For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.

Hebrews 4:12

As followers of Jesus Christ, we have given over our heavy yoke of sin to Him—trading our burden for His light yoke of righteousness (Galatians 5:1). This exchange is one of the many amazing joys of salvation (admitting our sin, repenting, and surrendering to the Lord). 

So, as the world around us becomes darker and more evil—truly spiritually heavier—we must be intentional about what weight we’re going to carry. Even though we have relinquished our burden of sin to the Lord, and we are new creation (2 Corinthians 5:17), we are still carrying this body of sin (as the Apostle Paul beautifully describes in Romans 7). In other words, until we are in our glorified body, our new nature will be battling against our flesh. If that wasn’t enough, because we’re still in the world, we also battle against the enemy—Satan—as this world is his temporary dominion (Ephesians 6:12). He makes valiant efforts every day to keep unbelievers separated from God and believers living outside of God’s will.

The weight of the world is heavy, friend. And it’s only going to get darker and heavier—the Bible makes that very clear. (Don’t fret! We know the how it all ends—we win!) In the meantime, we have a choice about which weight we carry through this life (until He takes us Home by rapture or death). What is our choice?

We can carry the weight of the world, or we can carry the weight of the Word. 

Do you wake up each morning to open up your phone and check the news or see how many likes you gained overnight on your social media platforms? Or do you grab a cup of coffee or tea and open up God’s Word to learn more about Him and how you are to walk through this world as His follower? Does the political and cultural chaos and “upside-down-ness” create anxiety and anger—able to ruin your day with one headline? Or do you meditate on what the Bible has to say, experiencing conviction to realign your life or gaining deeper understanding of Truth? Do your daily conversations stir up divisiveness? Or do you speak Truth with others, reflecting the grace, mercy, and forgiveness of Jesus?

Yes, as believers, we have given our heavy yoke of sin and eternal death to Jesus…but we must all carry a weight while we are on our way to heaven. The weight of the world is depressing, dividing, anger-provoking, destructive. Yet, so many of us make a daily decision to pick it up each morning. The weight of the Word, however, is only and always for our good. Although it can be sharp and painful at times (as we all need some redirection and conviction regularly), God’s Word brings guidance, joy, peace, and hope. 

Choose this day which weight you’ll carry. One is meant to destroy you, the other brings light and life (Psalm 119). So, pick up your Bible and choose freedom (John 8:32; James 1:25).

Lord, forgive me for taking my attention off of You and Your Truth to focus on the heaviness of the world. Every day, let me seek You first—and all day—carrying Your word, not the world.

“Come to Me, all who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy, and My burden is light.”

Matthew 11:28-30

In your quest for true refreshment, here is part 3… 

3. UNBURDEN YOURSELF WITH JESUS.

Friend, the weight of the world is heavy. It’s so easy to be burdened by a to-do list and the daily demands on us. To be pressed by trying to do and be “good enough”—desiring the accolades and “atta girls/boys” from others, and even from God. 

Oh, trying to carry it all ourselves…the worry, the anxiety, the must-dos, the fears, the perfection…it is not only a burdensome yoke. It will ultimately crush us.

But Jesus beckons us…

“Come to Me, all who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy, and My burden is light.”   

Matthew 11:28-30

Jesus invites us to come to Him for rest. He wants us to surrender our heavy burdens of this world and give them over to Him. 

See, we do, and we try, and we strive…to earn our way to heaven, to save ourselves. But these efforts are endless, and they are fruitless. But there is respite. A way to throw off that yoke around our neck. Jesus invites us to make a trade—a Great Exchange. Our yoke for His. Shackles for freedom.

Jesus has done the work, sweet friend. He has suffered the penalty and paid the price of our sin, making a way of reconciliation with God. He has freed us from the endless self-effort of self-salvation that, despite it all, can never be enough, because God requires perfection. 

But all we have to do is accept the Exchange. 

