Jesus said in John 20:29, “Blessed are those who believe without seeing me.”
And that really speaks to me because faith is easy to talk about when you can see the outcome. But what happens when you can’t see it?
What happens when you don’t know how it’ll work out?
When you don’t have the answers?
When you’ve done everything you know how to do, and you still don’t know what comes next?
That’s where faith becomes real.
Because without faith, we naturally fall back on ourselves. We rely on our strength, our understanding, our experience, our plans, and what we know.
And when we do that, we can accidentally put the entire weight of life on ourselves.
“I have to figure this out.”
“I have to fix this.”
“I have to make this happen.”
“I need to know how this is going to work.”
But we were never designed to carry everything on our own.
We were designed to depend on God.
Look at how many times Jesus connected faith to what God was doing.
“Because of your faith, it will happen.” — Matthew 9:29
“Because you believed, it has happened.” — Matthew 8:13
“Your faith has made you well. Go in peace.” — Mark 5:34
“Your faith is great. Your request is granted.” — Matthew 15:28
“Your faith has healed you.” — Luke 17:19
And then Ephesians 2:8–9 reminds us that even our salvation is a gift from God through faith—not something we can take credit for.
Faith reminds me that I am not God.
I don’t have to know everything.
I don’t have to control everything.
I don’t have to carry everything.
I have to trust the One who does.
And that doesn’t mean faith makes life easy. It means when life gets heavy, I don’t have to carry the weight alone.
My strength can’t accomplish everything.
There are situations my knowledge can’t solve.
There are doors I can’t open.
There are battles I can’t win by myself.
But faith says, “God, I trust You even when I can’t see what You’re doing.”
Sometimes faith means believing for the miracle.
Sometimes faith is believing while you’re waiting for the miracle.
And sometimes faith is simply getting up the next morning and saying, “God, I still trust You.”
Because faith isn’t about having everything figured out.
Faith is choosing dependence over self-reliance.
It’s saying, “God, I don’t know how, but You do. I don’t know when, but You do. I don’t see the way, but You do. And because I know who You are, I can keep moving forward.”
So if you’re in a season right now where you don’t see the answer, don’t let the absence of sight convince you that God is absent.
You may not see Jesus, but you can still trust Him.
You may not understand the process, but you can trust the Person leading you through it.
And when your strength runs out, remember: Maybe you’re not being asked to find more strength within yourself. Maybe you’re being invited to depend more deeply on God.
Because we were never created to carry life without Him.
Faith carries us in places our own strength never could.
Welcome Jesus into your Life today, and please, if you haven’t, say this prayer with me. “Jesus, you are my Lord, and you are my Savior. I believe that you died on the cross just for me, and that you rose from the grave on the third day. I believe in my heart that you are God, and I invite you into my life and into my heart today. In Jesus’ mighty name, I pray, amen.
“Pray [Call] to me, and I will answer you. I will tell you—important secrets [great and hidden things] you have never·heard [ known] before.” –Jeremiah 33:3
“Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant.” –Mark 10:43
The less of Jesus this world has, the louder people cry out for personal recognition, status, power, and prestige. But throughout the Bible, from Genesis to Revelation, we see patterns of generations marked by godlessness and evil, followed by later generations who are good—for instance, King Hezekiah, “who trusted in the Lord, the God of Israel. There was no one like him among all the kings of Judah, either before him or after him” –2 Kings 18:5.
Then there is King Josiah, who became king at eight years old and reigned in Jerusalem for thirty-one years (2 Kings 22:1). Both of these kings were righteous. Yet their sons strayed into terribly ungodly behavior (2 Kings 23:32).
Eli was a priest whose sons were “worthless men.”
“Eli’s sons were scoundrels; they had no regard for the Lord.” –1 Samuel 2:12.
Similarly, Scripture accuses Samuel’s sons of corruption: “But his sons didn’t take after him; they were out for what they could get for themselves, selfishly taking bribes and corrupting justice.” –1 Sam 8:3. Not much has changed!
Many children today are still raised by Godly parents, raised in the ways of God, yet because of their free will, they choose their own path. It is not the parents’ fault, but the child’s free-will choice. Parents cry over their child’s unpredictable choices, but all they can do is pray.
In the opening Scripture, Mark, the Author of the Gospel, reveals an issue with the human heart: “pride and competition.”
Many today, consciously or unconsciously, cry out for power.
This longing can harm their spiritual well-being. Ungodly motives lead to pride, and, like the kings and priests of biblical history, some men begin to desire other people’s victories instead of pursuing their own. Man desires what he does not possess. They step out of their designated roles, mistakenly believing they can achieve greatness by doing someone else’s work, job, or ministry “better than” the one God has chosen. This principle is unchanged for the saved and the unsaved alike: John and James asked to sit next to Jesus on thrones, in places of honor. Danger lies in not fully understanding what we are asking for, and in operating out of our natural selves rather than as the spiritual beings we truly are.
When we read Mark 10 in context and consider the conversation in the verses before Mark 10:43, we learn that even John and James, the sons of Zebedee, Apostles of Jesus, had fleshly motives: a desire to sit on a glorious throne with Jesus. Jesus’ answer to them is astounding to me: “You don’t know what you are asking! Are you able to drink from the bitter cup of suffering I am about to drink? Are you able to be baptized with the baptism of suffering I must be baptized with?” –Mark 10:38.
This is the same conversation Jesus would likely have with many today.
God is not looking for something new we can offer Him; rather, He wants us to use wisely what He has already bestowed upon us. We must grasp this fundamental Truth by accepting the fact that Creator God knew us before we were formed in our mothers’ wombs. “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations.” –Jeremiah 1:5.
Jesus is seeking hearts willing to embrace the commands He gives and the destinies He has ordained. He desires a people with open hands, unafraid to cultivate the spiritual fields around them without expectation—obedient and ready to surrender all they possess, as Moses did in Exodus 4:2, when the Lord asked, “What is that in your hand?” Moses replied, “A rod.”
Today, God asks each of us the same question: “What is in your hand? What have I given you already? And are you willing to use it for My glory?
Like Moses, our answer matters.
From birth, some are told how beautiful they are, or how good they are—how much they deserve the best, to be first, to win. Often, by age ten, many children believe they have “arrived” and begin to demand things they have no right to because of words spoken over them. They, in turn, start speaking to their parents and teachers with a sense of entitlement, creating a culture where so many children and adults alike today feel like they’re owed something.
Society struggles to learn God’s valuable lessons because it often refuses to recognize or believe in Jesus’ existence.
Self-evaluation is a good spiritual practice to do from time to time, checking where we are spiritually. In our humanity, we are creatures of habit, and habits are sometimes hard to break. We must retrain our minds in the ways of the Lord. If we belong to Jesus, we must start new practices and habits, so we begin to live as the “new creation” we are.
This new life is a gift from God to us that the enemy often tries to snatch from us.
Beware of the thief!
Today, few want to be servants; the term has taken on negative connotations. Instead, many compete for power and position, as our opening text points out.
Yet God is still seeking those who will pick up the towel and basin. Despite being in proximity to the Source of Living Water, even Jesus’ disciples, who walked alongside Him, debated who would sit at His left or right hand in the Kingdom. They too longed for seats of power and recognition.
