Because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.

Romans 10:9

Uncertainty. Anxiety. Fear. These thoughts and emotions are among the most prevalent in today’s “unprecedented” times. (Well, they’re not that unprecedented, but that’s another story.)  In fact, the CDC—right or wrong, everyone’s go-to resource these days—recently reported that 25.5% of young American adults between 18 and 24 have considered suicide between May and June due to our nation’s response to COVID-19. This same study also noted that 13.3% of survey respondents claim they had turned to substance abuse, including drugs and alcohol, to cope with stress caused by the pandemic.*

The economic impacts to families, communities, and our nation have also been catastrophic on many levels. And, young children are facing long-term emotional and psychosocial damage from suspended schooling and other mandated actions. The list goes on and on and on as to valid reasons for sustained dread and insecurity.

But there is good—no, great—news! A “sure thing” is available to us all.

There is blessed assurance in the saving grace of Jesus Christ. When we accept what Jesus accomplished on our behalf, we can be absolutely secure in our current standing with God and our eternal destination (John 5:24; 10:28). It’s not about our good-versus-bad tally each day (we’d all fail there, friends). It’s not about our church attendance or donation totals. Salvation (our sinful nature traded for Jesus’ righteousness) is not dependent on what we do—or don’t do. It only requires a decision to trust the Lord and surrender all those efforts to Him and His work alone (Romans 10:9; Eph 2:8-9; Titus 3:5).

And this certainty is not based on our feelings. I’m confident that many Christians (if not all of us) doubt our salvation because we’re not “feeling” close to God. We will have mountaintop experiences and valley seasons. We’ll struggle with our ungodly words and actions. Maintaining “the joy of the Lord” can be a challenge. But we’re in good company—just read David’s Psalms or anything from the Apostle Paul! 

So, if you’re reading this, and you’re already a believer, you can rest easy amid today’s tumult. Your security in Christ is a sure thing no one can take away. And, if you haven’t yet placed your faith in Jesus, why not make today the day (2 Corinthians 6:2)? All you have to do is let go of your uncertainty, release the idea that being “good enough” is good enough for an eternity in heaven. Just believe that, on the cross of Calvary, Jesus exchanged His life for yours—your penalty has been paid in full. Just believe and be forgiven—and you’ll be a new creation (1 John 1:9; 2 Cor 5:17). 

After all, we could all use a sure thing right now.

* https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/69/wr/mm6932a1.htm

You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot.

Matthew 5:13

Today, people have a love-hate relationship with salt. We love the way it makes our food taste better when it’s added in the right amount—too much, though, and it can ruin a meal. And, for some, overusing salt produces a biological response that raises their blood pressure, creating a health risk. 

In Matthew’s gospel account of the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7), Jesus told His disciples that they are the salt of the earth—and the same message is true for His followers today. This lesson has many layers, especially when you study the different uses (and incredible value) of salt in Jesus’ time. There’s the preservation significance of salt, as there was no refrigeration. This equates to how we, as Christians, are to be preservers of God’s Word. There’s the flavor aspect of salt—and our call to flavor our world with the love, mercy, and grace of Jesus. 

But I want to look at a different quality of this simple mineral—one we all know for sure (and an aspect restaurants use as a standard profit-maker): Salt makes us thirsty. When we eat something deliciously salty (popcorn, chips, Chinese food, etc.), we want a tall glass of water nearby. Biologically speaking, when our bodily fluids and blood get saltier than the cells, vital water is actually pulled out of the cells. Those cells begin to protest, signaling the brain to tell us, “Hey! We need more water in here!” Hence, we feel thirsty.

So, when it comes to creating thirst for Jesus in others, how are we doing? Are the words we speak—and the tone we use—deliciously salty, inviting others to drink from the Fountain of Living Water (John 7:37-38)? Are our actions kind and grace-motivated, pulling from the other person the desire for more…and the desire to know more? When we interact with others, do we leave them with a pleasant taste? Or, when our paths cross with others, do we leave a nasty bitterness in our wake that merely produces a desire for them to rinse and spit?