Christmas is coming. You know when you get a gift that is not really your thing, or maybe you have the exact item already, but there’s a gift receipt with it…and so you go to Kohl’s or wherever, and use that gift receipt to exchange the gift for something that you really love and need…this is kinda like that, only a gazillion times better.

Jesus has already paid for this gift of salvation—freedom from the burden of this world and of our sin. It’s a gift of grace—it doesn’t cost you anything. But you do have to make the exchange—returning, so to speak, what you’re holding onto. You’ve got to give HIM all your efforts, the sin, and the world’s lies you’ve bought into.

Therefore repent and return, so that your sins may be wiped away, in order that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord.

Acts 3:19

The grace of God through Jesus Christ is true refreshment. Maybe you’ve made this Great Exchange, accepting the gift of salvation…but, for whatever reason you’re still clinging to the old things as well—and it’s burdening you. Let go of that yoke—and stop trying to take it back from Him.

Or maybe you’re reading this, and you’re living under the crushing weight of a yoke, a burden that you didn’t know you could abandon. Oh, friend, you don’t have to carry it anymore. All you have to do is acknowledge that you want to make the Exchange…that you want to trade your burdens, your sin, your unrighteousness for the freedom that Jesus offers. Give it to Him and accept the free gift of His righteousness, paid for in full, so you can be free and your soul can find rest.

The Spirit and the bride say, “Come.” And let the one who hears say, “Come.” And let the one who is thirsty come; let the one who desires, take the water of life without cost.

Revelation 22:17

Lord, let there be just one who, right now, will surrender their heavy-laden burden for gift of freedom in Christ. Let them surrender and come to You. 

Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’”

Seeking true refreshment for your soul? Here is part 2 of the answer…

2. NOURISH YOURSELF WITH GOD’S WORD.

Just as our physical body needs both water and food to survive and thrive, so does our spirit. Once we surrender to Jesus, accepting the free gift of salvation, we are made new in Him…but we’re still in this world and wrapped in this fallen, sinful body. And, friend, the world is continually force-feeding us some serious junk food…the lies of media, the perversion of culture, the warped sense of “reality” through social media.

So, we must ingest the Truth of God on a regular basis—our daily bread. We don’t eat food just once a week, right? We need the Word every single day. And I can guarantee we don’t go a whole day without checking Instagram or Facebook or turning on the news—right? As we feed on those things of the world, they’re creating in us a famine, malnourishing and poisoning us.

But God’s Word truly nourishes—our mind, our heart, our spirit. 

The law of the Lord is perfect, refreshing the soul. The statutes of the Lord are trustworthy, making wise the simple. The precepts of the Lord are right, giving joy to the heart. The commands of the Lord are radiant, giving light to the eyes.

Psalm 19:7-8

His Word gives us life (Matthew 4:4). His Words are spirit and life (John 6:63).Knowing and following God’s Word is the only way to navigate this world and walk in the direction of obedience toward eternity. God’s Word teaches us, corrects us, trains us, equips us (2 Timothy 3:16). Especially as the “norms” and “truths” of this world shift so quickly, and right becomes wrong and wrong is right. We have to stand firm on His Truth, or we will fall for anything. God’s Word is our light in an ever-darkening world. And, as Paul tells us in Ephesians, the Word is also our sword (our weapon) against the enemy and his hissing lies.

And as we nourish ourselves with God’s Word, spending intentional, daily time in it, we get to know the Lord better and better—and we come to a deeper and deeper understanding of His love for us. We are filled up by the Truth of who we are in Him, satisfied in this fact…and, like when you finish up an amazing meal and you’re completely happily stuffed, when we’re satiated with Truth, there’s no room for lies.

Lord, thank You for Your Word—a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path, nourishment for my soul.

As the deer pants for the water brooks, So my soul pants for You, God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God.

Psalm 42:1-2

It used to be when you asked someone how they were doing, the pat answer was, “fine”—no matter what was going on. The past few years, however, that standard go-to answer seems to have changed. There are 2 versions I hear a lot…and I bet you hear them to. (I bet, like me, you SAY them!) What are they? (1) “Tired” and (2) “Busy”.

