Then Samuel took a stone and set it between Mizpah and Shen, and named it Ebenezer, saying, “Thus far the Lord has helped us.” 

1 Samuel 7:12

Life is moving at a remarkable pace these days. And I don’t think it’s just because I have more years behind me than I have in front of me (per the theory that the length of days is relative to number of days lived). I think that the past two years of historical shifts has warped everyone’s sense of time. Just listen to friends and coworkers, and you’ll hear comments like: “Was that yesterday or three weeks ago?”

So, I don’t know about you, but I’ve gotten into the habit of setting calendar reminders and phone alarms for just about everything. These help me connect to virtual meetings on time and meet deadlines. A gentle (or not-so-gentle) ringtone prompts me to recall a task at hand. But these reminders also allow me to look back and assess tasks completed and goals met, which, in turn, spurs me on to tackle what’s next with confidence. 

As believers, it’s really easy to get lost in the spiritual battles of today and the uncertainties of tomorrow. Anxieties wash over us as we pray for various health, financial, and family matters that can sometimes feel like day-after-day games of whack-a-mole. We desperately cry out to God for help while an undercurrent of doubt and fear leaves us unsettled even after our “Amen” is uttered.

Much like our calendars assert meetings held, jobs done, and special occasions attended, so must we create reminders of God’s amazing work in our life. Prayers answered, mercy shown, miracles done, comfort provided. I am confident that for you—like me—His faithfulness has been great and His love unfailing. But, like the Israelites wandering in the desert, we experience the Lord’s graciousness in blatantly obvious and preciously subtle ways…then, sadly, we forget. Our spiritual (or tangible) need is met, and we move on. And when we enter the next trial, trouble, or spiritual battlefield, it’s like we’re completely oblivious to everything He’s accomplished on our behalf (let alone that He is actually in control of it all)!

Friend, let’s become as diligent about noting the Lord’s provision as we are about recording calendar meetings and events. A prayer journal is a great place to start, where we can write needs and concerns, as well as Providential answers for our good and His glory. But there are other reminders that the Lord gives us daily—and we don’t even have to set an alarm. Just waking up with His breath in our lungs is a reminder of His new mercies for a new day. Beholding a gorgeous sunrise or sunset is a reminder to acknowledge our Creator God who sustains it all. And, as we walk through this dark world, we are reminded that we were once blind to Truth, and now we see.

In response to a previous conversation about this topic, a sweet sister of mind handed me a gift at church the other day: A smooth stone of remembrance (ebenezer) with 1 Samuel 7:12 written on it. (Go back to read this story of God’s faithfulness, and you’ll understand the wonderful reference.) This precious stone now sits between my two work computers—which hold my online calendars—as a constant reminder of the Lord’s unfailing love, relentless mercy, and unfathomable grace for me. No annoying ringtones needed.

You are faithful, Lord. Let me wake up each day to this truth, not forgetting who You are and all You’ve done for me.

But God shows His love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

Romans 5:8

When you were growing up, did you like school—I mean the academics part? (The whole social structure, cliques, jocks-versus-nerds thing aside for now.) As for me, whether in second grade or during senior year, I loved learning…class lessons, homework, projects, papers, and tests. It was also very important to me to do really well. (I can say the same about my parents—seeing A’s on my report cards was always the expectation…hence, my perfectionist tendencies.) 

Depending on where you grew up, getting an A on a test meant earning at least 90% of the potential points. At many schools (until recent years) an A was 94-100, so it was even a bit more challenging to attain. Regardless, achieving that top mark is always a great accomplishment. And a report card that displayed “straight A’s” is certainly worth celebrating. That being said, it’s highly unlikely—dare I say, impossible—that any straight-A student achieved complete perfection on every single lesson, project, test, etc. through the semester. No one can be that academically perfect.

And no one can live a flawless life either—one where not a single thought, word, or action ever goes against the moral laws and standards of our Holy God. Even unbelievers who tend to believe they’re “good enough to get into heaven” will admit that they’ve lied or stolen something at least once in their life. We all sin and fall short of God’s holy perfection (Romans 3:23). But to be in the glorious presence of the Lord, nothing but total perfection will do! No percentage range or grade curves there. Only faultlessness.  

