Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.

~Romans 2:12

The term “brainwashed” typically has a very negative connotation. In fact, there’s been a lot of talk over the past eight or so years about media “brainwashing” people with false information—trying to persuade us of one “truth” or another, depending on who you listen to. And with the rise of social media “influencers” and platform algorithms, it’s easy to be convinced that certain information is true… “See! Everyone agrees with me, just look at the ‘evidence’ of my incessant feed!” Hence, we fully embrace what we’re thinking. Our minds are sure. 

Until an opposing viewpoint slips through. Then, we glimpse the other side’s “facts” and start seeing more of the same when the algorithm pivots. And confusion sets in.

This example holds true for cultural trends, political leanings, health and fitness information—you name it, there’s an opinion that can thoroughly wash over your brain. And when it comes to some topics, the “sides” are so contrasting that it seems like there are literally two distinct realities! (See carnivore vs. vegan.) With all the over-information, discerning what’s truly true is really hard. 

Thankfully, there is One who never changes (Malachi 3:6; Hebrews 13:8; James 1:17)…and there is His Word that is living and true (2 Timothy 3:16-17; John 17:17; Psalm 119). With God, sweet friend, there is no confusion (1 Corinthians 14:33).

It’s so easy for our thoughts to be muddled by all the noise of this world. Our enemy, the father of lies hisses daily in our ears, “Did God really say…?” So, we must fill our mind with the Truths and Promises of God, standing firm in who we are in Christ. To fully embrace this Word-driven brainwashing, our mind will be renewed and our very soul transformed. This is a command and a promise. 

Colossians 3:1-3: “Set your minds on the things that are above, not on the things that are on earth” (v2).

Ephesians 4:17-32: “You are to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and to put on the new self, which in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and holiness of the truth” (vs 23-24).

2 Corinthians 10:3-6: We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ (v5).

Philippians 4:8-9: Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, think about these things. As for the things you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.

So, what are you filling your head with? Endless social media clips and doomscrolling? Mind-numbing video games? YouTube rabbit holes? Stop the lies and confusion…be brainwashed with God’s truth and know His peace.

Lord, amid all the noise—and lies—of this world, help me keep my eyes and focus on You and Your Word. Brainwash me with Your Truth!

“For everyone will be salted with fire. Salt is good; but if the salt becomes unsalty, with what will you make it salty again? Have salt in yourselves, and be at peace with one another.”

~Mark 9:49-50

As I was reading through Mark’s gospel, which I have done many, many times, I saw a little phrase that seemed to have been recently added to my Bible. (I know you know what I’m talking about!) In chapter 9, we read about the Transfiguration and then listen in as Jesus tells His disciples straight up about his impending death and resurrection (which they did not get in that moment). Then, after some of His closest friends were arguing about who was the greatest disciple, Jesus explains clearly that to be the greatest, one must be last and a servant of all. Skipping ahead a few verses, Jesus gets really real about removing sin from our lives, going to extremes when needed. But then, in Mark 9:49, Jesus follows that up by saying, “For everyone will be salted with fire.” Wait, what? After pausing to ponder this odd phrase through the Holy Spirit lens, a cool application struck me.

Believers are called to be salt in this world—Matthew, Mark, and Luke recount the words of Jesus as He exhorts us to be “the salt of the earth” (Matthew 5:13), to “have salt in yourselves” (Mark 9:50), and not lose our saltiness, because then it’s of no use at all (Luke 14:34-45). The analogy is pretty clear: Just as salt preserves food, we’re to preserve God’s Word amid the “rotting” elements of culture. And just as we use salt elevate the flavor of food, Christians sprinkle the grace, mercy, and love on others to reflect Jesus and glorify His name. And just as popcorn or chips make us pine for water, our salty lives should also make those around us thirsty for the Lord. Thankfully, we don’t do this in our own effort. Upon salvation, we are given the Holy Spirit to live within us to empower us to shine the light of Christ into our dark world, to serve as ambassadors of our new homeland (the Kingdom of God), to live fruity lives (Galatians 5:22-23), and—of course—to be salty. And although we are new creations in Christ and have the Holy Spirit within us, we’re still in a constant battle with the flesh and the broken world…not to mention against our enemy who hates us and wants only to kill, steal, and destroy. So, there is that. As we live in the world, being pulled on and pummeled by the lust of the eyes, the lust of the flesh, and the pride of life…well, our saltiness can lose its flavor.

And this is what the point of this before-unseen-by-me sentence in Luke points to: staying salted by fire. See, sometimes our most valiant efforts are not enough. We squelch the Holy Spirit with the idea of “I know better” or “I got this”. In these cases, it’s as if the Lord shakes His head knowingly and says to Himself, “Nothin’ a little fire can’t fix.”

