Are you part of the walking wounded? We may not realize it, but all of us carry trauma. In life, we all receive emotional wounds but normally we recover enough to be able to function. Wounds come in so many ways: broken marriages, abuse, bad parents, and terrible personal decisions. As someone who had to heal from a broken marriage, I know it was a long and difficult process, longer than it should have been. If we are Christians though, we have a hope that should heal our wounds if we let it. When Paul prays for the church at Ephesus we get a deeper understanding of how that happens (Ephesians 1:15-21). Paul does not respond to the struggles of believers with techniques or advice, but with prayer, because he knows real healing begins with how we see our circumstances spiritually. We heal wounds through the eyes of our heart. I would like to focus on one particular verse, verse 18. This verse goes to the heart of how believers move from merely surviving to truly healing. "I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which He has called you, the riches of His glorious inheritance in his holy people," (NIV) Healing Wounds Through the Eyes of Your Heart What does Paul mean when he prays " that the eyes of your heart be enlightened "? Paul is talking about a deeper wisdom and understanding than we have in the world. This spiritual knowledge comes from faith. Paul wants the Ephesian Christians to discern God's truth. He desires them to fully grasp that God loves them. As much as possible, Paul prays for them to see the world through the lens of God's love. And why is this so important? A friend I once had was very good at quoting Scripture, but tragedy struck and they had difficulty believing God still loved them. Through much struggle and prayer, they finally allowed the Holy Spirit to open the eyes of their heart. This renewed their hope in a God they had known, but had never truly seen with spiritual understanding. My friend's experience is not unique, many of us carry similar doubts. Without spiritual sight, hope remains vague, but once the heart sees clearly, hope becomes something we can really experience. “Without spiritual sight, hope remains vague, but once the heart sees clearly, hope becomes something we can really experience.” Where do you feel stuck or hopeless? Spend a few minutes thinking, praying, or writing about how God’s love might transform that situation. Hope That Transforms: Living in the Spirit When the eyes of our heart are opened, he prays that we can " know the hope to which He has called you. " This hope is a confident expectation that one day we will live forever with our Father. There is hope that we will live out God's will for our lives. This isn't something we do alone. The Holy Spirit lives within us and enables us to do this. Without Him, it would be impossible. Scripture tells us we have been called to do good so we can show God to the world. This hope is for every Christian, one we should live out every day. And God " has called you " to this hope. You, individually, not just the church as a whole. God's hope is for each and every one of us who has called on His name. He knew your need for hope. Steadfast faith allows us to endure trials with hope. Without that hope, lasting joy is impossible. Pause and pray this aloud, filling in the blanks: 'Lord, open the eyes of my heart to see the hope in [specific wound or struggle]. Help me experience Your love in [area of my life]. Amen. Beyond Hope: Understanding God’s Riches Paul then tells us there is more, not just hope, but the riches that truly matter—spiritual riches. They are the blessings God pours out on His people. They flow from His love and purpose, pointing to the fullness of life God intends for us in Him. Our Glorious Inheritance: Sharing in God’s Power These are " His glorious inheritance in his holy people. " The way Paul words this has caused scholars to suggest he means one of two things. Either Paul is saying that believers inherit something glorious from God or that God's inheritance of us, His people, is glorious to Him. This distinction matters, because both meanings speak directly to how we understand our worth and experience God's healing. Let's look at the first meaning. No doubt we as believers inherit glories from God. What are they? First they are unmerited salvation and forgiveness. We are made new by God and all of creation eventually will experience a renewal because of Him (Romans 8:19-23). Because of this, we now have relationship with the Creator of the Universe. We have the ability to call Him, Father. Not only that, but His Holy Spirit now lives within us. Our riches and treasures await us in Heaven as well. There we will live in a place without suffering, hunger, or sickness. The light of Heaven will be God Himself, and we will share in His holiness. But Paul’s words may also point in another direction, one that is just as humbling: God's people are glorious to Him. How can we be glorious to God? We, the people of God, give Him our praise and through us He is glorified. Just as Israel was God's specially chosen people, so we in the church now are as well. We are His heritage. He delights in us as His own possession. "The Lord took you and brought you . . . out of Egypt, to be the people of his inheritance, as you now are." Deuteronomy 4:20 Both explanations can be correct because Paul frequently layered his meanings. It certainly gives me hope when I think about all the ways I have been blessed by God. It is easy to take those things for granted, easy to say them with your lips, yet not fully comprehend them with the eyes of your heart. These are the kind of riches we should desire. These are the riches that heal us. And yet, doesn't it also give you hope that God has loved us and cherished us so much, like the loving Father He is? As a parent, we are normally proud of our children. Don't we point to them and say, "They are mine!"? Is it surprising to you to realize that God loves us this much as well? So often we feel unworthy of His love and certainly we are not, but Christ has made us worthy. His sacrifice has opened the door for us to have a relationship with God that would have been impossible. Our Father's love and forgiveness are always there if we repent and believe. So we inherit the riches of His grace, but God also inherits something. This is something He actually gives Himself, for we can give Him nothing He needs. We are an inheritance given by God for God (Ephesians 1:11). We are His treasure as He is ours. In God's plan, riches flow in both directions but all in His will. This inheritance is not only something we will one day receive; it shapes how we live and endure now. Isn't it a humbling thought to realize that we share in Christ's inheritance? As Romans 8:17 tells us, we are joint heirs with Jesus. We share in His suffering and in His inheritance (Revelation 21:7). But Paul also wanted the Ephesians to remember that we share in God's power to overcome. Yes, we will have pain and suffering in this life, but because the Holy Spirit lives within us we have the power to give that to God's glory. As I learned from my own woundedness, God alone can truly overcome traumas because often they distort how we see things. How has God's love healed a wound in your life? Living in the Light of His Love We can be overcomers of any wounds we have endured but not in our own strength, only in God's power. Overcoming fear and finding faith is God's purpose for us. While we wait for our full inheritance to come in Heaven, we should pray for ourselves and those we love like Paul did. Let's not just talk about God's love but feel it with every breath we take. Pray for the spiritual eyes to see the hope we have, the riches, and the power given to us. Just as my friend eventually saw God clearly, we too can allow the Spirit to heal our own wounds through the eyes of our heart. This is the same strength we need to heal from past hurts and prevent new ones.

