The Deep End

“Above all, be strong and very courageous to carefully observe the whole instruction…Do not turn from it to the right or the left, so that you will have success wherever you go.” Joshua 1:7.

When my niece was a small child my sister was introducing her to the pool teaching her to respect water. She gradually got my niece to the point where she was going to catch her as she jumped in the water which was over her head. Over and over Benay, with outstretched arms encouraged Kylie to jump into the deep end by counting to three. I can still see Kylie on the side of pool biting her fingernails wanting to jump but fearful to jump into the deep end. One of the cutest things she ever said was when Benay had counted out ‘One...two…’ and Kylie screamed, ‘No three Mommy! No three!’

There have been some ‘deep ends’ in my own life where I pleaded with God, ‘No three Lord! Please no three!’ Deep ends are scary, and we will all face them at some point in our lives. One day we are wading through the normalcy of our lives, only to suddenly feel the drop below our feet. We lack control over many of the things that affect us, so we had better focus on the Words of God who with outstretched arms will catch us when we jump. His words will cover us with encouragement and splash us with refreshing comfort. Our verse today tells us that our success is not through our own courage, but courage obtained through the word of God. Many times when we find ourselves in the deep end we take short cuts to get out instead of trusting God. ‘True courage has little to do with earthly bravery and everything to do with heavenly focus. Instead of keeping our gaze on the deep end before us or the shallow end behind us, let’s keep our gaze steady on our heavenly Father who is always with us. He will never leave you or let you down.’ Ready – Having Courage When Facing the Unknown, Heather M Dixon, p. 34.

This past week our pastor made a statement that was very powerful for me when considering our deep ends. He said, ‘We may be powerless to prevent but we are empowered to prevail.’

Ready Our Heart

"Now therefore, arise, go...to the land which I am giving...For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.  Have I not commanded you?  Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go." Joshua 1:2, 8b-9.

It is easy to rush past this emotional scene.  Joshua had known and loved Moses for the biggest part of his life since Scripture tells us that Joshua’s grandfather Elishama was previously chosen to lead alongside Moses. (Numbers 7:48-53).  Through the years Joshua was elevated to the role of assistant to Moses.  Our morning passage is a beautiful string of encouraging words from God to Joshua as he was grieving the loss of his beloved friend, mentor and leader.  What Moses began Joshua was being called to finish.  Going to the new land would take grit… courage…obedience…acceptance.  Not only was Joshua being called to accept the loss of Moses, but he was being called to ‘arise…go…lead.’  It is no coincidence that the passage only promises the blessing once Joshua take that first step.

So many of us are being asked to do things that we feel may not be the right timing or the right place.  Some of us may not feel strong enough…good enough…stable enough to accomplish the things that God has put before us to prosper our lives.  Just like with Joshua, God can see the end results and the blessings in the plan that He has designed for us.  God was already up ahead and had gone before Joshua.  But he faced a big decision at the worst time offered…while he was grieving.  I love how God called him to a new way promising prosperity and success, but more than that promising Joshua His presence.  I believe that God prompted him to get up and get ready because it would have been easy for Joshua to miss God’s opportunity and blessing.  ‘When we allow God to ready our hearts for the unknown, we welcome the blessings of the Promised Land living…When God calls you…He equips you with everything you need to sustain it.  But the first thing He will ask you to do is rise.’ Ready – Finding the Courage to Face the Unknown, Heather M Dixon, p. 33.

It takes courage and strength to continue to keep moving in our grief.  It takes embracing God’s plan over our plan to see the new way that He is making.  It takes prayer…plenty of prayer…to discern how God is leading us for the next season in our lives.  If we have a listening ear and a willing heart, God will reveal the new land that is up ahead...but first...we must get up and move.

First Fruits

“See, I have called by name… And I have filled him with the Spirit of God, in wisdom, in understanding, in knowledge, and in all manner of workmanship.” Ex 31:2-3.

