In pointing out these things to the brothers and sisters, you will be a good servant of Christ Jesus, constantly nourished on the words of the faith and of the good doctrine which you have been following.

1 Timothy 4:6

So, as is my cyclical preoccupation, I’ve got eating on the brain again (well, not eating, actually). Even though my health/fitness isn’t the idol it used to be in my life, I still go through phases of self-berating for eating sweet treats and over-indulging. For instance, recently over the course of six weeks, I had no sugar and no processed foods. I felt great and, after the sugar cravings and seven-day post-caffeine headache went away, I was cruising along without thinking (read: obsessing) about food. I was solely nourishing my body and mind. It was great. (Sadly, despite that, I’m still struggling to lose my “COVID-10.”)

Then, my son and his wife came to visit. We ate out, got ice cream, did movie night (complete with piles of dollar-store candy). You get the picture. I enjoyed their visit immensely—and all the delicious food. But just like that, my food-for-fuel mentality switched back to wanting (and needing) that next sugar fix. And so the rollercoaster goes.

For many of us, this cycle is a familiar thing. If you’re with me on this, I know you know that the healthiest relationship with food is one of nourishment. We are meant to use food to power the body and mind. “Junk in” manifests itself in low energy, weight gain, headaches, and moodiness—not to mention the internal toll it takes on us.

Friends, did you know that what is true of the body is also true of the spirit? Just as the Apostle Paul wrote as an exhortation to Timothy, we are to be constantly nourished on God’s Word (1 Tim 4:6). And just as with our physical health, our spiritual health is impacted by “junk in.” What is “junk” in this context? It’s the things of this world—love of stuff, money, and self. The Bible is clear that to love (inhale, imbibe, consume) what the world loves will turn us away from loving God (1 John 2:15-17, Romans 12:2, James 4:4, Colossians 2:8).

We’ve got to nourish ourselves with God’s Word! Every bit of it is profitable—for teaching, training, correcting, and equipping us (2 Timothy 3:16-17). It lights our way in this dark world and helps us to not wander into sinful snares (Psalm 119:105; 10-11). Just like eating nutritious food protects us from having unhealthy bodies, consuming the Truth of God keeps our soul unpolluted and our way pure (Psalm 119:9—yep, this particular Psalm is like a spiritual recipe book, so check it out!). 

What is your spiritual diet like these days? Are you getting a hearty daily intake of God’s Word to sustain you? Let’s commit to making Bible reading an everyday priority—not only is it soul-nourishing, it’s oh so satisfying.

Your Word is life, Lord. Thank You for providing this food for life—this love letter from your heart to mine.

For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.  

Ephesians 2:8-9

It’s always a wonderful thing to discover what you truly want to be “when you grow up”—whether you’re six or 60. Tapping into your God-given gifts, your personality traits, and the God-ordained desires of your heart to find a fulfilling vocation is soul-satisfying. Sometimes it’s hardwired in early (like my son, the pilot, who’s wanted to fly airplanes since he was five years old). Other times, it takes a lifetime of meandering, self-discovery, and ultimate surrender to find that sweet spot the Lord has for you. (This is like my husband, who has blessedly found his purposeful professional—and service-driven—groove at 55.)

Not all career paths require a college education. But if one’s track is, say, engineering, science, teaching, or medicine, higher ed is a must. And for those of us walking through that process now ourselves or with our children, there are those frustrating moments in trying to register for a degree-related course you want when you see that footnoted list of “required prerequisites.” It’s a bit deflating to realize you need to take, for example, two semesters of accounting toward your degree in chemistry. But on the academic road to your ultimate destination, those prerequisites are unavoidable.

This is thankfully not the case when it comes to our ultimate eternal destination. When we decide—whether at age six or 60—that Heaven is our desired objective, it’s a one-step transaction. There are no hoops to jump through, no “101, 201, 301” progression, and certainly no grades to be earned. We cannot work our way into relationship with God. In this world, we are dead in our sin, separated from our Creator, walking in brokenness. But Jesus (fully God and fully man) lived a perfect life and gave Himself, through death on a cross, to pay the penalty we owe, trading our sin for His righteousness. It is simply by having faith in Jesus—believing you’re lost without Him and rescued by Him—that you are saved (restored to your intended relationship with God). 

What about you? Are you trying to fulfill some list of perceived prerequisites to earn your place in Heaven? Friend, you can rip up that list you’ve been carrying around. Look up and surrender to Jesus Christ. That’s it. Faith alone through grace alone (Acts 16:31, Ephesians 2:8-9, John 5:24, Romans 11:6). There’s nothing else for you to do, or not do. No boxes to check. No price to pay. Jesus paid it all…so, for you and for me, there are no prerequisites required. 