So, by trial, persecution, illness, financial crisis, family calamity, and even those sneaky malicious intentions of the enemy, the Lord purifies us. He burns up those attitudes, habits, and actions that have dulled our saltiness—and He refines our Christian walk for His glory, praise, and honor (1 Peter 1:6-7). 

When life is hard (because, frankly, it is), do we turn to the things of the world or old patterns that pull us off the Narrow Path and into the wide road? Does our awe of God’s greatness dim, and our enthusiasm for His people and lost souls wane? Oh, friend, I’ve been there, becoming tasteless to a world that so desperately needs to know the soul-level satisfaction of Jesus. But when we take our eyes off ourselves and our circumstances, and place them back on the Lord, and to His mercy and grace—and see just how He is salting us by fire—we can re-embrace the joy of our salvation…and amplify our saltiness once again.  

Lord, forgive me for losing my saltiness in the trials of this life. Thank You for “salting me with fire”, refining my flavor to be more like You.

But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like. But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing.

~James 1:22-25

My pastor often says that you can’t follow someone without taking steps to go after them—moving in the direction they’re moving. This is especially true regarding Jesus. As followers of Christ, we must be walking after Him. Reading His Word—and acting on it. Doing whatever He says to do (John 2:5). Walking and working out our salvation (Philippians 2:12-13) through action…action that is in response to our salvation, not to earn it (Ephesians 2:8-10). 

When it comes to doing for the Lord (serving), whether within the church itself or for a local church ministry, I’ve heard from so many Christians something to the effect of, “Oh, I’m praying about where to serve.” Then (in a French accent, per SpongeBob SquarePants), “three years later”. OK, so maybe not three years, but three months or even a year later, the response from this same person is, “Well, I’m just not sure where the Lord wants me.” 

Sound vaguely familiar? Don’t get me wrong, it’s very good thing to wait on the Lord for things and pray fervently for guidance, wisdom, discernment…but nine times out of 10, the bush outside our window won’t be on fire (no matter how long you stare at it). And your dry fleece won’t be wet or your wet one dry.

Oh beloved, when it comes to taking godly action, especially in serving the Lord, just move! If it is aligned with God’s Word—and serving His family or a Christ-following ministry usually is—then start doing something! You can base it on your specific God-given gifts (see one of the many spiritual gift surveys), what seems like it would be a “good fit” for you, or just on what needs to be done. The Holy Spirit will steer you once you start moving. In fact, when we’re serving according to our gift(s) and where the Lord truly wants us, we’ll experience incredible joy and energy in the action. (Can I get a witness?) This reminds me of another thing my pastor is fond of repeating: When it comes to following the Lord, we “pray, guess, and go”. Does it align with God’s Word—i.e., is not sinful? Then go for it! When you stand before the Lord someday, He’s not going to look at you disdainfully, shaking His head, and say, “You know, you really shouldn’t have served in Kids Ministry that year at your church—it’s not what I had for you.”

When I brought up this “just do something” idea at Bible study recently, my sweet mat-carrying sister tied up this concept with a mic-drop comment: “A ship can’t be steered unless it’s moving.” (This got me burrowing down a rabbit hole of marine engineering, into “sway velocity” and “surge velocity” and “rudder force”—but I’ll spare you all this.) But, yes, like a large boat, we’ve got to start going in a godly direction. Then our sweet Navigator will guide us where He wants us—for His glory and our good (Romans 8:28-30).

Lord, You give us wisdom when we ask (James 1:5-6). But also, please give me the courage to move—to do, to say, to go—in faith and in alignment with Your Word. 

And they were watching (Jesus) closely to see if He would heal him on the Sabbath, so that they might accuse Him. 

~ Mark 3:2

As I was reading through the first few chapters of Mark’s gospel, an interesting rhythm arose in chapters 2 and 3 as Jesus walked out the start of His earthly ministry. As He taught, healed, and hung out with His disciples, something struck me as weird: the Pharisees and/or Scribes were always there, lurking about with proverbial clipboards in hand. Not sure why, but I envision them sneakily following and then comically popping out from around a corner or amid a crowd like a jack-in-the-box or whack-a-mole. But their allegations were anything but funny.

Throughout all the gospels, we can find these pesky Pharisees around Jesus and His disciples, watching and waiting to pounce. But even just in these five short scenarios in Mark, their intentions are made super clear. (Please go back and read Mark 2:1-3:6 for full context here.) In the first scene, Jesus is teaching in Peter’s house, and it’s packed—too packed for some guys to bring their paralyzed friend to the Lord. So, they tore off the roof and lowered him down. Jesus told him his sins were forgiven. But the Pharisees started at Jesus, clipboard up, glasses at the end of their nose: “Why’s He doing that? That’s wrong!” (Actually, here they were only thinking it, but Jesus could hear their hearts. Mark 2:6-7) Next, Jesus calls Matthew, a Jewish tax collector, to follow Him. He does and then throws a party for Jesus to bring his tax-collector friends (and other “unsavories”) to the table to meet the Lord. And then, “Pop! Goes the weasel!” The Pharisees tap their clipboard: “Why is He doing that—it’s wrong!” (See Mark 2: 14-17.) In the third and fourth situations, the Pharisees saw that Jesus and His disciples were not following the religious rules to the burdensome level set by man (beyond God’s original intent). “Why aren’t you doing this?! And why are you doing that?! Tsk, tsk!” (See Mark 2:18-28.)

