When I am afraid, I put my trust in you. In God, whose word I praise, in God I trust; I shall not be afraid. What can flesh do to me?  

~Psalm 56:3-4

Life is hard. And that’s an understatement. Our current crisis or challenge could be with regard to a relationship (family or otherwise), illness (ours or a loved one), loss (human, financial, physical), work (excessive or lack thereof)…the list could go on. And if you are a news or media junkie, there’s enough information being spewed from a talking head in just 15 minutes on any given day to elevate our anxiety level to 11. But whatever it is, fear can wrap itself around us like a heavy blanket.

Thank God for His precious Word! And for the man after His own heart, David, who in his Psalms covers pretty much every emotional upheaval we can imagine. (And plenty we can’t.) No matter how we’re feeling—from questioning God to wishing terrible things on our enemies to experiencing the pure awe of the starry sky—David wrote about it. But the thing I love most about David’s prose is that he always points himself—and us—back to the sovereignty, glory, majesty, and providence of God. This is especially true when he is feeling fearful. And the dude had a lot to fear through his life.

As I was reading a few Psalms the other morning (something I recommend we all do daily), it was Psalm 56 that struck me afresh with its reminder to not be afraid. Now, you may have heard that the Bible has a lot of “fear not” messages for us throughout both the Old and New Testament—enough for every day. This is true, and it’s worth a personal study for sure. But here, as David has been running from his enemies and has now been caught, his approach to “fear not” has a different twist that’s worth pointing out. See, it’s easy to get caught up in the directives to not be afraid, while feeling the feels of, “But I AM afraid!” This is where David rocks.

In this Psalm he states clearly: “When I am afraid.” This is followed immediately with, “I will trust in You—in God, whose word I praise.” So, there is his definitive: WHEN I am afraid—not if. And then, another immediate follow-through, which basically says, “Because I DO IN FACT trust God, I WILL NOT be afraid.” In other words, “I will be afraid, so I won’t be afraid.” After all, David reminds himself and us, what can a mere person do to him? The irony is that he straightaway lists what man can do: distort his words, think evil against him, attack, lurk, wait to kill him. Again, he answers his own mental rabbit hole with the fact that the Lord sees and knows him, and his tears are kept in a bottle by God.

The biggest factor that calms one’s mind and soul, though, answers the whole “how” question of not fearing when afraid. In verse 13, David confidently declares, “For you have saved my soul from death, yes, my feet from falling, that I may walk before God in the light of life.” Because we are saved (rescued, redeemed) from death by God through Jesus and transferred into the kingdom of His beloved Son, we can walk in the knowledge of who we belong to—and where we’re on our way to.

And with that knowledge, friend, when we fear, let’s remember God, trust in Him and His Word…and fear not.

Father God, when I am afraid, I will trust in You—and not be afraid. You have saved me. And I will keep my mind focused on You, and You will keep me at peace.

Then Moses said to the Lord, “…Moreover, You have said, ‘I have known you by name, and you have also found favor in My sight.’Now then, if I have found favor in Your sight in any way, please let me know Your ways so that I may know You, in order that I may find favor in Your sight.”

~Exodus 33:12-13a

Like the entire Bible, the Book of Exodus is like a never-ending onion. You can read and gain Holy-Spirit-inspired insights, only to revisit the same passages again to see something entirely new—even words or phrases that seemed to not be in the verse before! It’s amazing. And it’s why the Bible never gets boring! It’s living and active, sharp and heart-discerning (Hebrews 4:12). But the coolest part? It all points to Jesus. So, when I landed in chapter 33 of Exodus, a couple verses (which I’d “never noticed” before) struck me as pointing to the Gospel and the believer’s relationship with the Lord.

For quick context, Moses had to do a lot of interceding for the Israelites in the post-Exodus desert journey. These people were a lot. In fact, despite the awesome character and obedience of Moses, as well as his relentless protection and advocacy for his people, their whining and rebellion—and his “straw-that-broke-the-camel’s-back” reaction to them—ultimately kept Moses from walking into the Promised Land (Numbers 20:10-13; Deuteronomy 3:23-28). But before that happened, he was once again pleading to God on their behalf in Exodus 33. It was here that I saw the “new thing”—a stunning circle of grace.

