With the faithful you prove yourself faithful, with the blameless you prove yourself blameless, with the pure you prove yourself pure, but with the crooked you prove yourself shrewd. For you rescue an oppressed people, but you humble those with haughty eyes.–Psalms 18:25-27
How you perceive God is a direct reflection of the position of your heart.
The heart that is in the position of hating God or believing that He doesn’t exist is the heart that has never met Him. If only they knew how good He is, how kind He is, how faithful He is. If only they knew Him as I do: Rescuer, Healer, Restorer, and Friend. He is always faithful to meet me in my need, but when I am not in need, it is easy to allow my heart to slip into the mode of thinking that convinces me that I can make it on my own. I forget His faithfulness to me when I don’t remain faithful to Him. I can easily forget that God’s ways are good and blameless if my eyes are fixed on the world’s injustices, but when I shift my gaze toward Him again, I see Jesus in His light, for who He is. As I draw near to Him, He draws near to me (James 4:8).
His presence is made known to the heart that needs Him. He is so near to the broken-hearted and the oppressed. He can’t resist responding to a sincere cry for help because He’s that good. Conversely, there is the heart that believes they don’t need help. To this person, there’s never a sincere cry for help, preventing a sincere experience of His intervention. The pride of life and one’s own achievements can blind a person to their need for the Lord and His mercy. This pride boasts of self-sufficiency, convincing a person that they can do everything independently. It views God through the critical lens of self-righteousness. It makes the heart doubt the goodness of God and His faithfulness, taking matters into its own hands without realizing that His ways are better than ours. It fails to remember His goodness. In turn, these people can’t see through God’s perspective. These people perceive God as shrewd because of the pride that has kept their hearts closed to knowing Him as faithful, blameless, and pure. I, the Lord, examine the mind, I test the heart to give to each according to his way, according to what his actions deserve. –Jeremiah 17:10.
So he will repay according to their deeds: fury to his enemies, retribution to his foes, and he will repay the coasts and islands. – Isaiah 59:18. The truth is the God of the Bible is faithful to His faithful ones, and His faithfulness is good. But to His enemies, He is just. What have your actions warranted? This life is our one chance at choosing Jesus. He is drawn to clean hands and a pure heart. It may seem contradictory because if you don’t have a pure heart, how can He be drawn to you? And, if everyone is a sinner, how can there be one pure enough in heart for Him to reciprocate purity? The beauty of our God is that even in your trespasses, He can purify your heart and cleanse your mind if only you would ask! Just realizing that your heart could use cleaning is enough for Him to begin His work within you. He repays all your work according to what you’ve done. I, the Lord, examine the mind, I test the heart to give to each according to his way, according to what his actions deserve. –Jeremiah 17:10. The heart that generously does good by His grace, He repays richly. But to the selfish and prideful of heart, He proves Himself shrewd.
He takes care of His people, and we will see Him faithful, blameless, and pure. But for the tainted heart, He is absent and just. The good news is that for those who come to Him, He does not leave them the same way in which He found them. Jesus is the one who transforms hearts and renews minds. He can take a heart of stone and make it flesh (Ezekiel 36:26).
Today will you examine your heart and let Him into those pieces of you that otherwise feel unchangeable? He wants to make you a new creation, restoring your heart to His original design of fellowship with Him. It is in fellowship with our Creator that we become whole. If you don’t know Jesus, I invite you to ask Him to make your heart of stone, making it into a heart of flesh. Ask Him to help you become faithful to Him, and let Him prove Himself faithful to you in the process. Ask Him to open the eyes of your heart to see Him as blameless and pure, not shrewd. He is waiting.
“The Lord All-Powerful says, “Try this test. Bring one-tenth of your things to me. Put them in the treasury. Bring food to my house. Test me! If you do these things, I will surely bless you. Good things will come to you like rain falling from the sky. You will have more than enough of everything” –Malachi 3:10
If you’ve been attending church for any length of time, you’re likely familiar with today’s verse. It’s generally used in relation to tithes and offerings. And though we’ll touch on tithing today, there’s something else I’d like to share with you from this verse. A principle the Holy Spirit dropped in my spirit this morning as I was praying over this teaching concerning trust. He put His finger on two words from this familiar passage, “test Me.” And what God dropped in my spirit concerning those Words had little to do with money.
Let’s explore what He gave me, shall we?
Tithing involves obedience. It demands you meet God smack dab in the middle of His “test Me.” It means laying your tithe at His feet, walking away, and trusting God to keep His Word. Blessing you however He sees fit.
Having that level of confidence, of faith, that joy of giving back, the thrill of “I get to” is born from having experienced God’s faithfulness in the past. It springs up from a deep well of trust fed by an ever-deeper well of intimacy. An intimacy developed within your relationship with Jesus. And it’s sustained there. It’s fed, made fat by a steady diet of God loving you and your wanting, chasing after the Giver far more than His gifts. “But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you” –Matthew 6:33.
I just spoke of a relationship with Jesus. Do you have one? If not, friend, before you read on, I ask that you stop and pray. I assure you; asking Jesus into your life as Lord of all is a choice with eternal consequence. There is no more important message in the world than this. Jesus loves you. He died in your place, making way for you to be restored into right relationship with the Father. A relationship broken in the Garden of Eden when Adam and Eve sinned. “For if, because of one man’s trespass, death reigned through that one man, much more will those who receive the abundance of grace and the free gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man Jesus Christ. Therefore, as one trespass led to condemnation for all men, so one act of righteousness leads to justification and life for fall men” –Romans 5:17-18.
And If you don’t know how to pray, talk to Jesus; it’s really quite simple. Just ask Jesus to come into your heart as your Lord and Savior, tell Him you’re sorry for your sins, and mean it. I’m adding His Word to help guide you. “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.
Now, we can continue…
When you choose to believe God will do what He says He’d do, believe in the surety of His “test Me,” your measure of faith will be stretched. And over time, your faith in God as Promise Keeper will become rock solid, like that faith spoken of in the old hymn, “I Have Decided to Follow Jesus.” Though none go with me, I still will follow, no turning back, no turning back.