We like to think that things are so different than centuries ago, but God’s calendar rarely boasts new dealings with mankind. He is true to Himself, never changing but revealing His heart to us and His plan for us. Before Feb of 2006 I never had any interest or talents in writing. It was never on my radar and gave the Bible little thought as I awoke each morning. I had been raised in the church and was shown daily spiritual principles by my parents and grandparents. But those faithful saints who exemplified faith to us can’t know God for us. At 45 God filled me with a desire to draw closer to Him and to the Bible. It was only through my new pursuit of meditation on His word did God step right out of the pages of the Bible and into my mind and heart. It was only through that newly directed intimate fellowship that I discovered the workmanship He placed in my life…His workmanship…His call that He had predetermined before I even existed. It is the same call on your life no matter how you fill your days. ‘For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.’ Ephesians 2:10.

I used to try to be like other people before God showed me that the only person for whom we should emulate is Jesus Christ. Jesus didn’t do one activity until He had spent time in fellowship with God through prayer. The work of His hands was the overflow of His heart for God and we are no different. We all have calendars bursting with obligations, invitations and commitments. But not one of these entries will be filled with its best version without giving God the ‘first fruits’ of our day. Just like in our verse above, our wisdom, understanding and knowledge comes from God and not from any other source. Why wouldn’t we seek all these things before we begin our activities for the day?

God has prepared special and purposeful things for each of us in our work. We can only know the path He has laid out before us when we give Him our time to receive the guidance. If we are not careful we will load our day down with things of little purpose and things that lack satisfaction. ‘With God’s guidance, we must chart out our own course. We must be solely and exactly who God designed us to be, and not someone else. God has designed and equipped you to do a very specific job at a very specific time in a very specific place.’ Ready – Finding the Courage to Face the Unknown, Heather M Dixon, p. 28.

Walking in Courage

“Then Moses went and spoke…to all Israel. ‘I am one hundred and twenty years old today…the LORD has said to me, ‘You shall not cross over this Jordan.’ The LORD your God Himself crosses over before you.’ De 31:1, 3. ‘Then the LORD spoke to Moses… ‘Go up this mountain…you shall see the land before you, though you shall not go there.’” De 32:48-52.

Joshua had grown up watching the leadership of Moses and had served him well as friend, student and servant. Moses had dealt with the children of Israel for 40 years. At one point he got so angry at them he disobeyed God and his pride cost him entry into the Promised Land. Even back then, some of God’s most devoted servants didn’t get the desire of their heart. God had used Moses miraculously and Moses had served God relentlessly. But on this day…his birthday…he not only accepted God’s will for his life but embraced who God chose to carry the people into the land He was giving them. In one of the most beautiful acts of surrender and most eloquent speeches in the Bible Moses presented his blessing to the next leader who God raised up. But God in His rich love for Moses encouraged him to go up the mountain and get a glimpse of the land that Moses led the nation to. He was able to see the end results of 40 years of service, sacrifice and obedience. Very soon after that the Lord gathered Moses into His arms and carried Him to heaven…the real Promised Land. No doubt Joshua felt unworthy, unprepared, unequipped and most certainly fearful to carry out God's plan. But Moses left Joshua with the same promise that the Bible leaves us with… ‘Be strong and of good courage, do not fear or be afraid…for the LORD your God, He is the One who goes with you. He will not leave you nor forsake you.’ De 31:6.

Who needs to hear that verse this morning? Is it the person who is grieving for the loved one who God whisked home? Is it the woman who is waiting on the desire of her heart to be fulfilled with no evidence in sight? Is it the man who has been called to another job and doesn’t feel equipped? Is it the person who must lay down their dream and pick up God’s will? Whether we are walking in Moses’ sandals realizing that the outcome is not what we wanted, or like Joshua who faced a new challenge… a new land…a new calling, we all possess the beautiful promises of Deuteronomy. God is the only One who truly goes with us, beside us and in front of us. Through His power we can walk in strength and courage no matter what we face. Through His confidence we can denounce our fears and anxieties. Through His promise we can trust that we will never walk alone or be abandoned.

He is our portion and our anchor…always enough and always secure. That is our Savior and our God.

Same Day Promise

“And the LORD God formed man…and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life.” Ge 2:7.