A Song of Joy and Faith Many of us like to sing when we are happy. We may not often picture Mary singing, but Luke shares with us a song of joy she sang about the glorious things God had promised her. This was not a polished performance or a song meant for an audience, but an overflow of a heart filled with faith. You and I today can sing with Mary and praise God for His Son, as she did all those years ago, rejoicing in what God has done and trusting Him for what He will do. When Mary arrived at her cousin Elizabeth's home, Elizabeth filled with the Holy Spirit (Luke 1:45), told Mary she was blessed for believing and that the things Mary had been told would happen. Even the child Elizabeth was carrying, who would become known as John the Baptist, leapt for joy in Elizabeth's womb. Mary’s joy and Elizabeth’s Spirit-filled affirmation naturally lead to praise. The Magnificat In response, Mary sang a beautiful song of praise to God known as the Magnificat. Mary's song is as relevant to us as it was to her. In Luke 1:46-48(a) she says: " And Mary said: “My soul magnifies the Lord, And my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior. For He has regarded the lowly state of His maidservant;" Mary’s song is not only personal praise; it is deeply rooted in Scripture. The language and themes of the Magnificat echo the Old Testament, especially Hannah’s prayer in 1 Samuel 2. Like Hannah, Mary praises a God who reverses human expectations by lifting the humble and bringing down the proud. This reminds us that Mary’s faith was shaped by God’s Word. Her response to God’s promise did not come from emotion alone, but from a heart grounded in Scripture. When God acts, His people respond with praise informed by truth. Shouldn't we all be able to say with Mary that our soul magnifies the Lord? We also should praise Him and see in our very soul the glorious wonder and mighty power that is His. Can't we all agree with Mary that our spirit rejoices in our Savior? Where would we be without our Savior? We may not all be "lowly" but those who are not powerful in this world can relate very much to Mary's lack of status. In magnifying the Lord, Mary also reflects on what God has done for her personally. Blessed Mary Mary continues in verse 48 and says, " For behold, henceforth all generations will call me blessed. " Indeed, who in this world could be more blessed than the one chosen to bring Jesus into the world. Many people read Mary’s words and feel as though her blessedness is something far beyond their reach. But Mary wasn’t blessed because she was powerful, wealthy, or important. She was blessed because she believed God and submitted herself to His will. That same attitude is what God desires from us today. We will never be asked to carry the Messiah, but each of us is called to carry His light into the world. Faith, humility, and obedience still open the door to God’s blessings in our lives. Mary’s blessedness points beyond herself to the mighty works of God. He Has Done Great Things She continues in verses 49 and 50 to exclaim that God had done great things for her. She talks about His holy name. She tells us His mercy will be on people who fear Him for all time. All of us can say with Mary that our mighty God has done great things for us. We may not always recognize them, but He has given us so many wonderful blessings, beginning with His Son's redemption of us. Mary’s words remind us that gratitude begins with remembering. She did not wait until everything was fulfilled to praise God; she praised Him for what He had already promised and begun to do. In the same way, we often miss God’s blessings because we are looking for something dramatic, while He is quietly working through His grace, His Word, and His faithfulness. When we take time to remember what God has done, especially through Christ, it naturally leads us to worship. To understand God’s mercy, we must also understand what it means to fear Him. Fear God God's name is holy, Mary says. His name is not to be used in passing, lightly, or certainly never as a curse word. And thanks be to God for His mercy. Who does He have mercy on? Mary says those who " fear " Him. Those who have reverence and awe for Him. Those who know He is a God of justice. This is why we should fear the Lord . Mary also connects God’s holiness with His mercy. This may seem surprising, but it is precisely because God is holy that His mercy is so precious. His mercy is not random or careless; it is extended to those who fear Him from generation to generation. To fear the Lord does not mean to live in terror, but to live with a deep awareness of who He is. It is reverence mixed with trust, knowing that God is righteous and just, yet compassionate and faithful. Those who fear the Lord understand that He is a God of justice who does not overlook sin, but they also trust His promise of mercy to those who humble themselves before Him. This kind of fear shapes how we live. It leads us away from casual faith and toward obedient worship. When we fear the Lord rightly, we honor His holiness, rely on His mercy, and submit our lives to His authority. Mary’s words remind us that true reverence for God doesn't hold us back but leads to greater blessings. This reverence for God is reflected in the way He acts in the world. Mighty Works Of God Mary then goes on to sing of some of the mighty works of God (Luke 1:51-55). She explains that the proud and mighty have been scattered and put down from their thrones. The unimportant and lowly people have been exalted. While the hungry have been fed, the rich have gone without. Israel, the servant, has been helped, His mercy remembered. God has spoken to Israel's fathers, to Abraham and his children and He always will. The Magnificat also reveals that God’s work through Christ is not limited to individual blessing but reaches into history itself. Mary speaks of God’s mercy extending “from generation to generation” and of promises made long ago to Abraham being fulfilled. Even before Jesus was born, Mary recognized that God was keeping His covenant. This reminds us that the birth of Christ was not an isolated event, but the unfolding of God’s redemptive plan. What God promised, He accomplished: quietly, faithfully, and in His perfect time. Mary’s song makes clear that God’s power is often revealed through humility. God Exalts The Lowly Mary reminds us that God did not use the mighty, the proud, or the rich to save the world. No, God used the poor and the lowly. He used those who were humble. God is faithful and true to His promise to Israel, as Mary reminds us that, " He has helped His servant Israel " to bring forth a Messiah from the House of Judah and the line of David. Mary’s faith rested not in her circumstances, but in God’s promises. Mary Knew After a three month stay with Elizabeth Mary returned to Nazareth, and in due time, gave birth to our Lord in a stable in Bethlehem. Jesus is our greatest gift. And based on Scripture, it seems to many that Mary did know that her Son was the Messiah foretold of old. Finally, Mary’s song calls each of us to examine how we view God’s work in our own lives. Do we recognize His hand only in dramatic moments, or also in quiet obedience and daily faithfulness? Mary did not yet see the cross or the resurrection, but she trusted the God who had spoken. Her praise flowed from confidence in God’s character, not certainty about her circumstances. In that way, Mary teaches us how to worship, not only when answers are clear, but when faith must rest fully in the promises of God. Mary’s response to God invites us to consider our own response. Sing With Mary I am thanking God this Christmas season for this humble servant of God who said " Yes" to our God and sang a song of thanksgiving and praise for the Child she carried. A song we can all join in singing. I, for one, will sing with Mary! Praise for our Savior's Birth Enjoy The Magnificat - Mary's Song .

Understanding God’s Holiness In the Bible, holy means to be set apart for a special purpose. We worship a God who is holy. What does holy mean when you are talking about God? What purpose is He set apart for? God is set apart from His whole creation as the epitome of perfection. His holiness is who He is. God's many other characteristics: love, forgiveness, mercy, faithfulness, power and might are all encompassed by His holiness. Even God's name is holy, as Jesus tells us in Matthew 6:9. There is no other being as holy as He is. He is transcendent. He exists outside of His creation and is dependent on nothing. For Him there is no time, no beginning and no end. He created all that is and ever will be. Understanding God's holiness can be difficult because there really are no words that can fully describe Him. As St. Augustine reflected, 'You are my Lord, because You have no need of my goodness.' Indeed, God’s holiness is entirely His own. It does not depend on us, and it is perfect in every way. Our Response: Fear, Awe, and Reverence When we experience the holiness of God, our normal response is both fear and awe. Our fear of a holy God is because we know that He disciplines those He loves. No one likes discipline, but like any loving parent God doesn't stop loving us in the midst of discipline. It is for our good that He does it. Our fear and awe remind us of the vast difference between God’s holiness and our own. We fall on our knees before Him because our holiness can't even be spoken of in comparison to His. All the holiness we have only comes from the fact that He has sent the Holy Spirit to live in us. The holiness God sees in us is really the holiness of His Son who died for us. The angels also recognize the holiness of God. Angels Declare His Holiness In Isaiah 6:3 and Revelation 4:8, we read about angels before the throne of God who continuously cry out, Holy, Holy, Holy, day and night eternally. They say holy three times to signify the scope of His holiness and to hint at His triune nature, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. It also shows us that the God of the Old Testament and the God of the New Testament are the same. He does not change (Malachi 3:6: Hebrews 13:8). Do we approach God with the reverence that the angels do, or do we take Him for granted speaking to Him as though He were an equal? And why aren't the angels crying out love, love, love or mercy, mercy, mercy? We talk about these aspects of God's nature probably more than any others. We want an easy God. We want God to be loving and have mercy on us but His righteous judgment we want to avoid. His holiness requires both sides to be present. It is the holiness of God that makes His other characteristics possible. He isn't just love, or judgment, or mercy, or grace, He is holy above all. It is His honor and glory that we will proclaim in Heaven. It is easier for people to serve a God who requires little of us. We like to go to church and hear about His love and forgiveness. We prefer cheap grace to costly grace . We enjoy sermons on His mercy but not on His judgment and discipline. God's holiness requires that He be both a loving and forgiving God and a God who judges with righteousness. What God do you worship ? The God of your own making or the holy God of the Bible? We are living in a world where people seem to no longer tolerate being told they are sinners. Our culture today tells us that when sin is called out, that is being judgmental. A cultural Christian today "loves" everyone and sees no need for a person to transform their life to be a Christian. Change is a dirty word. The Many Faces of Pride In the face of the holiness of God, how is that some people still reject Him? Jesus says it is because people love the darkness of sin. They don't want their sin exposed to themselves or the world (John 3:19-20). Humans want to be comforted, not confronted. Confrontation requires an honest look at our lives and our failures. What follows are not different reasons for rejecting God but different disguises of the same one. Pride wears many faces, each a barrier to God’s holiness. Let’s look at some of the ways it resists Him in our hearts. Pride keeps people from seeking God. God's holiness directly confronts our pride. Accepting Jesus as Savior means losing the control people think they have over their lives. They know if they follow Jesus they have to admit their sin and turn from it. They can't do things their way anymore because their way leads to destruction. We are forgiven when we come to Christ, but submission to Him and His holiness comes next. In Matthew 19:16-22, a wealthy young man approaches Jesus asking, “ What good thing must I do to get eternal life? ” Jesus tells him to sell his possessions, give to the poor, and follow Him. But the man walks away sad because following Jesus required surrendering control of his life. He