1 Peter 3:15 NIV, “But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect,”
Photo by: Keira Burton
“Always be prepared.” We know people are always watching our actions, and the way we live our lives. The way we conduct ourselves, is a testimony of our reverence to the Lord. We never know when we will have the opportunity to verbally share with someone, who Christ is to us. The love and light of Jesus, shining through us, is a sweet fragrance to those around us. The hope we have in Jesus, is meant to be shared with others, in a gentle and respectful way. As we go about our daily routines, may God prepare our hearts and give us an awareness of those around us, and grant us opportunities to share the reason for the hope we have in Jesus.
While walking the other day, I found myself a little annoyed that my normal path had been blocked off by some construction work that was in progress. So I proceeded to take an alternate path. The alternate path, unlike my normal path, was sunny and hot. Plus it was not as pretty as my normal path. On my normal path, I enjoyed flowers and trees, as well as plenty of shade.
Photo by: Lisa Fotios of the UK 🇬🇧
However, as I proceeded down the alternate path, God spoke to my heart and reminded me, that as we walk with Him, He will often call us out of the comfort of the beautiful scenery we have come to know. Instead, He will allow us to journey into places that are less comfortable. He does this for various reasons, but some that He brought to my mind are 1) we learn to trust Him as we venture into the unknown 2) we learn to persevere, even when our circumstances are not easy 3) we learn the importance of obedience 4) we grow in our faith as we see God’s provision 5) we learn to see beauty in the things and people that the world does not see as beautiful 6) he is protecting us from evil 7) we learn to walk in love.
Photo by: Tyler Lastovich of the USA 🇺🇸
If you think about it, shade feels nice and there are times we need it, but our bodies also need sunshine. There are reasons God allows the Earth to experience different seasons, and it works the same for us. He will allow us to go through various seasons, but through it all, when we seek to do His will, His purposes are being accomplished.
So when the Lord calls you out of the comfortable shade, don’t be afraid to take the detour, even if it’s hot, and not as attractive. There are always blessings waiting down the path of obedience, and the path of obedience, is often an alternate path that He will require us to take.
Proverbs 3:5-6 NLT, “5 Trust in the LORD with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding.6 Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take.”
Yesterday morning, the words of this song came to my mind, a song I remember singing years ago at church as a young girl.
You may remember these words too…
Every day with Jesus, is sweeter than the day before.
Every day with Jesus, I love him more and more.
Jesus saves and keeps me, and He’s the one I’m waiting for.
Every day with Jesus, is sweeter than the day before.
Words by Robert C. Loveless, Music by Wendell Loveless, Copyright 1936 by Percy B. Crawford
Photo by: Leigh Patrick
Reminiscing on those days and the words to this song brings joy to my heart. Now as an adult, I realize that walking out “every day with Jesus” is a sweet adventure but it certainly does not come without intentional effort on our part. It requires us to willingly persevere through suffering and trials. But when we are willing to pay the price of commitment, we do draw closer to Christ Jesus. Through our suffering and perseverance we grow in character and hope, and we become mature and complete, lacking nothing.
These verses in Romans and James are encouraging…
Romans 5:3-5
3 Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; 4 perseverance, character; and character, hope. 5 And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.
James 1:2-4
2 Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, 3 because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. 4 Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.
The words of the song are a refreshing reminder of how sweet it is to walk with Jesus daily; however, the words found in the scriptures, give us the details of what it takes on our part to fully experience that daily sweetness. Scripture tells us that learning to “love Him more and more” takes perseverance.
We live in a world that wants to shame us for following Jesus, but we are reminded in Romans 5:5, that when we choose to hope in Jesus, we will not be put to shame. Keep persevering, so that you become mature and complete, not lacking anything!
Jeremiah 29:11, “For I know the plans I have for you,” says the LORD. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.”
Recently, I was reflecting on this verse and felt the need to repent of the many times I flippantly quoted this verse and took it for granted. I didn’t take time to prayerfully consider the fact, that in order to walk in God’s good plans for my life, I would need to live a life of surrender and obedience. Not just when it was easy or convenient, and not just when I felt like it. Surrender and obedience to the will of God are a daily requirement.
God does have a good plan for us, but it is up to us to choose to do His will daily, in order for those plans to come to past. We will have to sacrifice our will and choose His. We will have to be uncomfortable at times, in order to realize the joy of walking out His plans and reaping the rewards of a life fully dedicated to Him.
Heavenly Father,
Thank you for the good plans that you have for our lives. Forgive us of the times we have taken your goodness for granted, not being fully obedient to your leading in our lives. Help us to desire your will above our own. Show us areas of our hearts and lives that we are not committing to you and help us to make the needed changes. Thank you for your patience and mercy. In the name of Jesus. Amen.
12 Corinthians 12:9-10 But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.
These were my mom, Belle’s, favorite two verses in the Bible. She has it engraved on the cover of one of her Bibles.
We can be strong, because of the grace that is given to us through Christ. When we are weak, He is strong. His strength and power never run out.
My dear mom, went home to be with our Lord and Savior, Jesus, on the morning of January 21st. Of course I miss her, and find it hard to believe she is no longer here with us. However, I am thankful for the life she lived and the love she gave to me, my family and countless others.
Mom was ill for awhile, so I am also thankful she is no longer suffering. I can’t imagine the bliss she is now experiencing, being in God’s presence for all eternity, with a new glorified body. She loved trees, so I thought of her when I chose this picture…
Photo by: Felix Mittermeier of Germany 🇩🇪
God’s grace is sufficient. That is a truth that my mom lived each day and I am thankful that through Christ, we can continue to live in that truth too. Weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and difficulties, do not change who He is. His power is perfect. We are secure in His love.
We are busy planning my mom’s memorial service, plus I am still processing the reality of losing her, it’s very difficult. So, I may not post every Monday for awhile, but I will still be checking in, reading and commenting, from time to time.
I ask for your prayers during this time. May God continue to direct your path as you trust Him, and as always, thank you for your love, support, and prayers. Blessings.
2 Corinthians 3:17, “Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.”
Photo by: Pixabay
One thing that the Lord has placed on my heart for this new year, is to “live free.” In Jesus Christ, we have the freedom to live free and be all that God wants us to be. I am sure, especially over the last several years, we have all been reminded of how fragile life is. It can be here today and gone tomorrow. So we have to make the most of the time on Earth that God has given to us. When we decide to exercise our freedom in Jesus Christ, God can use us to bring His love and light to those around us.
Photo by: Daniel Reche of Brazil 🇧🇷
Giving our hearts to Jesus, enables us to live free, freely giving away kindness, mercy, and compassion. We are free to live courageously. We are free to pray and study God’s Word. We are free to not compromise our faith, but instead to live a life of obedience to our God. We are free to trust Him fully. We are free to love.
We must be willing to freely give whatever God desires us to give.
We may not always want to give in the ways God tells us to; or give to the people He tells us to. But in order for us to experience all the blessings He has in store for us, we must be willing to obey His instructions, and give. He will faithfully help us.
Photo by: Julian Jagtenberg
God wants to take us higher in this new year. He wants us to live free! I pray that He will strengthen you for the year ahead and give you grace to obey Him and live free! I also pray that with every step of obedience you take, you will be blessed and that your heart will be filled with joy!
Drawing Closer to Christ 