Maybe you’re a wife and mom managing a frenetic household; a single woman juggling crazy work pressures, friendships, and a desire to serve the Lord; a son or daughter caring for an aging parent; newly single…newly widowed…newlywed.

The craziness of life can be overwhelming (whether the craziness is around us—or in us)! We are busy, and we are tired. We long to refresh. Some of us choose a hot bubble-bath soak. For others, it’s a quiet walk on the beach—or a hardcore workout. Maybe you’re a spa girl. Regardless of our go-to activity, we all have our ideal ways to refresh (even if this “refreshing” doesn’t make your to-do list very often). These can be good. But none will last.

Do you want to find deep, truly soul-level restoration? I want to share three ways to do just that. To get refreshment that goes deeper than a two-hour massage, that’s richer than the most decadent chocolate cake, that’s more nourishing than that succulent hydrofacial.

1. QUENCH YOUR THIRSTY SOUL WITH THE LORD.

Friend, God created us with a thirst for Him—a God-shaped craving.

As the deer pants for the water brooks, So my soul pants for You, God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God (Psalm 42:1-2).

Oh, and we try so desperately to quench that craving with things of this world, don’t we? Relationships, buying stuff, busyness, sex, alcohol, drugs…maybe even Christian service (um, that’s for all us Marthas out there). But although there may be a temporary satisfaction, it never lasts. In fact, often the result is a frenzied greed for more and more in efforts to fill up…while the actual void remains. Our soul and flesh yearn for God.

God, You are my God; I shall seek You earnestly; My soul thirsts for You, my flesh yearns for You, In a dry and exhausted land where there is no water (Psalm 63:1).

And because He created us with this thirst, this God-shaped vessel, He made a way of quenching and satisfaction. He gave us Living Water—Jesus. 

As Jesus told the Samaritan woman at the well, He tells us: “Ask Me, and I will give you Living Water. Whoever drinks of the water that I will give shall never be thirsty; but the water that I will give will become a fountain of water springing up to eternal life.” (John 4:14)

Jesus is Life—He is life-giving. Accepting this invitation to drink of Him is the only way to quench our deep thirst. And like a cold glass of water on a hot day, there is a refreshing…but more than that, there is total renewal and true satisfaction. Not just at salvation, but ongoing through our lives as Christians. We must intentionally partake of Jesus! Martha’s sister, Mary, understood this, didn’t she? She sat at the feet of Jesus and drank in His presence and His words. And although Martha was running around serving Jesus and His people, it was Mary, Jesus said, who chose the better thing (Luke 10).

I am so thirsty, Lord. May I sit at Your feet to be filled and satisfied by You alone.

Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”

John 8:12

One of the many (many) things I love about living in Florida is the presence of all the fruit trees randomly growing in people’s yards—oranges, lemons, limes, and other interesting citrus types I’ve never seen before. (As I write this, my mouth is watering in anticipation of the oranges ripening on our neighbor’s tree, which hangs over our fence…so those oranges are technically ours, am I right? Actually, these particular neighbors don’t like citrus, so all the fruit from their three citrus trees will be ours, but I digress.)

Why are these fruit trees so prevalent in sunny Florida? Well, they require full sun (6-8 hours/day) to flourish. Even a few too many hours of shade can negatively impact the rate of growth, fruiting potential, and cold resilience of the trees. Light is essential.

This is a beautiful analogy for believers. All people are born into darkness—all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23). Not only are we in darkness and of the darkness, we are darkness (Ephesians 5:8). But, by accepting the amazing gift of grace provided by Jesus—the Light of the world— He rescues us from the darkness (Colossians 1:13; John 8:12; 1 Peter 2:9). We move into in the Light, become of the Light…we are Light (Ephesians 5:8). 

And, as a result of this surrender to salvation, we are given the Holy Spirit to live in us, so that we have the power to live out our new reality…we produce fruit (Ephesians 5:9). Not lemons and limes, but love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (Galatians 5:22-23). We live fruity lives—not to earn God’s grace and love, but in response to it. 