First, a language lesson: The Hebrew word used here for “favor” is the same word used for “grace” in other Old Testament verses, including Psalm 84:11 and Proverbs 3:34. Interestingly, the same Greek word for “grace” in Paul’s Gospel-centric Ephesians 2:8—“By grace you have been saved”—is also translated through the New Testament as, you guessed it, “favor”.

Because of the quote-inside-a-quote structure, it takes a minute to understand what’s being said here. But, basically, here’s how the circle goes:

1. Moses is recounting that the Lord (a) knows Moses by name and (b) has extended His favor/grace to him.
2. Moses then requests, “If (or since) I have found favor/grace, please let me know Your ways so that I may know You more.”
3. Why does Moses want to know God and His ways more? So that he (Moses) can find MORE FAVOR/GRACE in His sight! (Mind-blown emoji here.)

Friend, this is our own circle of grace! God calls us by name, extending His grace (unearned and undeserved merit) so that we can know Him. (Or relationship with God is restored by grace alone through faith in Jesus, so that in surrendering to Jesus, we can know the Father.) Then, in response to this grace, we take action to know His ways—we read God’s Word, attend a church, join a disciple group, etc.—so we can deepen that relationship and know Him more. And, as a result, what do we discover? More grace (2 Peter 1:2; 3:18)! Isn’t God so, so good?!

Just as the Bible itself is an unending revelation of God, so is His grace. The more we know Him, the deeper our experience of His amazing grace toward us. The more grace, the deeper our knowledge of Him. And so it goes on and on and on—even in glory, we will never, ever stop getting to know God more. So, let’s dive in! If you are believer, you have experienced God’s astounding grace. Now, get to know him more! If you don’t yet know the grace/favor of God, it’s easily yours—just ask. Once you jump in the circle, you’ll never be the same.

Father God, thank You for calling my name, for showing me Your favor and grace, and for revealing more and more of Yourself to me. I’m excited to know You more.

But whenever Moses went in before the Lord to speak with Him, he would take off the veil until he came out; and whenever he came out and spoke to the sons of Israel what he had been commanded, the sons of Israel would see the face of Moses, that the skin of Moses’ face shone.

~Exodus 34:34-35a

I am privileged to have just returned from vacation. My husband and I celebrated our 30^th wedding anniversary by going on a Caribbean cruise. Not gonna lie, it was amazing to not think for six whole days. No deadlines, no videoconference calls, no screens. We met some neat people, ate way too much…and we got to witness—twice!—whales breaching, spouting, and kicking. In the Caribbean Sea. It was amazing. I also was able to lay in the warm sun and read. A lot. And although I wore sunscreen, as well as spending a lot of time in the shade, my olive-tone skin got pretty tan. You could say that my tanned face was glowing from all that sunshine.

Sadly, my vacation ended, and back to work I went the very next day—back to deadlines, videocalls, and multiple screens. In the week since I’ve been home, I’ve not spent any time with my face to the sun…so, that facial glow is quickly fading. Obviously, if I hit the beaches here in my town—or even a neighbor’s pool or my own backyard—face to the sun…well, my skin would stay tan, and I’d keep that glow!

If you’re familiar with the book of Exodus and the Israelites’ journey through the desert to the Promised Land, the scenario above is probably striking some “ah-ha” chords within your spirit. When God called Moses up Mount Sinai to speak with Him, something very interesting happened to the skin of Moses’ face: it glowed (Exodus 34:29-35). Moses didn’t even know it until others pointed it out to him. See, being in the Lord’s presence gave Moses his shining glow—his face was reflecting the very glory of God. Interestingly, though, as Moses was off the mountain, this facial glory-reflection faded (2 Corinthians 3:13). Then, when he went again before the Lord to speak with Him, he’d “glow up” again and return reflecting the very glory of the One he spent time with.

Oh friend, do you see the connection? Is your heart crying out? When we spend time with our face to the Son, we get to soak Him in! Through prayer, singing praises, gathering for worship, and reading the Bible, it’s like pointing your face up to the sun and soaking in the warm rays. So, as we walk through this world, we get to reflect His very glory. We get to shine this light to others, so they may see our life and glorify God (Matthew 5:16).