And yes, friend, you have the choice to obey God, to follow Him, or not.
Why? Because you have free will. Your salvation and free will are a gift from God; He has granted you the freedom, the weighty privilege, of choosing or denying Him. Life, or death.
Earlier, I spoke of the Holy Spirit, causing two Words in Malachi to stand out. I alluded the blessings you receive from God for the faithful, heartfelt surrender of your tithe aren’t invariably attached to some financial reward. And this is the truth. Because often, your blessing comes in the form of good health. It comes from having a warm, safe home or apartment or getting a new job. It’s God bringing that future husband or wife into your life. The blessings that flow from God’s “put Me to the test now in this” involves your eyes having opened this morning, Kissing your kids, your husband, wife, or parents, one more time. You can see and speak. You’re in your right mind.
Moving your limbs and having anything in your pocket to offer back to God is a blessing.
How about when your blessing is holding the child every doctor said you’d never be able to carry? Is that where God’s “test me on this” showed up in your life? Or was it in God’s answering that midnight prayer? When salvation was visited on your wild child, mom, or dad. Let’s talk about God’s greatest blessing. His having afforded you a relationship with Him through His Son, Jesus.
Beloved, God’s “test me” really equates to His asking, “Do you indeed trust Me? Trust Me enough to accept that I know what is and isn’t best for you. Trust that I know when you need whatever you think you need right now.” Do you trust God’s character? That’s the real question here. That’s what the Holy Spirit dropped in my spirit. Because when God says, “test Me,” you can bet your life He’ll deliver. “God is not man, that he should lie, or a son of man, that he should change his mind. Has he said, and will he not do it? Or has he spoken, and will he not fulfill it?” – Numbers 23:19.
Friends, nowhere in the Bible do you read God telling anyone to test Him—outside of Malachi. Actually, the very opposite is true.
Yet concerning your giving back to God a portion, a mere tenth of all you’ve been blessed to earn, here God instructs you to test Him. Actually, it’s a command; to give Him back a tenth of your earnings and watch how He’ll bless your life. In Malachi 3:10, God explicitly references money, yours, by which I mean whatever money He has afforded you. “You might say in your heart, “The power and strength of my hands have made this wealth for me.” But you shall remember [with profound respect] the LORD your God, for it is He who is giving you power to make wealth, that He may confirm His covenant which He swore (solemnly promised) to your fathers, as it is this day” –Deuteronomy 8:17-18.
A humble heart recognizes that had God not blessed you, be it with one dollar or one hundred thousand dollars, you’d have nothing. Go ahead and reread Deuteronomy 8:17-18 if you doubt that.
So let me ask you this? Do you trust God? Are you willing to lay down that dollar in your pocket, the one He afforded you, and do what He asked of you? Test Him and see that if done with a joyful, loving heart, He won’t throw open the windows of heaven and bless you—however He sees fit. I have tested God on this, and I can assure you, friend, that God has been faithful to me in ways that have both blown my mind and humbled me to my core. And neither had little to do with money. The fact that Jesus died for me, has forgiven my every sin; if His blessings had ended there, I’d have been given what I did not deserve. And yet, Love continues to give and give.
Before I close, I must clarify that I am not suggesting that if you tithe a tenth of your income, God will bless you with some significant monetary windfall. Is it possible? Indeed, it is. He is God and can bless you however He chooses. But don’t get it twisted. God is God—He’s Holy. God is not the Lotto—lay down a dollar to win back one hundred. Nor is God an investment banker. Tithing is not about; I give God a tenth and He doubles my investment. God’s “test Me” is not tied to money. It’s bound to your trust in Him.
“That religion which costs a man nothing is usually worth nothing.”― Charles H. Spurgeon.
There is time and a season for everything. The most challenging seasons bring a lot of weight, pain, and questions. Yet they also bring unforgettable moments of God’s Faithfulness. Psalm 126:5-6 reminds us, “Those who sow with tears will reap with songs of joy. Those who go out weeping, carrying seed to sow, will return with songs of joy, carrying sheaves with them.”
This has been a challenging season for me. In August, I had a miscarriage. Words cannot explain the utter emptiness I felt due to it. I actually felt numb. What made matters worse was how hard it was for me to worship. Anyone who knows me knows I love to worship and praise the Lord. Well, that first Sunday, when the worship team started playing, my hands went up, yet I felt absolutely nothing. For the very first time in my life, I couldn’t feel God. What I felt instead was numb and disconnected from my Daddy God.
Feeling disconnected from God scared me. It brought even more tears on top of that shed due to the trauma of my miscarriage. Hopelessness settled in my mind and slowly made its way into my broken heart. “Yet this I call to mind and there I have hope” –Lamentations 3:21. So one morning, I grabbed my bible, not really expecting anything but secretly hoping that maybe, just maybe, this would help me connect with God. And let me tell you, God spoke!
The Lord took me to the Book of Lamentations, Chapter Three. And did not my soul lament as the prophet Jerimiah’s did? It sure did. But the Truth of God’s faithfulness in this passage, for me, began the process of healing and gleaning. Lamentations 3:22-23 says, “Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassion never fails. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.” As believers, even during the most challenging moments in our lives, we can pull from God’s faithfulness, His Living Word, to help us cultivate hope. The passage goes on to say. “For men are not cast off by the Lord forever. Though he brings grief, he will show compassion, so great is his love” –Lamentations 3:31-32.
God is a promise keeper. Despite the Israelite’s faithlessness and obedience, God still had a plan.
Someone reading this may be experiencing some level of grief. You’ve lost someone. Maybe something you were a part of for an awfully long time has ended. Things are changing, and you, too, find yourself lamenting. If you’re that person and haven’t accepted Jesus into your heart, I want to invite you to do so now. How? As always, your help, direction, the surety of every promise God has given you is found in His Living Word.
Romans 10:9-10 are the Words you’ll need to start your walk with the Lord today. They assure you of this simple Truth: “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.” I encourage you to open your mouth and declare Jesus as your Lord and Savior. Believe in your heart; honestly believe, with child-like faith, that if what you just prayed was sincere, you have been saved, freed from sin and eternal death. Galatians 3:22 reads, “But Scripture has locked up everything under the control of sin, so that what was promised, being given through faith in Jesus Christ, might be given to those who believe.”