But friend, like those luscious trees, we cannot produce this fruit without exposure to Light! Those trees need to be in the sun, and we need to be in the Son. And although we are in the Light and of the Light once saved, fruit is not automatically produced! We have to maintain daily “Son exposure”—we have to spend time with Him (He is the Light) and in His Word—it is light to us (Psalm 119:105). Moreover, also analogous to fruit trees, we cannot risk exposure to the darkness. Participating in the darkness (sin) of our old life, will—like with the tree—negatively impact our growth in the Lord, our fruiting potential, and our resilience to the attacks of the world and Satan (Psalm 1:1; Proverbs 22:24-25; Ephesians 5:11). Light is essential.

One more fact about those delicious fruit trees: if they don’t have any sun, they will die. Friend, the same is true of us. If we don’t have the Son—Jesus Christ—we will surely die (Romans 6:23). What about you? Are you living in the darkness right now? Won’t you step into the Light of Jesus, repenting and accepting the free gift of salvation and reconciliation with God? I promise, your soul will flourish. If you are already a believer, how fruity is your life? If you’re not producing the kind of fruit you want, be intentional about spending sweet time basking in the Son and nourishing your soul with the light of God’s Word.

Lord, You are the Light of the world. If anyone reading this has the weight of darkness upon them, turn their heart toward You and transform them from darkness to light, giving them everlasting life in You.

And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching. 

Hebrews 10:24-25

Some of you may recall watching a fascinating show called “Mutual of Omaha’s Wild Kingdom”—I remember being a small child, enthralled by this groundbreaking documentary about the behavior of wild animals around the globe. Even if your memory doesn’t go back that far, you’ve probably seen video of a lion tracking a group of gazelles on some African plain. The lion crouches, watching and waiting. As soon as the pack o’ prey senses the lion—or the lion makes its move—panicked fleeing ensues. But then you see it. That one straggler…the one who’d wandered off alone to do his own thing, separated from the others. The lion sees that one too. Without the protection of the pack, the isolated gazelle soon becomes dinner.

Fast forward to 2022. Over the past few years, it has become sadly evident that isolation is causing a new level of deadliness among human beings. Even before COVID-19, ample psychological studies were done on social isolation, showing that it significantly increases a person’s risk of premature death from all causes—rivaling risks from smoking, obesity, and physical inactivity (50% increased risk of dementia, 29% increased risk of heart disease, and 32% increased risk of stroke). Loneliness is also associated with higher rates of depression, anxiety, and suicide—which we’re seeing among the breathtaking stats of amplified alcohol and drug abuse, overdose deaths, and suicide due to the forced isolation since early 2020.

One way or another, isolation causes death.

This concept is just as relevant for the follower of Jesus Christ. Believers need each other! Yes, we must be in God’s Word daily—to know the Truth, understand our calling as light in a dark world, and to grow in deeper relationship with the Lord. But we are also exhorted to support and encourage one another—today—keeping each other accountable to walk in righteousness (Hebrews 3:13). We are to speak the truth in love to one another, so we can help spur each other on to maturity (Ephesians 4:15).

Friend, we need community. The writer of Hebrews makes it abundantly clear: As the return of Christ gets nearer (and, if you ask me, that day is approaching quickly), and the world gets darker and darker, we can’t stop meeting together. We have to spur one another on, encouraging each other to love and serve and keep our eyes on the Lord.

Why? Because the Bible is also abundantly clear that, like those gazelles in Africa, there is a lion watching us, roaming around, crouching in tall grass of culture (1 Peter 5:8). He waits for that self-imposed isolation… “I don’t need to go to church today, I’ll just go for a walk and appreciate God’s beautiful creation.” Or “No Bible study for me tonight—I just can’t be around those people right now.” Friend, when we isolate ourselves from our brothers and sisters in Christ—our “spiritual pack”—we put ourselves at risk. Our enemy is watching for those opportunities to devour us. And he will strike when given the chance.