The Apostle Paul takes the meaning of Moses’ glowing face even further in his letter to the Corinthian church (2 Corinthians 3:7-18), when he compares what the Israelites had in the Law to what we have through Jesus. See, they had “engraved letters of stones” for glory…we have the Holy Spirit living in us. Moses had to walk away from the Lord, but the Lord remains with us—and we have access to the very throne room of God through Jesus. Moses wore a veil to prevent his people from seeing the glow fade…Christ has removed our veil so that as we walk surrendered to Him, we’re being transformed into His image, from glory to glory. 

Beloved, stay in the Lord’s presence and keep your shine! Spend time with Him, so you can “glow up” and reflect His glory to this ever-darkening world.

Lord, thank You for unveiling my eyes and heart to the Truth of Jesus. Continue to transform me to be more like You—and constantly reflect your glory to others without fading.

Now when the people saw that Moses delayed to come down from the mountain, the people assembled around Aaron and said to him, “Come, make us a god who will go before us; for this Moses, the man who brought us up from the land of Egypt—we do not know what happened to him.” 

~Exodus 32:1

The events of the Israeli Exodus are amazing. The Lord rescues them out of slavery in Egypt through inflicting plague after plague on their captors. Then, after completely pillaging their neighbors’ gold, clothes, etc., these millions of men, women, and children get to waltz right out of the country toward the Promised Land. Then, there’s the whole walking-through-the-sea-on-dry-land thing. And the miraculous daily bread and water from a rock. Did I mention the very presence of God leading them? But then…Moses goes up the mountain to meet with God. The Israelites even saw the glory of Lord on the mountain top as Moses went up. 

Oh, those silly Israelites. It didn’t take them very long at all to forget and freak out. Despite everything they’d seen and experienced, they decided to turn to a worldly “god” to take over their trek. In fact, Moses’ brother, Aaron, (who he’d left in charge) took the lead in the idol-making, idol worship, and plain old debauchery. He had all the people bring their gold, he melted it, then he made a calf for them to sacrifice to and worship. Like little kids whose parents leave the room for a few minutes, they figured they knew best…they’d do things their way. It’s a fascinating read, chapter 24, with all the features of a Netflix drama. My favorite part is when Aaron claims innocence by saying that after the people gave him their gold, he simply threw it in the fire—“The calf just kinda popped out, Moses, I swear!” (Insert eye roll here.)

And honestly, much of the desert journey is like this. God’s people—again, despite being led by a pillar of smoke by day and fire by night, as well as having never-ending food from heaven and clothes that don’t wear out—gripe and complain. They look back with longing for the “delicious food” in Egypt…while putting on blinders to, I don’t know, that whole slavery thing. They literally are walking miracles, yet they pine for the used-to-be. The golden calf is a vivid example of their panic-turned-doubt. Instead of standing firm on God’s faithfulness, they turned to what the world had to offer.

Feeling the ouch yet? If you are a Christian, the scenario above can seem all too familiar. Upon surrendering to Jesus as Lord and Savior, we are freed from the slavery to sin. We are given the Bread of Life (and the daily bread of God’s Word), as well as Living Water. We have the very presence of God in us. We are literally walking miracles: we once were dead, and now we’re alive in Christ. Oh, but we get so silly…

We’ve experienced the miracle of new life in ourselves and others, we witness the glory of the Lord through answered prayers, healed bodies, changed lives. But then, like Moses’ absence from the people, we suddenly feel abandoned and alone. We ask ourselves, “Where’s God?” The doubts and questions flood in—and we panic. So, we build a proverbial golden calf…we “go back” to our old way of living, our familiar sin that feels so good (at least, we tell ourselves that when viewing them through rose-colored shades). We don’t recall that those things (our idols, lust of the eyes, lust of the flesh, and pride of life—1 John 2:15-17) only lead to destruction and death. 