You may be panicking right now, thinking, “But that’s terrible! How can I get to heaven (to live eternally with God) if He requires me to be perfect? Why would a good God do that?!” 

Friend, God is Good—He made a way for you and me! Because He loves us so much, He sent His Son, Jesus, to take on the flesh of man. Fully man and fully God, Jesus lived a completely perfect life, never offending the Father in thought, word, or action—although He was tempted in every way we are (Hebrews 4:15). Then, Jesus took the penalty we deserve, paying the price for our sin and trading His righteousness for ours (2 Corinthians 5:21). What does this mean for us? When we accept the free gift of grace extended to us by Jesus, a Great Exchange is made: He takes our sin, and we get His perfection. Now, don’t misunderstand, we once saved, we’re not suddenly going to stop sinning while we’re on this earth—perfect living is still impossible. But from God’s vantagepoint, because of His Son’s sacrifice, He looks upon us as if we’ve never sinned. This is grace. And in this glorious spiritual perfection, we get to spend forever with Him.

When you believe and surrender to Jesus Christ, your life’s proverbial final term paper will be marked 100%. And you don’t even have to work for it.

Lord, I cannot be perfect—but You were. You lived a perfect life on my behalf and died the death I deserved, so I can live forever with You. Thank you!

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

Ephesians 2:10

The heated theological dispute of faith alone versus faith-plus-works has been raging for centuries—even millennia. In fact, this very topic is why Martin Luther launched the Reformation just over 500 years ago. But God’s Word is clear: “For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast” (Ephesians 2:8-9). As for me, I will rest in this undeniable Truth.

That being said, we believers are actually not to literally rest! Once saved by grace, we are called to respond to our salvation with good works—to demonstrate our faith so others can recognize we are Christians. In fact, the very next verse from the Apostle Paul in Ephesians says, “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them” (Ephesians 2:10). This topic is a big theme from the book of James as well—a book that some point to on the “do-to-be-saved” side of the argument. But James simply exhorts that our faith justifies us to God (He sees/knows our heart), but we cannot be justified to men without deeds. In other words, if you tell me you’re saved but nothing at all changes about your life, then there remains the question of your true salvation. 

When we truly surrender to Jesus Christ, we are new creation—the old nature has passed away and a new has come (2 Corinthians 5:16). Our desire, as directed by the Holy Spirit living in us upon our profession of faith, is to glorify God through our actions. We want to walk in obedience because of Jesus paid the price for our sin…not so that we can earn our way to heaven. By doing good works and bearing fruit, we please God and grow in our faith (Colossians 1:9-12). During His ministry on earth, Jesus also taught that true believers would be known by their fruit (Matthew 7:15-20).

Don’t get me wrong, friend, once we surrender to Christ, we will not be perfect or always do the right thing. In this fallen world, we will be in constant battle with our unredeemed flesh, the world system, and the enemy of soul—Satan. Until we are fully glorified with a new body (whoohoo!), either when Jesus calls us home or He returns, we must continue to pursue holiness. And we do this by studying—and obeying—God’s Word and spending time with the Lord. 

Salvation is not the end game of our life on earth. If it was, as soon as we were saved, the Lord would snatch us up to heaven! Once saved, we must do. We are to be salt and light—to demonstrate God’s amazing love and grace to others so that they see our good works and give glory to God (Matthew 5:13-16).

Lord, let my deeds give You glory and point others to You, as I live a life of love in response to Your love for me.

Many are the plans in the mind of a man, but it is the purpose of the Lord that will stand.

Proverbs 19:21

I live in Florida—and I absolutely love it. But if you had told me just two years ago that I’d be moving to the Sunshine State, I would have laughed and said that you’re out of your mind. See, we’d just recently left North Carolina to make our “rest-of-our-lives” home in the mountains of Virginia. That being said, in the 15 years we spent in North Carolina, each of the three residences we owned in that place were also “we’re-not-moving-again” homes. And then (moving backwards in time) there was that 1920 bungalow in Loveland, CO, the 1890 Victorian in Colorado Springs, and the new construction “dream” home we built in Richmond, Virginia before that. You guessed it, each one had been our “forever” home—because that was our plan.

Yeah, I don’t say that anymore. I “hope” we don’t move again, but in my long (and often arduous and incredible) sanctification journey as a Christ-follower, I’ve come to the settled understanding of “Your will, not mine, Lord.”