I find it interesting that, while they sought glory, Jesus offered them the path to servanthood.
The greatest test for every Christian is learning that true greatness is found in the humility to serve. In a kind yet firm way, Jesus tells His disciples that seeking to be served is not the path He has chosen for them: “Among you, it’s not so.”
We understand in this that Jesus measures a servant’s greatness by humility.
Love is expressed through service to others. The universal language of God’s Kingdom is that of service, a concept understood across every nation and tongue. Can serving with a pure servant’s heart bring us as close as we can come to living heaven on earth—giving without expecting anything in return?
A believer who reaches this point of selfless giving has achieved a great measure of maturity. Serving is often a quiet, unseen act that leads to our rejoicing when we see others flourish. It may mean washing the feet of someone undeserving or showing love through our actions rather than mere words. Serving is a spiritual, sacrificial act!
No position is more esteemed, no ministry purer, no calling higher or holier than when someone responds as Mary, Jesus’ mother once did: “Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word.” –Luke 1:38.
To serve others is to die to self a little each day, so that Christlikeness can grow within us, allowing all who meet us to be touched by His greatness, not our own. Whoever wants to become great must first learn how to be a servant. Seek first God’s Kingdom, trusting in the promised result that everything else will come.
Here’s the principle: there is only One who is the Great I AM – Omnipotent, Omnipresent, and Omniscient. He is our Great Creator God, Son Jesus, and Holy Spirit. His position is taken; it is not for you.
Father, I pray that everyone reading this today finds fulfillment by accepting you as Lord and Savior of their lives. May anyone hungry or thirsty for you find comfort and peace through your Word. May your Spirit touch and save all who are seeking to find you today. Bring each person the satisfaction and fulfillment they need. In Jesus’ name I pray, amen.
You say, “Come to me, all who are tired from carrying heavy loads, and I will give you rest” –Matt 11:28.
“I bow before your holy Temple as I worship. I praise your name for your unfailing love and faithfulness; for your promises are backed by all the honor of your name.” –Psalm 138:2
Today, we’re going to begin at the end—of this verse, that is. We’ll start with its result, the honor of God’s name, then we’ll move on to its effect, reverencing and worshiping of our Lord. Sometimes, to understand a thing better, you have to take a step back to see it more clearly. Today is one of those times. It was the final twelve Words of this psalm that caught my attention. “For your promises are backed by all the honor of your name.”
There is no greater assurance a man will ever be given in this life than God’s Word.
If God spoke it, promised it—it’s a done deal. “For when God made the promise to Abraham, He swore [an oath] by Himself, since He had no one greater by whom to swear, saying, “I will surely bless you and I will surely multiply you.” –Hebrews 6:13-14
I can personally attest to this biblical Truth. Never has there ever been an instance where God has spoken to me, called me to follow Him, assured me He’d lead me or provide for me, and then failed. Not once, ever, in my nearly twenty years of following Him.
Time will surely reveal what God’s Word accomplished in eternity past—regardless of how long it may take any of us to receive it and, if it be God’s will, witness its fruit. What more perfect example of this Truth is there than Jesus’ own final Words, this side of eternity: “It is finished.” –John 19:30.
God’s Living Word accomplishes everything God intended for Jesus to accomplish before Jesus ever left heaven for earth. Let that sink in…
King David understood this.
We witness this truth in the fruit produced throughout David’s life through God’s unwavering protection, provision, and guidance. And today, we’ll read how David white-knuckled clung to this truth in some of the final words he shared before he died.
David’s dynasty and life were ending.
Still, Scripture tells us of David’s indefatigable confidence, even as he faced death, that God would fulfill every Word and promise He had made David—though he himself would not be alive to witness their fulfillment. “Is it not my family God has chosen? Yes, he has made an everlasting covenant with me. His agreement is arranged and guaranteed in every detail. He will ensure my safety and success.” –2 Samuel 23:5
Daniel also understood this, Truth. “Then the king was greatly pleased and ordered that Daniel be taken out of the den. So Daniel was taken out of the den, and no injury whatever was found on him, because he believed in and relied on and trusted in his God.” –Daniel 6:23.
We’ll hear from Daniel again soon. He’ll teach us how God alone deserves all our praise, honor, all the glory and our worship…
But for now, let’s stay with David…
David had been chosen by God as the future King of Israel when he was still a young man. Some scholars suggest he was anywhere between 10 and 19 when Samuel chose him from among his brothers and anointed him as king, replacing the reigning king, Saul. At that time, men needed to be 20 years old or older to serve in the army; Samuel had found David tending his father’s sheep. “Thus Jesse made seven of his sons pass before Samuel, but Samuel told him, ‘The LORD has not chosen any of these.'” And Samuel asked him, “Are these all the sons you have?” “There is still the youngest,” Jesse replied, “but he is tending the sheep.” “Send for him,” Samuel replied. “For we will not sit down to eat until he arrives.” So Jesse sent for his youngest son and brought him in. He was ruddy, with beautiful eyes and a handsome appearance. And the LORD said, “Rise and anoint him, for he is the one.” –1 Samuel 16:10-12
Now you might be saying, okay, but what does this have to do with David honoring God, like in the last twelve words from today’s verse?
Through faithfully tending his father’s sheep and faithfully serving his father and brothers both, God was shaping David’s heart to one day serve a nation. Through service and obedience, trials and testing, David would learn to trust and defend the Lord His God and His every Promise in all matters, great and small.
“Do not despise these small beginnings, for the Lord rejoices to see the work begin…” –Zechariah 4:10
David did not despise his “small” beginnings, and God saw how humble and pliable, yet valiant and devout David’s heart was in His Hand. “As the clay is in the potter’s hand, so are you in my hand” –Jeremiah 18:6
Throughout David’s life—every trial, test, every “giant” he’d face—David held fast to God: “David answered, ‘You come at me with sword and spear and battle-ax. I come at you in the name of God-of-the-Angel-Armies, the God of Israel’s troops, whom you curse and mock. This very day God is handing you over to me. I’m about to kill you, cut off your head, and serve up your body and the bodies of your Philistine buddies to the crows and coyotes. The whole earth will know that there’s an extraordinary God in Israel. And everyone gathered here will learn that God doesn’t save by means of sword or spear. The battle belongs to God—he’s handing you to us on a platter!” –1 Samuel 17:45
David, like Moses and Noah, Father Abraham, and God’s prophets, who foretold Christ’s coming, suffering, and salvation—never witnessed it for themselves —yet held fast to God’s leading and guiding. His every Word of hope. His every Promise. Hence, David could come to the end of his life like so many of God’s servants before Him, ready to face the One he had loved and served, fully confident that everything the Lord had promised him would come to pass—not because David would be blessed to see it all; he wouldn’t, he believed, because Godsaid it.
” This salvation was something even the prophets wanted to know more about when they prophesied about this gracious salvation prepared for you. They wondered what time or situation the Spirit of Christ within them was talking about when he told them in advance about Christ’s suffering and his great glory afterward. They were told that their messages were not for themselves, but for you. And now this Good News has been announced to you by those who preached in the power of the Holy Spirit sent from heaven.” –1 Peter 10-12
What a blessed assurance for us all, beloved. “You love him even though you have never seen him. Though you do not see him now, you trust him; and you rejoice with a glorious, inexpressible joy. The reward for trusting him will be the salvation of your souls.” –1 Peter 10:8-9
I didn’t forget about Daniel.
