See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are.

1 John 3:1

Yesterday we celebrated Easter. For many in our country, it was a fun day of egg hunts and candy-filled baskets. And for others, it was the glorious recognition of Jesus’ death-defeating resurrection. It is this joy—the finished work of the Cross—that actually brings my heart and mind back a few months to Christmas.

By now, most of those Christmas gifts so carefully chosen and excitedly received have probably been used, forgotten, lost, or broken. When my kids were younger, this typically occurred December 26. Not this Christmas. This year, I got my 17-year-old son a gift that cannot be misplaced or disregarded. This year, I took him to a local shop where he received the very permanent gift of tattoos. (I know, you’re either thinking, “What a cool mom!” or “You’ve got to be kidding.”) Let me explain.

My son is adopted—welcomed with open arms into our family from another. Forever. He was removed from a situation that would surely have led down a dark path if he remained. But through God’s grace and miraculous plan, this boy’s life was woven into ours. He was grafted into our family, so that his unique characteristics and gifts merged with those of our family’s…he has been rooted into a new, solid foundation to grow strong, while retaining from eternity past who the Lord created him to be. 

Adoption is a life eternally transformed.

The Lord is now leading my son to use his adoption—the miracle of it and the pain—to forge his future. So, as a point of remembrance, of focus, he got “grafted” tattooed on one wrist and the date of his adoption on the other.

Does your spirit stir at this story? Do you know? This is you and me when we trusted Jesus as our Lord and Savior. We have been welcomed into a new, forever family. We have been removed from a situation that was leading down a dark path if we stayed on it—a path of certain destruction. But through God’s grace and miraculous plan, our life was woven into His. We were grafted into His family, so that our unique characteristics and gifts merged with the family of God…we have been rooted into a new, solid foundation to grow strong and develop into who the Lord created us to be. 

Salvation is a life eternally transformed. 

Now, you may not want any ink permanently set into your skin with a shrilly buzzing needle. But never forget, sisters, that you have been grafted into the Royal family of the Living God. You are a daughter of the King, meant to glorify Him with your life in this world…and praise Him forever in the next.

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!

2 Corinthians 5:17

Have you ever taken an object that you found—something tucked away in an attic corner or discovered at a thrift store—and transformed it? You repair, paint, repurpose. This activity may be a passion for some of us…others of us may be passionate about watching TV shows focused on other people doing the restoration. Regardless of whether we are doing or observing, there is something so inspiring and satisfying about seeing the old, dirty, and broken thing given new life.

Although I’m not necessarily “crafty” in this way, I did complete a “self-quarantine” project the other day. In our kitchen we have a brick wall with a small fireplace. The brick, which matches the exterior brick, is dark, orange-red in color, and stained. And I’ve always thought how nice it would be to paint it. 

So, I did. That brick wall is now a bright antique white. 

The coat of paint transformed that 60-year-old wall, making it something new. It brought immediately to my mind the verse from Isaiah: “Come now, and let us reason together,” Says the Lord, “Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; Though they are red like crimson, they shall be as wool.” (Isaiah 1:18)

This is what Easter is all about! Because of our sin nature, we are dirty, broken, stained. But Jesus takes our lives and gives us a soul-makeover, transforming us into something new. By accepting what Jesus did on the Cross—paying the penalty for our sin—and then believing that He was resurrected and now lives, we are made new. Redeemed.

Now, in full disclosure, my painted brick wall is in no way flawless. Due to the nature of the brick, there are imperfections and discolorations that still show through. For the overall look of my kitchen, it looks kind of cool. 

Not so much with us. Because of our nature, we will—in this world—have faults and failures. But, praise God, when it comes to our salvation, our soul renovation is without flaw. We are a new creation, completely redeemed. And, because of Easter, the Father looks upon the finished work of His Son—your righteousness and mine—and only sees perfection.

In everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ for you.

1 Thessalonians 5:18

We adopted a new dog in November of last year. Her name is Caroline, and she is probably about five years old. She’d been in shelters and foster homes for about a year, after being picked up in pretty bad shape from a life on the streets. (We don’t know for how long, but she was rescued with two of her puppies that were already teenagers.) 

It took a few months for her to get used to us—and for our other five-year-old dog, Bella, to stop trying to eat her. But Caroline is super-snuggly (she’s on my lap, under my laptop as I write this) and the perfect addition to our family. She’s scarred up and a little wonky, but aren’t we all?

But there’s one thing that’s particularly noticeable about this sweet little dog…she is always just so happy to be here. Her tail is always wagging—which actually wags one of her back legs because it hangs about two inches above the ground. Her eyes are bright and shine with a noticeable gratefulness.