Convicted? Yeah, me too.

Friends, let’s make an effort today—and every day—to be the salt of the earth, as Jesus encourages us to be. Let’s be preservers of the Word. Let’s flavor our homes, workplace, and community with grace. And let’s behave in a way that leaves others thirsty for more of what we have…Jesus.

Lord, may I be salt and light to the world today, especially as Truth evaporates and the darkness deepens. Let me represent You well.

“But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you shut up the kingdom of heaven against men; for you neither go in yourselves, nor do you allow those who are entering to go in. Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you devour widows’ houses, and for a pretense make long prayers. Therefore, you will receive greater condemnation.”  

Matthew 23:13-14

I know you’ve heard it. “Christians are such hypocrites.” In fact, I know you know people who do not go to church, don’t trust the Church, or even refute the existence of God because this statement is true.

If you haven’t been under a rock recently, you’ve read or seen media coverage on the tragic fall of the president of the largest Christian university in the world. The situation is sad and disappointing. And the media, along with unbelievers everywhere, are almost giddy as they report (um, attack) with a sparkle in their eyes this man, his family, his family name, and—of course—the university. (Don’t get me wrong, he’s made very poor decisions over the years, and I pray his heart turn back wholly to the Lord.) 

(I will also say, though, that my heart is utterly broken for the students and faculty who wholeheartedly love the Lord…and the generations of graduates since 1971 who are making a profound impact for Christ globally.)

But, fellow Christians, I have one request of us before we—with the masses—face his image on the TV or computer screen, point, and shout, “You hypocrite!” 

First, go to a mirror, face your own image, point, and shout, “You hypocrite!”

Yes, the Church is hypocritical—it’s full of hypocrites! Its chairs are filled (well, 50% or so filled at present) with people like you and me. Fallen human beings who, although saved by grace, still live in the world. We have been made righteous by the blood of Jesus Christ, so that when we stand before a perfect and holy God, we will be seen as worthy of His presence…but we’re not there yet. We’re here. In this world, in this broken body and depraved mind. Right now, we are not perfect—no one standing on this earth can proclaim otherwise.

That being said, as Christians, we—through the power of the Holy Spirit—still must strive to live an authentic life. We must read the Word and walk in the Word, doing our best not to “turn to the left or to the right” (Proverbs 4:27). And we recognize that we will fail. Like the great Apostle Paul bemoaned, we do the things we don’t want to do, and we don’t do the things we want to do (Romans 7:15-20). But, as we stand firm on God’s Truth, we ask—and receive—forgiveness (from others and from God), and we keep moving ahead.

So, whenever we see or hear of “hypocritical” Christians, stop, turn to the nearest mirror, and pray.

“Lord, thank You for making me a new, perfected creation in Christ. As I await living out that perfection with You in heaven, help me to live authentically, let me seek Your forgiveness when I fail, and help me extend grace to others.”

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. ~

Romans 15:13

I heard a pastor talk mention how Christians believe in three creations—which I thought was a pretty cool concept. Simply put, we believe that (1) in the beginning, God created everything. (Gen 1:1). We believe that (2) when we surrendered our life to Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, we became a new creation (2 Cor 5:15). And we believe that (3) ultimately God will recreate the heavens and earth to be our eternal home—and we will be given newly created bodies to live there, bodies that, like that earth, will not decay (Rev 21:1-5; 2 Cor 5:1-3).

But what struck me after I was ruminating on this comment is that our hope as Believers is also founded upon these three aspects of creation. Let me explain. 

Regarding God’s creation of the heavens and the earth, we—as believers in a Creator God—hope in His omnipotence. He made it all and He is in control of it all, no matter how out of control the world seems to be. I hope in Him, because He is all-powerful, all-knowing, good, patient, and gracious. He knitted together each of us in our mother’s womb (Psalm 139:13), miraculously creating unique, ordered strands of DNA that makes each of us, well, us. Universally and cellularly, He is the Creator of it all (Col 1:16).