Friend, your very life and mine are a miracle. We must stand firm on God’s faithfulness—He is ever-faithful. Nothing can separate us from His love (Romans 8:31-37). Even if we “feel” otherwise, know that the Lord is always with us and will never leave or forsake us (Deuteronomy 31:6). Let’s take a lesson from the Israelites and not follow their lead. Let’s trust in God…and stop making calves.

Father God, You are faithful—even when I’m faithless. Help me stand firm on the Truth of who You are…and who I am in You.

Joshua did just as Moses told him, and fought against Amalek; and Moses, Aaron, and Hur went up to the top of the hill. So it came about, when Moses held his hand up, that Israel prevailed; but when he let his hand down, Amalek prevailed. And Moses’ hands were heavy. So they took a stone and put it under him, and he sat on it; and Aaron and Hur supported his hands, one on one side and one on the other. So his hands were steady until the sun set. And Joshua defeated Amalek and his people with the edge of the sword.                       

~ Exodus 17:10-13

If you’re not already doing so, please spend time daily in the Bible. God’s Word is so amazing—and every book and chapter, from Genesis to Revelation, points to and reveals Jesus. It’s living and active (Hebrews 4:12), and the Holy Spirit will consistently show you things you never saw before…even from verses you’ve read seemingly a thousand times. Don’t know where to start? The book of 1 John is a wonderful launchpad to a Biblical view of the Christian life. I say all that to say this: In reading Exodus 17 the other day, I came upon the Israelites’ first battle post-Egyptian-escape and smiled at the beautiful scene in verses 10-13 that struck me afresh.

See, the millions of Israelites who Moses led out of slavery were not fighters—they were brick makers/layers. But to enter into the land that God promised them, they had to defeat and conquer the enemies currently in the areas they needed to go. These were God’s enemies too, by the way. Enemies He promised to help His people overcome by fighting for and with them. This journey to the Promised Land is full of the Israelites grumbling, doubting, complaining, and disobeying—but that’s way too much to go into now. Suffice it say that in this, their first battle, they went in faithfully. Moses went up a hill overlooking the battlefield, taking Aaron (his brother) and Hur with him, along with the staff of God. As he held the staff high, the Israelites prevailed. But when he lowered it, they would start losing. According to my favorite commentary, the staff symbolized God’s personal and powerful involvement. Moses’ uplifted arms represented his appeal to the Lord. And the upholding/lowering of the staff demonstrated the people’s dependence upon God for victory—not their own strength and zeal (per John MacArthur’s Study Bible). 

All wonderful insights. But what the Holy Spirit reminded me of in reading this familiar scene is this: We all need Aaron and Hurs in our walk with the Lord. To uphold our arms as we weary of our own fight. To remind us of our own dependence on the Lord. To encourage us with words and actions. 

Friend, who supports your hands (and heart and mind and spirit) in your battles? If you have an Aaron and Hur in your life, praise the Lord! Cultivate those mat-carrying friendships (Luke 5:17-26) through consistent time, authenticity, and intentionality. But you may be thinking, “Huh, I’m not sure who I could call on to walk up a mountain with me and support my arms toward a victorious outcome.” Beloved, please make this a priority in your life. We are not meant to walk through this world alone—the Lord made us for community.

So, if you need to find an Aaron and Hur (or “him/hur”, as the case may be), let’s get practical.

First, if you don’t attend a local church, GO! The post-Covid online opportunities for worship have made many Christians lazy. The Bible is clear that we’re not to give up meeting together (Hebrews 10:24-25). So, get out of your pajamas on Sunday and go to church! If you go, but don’t know anyone there beyond facial recognition and a weak, “Good morning” greeting, SERVE! By joining a serve team (greeting, pouring coffee, holding babies), you’ll get to know your church family members and start fostering friendships. Bonus, you’ll be filled with the joy of the Lord in the service of others (Acts 20:35). Feeling lost amid the big Sunday crowd? JOIN!I’m certain that within whatever kind of church you attend there are small groups (aka, life groups, family groups, disciple groups, etc.). This is how we forge strong bonds—meeting weekly in small community to dive deeper into God’s Word, share struggles and wins, and pray for one another. 

Girls, find your Hur. Guys, your Aarons are out there. Go. Serve. Join. And enjoy the victory.