What an amazing lesson for us broken, scarred, and slightly wonky people who have been rescued by the grace of Jesus Christ. When we wake up each morning, we may not exactly jump around with glee, immediately ready to hit the outdoors in full-on discovery mode. But do we open our eyes to the wonder of a new day—a fresh gift from God, full of new mercies and potential? As we go about our day, do we bask in the wonder and beauty of creation? Are we overflowing with gratefulness for our eternal hope?

Life is challenging right now for every one of us. But, as followers of Jesus Christ, we have joy unspeakable to which we can cling each day. We have the breath of God in our lungs. We have a Savior that will never leave us or forsake us, no matter how long we are isolated from others.

Let’s pray: “Lord, help me to be thankful at all times, in all circumstances, appreciating the multitude of gifts you lay out in front of me each day.”

“And they overcame him (the accuser) by the blood of the Lamb and the by the word of their testimony…”

Revelation 12:11

Throughout the Bible, the enemy of our souls is called “the accuser.” And, sisters, I know you know that’s a fitting moniker for Satan. He stands before the Throne of God accusing us to God (Zech 3:1). You can almost hear the hiss from his smelly mouth, “Did You hear what she just said?” And, “Don’t forget about what she did all those years ago—how can she possibly be forgiven?”

But that’s not all! Satan and his minions lurk around us, hissing those same accusations in our ears in an attempt to steep our minds and hearts in shame, aiming ultimately at discouragement. Better yet—so he believes—is when he accuses God to us. Things like, “God won’t help you with this—you’re on your own.” Or, “Oh, with the way you’ve lived your life, God can never love someone like you.”

We must never forget that Satan has been defeated by the precious blood of Jesus Christ! He is living on borrowed time, doing his best to take us down with him. He wants to prevent as many people as possible from God’s redemption…and keep the redeemed as quiet as possible. That’s why Revelation 12:11 declares that he is overcome by the Lamb’s blood and the word of our testimony. 

He despises our praises, prayers, trust, and obedience. And his accusations are meant to silence us from sharing with others God’s amazing grace, mercy, forgiveness, and love. 

So, we must speak out. We are sinners, but we’re saved by grace. We will mess up (daily), but we’re forgiven. God may not be answering our prayers the way we want Him to…but He will answer them in His timing, for our good and His glory. We have all been through fires (and more flames are waiting). Each of us has a powerful testimony to what the Lord has done and what He’s doing. 

Most importantly, when you accepted the miracle of salvation, Satan lost the war for your soul.

But he’ll still attack with daily battles to conquer some ground in our lives with pinpoint accusations perfectly designed for each of us. So, keep on talking, girls. Speak your testimony. Speak the truth of God’s unfailing, perfect love. And shut that scoundrel up.

Physical training is good, but training for godliness is much better, promising benefits in this life and in the life to come.            

1 Timothy 4:8

The gym has been my “thing” for decades. When I was in college, I started teaching aerobics (that’s the ancient word for “fitness classes” for anyone under 40). Then, as years progressed, I dove with abandon into trend after trend—step class, Tae Bo, P90X, kickboxing, yoga…you get the picture. Always hitting the gym hours before the rest of my family got out of bed for the day. Asked for his opinion, my husband may use the word “obsession.”

After becoming a Christian, many habits of my “old self” ceased—praise God. Walking with the Lord shifted my priorities and studying the Bible became a daily practice. But don’t start rolling your eyes at my piety just yet. 

See, my daily morning devotion time came only after I spent an hour and a half at the gym. The 15-30 minutes I spent in the Word was an item on my “to-do-before-everyone-wakes-up” list…and it wasn’t even at the top. 

But the Lord knew my desire to walk more closely with Him. And He knew my stubbornness about “my” gym time. So, because I ignored His whispers to me about my priorities (that is, my idolatry), He was forced to shout. During a fitness season of boxing, I sustained multiple injuries (two of which required surgeries), and my workouts came to a complete halt.

And I am so grateful. 

Instead of spending nearly two hours focused on exercising my body, that same time went to training in God’s Word and listening to Him speak to my hungry soul. I was being truly obedient in spiritual disciplines (not just box-checking). My relationship with Him grew deeply over the next years (yes, years) of near-sedentary living. 

And although I can do some physical activity now, the Lord knows me—and so does the devil. Over the past few years, my idolatry has slowly crept back in a bit. Sure, I don’t come home dripping with sweat (and maybe a little blood), but early-morning gym-attendance has once again become a daily thing, prioritized as the first thing. Because my work is from home and flexible, I’m able to spend a good chunk of time in the Word…but have I put that old idol back on its feet? Am I, like Achan after the fall of Jericho (Joshua 7:10-26) secretly holding onto something in my tent that the Lord specifically told me not to?