But we can stand firm against him when we stay connected and engaged with a community of believers. It’s so vital, especially in today’s inherently isolating world (whether a result of a digital lifestyle, social-media separation, or media-narrated fears). On our own, it’s way too easy to be lulled away from others or enticed by some shiny thing “over there” that takes us off the narrow path. 

All Christians are part of the Body of Christ—family united through salvation and citizens of heaven. But, brothers and sisters, if you are not part of a Bible-believing church body, please make this a priority. The enemy knows his time is short. And his mouth is watering to destroy whoever he can (John 10:10)…starting with the easy prey of those standing alone. 

Lord, let us not fail to meet together as believers, keeping each other encouraged and accountable until Your return.

But I am afraid that, as the serpent deceived Eve by his trickery, your minds will be led astray from sincere and pure devotion to Christ.

2 Corinthians 11:3

Land mines have a long history in global wartimes. Starting in ancient Rome, when spikes were buried to thwart forward movement by the enemy, through the Ming dynasty and the American Civil War, when explosives were concealed to trap—and destroy—enemy troops. In modern warfare, explosive mines have become quite “effective” in conflicts. Traversing minefields—even when soldiers know they could be there—is always dangerous and deadly. What’s worse, minefields often remain active well after the war-du-jour is over, sadly taking the lives of children and other civilians for years to come.

When we recognize that we are far from God, separated by the chasm of sin, and accept the gift of salvation through Jesus Christ, we are fully redeemed—transformed into a new creation (2 Corinthians 5:17). But although our inner man (our spiritual self) is made new, we still have to live in the flesh, our fallen body. And our enemy, Satan, never ceases to pursue us—not to steal our salvation, because he cannot—but to keep us from glorifying God and serving and loving others. So, until we are out of this body and present with the Lord (2 Corinthians 5:8), the battle against sin rages on.

And, as with human warfare, these spiritual battles in the life of every believer are also fraught with concealed traps—dangerous and even deadly. We may know they are there, even expect them, but the threat still remains as we move forward toward ultimate victory. 

These dangers, friend, are “mindfields”.

The battle with sin always starts in the mind, with our thoughts. We may be exposed to a lie (on social media, talking with a friend, watching a show) and think, “Well, that doesn’t seem so bad—I can do/say/be that.” Our thoughts deceive us, feeding our emotions to rile us up to accept the sin with fervor. Then, once our mind and heart are bought in, we wholeheartedly take action. And danger—sometimes even death—results. 

How do we effectively clear our mindfields? Thankfully, it’s much simpler than removing the mines of human warfare. First, we must fill our mind with the Truth of God’s Word, setting our thoughts on things above (Colossians 3:2). When we know the Truth, we can destroy the hissing lies of the enemy and other crafty deceptions (2 Corinthians 10:5). Second, we must think about better things—better than what, you ask? Better than the junk being relentlessly hurled at us by the world (divisiveness, hatred, anger, lies, smut, selfishness, etc.). In fact, God, through the Apostle Paul, gives us a nice list of things to think about in Philippians 4:8: Whatever is true, honorable, just, pure, lovely, commendable, excellent, and praiseworthy.

So, let’s keep our minds swept of nasty spikes and explosives meant to turn us away from our good and God’s glory. Read the Bible and think about godly things. Simple, but not simplistic…and certainly not easy. But, sweet friend, your life depends on it.

Lord, may my thoughts be on You, Your Word, and things that glorify You so that my mind will be protected…which will protect my heart and my very life.

I pray that out of His glorious riches He may strengthen you with power through His Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith.

Ephesians 3:16-17

This is going to sound strange, but I absolutely love to de-clutter and purge and deep clean. Maybe that doesn’t sound too odd to you…but I really, really love doing that in other people’s homes. Ask my friend, Wendy. It was sheer bliss for me to work alongside her for 10 hours as we went through every kitchen cabinet—emptying, purging, cleaning, reorganizing. Ahhhh.