We have to have faith to have access to the promises of God. And that faith allows us to cultivate hope (and I’m not talking about faith in ourselves because, let’s be honest, sometimes faith in ourselves or others is not enough).
We must be connected to Jesus, for he is the author and finisher of our faith. “Looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God” –Hebrews 12:2.
If you just decided to accept Jesus as your personal Savior, I’ll let you in on more good news!
You are now carrying something inside of you. And that something is God’s seed, His Living Word. It lives inside of you now! “Galatians 3:22 reads, “But Scripture has locked up everything under the control of sin, so that what was promised, being given through faith in Jesus Christ, might be given to those who believe.” Hold on to God’s faithfulness. It will help you have hope, even in your tears and waiting. How? By remembering what God has done for you in the past. Remembering what His Word says about you.
There is hope, even if it is as small as a mustard seed, for the Word of God says, “Though it is the smallest of all seeds, yet when it grows, it is the largest of garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds come and perch in its branches” –Matthew 13:32.
You might wonder, how can I continue cultivating hope for the harvest? To me, sowing in tears means never giving up on God, even when you want to give up on yourself, your future, or others. God’s plans are better than we can imagine simply because He is. He knows our beginning from our end, and His plan for us is good. “For I know the plans I have for you,’ says the Lord, ‘plans for well-being and not for trouble, to give you a future and a hope” –Jeremiah 29:11.
So, one of the first ways to cultivate hope is to sow God’s Word into your heart.
May your heart be the tender ground where Its seeds are sown. Then, as a result, I hope you become grounded in God’s Word and His promises.
Even in our weeping, it is possible to harvest hope. We can weep and read the Word. We can weep and trust his promises. We can weep and know that every tear will reap joy in its season.Seed time and harvest are inevitable. However, what we produce results from how much hope we have and how we choose to respond to God.
So I leave you with this love note written to me from God. I’ll share it as a word of encouragement to you all.
I’m here. Stop doubting me. I know how much you care for me, and I know so many things don’t make sense. I am working in you, and I am not punishing you for anything. No one can understand the mystery of my ways because it’s designed that way. Giving up is never the answer. There is no death in my world. Your loss is not a loss to me. I am touching you with my love even if you don’t feel my touch. Be anxious for nothing. You can’t feel me because you need to relax. I can, and I will do what is best for you. Stop doubting if I am with you or if I hear you. Things are not always what they seem. —God.
John 15:11 NLT “I have told you these things so that you will be filled with my joy. Yes, your joy will overflow!
What an amazing, loving God we serve! I am so excited to share the conclusion of “Crossroads” with you all. If you have not read Part One of this teaching, I encourage you to go back and read it now. The last time we met, we discussed the crossroads God sometimes brings us to. Those significant points in our Christian walk where we must decide to take that step of faith, walking our faith out with Him. God knows the heart of every one of His children. So I’m titling the close of this teaching “Walk into It.” Because when we walk in the anointing God has poured out on us, God will bring us to a place of honor. It’s all about that first step of faith. And after the first comes the second, the third, and so on. Next thing you know, you are walking on water with Jesus right in front of you!
Yet there will also be times of waiting, preparation, and equipping, times when it’s just you and the Lord.
Every child of God eventually finds themselves in those moments spent in the wilderness. Now I can almost hear the groaning! Many of you might say, “but I do not want to be in the wilderness! How is this a good place to be?!” And I agree. The wilderness is a place we don’t run and sign up for; however, the wilderness experience is necessary. “He has made everything appropriate in its time. He has also put eternity in their hearts, but man cannot discover the work God has done from beginning to end” –Ecclesiastes 3:11 (HCSB).
My brothers and sisters, we are all unfinished works. Be patient, then. God is still working. He has not forgotten you.
So, let’s dive into this lesson by looking at a young man who will be the greatest king Israel has ever seen. His name is David. A warrior and worshiper of God. This young man started out in a field caring for his father’s sheep, fighting off bears, lions, and other dangers that would harm the flock. But most importantly, David had a heart for God. He saw the importance of having a relationship centered on worship and time with Him. His heart was for the Lord.
I cannot stress strongly enough David’s heart for the Lord.
Yet David was overlooked by his very own father and brothers when the prophet Samuel came to anoint one of Jesse’s sons as king. From the very beginning, God tells the prophet Samuel: “…Do not look at his appearance or his stature, because I have rejected him. Man does not see what the Lord sees, for man sees what is visible, but the Lord sees the heart” –1 Samuel 16:7 (HCSB).
So why was David anointed king out of all Jesse’s sons?
A large part was David’s genuine heart for God. 1 Samuel 13:14 says David was a man after God’s own heart. David’s true love for the Lord was one of the things God used to bring David out of the fields and into the throne room, but not immediately. Now here comes that wilderness moment we all love. Not! First, Saul was already Israel’s king. Secondly, although Samuel anointed David King, David still had some growing up. He had to learn to walk in the anointing and what it was to run a kingdom. In part, which meant humbling himself under a very jealous king Saul.
David’s crossroads moment came only after being anointed king.
Scripture tells us it happened when Israel battled an enemy known as the Philistines.
David’s older brothers had volunteered to battle the Philistines. They were on the front lines defending the land God had given them. Now, for those who know the story of David and Goliath, you may be saying, isn’t that the moment David went to face Goliath? Yes, but no. To defeat something, you first need to show up. And David was still tending his father’s sheep. Goliath’s defeat would soon follow. “One day Jesse had told his son David, “take this half-bushel of roasted grain along with these 10 loaves of bread for your brothers and hurry to the camp. Also take these 10 portions of cheese to the field commander. Check on the welfare of your brothers and bring conformation from them. They are with Saul and all the men of Israel in the valley of Elah fighting with the Philistines. So David got up early in the morning, left the flock with someone to keep it, loaded up, and set out as Jesse had instructed him” –1 Samuel 17:17-20 (HCSB).