Well, enter COVID-19. My gym has closed. And I am terrified—not of illness or financial ruin, but of not being able to work out. And just like that, the Lord is once again forcing my hand, pulling back the curtain of my self-idolatry. I get to reassess my heart and fully dive back into the Lord’s priorities. (In full disclosure, I’m not quite “grateful” yet, but I know I’ll get there.)

So, what about you? What can you learn from the COVID-19—about yourself, your heart, our God? Let’s all use this time to assess, refocus, and prioritize Jesus.

Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth.

Colossians 3:2

Right now, there is so much fear and uncertainty for us all. This is especially true for those who keep a constant ear to the news every waking moment. We are being told, in no uncertain terms, to panic. Grocery store shelves are empty, businesses are closed. When we look around us at the world in turmoil, it is impossible to feel at peace. 

But we have the option to shift our focus. Instead of looking all around, we can look up. As believers, we have been raised with Christ, made new by the boundless grace of Jesus and freed from the shackles of the world. What a joy! When we look up, our spiritual eyes move past the clouds and sun, beyond the farthest star…we can fix our eyes on the Lord, who is seated at the right hand of God (Col 3:1). 

It’s so very easy to fall into a pit of discouragement and despair when the news all around us seems to get bleaker each day. But we have hope of the eternal amid these temporal “light and momentary troubles” (2 Cor 4:17). So, let’s choose to look up and live this way. 

We have an opportunity to be a light to those who have no hope—to demonstrate our faith in a real way. Let’s fix our mind on Him and bask in the resulting peace (Isaiah 26:3). And in our knowledge of the Prince of Peace, let’s smile. Look people in the eyes. Be calm. Help others.

As others frantically look around, let’s keep looking up. People will notice the difference in us, in our attitude and actions. And they will ask the reason for the hope we have (1 Peter 3:15)—are we prepared to give an answer?

Praise the Lord. Praise the Lord, my soul. I will praise the Lord all my life; I will sing praise to my God as long as I live. 

Psalm 146:1-2

Most likely, we have all experienced a moment of deep grief that has literally brought us to our knees. We fall down because our physical self is overcome with despair or fear, and we cry out desperately to the only One Who is in control…the only One in Whom we can completely trust with our burden.

But sisters, there’s another type of knee-dropping, face-planting response that I pray each of you has had the privilege of experiencing: that of raw, unabashed praise for what God has done…for an outcome that confirms He is in control and the recognition that He is the only One Who could have accomplished what happened. 

One of the first times in my life I experienced this was shortly after my husband and I became Christ-followers. We were in a desperate, impossible situation that had no logical, worldly remedy. But God. Although it was 20 years ago, I recall as if it were yesterday getting news we needed and then falling down onto my kitchen floor—face to the ground—crying in praise for His Sovereignty, mercy, and miracles.

And today, amid this COVID-19 crisis of forced isolation and swirling uncertainty, there is still opportunity to fall on our knees in praise. Firstly, let us stay amazed by the gift of our salvation in Jesus Christ—our ultimate home awaits us in heaven! Acknowledge His sovereignty and control in our world (although we may see only confusion and chaos). Recognize that it’s by His power the earth turns…and by which we take each breath. 

Are we daily humbled by His greatness?

If you’ve been walking with the Lord for decades, or if this crisis has just recently turned your heart to Jesus, take time throughout the day to recognize—and appreciate—the daily miracles He provides, from a stunning sunrise to an unexpected provision. And that’s His desire: for us to give Him all the glory. 

So, let’s praise the Lord with the same level of abandon that we may demonstrate in times of trouble. Let’s fall down in reverence! Let’s shout aloud for joy! Or, like King David, let’s “dance before the Lord with all (our) might” (2 Sam 6:14)!

Then Jesus said to him, “Away with you, Satan! For it is written, ‘You shall worship the Lord your God, and Him only you shall serve.’”

Matthew 4:10

Temptations come in all shapes and sizes. In fact, they come in just the right size and shape for each of us. The enemy knows us—really knows us. He and his minions have listened to and watched us over the course of our lives. He’s made careful study of our verbal reactions, even those slight facial movements made in emotional response. To him, we are each a well-read book. 

In today’s vernacular, Satan knows what triggers us.

Until we leave this world through death or rapture, we are in a war. And going to battle against this ancient enemy of our souls is not an easy task. So, why don’t we take fighting lessons from the Master—our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ?

When He was in the desert before launching His ministry, Jesus was tempted by Satan three times (Matt 4:1-11). Each approach targeted specific aspects Jesus’ fully-man and fully-God nature. But Jesus knew how to hit him back with pinpoint precision. With each effort to thwart God’s great plan for our salvation, Jesus fought back with Scripture (from Leviticus, no less!). 