And this learning is not just related to geographical moves. As believers, we must recognize that the ideal place to be is in God’s will—no matter the aspect of our life. His will is always going to be for our ultimate good and His deserved glory. Even if it doesn’t feel like it all the time. 

Think about Joseph in the Old Testament. This godly, truth-following boy was sold into slavery by his own brothers only to be (after his own arduous and incredible journey) elevated to second in command in all of Egypt. When he finally came face to face with his brothers, he reflected the grace of God and told them, “What you meant for evil, the Lord meant for good.” (It’s an AMAZING saga, and you can read all about it in Genesis, chapters 37-50.) His obedience led him to a desert pit and later to prison. But following God’s will also brought Joseph big-time good…and God was big-time glorified. And friend, there are so many testimonies like this in the Bible! Even Jesus exemplified “Your will, not mine” obedience when He prayed in the garden before submitting to the Cross (Luke 22:42; Matthew 26:42). And the Christian goal is to be more like Him, right?

When it comes to obeying God’s will, you may think, “Well, how do I know what God’s will is for me?” That’s actually an easy answer: His Word is His will. Start there. The more obedient we are to His Word, the clearer and easier it is to know and do His will. And it becomes a true joy to do so! “I delight to do Your will, O my God; Your Law is within my heart” (Psalm 40:8). Then, simply ask Him for His will for you. As believers, we have the Holy Spirit as our live-in counselor! Now, God may not give us a big picture path from the start, but He’ll definitely give us the first step. Then, we must obediently take that step. 

I clearly professed that it was my will that many of 15 addresses in four states were my forever homes. But I am grateful that when the Lord had other plans, we obeyed. (In these and other things!) Friend, choose to stay in God’s will. I promise (and so does He), it’s the best place to be.

Lord, let me pray, talk, and live like Jesus, surrendering daily to Your will…for my good and Your glory.

Submit therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded. 

James 4:7-8

War is on everyone’s mind right now. Some are obsessed about it, given our 24/7 media and real-time reporting. In fact, a lot of people now use the Ukrainian flag as their profile pictures, when a few weeks ago they had no idea where this small country was located (or maybe even that it existed). Many people may be thinking that it’s too far away to worry about—for now, anyway. But, today, our planet is certainly small, and global issues are our “home” issues too.

The truth is the world has always had its blood-shedding wars and will until the Final Battle. But, friend, humanity—since the Fall in the Garden—has been involved in another ongoing war, a spiritual war. Humans have been at war with God. It wasn’t meant to be this way. When God created Man, we were meant to be in perfect relationship with Him, walking with Him as His friend. But when the Enemy slithered in with lying hisses and temptations of pride, Man lost this sweet friendship with God. We became separated from Him spiritually and relationally, and our flawless bodies—and pristine planet—began its decaying process, filled with pain, disease, and death. 

And so, the battle began. Even now, it continues, being fought on three fronts, with three enemies: the world system, the flesh (pride/selfish desires), and Satan. There’s so much to be said about how this war with God creates battles against self and others (in fact, the entire Bible is replete with this story). 

But there is Good News! We don’t have to live our lives in combat with God! He made a way of restoration, of relational reconciliation with Him. Coming right down from Heaven onto our battlefield, Jesus fought our fight—and secured victory over the world, Satan, and death. The battle has been won, and there is no need to fight anymore.

Turning back to the concept of worldly wars, we all know that for a war to end, someone has to surrender…and the side that surrenders is clearly the loser. Surrender allows for the winning side to take control, take prisoners, and have their way with their foe. But when it comes to our spiritual war with the Almighty God, there is exists a beautiful irony: Unconditional surrender to Him brings complete victory for us (1 Corinthians 15:57)! We are not conquered—we become conquerors! Instead of being taken prisoner, we are made free in Christ (Romans 8:1-39). 

But just as surrender in worldly wars brings peace, our surrender to Jesus brings peace to us. When we stop fighting against God and give Jesus control of everything, we can put down our weapons and rest in His love, grace, mercy, and peace. Friend, the war has been won. Won’t you surrender to Him today…and claim your victory?

Lord, thank You for making a way of peace through Your Son, Jesus. Thank you for the victory over sin and death that allows me to be free.