David’s father had sent him to bring provisions to his brothers. David’s time of waiting had ended. He left behind the flock and the fields. Everything David had known, he now laid aside. It was time to go into the battle. As David arrives, he hands off the provisions he’d brought and runs to meet his brothers. Seeing all the men, he runs up to them. Scripture tells us that as David spoke to his brothers, the champion named Goliath came forward and started shouting and profaning the God of Israel. “David spoke to the men who were standing with him, “what will be done for the man who kills that Philistine and removes this disgrace from Israel? Just who is this uncircumcised Philistine that he should defy the armies of the living God?” – 1 Samuel 17:26 (HCSB).
After David spoke these words, his older brother spoke out against him, claiming that David was arrogant, and his heart was evil. At that point, David could have said nothing. He could have just walked away and returned to his father’s house. Instead, it’s here, brothers and sisters, where we witness David step into what God had chosen him to do. But know this: whenever one of God’s chosen is walking in obedience to God, stepping into their calling, there will be resistance. Even from your very own family. Follow David’s lead. Do not be discouraged, my friends.
Like David, your time of waiting will end. And no man can stop what God has for you when it does! Just abide in Christ. John 15:5. Assures us of this. “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.” God’s Holy Spirit in you will lead you into all Truth, so remain in Him and, like David, chase after more of God!
When you get to those crossroads’ moments, know that the Father is right there with you. He wants the best for you. He wants nothing more than to have a relationship with you.
My brothers and sisters, as we close, let me remind you of the amazing, loving Father we have and serve. How He sent his Son into the battlefield called the world. And how Jesus went willingly and triumphantly to the Cross for you and me. By Jesus’ sacrifice on the Cross, we are forgiven of all our sins, and because of His resurrection, we too shall see eternal life. Call out to Him today if you don’t know Jesus as Lord and Savior. He is standing at the door of your heart, ready to make his home in you. Amen. “Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me” –Revelation 3:20.
One of the challenges of reading scripture is finding Jesus from the beginning to the end. The Bible is a singular, great love story of the Creator, God, on a quest to redeem mankind from sin and separation from Him, back into communion and relationship with Himself. All in His perfect timing.
The Old Testament is filled with biblical accounts that precede the advent of God’s incarnate appearance on earth as the Godman, Jesus. Within the Old Testament, we read of an Almighty God fiercely protecting and judging His people. Finding God’s redemptive love within these ancient texts can sometimes be challenging. Especially if we read the Bible as a mere history book rather than a redemption story, it is a story that includes you and me. It takes eyes of faith to see where we fit in, where God’s love is reflected from Genesis to Revelation.
So I invite you to put on your faith lenses as we look at First Kings. There we’ll meet one of Yahweh’s prophets, Elijah.
First Kings also introduces us to three central characters in the Old Testament: King Ahab, the king of Israel for almost an entire generation, his reign lasting twenty-two years. The Bible makes clear that Ahab was a wicked king. “Ahab, son of Omri, did what was evil in the Lord’s sight more than any King before him.“He not only considered it trivial to commit the sins of Jeroboam son of Nebat, but he also married Jezebel daughter of Ethbaal king of the Sidonians, and began to serve Baal and worship him. He set up an altar for Baal in the temple of Baal that he built in Samaria. Ahab also made an Asherah pole and did more to arouse the anger of the Lord, the God of Israel, than did all the kings of Israel before him”– 1 Kings 16:30-33.
The above passage gives us insight into why King Ahab was so evil in God’s sight.
Ahab followed the sin pattern of the previous king –Jeroboam. We read about Jeroboam’s sins in First Kings, also. Jeroboam erected idols, false gods, for Israel to worship. All the while knowing the first commandment God had given His people is, “You shall have no other gods before Me” –Exodus 20:3. So Jeroboam explicitly disobeyed God’s law. He’d also ordained priests for the temple who were not of the tribe of Levi, bypassing one of God’s divinely ordered requirements for the priesthood. It seems as though Jeroboam set a precedent that the future kings of Israel would follow, as that’s precisely what King Ahab did.
Instead of restoring Divine order to God’s people, Ahab followed the status quo.
Then there’s Queen Jezebel, the woman Ahab chose as his wife. Even though God didn’t want the Israelites intermarrying, this is because these other nations worshipped idols—false gods. Jezebel, in particular, is listed as one of the most wicked women in the Bible. She was from Sidon’s seaport town (sometimes called Zidon). Sidonians had previously oppressed God’s people (Judges 10:12). They were also known to be lawless and idolatrous (1 Kings 11:5; Judges 18:7. They were superstitious (Jeremiah 27:9). And all around wicked in God’s sight. Jezebel embodied each of these sinful qualities plus more! She had also introduced the false God, Baal, to the Israelites. She’d also oppressed God’s people while manipulating her husband into following her wicked, idolatrous ways.
And Elijah, one of the greatest prophets to serve Israel. He came in a close second to Moses. His name means, “Jehovah is my God.” Elijah sought to restore the heart of the people of Israel back to the Lord. Everything He did was to point to his God and bring Him glory. Elijah performed miracles, signs, and wonders by God’s power. The Bible does not give us much insight into Elijah’s history other than he was a Tishbite from Gilead—1 Kings 17:1a.
So now that we know the characters at play here, we can better appreciate the conflict to come and what we can glean from this story. A lot happens in a brief period, so today’s teaching is not an all-inclusive overview of biblical events.
Instead, I focused on Elijah’s faithfulness to God while living in an evil culture.
To fit everything into one teaching, we’ll dive into two specific events that struck me as I studied 1 Kings. The first is the widow in Sidon. The second is the bounty on Elijah’s head. At the beginning of 1 Kings 17, when we met Elijah, the first words we read are words from the Lord. God is telling Elijah there will be a famine in the coming years due to drought until He, the Lord, opens the heavens again, sending rain. After making this announcement, the Lord tells Elijah to hide by a brook so that he’d have access to water.
In addition to providing his water, the Lord also miraculously fed Elijah, sending ravens to bring him food by the brook.
