Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.    

James 1:2-4

Some people believe, mostly because of false teachers, that when they give their lives to Jesus, the Christian life will be easy—a cake walk. And it strikes me that despite the use of this idiom, its origin may be unfamiliar. A cake walk is a party game where everyone gets a delicious dessert just by walking in a circle—it’s an easy win. And this is a perfect description for the lies within the “prosperity gospel” teaching: If you have enough faith, you’ll be healthy, rich, and deliriously happy. It’s an easy win, when it comes to worldly treasures and desires.

The problem with this approach to the Christian life is that it’s not Biblical—and Jesus taught quite the opposite. “In this world, you will have trouble,” He told His followers (John 16:33). And before His own brutal death, He warned His friends that they will be arrested, beaten, even killed for following Him. Family members will even turn against family members for the sake of the Truth of Jesus (Mark 13:9-13). James also tells us to count it all joy when we have trials—not if, but when (1:2-4).

Throughout the Old and New Testaments, the men and women following closely after God typically “lost” at the world’s game in order to achieve the ultimate Win.

In addition to this warning, the Word of God also provides a lot of encouragement! When life gets challenging, overwhelming, anxiety-producing, and just plain hard, God has promised to be our strength and help. Here are just a few on which we can cling:

• God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore, we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging. (Psalm 46:1-3) 
• So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with My righteous right hand. (Isaiah 41:10) 
• The Lord is a refuge for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble. (Psalm 9:9-10) 
• My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is made perfect in weakness. (2 Corinthians 12:9)
• But the Lord is faithful, and He will strengthen and protect you from the evil one.  (Thessalonians 3:3)

But the best news of all? Despite what sufferings and challenges we endure in this life, those of us who have surrendered our lives to Jesus do—in fact—win. And I’d like to think that when we sit down together at the Marriage Supper of the Lamb, there will be lots and lots of delicious cake.

Lord, when trials come—because they will—may I rely on the promise of Your strength and sufficiency.

Psalm 10

Why do You stand far away, Lord?
Why do You hide Yourself in times of trouble?
In arrogance the wicked hotly pursue the needy;
Let them be caught in the plots which they have devised.

For the wicked boasts of his soul’s desire,
And the greedy person curses and shows disrespect to the Lord.
The wicked, in his haughtiness, does not seek Him.
There is no God in all his schemes.

His ways succeed at all times;
Yet Your judgments are on high, out of his sight;
As for all his enemies, he snorts at them.
He says to himself, “I will not be moved;
Throughout the generations I will not be in adversity.”
His mouth is full of cursing, deceit, and oppression;
Under his tongue is harm and injustice.
He sits in the lurking places of the villages;
He kills the innocent in the secret places;
His eyes surreptitiously watch for the unfortunate.
He lurks in secret like a lion in his lair;
He lurks to catch the needy;
He catches the needy when he pulls him into his net.
Then he crushes the needy one, who cowers;
And unfortunate people fall by his mighty power.
He says to himself, “God has forgotten;
He has hidden His face; He will never see it.”

Arise, Lord; God, lift up Your hand.
Do not forget the humble.
Why has the wicked treated God disrespectfully?
He has said to himself, “You will not require an account.”
You have seen it, for You have looked at harm and provocation to take it into Your hand.
The unfortunate commits himself to You;
You have been the helper of the orphan.
Break the arm of the wicked and the evildoer,
Seek out his wickedness until You find none.

The Lord is King forever and ever;
Nations have perished from His land.
Lord, You have heard the desire of the humble;
You will strengthen their heart, You will make Your ear attentive
To vindicate the orphan and the oppressed,
So that mankind, which is of the earth, will no longer cause terror.

But as for you, you meant evil against me; but God meant it for good, in order to bring it about as it is this day, to save many people alive.

Genesis 50:20

Do you ever wake up with a worship song on your heart and mind? I love when this happens, as it makes me smile to think of God’s promise in His Word to quiet me with His love and rejoice over me with singing (Zephaniah 3:17). In fact, I woke up this morning with a praise song refrain repeating in my mind: “You take what the enemy meant for evil, and You turn it for good.” 

“See a Victory” is the name of the song. Now, I’m not going to digress by pointing out theological issues with other lyrical elements of this song or its origin church and writers. I’ll stick with the refrain at hand, which is based on Genesis 50:20. This proclamation of Joseph to his evil-meaning brothers comes after they, years earlier, planned to kill him but changed their minds and sold him into slavery instead. But the ongoing saga is pretty amazing, and I recommend you read the whole story of Joseph’s rise based on his hard work and integrity, his fall based on lies and false accusations, his rise to leadership again—even while in prison—and his ultimate placement over all the land (Genesis 37-47). 