Lord, You made us for community—to be a reflection of the inherent community within the Trinity. May I vigorously pursue and intentionally cultivate relationships that bring me closer to my brothers and sisters…and to You.

Beware of practicing your righteousness before other people in order to be seen by them, for then you will have no reward from your Father who is in heaven.

~ Matthew 6:1

Social media has created look-at-me monsters in our society, birthing the selfie (which was not actually a thing at one point, I promise), as well as this warped need for likes, followers, and digital “communities” that aren’t really communities at all. Whether photos, posts, or shorts, everyone publishes what makes them look good—their highlight reel, so to speak. (Now, in recent years, there’s been a desire to post rants, sobbing sessions, and breakdowns—all with the thought that these are also fabulous ways of making a name for oneself. We won’t go down that road here.) 

On our socials, a photo shouts, “Look at my incredible vacation in the tropics!” (With a subtext of “I’m a little better than you.”) And “Don’t my children look perfect and sweet?” (The fact that everyone was screaming at each other moments before the camera clicked is beside the point.) We even want our do-good actions to be recognized—a Thanksgiving at the homeless shelter, a post-hurricane cleanup weekend, even a church mission trip abroad. Humans want to be seen. Acknowledged. Accepted.

I get it, believe me. Although I’ve not had social media for many, many years, a “Look at me!” craving has been a thing in my life. Even though I am the baby of three and only girl of my family of origin, my perception was always that I had to do a little bit more than my brothers to receive accolades (read: love) from my parents. [My parents were amazing, by the way, but we all make decisions through the lens of our own history.] In fact, a huge part of my testimony is me trying to fill a void of identity/acceptance with all kinds of destructive things the world promised me would fill that hole…but it’s the same God-shaped hole we all have, and—praise the Lord—I was able to cease my efforts and accept the grace of Jesus (Ephesians 2:1-10). 

Even as a Christ-follower, knowing beyond a shadow of a doubt that I cannot earn salvation by my good works, there’s still that niggly voice in my ear while I serve during a Sunday service, picking at those old scars created by pre-Jesus destructive habits: “Be sure the staff sees what you’re doing—you’ve got to get those ‘Atta girls’…otherwise, what worth do you have? What good are you?” If you (and I) listen closely, you’ll hear it. It’s a hiss from the enemy. Maybe when tapped to pray aloud in a group, you use big, Christian-y words to impress. Or you give up something during Lent only to bemoan the agonizing lack when given a chance. 

During His earthly ministry, Jesus knew we had a propensity for look-at-me attitudes and actions. In Matthew’s gospel (6:1-18), Jesus spoke strongly about doing what is right for God’s accolades alone—not men’s. He calls those who show off their righteousness for men, “hypocrites”. They get what they seek, Jesus says, which is only a meaningless reward of fleeting atta-boys. But when we serve and give and fast and pray, we’re to do so only and always for the Lord—for the reward of pleasing Him. We’re to do good works to glorify God and point others to Him (Matthew 5:16). We love and serve and give because He first loved and served and gave to us (1 John 4:19). In fact, whatever we do—work, eat, drink—we’re to do as unto the Lord with thanks (Colossians 3:17; 23).

Sweet friend, you are seen. You are known—and you are a miracle (Psalm 139). And when you surrender to Jesus as your Lord and Savior, you are no longer slave to sinful desires. You are free, a child of God (Galatians 4:1-7). You do not have to work to earn His love and acceptance—it’s a gift. So, you can drop that heavy burden that weighs you down…trade it for His peace. Yes, we will “do good”—we must! But it’s not to earn the atta-girl or atta-boy. It’s in response to the overwhelming love and ridiculous grace that He has given us. 

Lord, how precious also are Your thoughts for me, God! How vast is the sum of them! Were I to count them, they would outnumber the sand (Psalm 139:17-18). Thank You.

(The Lord) will judge the world with righteousness And the peoples with fairness.

Psalm 98:9

There’s a lot of talk these days about justice…and pardons. In fact, until recent months (and days) the concept of pardoning probably didn’t cross our minds. Then, rather suddenly, they’re flying around like those old Oprah days when she had her big giveaway shows: “You get a pardon! And you get a pardon! And you get a pardon!” (And I won’t even go into that whole “pre-emptive pardon”—how is that even a thing?)