But when the brook dried out, the Lord told Elijah to leave that place and stay with a widow in Zarephath, located in Sidon—v. 8. Did you catch that? Elijah was to go to Sidon, where the villainess of the day (Jezebel) hailed from. SIDON, whose people had oppressed the Israelites, worshiped false gods, and had no laws. That Sidon! So this widow was likely a worshiper of Baal, who, ironically, was supposed to be the god of nature. Specifically, the god of fertility and rainstorms.
I can imagine her feeling of betrayal towards Baal as she and her people revered this nature god, yet they were suffering from famine and drought. I’m sure many were starving, unable to feed their children, much like this widow. From what we know of her, she seems hopeless.
In the same breath Elijah uses to introduce himself to the widow, he also asks for a cup of water and some bread.
So, she gets him a little water and then informs him of her situation. “As surely as the Lord your God lives,” she replied, “I don’t have any bread—only a handful of flour in a jar and a little olive oil in a jug. I am gathering a few sticks to take home and make a meal for myself and my son, that we may eat it—and die.” – 1 Kings 17:12. She acknowledged Elijah’s God, not knowing God already knew her, and wanted to display His faithfulness and mercy towards her through His servant, Elijah. God was not afraid of their idol worship. Instead, He was seizing moments where hearts could be turned towards Him, even if it took a famine and a drought to get them there.
What struck me as I read this was this widow who was about to die. And how Elijah tells her to use the only flour and oil, she has left to bake him some bread, and she did just that. God miraculously caused her jars to be filled with oil and flour until the famine was over. This is very unusual because widows were seen as lowly members of society. Yet, it was a lowly widow that God saw fit to provide for, a woman whose heart would be soft towards His prophet. I can just imagine the joy she experienced as she saw the abundance Elijah’s God provided, while Baal just stood by and let the people die. Where Elijah is from, Gilead can be translated to mean “heap of testimony.” Elijah’s life truly resulted in heaps of testimonies like this one!
It doesn’t matter if your history is one that dishonored God. What does matter is if you have a heart of repentance, turning away from what displeases God, turning instead towards what pleases Him. You will see the fruit of His love and provision in your life in unexpected ways.
This second account is remarkable. It’s when the Lord breaks the drought, using Elijah’s faith. God tells Elijah to call for a showdown with the prophets of Baal. Four hundred fifty of them, to be exact. It was four hundred and fifty to One. These prophets of Baal were to call on him to send fire from heaven, and Elijah would do the same. Whichever succeeded in sending fire from heaven would be the One True God. So, the prophets of Baal prepared their bull offering on the altar, performing rituals that Baal would respond to. They danced and mutilated themselves. Their belief was to call the gods’ attention from the underworld; blood must be spilled. So, they cut themselves, danced, and shouted all morning and afternoon, to no avail. After this, Elijah prepared his altar. Wanting to make more of a fool of these so-called prophets than they were, Elijah had his altar and offering drenched with water. (Many would have seen this as a waste of water during a drought) then, Elijah knelt and prayed.
In that instant, fire fell from heaven, consuming every drop of water, the bull, and even the wood of Elijah’s offering!
Baal was put to shame, the false prophets put to death, and rain ended the drought. (There is so much more to this account. I encourage you to read 1 Kings 18 and 19 for yourself). When King Ahab told Jezebel Baal had been defeated, she ordered that Elijah be killed just as the prophets of Baal were. She was livid, and Elijah, the man who had just called fire down from heaven, was terrified. This same guy who’d witnessed God’s faithfulness towards the widow. Elijah, the man who hid by a creek and was miraculously fed by ravens, was afraid. Just a moment ago, he was laughing at the prophets of Baal; now, he is terrified of this worshiper of Baal.
So, Elijah goes into a spiraling depression. He hides in the desert for forty days and can’t eat. Gosh, I think we’ve all been there.
“I know *insert the best thing that just happened to you* just happened, but I’m going to die here.”
“I know God has provided for me in the past, but I might as well give up now because God’s nowhere to be found.”
Hear me out. God has not left you. If you are a follower of Jesus, a child of God, He promises never to leave you nor forsake you.
You will experience victories, but you’ll also experience trouble. But Jesus is there through it all. His work in you is not over until He says it’s over. Just as God came back to Elijah, whispering a reminder to shake off his fear because there was still work to do, He wants you to rise up and trust Him to complete the work He has for you. It’s not over until God says it’s over. Will you find the faith today to be fearfully faithful? And when you can’t find the strength to get up and fulfill that purpose, remember, in those moments, to rely on Jesus. Pray, because God says, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness” –2 Corinthians 12:9.
When you feel weak, God is strong in you.
If you don’t know this God I am talking about; I invite you to ask Him into your life today. Invite Him to have a seat at your table as you try to navigate life’s difficulties. He is faithful to forgive your sins, just as He’s forgiven mine, and He wants to have a relationship with you. So, I challenge you to be fearfully faithful to Jesus, then watch as He does the impossible in your life.
“This day I call the heavens and the earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live and that you may love the Lord your God, listen to his voice, and hold fast to him” –Deuteronomy 30:19-20.
Last Sunday, our congregation witnessed six souls openly profess their eternal allegiance to Christ Jesus when they stepped into the baptismal pool—joyfully taking the next step in their most sacred of relationships: their relationship with God. Their old man left at the bottom of that pool. A new man rose up, breaking that watery surface, stepping out. “and this water symbolizes baptism that now saves you also—not the removal of dirt from the body but the pledge of a clear conscience toward God. It saves you by the resurrection of Jesus Christ, who has gone into heaven and is at God’s right hand—with angels, authorities and powers in submission to him” –1 Peter 3:21-22.
These six souls, some walking with the Lord longer than others, one of them for literally one day, decided in their hearts to follow the “narrow path.”
“But small is the gate and narrow and difficult to travel is the path that leads the way to [everlasting] life, and there are few who find it” –Mathew 7:14. Yet despite its difficulties, each chose to take this path with its winding way, its mountain top highs and valley lows, its sacrifice and loss, partly because of the “Pearl of Great Price” awaiting them at its end. “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant seeking beautiful pearls, who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had and bought it” –Matthew 13:45-46. But before we all gathered around the pool to celebrate with our brothers and sisters, we heard a powerful sermon preached. One intentionally stitched together with words like sin, forgiveness, and free will, a sermon brimming with the love of God for a sinful world. It was a map of sorts, no, not of sorts, it was a map. One whose X was clearly marked.