He’s going to teach us about the first part of today’s verse: bringing us back to the beginning so that we might end up doing what David and Moses, Abraham, the prophets, and Daniel did. What we’re called to do until the Lord returns, or should He tarry, and call us Home. That is to worship Jesus! King of kings and Lord of lords.
To bow before Him in reverence and humility, acknowledging His Lordship over our lives always, in everything we do. “May the name of God be praised forever and ever, for wisdom and power belong to him. He changes the times and seasons; he removes kings and establishes kings. He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to those who have understanding. He reveals the deep and hidden things; he knows what is in the darkness, and light dwells with him. I offer thanks and praise to you, God of my ancestors, because you have given me wisdom and power. And now you have let me know what we asked of you, for you have let us know the king’s mystery.” –Daniel 2:19-23.
Beloved of God, as surely as God has kept His promises to our brothers before us —be encouraged: He’ll do the very same for us—for you.
Hold tight to that Truth, as David and Daniel, Moses and the prophets of old did, as you pray for your prodigal, that parent or friend, yourself, or anyone you’re believing, interceding for. “God is not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent: hath he said, and shall he not do it? or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good?” –Numbers 23:19
This same Jesus, the God of David and Daniel, Moses, Abraham, and all the prophets, promises you today, new friend, that if you don’t know Him as Lord and Savior, you can: “If you openly declare that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by openly declaring your faith that you are saved.” –Romans 10:9-10
“You are the light of the world—like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden.” –Matthew 5:14
Jesus did not spill His precious Blood, paying the ultimate ransom—His life—for you to live small, hidden, or fearful of the judgment of mere men, beloved. To blend into a world that is not your home. To “hide” your Light, Christ alive in you, out of fear of what men may say or think about you. I can almost hear the Apostle Paul shouting to you across the ages even now, “God forbid!” He is reminding you, through his writings, doing all he could to save you from committing such a sin. “As far as the Law is concerned I may consider that I died on the cross with Christ. And my present life is not that of the old “I,” but the living Christ within me.” –Galatians 2:20.
Christ in you is your identity now; in case you’ve momentarily forgotten…
You are no longer your own, beloved. You no longer “get to” live hidden away; if indeed you belong to Jesus, that’s impossible. “You can identify them by their fruit, that is, by the way they act. Can you pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? A good tree produces good fruit, and a bad tree produces bad fruit.” –Matthew 7:16-17
Hear me now: I haven’t come to condemn you, rather to remind you, and myself, of who we are and of the unfathomable cost our Lord and Savior paid, that we be afforded such a privilege as to be His Light-bearers in this ever-darkening world. “He alone possesses immortality [absolute exemption from death] and lives in unapproachable Light, whom no man has ever seen or can see. To Him be honor and eternal power and dominion! Amen.” –1 Timothy 6:16
Being offshoots of Jesus’ unapproachable Light, we “get to” shine for all to see, directing men then toward our Father; by following Jesus’ example, who lived His life on earth to draw all men to the Father. “In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father.” –Matthew 5:16
Those who belong to this world, are and will continue to, demand you dim your Light, Christ in you, insisting even that a single Source of Light doesn’t exist, instead, that, there are multiple light sources at work in the world; they do their level best to extinguish the One True Light of Christ altogether—as if they held such power—not wanting their sin or rebellion against the One True God revealed. Like their father, they prefer to hide in the shadows, far from the Light of Christ. “You are of your father the devil, and it is your will to practice the desires [which are characteristic] of your father. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks what is natural to him, for he is a liar and the father of lies and half-truths.” –John 8:44
But you, child of God, and you whose heart God is tugging on even now, you are, or are being called to carry a Light so Pure, so Holy and alive, it cannot be hidden; you cannot stay hidden.
I believe the Lord sent me to you today to remind you to Whom you belong—and that’s not yourself. You belong to Jesus, and He expects you to do what you were created, in part, to do. And that is to shine His Light into the utter darkness so that in seeing your Light, those in the world will be without excuse, having witnessed its Source. “For ever since the creation of the world His invisible nature and attributes, that is, His eternal power and divinity, have been made intelligible and clearly discernible in and through the things that have been made (His handiworks). So [men] are without excuse [altogether without any defense or justification].” –Romans 1:20
“For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” made His light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. Now we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this surpassingly great power is from God and not from us.” –2 Corinthians 4:6-7
Whatever has been holding you back from letting the Light of Christ in you burn ablaze, or from carrying the Light of Christ within you, I came to encourage you today to turn to, or return to, Christ.
Ask Jesus for the strength to push past the voices of those who call you a Jesus freak.
Those who reject you or who have abandoned you completely because of your devotion to Jesus. That husband, wife, or child, mother or father who has grown cold towards you. The boss who says he’ll fire you if you don’t stop talking to your coworkers about this Jesus, enough already! Stop it! We don’t want to hear about Jesus any more! Don’t you get it! Just go away already…
Take heart, beloved, keep pressing into Christ. He will strengthen you to finish the good works He has called you to do. “We are hard pressed on all sides, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed. We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body.” –2 Corinthians 4:8-10
Weary soldier, fearful new friend, ask God’s Holy Spirit to fill you, or fill you afresh, if you’ve never asked, with the same fiery Light and power He freely gave those who first prayed in faith believing He would. “When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. Suddenly a sound like a mighty rushing wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. They saw tongues like flames of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them.” –Acts 2: 1-3
Then, let Jesus’ Light, this same Magnificent, Pure, Holy Light that has been piercing the darkness of men’s hearts for millennia, burst forth out of you, like a bridegroom from his bedchamber, unashamed and undeniable. You are God’s messenger: A Light carrier for the King of Kings. You are partnering with heaven when your Light burns brightly and unashamedly before all men—especially those who reject you for His name’s sake. “I tell you, everyone who confesses Me before men, the Son of Man will also confess him before the angels of God. / But whoever denies Me before men will be denied before the angels of God.” –Luke 12:8-9
Blaze on, beloved! In the power of His Might! “Then the wise will shine like the brightness of the heavens, and those who lead many to righteousness will shine like the stars forever and ever.” –Daniel 12:3
Friends, you can carry this Magnificent, saving Light of Christ Jesus in you, but first, you must ask Jesus to be Lord and Savior of your life. Won’t you do that right now? Be freed from the darkness and walk in Pure Light… “because if you acknowledge and confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord [recognizing His power, authority, and majesty as God], and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart a person believes [in Christ as Savior] resulting in his justification [that is, being made righteous—being freed of the guilt of sin and made acceptable to God]; and with the mouth he acknowledges and confesses [his faith openly], resulting in and confirming [his] salvation.” –Romans 10:9-10
“If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing.” –1 Corinthians 13:1-3
Throughout the Bible, God’s Word speaks about the posture of our hearts. Whether you’ve been a Christian for a long time or are just beginning your walk, it’s important to reflect on the condition of your heart and intentions. We must ask ourselves before we step into our responsibilities or our ministries, if any; before we use our God-given gifts or talents, this one vital question:
Am I walking in love?