Before I digress, let’s establish some legal definitions in order to get to some spiritual implications.

1. Justice: “The ethical, philosophical idea that people are to be treated impartially, fairly, properly, and reasonably by the law and by arbiters of the law.” Another simply explanation is “getting what one deserves.”
2. Pardon: “To use the executive power of a Governor or President to forgive a person convicted of a crime, thus removing any remaining penalties or punishments and preventing any new prosecution of the person for the crime for which the pardon was given. A pardon strikes the conviction from the books as if it had never occurred, and the convicted person is treated as innocent.” 

We all pine for justice, don’t we? When we witness a person, group, or even community of people being mistreated or victimized, something rises up within us—payment must be made, the wrong made right! (This is especially if we’re the one who was wronged.) We stand firm on our sense of righteousness, and shout, “That person/group/government” has fallen short!” 

Ah, but this is where things get tricky when we shift our perspective to the heavenlies. See, the only reason we—or anyone in the world—has any sense of moral “right” or “wrong” is because God instilled it in us (Romans 1:19-20). We want to see justice because God is just—His perfect, holy righteousness is the ultimate standard (Deuteronomy 32:3-4). Yup…He is just. And we all fall short (Romans 3:23). One little lie or angry thought toward another….mark missed. So, what happens when we cannot meet the righteous requirements of our perfect and Holy God? Well, there is the penalty of His wrath to be paid (Romans 1:18; Romans 2:5). Uh oh. Is “justice” what we really want now? 

God is just, we’re easily convicted, and the sentence is definitive. But praise God that He is also merciful! Jesus has stepped up to the Judge’s proverbial bench and said, “I will take the punishment (your name here) deserves.” And He did. Jesus came to earth, fully God and fully man, to live a perfect, sinless life we could not and take the wrath meant for us. Then, He rose victorious over sin and death. 

And, friend, guess what we get when we accept for ourselves what Jesus did on the cross? A pardon! Look at the elements of the legal definition again: 1) a person convicted of a crime is forgiven (Ephesians 1:7); 2) any penalties or punishments are removed (Psalm 103:10-12); 3) any new prosecution is prevented (John 10:27-30); and 4) (this is the best, most amazing part) the conviction is stricken from the books as if it had never occurred, and the convicted person is treated as innocent (2 Corinthians 5:21). The church word for this is actually “justification”—we are made righteous by the blood of Jesus, so that God upon His Judgment seat looks upon us as completely innocent…as if we’ve never sinned at all (Romans 3:21-26).

Someday soon, you’ll likely find yourself in a political conversation about those recent pardons—around which there is much vitriol one way or another. So, join the discussion! Share how you are a BIG FAN of pardons…then tell them the story of your own. 

“Lord, thank You for your grace and compassion. And thank You, Jesus, for being the Just and the Justifier.”

“And if your hand or your foot is causing you to sin, cut it off and throw it away from you; it is better for you to enter life maimed or without a foot, than to have two hands or two feet and be thrown into the eternal fire. And if your eye is causing you to sin, tear it out and throw it away from you. It is better for you to enter life with one eye, than to have two eyes and be thrown into the fiery hell.”

~Matthew 18:8-9

Before I get started, I want to be absolutely clear: Salvation is by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone—“not by works so that no one may boast” (Ephesians 2:8-9). We do not earn our right relationship with God; it is a gift. Once justified (that is, having our penalty for sin paid in full by Jesus), we do work—we make an effort to be holy as Christ is holy (1 Peter 1:13-16). The entire New Testament is our manual for righteous living as ambassadors of Jesus and citizens of Heaven. This is sanctification, and we’re on this path until we’re glorified at death or when Jesus comes back.

OK, now that we’ve got all that straight, let’s talk about righteous living. Friend, whether we’ve been saved for 50 years or 5 minutes, the rest of our lives will be a battle against sin. Although we’re made new creations (2 Corinthians 5:17) and we’ve got the Holy Spirit living in us, we’ve got our pesky flesh to contend with. Oh, and the world system, which is undeniably upside down and pummeling us from every media angle. Then there’s the enemy of our soul, Satan, who prowls around us, hissing lies and condemnation in our ears, wanting only to kill, steal, and destroy us (John 10:10). Fun times.