It was a sermon packed with hope, making clear that we must choose between life and death.
“In the past God overlooked such ignorance, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent. For he has set a day when he will judge the world with justice by the man he has appointed. He has given proof of this to everyone by raising him from the dead” Acts 17:30-31.
This teaching, though not the easiest to hear, made clear that Jesus, knowing only a Pure, Spotless sacrifice could ever restore the intimate relationship broken back in the garden, determined to wrap His Godly Perfection in human flesh and be born among us. Choosing obedience to the Father, He came into this world. In like fashion, when His work was completed, Jesus chose to lay down on His Cross, leaving this life behind and returning to the Father. “No one can take my life from me. I sacrifice it voluntarily. For I have the authority to lay it down when I want to and also to take it up again. For this is what my Father has commanded” –John 10:18.
It made clear the wages of sin are death.
Reminding us of what Romans 3:23 makes plain: “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” It detailed that salvation is a gift from God, freely given, yet each man must open his heart and choose to accept what God has offered him. Men are saved only by accepting Jesus. Not by works, so none of us can brag or boast. “And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him” –Hebrews 11:6.
There is only One way to God, and His name is Jesus. “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.
According to Scripture, the sinner’s basic problem is unbelief. “And when He comes, He will convict the world in regard to sin and righteousness and judgment: in regard to sin, because they do not believe in Me” –John 16:9. This teaching reminded us that anyone who refuses to believe, despite proofs, is rejecting Jesus and, if rejecting Jesus, is rejecting the Father and Holy Spirit in kind. Speaking to His disciples, Jesus made this plain: “Then he said to the disciples, “Anyone who accepts your message is also accepting me. And Anyone who rejects you is rejecting me. And Anyone who rejects me is rejecting God, who sent me” –Luke 10:16.
“Unbelief is saying to God, “thanks, but no thanks, Jesus. I’ve heard all you had to say, but you go your way, and I’ll go mine. You’re not worthy of my faith, trust, or love. I don’t want or need you in my life.” –Pastor Lino Braga.
Crickets…
You could have heard a pin drop in the church. We were reminded that the sin of unbelief is alive and well in the church today. Witnessed weekly whenever God’s Word is shared, yet rejected—an ongoing proof of man’s wickedness. “For we also have had the good news proclaimed to us, just as they did; but the message they heard was of no value to them, because they did not share the faith of those who obeyed” –Hebrews 4:2.
In conclusion, I’ll add this: The parent of all sin, unbelief, was employed by God’s enemy in the garden.
Satan’s ability to sow seeds of doubt, division, unbelief, even spiritual death in the hearts and minds of others is no new thing. We read of it in Genesis 3:1 when Satan deceived Eve. “Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden’?” And we all know what happened next. Now hear what Jesus says of those who foolishly choose to follow after the one who desires to keep you eternally separated from God. Keep you dead in your sin, in this life, and the next. “For you are the children of your Father the devil, and you love to do the evil things he does. He was a murderer from the beginning. He has always hated the Truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, it is consistent with his character; for he is a liar and the Father of lies” –John 8:44.
Now you may be saying, “wow, MaryEllen, this teaching is harsh. And to that, I’d answer, “Truth is not always pleasant or easy to hear, yet love compels me to share it with you. “And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free” –John 8:32. Know this: God’s heart is that none perish—God loves you. Jesus is long-suffering, full of grace and love and mercy. But His Word assures us He will not tolerate our intentionally rejecting His love forever. Sadly, one day, He will turn away. Quit pursuing you. Quit sending people like me to get your attention. He’ll let you have your own way—remember, you get to choose. God will not force Himself on you.
So, friend, you need not live in unbelief for one more minute.
But if this has been you, please know God loves you and desires a loving relationship with you, regardless of your sin or past; I can personally attest to this Truth. Christ pulled me out of the hotbed of my sins, changing me from the inside out. Not overnight, but steadily, day by day—still. Know that Jesus is offering you another chance today. Choose Him, please. Ask Jesus into your life as Lord and Savior. Repent of your unbelief and be saved. Your unbelief is no match for God’s Love for you. God is not a man that He can lie. Take to heart God’s promise to you found in Isaiah 45:25. “I, even I, am he who blots out your transgressions, for my own sake, and remembers your sins no more.”
“For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline” –2 Timothy 1:7.
Amalgamation. For some Christians, it looks something like this: with one hand, we take the Hand of the One True God, confessing Him as our Lord, while with our other, we hold onto the god of our flesh, our habitual, sinful wants, and deeds; playing with dead things, we dip our hand back into our baptismal font, helping our “old man” step out to run amuck for a bit. “For I know that good itself does not dwell in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out” –Romans 7:18.
Yet Jesus made it abundantly clear that no man can serve two masters—this spiritual principle, as true today as the day the Lord taught us that we cannot serve Him and mammon—Matthew 6:24. The Spirit and flesh will always be at war. Listen to how the Apostle Paul describes this ongoing battle: “For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh” –Galatians 5:17.
So who wins this ongoing battle? Answer: Whomever we arm.And for this, I thank God for His amazing grace!
Beloved, we get to choose the victor; remember, Christ has already given us everything we need to win this ongoing war. So we defeat our flesh moment by moment, decision by painful decision; by choosing to put to death the old man with his sinful desires—its contrary-ness to the Most High God. We must be intentional, determined to choose Godliness. Being led, taught, and changed by God’s Holy Spirit, willingly surrendering our old man into God’s capable charge. The Potter then, spinning us afresh, reshaping and folding in, a new, pure, holy vessel birthed from the old. From an acorn, a mighty oak is born. “So I went down to the potter’s house, and I saw him working at the wheel. But the pot he was shaping from the clay was marred in his hands; so the potter formed it into another pot, shaping it as seemed best to him” –Jeremiah 18:3-4.