Sisters, we need the hard-hitting Truth of God’s Word as ammunition—and for this, we need to know the Bible. The more familiar we are with Scripture, the more specific we can be against the enemy’s lies. 

And beware! Familiarizing ourselves with a few favorite verses here and there will not do. See, Satan knows his Bible too. And since he slithered into the Garden with Adam and Eve, he’s been methodically twisting God’s Word to confuse, trap, and deceive us Christians.

We must delve deeply into our Bible in preparation. Read it, study it, meditate on it, and memorize verses. Like training for a sport or preparing for a final exam, taking in God’s Word is a discipline—it’s hard work! But it’s required of us in this life as we pursue godliness. Plus, in our earthly quest to become more and more like Jesus, we can use Him as our ultimate battlefield example. 

So, next time Satan whispers some lie or twisted half-truth in your ear, let him hear you say, “It is written…”

I pray that God, the source of hope, will fill you completely with joy and peace because you trust in Him. Then you will overflow with confident hope through the power of the Holy Spirit.

Romans 15:13

Do we trust God? In the midst of the panic and chaos around COVID-19, do we trust Him? When we look ahead and see only uncertainty—do we really trust Him?

It’s a fearful time in our world. This newly created virus has been unleashed, creating havoc and producing anxiety. We’re worried about the health and safety of our loved ones, and we dread the personal results of the national economic fallout. This is a scenario most of us have not experienced—and many of us could not have imagined.

But God. 

Sisters, we must hold fast to the confident hope we have in our heavenly Father. As we wake up each day to a new normal, let’s lean into the Truths of His precious Word. 

• 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 
• The name of the Lord is a strong tower; the righteous run into it and are safe. Proverbs 18:10 
• Do not grieve, for the joy of the Lord is your strength. Nehemiah 8:10 
• 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 my strength and my song; He has given me victory. This is my God, and I will praise Him, my father’s God, and I will exalt him! Exodus 15:2 
• The Lord is a refuge for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble. Psalm 9:9-10 

These verses are not trite words to toss around. They’re not just the fodder to a pithy social media post. These are God’s promises to us. His Word is a light unto our path, it gives us wisdom, it endures forever. And when we hide His Word in our hearts, our minds will be renewed by His Truth.

There may be a lot of unknowns today. But, as a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ, we can rest in confident hope—in the certainty—of His power, sovereignty, and love.

“I know that You can do everything and that no purpose of Yours can be withheld from You.” 

Job 42:2

Have you ever gotten news that you’re literally unable to comprehend? You’re hearing words, but nothing’s processing because it’s beyond anything you could fathom. The fog eventually clears, and you realize everything is different. Everything. 

With COVID-19, we are currently in the midst of this type of situation—as a society. New uncertainties, fears, and “what ifs” are being unveiled on a daily basis.

Like pulling a loose thread on a knitted sweater, life as we know it is beginning to unravel. In these times, what is our response to God? 

I think of Job. Right from the start, this book is a hard-hitting drama. In a matter of minutes, Job finds out he lost his property, his animals, his servants—and all 10 of his children. His immediate response? “The Lord gave, and Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord.” He. Praises. God.

And, despite his not-so-helpful friends and a conversation with God Himself, Job never came to an understanding of why his life was shattered. God had His reasons, and He is Sovereign over everything. Ultimately, that was good enough for Job.  

When our lives are unraveling—with uncertainty, pain, loss, heartache—do we praise God in the midst of it all, knowing He is in control? I think a follow-up question is needed: Do we praise the Lord when things go well—a promotion, a good medical report, a successful child. Of course! We shout, “Praise God!” and give Him all the glory. It “all works for our good,” right?

Sisters, it does all work for good…even the suffering. Sometimes we see the purpose not long after we come through the other side. Often, though, things might not “make sense” until months or years later. And, as with Job, there will be times we won’t know God’s reasons this side of heaven. But, regardless of whether our life is being knit together perfectly so we see a beautiful pattern, or if threads are unraveling and all we see is the mess, God is in control. His ways are higher than our ways (Isaiah 55:8-9). 

So, let’s lift a shout of praise for His sovereignty—whether through tears of joy or of sorrow. Let’s bless His name through it all, even as our circumstances unravel. And know this, others are watching—especially today amid the panic and chaos…and our response may just keep someone else from coming unraveled themselves.

Let’s pray together, shall we? “Lord, thank You for being in control of my life. All the time. I trust You—even through crisis, difficulty, defeat, and despair. Blessed be Your name.”