Joseph was honest, trustworthy, worked hard, and did his best wherever he was placed. But, most importantly, Joseph honored God as the basis for his efforts (Gen 39:9), and the Lord was with him (Gen 39:3, 21, 23). 

Friends, this world is run by the enemy, and there is plenty of evil—and evildoers. People, more than ever, are without moral boundaries and do whatever it takes to get what they want and please themselves. They don’t care if they have to lie, cheat, or steal, as long as they get their way. You may have experienced this on the job: You work hard, with integrity, but someone else gets the promotion. Or your child works hard (on their own) on a science project only to be beaten out for the blue ribbon by a kid whose parent did their work for them. 

But we cannot control the way others choose to function. We, as followers of Jesus Christ, can simple love and serve God first and foremost. Everything we do—in our family, at work, socially—we must do as for the Lord (Colossians 3:17, 23). Our words and actions must be aligned with God’s Word—so we must know God’s Word! 

Even by doing the right thing, we will lose battles. We’ll be overlooked at work (even lied about and mocked). We may lose friends. Joseph went to jail for being righteous, and so may we. But, brothers and sisters, have faith! The enemy’s reign is short-lived in light of eternity. What is meant for evil in this world, will be used for God’s ultimate glory. Even if we can’t see a victory on the horizon, God wins—and, ultimately, so will we. 

“Don’t you remember the five loaves for the five thousand, and how many basketfuls you gathered? Or the seven loaves for the four thousand, and how many basketfuls you gathered?”

Matthew 16:9-10

Don’t you just love the timeliness of God’s Word? For me, there are mornings of reading when the verses seem written directly to me, for that exact moment. And, I’m grateful for the consistency (and repetition) of Truth throughout the Bible. Especially when it comes to trusting God.

In the Old Testament, we can read how the Israelites experienced miracle after miracle yet continued to doubt and be anxious about their future. They were wondrously provided fresh food daily (Exodus 16), but feared they’d die of thirst (Exodus 17:3)—whining and complaining, and pining for “the good ole days,” despite promises made and kept. Ouch.

Lately, I’ve been reading the gospels chronologically. The consistency and repetition of events is always astounding, and, when it occurs, it’s like God’s adding exclamation points to the message. Remembering and trusting the Lord’s power and provision “happened” to be one of those points for me in recent days. 

We all have probably heard about the “fishes and loaves”—it’s a story that’s often used by the nonbelieving world to exemplify ample provision. Rightly so. But you may not know that there are two fishes and loaves events. First, after Jesus was teaching a huge crowd of 5000 men (plus their families), He had compassion on them and told his disciples to feed them. Finding only five loaves and two fishes, they brought these morsels to Jesus, and He fed everyone—having his guys collect 12 baskets full of leftovers. (Matthew 14:13-21; Mark 6:30-34; Luke 9:10-17; John 6:1-15). How awesome is that? Surely, His disciples thought, “Man, we’ll never go hungry again with Jesus around!”

Well…

It wasn’t that much later when a similar scenario presented itself to the disciples. The crowds had been following Jesus to hear His teaching and experience healing for several days in a row, so He told His guys, again, to feed them all. Did they look at each other, excitedly, and say, “Cool! Who’s got a couple bits of bread and fish, so we can get this party started?!” Uh, no.

Despite witnessing miracle after miracle. Despite walking around with God Himself, they said to Jesus, “Where could we get enough bread in this remote place to feed such a crowd?” (Matthew 15:33) And so the scenario was repeated. Except, here, there were 4000 men (and their families); the disciples scrounged up seven loaves and a few fish, fed everyone, and then filled up seven baskets of leftovers (Matthew 15:32-39; Mark 8:1-10). (Later, Jesus even gently reprimanded them of their forgetfulness in Matthew 16:9-10.)

Does that ever happen to you? You experience the faithfulness of God’s provision, yet, even when the exact same scenario comes up, you wring your hands in worry and cry out, “Lord, how is this ever going to work out? It’s a doomed situation, I know it!” Yup, I’ve been there, done that.

Just like with the disciples, we have seen miracle after miracle. And although we’re not walking with physical Jesus, we, as believers, have the Holy Spirit in us as we spiritually walk with Jesus—this is a gift even the disciples didn’t have.

Friends, let’s not be forgetful people like the Israelites in the desert and the disciples during Jesus’s earthly ministry. Let’s revisit and rehearse the amazing miracles the Lord has shown us in our lives. Let’s stand on the promises of His Word, His unending faithfulness, and His daily mercies. Let’s continue to trust in all things working together for our good and His glory (Romans 8:28).