“And when Jesus cried out with a loud voice…He breathed His last breath.” Luke 23:46b.

The cycle of life…the first breath from God celebrated with our loved ones while the last breath from God we dedicate them back to Him.   The cycle of life hurts when both ends of the circle meet on earth.  Jesus fully understood this as He knew His life was coming to an end at only 33 years old.  Think about how young that is and how much living usually happens on the other side of it.  But Jesus knew that only so many breaths were assigned to Him on earth before His purpose was fulfilled.  And what a purpose that was…one that every believer on this earth can claim as their reality with their final breath.  But the relic that is our comfort is a little verse tucked the moment before Christ inhaled earth for the last time.  As Jesus was barely alive laboring to breathe no doubt, the criminal who deserved the cross whispered to Jesus, ‘Lord, remember me when You come into Your kingdom.’ Luke 23:43. And hanging beside the King of Kings the guilty criminal doomed to die heard the words of life instead.  “And Jesus said to him, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise.’” Those were the very words that allowed the criminal to bid farewell in peace, and the same words that comfort us to accept death on earth… the certainty of the ‘same day Promise.’

‘It is God’s breath that fills and sustains us.  We cannot run from it, nor do we have to work for it.  We simply have to receive it.  God fills us with life and love with every breath we take.’ Determined, Heather M Dixon, p. 191.    While we must wait on the majority of promises that God gives us, this beautiful promise is given the same day we breathe our last breath on earth.  The same day Promise is what allows us to picture wholeness for our loved ones the afternoon that sickness took them that morning.  The same day Promise is what allows us to embrace that where captivity held a family member on earth, they now are running free in Heaven.  It is the promise that a day left on earth is a blessing we have been assigned.  There is a beautiful statement attributed to Alice Morse Earle: ‘Yesterday is history.  Tomorrow is a mystery.  Today is a gift.  That’s why it is called the present.’ 

I am humbled that Jesus used His last few breaths to give us a promise so assuring and so comforting.  If we or our loved ones have closed their eyes to earth, the same day the opened their eyes to Jesus.  The number of our breaths were assigned at the beginning of our lives.  ‘Each breath holds a rare moment of blessing that repeats itself every time we are willing to acknowledge its divine benefactor.’ Determined, p. 192.

“You saw me before I was born.  Every day of my life was recorded in your book.  Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed.” Psalm 139:16.

Reversal of Fortune

“What is this you have done?” Ge 3:13

Creation barely got going before perfection was spoiled.  This was God’s question to Adam and Eve after they had touched and eaten the forbidden fruit. What a short-lived reality, one that would put Plan B into motion.  Humanity’s decision to grab the fruit of the forbidden tree set up a showdown of what began in the garden as a blessing to what would end in the Garden of Gethsemane.  Adam and Eve, dressed only in their new-found awareness of shame hid themselves ‘from the presence of God.’ They heard Him approaching and quietly crouching, hoped He would walk on by…they certainly didn’t cry out to Him...they didn’t want to be found.  As they silently separated themselves from God Jesus on bent knees cried out to God in another garden.  The guilt of sin drove them into the garden’s seclusion while Jesus in desperation prayed for God’s presence.  Jesus would pour out the cup of sacrifice through His death that mankind had filled up with sin.  ‘What began in the garden ended in the garden.’ Determined, Heather Dixon, p. 183. “And while He was still speaking…Having arrested Him…Jesus cried out with a loud voice, He said, ‘Father, into your hands I commit My spirit.’ Having said this, He breathed His last.” Luke 22:54, 23:46.  Because mankind stole from a forbidden tree, Christ was sacrificed on one. 

‘What is this you have done?’  Each of us has felt the sting of conviction from this question in our lives.  We have all reached up to that fruit knowing it wasn’t good for us. We have moved away from God at some point in our lives.  We have felt the shame of sin and the guilt of our choices.  But this morning as I sit thinking about what Jesus did for you and for me, I find myself both humbled and grateful for the sacrifice He made for us.  Oh Jesus, what is this you have done?  You have loved us when we didn’t love ourselves.  You have found us when we were lost in our sin.  You have saved us when we were dead in our spirit.  You have done for us what we could have never done for ourselves.