When our house is cleaned out and decluttered, “home” is so much comfortable. We have peace, contentment, and joy. Plus, it’s so much easier to keep tidy—when junk is dropped on the floor or shoved in a corner, it stands out like a sore thumb, so we take care of it. (As opposed to that same item simply being added to an existing pile…I mean, at that point, what’s the difference between a two-foot stack and a three-foot stack?)

What’s the spiritual lesson here? At salvation (the moment we recognize ourselves as sinners and accept the free gift of grace from Jesus Christ), a believer becomes indwelt with the Holy Spirit—God lives in us! Amazing! He abides in us, giving us comfort, discernment, direction, conviction. But how comfortable and at home is He?

At salvation, we are made new, transformed—we move from death to life, darkness to light. But, because we still live in our earth-bound fallen bodies, we have to do a little “housework” when it comes to our new life and walking in obedience to the Lord. So, whether you gave your life to Christ 50 years ago or yesterday, let’s talk about doing some soul-level purging. 

Have we cleaned out the clutter of the world from our lives—stuff that doesn’t glorify God, as well as the idols we prioritize over Him? Is his voice of conviction drowned out by the clamor of culture? Have we swept every corner of our heart clean, so that He can fill that space with His residency? Or are there closed doors, rooms that we’ve padlocked, piled high with old, comfortable habits, hidden lusts, cherished sins?

Friend, open up those rooms! Let the Holy Spirit do some serious housecleaning. Just as a clutter-free home is easier to keep tidy, so is our soul. The unrighteous thoughts, words, and actions of the old self are easier to spot against the backdrop of a pure Holy-Spirit-controlled space. And you will be quicker to sweep them out. 

Side note: I can assure you that if you do the work to purge your heart of sin and unrighteousness—which is a good thing—but you do not surrender to the Holy Spirit and give Him total access to every nook and cranny, worldly clutter will quickly return. In fact, all you’re doing is making room for greater sin, more idols, bigger lusts. By the way, the enemy of your soul loves a nice clutter-free space to abide in as well (Matthew 12:43-45). Your purged home must be filled with the Holy Spirit, and that only happens when you give your life to Jesus.

If you have not done so, give your life to Jesus today. Through His life, death, and resurrection, He made a way of reconciliation for you with God. No work on your part required! And you get God living in you, through the Holy Spirit to give you the strength and power to live out your soul-transformation and glorify God. If you are already a Christian, how “at home” is the Holy Spirit in you? Is it time for a good deep-cleaning heart purge? Clean out the clutter you’re still holding onto. Surrender and submit to the Holy Spirit, so He can make Himself at home…and you can experience the peace, contentment, and joy He longs to give you.

Lord, I surrender to You—create in me a pure heart (Psalm 51:10), so that I can walk according to Your Word and Your will.

Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you. 

Ephesians 4:32

I’m studying Ephesians now, so I thought it would be nice to revisit this devotion I wrote in 2019, posted here in February 2020. Enjoy—and maybe be convicted…

The Bible says a lot about forgiveness. Throughout the New Testament, Jesus and the Epistle writers command believers forgive. But often, we believe that “forgiving” equates with “condoning”—and that forgiveness negates the associated pain of the wrong. But that’s not the case.

The thing is, forgiveness is a choice—not a feeling. And true forgiveness, although it is a gift to the other person, frees our own soul from the destructive burden of bitterness and anger.

About this time several years ago, a virtual bomb was dropped in my life—a revelation of truth that devastated my very soul. I was more hurt and angrier than I thought possible. And no one would have faulted me for wrapping a firm grip around bitterness, never to let go.

Instead, within a matter of hours—in the midst of the shock, horror, pain, and disbelief—I did something unexpected. I chose to forgive.

Please know this was not of my own power—it was not humanly possible. It was the Holy Spirit, living in me, that gave me the supernatural ability to make that decision. In the middle of my pain, He convicted my spirit with five simple words that still burn within today: “How dare you not forgive?”

