her voice. So I prayed over her the promises of God. I didn’t ask God to go before her, I thanked God He had gone before her. I also didn’t pray for God to be with her, because I thanked God that He was with her. Thanks was spoken for as many promises as I could remember, because the truth is that if we are sealed with the Holy Spirit, the promises are true for us. We don’t haver to pray for them, or wonder if the promises are true. The promises are true, so we can declare thanks to God for them.

After that, she changed. It was like she was now “ready” for the next 24 hours.

This is what the word of God does. It disarms the enemy and his attacks.

Let us remember this when we face the battles. We are victorious because of what Jesus accomplished on the cross, and because of what we have been given into our hands… His unchanging word.

 

How The Armor Of God Helps Me Combat Fear

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You all know my story, and my fear of flying. And here I am preparing for another flight, and excited about my destination. Today, as I have been again reflecting on a trip I took last year, and also taking a deeper look at the armor of God, I am going to share with you how the armor of God helps me to combat fear.

I am remembering the lesson I learned on a flight last year, because the purpose of this flight is the same… to see my friend for her birthday. And the excitement is keeping me from fear right now. Last year, I was reminded of the verse Hebrews 12: 2-3. Let us throw off everything that entangles us so that we can run the race set before us, for the joy set before us. (I promise this will be my last plane story for awhile!…I think)

Joy is set before me right now. And so many times I am distracted from that because my focus is not on that joy, which would be my destination. My focus is on more of what is going on around me in the moment. My fears, and what ifs that could happen. And my distraction by the wind and the waves can cause me to panic. (You can read a little about one of my finer moments here…)

And Peter began to sink, because he didn’t keep his focus on the joy set before him… you know, walking on water to get to Jesus!

But here is the thing that God made clear to me.

God wants us focused on the destination. Jesus. The finish line. Heaven. Eternal life. And we are here getting caught up in what goes on in the in-between. And I am not talking about the good things, what God leads us to do. I am talking about the things that keep us from the freedom that God has given us.

Freedom.

Freedom from fear, freedom from sin, freedom from the what ifs… because even our worst what ifs, don’t remove God from His throne. Our fears and hurts may waiver us, but they don’t leave Him shaken.

I will tell you, when I am focused on the destination, my race is a lot more joyful. Because I know the purpose of the race. I know what it set before me.

So forget what goes on around us. It is a distraction. Mean people, fear of ____ (fill in the blank). Those are things that keep us running the race as we should. With endurance… with confidence… with peace…

For me that makes all the difference. Jesus, and making His name known. And we will do that when we keep our eyes fixed on Him alone.

How The Armor Of God Helps Me Combat Fear

For me with flying, there are things that I need to do (or not do) leading up to my flight that help me keep my focus on the destination. I have to be careful with what I read, or not read. What I see, or not see. What I listen to, or not listen to. I need to be careful with my time and who I spend it with.

In reality, it is like the armor of God. In all honestly, I can’t run my race (or withstand a battle) without the armor. I won’t be able to stand firm with my eyes fixed on the joy set before me, if it is not securely in place.

So I want to share with you about the 2 pieces of armor that have helped me the most this week, as I have prepared for an event, and also my trip (that both happened on the same day).

We Can’t Run Our Race Without The Armor Of God

The breastplate was fairly heavy and protected soldiers in the most vital places. Two of those most vital places are the heart, and the lungs.

Proverbs 4:23 says to “Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.”

Leaving our heart vulnerable to attack, has pretty great consequences. A soldier could survive with an injury to the arm, or even legs, but an attack on an unprotected heart, would leave them deeply wounded at best.

The breastplate also served as protection during unexpected attacks when you didn’t have time to pick up your shield. 

So Paul tells us to to have the breastplate of righteousness in place. Righteousness is the condition acceptable by God. This is the way we live but also something that is credited to us by our faith, when we follow Jesus. It protects us in the most vital places in our life from attacks. This is because if we go into our day without the breastplate firmly in place, the enemy will take us down in our most vulnerable places.  

Continually seeking righteousness protects us from the consequences of sin, and should be our response to the grace God lavishes on us.

What does this actually mean? It means that by faith, we live in accordance to God’s word, and make decisions based on His word. We can ask Him to give us strength to live in a way that honors Him, to act justly, love mercy, walk humbly, and love others the way that Christ loved us.

Righteousness keeps our way straight, and ensures we walk securely. For me this has played out in combating my fears with being careful with what I watch, listen to, and how I’ve spent my time.

The Shoes

If you know me, you know that a lot of times when I feel insecure, I wear heels. It is very rare that I run an event in sneakers (that happened only once), because for some reason I feel more confident in heels. That brings me to the second piece of the armor of God that I am focusing on today. Feet fitted with readiness of the gospel of peace.

Shoes that Roman soldiers wore were protective and supportive. They had thick leather soles, and had iron studs to help a soldier to have firm footing. This was designed in a way that make it hard to walk backwards, making it more beneficial to continue in battle than to turn back. Backing down in the face of the enemy would leaving a soldier more vulnerable in an attack because his back had little armor on it. 