Lord, thank You for making the way for me. Your grace is sufficient! Give me a joyful obsession to share this amazing news with others.

Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.

Romans 8:1

*This is a repost, but I was reminded of it after having dinner with friends the other night. Enjoy!*

Has it happened to you? You’re enjoying a delicious dinner out with friends, talking and laughing the hours away. A few sweet teas into the evening, you hit the restroom and gaze at your reflected smile…only to see a big green hunk of spinach between your teeth. The mirror has shown you what your friends didn’t tell you—and you couldn’t see.

So, we take down the mirror off the wall and use it to clean our teeth, right? Of course not! The mirror only reveals the problem, it doesn’t fix it. 

This is a perfect analogy for God’s law. Throughout the Bible, the Jews were trying to use the law to achieve a level of holiness that would be acceptable to God. Even today, followers of nearly every world religion—and many Christians—believe the “rules” are steppingstones to salvation. 

But sisters and brothers, the law was never meant to be the way to God. Our Father in heaven is perfect, and He requires nothing less than perfection. So striving for rule-following, no matter how hard we try, will fail. Humans are not perfect, and we are incapable of following God’s law with perfect righteousness. 

Just like the bathroom mirror that reveals food caught in your teeth, the law is meant to show us we are not good enough for a perfect, Holy God. His law shows us how unrighteous we really are, so we’ll run to the only One Who is perfect. Jesus came to this earth, fully God and fully man, to fulfill the law perfectly. He lived the life we could not live and paid the price for our sinfulness. Because he died for us and rose again, we are able to accept His gift of grace and be made perfect in God’s eyes. 

The mirror cannot remove the spinach from our teeth. But it was necessary to recognize there was a problem—a big hunk of green. And trying to follow God’s rules will not remove the stain of sin from our lives. The law shows us there’s a problem (our sinfulness and unholiness)…but Jesus Christ is the only way we can be washed as white as snow. 

“Lord, there is only one way for us to perfectly reflect You—by accepting what Jesus did on my behalf. Thank you for revealing my sin and for paying the price.”

“When he came to his senses, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have food to spare, and here I am starving to death! I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired servants.’ So he got up and went to his father.” 

Luke 17:20

A sweet sister and I were recently talking about our Christian walks, and the walks of our respective spouses and children. Now, as believers, having done our best to raise our children to love and serve the Lord, it’s heartbreaking to watch a child (or spouse) turn off the narrow path and begin meandering down the wide road with the masses. Maybe, though, it’s the person looking back at you in the mirror who, like the young man in the parable of the lost son (Luke 15:11-32), was engaged in “wild living,” squandering everything you have.

As my friend and I shared hard-learned lessons with each other, it dawned on me that every one of us can be compared with the guy in that familiar lost-and-found story Jesus told the crowd made up of His followers and haters. The only difference among us stems from exactly when in the process we actually come to our senses (v 17). 

When you read the parable, which has numerous profound teachings, you’ll see that the young man decided to do life his way, giving in to every fleshy whim and chasing momentary, hollow satisfaction. For him, it was only when he was literally and figuratively spent, starving, and working in a pigsty that he realized he needed to return to his father. He had, as we say today, hit rock bottom. This is the moment he came to his senses, knowing he needed to turn back (repent). But if you think about his path to the pit, from that first step taken off his dad’s property to standing with the pigs, the guy could have come to his senses at any time, curtailing his loss and pain the sooner he turned around.

If you’re already saved, whether it was at age 10, 20, 30, or 70, you were once walking in the ways of this world, pursuing self-pleasure and the idol of “me,” when at some point you realized you were lost. You turned back to the Father, and He ran to you with a compassionate embrace, welcoming you Home. (And when you did, there was a huge heavenly party in your honor.) The thing is, some of us took a few steps off the proverbial front porch and thought, “Nope, I know it’s better here, so I think I’ll stay under my Daddy’s roof.” Some of us started hanging out with other world-pursuing people, experienced the my-way life, and soon realized where that road would lead. Others of us, however, heartily pursued the “it’s-my-party” life, filling that God-shaped soul-hole with things, people, or substances that only made that hole wider and deeper. It was only when we found ourselves in the pit of despair and brokenness, that we had no other place to look for rescue than up. But, praise God, we came Home to the amazing grace and mercy of the Father.