sought God, but in the end rejected Him because his money meant everything to him. He only wanted Jesus if his riches could come first. Another face of pride is when we refuse to put others first. For some people putting others first is just too much to ask. They have lived their lives believing that their wants and needs come first and they don't want to take a backseat to anyone. Serving the poor, visiting the sick and imprisoned, seems to be rewarding those who have failed. In the pride of their mind they believe those people deserve their lives. Why should they help losers, they think? We see this in Scripture in the story of Lazarus and the rich man (Luke 16:19-31). He ignores the poor man at his gate out of self-centered pride. After both die, the rich man suffers in torment and begs for mercy; but it's too late. His judgment reminds us: ignoring mercy to others rejects the holiness God calls us to. Yet pride doesn't stop there, it seeks the praise of men . Who doesn't want to be thought highly of? Who doesn't want to be powerful and influential? Submitting to the holiness of God means serving Him even if we are persecuted for it. It means being willingly different from the world. As Jesus says, " What does it profit a man if he has the whole world but loses his soul? " (Mark 8:36). The cross redefines power. “Nevertheless even among the rulers many believed in Him, but because of the Pharisees they did not confess Him, lest they should be put out of the synagogue; for they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God.” John 12:42-43 We see the same dynamic today when someone believes in Jesus privately but hesitates to speak up at work, school, or online because they fear being labeled intolerant or losing social standing. Liking a biblical post anonymously is easy; publicly identifying with Christ when it might cost friendships or reputation—that's where the fear of man reveals its grip. Pride causes some to doubt that a Savior would ever come to the earth in such a humble way. People much prefer to believe in a powerful God who takes control of every worldly thing, showered with possessions, and the trappings of earthly honor. To worship someone who was executed as a criminal seems foreign to their views of power. Paul explains this in 1 Corinthians 1:22-24 when he says, “ For Jews request a sign, and Greeks seek after wisdom; but we preach Christ crucified, to the Jews a stumbling block and to the Greeks foolishness…. ” Humility and Holiness If there is so much pride in us, how do we ever know God? God resists pride. Thankfully though, when we recognize our need for a Savior and humbly seek Him, He offers grace (1 Peter 5:5). But then, accepting Jesus as Savior, God seems to give an impossible requirement. God commands us, " Be holy for I am holy " (Leviticus 19:2; 1 Peter 1:16). We are to be set apart for a special purpose in this world as He is set apart. Because He loves us so much His desire is for us to experience holiness as well. To do this he saves us from the sin, death and corruption of an evil, dark, and dying world. He literally gave His only Son so we could live holy lives. That is how important this is to Him. God’s Provision: Holiness Through Christ This is the only way we can become holy. Understanding God's holiness means His holiness is not lowered in order to receive us; our hope for a holy life comes through Jesus. We can never be in and of ourselves holy, just as we can never be omniscient—all knowing, omnipresent—everywhere at once, or omnipotent—all powerful. These are characteristics only God can possess. And as amazing as it seems, this holy God wants to be in relationship with us. From Creation to Adoption: Relationship With a Holy God Christians don't serve a God like those in Egyptian or Roman mythology who cared nothing for the daily lives of their subjects. No other religion has at its center a God who desires a deep relationship with His creation. Our God numbers the hairs on our heads and knows us from before we were born. He is not some distant God like Thomas Jefferson thought, who never gets involved with His creation. We aren't just His creation—we can become His children and His Son can become our brother. Because His holiness required it, He has provided a way for us. Through our humility and His grace, His holiness becomes our holiness, for which we will be grateful throughout eternity. Be blessed by " Holy Forever " by CeCe Winans

The Common Christian Faith Journey: From Childhood to Complacency Our faith journey and David's show many similarities. Many of us, maybe most of us, as Christians, begin our faith journey quite young. We go to church with our family, we learn about God in Sunday School, and we want to do what is right and good. Good Christians, but not yet mature. But as life progresses and we become an adult, we sometimes get complacent in our faith. The Bible emphasizes being a diligent Christian for a reason. When Sin Takes Hold: Feeling Unworthy and Drifting Away We still go to church most of the time, pray some , and still try to do good, but sadly we discover this is often when we are weakest to resist temptation. Failing, we think we are no longer worthy of God's love, we let Him down, we base our faith on our works instead of His mercy (Ephesians 2:8-9). The devil whispers to us, "You're not good enough." Spiritual drift is dangerous. As the darkness of sin grows in our lives, we stop going to church because we feel like a hypocrite. We don't pray much because we know we are routinely sinning, and we stop worrying about doing good and instead think, "What for?" We forget who is the anchor for our soul (Hebrews 6:19). Shame convinces us to run from God when He is the only One who can restore us. "When we measure our faith by our performance instead of God’s mercy, shame quietly pushes us away from the very grace we need most." God's Merciful Reminder: Restoration Through Forgiveness But then mercifully, God blesses us, regardless of our worthiness, by reminding us that it is His worthiness that matters, not ours. We hear something on social media, or we have a friend who speaks to us honestly about God's love and forgiveness, or a tragedy happens and there is absolutely no one to turn to but Him. We seek forgiveness and turn from our sin (1 John 1:9). Our relationship with Him is restored. However, there may still be consequences to our decisions , but praise God we have been forgiven (2 Samuel 12:13-14). From then on we face life very differently. We understand the importance of prayer, obedience, love, and forgiveness like we never did before. We try to share this faith that has grown in our hearts with those we love before the Lord takes us. Spiritually renewed, we are ready to face temptation. David's faith journey and ours are much the same even though he lived this faith experience thousands of years ago. David's Early Faith: Facing Giants with Bold Trust in God You may remember David, as a boy, had such strong faith he was able to face Goliath with a sling shot while he was taunting him (1 Samuel 17). How could he do this? Because to this point he was a devoted follower of God. Growing up in a devout Jewish home he knew the stories of old and the faithfulness of God. One of David’s early psalms, Psalm 7, reflects this stage of his life. At this point in his life, he had been anointed king but was running from King Saul who was trying to kill him. David's fear caused him to call on God, whom he knew was with him. David wanted justice and he knew only God would be able to bring him the perfect justice he sought for his enemies. He pleaded with God to help him. He asked God to examine him and see if there was any unrighteousness. In Psalm 7:14-16 he speaks of the wicked bringing forth iniquity, conceiving trouble, and bringing out lies. He sings about the trouble of the wicked returning upon his own head. In hindsight his words read with sobering irony. David could not yet imagine that he himself would one day commit a terrible sin that would bring devastating consequences. David ends the Psalm by praising God. Though he hadn't seen God's promises fulfilled, he has faith that God will honor His word. He will become King. His enemies will be defeated. David's Great Fall: Temptation, Sin, and Hidden Guilt Finally, after a decade or more of running, David did indeed become King of Israel. He continues to write psalms that praise God and seek Him. But then, even though he was close to God, temptation came to him as it does to all of us. Why did he fail? Had he become less diligent about his relationship with God? Had he considered himself above failure or that he could do as he pleased because of who he was? That moment of temptation went further, he called for Bathsheba. When she became pregnant, he arranged for her husband Uriah to be placed in harm's way and be killed. David's relationship with God was deeply damaged by hidden unrepentant sin. Repentance and Renewal: Lessons from Psalm 51 and God's Grace But David was forced to face this sin he had tried to hide, for the prophet Nathan came to him with a word from God. When the prophet Nathan confronted him (2 Samuel 12:1-13), David confessed his sin. Though forgiven, he faced painful consequences. After their child was born, he became sick. David's tearful prayers for healing went unanswered, and sadly the child died. David accepted God's will. This was a turning point in his life. In Psalm 51, David famously pours out his heart to God confessing his failure and seeking a return to the relationship he once had with Him. David pleads with God to " renew a steadfast spirit within me " (Psalm 51:10). David now sees the importance, the absolute necessity, to have a spirit for God that would not falter. David seeks to become the faithful servant that God needs and wants him to be. David acknowledges that what God wants more than anything is a " broken spirit, a broken and contrite heart " (Psalm 51:17). He praises God for delivering him from the guilt of bloodshed. This psalm made David's sin public to everyone. He did not hide behind his throne and confess in hiding. He shared his sin and remorse with everyone, recording it in his psalm for all to see. A Mature Faith: Trusting God and Hoping in the Coming King In Psalm 23, the great Shepherd Psalm, we find a David who has learned to trust completely in God. In this psalm, David knows God is his provider and guide. He fears nothing because he knows God is with him. Ultimately, David's desire is to dwell forever with the God who has guided his life, chastised him, forgiven him, and shown him grace. His confidence is now found in experienced faith shaped by failure and forgiveness. Near the end of his life David writes Psalm 72. He is likely writing this psalm to his son Solomon, the one born from his adulterous affair with Bathsheba, for his coronation as king. David has grown in wisdom and prays that his son will also be wise and blessed. He envisions a kingdom where the poor and oppressed receive peace and justice. This peace will be forever. Kings will bow before their king and nations will serve him. Prayer and praise to God will be continuous. David ends by saying, " Blessed be His glorious name forever. " David says let the whole earth be filled with God's glory. Looking at this prayer, we can see how far David has come. David has learned to trust God to provide in every season of his life. After all his mistakes and the amazing forgiveness God gave him, David no longer thinks only about his own life or reign. His heart has grown to embrace God’s kingdom and purposes beyond himself. Here David extolls a King who far surpasses anything his son Solomon might accomplish. Here David sings a song to the Messiah and His glorious kingdom on earth that will come. When we read this psalm, we see David hoping for a future he knows will come. His time is almost over but he knows One will eventually come who will reign forever over all the earth. David's Faith Journey and Ours The same grace that picked David up after he fell is the grace that leads us forward too. Every time we turn back to God, repent, and let Him change us, we're getting ready for that everlasting kingdom. Our little steps of faith today are part of God's big, forever plan. What can we do today to renew our spirit and become steadfast for God as David did? In our lives, we too can grow in grace and faith like David (2 Peter 3:18). We may not be kings but God has a plan for us all and with His guidance we will be able to obey it. When we fall as we surely will, let us be like David, and know Who it is that is our Shepherd. Recognize that there is a future awaiting us with Him forever and one day, perhaps standing next to David, we will bless God's name forever for His unsurpassed grace and faithfulness.