In the fifth (but hardly final) scene of Pharisaical sanctimony, Jesus is teaching in the synagogue on the Sabbath, and Mark states the obvious: “And they (the Pharisees) were watching Him closely (or “maliciously”) to see if He would heal (the man with the withered hand) on the Sabbath, so that they might accuse Him” (Mark 3:2). But this time, Jesus beat them to the punch by asking them if what He was doing was lawful. I see them quickly hiding their clipboards behind their backs, looking at Jesus with wide “I-don’t-know-what-You’re-talking-about” eyes. As they say nothing in response, Jesus healed the man (while likely staring down the Pharisees). Ah, and then they scurried away like cockroaches and began conspiring as to how they could kill Him.

As we all shake our heads in disgust at these Pharisees, let me get that mirror for us. (I know I need one.) How many of us, as followers of Jesus Christ, are Clipboard Christians? Are there certain people at church that we watch, clipboard and pen in hand, waiting for them to say or do something we deem to be pounce-worthy? Maybe it’s that the Lord delivered you from some sin or sinful lifestyle upon your salvation, so you think every other believer should be so sanctified accordingly…and when you see it, you think (or say), “Why are you doing THAT? It’s not right!” You click your tongue and move through the sanctuary, watching and waiting. “Aha! Look at her—that outfit! In church?” Or “Did you see what he did?” And “I can’t believe that language she uses—and she calls herself a Christian.” 

Um, ouch. Friend, every believer is a new creation in Christ—having been moved from death to life! Praise the Lord! But there are two important things for us to remember: 

1. As Jesus says in Mark 2:17, it’s not the healthy who need a physician, but those who are sick—He came to call sinners. And we’re all sinners, on our way Home to glory.
2. Each of us is on a unique sanctification journey, according to the will of God, becoming more and more like Christ (2 Corinthians 3:18) at our own pace. Your race is not mine, and mine’s not yours.

So, beloved, let’s put down the clipboard. And let’s live, love, and serve like Jesus.

Lord, forgive my “Pharisee tendencies” to judge my brothers and sisters. Help me love more like You.

Do you not know? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and His understanding no one can fathom. He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.

~Isaiah 40:28-31 (NIV)

Because life is, well, life, many of us are likely in a hard place right now—a time of grief, doubt, pain, uncertainty. Jesus promised it, after all (John 16:33). Sometimes these seasons are thrust upon us with the unexpected suddenness of lightening strike. Other times, we are unmistakenly following after the will of God when it rolls over us. We’re taken aback, because we’re 100% certain in our steadfast obedience. And it could be somewhere in between. Regardless, the result is the same: a soul-level, fog-like weariness that the deepest sleep couldn’t lift. (As if sleep is even a thing during these times.) You may even hear yourself cry out to the Lord or a friend, “I don’t have the strength to endure this thing.”

Again, some of us are in this place right now. Others may be looking at it in the rearview mirror…for others—and I’m sorry to break the news—it’s just over the horizon. No matter how long you’ve been walking with the Lord, you know this to be true. And if you’re in Christian community (which I pray you are), you see and hear it from your brothers and sisters in Christ as you experience Holy Spirit-inspired koinonia. 

As for me, I’m in it deep. Interestingly, it’s a result of total obedience to the Lord. In fact, there have been incredible miracles along the way, with the Lord showing up (and off) that His hand is leading my husband and I in the direction we started walking a few weeks ago. He changed our hearts 180 degrees to start this process in the first place, which is the foundational miracle. And whether witnessing “only-God-coulda-done-that” moments, sweet church fam pouring into us, or the very Spirit in us, we leapt in this thing with confidence. But now it’s gotten really real. And exponentially “really” hard. 

But friend, there is amazing news: God is who He says He is, and His promises are true. So, wherever you and I are along this narrow, rocky road, here’s the really real deal: We can trust the Lord to carry us. Here are just a few reminders for us all (some to read here—others to look up). Some of my favorites are from God through Isaiah:

Isaiah 40:31: Yet those who wait for the Lord Will gain new strength; They will mount up with wings like eagles, They will run and not get tired, They will walk and not become weary.

Isaiah 41:10: Do not fear, for I am with you; Do not be afraid, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, I will also help you, I will also uphold you with My righteous right hand.