The Apostle Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 13:1-3: “If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal…”
Think about what Paul is saying.
You can preach powerful sermons. You can sing beautifully. You can pray passionately. You can serve faithfully every week. You can even operate in incredible spiritual gifts.
But if love isn’t the foundation…
It’s just noise.
Paul goes even further. He says that you could understand the deepest mysteries of God. You could possess faith strong enough to move mountains. You could give away everything you own to help the poor. You could spend your entire life serving others.
Yet without love…
“I am nothing.”
“I gain nothing.”
Those are very sobering words.
Love isn’t an accessory to the Christian life—it is the very evidence of Christ living within us.
Everything we do should be anchored in the love of God because everything God does flows from who He is. Love Itself. “Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love. “–1 John 4:7-8
God doesn’t simply show love.
God is love.
So if our service isn’t anchored in love, it isn’t anchored in Christ.
Jesus illustrated this beautifully in Matthew 18:23-35 through the parable of the unforgiving servant: “Therefore, the kingdom of heaven is like a king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants. As he began the settlement, a man who owed him ten thousand bags of gold was brought to him. Since he was not able to pay, the master ordered that he and his wife and his children and all that he had be sold to repay the debt. “At this the servant fell on his knees before him. ‘Be patient with me,’ he begged, and I will pay back everything.’ The servant’s master took pity on him, canceled the debt and let him go. “But when that servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred silver coins. He grabbed him and began to choke him. ‘Pay back what you owe me!’ he demanded. “His fellow servant fell to his knees and begged him, ‘Be patient with me, and I will pay it back.’ “But he refused. Instead, he had the man thrown into prison until he could pay the debt. When the other servants saw what had happened, they were outraged and went to their master to tell him everything. “Then the master called the servant in. ‘You wicked servant,’ he said, ‘I canceled all that debt of yours because you begged me to. Shouldn’t you have had mercy on your fellow servant just as I had on you?’ In anger, his master handed him over to the jailers to be tortured until he should pay back all he owed. “This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother or sister from your heart.”
A servant owed a debt so enormous he could never repay it. Yet instead of receiving the punishment he deserved, his master forgave the entire debt. Entirely. Freely. But that same servant walked out, found someone who owed him a tiny fraction by comparison, grabbed him by the throat, and demanded repayment without mercy.
Jesus’ point is unmistakable.
How can someone who has received unimaginable mercy refuse to extend mercy?
How can someone who has been loved so extravagantly refuse to love others?
The truth is…
God loved us when we were at our worst.
God forgave a debt we could never repay.
God showed mercy when justice was what we deserved.
Today, He gives us the privilege of representing Him.
What an incredible responsibility.
We must first examine our hearts, asking ourselves: “Are we showing up in life with the same love that Christ first showed us?” Whether it’s at home, at work, or at school, our goal is to reveal Jesus.
Being a Christian was never meant to be a performance. “These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. They worship me in vain; their teachings are merely human rules.” –Matthew 15:8-9
As Christians, we’re meant to pour from our overflow; what’s already inside of us.
From the overflow of the grace we’ve received.
The mercy we’ve experienced.
The overflow of love that rescued us.
Your every act of service, in all you do, be rooted in this one simple truth …
You have been loved beyond measure. Now, go love others in the same way.
If this speaks to your heart today and you realize you’ve been lacking the love Christ has called you to live out, don’t let that discourage you—let it draw you closer to Him. Ask God to strengthen your heart. Ask Him to reveal the places where you’ve become impatient, unforgiving, judgmental, or simply indifferent. Invite the Holy Spirit to transform you so that when opportunities arise to show mercy, grace, compassion, and love, your response reflects the very heart of Christ.
Remember, demonstrating the love of Christ isn’t about trying harder in your own strength. It’s about allowing God’s love to change you so deeply that loving others becomes the natural overflow from what Jesus has already done in you.
And if you’ve never accepted Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, today can be the day that changes everything. The Bible assures us: “If you declare with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved.” –Romans 10:9-10
Jesus is the Son of God. He lived the perfect life we could never live, died on the cross for our sins, and three days later rose from the grave, defeating sin and death so that we could have eternal life.
Today, you can come to Him by faith, praying: “Jesus, I believe You are the Son of God. I believe You died for my sins and rose again on the third day. I repent of my sin, and I ask You to forgive me. Come into my life, be the Lord of my heart, and help me follow You all the days of my life. Thank You for loving me, saving me, and making me new.” If you prayed that prayer with a sincere heart, welcome to the family of God. Your journey with Jesus has just begun, and He will continue to shape you into someone who reflects His love more and more each day.
“…So to keep me from becoming proud, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger from Satan to torment me and keep me from becoming proud.” –2 Corinthians 12:7
So what’s yours? Your thorn, I mean? Have you never examined yourself, asking this question in your own heart?
Sadly, I don’t believe many do, at least not regularly. I know I didn’t, nowhere near as often as I ought to have, until the Holy Spirit showed me that I had a thorn placed in me. After coming to that realization, you can bet I started asking the question far more frequently. “What ‘thorn’ have You given me, Lord, and what is it meant to keep in check in my walk and service to You?”
Funny how we avoid questioning ourselves, isn’t it?
And by funny, I mean sad. Dare I say that our ignoring such introspection is akin to acting like a disobedient child? I’m addressing myself here…
We focus, instead, on those “thorns” we see so clearly in others, rather than on our own. Listen to what Jesus had to say about us behaving in such a manner: “Why do you stare from without at the very small particle that is in your brother’s eye but do not become aware of and consider the beam of timber that is in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, Let me get the tiny particle out of your eye, when there is the beam of timber in your own eye?” –Matthew 7:3-4
It is wrong of us, sin, really, to compare ourselves, our ‘thorns, ‘to anyone else’s.
“Thank God I don’t have that thorn!”
Still, it’s not difficult to see that each of us, to one degree or another, for one purpose or another—God’s purpose, has or will have, at some point in our Christian walk, a thorn put in our flesh. As with Paul, for a reason Scripture leaves unspecified, God uses thorns to humble us, maybe to save us, refine or reshape us, causing us to turn and cling to Christ with utter childlike dependence and to cause us to recognize our desperate need for Jesus.
And here’s how I define desperate: you’re drowning, water is beginning to spill into your lungs, when suddenly a hand pulls you up and out, and air begins to take the place of water. Do you push away the hand that saved you, or, in desperation, grab hold of it for dear life?
Paul is telling us that every believer needs this level of desperate need for Jesus, just as he did.
There’s a reason Jesus tells us that, apart from Him, we can do nothing.