The two gardens represent perfection that turned to the imperfect and the restoration of perfection through Christ.  He reversed the consequences.  Through the determined obedience and sacrifice of Jesus, He absorbed the full weight of our sin so that one day we might once again walk in paradise. ‘Oh Jesus, thank you for what you have done!’

Our White-Knuckled Walk

“‘See, your king comes to you, righteous and victorious, lowly and riding on a donkey…’” Zechariah 9:9 “Now as He drew near, He saw the city and wept over it, saying, ‘If you had known, even you…the things that make for your peace!’” Luke 19:41.

The wonderful thing about a Bible Study is the way scholars can string together a complicated message into one we can understand. Our two verses this morning is the New Testament fulfillment of an Old Testament prophesy of the entry of Jesus riding towards His death. However, Jesus was the only one in the crowd who fully understood what lay before Him. The disciples and followers were celebrating His royal entry, bowing and spreading their garments upon the path. They had come to celebrate Him…support Him…praise Him. But the throne upon which He would be seated would be in a City not seen to man. He would first have to be exposed to suffering…to rejection…to a brokenhearted reality. As He marched towards pain and suffering, His heart was still on God’s people. He didn’t weep for His own experience, rather for the condition of the hearts of God’s children. He knew then what we need to know now…even in our most heartbreaking seasons we can have the possible peace of God in our impossible pain.

When we have been rejected, we can take peace in God’s approval…When we have been devalued by those around us, we can find our value in Jesus. When we find our circumstances in chaotic disarray, we can find order in the presence of God. When our march towards the throne of Heaven must pass through the pain of the cross we can walk in determination and trust in God. Our mission is the same as Jesus’ mission thousands of years ago. ‘As determined living takes us into situations that seem hopeless, we can find courage in a God who does the impossible…The road ahead might be excruciating and challenging – it might even demand our very lives – but we can move forward anyway. Why? Because we are born again into a divine family that refuses to give up, and the power of Christ is our inheritance.’ Determined, Heather Dixon, pp 176-177.

We all approach cities of fear…cities of grief…cities of hopelessness. But we don’t experience these city battles empty-handed. We walk towards our circumstances tightfisted in faith…white knuckled holding on to His promises…worn out knees and tear stained faces because we know what Jesus knew…that our Father alone is our answer and our destiny in Heaven is our guarantee.

Healed by His Scars

"But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed." Isaiah 53:5

When I was 15 years old, I had to have surgery on my knee to repair a torn cartilage. It was painful and the recovery was long. For a few months I had to ‘sit on the sideline’ missing out on a ton of fun with my friends. Back then the scar that formed was thick and long with no way to hide it. I remember when I was in my early 30’s teaching Sunday School to 5-year old’s. Of course, back then if you were a woman you certainly wore a dress to church unlike today. I was sitting in a chair in a circle of children and a little girl raised her hand. When I called on her, she informed me that I had a run in my hose talking about my scar. I explained to her that the scar marked the place where I had hurt myself, but the doctor healed it.

I heard a song in church yesterday that made me think about the scars on my heart of past hurts. Some of them I brought on myself, while other scars were from wounds outside of my control. As the worship team performed this song, I sat there with tears streaming down my face. Had I received an easy life I would never have been dependent on God. I would neither have known His character, nor His heart. The scars in our hearts mark a spot where it was torn with suffering but healed with grace. The scars are songs that we might hear reminding us that God was faithful. One of my scars is triggered when I hear a parent scared to death because of their child being on drugs. I have a scar that appears when someone tells me their loved one just passed from cancer. I have a scar when I hear the pain in a woman’s voice explaining that she is withholding her secret spending from her husband. We all have scars.