For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him.

Colossians 1:16

Sadly, walking our two dogs through our neighborhood every morning is not always a pleasant experience. More often than not, it’s incredibly stressful, between other dogs being walked, dogs held on a leash in their yard by way-too-small children, roaming cats, deer…it’s kind of like those old drivers ed films where there’s constantly some new object popping out to be defensively dodged. (Some of you are probably thinking, “What in the world is she talking about?”) 

Anyway, at the end of our street there’s a big, mean black dog in a corner yard. He’s got an electric fence—this we know. But as soon as we approach the yard, he viciously charges to the edge of the grass with the desire to devour our dogs. It is terrifying. Of course, our dogs bark back ferociously as we practically drag them quickly beyond the lot. 

When we see him standing there in the midst of his territory, we anxiously prepare for the confrontation. We tightly wrap the leashes around our hands, pulling our dogs close. We walk on the other side of the street—and we quicken our pace. But many times, we don’t see him lurking about. He’s hiding behind a woodpile or bush, watching us and waiting. And because we don’t see him, we let our guard down. We hold loosely to the leashes and walk by without the vigilance we have when we see him there. As you can imagine, when he comes rushing out, we have to react quickly to avoid a bloody confrontation. 

What’s the spiritual point here? That dog is like Satan (no offense to the owner). Just like that big black dog has run of his territory, the Evil One has run of his: this world. So, take heed! If you wander into his yard, he will devour you. He hates you. Sometimes we’ll see him coming, but often, we won’t. In fact, analogous to the dog scenario, we must, instead, stay vigilant at all times. We must walk as far from his temptations as possible, crossing the proverbial street by saying “no” to certain activities and people. 

But friends, remember, he can only go so far! As with that electric fence, God has set limits on Satan—where he can go and what he can do. He is not an equal-yet-evil entity to our Lord—he’s just a dog who thinks he’s in control. Yes, we must be attentive and aware of the enemy’s schemes (1 Peter 5:8) and put on the full armor of God (Ephesians 6:11-17). But we can—and must—be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power (Ephesians 6:10), knowing that He is in control of it all. 

“Lord, let me always be on guard to the enemy’s desire for my destruction…but may I also remember that he is just a dog on a chain, destined for his own annihilation.”

One thing I know: that though I was blind, now I see.      

John 9:25

As Christians, we are called to tell others about Jesus—to go and make disciples (Matthew 28:19). And, as much as we love Him and have surrendered to Him, it can be intimidating to share our faith in Him. We’re afraid of questions that might come at us that we’re not equipped to answer right away. We think, “Well, until I’m a Bible scholar or have apologetics down to a tee, I better not broach this subject with others.” (I can’t tell you how many apologetics speakers I’ve heard—and how many of their books I’ve bought from their post-teaching “tables in the foyer” in efforts to prepare to talk about Jesus.)

Or, perhaps, we fear people won’t like us or that they’ll think we’re crazy because of our zeal for Jesus. Maybe, we believe we’ll lose friends or even lose our job. (These scenarios, by the way, are all very real possibilities.)

That being said, there’s some great news! To tell others about the saving grace of Jesus Christ, we don’t have to be Bible scholars. Of course, we all need to be in the Word every day, familiar with how every book and chapter point to Jesus, and how it is the inerrant Word of God, clearly providing do’s, don’ts, and what’s-going-to-happen-ifs.

But we don’t have to have all the answers! If a question comes our way that stumps us, we can simply say, “That’s a great question! Let me look into it, and I’ll get back with you.” Then, through the miracle of the internet (or through pastors, mentors, and, of course, the Bible itself), we research and find the answer to share with that person.

Now, if you’re still daunted—I get it, believe me—then let’s just lean into a simple verse from John. “One thing I know: that though I was blind, now I see.” (John 9:25) Because, for every single believer, that’s the foundational truth of our faith, isn’t it? We were once blind to the Truth, and now we see! We were once slaves to our sin nature, and now we’re free (John 8:36)! 

Whatever your story, you were transformed. For me, it was a gradual realization, a pulling away of a veil, so to speak. For some of you, it was a specific date and time—a lightning-bolt moment—when you gave your life over to the Way, the Truth, and the Life. But for all of us, we were one way before (blind!) and another way after (seeing).

And this is what others need to know. This is the power of our great and awesome God. The miracle of transformation…how the Lord takes our sins, which stain us, and makes them white as snow (Isaiah 1:18). When we confess our sins, He makes us clean (1 John 1:9).