“But you don’t understand. I’ve been this way for as long as I can remember.”
“I’m naturally a shy person.”
“I was born gay.”
“My father was an alcoholic. It’s in my genes.”
“I’ve never been comfortable around a bunch of people.
“I couldn’t possibly speak/sing/teach in front of others.”
And the list goes on…
I’m confident you would have no problem plugging in your own “I’ve always been” into this list.
Yet, Scripture makes clear there comes a time in our walk with God when milk must be exchanged for meat—least we stay spiritual children, stunted, never maturing into the fullness of Godly adulthood. A time when we must determine, choose, change over comfort, habit, and the familiar.
As Peter was approaching the end of his life, he shared the following wisdom with us—a parting gift, a spiritual building block, a sure foundation upon which we can build. “For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love” –2 Peter 1:5-7. Peter is reminding us God has given us everything we need to live Godly lives; now keep going. Press on. Desire more of what you’ve been freely given. Hunger for more, more of God and less of you, more holy boldness, obedience, power, more of what God has for you. Our desiring to live and walk out our faith as Christ commanded, outweighing everything else. “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!” –2 Corinthians 5:17.
Question is, will we choose to believe this? To put legs under it, walking it out day by day? It is, after all, our choice.
Remember, Christ Jesus has assured us everything we need to live out this “new life” in Him was accomplished on His Cross. Nothing else is necessary—on God’s part, that is. “His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness.Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature, having escaped the corruption in the world caused by evil desires. –2 Peter 1:3-4. Any work left to do then is ours; it starts with our first believing in Christ Jesus and then agreeing with Him, allowing Him to change how we define ourselves—from the inside out. Taking God at His Word that we truly have been born anew, spiritually speaking—whether we feel new or not. Choice is the lifeblood of faith—believing in what we cannot see—trusting in it, partnering with the power and ability of the One who has called us out of darkness into His glorious Light. “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen”–Hebrews 1:1.
We must choose to trust that we have been set free from our “old man with its carnal lust” and are “free indeed” to begin our new life in Christ—with Christ. “For in Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set you free from the law of sin and death” –Romans 8:2.
Living a life of dependence on Jesus now, a life fueled by His every promise. Confident that Jesus cannot lie, we must choose to place the full weight of our trust in God, day by day, living as the new creations we are, or, conversely, we can choose to keep going back, dredging up our old man, dead in his watery grave. Placing our faith instead in “I’ve always been this way.” “My mother/father/ fill in the blank—told me I’ll never amount to anything more than this.”
Yet to mature spiritually, live, and move as God intended, we must allow God’s Holy Spirit unrestricted access to every inch of us.
And yet, amazingly, God has afforded us free will because of His great love for us. This means we can say no to Jesus or His Holy Spirit. Jesus has afforded us the choice to stay stuck in our pain, living fractured, half-lives while on our way to heaven, missing out on the whole, rich, depth of relationship His life, death, and resurrection has provided those who trust Him.
Remember, God’s Holy Spirit is a gentleman. He will not force Himself upon you (even though He is God and can do whatever He wishes). We must bid God welcome. Affording His Holy Spirit unrestricted freedom to walk in and out of the “chambers of our heart,” as jacked-up and messy as they may be. Bid Him welcome into our deepest hurt, that He might roll back that massive stone we placed over our hearts when we were four, twelve, twenty—or yesterday; that instant we swore to ourselves no one would ever hurt us/ have access to our hearts in that same way, ever again.
Yet, to walk in this fullness of Jesus Beloved, in all He has destined for us, to walk in love as He is love, we must choose to live holy, un-comfortable.
Will you join me today in saying yes for the first or maybe the hundredth time, choosing God over self?
And fear not! None of us are worthy of being chosen by God, friend. Isaiah, Job, the Apostle Peter, and Paul have each attested to this truth. Still, you must decide for yourself to choose Jesus over your “I’ve always been.” So, if Christ Jesus is bidding you to leave yourself behind, with all the comforts of the familiar, that you might live in the fullness of all He has for you, which will you choose?
Remember, the choice is yours to make. I encourage you, friend—choose Life. “Jesus said to him, “I am the [only] Way [to God] and the [real] Truth and the [real] Life; no one comes to the Father but through Me” –John 14:6.
And if you have yet to ask Jesus into your heart as Lord and Savior, choose to do so today, friend. Scripture assures us no man is promised tomorrow—Truth remains Truth, even when it makes us uncomfortable. So please, don’t let today pass without choosing to ask God into your life.
“Guard your heart above all else, for it is the source of life” — Proverbs 4:23.
There must be a good reason for this idea of guarding the heart to be laced throughout the Bible. We see it from the Old Testament through to Paul’s letters to the Churches in the New Testament. What does it even mean to guard my heart? I cannot see nor touch it; how then is it possible to protect it?
What I love about the Bible is that it doesn’t leave us stranded after giving us seemingly impossible instructions. We can find the key to guarding our hearts within the very pages on which Paul writes this statement. Philippians 4:4-7 reads, “Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your graciousness be known to everyone. The Lord is near. Don’t worry about anything, but in everything, through prayer and petition with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.”
Proverbs 4:23 alerts us to the importance of guarding the heart by identifying it as the source of life.
These practical steps outlined in Philippians 4 are stepping stones we have to carry out the instructions in Proverbs 4. While we are instructed to guard our hearts, the Bible also makes it clear that we can’t do it alone; we need God’s help. We see this paradox in contrast between Proverbs 4 and Philippians 4, where it seems that one scripture is telling us to guard our hearts, while the other teaches that it is the peace of God that guards our hearts. I believe this is a sort of a “push and pull ” in our relationship with our Father. We work to live rightly while pushing into God’s resources when we can no longer pull on our strength.
“Rejoice in the Lord always.” It would be easier if this verse said, “rejoice in the Lord sometimes.”
Instead, it says always. Our rejoicing is so essential that Paul mentions it repeatedly! Why? Rejoicing does something to our minds. It puts us in a different state, inviting peace rather than anxiety. Rejoicing is giving thanks in every circumstance. Sometimes we are so consumed with what’s wrong that we no longer have the energy left to spend on searching for what’s right.