The Call to Self-Denial in a Self-Focused World Today we don't hear very many people promoting self-denial. Everything is about what makes you happy, not others. What does the Bible say about it? In Matthew 16:24, Jesus says, "If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. " Following Him literally means denying yourself. Why do you think that is so important? Jesus Himself is a role model of self-denial. He left Heaven's glory to be born as a human in a backwater town with no real place to call home. He allowed His creation to nail Him to the cross like a criminal, and all this for love. How will God use you ? What Self-Denial Looks Like in Everyday Life When you and I deny ourselves what does that look like? I think many times it means stepping out of our comfortable day-to-day routines and allowing God to stretch us. We say yes to things we may not really want to do. As a rather introverted person, I can relate to this. God may require us to feel uncomfortable in a situation or give Him all the control. What comfort do you prize that God may be asking you to give up? A friend recently felt prompted to visit a nursing home she passed every day. Though she knew no one there and had no idea what to say, she felt God calling her and finally stopped in. To her surprise, she connected easily with the residents, sharing Scripture and familiar hymns. Seeing the joy in their faces she realized that by denying her fear, she had become a source of encouragement, and was blessed herself. Had she not obeyed, none of that blessing would have followed. Do you like to sleep late? Maybe He wants you up early to study His word while the world is still quiet. Do you like to go to bed early? Maybe He wants you to serve dinner to the hungry somewhere far from home. There are a million scenarios where you can find yourself being asked to do something that makes you uneasy. Self-denial in a self-focused world isn't easy. These everyday examples raise a deeper question: why does God place such importance on self-denial at all? Why We Practice Self-Denial: Submission, Not Self-Improvement Why do we practice self-denial? If it is to make ourselves feel better about ourselves then it is for the wrong reason. Maybe you have decided to give up candy bars. You know they aren't good for you. You are practicing self-denial, right? Yes, but not for the reason God would have you do it. Through self-denial we learn submission. Worship flows from submission. We learn to submit to God's will, not our own. Self-Denial and Self-Discipline: A Biblical Pattern Self-discipline is a characteristic that is highly valued in the Bible. Sometimes it is called self-control. It goes hand in hand with self-denial. An undisciplined person has trouble doing what needs to be done because their first thought is for themselves. What do I get out of something? What do I have to give up to do something? Often, our resistance to self-denial shows up most clearly in how we make major life decisions. A Personal Example of Undiscerned Decision-Making Many years ago someone told me I wasn't self-disciplined enough to go to medical school, and begrudgingly I knew they were right. I liked my sleep too much. I liked time off to have fun. Medical school would have interfered with that. In those days it never occurred to me to ask God if it was His will to go. I just looked at it through the lens of what I would have to give up. How many times do we make decisions in our lives just like that? Decisions not based on seeking God's will but asking all the wrong questions. Decisions that are made based on what I might have to do that would make me feel uncomfortable. How many missionaries are there who don't practice self-denial, who aren't disciplined? Very few, I believe. Perhaps right now you may feel God calling you to step out into something out of your comfort zone. Scripture reminds us that stepping beyond our comfort zone is not optional for the believer. It is tied directly to the Spirit-formed discipline God requires. Self-control or self-discipline is one of the fruits of the Spirit that Paul lists in Galatians 5:22-23. In Titus we read about the characteristics necessary for a bishop (or overseer). They are not self-willed but self-controlled. No one can deny themselves who doesn't exhibit self-control. Lack of self-control can happen in many areas of life: eating, sex, sleep, and our habits, for example. While Scripture sets a high standard for self-discipline, the world around us often pulls in the opposite direction, making self-denial stand against the pull of popular culture. Cultural Pressure vs. Spirit-Formed Self-Control Culturally, self-control is unpopular. Society often pressures young people to have sex, use recreational drugs, and speak their minds in a hurtful way, but denying ourselves means resisting those temptations. It means choosing what is right over what is easy. It means going against what the world calls normal. Some people today look at denying yourself as unhealthy. It certainly can be when done for the wrong reasons or in the wrong way. Scripture also warns us that not every form of self-denial is spiritually healthy or pleasing to God. To deny ourselves just for the sake of saying we did it does not lead to spiritual growth. True self-denial seeks Godly things and aligns our will with His. When we are sincerely praying the will of God , He will show us where we need to deny ourselves. Jesus tells us in Matthew 6:16-18 that fasting should be between you and God, not for show. Paul echoes this in Colossians 2:21-23: mere rules without heart surrender have little value. What does have value is seeking Godly things. We give up our will and put it in submission to Jesus. Just as Jesus did in the garden, we say, " Not my will but thine be done. " Jesus doesn’t just ask this of Himself. He asks it of us, too, in the most personal way imaginable. What if Jesus were standing in front of you right now with His hand outstretched and asked, "Will you leave this comfort behind and follow Me no matter what?" How would you feel; excited, fearful, or resistant? “Self-denial isn’t about loss—it’s about stepping into the life God designed for you. Are you willing to follow Him, even when it’s uncomfortable?” Allegiance Revealed Through Self-Denial We deny ourselves because Jesus says we must. To follow Christ, we have to. Who do we love most in life, ourselves or God and others? By being willing to deny ourselves we declare our allegiance to Someone greater than ourselves. We don't deny ourselves to save ourselves. We deny ourselves to serve the One who denied Himself. The Purpose of Self-Denial There is growth in self-denial. We learn to focus on things bigger than ourselves and our wants. We can accept hardships and learn from them instead of always viewing them as a negative. Patience and kindness are learned as we control our reactions, choosing restraint instead of frustration when plans are delayed or expectations go unmet. For example, we learn not to let ourselves get angry at insane drivers on the road. Saying "no" to things trains us to be less ruled by our impulses. Though self-denial can feel uncomfortable, it brings freedom from selfish cravings and the joy of participating in God’s plan. This deeper purpose of self-denial has been described well by theologians who emphasize surrender rather than self-punishment. According to Bo Karen Lee, " The purpose of self-denial ... is to create more room for God’s presence in one’s life. Letting go of one’s own agenda opens up space for God’s Spirit to work, to lead, and to create the individual anew." ( The Paradox of Self-Denial ) Surrender can be painful, but by doing it we allow God to give us new, deeper graces than what we previously experienced. God's plan in suffering is sanctification that brings us closer to God. And by it, God makes us His new creation. But is every desire bad? Must we deny all of our wants? Submitting Our Desires, Not Erasing Them All of our desires, obviously, aren't sinful. Self-denial means we learn to search for God's will in our desires. Do you want a better marriage? Denying self doesn't mean you stop wanting that; what it means is you open yourself to what God wants you to learn. Pray God will show you how to fulfill the desire you have. Do you want children but seem unable to have them? Pray God shows you a way to satisfy your desire that may be different from what you believe possible. Self-denial doesn't mean carrying unbearable sadness around with us, but instead it asks us to look for unexpected answers. Loving God Beyond the Outcome How do we respond to trials, suffering, and tribulation? Do we hate them or do we see God working His perfect will even through these things? Self-denial will bring hardship. Jesus Himself has promised it. But it can also bring joy, as our relationship with our Father is deepened. So do we love God only in the good times or do we see opportunities to love Him in the depths of grief? Self-denial sounds like loss, but it’s actually the doorway to gaining the only life that’s truly worth living. Self-denial in a self-focused world makes us face a difficult truth. Do we only love Jesus for what He can do for us or do we love Him for what He is perfecting in us? Our longing should be to reflect Him to the world, and self-denial is the way we do that. Self-Denial in a Self-Focused World