So, brothers and sisters, let’s not be ashamed (Romans 1:16) or afraid of sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ. Like the healed blind man, let’s stand boldly on a truth that even the best debater in the world cannot successfully dispute with us: Because of His amazing grace, we were lost, and now we’re found.

And then (Jesus) added, “It is what comes from inside that defiles you. For from within, out of a person’s heart, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, greed, wickedness, deceit, lustful desires, envy, slander, pride, and foolishness. All these vile things come from within; they are what defile you.”

Mark 7:20-23

Our culture is very concerned about health and youth. Now, that’s not a terrible thing, as we need to take good care of the body—the temple of the Holy Spirit (1 Cor 6:19)—given to us. But it’s a little nutty to be obsessed about it. (Friends, don’t get me wrong, I’ve been there, done that—just ask my husband.) And then there’s the fixation to continue lookingyoung, despite the years flying by. The lengths some people will go to…

Anyway, you’ve probably been around people who won’t put this or that in their mouth (sugar, carbs, etc.) because they believe it will defile their body. You may be one of those people. (When it comes to alcohol, I’m one of those people—but that’s a story for another time.) What really matters, Jesus teaches us, is not what goes into our bodies, but what comes out. Specifically, it’s what comes out of our mouth.

See, our words overflow from what fills our heart and mind (Luke 6:45). Especially when our mouth is “unguarded” in times of stress or high emotion—or when we think no one is listening. What we constantly watch, read, and “social-media-ize” about pour into us, setting a foundation, so to speak, from which we respond to life. Solomon, in all his wisdom, says the same thing when he exhorts us to guard our heart, because everything we do flows from it (Proverbs 4:23). 

How then do we guard our heart? By filling up with that which is holy. By reading God’s Word every day. By walking with wise—not fools (Proverbs 13:20). By avoiding trashy television and movies that slowly numb us into thinking, “Well, that’s not so bad.” By unplugging from the constant venomous social engagement of our time. We guard our heart by following the Apostle Paul’s thinking to-do list in Philippians chapter 4.

So, I think we could safely say that what goes in leads to defilement, because, as we fill up with junk, that junk will eventually overflow out of us—in attitude, word, and action. This makes me think of a non-Biblical idiom you may have heard before that originated from the IT world. But I think it makes a nice tweetable summary of Jesus’s teaching on this topic: Garbage in, garbage out.

“Lord, I pray that I fill my life with righteousness and pursue holiness, so that the deep spring of my heart will overflow in a way that only brings You glory.”

Therefore, if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed. 

John 8:36

Freedom. During an election season like we’re now in, we all certainly think about this concept. And no matter your political persuasion, we are in fact citizens of the freest nation on the planet. The liberty we enjoy is truly a privilege not to be taken for granted.

As Christians, we possess another kind of liberty. When we put our faith in Jesus Christ, surrendering our lives to Him, He makes us free. We are released from our bondage to sin (Galatians 3:22). See, because of the Fall, we have a sin nature—a propensity to be self-seeking and idolatrous. You may hear the sentiment that humans are “good”…but we don’t have to teach our small children to lie or be selfish, now do we? Our kids—like us—are just little sinners. (Romans 3:23). But God made a way.

When we’re set free in Christ, we certainly don’t become sinless. We just don’t want to sin anymore—we don’t pursue it. We’re no longer slaves to sin, fear, and unrighteousness. We become slaves to God, pursuing holiness as we traverse toward our heavenly destination (Romans 6:22). And through the challenges and fiery trials of this life (because they will happen), we can freely approach the throne of grace with confidence, bringing our fears, anxieties, and burdens to the Lord (Ephesians 3:12).

The question is, are we walking in our freedom? Through the tumult of work, kids, health issues, social media, etc., do we recognize that our feet are no longer stuck in the mire of despair, discouragement, and worry about our circumstances? Do we renew our minds in the reality of our liberty, and grasp on to the joy, hope, and peace promised us in God’s Word? In our freedom, do we choose to serve others and glorify God instead of serving self?

One day, we’ll no longer struggle with our sin nature—we’ll have no more sorrow or pain (Revelation 21:4). But even now, we cannot forget the truth of our liberty in Christ. It’s an attitude of freedom, despite our circumstances. An acknowledgement that we have overcome because Jesus paid for our freedom. We may perceive to have shackles around our wrists and ankles…but, friends, they are unlocked! 

Americans are blessed to have our current liberties in our nation. Most cultures around the world certainly don’t share in this. But—praise God—true freedom isn’t provided by any government or legislation. The Son makes us free.

So, let me ask: Are you free indeed?

Lord, let me never take for granted the freedom You gave me through Your sacrifice on Calvary. Help me drop my chains of sin and shame, and walk with You in liberty.

Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ.