Yet if anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God in that name.

1 Peter 4:16

In elementary school, there are few things more painful than being made fun of on the playground. Although I don’t have the best memory, I can recall glimpses of time where my “friends” made fun of me because I dressed differently than they (less cool) or because my mom chose to cut my hair in a rather boy-like style. Sometimes, at those young ages, a mocking statement comes from immature innocence. Other times, it’s from completely malicious intent.

Sadly, some people don’t outgrow taunting others—or being the one who’s the consistent butt of unkind jokes. In the hardness and blindness of the world, as well as social media cruelty and our divisive culture, mocking at every age should not come as a surprise.

Especially for believers.

When Jesus walked the earth, He even promised us that the world would hate us because it hated Him first (John 15:18). And the Apostle Paul stated it very clearly as well in 2 Timothy 3:12 when he wrote, “Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.” (Well, let me caveat this truth…these are promises if we are walking in the Truth, living out the holiness we are called to as Christians. If we’re living like the world and looking like the culture, we won’t have to worry about being mocked.)

Although in this country we’re not at the point of being jailed or killed for our faith (yet), there are other types of persecution. And it can be hard, enduring the rolled eyes and snarky comments about your conduct—particularly when you’re young in faith. But, friend, it can also be pretty cool to stand firm and glorify God through our words (or by what’s unspoken) and our actions (or by things not done).

Just the other day, I was finishing up a group videocall with a client. I’ve been working with this team for over five years, so they know my worldview. (This understanding once kept their cursing at bay, for instance…sadly, they don’t refrain in my presence anymore. Maybe it’s the whole two-dimensional reality thing.) Anyway, at the end of this particular video meeting, someone made a comment that could have been 100% innocent, but, because of worldly sexualized vernacular, it could also go down a road of dirty joking. And when that first turn was made, someone at the table said, “Julianne, you’d better hang up now.” 

So, I smiled to the group, said goodbye, and pressed “end call.” I know what was thought—and maybe even said—about my “prudeness”. But, friend, I counted it a privilege and a joy. They recognize my “in-the-worldness-but-not-of-the-worldness”. To God be the glory…and I will gladly be mocked.

Lord, let me never be ashamed of You, but help me stand firm in a life of holiness, glorifying You.

With (the tongue) we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse people, who have been made in the likeness of God; from the same mouth come both blessing and cursing. My brothers and sisters, these things should not be this way.

James 3:9-11

The Bible has a lot to say about the power of our words—both the Old and New Testaments are a treasure trove of wisdom. You can dig into the book of Proverbs alone and get plenty to chew on when it comes to your mouth (pun intended)! “Death and life are in the power of the tongue” (Proverbs 18:21) is one admonition that sets a solid foundation of truth.

James, in the third chapter of his book, gets really real with us—a true “ouch” moment. He talks about how we believers have a tendency to praise God one minute and curse someone the next. The classic example is sitting through a church service, worshipping the Lord in song and through the sermon…then, you’re driving home only to start shouting at (and possibly cursing) some motorist who cut you off.

Part of Christian maturity is walking—and talking—in alignment with God’s Word. And that “sanctification journey” is just that—a journey. We cannot be perfect. Part of our motivation for living a holy life is to let our light shine in a dark world (Matt. 5:16). So, when we let unholy, slanderous, or hateful words fly, we hurt our own testimony, as well as the reputation of the Church. 

But there’s another motivation for not having a two-faced tongue. Think of this example: What if someone you love had a habit of consistently using their words in this way: “I love you!” … “You’re such a jerk!” … “You are so awesome!” … “(Expletive expletive!)” Not only would it be maddening, but it would be incredibly painful. (Some of us may not have to “imagine” this example at all, as we’ve lived it.) And this is what we’re doing to our precious Lord (James 3:9; Matthew 25:40-45). This is how we’re treating our Best Friend!

God’s Word also makes it very clear that what comes out of our mouth is a direct reflection of what’s in our heart (Matt 12:34; Mark 7:20-23). So, to address our two-faced tongue, we need to be sure we don’t have a two-faced heart. Because our mouth overflows from what’s inside, we need to fill ourselves with good stuff—and stay in fellowship with Christ. What does this look like, practically?