Our scars will never run as deep as the scars on the hands and feet of Jesus. His scars adopted us…His scars invited us…His scars saved us. Our scars will produce testimonies if we are willing to be vulnerable and transparent. Our scars tell a story of heartbreak and grief followed by mercy and healing. They not only echo the painful experiences but they echo the way that God placed His hands upon our hurts and carried us through the suffering. Our scars echo God's love because scars are proof that something ruptured has healed. I pray that we will all allow our scars to be seen so that others can hear the stories of rescues and redemption. Close your eyes and listen to the beautiful words of Scars, by Essential Worship.

Faithful Finishes

“Listen to Me…Who have been upheld by Me from birth…Who have been carried from the womb; Even to your old age, I am He, and even to gray hairs I will carry you! I have made, and I will bear; Even I will carry, and will deliver you.” Isaiah 46:3-4.

There is nothing sweeter and purer than a new-born baby in my opinion. I only need to close my eyes and think back 37, 32 and 29 years to remember holding my babies close to my face as infants. The sweet smell of their head…their soft hair that tickled my cheeks as I pulled them to my face…the tiny grunts and sounds that echoed in my ear while they slept on my shoulder. From the time they entered this world until the time I leave this world I will continue to be their constant support and advocate. Nothing they do can separate them from my love and anything they experience in challenge or sadness will be met with my compassion and deep love. I know that you too can close your eyes and recall those beautiful relics of fellowship that have strung together a lifetime of family.

As much as we love…as deeply as we care…as relentless as we are in support for our children God is so much more for them. My commentary has a beautiful explanation of our passage today. It states, ‘The unchangeable God would be there to bear them even as they grew old. God alone would bear (Hb saval, “bear a heavy load”) and deliver (Hb malat, “cause to escape, deliver from danger”). The Study Bible for Women, NKJV, p. 925. From the time God ushered us into this world through the point of time that our hair has thinned or grayed He has placed His hands on every aspect and season of our lives. There has not been even one second when the Lord hasn’t been by our side. Every heavy load He has lightened…and every challenging circumstance He has helped us escape. And even when our loved ones have transitioned into Heaven, we must embrace that they have been delivered from danger in God’s great mercy and grace. If those we love are in Heaven, it is certain that God in His great love for them ushered them out of a dangerous world into an eternal glory as He will us one day. There is no one else on earth who faithfully finishes what they have started with the perfecting touch that God has administered. No matter how lonely you feel…God is right beside you. No matter how heartbroken you are…God is healing your heart. No matter how sick you are…God has promised to give you complete wholeness in health either on earth or in Heaven. He has promised it and God cannot forsake His own promises.

Faith Disguised as Unbelief

“Immediately the boy's father exclaimed, ‘I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief.’” Mark 9:24

This is one of the most well-known verses in the Bible and has been a battle cry for many of us when frightful or painful circumstances overtake our faith. The father knew he was standing in the presence of the One who could heal. He fully understood that if anyone could extricate the demonic spirit that had hold of his son it was Jesus. But even in the father’s belief in Jesus, doubt crept in. His statement to Jesus that preceded his proclamation above was ‘if you can.’

We certainly cannot judge this poor father who believed in Jesus but doubted whether He could remove the evil spirit. How many of us fully believe in Jesus for our salvation but doubt His activity in our lives? We believe He died on the cross giving us both invitation and authority to cross over heaven’s threshold. But do we really believe that God can use the bad that happens in our lives as a good thing for us? Do we really believe that His plans for us are prosperous when they feel harmful? Do we really believe that we want God’s will to be done for us when the will is heartbreaking? It is easy to believe in God for our salvation because Jesus did the work for us. What is more difficult is to believe beyond that act that was done on the cross. It is much more difficult to believe when the work is up to us…to accept that God is good even though tragedy strikes, or diagnoses are given. But our prayers of ‘I believe; help my unbelief’ is really a prayer of faith…a statement and admission that our faith is far from perfect. ‘It is the acknowledgement of our inadequacy that allows God to work in our lives…sometimes we are faced with something that seems to overpower our faith…so like the man we ask for more faith…If left to our own strength and our own faith, we would never make it.’ Got Questions website.

The next time doubt creeps into your fellowship with Jesus ask Him for more confidence…more faith… more belief and it will be given to you in exceedingly greater amounts. When we come to God in humility and lack, He will provide whatever is needed. He will help us in our unbelief.