Next, as partakers in the soul-level regeneration of salvation, we have experienced the creation of newness within—the miracle of transformation from unrighteous to blameless, stained to white, dead to alive (2 Cor 5:15; Isaiah 1:18; Eph 2:1-5). Yes, brothers and sisters, we have been made new, forever changing our future. We have hope in our eternal destination: in the heavenly presence of Jesus, the One who transformed us. Our circumstances here may be challenging—but they are temporary. Pain may wrack our body (I know mine has been quite wracked lately), but we can anticipate a new, perfected body that will never deteriorate, hurt, or grow weary (Rev 21:4).

And the third creation: the new earth—heaven on earth, really. This is where our hope as believers gets really exciting. When we study Revelation, we learn that after the Millennial reign of Jesus (which will itself be 1000 years of awesomeness for Christians), God will melt away everything as we knew it to create our forever home. This is where we will eternally worship, learn, make friends, eat amazing food, and—most importantly—see clearly our Lord and Savior, daily coming to greater and greater understanding of who He is (1 Cor 13:12).

As amazing as all this hope is to us, it also dawned on me the contrasting hopelessness of those who have rejected creation…at any or every level described here. 

Those who don’t believe that God created, well, everything, won’t worship the Creator—they’ll worship the creation (earth, stuff, people). And because all of creation is on a trajectory of death, hope in creation will always fail and disappoint the worshipper. 

For those who reject Jesus and His sacrifice on the cross to pay our debt and set us free (making us a new creation), what hope do they have for their future? They hope in self. They may try to be “a good person” and satisfy some nebulous universal accountant. But how can they ever be sure they’ve done “enough”? The result can only be despair. 

Finally, our world (nation, culture) is in a constant state of decay, any way you slice it. Whether you believe God’s clock has run out, or if you anticipate generations of continued patience on God’s part, the fact remains: Jesus is coming back. Without going into eschatological discussion or hitting on the non-essentials of pre-trib, mid-trib, post-trib theology, etc., suffice it to say that a New Heaven and New Earth will be created. And our respective new bodies will live forever there. 

So, I am not hoping science to “prove” our world is billions of years old. (In fact, the more science learns, the more it aligns with the Bible—but that’s another blog altogether.) I will not put my hope in “saving” the earth through some New Green Deal. And I do not put my hope in governments or civic leaders who themselves are fallen and rotting. 

My hope—and I pray yours—is in the One True and Living God, who made it all, sustains it all, and rules it all. His love never fails, so neither will my hope.

“Lord, all my hope is in You, even as these times seem hopeless. Help me have ready a reason for my hope, so I can share it with others.”

Watch your tongue and keep your mouth shut, and you will stay out of trouble (NLT).

Proverbs 21:23

Have your words ever gotten you into trouble? Have you uttered thoughts out loud—either under your breath or at the top of your lungs—that you wish you could have taken back the moment they left your lips? How often does your tongue betray the ugly truth of your heart?

As for me, the answers to the above questions are yes, oh yes, and way too often.

Although Scripture has a lot to say on the matter, you don’t have to be a Bible scholar to know the power of the tongue. Our flesh is a formidable foe, and it’s so easy to use our tongue in a way that’s hurtful—to another person and to ourselves. And, much like squeezing out toothpaste from its tube, once spoken, our words cannot be “put back” or become unspoken.

So, how do we keep our tongue from evil (Psalm 34:13) and ensure our words are used to bring comfort and edification? Here are three simple instructions found in God’s Word. Simple, yes. Easy? Well, not so much. 

• Listen first. “If one gives an answer before he hears, it is his folly and shame.” (Proverbs 18:13) When having a discussion (or disagreement), it’s easy to start formulating your response without really listening to the other person. Instead, try to focus on what they’re saying, parrot back what you heard, and ask questions of clarification. Not only will we prevent foolishness, but we may quickly come to a mutual understanding.