If Jesus did nothing on His own, how much more you and me? Are we so prideful as to admit we are “poor in spirit” as often, perhaps, as we are not? And what we do and can accomplish for God is done, as Jesus makes clear, in His strength, not ours. “By myself I can do nothing; I judge only as I hear, and my judgment is just, for I seek not to please myself but him who sent me.” –John 5:30
Some challenge this statement of fact by arguing that many things can and have been done without invoking Jesus’ Presence or His aid. While some may say they can do many things independently of God, in fact, they cannot. Their thinking that a thing is so does not make it so. And their self-aggrandizing attempts to exist independently of their Maker can be likened to opening one’s mouth underwater, thinking that air will somehow fill one’s lungs—useless at best, deadly overall. And while they’d be correct in their statement of fact, they’d be exposing the depth of their ignorance of God, of His Sovereignty, Omniscience and Omnipresence, of His inseparable Hand at work in the lives of men—whether said men acknowledge Him, or not. “…He makes His sun rise on those who are evil and on those who are good, and makes the rain fall on the righteous [those who are morally upright] and the unrighteous [the unrepentant, those who oppose Him].” –Matthew 5:45
So I guess, in the very broadest sense, any of us, even Jesus’ most devout child, can, if he chooses to, act independently of Christ, and rely on his own strength, instead of leaning on Jesus, though, as His children, we’re instructed not to.
Not to use our own wits and grit, so-called, rather than posturing ourselves in humble dependence and reliance on the leading and guidance of His Holy Spirit at work in us, because that’s the very definition of pride itself. Of shaking one’s fist at God in defiance and rebellious self-reliance. Man’s woeful ignorance on display, like a peacock strutting, plumes fanned out for all to admire, shrieking, “Look at me, look at me!”
“But He gives us more and more grace [through the power of the Holy Spirit to defy sin and live an obedient life that reflects both our faith and our gratitude for our salvation]. Therefore, it says, “GOD IS OPPOSED TO THE PROUD and HAUGHTY, BUT [continually] GIVES [the gift of] GRACE TO THE HUMBLE [who turn away from self-righteousness].” –James 4:6
So instead of slapping lipstick on a pig, let’s call such pride what it is: the condition at the heart of the point Paul is making to the Corinthians—to us, through his sharing with us of why God allowed this thorn, this severe mercy to touch Paul’s life. There are times in our walk with Jesus when what may feel to us like punishment is, in fact, the Love of God, dressed in a way only hindsight will recognize. “Even though I have received such wonderful revelations from God. So to keep me from becoming proud, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger from Satan to torment me and keep me from becoming proud.” –2 Corinthians 12:7
For some of us, our thorn is or will be a physical malady: cancer, a stroke, traumatic brain injury, autoimmune disease, epilepsy, crippling bone or muscular diseases, a severe speech impediment, or some physical abnormality; the list goes on. For others, their thorn is emotional: depression, anxiety, and all forms of mental health struggles.
I experienced God’s severe mercy back in 2008 when I had a massive stroke that left the left side of my body paralyzed. My brain had been so severely damaged that I needed my 79-year-old mother to care for my most basic needs: dressing, bathing, and caring for me. I had lost my ability to care for myself. According to my doctors and neurological specialists, based on the extent of brain damage I had incurred, I should have ended up never having fully recovered and in need of full-time care. But God, in His mercy, had another plan.
What certainly felt like severe mercy at the time, God used not only to restore my body and mind to what they are today, allowing me to live independently and fully functioning, but, more importantly, to lead me to Him through the “thorn” He’d allowed to touch my life. To receive Jesus as my Lord and Savior. So I can say, in hindsight, with a joy-filled heart today, that God’s allowing that stroke to touch my life was one of the best things that ever happened to me, because God used it to lead me to His Son and to experientially understand His mercy and grace, His Love, and the new life and relationship I have with Him, in Christ Jesus, my Lord.
And to answer your question, yes, there have been many times I have cried out to God. I still do, “take this thorn from me,” as profoundly grateful as I am for having experienced what it has, and does, afford me—my life in Christ. Still, truth be told, in my flesh, when experiencing the lingering after-effects, the mental struggle at times, the fatigue, and brain glitches that often accompany traumatic brain injuries of various kinds, I can understand why Paul continued to ask God to take his thorn away from him, and why so many of you do as well. But here God’s answer to Paul, to me, and to you, beloved of God: “My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.” So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me.” –2 Corinthians 12:9.
And His grace is sufficient in your life as well, friend, believe it or not. So won’t you ask Jesus into your life today? Let Him help give you the strength and grace to endure your “thorn.”
“And the Lord said to him, ‘But I will be with you, and you shall strike the Midianites as one man.” And he said to him, “If now I have found favor in your eyes, then show me a sign that it is you who speak with me.” –Judges 6:16-17
Before Gideon had offered up a single word of protest to God, one single, “I’m not qualified,” in God’s Divine Providence, the Midianites were defeated foes; still, God used Gideon to accomplish this. Likewise, God uses you and me today to do the same, fulfill His will. “So shall My word be that goes forth out of My mouth: it shall not return to Me void [without producing any effect, useless], but it shall accomplish that which I please and purpose, and it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it.” —Isaiah 55:11
Have you ever had a Gideonesque conversation with God?
Have you ever told the Creator of the universe—the One Scripture says, formed you in your mother’s womb and knows your every thought before you even think it, what it is you are or are not, capable of doing, being, or becoming? Shamefully, I have! Yet I now recognize the futility of ever having had such a conversation after its being held up to the Truth of God’s Word: “You have searched me, Lord, and you know me. You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar. You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways. Before a word is on my tongue you, Lord, know it completely.” –Psalm 139:1-4
Yet that’s precisely what had happened with Gideon…
God had appeared to Gideon while he was threshing wheat in a wine press; threshing wheat where grapes, typically, are pressed to make wine because one: Gideon was hiding, and two: Gideon was afraid. From whom and of what? Gideon was hiding from the Midianites, who were attacking Israel at that time and stealing their food stores.
Gideon hid in the winepress to thresh wheat out of fear he’d be seen threshing by the Midianites, and they would come to steal his remaining wheat. These few details are a whole teaching in themselves, but they’re for another day, maybe a part two to this teaching?
What we’ll focus on today is that part of Gideon’s story where God appears to him, calling Gideon what he did not—could not—see in himself.
Only God knew who Gideon would become, because God Himself had foreordained Gideon’s life, imbuing it with a perfect purpose and plan—and that wasn’t to hide out in some winepress. It’s this part of Gideon’s story I felt led to focus on today. “And the angel of the Lord appeared to him and said to him, ‘The Lord is with you, O mighty man of valor.” –Judges 6:11
Like Gideon, I believe some of you have heard God calling you by a name you also don’t yet recognize. “And the angel of the Lord appeared to him and said to him, ‘The Lord is with you, O mighty man of valor.” –Judges 6:12
Who? Me, Lord…? Yes, you!