That’s why the God-inspired epistle writers give us lots of advice…we must put on the armor of God (Ephesians 6:10-18). We renew our mind (verse). We give thanks and keep our minds focused on Godly things (Philippians 4:4-9). I could go on and on at all the positive things to do, as we’re directed in the Bible.

And, although we are told to stand firm on our faith and the Truth of Jesus, there are also ample exhortations to flee—to do what it takes to simply get out of the proverbial trap you may be in (or just inching toward). We’re to flee from false teachers and the love of money (1 Timothy 6:3-16). We must flee youthful desires (2 Timothy 2:22). We also have to flee from sexual immorality (1 Corinthians 6:18) and idolatry (1 Corinthians 10:14). That’s a lot of running! (Too bad it doesn’t count toward our daily step count.) 

Jesus Himself is also very clear about doing whatever it takes for the sake of righteous living. Once in Mark’s gospel (9:43-48) and twice in Matthew’s (5:27-30; 18:8-9) , Jesus uses intense hyperbole to warn His listeners that if, for example, your hand is causing you to sin, cut it off. Same with your eye. The point is not to literally cut off your hand or pluck out your eye, but rather to go to extremes for purity. What would be our modern equivalents? Does your computer entice you to visit porn sites? Get rid of it. (Or at least add some serious firewalls that only allow for the most basic of searches.) Spending hours every day scrolling your socials only to go down black holes of comparison, self-beratement, or social/political vitriol? Close your accounts. Hanging out with buddies who lure you to go to your pre-Jesus haunts and do pre-Jesus activities? Or maybe your friend group just loves juicy gossip sessions whenever you’re all together. Stop hanging out with those people. Full transparency here: If you’re obsessed with body image, and your day is either “OK” or “ruined” by a digital reading, throw out your scale.

Although we all have different sin temptations, there are no “levels” of sin in God’s economy. From porn to drunkenness to gossip to idolatry to lies—it’s all an equal playing field of sin. So, beloved, let’s do some serious soul-searching about where we stand on temptation. From what do you need to flee? And where in your life do you need to go to extremes for righteousness? 

“Lord, search me and know my heart. Reveal to me my idolatry, immorality, impurity—and show me what to do to fully surrender it all to You.”

Now all the tax collectors and sinners were coming near Jesus to listen to Him. And both the Pharisees and the scribes began to complain, saying, “This man receives sinners and eats with them.” 

~Luke 15:1-2

My husband came home from his men’s group the other day and shared a simple, yet profound, phrase someone had mentioned almost off the cuff. It was around a brother they were discipling—that this guy “had a heart for Jesus, but not the heart of Jesus.” 

Mic drop.

If you consider yourself a Christian, then you know Jesus. Most likely, you love Him…that is, you have a heart for Jesus. You may even excel at the disciplines of the faith: reading God’s Word, praying, attending church. When asked about particular Bible verses, you know just where to find them. You may even be especially fond of the “don’t do” list. So, you can be quick to point out how fellow believers are lacking based upon the sanctification path—and speed—you deem to be “correct”. (And when I use “you” here, I can just as easily use “I”.)

You may have attended a church like this—I definitely have. The pastoral staff and congregation certainly love the Lord. The teaching is Biblically solid. Jesus is preached, evangelism is pushed, truth abounds. Oh, but to attend each Sunday, you’d better possess a certain “buttoned-up-ness” to avoid those judgmental glances and oh-so-subtle head shakes of disappointment. Have a sleeve of tattoos? Better cover up. Grabbing a cigarette in the parking lot after church? Well, just don’t. Walking in the door with a friend who invited you, but you’re sporting a slight hangover from the night before? Should’ve stayed home.

See, churches (and Christians) like this lack grace—the very heart of Jesus, and the very means by which we are saved! Grace is getting what we don’t deserve. And because we are all sinners, we all fall short of the glory of God. Yet we are justified by His grace through the redemption of Christ Jesus (Romans 3:21-26). And although sometimes we are completely freed from some flesh-satisfying behavior immediately upon salvation, the rest of our life on earth is a sanctification journey Home. We progress, following Jesus step by step, from glory to glory (2 Corinthians 3:17-18). 