If you’ve not yet made the decision to turn off the wide road and trust Jesus as Lord and Savior, where are you now? Are you walking with the crowds thinking everything is fine, not knowing the end of that road is destruction? Maybe you’re in the midst of a “good time,” with a plastered smile on your face but a hollow heart. Perhaps you’re sitting in the pigsty at this very moment. Friend, the Father is waiting for you to turn back. Come to your senses now. Set your eyes on Him…and He will run to you with a loving embrace and welcome you Home.

Lord, what an amazing thing it is that You love us and are waiting with open arms. May we run into your embrace daily.

And He came and preached peace to you who were afar off and to those who were near. For through Him we both have access by one Spirit to the Father.

Ephesians 2:17-18

Despite the fact that I can’t play any instrument and I’m not the greatest singer, music has always been a passion of mine. In fact, for decades I was a hardcore concert goer. Beginning at age 12, I started seeing my favorite bands and solo artists perform, in venues from huge stadiums to intimate clubs. In all those years of hundreds of shows, one thing I have never been privileged to have is one of those “all-access” passes. You know, that special lanyard that grants you entrance backstage with all the roadies…and even affords you the opportunity to meet the object (or objects) of your fanaticism.

So, what makes one worthy of such prestigious access? Most of the time, it comes down to money—if you pay enough, you get access. Other times, it’s about who you know. Your uncle Joe knows the brother of the stage manager (who owes him a favor), so you end up with that priceless tag around your neck. Next thing you know, you’re face to face with some rock god you’ve obsessed about for years.

Friend, here is an amazing truth: As a believer, you have been granted access to God Himself. In fact, you have an all-access pass to go boldly to His throne at any time. And at the end of your earthly journey, you will literally be face to face with Him. But, unlike a stage pass for some musical show, you cannot pay any price for this access—nothing you can do can earn you that proverbial lanyard. The Christian’s all-access pass, however, is acquired by that “who-you-know” route. 

See, for every individual, there is just one way to gain this entrée to God’s presence—one Person to know. The moment you receive Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, you are presented before the throne of God the Father (no interceding roadies, gatekeepers, or ticket-takers). Jesus paid the cost—a price we could never afford—so we can stand in perfect holy righteousness before the Creator. All we have to do is ask.

Why not reach out and accept your all-access pass today? Just acknowledge that your brokenness and sin separate you from God. Then, turn from your old ways and accept the free gift of grace from Jesus who has made a way for you. On the cross and through His resurrection victory over death, He has exchanged your sin for His righteousness, so you can have restored access (relationship) to God.

Jesus, thank You for living a life I could not live and paying a debt I could never afford, providing me with an all-access-for-eternity pass to God.

And this I pray, that your love may abound still more and more in knowledge and all discernment, that you may approve the things that are excellent, that you may be sincere and without offense till the day of Christ.

Philippians 1:9-10

The word “sincere” is defined as being free of deceit, hypocrisy, or falseness; it is to be genuine, real, and pure. Now, I’m pretty confident that most of us want sincerity to be an essential (and proven) characteristic of our spouse, children, friends, boss, etc. None of us secretly hopes that our best friend makes a habit of lying to us, or that our coworker smiles and chats pleasantly with us only to turn around and badmouth us to another team member.

Sadly, our culture today doesn’t blink at dishonesty—just watch the news. And social media is all about promoting falseness and “un-realism,” from filtered Instagram selfies to impossibly perfect Pinterest desserts. But what about us? As much as we desire sincerity from others (and detest their insincerity), do we live out pure authenticity ourselves?

God’s Word is very clear in exhorting Christians to live, love, and serve with sincerity (Philippians 1:10, Joshua 24:14, 1 Peter 1:22, Colossians 3:22). Modern dictionary definitions aside, there is an interesting oral tradition from antiquity that the word “sincere” actually comes from the Latin words “sine” and “cera”—which together mean “without wax.” According to commentary on Philippians 1:10 from John MacArthur’s Study Bible:

In the ancient world, dishonest pottery dealers filled cracks in their inferior products with wax before glazing and painting them, making worthless pots difficult to distinguish from expensive ones. The only way to avoid being defrauded was to hold the pot to the sun, making the wax-filled cracks obvious. Dealers marked their fine pottery that could withstand “sun testing” as sine cera. 

Think about that. What a meaningful parallel that is for our life! Once we surrender to Jesus, we strive to be more like Him every day. (Of course, we only reach perfection once we are in heaven, but the goal on this earth is to more closely resemble Jesus as we become more mature in the faith.) So, as we walk out our salvation, our lives are to withstand not “sun testing” but “Son testing.” To ensure purity, truth, and sincerity, we can hold our thoughts, words, actions, and decisions up to the Light—Jesus (John 8:12). 