God is asking you to step out in faith, beloved, into a new season you feel woefully unprepared for—totally ill-equipped and wholly unqualified to take on, if you’re being honest. Like Gideon, you keep asking God for a sign that it’s really Him who is asking this of you. Him who’s put this desire in your heart. “Then Gideon said to God, “If you will save Israel by my hand, as you have said, behold, I am laying a fleece of wool on the threshing floor. If there is dew on the fleece alone, and it is dry on all the ground, then I shall know that you will save Israel by my hand, as you have said.” –Judges 6:36-37
Despite all your questioning, beloved, hear this: it’s already here. Remember, in God’s Providence, the Midianites were defeated before God called Gideon to do battle with them, “Your kingdom come, Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” –Matthew 6:10
So this new name is commensurate with the calling God has placed on you—remember, God is the same yesterday, today, and forever, and, so as He did with Gideon, God calls each of us according to how He sees us, which, typically, is not how we see ourselves. “For we are God’s [own] handiwork (His workmanship), recreated in Christ Jesus, [born anew] that we may do those good works which God predestined (planned beforehand) for us [taking paths which He prepared ahead of time], that we should walk in them [living the good life which He prearranged and made ready for us to live].” –Ephesians 2:10
Before you know it, you too will be walking into God’s next for your life, whether that’s a brand-new relationship with Jesus or into the new thing Jesus has placed on your heart to do. Then, I pray, your questioning and self-doubt will become little more than a memory. Because if God planted that God-sized vision, desire, or calling on your life, then God will bring it to pass.
Remember, friend, “God is not a man, that He should lie, Nor a son of man, that He should repent. Has He said, and will He not do it? Or has He spoken and will He not make it good and fulfill it?” –Numbers 23:19.
What God has predestined for your life and mine, beloved, what He calls us—who we are, right now, but can’t yet see in ourselves, will come to pass. “Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.” –Psalm 43:19
Still, you hand God every excuse for why He’s gotten it all wrong, how what He is calling you to do is simply impossible; you’re not alone, Gideon made that same mistake. Maybe you’re thinking, “Surely God’s forgotten my past! What I’ve done, who I’ve been—how I’ve failed Him?”
Maybe you feel weak as water, in character or faith?
So, out of fear or shame, you make excuses—you hide, but God will always find you out, beloved! “Now the angel of the Lord came and sat under the terebinth at Ophrah, which belonged to Joash the Abiezrite, while his son Gideon was beating out wheat in the winepress to hide it from the Midianites. And the angel of the Lord appeared to him and said to him, “The Lord is with you, O mighty man of valor.” And Gideon said to him, “Please, my Lord, if the Lord is with us, why then has all this happened to us? And where are all his wonderful deeds that our fathers recounted to us, saying, ‘Did not the Lord bring us up from Egypt?’ But now the Lord has forsaken us and given us into the hand of Midian.” And the Lord turned to him and said, “Go in this might of yours and save Israel from the hand of Midian; do not I send you?” And he said to him, “Please, Lord, how can I save Israel? Behold, my clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my father’s house.” –Judges 6:11-15
Friends, God’s Word is filled with stories such as Gideon’s.
Accounts of people much like you and me, ordinary people doing ordinary things, and then God showed up and transformed their ordinary into the extraordinary; events and the feats we read about throughout His Inerrant Word. Think of Noah, Father Abraham, Elijah, Esther, or the Apostle Paul. So it’s here then, I’ll remind you, the one hiding out today, or you, who’s feeling inept, inadequate, the very least of His children—that nowhere in God’s Word do we witness God call a person to do anything He did not fully equip them to do. “For it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.” –Philippians 2:13
You’re right to feel the way you do, beloved, because the Truth is, apart from God, you and I are indeed woefully inept, completely ill-equipped. But with God, in the power of His Might, you and I can and will do all that He has foreordained us to do. “In conclusion, be strong in the Lord [be empowered through your union with Him]; draw your strength from Him [that strength which His boundless might provides].” –Ephesians 6:10
Have you asked Jesus, this same God who once called Gideon, a man who felt unworthy of the call God had on his life, to come into yours? To give you a new beginning in Him. If you will, and you mean it sincerely, Jesus will come and make you a new creation; old ways will pass away, and Jesus will make all things in your life new again. God promises: “I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh.” Ezekiel 36:26
“There is therefore now condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” — Romans 8:1
Many believers faithfully attend church, worship passionately, serve consistently, and genuinely love Jesus, yet still carry a weight Christ never intended them to bear; living under a cloud of guilt, shame, and condemnation. Every time they stumble, every time they battle the same temptation, every time they fall short, they begin to believe the lies of Satan:
“God must be disappointed in me.”
“I’m not good enough.”
“Maybe I’ve failed too many times.”
“Maybe I’m too broken for God to use.”
If we’re honest, most of us Christians have wrestled with these thoughts at some point in our walk. The problem is, these thoughts do not come from Jesus…
Jesus’ Gospel is not built upon your perfection. It is built upon His perfection.
The Cross is enough.
Jesus’ Blood is enough.
Jesus was and is more than enough.
This does not mean sin is acceptable. By no means!!! It does not mean we stop pursuing holiness, but it does mean that our failures do not have the final word because Jesus already has. One of the greatest tricks of the enemy is convincing believers that conviction and condemnation are the same thing. Which they are not. Condemnation says:
“You failed, so you are worthless.”
“God is finished with you.”
“Hide from God.”
“You’ll never change.”
“You are your sin.”
Condemnation drives people away from God. It produces shame, fear, and hopelessness.
Conviction, however, sounds different. Conviction says:
“This path is hurting you.”
“Come back to Me.”
“Repent because I love you.”
“You are called higher.”
“Your identity is still Mine.”
Conviction draws us closer to God. It reveals sin while simultaneously reminding us that God’s grace is available.
The enemy wants us trapped in shame. The Holy Spirit wants us restored in love. When Jesus went to the Cross, He didn’t partially forgive sin, leaving some for us to carry. He didn’t say, “I’ll cover everything except the mistakes you keep repeating.” Jesus forgave our every sin: past, present, and future. All of them. Scripture tells us in Colossians 2:14, “Christ canceled the record of debt that stood against us and nailed it to the cross.”
Think about that…
The accusations, failures, guilt, regrets, and shame that once stood against us were nailed to the Cross with Jesus. So why do so many believers continue carrying what Christ already carried?
Many Christians repent but continue punishing themselves. They ask God for forgiveness but continue living condemned. They worship on Sunday while secretly believing God is angry with them. But if the Blood of Jesus is powerful enough to save you, it is powerful enough to restore you.
Peter’s Failure Didn’t Disqualify Him
Peter provides one of the clearest examples of God’s restoring grace. Peter loved Jesus deeply. Yet he repeatedly struggled with fear and inconsistency. He stepped out of the boat in faith but, afraid, began to sink. He boldly declared that he would never abandon Jesus, only to deny Him three times before the crucifixion. Peter’s failure was public, painful, and undeniable.
Yet after the resurrection, Jesus did not condemn Peter.
Jesus didn’t ask him:
“Why did you fail Me?”
“How could you betray Me?”
“What makes you think I can trust you again?”
Instead, Jesus asked a different question:
“Do you love Me?” Jesus restored what shame tried to destroy.
Even before Peter failed, Jesus told him, in Luke 22:32, “When you have turned back, strengthen your brothers.” Notice Jesus didn’t say “if.” He said, “When.” Jesus knew Peter would fail, yet He still chose him. That’s grace.
God’s pattern of patience:
Peter wasn’t the only person in Scripture who struggled repeatedly. Moses battled anger and frustration. Samson repeatedly compromised and gave in to temptation. Jonah continually resisted God’s calling. The Israelites complained, doubted, and rebelled, even after witnessing God’s miracles.
Yet throughout Scripture, we see the same pattern.
God corrected them.
God disciplined them.
God taught them.
But God did not abandon them!