Looking Beyond our Cross

…and the third day I shall be perfected. In any case, I must press on today and tomorrow and the next day…” Luke 13:33.

Wow! I have never noticed the determined response of Jesus after He was told to get out of town because Herod was planning on killing Him. Keep in mind, this was a few days prior to the weekend when He would be brutally tortured, dragged through the streets, publicly ridiculed, mocked and nailed to the cross to die. His response to the threat is nothing short of astonishing …remarkable…miraculous. He looked beyond the cross and focused on His perfected life in Heaven. His mission for the moment was to press on…to continue in the walk of God’s will…that day…and the next…and the day after that. ‘The news that Herod wanted to kill Jesus meant that He was walking in God’s will for His time on earth. However, this doesn’t change the fact that the upfront news was bad. Jesus knew He would soon face unspeakable pain and shame on the cross, and He showed us what kept Him steadfast in His mission to defeat it.’ Determined, Heather Dixon, p. 152. He got through His season of suffering on earth the same way we must get through our painful journeys…one day at a time.

Until we experience our own perfected ‘third day resurrection’ in Heaven we must press on today…tomorrow…the next month…the next year. I know many of you are walking out some earth shattering, life-changing, and heartbreaking circumstances. You wake up with it on your mind, and wrestle with it throughout the day. You lie awake at night thinking about facing it another day. It’s tough to look beyond our crosses as they stand tall and cast dark shadows across the landscape of our lives. But the thing about shadows is that they are bigger in perception than the reality of their size. The shadows extort things…the shadows convinces us that we will never be okay…the shadows exaggerate our realities…the shadows threaten things that never come to be. That is why we must look beyond our own crosses and have the determination of Jesus to face our toughest days by pressing through our sorrow one day at a time. And just like Jesus, one day we will find ourselves in the perfection of Heaven reconciled completely from all our pain on earth.

Keep Singing

“Make a joyful noise to the LORD, all the earth; break forth—let your cry ring out and sing praises!” Psalm 98:4

Yesterday I was on my walk in a nearby neighborhood. Some days there are people out jogging, while other days some are walking their dogs. For the most part, I usually take the same route, so I know the distance I’ve walked. As I approached an intersection, I turned the corner and there was a woman watering her lawn. She smiled and said something to me, but I had my air-pods in listening to my worship music. I removed them to speak to her, and she only said three words. ‘Keep on singing!’ I was embarrassed and even apologized that she heard me coming around the corner. My singing is just that…noise you wouldn’t necessarily enjoy but I’m counting on it pleasing the Lord and singing does bring me such joy.

As I began walking again Psalm 98:4 came to mind and I couldn’t help but to smile. The verse doesn’t command us to make a pleasurable noise to the Lord in our singing. The verse simply states what the woman said to me, ‘Keep on singing!’ What does a joyful noise sound like in your life and in mine? A joyful noise is to pray for someone who is going through a tough time. A joyful noise is to count our blessings in gratitude and humility when our heart hurts. A joyful noise is to embrace His will for our lives instead of our own. It is a heart cry that trusts in His promises when nothing is seen on the horizon. Letting our cry ring out can be noises of weeping, allowing God to comfort and encourage us. Letting our cry ring out is sharing our testament from our experiences. I love that this verse is a cause and effect verse. It promises that if we keep singing and talking to God our hearts will experience a 'break forth moment.' Our worry will turn to worship when we sing...our sadness will turn to gratitude when we thank Him for our blessings...our fears will turn to faith when we fix our eyes upon the Faithful.

Breaking forth…what a beautiful image to consider when we are in the dark valley. “Then your light will break forth like the dawn, and your healing will quickly appear…and the glory of the LORD will be your rear guard.” Isaiah 58:8. When we sing praises to God apart from our circumstances joy is ushered into our hearts and our minds. We’ve got to keep singing… keep trusting…keep praying…and ‘then your light will rise in the darkness, and your night will become like the noonday. The LORD will guide you always; he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land and will strengthen your frame. You will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail.” Isaiah 58:10-11.