And friend, we all need grace upon grace along the way! As brothers and sisters in the family of God, we must proceed having the heart of Jesus—extending grace, mercy, forgiveness, and love to one another. We must love our neighbor like the Samaritan in the parable of Jesus (Luke 10:25-37). And we have to remember that once saved, we all walk this journey at different paces and with the Lord refining us each in His Providence—for our good and His glory.

So, let’s decide today to not just have a heart for Jesus, but to have the heart of Jesus. Let’s extend more grace than judgment and welcome people just where they are—not where we think they should be.

Lord, You are so, so good and gracious to me. Forgive me for having a judgmental, Pharisaical attitude toward my brothers and sisters. Give me a heart like Yours!

Let all the earth fear the Lord; Let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of Him.  

~Psalm 33:8

It’s been a week since we’ve been launched into 2025. That said, how are those New Year’s resolutions going so far? Are they losing their appeal? If not, studies show that, sadly, most of us will drop them altogether by February. I’m all for committing to self-betterment—physically, spiritually, mentally. But I wanted to share one resolution we can all get behind for the rest of this year (and, really, the rest of eternity).

More than an added activity or lifestyle pivot, this is more of a perspective shift that influences every moment—the big, profound ones and the seemingly irrelevant. This year, let’s live in constant Awe of God. Although God’s Word is full of inspiration for awe-filled living, here are just a few incentives to get you started. As you meditate on them, click on the Scripture reference links and choose some verses to explore, delight in, and write down as reminders.

1. He is the Creator and Sustainer of all things (Genesis 1:1; John 1:3; Hebrews 1:3; Colossians 1:16-17; Revelation 4:9-11). He knows every star by name (Isaiah 40:26) and the number of hairs on your head (Luke 12:6-7). The meticulous balances of life, from the exact tilt of the earth and our atmospheric perfection to the biomolecular function of the eyeball, are made and sustained by God.
2. His creation is wonderous—the heavens, living creatures, and you—and declares His glory (Psalm 8; Psalm 19:1; Psalm 104; Psalm 139:13-15; Isaiah 43:7). Listen to waves at the beach rhythmically roar in praise. Turn your ear to the wind moving through the trees and hear the leaves shout, “Glory, glory, halleluiah!” Again, as you walk, talk, think, do…it’s all miraculous. As you inhale and exhale, consider that your lungs hold the very breath of God (Genesis 2:7; Job 33:4).
3. Because of Christ, walk in victory over sin and death—we are free (John 8:34-36; John 11:25-26; Romans 8:37-39; Galatians 5:1;1 Corinthians 15:54-57). The world system and its craziness does not have to entangle us. When we look around, it may seem like the enemy has an advantage…but God wins (and so do we). 
4. As Christ followers, we are citizens of heaven—our ultimate and eternal Home (Philippians 3:20-21; Ephesians 2:19; 1 Peter 1:3-4). The reason the things of the world cannot completely fulfill us is because we were not made for this world. We’re merely ambassadors to tell others about our Country and the greatness of our Sovereign King.
5. Get ready! God has new heavens and earth prepared for us (Isaiah 65:17-19; John 14:2-3; 2 Peter 3:13; Revelation 22:1-3). The awesome sights, sounds, smells, tastes, and joys of this earth are mere shadows of eternal glory, giving us brief glimpses of what’s to come. 

So, resolve to gaze at each sunrise and sunset with a new sense of wonder—recognizing the Lord painted it uniquely for that moment. Study the intricacy of a flower and note the endless variety of colors, shapes, intricacies. Taste and savor the food that God made. Look—really look—into the faces of the men, women, and children around you…know that you’re beholding the very image of God. And, daily, recall that as a child of God redeemed by Christ, you are a walking miracle…you were dead, and you’re now alive, awaiting the full glory of heaven to come.

Lord, as followers of Christ, let us “show gratitude, by which we may offer to God an acceptable service with reverence and awe” (Hebrews 12:28).