These stories do not excuse sin. They reveal the incredible patience and mercy of God. God does not say, “Keep sinning, it doesn’t matter.” But neither does He say, “One more failure and I’m done with you.” A loving Father convicts, corrects, restores, and continues calling His children forward. One of the greatest battles believers face is identity. Many people define themselves by their struggles. They say:
“I’m an addict.”
“I’m an angry person.”
“I’m a failure.”
“I’m damaged.”
“I’m too far gone.”
But Scripture says something different. Second Corinthians 5:17 declares, “if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation.” Your struggle is not your identity. Your worst moment is not your identity. Your past is not your identity.
Your identity is found in Christ.
Our enemy constantly reminds us of who we were. God continually reminds you of whose you are. When you understand your identity as a redeemed child of God, you begin to fight from a place of victory rather than for acceptance. Some people become uncomfortable when grace is emphasized because they fear it will encourage people to sin.
But TRUE grace does just the opposite.
Grace does not say, “Sin doesn’t matter.” Grace says, “You no longer have to remain enslaved to sin.” Real grace changes the heart. Love transforms a person from the inside out. People who understand grace don’t want to run toward sin. They want to run toward Jesus.
The more we understand His mercy, the more we desire to honor Jesus with our lives.
Conviction changes behavior through our relationship with Jesus. Condemnation attempts to change behavior through fear. Only one leads to lasting transformation. When Jesus cried out, “It is finished,” He meant exactly what He said.
Your salvation was not left unfinished.
Your freedom was not left incomplete.
Your forgiveness was not left partial.
The Cross settled it.
You do not earn God’s love.
You do not earn grace.
You do not earn salvation.
You receive them by faith in Jesus Christ.
Because of the Cross:
You are loved.
Mercy is available.
Grace is greater.
Your failure is not final.
The enemy wants believers trapped in shame because shame keeps people hiding. But God calls His children into the light. There is a difference between conviction and condemnation. One brings you back to the Father. The other drives you away from Him. So if you belong to Christ, stop carrying what Jesus already carried. Stop living as though the Cross wasn’t enough. Stop allowing shame to speak louder than God’s promises. Romans 8:1 still stands today: “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.”
Notice it doesn’t say there’s less condemnation; it says no condemnation.
If you’re struggling with feelings of condemnation, invite Jesus into your heart as your Savior. Jesus promises to take that burden from you. “The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to set free the oppressed.” –Luke 4:18
“How much better it is to get skillful and godly Wisdom than gold! And to get understanding is to be chosen rather than silver.” –Proverbs 16:16
Wisdom will instruct us when to walk away, and from whom—if we avail ourselves of her wise counsel; we will flee, leaving behind us everything that is not God’s best. Even those “good things” we in fact know were God-given in seasons past. Those people, places, and abilities that served us well then. Still, they’re not God’s best for us now. They’re familiar, sure. Comfortable, you bet.
They’ve become so comfortable, in fact, that you’ve settled into them—moved in, lock, stock, and barrel, if you will, to a thing God intended to be temporary, a time of refreshing only. Or maybe it was intended as a time and place meant to build you up; that person or relationship meant only to bless you, then move on. The place you’re in now was hand-picked by God to settle you in for a season while you healed from the cutting away of those things He needed to remove from you. “In a large house there are articles not only of gold and silver, but also of wood and clay; some are for special purposes and some for common use. Those who cleanse themselves from the latter will be instruments for special purposes, made holy, useful to the Master and prepared to do any good work.” –2 Timothy 2:21-22
So here’s the question: are you willing to walk away from whatever God is asking of you?
Will you freely let go of everything—anything, God is putting His finger on in this hour, or will you white-knuckle your way through, grabbing onto the familiar like a drowning man to a life -ring?
Have you fallen for the enemy’s lie, beloved?
His deceptive whispers telling you what God has promised you —that seemingly impossible vision He’s given you, that dream or desire He’s placed in your heart and continues to confirm time and again, no matter how many fleece you keep throwing out—really isn’t possible, so how can it possibly be His right-now will for you?
Has what God promised you become just too impossible for you to hope for?
Did you fall for the lie of the enemy with his annihilative whispers, those same lies meant to challenge and thwart God’s Word, His promises? As if! Satan has been recycling his same trickery since his days in the Garden. “If you let go of what’s right in front of you now, you’ll surely risk going home empty-handed?
Hear me, friends: Those things, whatever they be: the best of people, that home, the city or State, that relationship, friendship or partnership may indeed have been God’s will for you in seasons past, but are no longer His Perfect will for you now. Recall Solomon’s sage words: “There is a season (a time appointed) for everything and a time for every delight and event or purpose under heaven—A time to throw away stones and a time to gather stones. A time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing.” –Ecclesiastes 3:1;5
Don’t mistake your right now for your forever, friends.
Seek God for His plan and purpose for your life, for how He would best use the gifts He has bestowed upon you for His glory—according to His will and plan for your life. “Do not be conformed to this world (this age), [fashioned after and adapted to its external, superficial customs], but be transformed (changed) by the [entire] renewal of your mind [by its new ideals and its new attitude], so that you may prove [for yourselves] what is the good and acceptable and perfect will of God, even the thing which is good and acceptable and perfect [in His sight for you].” –Romans 12:2
How do you do that?
You do it by surrendering and by remembering this crucial Truth: You are no longer your own—you’ve been bought at an exceedingly high price.
If you belong to Jesus, then Christ now has the only say that matters in your life.
You choosing to white-knuckle it in an attempt to hang on to your will over Jesus’ Perfect will for you is to kick against God’s Perfect plan and Divine purpose. That’s not only foolish but selfish. Not everything that glitters is gold, beloved of God; fool’s gold still exists, and fools continue to mistake it for the real thing by choosing their own will over God’s.
Being the loving Father God is, wanting only to give His absolute best to His children, is it any wonder that Abba forewarned us to be on the lookout for said fool’s gold? “There is a way which seems right to a man and appears straight before him, But its end is the way of death.” –Proverbs 14:12
Friends, apart from my own, I don’t know whose heart God is knocking on today.
Who needed this Word of confirmation: it’s time to let go, finally; whose fear God wants to wash away—patient Father that He is, by Him using this one more reminder that: “the season is over. The time has passed. You’ve gleaned from it all I have willed. “It’s now time to move on, my child.”
I’m praying God gives you the courage and wisdom you need today to walk away when you hear Him say, “Go.”
Friend, if you don’t yet know this Loving, Kind, Patient, All-Knowing, Sovereign Jesus who, out of a love too big to wrap our heads around, gave His life for us, won’t you invite Him into your life today? “Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved.” –Acts 4:12
This same Jesus wants nothing more than to love you and show you what He, the One who created you and knows you better than you know yourself, has for you—right now. “Cry out to me and I will answer you. I will reveal to you great things, guarded secrets that you never could have known.” –Jeremiah 33:3
Yesterday is done.
Tomorrow isn’t promised to us.
Jesus wants to do a new thing in you—a “right-now” renewing in your heart and life. Washing away completely all that was so that He’ll lead you into all that is and can be—if you’ll let Him. Hear Jesus’ heart and intentions toward you. Friend: “For I know the plans and thoughts that I have for you,’ says the Lord, ‘plans for peace and well-being and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.” –Jeremiah 29:11
“Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.” –Matthew 25:40
Not because you’re the most qualified.