Friends, let’s make it a point to live wax-free. When the angel of light (Satan) tries to blind us with the shiny things of this world, may we prove strong and unyielding. When the blazing heat of tempting sin beats down on us, may our faith not melt away. And when we hold up our life to the glorious Light of our Lord and Savior, may it reflect His beauty back onto us.

Lord, help me to walk in sincerity through this world that elevates lying, cheating, and hypocrisy. Let me live according to Your example. 

Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.

Psalm 119:105

Do you love to travel? Most of us probably do (at least we did, when we were allowed to move about freely). We love to visit unfamiliar places, discovering what’s special about that town, state, or country. But no matter where our adventures were taking us, we had to create a travel plan and map out the route to our destination. This used to entail reading paper maps (then figuring out how to refold them—can I get a witness?). Then, it evolved to looking up direction on the computer and printing them. Now, our smartphones not only pull up maps for us, but a programmed voice of our choice will tell us step-by-step turns until we arrive. 

But, at the end of the day, we still need some sort of routed directions. 

Life itself is like that as well. The distance between our original location (birth) to our final earthly destination (death) is one long journey. And it’s not too far into the trip when we start hitting forks in the road—choices to be made as to which direction to take. Try weed with your middle school friends or not…say “no” to the sexualized status of today’s teen years or go along with the crowd…choose among colleges to attend—or choose not to go…job A or job B…live together (because who needs a piece of paper?) or get married in purity…you get the point. Our life maps are as complex as those paper-map insets of large cities—every few steps, there seems to be another directional choice.

But, friends, there is a clear and definitive roadmap for life—the Bible. And it comes directly from the One who created life itself (not to mention your unique purposeful life). From Genesis 1:1 to Revelation 22:21, there are 66 books filled with inerrant, God-inspired truth and guidance for the journey. The Bible is not some outdated, irrelevant antiquity. It’s archeologically proven, scientifically sound, and morally unblemished. It rigorously defines the safest, surest, most joy-filled route to take. You could call it “Route 66.”

Psalm 119 (the longest chapter in the Bible) is dedicated to explaining why to follow God’s Word—from the benefits of doing so to the consequences of going off-course. Here are just a few truths from this Psalm describing the results of going God’s way:

• We will not be unjust. 
• We will not be ashamed.
• We will walk in purity.
• We will be joyful.
• We will find counsel.
• We will be comforted.
• We will be strengthened.
• We will walk in liberty.

And those are just some of the truths from verses 1-45. There are another 131 verses to go in the chapter.

Of course, even when we follow God’s Word through life, we’ll still have choices—lots of them—along the way. But because the Mapmaker is our perfect, holy, loving, all-knowing God, you cannot make a bad turn if you follow Route 66.

Thank You, Lord, for Your Word. May I be always intentional about making it the light to my path through this world.

In love He predestined us to adoption as sons and daughters through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, with which He favored us in the Beloved. (Ephesians 1:4b-6)

When we adopted our son, he was grafted into our family forever. Of course, we loved and adored him the moment he entered our lives as a foster child, but it was when the judge’s gavel struck the bench that he officially became a Smith. From that moment, because he was no longer part of the state’s system, there was no difference between him and our older son in terms of privilege, resources, protection, discipline, and (as small or nonexistent as it might be) inheritance. 

He is our child in every way imaginable.

The one thing, however, we could not give him was our nature—our DNA-driven features (good or bad). I could not pass on my Italian olive complexion or hazel eyes. His skin is a gorgeous brown, but it differs markedly from mine and his dad’s. And within the ever-present medical debates about nature vs. nurture, I can tell you that, on the side of nurture, he picked up plenty of characteristics (and character) growing up Smith.

Friend, when you give your life to Jesus, accepting salvation by grace through faith alone, you become a child of God, adopted into His family (John 1:12-13, Gal 4:4-5, Rom 8:14-17)! When we are born again into this new forever family, Christians become co-heirs with Christ, given every privilege, resource, and inheritance from God the Father. This is an amazing, glorious thing, especially looking forward to our heavenly future with Jesus.

But, unlike the limitation of human adoption to share DNA characteristics, when we are grafted into God’s family, He also miraculously bestows on us His very nature. We are given the righteousness of Jesus to replace our unrighteousness. We are made a completely new creation, transformed into the very image of Christ! Given the power of the indwelling Holy Spirit—the same power that raised Jesus from the dead—we are able to live out (albeit not perfectly in this world) the “nurture AND nature” characteristics of our Lord. As we walk closer with God through His Word, we look more and more like Him.

And what’s more awe-inspiring, is that when our Heavenly Father looks at us, He doesn’t see our fallen, sinful nature. To Him, through our adoption, we are wholly and perfectly righteous, transformed by the blood of Jesus. Our adoptive Abba (Daddy) not only gives us everything He has…He has given us the proverbial DNA of Christ.