• Watch your tone. “A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.” (Proverbs 15:1) When a situation is emotionally charged, our words can be as well. The same exact sentence can carry polar opposite meanings depending on our tone of voice. This is an area of personal struggle for me. In fact, sometimes I don’t even realize I’m using a “harsh tone” until someone (usually my husband) “lovingly” points it out. 

• Be gracious. “Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person.” (Colossians 4:6) When we greet each day with the gratitude of God’s grace in our own lives, recalling that we’ve been spared the punishment we deserve thanks to Jesus Christ, extending grace to others starts coming more naturally.

Lord, set a guard over my mouth and keep watch over the door of my lips, so that I may bring comfort and peace—and not pain or anger—by the words I speak.

My flesh and my heart fail; But God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.

Psalm 73:26

I took a trip to ED the other evening. (For those of you around my age, it was previously known as the “ER”—not sure when the shift happened. But I digress.) It was not fun. At all. I’ll spare you all the details of the adventure, because there aren’t many positive things I can say about the entire experience…and “if you don’t have anything nice to say…”

What I will share—because we’re friends, after all—is that I herniated a disc, which, after working beyond the injury for another nine hours, turned into a complete whole-back seizure series that lasted for hours. Anyhoo, after almost a week of functioning in either a standing or prone position, I’m slowly on the mend. 

I needed this incident. I didn’t need the intense physical agony, for sure. But I needed to be reminded that my flesh will fail, but God is my strength. I needed to be reminded that it doesn’t matter how competent or confident we are in our work, how close we are to loving family members, or how rooted (or not- rooted) we are in our community, we must always be 100% dependent on God. 

Our finances will come and go—and every provision is from the Lord anyway. It’s all His. And our money could evaporate like smoke (layoff, medical bills, car repair, etc.) or pour down like rain. Regardless, God does not come and go. He is here and with us always (Matt 28:20).

Friends do come and go. Although I have a handful of friends who’ve known me over the decades and some deep friendships that are just a few years old, I believe the Lord brings friendships into our lives for seasons and reasons. They ebb and flow like the tide. But God never leaves us or forsakes us (Duet 31:6).

And, even though my husband and (very upset) son were next to me as I was lying on the floor unable to move, screaming and crying, they could not help me. I was alone in my pain, completely dependent on God. 

I was truly terrified. But through that time—and the days since when I haven’t been able to do a whole lot for myself—the Lord has made it very clear that He is in control, and I am not. We are not. We can make plans, determine where our path is going to lead us. But God directs our steps (Proverbs 16:9). He is Sovereign, and we are depended on His provision and goodness for the very breath in our lungs.

Lord, thanks for the reminder to hold on loosely to the things of this world and depend on You completely.

Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 

Matthew 11:28

The past several months (or has it been years?) have been, well, weird. And no matter where you land on the spectrum between “we’re all gonna die” and “this is all a hoax,” you’ve probably been experiencing weirdness at some level.

I have friends who are relishing this “downtime” with family—gardening, playing games, and enjoying time and activities not previously possible between kids’ sports, school events, and general out-and-aboutness. Other people I know haven’t been faring so well. Laid off or furloughed, finding a new job is nearly impossible in the current “not-open-for-business” culture. And for many of us, the constant “togetherness” combined with the frustration and fear about what’s happening in the country creates an edginess that overcomes and often overwhelms. 

As for me, I am just plain tired.

Even as I write blogs touting God’s sovereignty, His perfect will, and the fallen condition of humanity (primarily as reminders to myself), it’s easy to descend into a fog of weariness. Granted, I’ve been blessed that my business has kept me incredibly busy—and I work A LOT, which is mentally tiring. (This is especially true as the work-from-anywhere normal has eliminated any semblance of a 9-5 workday parameter.)