Paul’s answer to this is…

Paul says that we should clothe ourselves with feet with with readiness of the gospel of peace. Here is the significance of that. Without peace we can become shaky in our standing when we are facing a battle ahead. But with peace, we can be supported and protected to keep moving forward in battle, and we can be confident in our standing with God. That is He is for us, who can be against us? Peace protects us from wanting to run in the face of resistance. and that He is for us, so who can be against us?

My hope for us all is that we all understand deeper the significance of the armor of God, so the armor of God can help us combat fear, and help us walk securely and protected in what He has for us.

Why The Armor Of God Is Important In Battle: The Belt of Truth

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Today I am sharing a post I half wrote 6 months ago. It was when we were reading the book of Joshua. The book of Joshua is filled with different battles the Israelites faced as they approached  the promised land. I will eventually get to why the armor of God is important when we go into battle. But first I want to focus on Joshua’s famous last words. Last words are so important, and I try to give extra attention to them as I am reading them. Why? Because people’s last words are usually some of the most important things they will ever say.
Joshua uses his final moments to remind the Israelites about what God has done for them, His great power, and to encourage them one final time to remain faithful to the Lord, their God.
As a now old man, he confidently tells them that they know with all their hearts that not one of all of God’s promises has ever failed. He began to recount God’s hand on His people, beginning all the way back to Abraham.

None of God’s promises will ever fail.

God’s faithfulness was on full display in their lives. Israel had victory after victory, as God promised. But it had nothing to do with their size, strategic planning, or personal strength. There were times when the kings came together to build a huge, strong army to defeat Joshua and the Israelites. Humanly speaking, it should have worked. They knew God had His hand of protection on the Israelites, but they stubbornly thought they could still win a battle against God by building the biggest and strongest armies.
And in Joshua’s final words, we see clearly that it was only by God’s might that Israel was able to take these victories.

Does this give you as much confidence as it does to me?

We can confidently say and declare just as Joshua did, that none of God’s promises has ever failed to be fulfilled. Look back on your life and consider this. He has always gone before you. He has always been with you, He has never forsaken you. God has given you a firm foundation, on the solid rock, Jesus Christ. He has always worked for the good of those who love Him, and fought your battles as you were still, and known He was God.
As I was reading, I saw how foolish it is to think that the strength of human hands can compare to the power of God. What we have been reading is Romans 8:31 in real life, “if God is for us, who can be against us?”.

How to approach a battle…

But here is the thing. We can’t approach a battle without protective armor and weapons. So over the next few blogs I am going to do an in depth look at the armor of God, which we find described briefly in Ephesians 6:13-17.

Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

When Paul is telling us about the armor of God, he is helping us prepare for things that we usually can’t see, because our battle is not of the flesh. Paul tells the church of Corinth in 2 Corinthians 10: 4-5 that our weapons are “mighty through God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God.”

Let’s look at the belt of truth.

In looking deeper at the armor of God, I think we can greatly underestimate the strength of something so necessary. I say this because there is always something that you are unable to see, affecting what you can see. That something that we can not see is the enemy, and just because we can’t see him, doesn’t mean he doesn’t exist. 

However, we can stand confident in this: The enemy can not take what he is not given. Paul knows this well, and tells us to put on the full armor of God. He knows that if we don’t put the full armor on, we will be more vulnerable to the enemy’s attack. He uses the imagery of armor because the Ephesian church would understand what he was getting at. They would know the type of armor that he was talking about and also the significance of his words as it pertained to their spiritual walks.

The first thing a soldier would put on would be the belt of truth.

The belt that a soldier would wear had a piece that hung down in the front to protect the private areas, and was able to hold other pieces of armor like the sword. 

Truth is not man’s opinions, or “your truth”, it’s God’s absolute truth that is unquestionable and can not change. Without the belt of truth, you protection or a place to place your weapons. And you can’t defeat the enemy. Truth is foundational, and is essential for victory in battles. You have to know the truth to be victorious. And the only place to find the truth is in God’s word.

What can we learn from the Israelites?

We definitely face different battles than the Israelites did. But the lesson is the same. The enemy can’t win a battle against God. If a situation has been delivered into our hands by God, so is the victory. “If God is for us, who can be against us”, should give us great confidence and assurance in what He calls us to do.
We can walk as Joshua did with strength and courage, refusing to be intimidated by the battle ahead, because we know that the battle is already won.
Trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword can’t separate us from the love of Christ. And nothing can separate us from His protection on our lives.

How to approach a battle…

Let us walk in His strength, protections, and assurance that He goes before through every season, circumstance, and battle. And let us find strength in His joy.

The Story Of The Perfect Gift

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“A perfect gift is not easy.” my husband, Mike, told me this over and over again the past 2 days. And how true the words are. I began to prepare a gift for a dear friend last Sunday. I thought it would have been finished by Tuesday. But I was wrong. The hours that this took, were filled with joy, mixed with a little fear here and there that it would end up a big mess. 