Isaiah 46:4: Even to your old age I will be the same, And even to your graying years I will carry you! I have done it, and I will bear you; And I will carry you and I will save you.

2 Cor 12:9; Isaiah 40:11; Deuteronomy 1:31; Isaiah 43:2; Psalm 23; Zephaniah 3:17; John 14:27; Psalm 34:18

Stay in His Word. Remain connected with encouraging brothers and sisters. And, most importantly, like an exhausted toddler at Disney, reaching up to her parent with weary desperation, cry out, “Abba (Daddy), carry me!” And He will. He’ll take us through…and it may not look like what we thought it would or should. I don’t know about you, but wherever He wants to take me, that’s where I want to go.

Lord, I trust You. I trust Your Word. I’m so weary and can’t do this on my own. Carry me.

I have become a marvel to many, For You are my strong refuge. My mouth is filled with Your praise And with Your glory all day long. Do not cast me away at the time of my old age; Do not abandon me when my strength fails.

~Psalm 71:7-9

In 2009, Apple launched an iPhone campaign touting all the various applications available on their smartphone (hard to believe that smartphones have already been around that long). You probably recall the famous slogan: “There’s an app for that.” This is the exact reason I so love the Psalms. No matter what you’re experiencing in life, there’s a Psalm that meets you right where you are. Feeling alone and abandoned? Overwhelmed by your sin? Persecuted? In awe of God’s glorious creation? Wanting God to “get” your enemies? Overcome with thankfulness for your salvation and God’s incredible goodness? 

There’s a Psalm for that.

As I found myself in Psalm 71 recently, it dawned on me that I’d never noticed its title before. In the NASB, it reads, “Prayer of an Old Man for Rescue”… in the ESV, “Forsake Me Not When My Strength is Spent”. As a 58-year-old woman, I had to chuckle at these titles. But it also made me read this beautiful Psalm with new eyes (well, new “old” eyes, so to speak). As we get older in our faith—and older in body and mind—it’s easy to think that our walk with the Lord will get smoother, and less tumultuous. Yeah, that doesn’t happen. In fact, with every step forward on our sanctification journey, from glory to glory (2 Cor 3:17-18), our sinning becomes more and more apparent to ourselves. And, hopefully, with this spiritual maturity, our rate-of-repentance quickens and the grace we find to extend toward others grows exponentially.

Although we don’t know who wrote this Psalm, it definitely has the same ups and downs as many of David’s songs. Here’s the basic, beautiful flow, along with its old-guy wrap-up: 

1. A cry to God for rescue and deliverance—to be a rock of refuge, with an immediate follow-up of “You ARE my rock!” (vs 1-3). Ah, a reminder that this plea is one we’ll utter all the days of this life.
2. An appeal for protection against the wicked, unjust, and cruel (v 4). Jesus Himself promised us troubles (John 16:33).
3. A proclamation of long-time and continual hope and trust in the Lord, and a recounting of a long life of reliance on and praise of God (vs 5-6).
4. A recognition that the world—and those in it—marvel that he makes the Lord his refuge, praising Him all day long and through all the “even if” times (vs 7-8).
5. A plea for God to not forsake him in his old age, when the body starts failing and enemies start plotting against him because they think God has abandoned him (9-12). He urgently shouts, “God, hurry to help me!” (We’ve all been here!)
6. About his enemies, he says, “Go get ‘em God! May my enemies be disgraced!” (v 13) Gotta love the honesty of the Psalms, am I right?)
7. “But as for me…” (vs 14-16) Here is where most Psalms turn, regardless of the specific theme/struggle: “But as for me, Lord, I will praise You and tell of Your righteousness and Your salvation.” Yes, friend! No matter what—when He gives and takes away—we bless His holy name. And we will declare His salvation even to our enemies (v 16).

For the rest of the Psalm, the writer leans into the old-and-gray points (vs 17-24): He begs God to not forsake him even when he’s getting up there in age. In fact, he begs God for more time to tell the younger generations about Him. (Ouch, is THIS our plea to the Lord as we wake up achy and don’t recognize that old person in the mirror?) He then again acknowledges the greatness of God and His righteousness. He accepts the “many troubles and calamities” the Lord has given him and seen him through…and that with the next one and the next one, God will carry him through and comfort him. His lips and soul will shout for joy with praise. Finally, he recognizes that his enemies will be dealt with by the Lord—so all he has to do is sing praises (and not worry about them).

Friend, as we age, because we will, let’s take to heart this Psalmist’s perspective. Let’s continually praise the Lord and acknowledge His righteousness and the salvation we have in Him—despite our enemies’ efforts and regardless of life’s inevitable calamities. And let’s never tire of sharing the joy of salvation with those younger than us.

Father God, thank You for the wisdom that comes with getting older. May I embrace all that comes with it and continually praise You in it all.

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.