Colossians 3:23-24

If you have a job, you probably have a boss. (Well, you actually may be the boss—but we’ll get to that in a minute.) And no matter whether we sweep floors or balance spreadsheets, serve meals or mend broken bones, or teach kids or win customers, the work we do is assessed by someone else. We get raises, earn promotions, and even get fired based on our job performance. Moreover, sometimes we love our direct manager—his or her style, attitude, fairness. Other times, not so much, and we have to grin and bear it through each day. 

So, what motivates you as you get ready to go to work every morning? (Granted, for many of us, “getting ready” these days is pulling on the same stretchy pants we had on yesterday, and maybe donning a decent top and brushing our hair—if there’s a video meeting on the agenda.) Do you think, “I can’t wait to add up those accounting columns!” Or, “I’m so excited to be yelled at by impatient customers today!” Or even, “I’m lucky to have a job, so I’ll do it.”

Don’t get me wrong, I’m sure many of us love what we actually do for work—I do, truly. It’s all the other “stuff” and “those people” that can make it frustrating. 

What’s the point in all this? Well, did you know that we Christians are called to have one primary motivation in our work—a singular reason to do our very best, every day? Brothers and sisters, the Lord is our boss! We are to work for Him and serve Him in whatever we do. And, yes, even if you own the company or work as an independent contractor, He’s your boss too. Each of us is accountable, first and foremost, to God alone.

Let me tell you from experience, this mindset changes everything. Regardless of the complaining or bad attitudes around us, we can choose kindness and gratefulness to reflect the character of our True Master. If our tasks are mundane and boring, we can bring a song of joy into them, knowing each action is meaningful to the Lord. When the job is difficult and overwhelming, we can bring that burden to Him, asking for the wisdom and strength to finish well. 

And friends, when we make the decision to “work heartily unto the Lord,” others will notice. No one may say anything to you—and that’s ok. We’re serving Jesus for His glory and our ultimate good (1 Corinthians 10:31; Romans 8:28). So, shine your light at work (Matthew 5:16), and when someone asks why you have the attitude you do, tell them Who it is you’re really working for…tell them Who’s the Boss.

“Lord, in whatever I do, may I do it all to Your glory.”

Jesus came to Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand. Repent and believe in the gospel.”

1 Mark 14-15

Repent. For many of us, this word harkens back to preachers long gone and old-time tent revivals. The Reverend Billy Graham (not gone for too long) made the exhortation from 1 Mark his constant battle cry, “Repent and believe!” 

But the call to repentance is never out of date. According to Strong’s, the Greek word used in this verse is “metanoeo”—and it’s used 34 times in the New Testament. Its definition is to think differently, to reconsider, to change one’s mind for the better.

I love this, don’t you? Because, friends, it’s our thoughts that start us down the wrong roads. Our mind wanders to some sinful thought…like birds flitting around our head, these thoughts swoop in and out. But when we let them land, those unholy thoughts, they dig in. Our thinking then pushes our emotions in the wrong direction. And once our heart is on board, our actions soon follow. 

As a simple (and safe) example, I’ll use a current reality in my own life. My family has a LOT going on right now, and much up in the air. Since so much of it is out of my control, it’s easy for me to start thinking worrisome thoughts: What if…? What happens if…? Why isn’t this (or that) happening? This thinking, when I dwell on it, infiltrates my emotions (and my physical body, actually). I start feeling anxious and upset. And, the next thing you know, I’m snapping at my husband and behaving rudely to innocent bystanders.  

But when those birds of nagging thoughts start hovering, we must swat them away! We have to “think again”—focusing instead on what is true, noble, right, excellent, and praiseworthy (Philippians 4:8). If we don’t let those birds land, they can’t build a nest, now can they? 

For much of our culture today, however, the concept of repenting is scoffed at. Why wouldn’t it be, because everyone’s “truth” is valid, so there’s no need to change one’s mind—or actions. Instead of conforming to the world’s ways, however, we are called to be transformed by the renewing of our mind (Romans 12:2). 

And what transforms our mind—our thinking? The gospel! When we surrender to Jesus, accepting what He did on the cross for us, we become a new creation, our old ways are gone (2 Corinthians 5:17). Don’t misunderstand, we still struggle with sin (thoughts and actions), it’s just that we no longer want to pursue it. Before salvation, we welcome those thought-birds. Birdhouse-making may even be a favorite hobby. But once the grace and love of God has transformed us, we think differently.

If you know Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, grab your bird swatter and join me in repentance. If you have yet to accept the free gift of eternal life with God, please, repent and believe.

Lord, thank You that I no longer desire my old, sinful ways—that I am a new creation in Christ.