• Meet daily with the Lord in prayer
• Read and study God’s Word
• Serve others (This seems like giving away, but it’s actually very filling!)
• Be in community with fellow believers (Proverbs 13:20)
• Don’t fill up on junk food for the heart: social media, news, gossip, etc.

Lord, help me surrender control of my tongue to You, filling up my heart so its outflow is honoring to You and refreshing to others.

“You have faith, and I have works. Show me your faith without the works, and I will show you my faith by my works.”

James 2:18

Over the past two years, we’ve all had a lot of two-dimensional interactions. I don’t know about you, but I’m on video meetings every single day—some days I could have up to five or six! That’s a lot of screen time, and it doesn’t even include my actual work! So, whenever I do get to interact with clients or teammates in real life, I always joke about how nice it is to see them in “3D” (three versus two dimensions). It’s the way we’re meant to live!

I’m currently studying the book of James in the Bible. And it struck me that we, as believers in Jesus Christ, have to have “3D faith”. Let me explain. 

See, in this powerful (and convicting) book, James talks about three different types of faith. First there is one-dimensional faith—or dead faith—which is all head knowledge. People with this type of faith know their Bible stories, and they may even talk a good talk about theology. But that’s all there is. All talk, but no walk. In fact, you may see these people at church on Sunday…but their behavior the rest of the week does not reflect their “Christian” label.

Next is two-dimensional faith, or demonic faith. This type of faith is head knowledge plus an emotional reaction. As James illustrates, even the demons have this kind of faith. If these fallen angels could sit around a Bible-trivia table, they would win every round. They believe in God—they were there when He created everything. Just read the gospel accounts of Jesus’s ministry, and you’ll see that the demons recognized Jesus as Son of God and Judge. They believe, as James says, and they shudder (James 2:19)! They know God, they acknowledge His power, and they have an emotional response…but they do not love Him or surrender to Him.

Finally, there is three-dimensional faith—or dynamic faith. This is authentic, saving faith, encompassing head knowledge, emotional understanding, and obedient action. Going beyond words and feelings, this kind of faith involves the will, choosing to live in line with God’s Truth…loving God with all we are, and extending that love to our neighbor. In his letter, James also emphasizes that 3D faith is the only way we can demonstrate our faith to the world. See, only God can truly know our saving faith—it is He who justifies us and declares us righteous through the work of His Son on the cross. But there’s no way for our brothers and sisters, or the dying world around us, to know our faith (or even know what it means to have faith), unless we show them. 

So, what kind of faith do you have? Are you currently living with a one-dimensional or a two-dimensional faith? Or have you fully surrendered your mind, heart, and will to Jesus, walking out your faith in steadfast obedience to the One who surrendered it all for you? Friend, embrace 3D faith today—it’s the way we’re meant to live. 

Lord, reveal to me if my faith is just lip-service. I surrender my will to You today—help me demonstrate my faith and give light to a dark world.

Your unfailing love, O Lord, is as vast as the heavens; Your faithfulness reaches beyond the clouds. 

Psalm 36:5 (NLT)

Regardless of the family members that may surround you at home (whether it’s one person or 10), or the friends that you hang out with every weekend, or even those Monday-through-Friday coworkers that can be categorized as close buddies, do you ever just feel alone and unloved? It’s like there’s a definitive limit to the love, care, and concern that these people (as limited humans) have for you…and you’ve somehow hit it. It’s totally illogical to feel discarded and even abandoned when you’re literally surrounded, but I’m pretty sure we’ve all felt this way at some point.

But God. This little—yet powerful—phrase got me thinking about all the promises in the Bible about the limitless love, compassion, mercy, and forgiveness God has for us. Now, when the writers of both the Old and New Testaments tried to describe just how immeasurable God’s love is for us, they used what they knew to be absolutely incalculable to them: natural elements. Today, a quick Google search can tell us that the deepest part of the ocean, called the Challenger Deep, has been measured to be about 36,000 feet—or 7 miles—deep. Similarly, a few key clicks later, we’d learn that between Earth and the edge of the observable universe there are 46 billion light-years (whatever that means). 