But this goes beyond work fatigue. It’s an emotional, psychological, and spiritual exhaustion from everything that’s going on (inside and outside my four walls). The result? I’ve got “too much work” to have lunch with a friend. I’m “too tired” to reach out for support. I’m “too something-or-another” even to attend church. And that’s exactly where Satan wants me to be. 

Just like a lion will wait for that straggler from the pack—the weak or slow one—our enemy prowls around us, seeking those most vulnerable so he can devour (1 Peter 5:8). My guard is down, and my weariness has made me susceptible.

It’s time to assess my ammunition levels and put my armor back on (Eph 6:10-20). I’m going to fasten my belt of truth and put on my breastplate of righteousness. I’ll tie my shoes of Gospel-sharing readiness. And, most importantly, hold up my shield of faith—and attach it to those of my faithful brothers and sisters—to extinguish the flaming darts coming my way. 

I am tired, yes. But I will rest in the Lord. I will trust Him amid the craziness of today. And I will remain standing firm as the battle between light and dark intensifies. 

I will greatly rejoice in the Lord, My soul shall be joyful in my God; For He has clothed me with the garments of salvation, He has covered me with the robe of righteousness.

Isaiah 61:10

Confession time: I’ve been kind of a mess lately. Looking at both macro and micro issues, so to speak, I feel pressed in on every side. Big-picture, way-beyond-my-control stuff—like the Orwellian dystopia that is our culture—can overtake my mind and heart like a dense black fog. And, closer to home, those I love are besieged by mighty struggles that daily break my heart.

I get it—really, I do. All these things are raging spiritual battles—the enemy’s fight is fierce for the world and its inhabitants. Despite my knowledge of this fact, as well as having confidence in this war’s ultimate outcome, my spirit is heavy.

So, when I opened the Word this morning to read Isaiah 61, the Lord spoke clearly to me of His unequivocal understanding. He gets me…and my experiences and internal struggles are not new. If you’re familiar with the launch of Jesus’ public ministry, you’ll know that He turned to this Scripture, reading aloud in the Synagogue to proclaim, “This is Me! I’ve come to heal and save you!” This is amazing, but the part of this chapter that pierced my soul today is in verse 3: Jesus also came to give those who mourn “the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness.” 

As this so accurately describes my current status, its remedy also jumped off the page: the garment of praise. This verse doesn’t necessarily mean we can just cast off the spirit of heaviness any more than we can cast off being cold. Instead, through Jesus, we are able to don a garment of praise—and by putting on praise, we don’t add another layer of heaviness…we lighten our spiritual load! 

And as the chapter continues, verse 10 delivers more wardrobe advice: “My soul shall be joyful in my God; for He has clothed me with the garments of salvation, He has covered me with the robe of righteousness.” 

Because of Jesus, my clothes are no longer the rags of sin, death, and unrighteousness! Despite my fallen nature, God looks upon me in garments of perfected beauty. And (popping back up to verse 3), for this I can—I must—praise Him, adding another element to the outfit. (Think of it as a great accessory—the perfect scarf or necktie.) 

When we look in the mirror, brothers and sisters, is this the ensemble we see? Or do we wake up daily and pull on a t-shirt of fear, pants of despair, and a sweater of uncertainty—despite the clothes given to us by our precious Lord? 

You know that awesome feeling when you find that rare (and often elusive) outfit that fits perfectly and brings a sense of joy and confidence—maybe for a job interview or special occasion? Think about that and multiply that awesomeness by about a billion. Whatever is going on in our world, our home, or our own mind and body, we have what we need for joy and confidence. We have salvation that cannot be taken away. We have righteousness, despite our sin. We have reason to praise in all circumstances. 

God has given us a whole new wardrobe. So, go ahead, flaunt it.

Lord, remind me daily that You have given me the spiritual garments I need to take on each day with hope and joy—thank You!

Can a woman forget her nursing child, And not have compassion on the son of her womb? Surely they may forget, Yet I will not forget you. See, I have inscribed you on the palms of My hands.