Tending our Gardens

“And do not seek what you should eat or what you should drink, nor have an anxious mind…your Father knows that you need these things. But seek the kingdom of God, and all these things shall be added to you.” Luke 12:29-31

As many of you know, I am an early riser not because I want to be but because my body has always been on this internal clock. Even as a little girl and a teenager I rarely slept past 8:00 a.m. and was always excited for the day to begin. I’ve never really been much of a worrier but as the years pass anxiety seems to seep into my mind. My anxiety doesn’t involve the basic provisions of food or drink but more about the what if’s and why not’s this world threatens. Many times, when I’m trying to embrace the heart of God as a parent, I channel being a child to better understand how God sees my circumstances. When I was a young girl I never wondered if I was going to have 3 meals. Not once was I afraid that my parents would leave me. Not once did I fear that I would never be able to have water again. I felt loved, protected and provided for by my parents. The more I trusted them, the less I considered any lack that I might encounter.

I love that our passage reminds us that God knows our needs completely, but when we doubt His provision, we lack internal peace. The remedy is to seek Him and His kingdom and through our pursuit we gain access to everything that belongs to Him…peace…joy…comfort…encouragement…provision...promise. ‘Our priorities determine our peace. The by-product for placing worldly concerns over spiritual ones is worry. Knowing how easy it is to focus on worldly concerns, Jesus reassures His children with God’s promises of provision.’ Determined, Heather Dixon p. 148.

So, what we will seek today? Will we seek things from the world that we already have in Jesus? Will we run after the ‘pagan things’ instead of intentionally being still and remembering that the spiritual things should take priority over the worldly things. Every bit of needed encouragement resides between the covers of the Bible. ‘His Word settles our hearts when fear, worry, and anxiety want to take root because it reminds us of God’s priorities over ours. Realigning our priorities with God’s priorities reduces our anxieties.’ P. 150. 

We must tend to our spiritual gardens when anxiety tries to take root, choking out our peace. By removing the weeds of worry, and watering them with God's Words we allow our spiritual beauty to grow, becoming a beacon to others.

Chasing the Eternal

“So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.” 2 Co 4:16-18.

Yesterday morning I went out on my patio with my cup of coffee and turned on my worship music. It gets my heart postured for prayer while I’m waking up. As I sat there, the sky began to slowly light up with a purple tint in the sky. I was anticipating a gorgeous sunrise of pinks and purples, but our property is surrounded by older dense trees that block the view. Instead of focusing on prayer and studying the Word, I kept looking at the sky. I decided to forgo my time with Jesus and go for a quick walk to try to see the sunrise. By the time I got up my driveway, to the end of my road and across to the community the color had gone. I felt frustrated that what I thought I would see I didn’t, and I had missed out on what was unseen…fellowship with Jesus. The rest of day seemed out of kilter, rearranged and disengaged, all because I had fixed my eyes on a distraction.

I was considering this morning how Jesus exemplified this passage during His time on earth. If any person ever had reason to fix His eyes on the seen it would have been our Savior. Jesus showed us a better way to move through our lives of lack, unmet expectations and daily distractions. Had Jesus focused on what was seen… people trying to take His life…He could have allowed His emotions to guide His steps. Had Jesus focused on the temporary days He had left He might have become paralyzed in fear. Bottom line is that had Jesus focused on earth…the seen…He would have been distracted from His eternal home…the unseen.

So, this morning I ask you and I ask myself, ‘What are we fixing our eyes on? What things are we seeing that distract us from our focus on God?’ Is it a family argument that left us with bitterness and resentment? Is it a fear of not having enough provisions on which to live? Is it the worry for a family member or an impending diagnosis? Are we sacrificing our worship by substituting it with our worry? Every morning we are faced with decisions upon which to fix our eyes. Every situation in which we will find ourselves is temporary for nothing stays the same on earth. So as I consider this question today, I will lift a prayer that instead of chasing sunrises I will chase the One can remove my worries and distractions and join me in the fellowship of Christ.