How Do We Improve Our Selves? Have you read any self-help books lately? In 2019 over 40 million self-help books were sold in the United States. Apparently, a lot of people feel the need to improve their lives. The big question is how? In Matthew chapter 12, Jesus addresses the Pharisees, an important religious sect that strictly adhered to Jewish laws. To teach them, Jesus tells the parable of the unclean spirit in Matthew 12:43-45. He Finds It Empty “When an unclean spirit goes out of a man, he goes through dry places, seeking rest, and finds none. Then he says, ‘I will return to my house from which I came.’ And when he comes, he finds it empty, swept, and put in order. Then he goes and takes with him seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter and dwell there; and the last state of that man is worse than the first. So shall it also be with this wicked generation.” Matthew 12:43-45 For some reason, we aren't told why, the demon, the unclean spirit, leaves the person that it is inhabiting and goes away for some time. When the demon learns that, " my house " as the demon calls it, is empty, although quite tidy and neat, he returns with seven more demons. Jesus then tells us that the last state of the person is worse than the first. Whose House Is It? The demon is quite bold to call this person " my house ". Even though the unclean spirit had left, ownership had not changed. The house he returned to had been cleaned up but it was still " my house " according to the demon. So what happened? Had the person perhaps read some self-improvement books? The person apparently cleaned their house while the unclean spirit was gone. Maybe they realized they were on a dangerous path and decided to make some needed changes to their life. Perhaps they thought that being a kind and loving person would be beneficial to them? Empty Without God If these improvements were made, why did the demon still say they were his home? He finds it empty, because being nice, changing your life for the better without God, still leaves a person empty. That person from the outside may look like they are a Christian, they may sound like a Christian, they may even call themselves a Christian, but if they have relied solely on their own efforts to be better then, they are not. We have the Holy Spirit living within us because we realize that it is the grace of God that saves us and changes us and not our own efforts. Law Followers The Pharisees thought they were in the good graces of God because they followed the laws of Judaism absolutely. They thought being a law follower was what God wanted. There is some truth here. God does expect us to be obedient to Him. There are expectations for the way a Christian should behave, but before we worry about our behavior we should be concerned about our heart. Do we love God first and then others? Galatians 3:11 puts it this way, "Now it is evident that no one is justified before God by the law, for “The righteous shall live by faith.” When people followed Jesus, their behavior was changed after they followed Him, not before. Before they followed Him, they were " empty houses ". Yes, it was possible to clean up and look righteous, but the real change that Jesus requires is a change of heart. He wants to make us a " new man " (Ephesians 4:24). Righteousness Like Filthy Rags The Pharisees of Jesus's time were examples of good behavior, a cleaned-up life, but they were empty. The Holy Spirit could not live in them because they rejected the need for a Savior. They, in essence, thought they could save themselves by being righteous. Righteousness without God is like " filthy rags " as Romans 3:19 tells us. The same is true for us today when we think all that God requires is for us to be good. Do we judge those around us based on how clean their houses, their lives, are? Some of the people around us may seem to be the nicest and kindest but inside they are empty. Their reasons for their behavior aren't based in loving others. Their reasons may be that they want to be more successful, have more friends, or looked to as someone who is a role model. The so-called bad people we see may actually be the ones who are truly seeking to follow Jesus. They may be the ones who the Holy Spirit is working on to change in a real and meaningful way. Walk In The Spirit Galatians 5:16 tells us to walk in the Spirit. This means that the Holy Spirit guides our daily behavior. In Galatians 5:18 we are told to be led by the Spirit. When we let the Spirit lead will live a transformed life. In verses 22-23 we see the results, the fruits, of a spirit led life. If there is no fruit then, at best, a soul is empty and at worst it is filled with unclean spirits. If my house, my soul, is empty and the Holy Spirit does not live there, then I am opening myself up to unclean spirits, demons, to fill that void. This Wicked Generation Jesus concludes the parable by saying, " So shall it be with this wicked generation. " This would be the generation of Israel that would turn its back on the very Son of God. They might be a generation who appeared holy, but it would be only superficial. Most would not hear Jesus. Most would not follow Him. They had Him right before them, showing signs and miracles, preaching and teaching, and still rejected Him. Today, we also often don't listen, we don't respond, we reject Him even though we are given many opportunities to follow Him. Transformed By The Holy Spirit Will Jesus find your house empty? All those self-help books in the end, are useless without the transforming power of the Holy Spirit. He finds it empty without the Holy Spirit. We have to recognize that our house, our soul, needs to be filled up with the Holy Spirit. If it isn't, then all the cleaning up of our lives that we do is just for show. " There is none righteous, no not one ," says Romans 3:10. We don't follow Jesus because He is the ultimate self-help book, however, quite the opposite, to be a Christian means to deny self and "take up your cross daily" (Luke 9: 23-25). When the Holy Spirit controls our lives, we will want what God wants, not what our sinful nature wants. We will be able to endure the pains and sorrows of this life knowing that He is always faithful and true to us. It is He who is our joy.

Why Doesn't God Answer? Our Lord says that what we pray believing will happen (Mark 11:24). This is effectual prayer. In 1 John 5:14 John says that God hears our prayer when we ask " according to His will ". If that is true why doesn't God answer our prayers? Why does it seem that He is silent at times? Does God really hear all of our prayers? God doesn't promise that He will hear and answer every prayer we make. To hear our prayer there are some things required of us. In Psalm 66:18 the Psalmist tells us one thing that causes our prayers to go unheard, regarding iniquity. What does it mean to " regard iniquity "? Quite simply it refers to harboring known sin and not repenting or turning from it. So if you are doing something sinful on Saturday night, for example, and not repenting and turning away from it, then Sunday, when you sit piously in the pew in church, the Lord will not hear you. Abide in Him Our Lord tells us in John 15:7 that " if you abide in Me " then what you ask from God will happen. To abide in Christ means to receive, trust and believe in the words of Jesus. In 1 John 3:22 he tells us we receive what we ask from God because we do what pleases God. Obedience and loving others is necessary for God to answer our prayers. So the reverse is also true. We will not receive what we ask for when we don't keep His commandments and when we don't do what is pleasing in God's sight. Obedience Requires Study Psalm 119:15-16 tells us, "I will meditate on Your precepts, And contemplate Your ways. I will delight myself in Your statutes; I will not forget Your word." To be obedient so our prayers will be heard requires us to "meditate" and "contemplate" God and His ways. This is not just a casual reading of a verse or two of scripture, this is focused and intense study, even memorization so that we will " not forget your word ". Effectual Prayer Requires Confessing Your Sin James 5:16 says that a righteous man is one who has confessed his sins. His prayer is an effectual prayer. His prayers are fervent, meaning full of feeling and passionate. The fervent prayer is not one that is just recited words or saying what sounds "holy". It is a prayer sent up with the intensity of the Holy Spirit. To quote A.W. Pink on this topic he says, "If we walk not in separation from the world, if we deny not self, strive not against sin, mortify not our lusts, but gratify our carnal nature, is there any wonder that our prayer-life is cold and formal and our petitions unanswered?" I am not suggesting legalism here, but simply acknowledging that Jesus's sacrifice on the Cross was not done so we could willfully continue sinning. Asking Amiss For God to hear us we must also be sure that the request is indeed the will of God and the reason behind the request is just. James 4:3 reminds us that we don't have answered prayers because we ask things that are not the will of God. He says we ask because we want to "spend it on your pleasures." This is not effectual prayer. We need to search our hearts to know, are we asking to make ourselves look more important or are we asking for God to be glorified in our request? Humble Requests - Not Demands Are we truly servants of the almighty God? Do we really pray as Jesus did in the garden " not My will, but Yours, be done. ” (Luke 22:43)? Are we submissive to God's will over our own? Many today it seems want to command God. Instead of demands we need to be sending up our " humble requests ". Elijah's prayer is a wonderful example of someone who prayed humbly. Paul tells us this in Philippians 4:6, "Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God;" Only The Desires of The Master Remember, just as Jesus came into the world in the " form of a servant " (Philippians 2:7) so we are to have a servant's heart. We serve because He served . Our heart should desire only that which the Master desires. Can we tell God that we have been a faithful servant as David did in Psalm 119: 22? When our conscience is clear and our souls have the witness of the Holy Spirit that we are asking something that is the will of God, then we can know that God hears us and will come to our aide with all of His strength and power. Length Isn't What Matters Is your prayer short and to the point? Don't be afraid that such a prayer won't be answered. Don't think that your prayer must be lengthy and full of words. Most prayers in the Bible are actually quite short. God hears us when we are His humble, obedient servants regardless of the length of our prayers. He hears these effectual prayers and responds according to His will and we are thankful for it. Effectual Prayer