There were times I wanted to quit because I mean, how good could this really come out?

The gift was a painting of my friend’s beloved dog, who had to be put down a few weeks ago. I was with her when it happened, and it was one of the hardest things I have ever witnessed in my life.

I ordered an adult paint by number set, that would be a painting of him when he was younger.

Perfect gifts are hard.

I had never done anything like this, and didn’t understand the intricacy of the gift. Each stroke of the brush was done with prayer, gratitude, and an immense amount of love. And with every stroke, I was reminded of Psalm 139: 13-14 “For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made”

The word knit holds an intricacy and care to it (like you would knit a complex tapestry), that made me amazed at how much care God must have placed into creating us… if this gift was so time consuming and joyful, how much more is that true of God when He knit us together.

To keep a long story short…

This gift at times felt like a mountain, or a race. Or maybe a race where the finish line was at the top of a mountain. And when it was done, and it was wrapped, there was a part of me that was scared to give it to her. It felt like such a transparent and vulnerable gift, so a part of me wanted to hold on to it. 

But it was a perfect gift. And yes it got hard, but then I think of Ephesians, and how it says it gave God pleasure to lavish His grace on us, as a perfect gift, by giving up His son. I understand that on a small scale right now better than I ever have. 

Good things are often hard.

I remember the day I realized how precious grace is. It has been 15-16 years now that I returned to our good Father. He never left me, I always knew that, I just chose to not walk with Him. Even though it has been so long I remember the day I knew beyond a doubt that I was forgiven for the ways I had deviated from truth, because of the gift of grace.

I lived my life knowing that God would always be there when I was ready to return to Him. But I lived my life for me. There were good times, but the way I lived my live eventually took its toll. 

How Precious This Perfect Gift Felt…

I remember the day I realized I felt like I was existing and not living. When I recognized it, I also had the desire to not feel like that anymore. I wanted to feel alive again, and I wanted my life to have purpose. The only place I knew where to turn was the church. The church.

However, although I started going back church, I still felt weighed down not only by my sin, but also by the guilt of it. I was surrounded by people who had lived their whole life for God. Sharp contrast to the girl who had done her own thing for so many years.I remember how freeing grace felt the moment I was freed from my sin, and made alive in Christ. I remember the day God took the weight of all of that off my shoulders. 

How Precious Grace Is…

We have been reading Ephesians, and as we have been reading I have been reminded that Paul’s words are for us too. Because his words are our story, as God’s chosen. Once we were lost, now we are found. We were strangers, now we are fully known. And this is such a beautiful thing.

I mentioned it before, but here is a snippet of Ephesians chapter 1!

For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love he predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will— to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves. In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace that he lavished on us. With all wisdom and understanding, he made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ, to be put into effect when the times reach their fulfillment—to bring unity to all things in heaven and on earth under Christ. Ephesians 1:4-10

These verses perfectly captures our identity because of His love for us. Holy. Blameless. Redeemed. Predestined. Adopted. Chosen. Forgiven. Purposed. Loved. I hope that as you read these words, you remember the first time you experienced His grace, when you realized how precious it is. The moment you knew you were forgiven, or one of the first times you recognized His love for you. Or when you knew that God’s word was for you too.

Despite what He knows about us and all the ways we have fallen short, He still lavishes His grace on us. It was freely given to us through Jesus, and it gave God pleasure to do so… even though in order for us to have this gift, His loved son Jesus had to suffer the punishment for our sin.

God had to give His son up, for our freedom. His loved Son, His only Son.

Even as hard as the gift of grace was to give, God still had pleasure doing so.

It is good to remember the depth of that. So underserved, yet so freely given, because we are deeply loved. So many times I look forward, and am thankful for what God has done recently or is doing currently. But I don’t look far enough back to the day I was forgiven, and set free from the weight of my sin. I knew I was forgiven in that moment because I knew with everything in me that God loved me.  

Amazing Grace, the perfect gift from God.

The lyrics of Amazing Grace put it perfectly. “How precious did that grace appear, the hour I first believed.”

Those lyrics are my story. Because if I can feel unworthy of His love now, that unworthiness felt that much more distance from His grace and love before I recommitted my life to Him.

Grace is a perfect gift. It is a gift from God. Let us freely continue to receive it, no matter how unworthy we feel. Because He loves us and it is lavished on us, not because we have done anything to deserve it, except to believe that what He says is true.

Why Being A Christian Is Hard

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Hey all! Although I am no longer writing regularly for Candidly Christian, I got the opportunity to write a guest post for them this week! It is a reflection I wrote on a blog I had written for them 4 years ago. It was such a sweet time writing this, and I hope that it blesses you as much as it blessed me to write it.

To Read “Why Being A Christian Is Hard But The Best Life To Live”
Click Here

In Case You Missed It!

And in case you missed some of my latest posts, I am sharing the last few with you here.

How We Know We Don’t Have To Earn God’s Love

What Do We Find Under God’s Protection?

How To Endure A Storm