Lord, thank you for the privilege of being called Your child. Help me always remember who I am in You and glorify You through my words and action.

(Love) does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.

1 Corinthians 13:5

Even if you’re not digging into God’s Word regularly, you’ve probably attended a wedding (maybe even your own) where 1 Corinthians 13 was read—it’s the familiar love chapter. In these verses the apostle Paul describes what “agape” love looks like. Agape is one of the many Greek words for love and connotes an unconditional, choice-driven love for others. And it’s a very big ask for us sin-laden humans.

Although the entire chapter delivers a depth and breadth of meaning that could—and has—filled books, I want to home in on one little phrase that packs a huge punch: “it (love) keeps no record of wrongs.” 

This inherently carries with it the exhortation to forgive. And the Bible has a lot to say about this topic (Eph 4:23, Mark 11:25, Matt 6:15, Col 3:13—just to name a few). But avoiding recordkeeping, well, that takes it to another level: it demands that we forgive and forget. You may be thinking, “Yeah, that’s not for me…how can I ever win an argument if the hatchet I buried long ago doesn’t have the handle easily accessible, so I can grab it and swing as needed?” 

Friend, if you are a Christ-follower, saved by faith through the amazing grace of Jesus, your record is clean and clear. When you recognized that your sin separated you from God, and you believed that Jesus paid the price of restoration, all your sins were forgiven (past, present, and future). More than that, they are forgotten (Jer 31:34, Hebrews 8:12)—God does not bring them up again. (Satan will, but that’s another story altogether.) When God opens His record book to your name, the countless items that should be there are gone, erased by the blood of Jesus. Your record, and mine, has been expunged.

As Christians, we are called to walk through this world taking intentional steps to be more like Jesus. This includes loving others with agape love. It means forgiving your spouse and not tucking the incident away for an opportune time to pull it out. It’s recognizing the Lord’s new mercies toward us every morning (Lam 3:22-23) and extending that to our children, friends, and coworkers. It means burying the entire hatchet—no digging up allowed.

Our record is clean, thanks to Jesus. And we’ve been given the Holy Spirit to help us forgive—and forget—in the same way. I’m not saying it’s easy…but how about it? Let’s grab our own proverbial pencil and start erasing those lists we’ve been keeping.

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, this person is a new creation; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come.

2 Corinthians 5:17

Before that show “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition” was a thing, there was an original version not many may remember called “Extreme Makeover.” Basically, someone would leave their loved ones and start a journey of transformation with a team of health, medical, and beauty experts. And it was very extreme—from cosmetic dentistry and laser eye surgery to minimal food and maximum exercise, no aspect of their physical self was left unchanged. (We watched it weekly…it was kind of a train wreck, but it was hard to look away.) Sadly, if you read any of those “where are they now” sites, you’ll see that these participants’ lives were not miraculously improved just because their outside was changed. Often relationships worsened, physical problems ensued, the weight came back, etc. 

But, friend, did you know that God has planned for each of us our very own extreme makeover? Unlike the TV show, though, the transformation we undergo is from the inside out—and we’re forever changed for the better. No professionals needed…just God’s perfect Word. So, what are some steps to realize a whole new you?

• Turn away from what was—and start moving in a new direction.

Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! (Isaiah 43:18-19); 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)

• Put on a fresh wardrobe—clothe yourself with righteousness.

I will rejoice greatly in the Lord, My soul will be joyful in my God; For He has clothed me with garments of salvation, He has wrapped me with a robe of righteousness, As a groom puts on a turban, And as a bride adorns herself with her jewels. (Isaiah 61:10)

• Get your eyes fixed—on the Lord.

For my eyes are toward You, God, the Lord; In You I take refuge; do not leave me defenseless.

• Get a facelift—change your countenance with the joy of salvation. 

These things I have spoken to you so that My joy may be in you, and that your joy may be made full. (John 15:11); Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and uphold me with a willing spirit. (Psalm 51:12)

• Apply a new perfume—the sweet aroma of Christ.

But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and through us reveals the fragrance of the knowledge of Him in every place. For we are a fragrance of Christ to God… (2 Corinthians 2:15-16)

After a physical makeover, it’s understandable to want to keep a mirror handy to admire the “new you.” But when we’re transformed by faith in Jesus and made new in Him, the mirror we use changes as well. Instead of gazing at self, “we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord” (2 Corinthians 3:18). Transformation is a prayer away—why not choose to be renewed today?

Father, thank you that when we surrender to You, we don’t stay the same!