Obedience as Evidence of True Faith Believing is not faith. One of the misunderstandings today among many people is that simple believing in God, that He exists, makes someone a Christian. I see so many people living in unrepentant sin, saying they believe in God and are "trying" to do their best. They never go to church, never read their Bible, and never pray, but insist they are Christians. Not that following rules makes you a Christian. But obedience to God is expected of a Christian (John 14:15) and is the evidence of our faith. Obedience naturally flows from a transformed heart because our love for Him compels us to obey (John 14:23). The Difference Between Belief and True Faith Many point to Acts 16:31, " Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you shall be saved. " They ask, "Doesn't that say to just believe?" But this raises an important question, the difference between belief and true faith. What does 'believe' actually mean in that promise? This is no mere assent to the fact that Jesus was real, not even just an acknowledgement that He died and rose again for our sins. As Gill's Exposition of the Bible explains belief means, "t o look unto him alone for life and salvation, to rely upon him, and trust in him; to commit himself, and the care of his immortal soul unto him, and to expect peace, pardon, righteousness, and eternal life from him." Faith Transforms Us Faith is so much more than just agreeing with an idea or acknowledging a fact. Faith is a path to transformation . Faith is, defined as, " the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen " (Hebrews 11:1). It is a gift of the Holy Spirit. Faith allows us to have a relationship with our Father God. One example of a transformed life is Lee Strobel, the author of " The Case for Christ ". As an atheist he had committed himself to disproving Christianity but after much research he ultimately became a Christian. His entire life was changed by his encounter with Christ. Knowing vs. Relating to a Father You can have knowledge of your father but no trust in him, no ability to rely on him, and no commitment to him. Much like knowing that your biological father exists somewhere doesn't mean you have a relationship with him. You have no desire to obey him because you have never experienced his love. The Bible describes relationship with God as like that of a loving Father to His child. We love Him because He first loved us. We want to be obedient because of our love. If I had no relationship with my father, never spoke to or never knew anything about them, how could I possibly really love him? The Call to Repentance In Matthew 4:17 we are told that "Jesus began to preach, saying, “ Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. ” In 2 Peter 3:9 Peter tells us, " The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance. " The Lord Himself calls us to repent. When He spoke to the woman caught in adultery, the last thing he told her was, " Go and sin no more " (John 8:11). When we repent, we turn from sin and turn towards God. We can't really separate faith and repentance. To be saved by faith means we can't continue to live an unholy life. Communication as Love And when you love, don't you want to communicate? When you were dating your future spouse, wasn't one of your joys just getting to talk to them? Why was that so wonderful? Because you knew that actually cared about you. They wanted to know more about you and you wanted to know more about them. God wants us to share our lives with Him; not just our wants, but our thanks, praise, and our joys and sorrows. Yet some people say they are Christian and never talk to Him. How is this possible? The sad truth is that it isn't. They say they love Him, but care nothing about obedience. They live lives that prove they don't rely on Him and most importantly don't trust Him. Faith In Action: Works and Love The evidence of our faith is what we do, how we live. In James 2:14-26, James tells us that faith must produce works. If there are no works, there is no faith. If there is no faith, there are no works. James explains that even demons believe in God. Galatians 5:6 explains that only faith working through love counts for anything. The Holy Spirit in us allows us to grow in holiness and obedience. It is only because of God's love toward us and the Holy Spirit producing love in us that we can serve each other lovingly. Therefore no fruit we produce is by just our own efforts. It is the Holy Spirit working in us that accomplishes this. Pastor David Wilkerson, famous for his book, " The Cross and the Switchblade ", began his ministry in 1958 in New York City. He targeted the unlovable, like gang members and drug addicts, as a street preacher in Times Square. Pastor Wilkerson was able to share the transforming power of faith that changes how a person lives through his love. He was led by the Holy Spirit to be a light in a very dark place. Unity of Will and Heart When we have faith we want to do God's will, but love helps us understand what God's will is. McClaren's Expositions on Galatians sums it up well, " He who is one in will and heart with God is a Christian. He who loves God is one in will and heart with Him. He who trusts Christ loves God. " Recognizing Need for Jesus To have faith you must see a need in your life for Jesus. We can understand that He is God made man, that He came to redeem the world, that He even loves us. But do we see that each of us, individually, needs Him to forgive our own personal sin? In J. Gresham Machen's book, " What is Faith? " he says, " If there is no absolute law of God, there can be no consciousness of sin; and if there be no consciousness of sin, there can be no faith in the Savior Jesus Christ. " Luke 17: Mustard-Seed Faith & Servant’s Heart We live out our faith dependent entirely on God. When the disciples ask Jesus to increase their faith in Luke 17:5, He tells them two stories. The first is the story of faith the size of a mustard seed. This tiny amount of faith can uproot a tree and throw it into the sea. The point here is that it is not the quantity of faith we have but who the faith is in. God is moving the tree, not us. This helps us not worry about how much faith we have, because it is God, not us, that does the miracle. We may not have enough faith to move a mountain (Matthew 17:20), but even the smallest amount of faith will transform a sinner into a child of God. Our faith is a gift from God (Ephesians 2:8). Gifts need only to be received, not worked toward. As Paul says in 2 Corinthians 9:15, " Thanks be to God for His unspeakable gift. " The second story is the servant who comes to the master at the end of a hard day's work and is required to prepare his master's dinner. No matter what we do for God we will always be in His debt because of the grace we have received. No matter what we do it would never be enough to repay His grace towards us. How does this increase our faith? Simply because when I am less than the Christian I should be, when I have little faith, I am indebted to Him. When I am obedient, and have much faith, I am still indebted. This way we can stop worrying about the quantity of faith we have, if it is enough or not. Final Exhortation: Holiness & Contrition Isaiah 57:15 says, " For thus says the One who is high and lifted up, who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy: “I dwell in the high and holy place, and also with him who is of a contrite and lowly spirit, to revive the spirit of the lowly, and to revive the heart of the contrite." Our God's name is holy! Our God inhabits eternity! And yet Isaiah tells us that God dwells with the contrite where He revives the spirit and heart. When God dwells in our hearts, we are a new creation. We have a heart transformed . And it is all because of the work He does in us. Our faith, love, trust, and obedience are gifts He has given us. Ephesians 5:1 says that we are " imitators of God. " We are changed! If we aren't changed then we must question our belief and our faith. People Also Ask: What is the difference between repentance and contrition? Contrition is a deep, heartfelt sorrow or remorse for one's sins, not just because we dread the consequences of sin, but because we have offended God, whom we love. False repentance is only sorry for "being caught" so to speak. True repentance is acknowledging our responsibility for offending God and turning from our sin. Repentance focuses more on turning from sin while contrition is more about the deep sorrow for our sin.