Isaiah 49:15-16

Mom. What a weighty word that is. To some, it’s a beautiful word and instantly brings a smile. To others, the very mention of the term evokes pain, sorrow—even anger. Maybe your mother and you are close. Maybe you’re completed disconnected, the mother-child bond disrupted by geographical distance, purposeful decision, or inevitable death.

Just in my current household of three, we’ve got a variety of “mom issues” going on. My mother and I had a pretty tumultuous relationship, thankfully mended just months before she very suddenly died (over 25 years ago). When my dad remarried, I gained a second mom, who stepped into the role of advisor and then grandmother to my boys. Then there’s my husband’s mother, from whom we’ve lived around the corner and thousands of miles away, but by whom we’ve consistently been emotionally pummeled. Suffice it say, my husband must daily confront the scars of trauma she initiated. Then there’s our almost-18-year-old adopted son, who deeply struggles with the abandonment by his birth mother, despite the endless depth of our love for him.

Regardless of whether you have a wonderful, strained, or nonexistent relationship with your mom, there is good news! We have a Heavenly Father who is always loving and compassionate. He will never abandon or forsake us. In fact, as Isaiah writes, we are inscribed on the palm of His hand (Isaiah 49:16).

I love that word, inscribed. It connotes such permanence. And then to envision myself eternally etched into the Saving, Protecting, Providing, Sovereign Hand of Almighty God—well, that’s pretty awesome. (It makes me think of how I write something on my hand, so I don’t forget it, but it inevitably smears or washes away—whether or not I’ve taken care of that something. The inscription of me onto God’s hand is NOTHING like that.) 

Moms are forgetful. Moms abandon. Moms have moments of lost compassion. Moms fail. So, if you are a mom or if you have/had a mom—and that would be all of us—be encouraged! Our God never forgets us. He will never forget us. He is always compassionate. God never fails us. We are inscribed in the palm of His hand.

Lord, thank You for Your steadfast love, protection, and provision. May I never forget that you will never forget or forsake me.

…the Most High rules over the kingdoms of the world and gives them to anyone He chooses. 

Daniel 4:25

In today’s era of social media and cults of personality, “leaders” are thrust into the culture to direct the masses, whether in politics, entertainment, media, or even some unsuspecting citizen. I don’t know about you, but I can get rather anxious about the individuals and/or ideas being pushed as someone(s)/something(s) “everybody” wants—or should want. Moreover, “heroes” of the day seem to come and go at the speed of light given the Twitter culture.

And then you’ve got the whole election-year drama (because, 2020 doesn’t have enough insanity already). And all these things (plus the additional fallout from them) are creating a generalized angst and pervasive despondency—it’s almost palpable when one actually ventures out from the bubble of home.  

What’s the spiritual point here? Two simple words from the book of Daniel sum it up: Heaven rules (Daniel 4:26).

See, global political leaders and flash-in-the-pan cultural heroes will come and go. Some walk with God and shine a light into the darkness of this world. Others are tools of Satan—the prince of this world—and do his bidding to keep its citizens under his thumb. Throughout history, and certainly from one end of the Bible to the other, this good-versus-evil battle for power has been constant. 

And it will continue until that glorious day when Satan is cast into the lake of fire forever—and Jesus, seated on the throne, makes all things new (Revelation 20-21).

As we live on this earth in the present day, what are we Christians to do? How can we find peace as we watch the social and political struggles for power and influence? Where do we turn for Truth when it seems so nebulous? 

We hold fast to the omnipotence of our great God, who created everything (Gen 1:1, Psalm 121:2, Col 1:16) and rules over it all (Hebrews 1:3, Prov 16:9, Heb 2:8). We stand in confident knowledge that He will sustain us through the rollercoasters of this life. Most importantly, regardless of how the story of our time on this earth unfolds, we know how it ends. 

(Spoiler alert) 

God wins.