Not because you have the most.
But because Jesus decided, “I can use you.”
“As evening approached, the disciples came to him and said, “This is a remote place, and it’s already getting late. Send the crowds away, so they can go to the villages and buy themselves some food.” Jesus replied, “They do not need to go away. You give them something to eat.” “We have here only five loaves of bread and two fish,” they answered. “Bring them here to me,” he said. And he directed the people to sit down on the grass. Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, he gave thanks and broke the loaves. Then he gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the people. They all ate and were satisfied, and the disciples picked up twelve basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over. The number of those who ate was about five thousand men, besides women and children.” –Matthew 14:15-21 NIV.
Then, the very next chapter says…
“Jesus left there and went along the Sea of Galilee. Then he went up on a mountainside and sat down. Great crowds came to him, bringing the lame, the blind, the crippled, the mute and many others, and laid them at his feet; and he healed them. The people were amazed when they saw the mute speaking, the crippled made well, the lame walking and the blind seeing. And they praised the God of Israel. Jesus called his disciples to him and said, “I have compassion for these people; they have already been with me three days and have nothing to eat. I do not want to send them away hungry, or they may collapse on the way.” His disciples answered, “Where could we get enough bread in this remote place to feed such a crowd?” “How many loaves do you have?” Jesus asked. “Seven,” they replied, “and a few small fish.” He told the crowd to sit down on the ground. Then he took the seven loaves and the fish, and when he had given thanks, he broke them and gave them to the disciples, and they in turn to the people. They all ate and were satisfied. Afterward the disciples picked up seven basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over. The number of those who ate was four thousand men, besides women and children.” –Matthew 15:29-38
So we have two different miracles ……. We have the well-known miracle of feeding the 5,000 and the not-so-well-known miracle of feeding the 4,000. This isn’t just about miracles, though —it’s about who Jesus uses to deliver and what they deliver.
In Scripture, food can symbolize not only physical nourishment used to bless others, but also spiritual food that Jesus uses to feed those who are spiritually hungry; according to Scripture, that’s what a disciple is supposed to do: be impactful by feeding God’s people because we bear Jesus’ name and image. Amen?
“But Jesus replied, “I have a kind of food you know nothing about. Then Jesus explained: “My nourishment comes from doing the will of God, who sent me, and from finishing his work.” —John 4:32;34
So, Jesus took the bread in His hands… why? …because it was given to Him. What His disciples saw as a problem was placed in Jesus’ hands; just a few loaves to feed a multitude. So Jesus took it, and doing what only He can, blessed them and turned them into more than enough; a miracle happened.
Now, to get that miracle into the hands of those who needed it…
Don’t miss this, guys…
Jesus didn’t walk up and down the rows of people. He didn’t go around passing out bread with His own hands; He used His disciples. Their hands and feet!
So ask yourself this: How does God want to use me?
Jesus took what was placed in His hands, blessed it, and multiplied it—but He didn’t keep it to Himself to give to those in need. Jesus chose to distribute the miracle through His disciples.
Because here’s the truth:
God doesn’t just do miracles for people—He does miracles through His people.
Jesus is the Source—but He can and does choose to use His people as vessels to bless others.
Jesus could’ve fed everyone Himself—but He didn’t… but because He’s building disciples, not spectators.
God will place situations in your hands that appear insufficient. Your job is not to panic; it’s to give them to Jesus. To entrust whatever may be needed into His care. Because when Jesus blesses something, He’ll often use you and me to carry His more-than-enough miracle to others.
Making us: the hands that give. The feet that go. The channel through which His blessing flows.
Jesus will entrust His miracles into your hands—but He expects you to put them in motion.
God often uses what you already have. “We have here only five loaves of bread and two fish.” –Matthew 14:17
The disciples saw only limitations. Jesus saw an opportunity.
They said, “It’s not enough.”
Jesus said, “Bring it to Me and watch what I can do with your ‘not enough.’
We tend to focus on what’s missing. But God focuses on what’s available. You don’t need more to be used by God—you need surrender.
The miracle didn’t start with an abundance. It started when a boy gave away his lunch. –Matthew 14:19 “He gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the people.”
Don’t miss this…
Jesus could have fed everyone directly. But He chose to use the disciples as His delivery system. Are we his disciples today? Being used by Jesus in this way? Are we striving to be His disciples more and more? Remember, Jesus says: “Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.” –Matthew 25:40
Imagine if the disciples had said: “Jesus, we’ll pray for them… but we’re not passing out these baskets of food.” The miracle would have been literally sitting in their hands, unused. Sad to say, that still happens today: God places opportunities in our hands…but if we don’t move, the miracle doesn’t flow.
If I leave you with anything today, I hope that it is this: “It’s one thing to be in Jesus’ hands… But another thing entirely to become His hands.
When Jesus fed the 5,000 and the 4,000, He didn’t walk through the crowd personally handing out bread; He used the disciples. That means, their hands became His hands, their movement became His movement, their service became an expression of Jesus’ loving care for the people.
Faith isn’t just something you believe. It’s also something you become.
It is important to understand that Jesus still moves the same way today as He did then.
I say this to remind and challenge you to ask yourself how Jesus, who no longer physically walks the earth, accomplishes the following:
Feed people?
Help people?
Reach people?
Love people?
It’s through you! Now you are the hands that give. You are the feet that go, the voice that speaks; you are the life that reflects His life to those around you.
Some people are waiting for God to move…
But God is saying, “I’m sending you.” To that person who needs encouragement, you’re Jesus’ voice. The family that needs help? You’re Jesus hands. That place that needs His Light? You’re His presence there.
Still, Jesus’ disciples could only give what they had received from Him. You see, they didn’t manufacture anything. They fed the 5000 by receiving from Jesus—He alone did that miracle. And when confronted with any other need, they had to return to Jesus to receive it. They had to keep going back to Jesus for more—for what He alone can do. Because only with Him is the impossible, possible.
Jesus makes a way where there was none.
He makes ways in the wilderness and streams in the dry lands. “See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland.” –Isaiah 43:19
All things are possible through Christ.
Again, please, don’t miss this: His disciples had to be close enough to Jesus to receive what only He could do. None of us can pour out what we haven’t received from Him.
You can’t represent Jesus if you’re not connected to Him.
We are not the Source—we are His instruments.
You are not just saved to sit. You are saved to serve. You are not just filled with Jesus’ Presence to feel good. You are filled so that He can pour you out on those in need. You are Jesus’ hands, His feet. You are His instrument. And remember, the disciples didn’t create the miracle… But they were close enough to Jesus that they got to carry it.
Are you close to Jesus? Can He use your hands and your feet? Have you said yes to Him—surrendered to His Lordship? If not, why not do it right now? Jesus wants to use you, your hands, your gift, talents, to get to others what only He can give them. “And it shall come to pass that everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved”. –Acts 2:21
We are a team of Christian Authors and Teachers dedicated to sharing the Innerant Word of God with those hungry to receive Biblical Truth. Follow us as we follow Christ at Sonsofthesea.org
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