But thousands of years ago, when those Holy-Spirit-inspired men needed to record the vastness of God’s love, they didn’t have Google. The boundless sky’s height and unfathomable ocean’s depth were perfect descriptors. And, although modern science may have (sort of) calculated these distances, we can still take great comfort in the Bible’s depiction of our amazing God. Here’s just a glimpse… 

How much does God love us? “Your unfailing love, O Lord, is as vast as the heavens; Your faithfulness reaches beyond the clouds” (Psalm 36:5); But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8).

Will the Lord ever forsake us? “And the Lord, He is the One who goes before you. He will be with you, He will not leave you nor forsake you; do not fear nor be dismayed” (Deuteronomy 31:8); “Can a woman forget her nursing child and have no compassion on the son of her womb? Even these may forget, but I will not forget you” (Isaiah 49:15).

How merciful is God? “Through the Lord’s mercies we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning; Great is Your faithfulness” (Lamentations 3:22-23); “For as the heavens are high above the earth, so great is His mercy toward those who fear Him” (Psalm 103:11).

Can we really be forgiven? “As far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us” (Psalm 103:12); “You will again have compassion on us; You will tread our sins underfoot and hurl all our iniquities into the depths of the sea” (Micah 7:19).

Let me ask again, how much does God love you, friend? “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life” (John 3:16). If you haven’t accepted this free gift of grace, of God’s immeasurable love, why not do so right now?

Lord, if just one is reading this who doesn’t know Your amazing grace, mercy, and love, let them surrender their way for Yours, exchanging their sin for Your perfect righteousness.

For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. 

Romans 6:23

Have you ever been threatened? Most likely, every one of us has been in a situation where we have, either physically or mentally. Maybe it was a verbal confrontation in a store or a workplace clash. Perhaps an impending hurricane or tornado. Regardless of the circumstances, humans tend to react to threats (real or perceived) in one of three ways: we fight, flee, or freeze. 

I was recently talking with a friend about how it’s one thing for us to be/feel threatened, but it’s something else entirely when it’s our child. No fleeing or freezing there—the claws just come out! You other “mama bears” out there know what I’m talking about! But when it comes to each of us individually, our responses differ depending on a multitude of factors. Some of us are generally “freezers”—we’ve sadly learned from a very early age that the best thing to do is stand still and “play possum” in hopes the threat will go away. Others of us are super-scrappy fighters, because self-protection has been imperative (our belief being “if we don’t protect ourselves, no one else will”). Of course, running away as fast as possible, either literally or emotionally, is a popular go-to reaction for a lot of us. Obviously, we don’t always choose the same response, but there’s typically a general pattern.

But of all the potential threats, there are three universal ones that all people must face—believers and unbelievers alike: moral law founded on the God’s Truth; death; and eternal life. 

Let’s start with the law. When God first called out His special people, He gave them the Law in the form of the Ten Commandments. And, from the beginning, the Jews (and all people) could not keep them. Even so, the Pharisees (Jewish leaders) continued to add law after law, rule after rule, making it exponentially more difficult to keep it. When Jesus came on the human scene, He boiled all of God’s law into two simple commands: Love God with all you are and love others. And although it’s just two items, we, as fallen humans, cannot meet God’s high standard of perfection. Not one of us.

Next, you’ve no doubt heard there are two certainties in life: death and taxes. Not everyone pays what they owe the government…but we all will face our last breath on earth. We can stay as healthy as possible and even try to ensure our face doesn’t match our birthday count, but the death rate remains at 100%.

Finally, there’s life after death. The spirit of every human being is eternal. Our bodies decay and die (someday to be glorified), but to be absent from the body is to be in the presence of the Lord (2 Corinthians 5:8). This face-to-face meeting, friend, will either be a joy-filled experience or one of terrible judgment. 

So how will you face these three threats? Will you freeze, ignoring reality? Will you run away, embracing the world and the lies propagated by its ruler, the devil? Or will you stand up and face the Truth, “fighting” for your soul’s victory? The law threatens us—it’s unattainable. Death threatens us—it’s unavoidable. Hell threatens us—it’s unimaginable. But Jesus. He came to earth to fulfill the Law and trade His righteousness for our sin. He conquered death and reconciled us to God, so we can live forever with Him. Friend, please trust in Him today—He has conquered every threat.

Lord, thank you for conquering sin and death, removing the threat of an eternity of suffering, making a way for us to be in Your presence forever.