See, my life is daily filled with sin. I am a sinner. But Jesus stretched out His arms on that cross to pay the penalty I owe. Yesterday’s, today’s, and tomorrow’s sins are all forgiven—thrown into the sea (Micah7:19) and removed from us as far as the east is from the west (Psalm 103:12). We who accept the precious gift of salvation are made white as snow even though our sins are as scarlet (Isaiah 1:18). 

When you consider people in your life who have wronged you, you may think, “But that person’s sin is way worse than mine—they hurt me!” But in God’s economy, every sin is an imperfection that stains the perfect righteousness required by a perfect God. And every sin hurts Him too. 

We are forgiven. Because of what Jesus accomplished—His pain and suffering on our behalf, His amazing mercy and grace—how can we not extend that same grace, mercy, and forgiveness to another?

Because we are forgiven through Christ, let’s choose to be forgiving through Christ. 

Lord, thank You for forgiving me and making me righteous in God’s eyes. Because of Your grace, empower me to choose forgiveness daily.

Just so, I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance.

Luke 15:7

Were any of you cheerleaders? I was. Just for one year—during my sophomore year in high school. I must say, it was really fun. Shouting rhyming cheers to choreographed moves during crisp, cool Friday night football games…starting chants courtside for the bleachers packed with basketball fans…pounding the mat to support the wrestlers as they grappled for victory. We kept an eye on the game, always yelling to encourage our team. And when there was a score, we’d go crazy—leaping into a herkie, spread eagle, or tuck jump—while we got the crowd to join together in a victory cheer.

That was a long time ago, and I don’t think about it much. But it all came back to me as I studied the first few chapters of Ephesians. You may be thinking, “Cheerleaders in the First Century Church?” Let me explain.

Since God created the angels, they have been around His thrown giving Him glory—glorifying God is one of their main purposes. They circle the Lord’s throne and proclaim His holiness (Isaiah 6:2-3). Angels know God’s sovereignty and power. They are in awe of His creation—they’ve seen it firsthand.

But angels are not omniscient or omnipresent—they only know what has happened and what is happening as they observe it. And although throughout history, as written in the Old Testament, the Lord prophesied about a coming Savior, His death, and His victory, you can just imagine the level of drama that unfolded in front of the angels on Calvary (I picture them howling in despair). But then, three days later, you can almost hear the roar of joy at the Resurrection. They no doubt shouted from every corner of heaven, “Victory! Victory!” 

As Paul writes to the Ephesians and other First Century churches, he reveals to these new believers the mysteries of God. In other words, Truths that the OT prophets wrote about but couldn’t comprehend—not until Christ came, died, and ascended, sending the Holy Spirit for understanding (Ephesians 3:10; Colossians 15:51; Colossians 1:27; 1 Timothy 3:16). And the Apostles made these Truths known to the early Christians (and to us). The cool thing is that the angels also came to an understanding of these mysteries right alongside the Church! (Can’t you just see them high-fiving and cheering with each profound Truth?)

And the most Amazing Truth of all, the Gospel of Grace—salvation through faith in Jesus Christ, not by works or the law—was also unveiled to the angels in real time. No doubt, this was like your team winning the world (no, UNIVERSE) championship! The cheers, the jumps, the shouts and hugs! But there’s more (1 Peter 1:12)! The Bible also says that angels rejoice over each sinner who repents and surrenders to Jesus (Luke 15:7-10). 

Think about that. When saved, each and every person has myriads of myriads of angels going ballistic—doing angel herkies, shouting, blowing trumpets, probably doing some serious gymnastic moves. An explosion of celebration because it’s the most important event of a person’s existence. So, if you haven’t yet experienced the life-altering transformation of salvation, why not make today the day…your cheer squad is watching intently, waiting to shout over you with unabashed joy.

Lord, thank You for Your amazing grace, for reconciling us to Yourself through Christ—it is the Ultimate Victory.