Who Do We War Against In a recent group I was in, one of the members called on us to become warriors, warriors for God. Warriors seems an odd description for Christians. Perhaps it brings to mind images of the Crusades, not a very loving time in Christian history. That's not what she was talking about. Our war as Paul tells us in Ephesians is not against " flesh and blood " but against the enemy, Satan. "For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places." Ephesians 6:12 God's Strength Earlier in Ephesians 6:10 Paul tells us to find our strength in the Lord and in His might. Paul emphasizes that our strength to resist the Devil does not come from ourselves but that it is God's strength. He is our overcomer. If you feel like you can't wrestle against evil you would be right, but God can and will through you. Warriors For God Prepare But we must prepare ourselves for this battle. Genesis 4:7 reminds us that sin is crouching at the door waiting to pounce. Ephesians 6: 13-17 describes the armor that we need as Christians to " withstand in the evil day ". The armor includes truth, righteousness, preparation of the gospel, faith, salvation, and the word of God. In Paul's description of our armor note that there is no protection for your back. If we turn and run we have no defense. Paul gives us many ways to defend ourselves but notice again there is only ONE weapon of offense. Only one way that we can attack and that is our sword - the word of God. Stir Yourselves Up " Our enemies are mighty and we are without strength but our Redeemer is almighty and in the power of His might we may overcome. Wherefore we must stir up ourselves. Have not we, when God has called, often neglected to answer?" Matthew Henry's commentary We are called to stand, like a warrior, facing the enemy head on. As Matthew Henry stated we must "stir ourselves up" . We must not neglect to answer the call of God as we may have in the past. The Christian life is a battle we must be prepared for. This Present Age In this present age we see Satan and his demons advancing on our nation, on our children, our families like never before. We are called to stand and to submit to God. James 4:7 says the Devil will run when we resist him. Now more than ever we need women and men to stand, to not neglect the call of God. In Proverbs 30:11-14 we read about a generation that curses its father and doesn't bless its mother. A generation that thinks it's pure and yet is filthy. A proud generation with teeth like swords and fangs like knives that they use to devour the poor and needy. Do you feel like I do that this is a description of our generation? This is a generation that needs warriors. This is a generation that needs men and women who are strong in faith and who know the word. They need training. Train Our Children In Deuteronomy 11:18-19 we are told to train our children in the word. We need to train them to use their sword - the word of God. And how can we teach our children if we don't know the word ourselves? Dear Father, We pray that we would draw our strength from You to be the warriors for God you would have us to be. That we would be courageous and stand armed with your word. That we would fight against the Devil for ourselves, our family and our world. That we would truly write your words on our hearts. That we would stand and stir ourselves up to be overcomers. In your Son Jesus' name, AMEN Stand Strong in the Lord

Jesus Our Ransom Who are God's chosen? Those who believe in Him are His chosen ones. According to I Timothy 2:4-6 God wants everyone to be saved because Jesus died as a ransom for who? He died as a ransom for all! A ransom is a payment so that someone will be released. A good example would be the price someone paid to release a person from slavery. Why is Jesus referred to here as a ransom? Jesus is our ransom because we were slaves to sin. His death was the price paid to release us from the bondage of slavery that we lived in. Isaiah 53:10 prophecies that His soul would be a sin offering. Who Are The Chosen? John 3:17 plainly says, " For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved." God sent His Son that who could be saved? The world could be saved! All people could know Him if they so choose. Through His Son everyone could avoid condemnation. 1 Peter 2:9-10 says we are a " chosen people " belonging to God, brought from darkness into light, who hadn't received mercy but now have. Forced To Serve? Are we forced to serve Him? Jesus certainly has the power to force us to serve Him but He chose not to. For Jesus came not to be served, but to serve (Matthew 20:28). He puts Himself in the service of His creatures ultimately by ransoming us through His death and resurrection (Mark 10:45). Since we are all sinners, we are only justified by God's grace which is a gift for all because we have been redeemed by Christ (Romans 3:24) our Redeemer from everlasting . To be redeemed here means to be delivered from sin. And what is grace? Grace is a completely undeserved favor. We aren't forced to accept this gift but it is offered to us. Seek And You Shall Find Deuteronomy 4:29 says if we seek God, we will find Him. Jeremiah 29:13 reinforces this thought that God is found when we seek Him with our whole heart. As someone once said, God should be our whole purpose and our destiny. Those who don't believe have been blinded by the god of this world, Satan (2 Corinthians 4:4). They aren't seekers. God promises that He will draw near to those who fervently seek Him. God chooses all to come to Him. When we do, He placed before us an open door of faith because belief comes from Him (Ephesians 2:8). But what about Romans 3:11 that says no one seeks God? What is Paul saying? Simply that we can't seek God on our own. God must first draw us to Himself. We are only responding yes or no to the call that goes out to all peoples. Rewarded For Seeking Hebrews 11:6 tells us that God rewards those who " diligently seek Him ." In John 6:44 Jesus says no one can come to Him unless He is drawn by the Father first. Later in John 12:32 Jesus says that, " And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all peoples to Myself. ” All will be drawn, but not all will choose to follow. This doesn't mean that when we respond to God's call, we are in any way performing works to save ourselves. Like Lost Sheep In Luke 19:10, Jesus says that He comes to seek and to save the lost. We are all lost in our sins. He comes to save us all. He offers us a free gift which we can accept or reject. In Matthew 18:12-14 and in Luke 15: 3-7, Jesus tells the parable of the lost sheep. All we like sheep need a shepherd. In Luke the focus is on the poor and rejected. All are sought by God, not just the socially acceptable or the powerful. In Matthew and Luke it is clear that even while we may be lost in sin Jesus seeks us. He encourages us through his Holy Spirit to repent and believe. What Are We Called To Do? As Christians we have a role to play in all of this. We are called " ministers of reconciliation " by Paul in 2 Corinthians 5: 18-21. We are the ones charged with spreading the Good News of salvation to all. Jesus has flung open the prison doors but the world doesn't know it. We are, as Paul calls us the " ambassadors for Christ " . We who were once blind can tell those who are still blind who it is that can save them. As I Corinthians 3: 5-6 states it was through the means of Paul and Apollos that the people believed, but it was always God that " gave the increase ". Jesus Is... When we seek God with our whole heart, we can agree with St. Louis de Montfort who says, "He (Jesus) is the only teacher from whom we must learn; the only Lord on whom we should depend; the only Head to whom we should be united and the only model that we should imitate. He is the only Physician that can heal us; the only Shepherd that can feed us; the only Way that can lead us; the only Truth that we can believe; the only Life that can animate us. He alone is everything to us and he alone can satisfy all our desires." Enjoy the song " Jesus Is" by Leanna Crawford here.

Our Different Walk The world walks differently from the walk of the Christian. As Christians we are called to a different walk, a walk in the light, not in the darkness. We are to be a light to the nations . "This I say, therefore, and testify in the Lord, that you should no longer walk as the rest of the Gentiles walk, in the futility of their mind, having their understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God, because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart; who, being past feeling, have given themselves over to lewdness, to work all uncleanness with greediness." Ephesians 4: 17-19 The Futility Of Their Minds The world walks " in the futility of their minds ". What a strange expression, " futility of their minds ". Futility means uselessness or pointlessness. The world seeks answers from themselves. A place where there are no answers. All the answers they find are empty and useless. Darkened Understanding The world has " their understanding darkened ". This means that while engaging in sin people lose their ability to see the beauty and goodness of righteousness. The indulgences of people in the world give them excuses for their sin. The light is there to be seen, but they don't want to see it. Alienated From God The world has been " alienated from the life of God ". The world wants no part of God. They are isolated, estranged from God. They have no spiritual life in God, no indwelling of the Holy Spirit. Ignorant, Blind and Unfeeling Why do these things happen to those who don't know God? First, because of the " ignorance that is within them ". They don't know God. They don't even understand what virtue really is. Secondly, because of the " blindness of their heart ". St. Augustine said, "The blind man is the human race. Therefore Christ came to illuminate, since the devil had blinded us." And because the world is " past feeling ", in other words the world really doesn't understand the fact that sin is sin, they don't see wrong doing for what it is. They feel no remorse because they don't think they have done wrong. They have become callous. This blindness, this callousness, has led them to give themselves over to lewdness. This is not a word we hear very often today. Lewdness means that you indulge in things like lust, fornication (sex outside of marriage) or adultery. They continue voluntarily in their sin and with zeal, with a passion, for the things that are not of God. And they do this with greediness. They can't get enough of sin. They wallow in it with no remorse, willingly. The New Man But, as Christians, Paul says we have " put on the new man which was created according to God ". How does this new man act? Ephesians 4: 25-32 tells us that he doesn't lie, get angry, steal, or speak evilly but instead is kind, tenderhearted and forgiving. So, we Christians are told to stop lying. I see lying everywhere. It almost seems like everyone lies. If we are angry, it should not lead to sin. We should forgive quickly. We should not steal what we need, but work so we can be charitable to others. We work so we can share what we have with others. We should speak words that build up others morally, and in the faith, not words that are ugly, hurtful, tempting someone to do wrong, or cursing. We should not speak using idle words (Matthew 12:36). We should not grieve or sadden the Holy Spirit by living in a sinful way. Walk In The Light Our anger, our foul speech, our bitterness should be gone. Instead we should be kind and forgiving, tender toward each other. Why? Because" Christ forgave us while we were yet sinners. " We are light bearers to the world. We should walk in the light because the Holy Spirit lives in us. Walking in the light is not just a one-time choice but a daily renewal of the mind and heart. Each morning we must decide whose voice we will follow, the world’s or God’s. When we choose God’s truth, the darkness loses its grip. We grow in holiness through small, faithful steps of obedience, letting the Holy Spirit shape our thoughts, words, and actions. This daily walk keeps our hearts soft toward God and open to His guidance. Paul opens chapter four of Ephesians by explaining that we are to walk worthy of our calling. We are to be humble, gentle, longsuffering, loving, and trying always to have a unity of the Spirit with each other. Becoming Reflections of His Light The more we walk in the light, the more others can see Christ reflected in us. Our kindness, patience, and humility are not signs of weakness but evidence of God’s strength working through us. The world may walk in darkness, but when believers live out truth and love, that light pierces through. Every act of forgiveness, every word of encouragement, and every moment of grace points others toward the Savior who said, “ I am the light of the world ” (John 8:12). A Poetic Reflection on Walking in the Light Praise God your Great Story Let us worship above, Bearing each with love, The one who is worthy, The one who is love. As we call on His name With a gentle refrain, We'll seek out his mercy Till we all can exclaim, Praise God your great story Till we see your glory! With the bond of your peace We'll tell all your story! -Carol Plafcan A beautiful hymn about this can be heard here .

Does God Still Have a Plan When Life Goes Wrong? God has a plan for us. Many times we lose sight of that plan. Maybe we even believe there is no plan. What is God's plan in suffering for you? When things that are outside of your control happen, do we still recognize God has a plan? Joseph’s life gives us one of the clearest biblical answers to this question. Quite famously in Genesis 50:20 Joseph speaks to his brothers and says, "But as for you, you meant evil against me; but God meant it for good, in order to bring it about as it is this day, to save many people alive." Joseph’s Story: When Evil Intentions Meet God’s Good Purpose If you aren't familiar with the story of Joseph, his brothers, who hated him, sold him into slavery. Joseph arrives in Egypt, ends up in jail by being set up for something he didn't do, and through a series of incredible circumstances becomes the most powerful man in Egypt next to the Pharaoh. His brothers eventually go to Egypt seeking food only to find, unbeknownst to them, their brother in charge of food distribution. Because of Joseph, Egypt had stored grain and was the only place to find food. Joseph’s story is not just history; it helps us interpret our own suffering. Faithfulness Without Revenge: Trusting God’s Sovereignty Joseph doesn't seek revenge on his brothers. He sees God's plan for his life and realizes that everything that happened to him happened because God set in place His plan. It was His good plan, as Joseph recognizes. Earlier in Genesis 45:8, Joseph informs his brothers, " So now it was not you who sent me here, but God. " When bad things happen to us, do we recognize that God still has a plan? Joseph never questioned God. God, of course, knew that Joseph would remain faithful. He knew that Joseph would not give up his faith. So wherever Joseph found himself, God was able to use him. In Potiphar's house as a slave, God used him. Unjustly imprisoned, God used him. Vizier or Prime Minister to the Pharaoh, God used him. Too often we are guilty of saying to ourselves, well if my circumstances were better or different in some way, then I would serve God. But what if all God really wants is to use you in exactly the place you find yourself? Has someone mistreated you or done harm to you? Perhaps God is using those events to create new and unique opportunities for you to serve Him. People may mean you harm, but just like in Joseph's case, God can turn those things around and use them for good. Nothing is beyond His ability to bring about good. What Joseph learned through experience, Paul later explains. Romans 8:28 and God's Plan in Suffering There is a verse in Romans 8:28 that is often misunderstood. Here Paul says, " And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. " This verse is often misquoted. People tend to leave off the latter part, " to those who are called according to His purpose ." All things do not work together for good, but they will for those who love God and are called. Joseph loved God and he was called. He fulfilled the purpose God had for him. This raises an important question: how do we know God’s purpose when we are living through it? You have probably not been called as a slave, or called as a prisoner, or called to the aide of a mighty ruler but you have been called to something if you belong to God. We are not here to satisfy our own needs, but to satisfy the will of our Father. So how did Joseph know the will of God? The same way you and I today can know His will for us. How Believers Can Discern God’s Will Today First, we need to know His word. The word of God is how we learn about the character of God, who He is, and what He wants us to be. We pray. We talk to God and we listen when He talks to us. It may not be in audible ways but when we are obedient and seeking Him you will know in your soul who it is that is speaking. We trust Him. We know He is faithful. We seek wisdom, the beginning of which is fear of the Lord (James 1:5). Finally, we grow in holiness to become more like Him, while we honor Him who brings us every good thing. It is important to remember that Joseph was not being punished for sin. He was not suffering the consequences of his decisions. Joseph was not at fault. The world may have looked at him and wondered what wrong thing he did to deserve the evil that befell him, but Joseph knew he was not to blame. Things just worked out that way. Knowing that suffering is not always punishment changes how we respond to it. Suffering Without Guilt: When Hardship Is Not Punishment In our lives, we may suffer for sin, but there may be other times when evil comes upon us and we did nothing to deserve it. How do we respond? Do we blame God? Do we say to ourselves, "God how could you allow this?" This isn't how Joseph responded. The Bible never records one bitter word from Joseph (Genesis 39:2-3; 21). Instead, we see someone who endured hardship without complaining . We see a man who had total trust in God, a faithful man. The things that happened to Joseph were completely out of his control. Joseph realized it was God who was always in control. This knowledge doesn't excuse the evil done by others. They will still answer to God for what they have done. When Joseph stepped out in faith, he did not know for sure where God would take him. For many of us the problem is that we don't want to do anything for God unless we are 100% sure of the outcome. That is part of our nature. We want all the answers up front. But God doesn't work that way. God sees how we can grow when He asks us to let Him direct our paths. It may not always be a smooth path. Like Joseph, there may be some major obstacles along the way, but when we seek His will we won't be frozen in fear because we know evil will always be overcome by good. “Faithfulness to God doesn’t depend on perfect circumstances; it depends on trusting Him even when we don’t know the outcome.” Where have you ended up in your life? Did God send you to that place? Perhaps due to no fault of our own, we find ourselves in a thankless, dead-end job or married to an unappreciative spouse. Maybe we have children who don't want to be around us or maybe we have no children at all. No one wants to be in these situations but they happen. When they do, are we still being open to how God wants to use us? When Joseph saw his brothers again for the first time, decades had passed. Joseph could have longed for revenge. He could have spent many years imagining what he would do to his brothers if he ever saw them again. But no, his response to his brothers was gracious and kind. He didn't waste his life thinking only of what bad things had been done to him. Instead, he recognized the hand of God in his life. What a difference it made, both for him and those around him. Because of Joseph's faithfulness to God he convinced the pharaoh to store grain for a great famine that God had warned him about. This act saved both the people in Egypt as well as Joseph's people who came down to Egypt to find food. The house of Israel would have died out if Joseph had not been in his position of power and influence. But Joseph’s story points us forward to an even greater Savior. Like Joseph, Jesus was rejected, sold for silver, and handed over unjustly, but lifted to the highest authority, not to save one nation from hunger, but to rescue the world from sin and death. God’s plan in our suffering is always bigger than our immediate circumstances, anchored in His unbreakable promises, and fulfilled in Christ. Faithful Obedience and the Lasting Impact of Small Acts What good thing might never happen if you were not obedient to God's calling on your life? What work, that might seem small in your eyes, is great and necessary in the eyes of God? Even our small acts of love and forgiveness can change the course of someone else's life. The obedience God calls us to is not often as amazing as Joseph's was and yet, in their small way, they may be just as important. One life changed for God is one life saved from meaninglessness and slavery to sin. One small donation to a charity that does good might mean the difference between life and death or a future or no future for a child. One small encouraging word spoken to a fellow believer might make them realize that God is always there for them. Joseph’s faithfulness reminds us that obedience often matters most where it feels least rewarding. We don't know how God will use us in this life, but we do know that He can and will if we are faithful and listen. God's plan in suffering is for us to heed His still, small voice which tells us to never give up no matter how bad things may be. He is beside us and always will be, whether we realize it or not. Let us pray to be as faithful as Joseph in everything we endure in this life. When we're following Jesus , our hope is beyond this life, let us never forget.