I remember a time in my life when I cried every day. I looked around and was filled with complaints and reminded myself of what was wrong, but slowly I was able to redirect my thoughts to think of what is good, as Philippians 4:8 says. At the time, most days, I had to think hard about what could be good, but as I made it a practice, good thinking became more natural. “…whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good report—if there is any moral excellence and if there is anything praiseworthy—think about such things” –Philippians 4:8.
Although challenging, changing our way of thinking is possible.
It is rewarding to learn to quit focusing on what’s wrong in life and REJOICE instead over what’s good. The word “gratitude” comes from the Latin word “gratia,” which translates to “grace, graciousness, or gratefulness.” Research shows that gratitude can result in increased happiness in one’s life! (Harvard Health, 2021). This research supports Philippians 4:7. “Let your graciousness be known to everyone.” By choosing gratitude and joy in all things, your countenance changes. As your gratitude and praise to God increase, God inhabits our praises (Psalm 22:3), and the Lord draws near (Phil 4:6). Over time, as gratitude becomes a lifestyle, your joy and “graciousness” will become known to everyone, including yourself.
2. Do not worry.
I know what you’re thinking: it’s easier said than done, but with the help of the Spirit of God, you can live in peace, despite the uncertainties that life brings. Worry often comes with “what ifs.” Worry is faith in the bad things that can happen rather than having faith in God that He will work it out for our good. I’m not saying that life won’t have moments of uncertainty, but there are several places in the Bible where we are instructed not to worry or be anxious. Instead, to have faith and courage, trusting that God is on our side.
When I read these verses, I often thought, “easy for you to say, Bible.” But in my walk with God, I have learned increasingly that this instruction is twofold, more like a cycle of His faithfulness. As we step out in faith, God answers prayers and makes a way, allowing us to experience His faithfulness firsthand. As the cycle continues, we gain the confidence to trust Him for the next hurdle—only to see His goodness repeatedly. The scripture instructs us to pray instead of worry. So, the next time you’re worried, share your problems with God and remind your soul that whatever the outcome may be, God has your best interest in mind.
When we read the following few verses of Philippians, we’ll find a “how-to guide” on having a healthy mindset. And with enough practice, I believe you can discipline your mind to change your thinking patterns. We touched on Philippians 4:8 earlier, but here it is again, including verse 9.
“Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good report—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you” —Philippians 4:8-9.
Paul is reiterating the possibility of the presence of God’s peace in a very practical way. When you begin to feel panic, remember to pray. Then follow this guide in Philippians 4:8-9 and find something true, right, pure, lovely, or good, and think on that. Train your brain. I am confident that the Spirit of God will help you as He has done for me amid my darkest moments.
The key to God’s peace is trifold: prayer, trusting in Him, and doing our part to discipline our minds to believe God’s Word. “We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ” –2 Corinthians 10:5.
This week, I pray you can find God in every situation. If you don’t yet know Him, He is available to you through Jesus. Jesus wants to give you peace today as you begin your journey with Him.
Citation: “Giving Thanks Can Make You Happier.” Harvard Health, Harvard Health Publishing, 14 Aug. 2021, https://www.health.harvard.edu/healthbeat/giving-thanks-can-make-you-happier.
Live every day as if Jesus can come back right now, but plan as if you still have another hundred years on this earth. –unknown
Certain moments in life mark you. Moments that latch on to your heart, periodically making their way back to memory. One of those moments came to me in a high school Bible class as my teacher gave us the quote mentioned above. As I wrestle with the mystery of the second coming of Christ spoken of in the scriptures, I often remember what he said. Live every day as if Jesus can come back right now…
While it is not gospel, its depth of meaning challenges me each time I think about it. The Bible is clear that Jesus is coming back, but it is also clear that not one person knows the day nor the hour of His return. “Now concerning that day and hour no one knows—neither the angels of heaven nor the Son —except the Father alone”– Matt 24:36. Jesus, Himself doesn’t know when the Father will send Him. What makes anyone think they could make such an arrogant prediction? Some believers blindly believe the false teachers who claim to know one of the very things the Bible says we cannot know. Now, I am not here to berate the person who believes their words; instead, I hope to send out a call to action in this hour of waiting for our Lord’s second coming.
When I think of the coming of Christ, I am reminded of the parable of the ten virgins found in Matthew 25.
“At that time the kingdom of Heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were foolish and five were wise. The foolish ones took their lamps but did not take any oil with them. The wise ones, however, took oil in jars along with their lamps. The bridegroom was a long time in coming, and they all became drowsy and fell asleep. At midnight the cry rang out: “Here’s the bridegroom! Come out to meet him!” Then all the virgins woke up and trimmed their lamps. The foolish ones said to the wise, “Give us some of your oil; our lamps are going out.” “No,” they replied, “there may not be enough for both us and you. Instead, go to those who sell oil and buy some for yourselves.” But while they were on their way to buy the oil, the bridegroom arrived. The virgins who were ready went in with him to the wedding banquet. And the door was shut. Later the others also came. “Lord, Lord,” they said, “open the door for us!” But he replied, “Truly I tell you, I don’t know you.” Therefore keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour” – Matt 25:1-14
The “virgins” in this passage possibly refer to members of a bridal party waiting to greet the groom as he arrives; these represent followers of Jesus, while the bridegroom represents Jesus. In this parable, Jesus is cautioning people to prepare themselves while they await His coming. Do you identify with the foolish virgins who slept while they should have been preparing for the bridegroom? These are people who know Jesus is coming. They can be believers who say they love Jesus or know of Jesus but do not live righteous lives. The scary thing about this is that they are part of the bridal party – they prepared for this wedding with the bride, who is the church, but in those last hours, they slept instead of preparing their lamps (or hearts) for the coming of the bridegroom. I have heard believers say, “what’s the point of working or being ambitious? Jesus is about to come”. I’m not making this up. I have heard these words fr*om people who are believers. Jesus never called us to be lazy; in fact, the Bible refers to laziness as foolish. These lazy virgins who slept instead of preparing their lamps with oil are referred to as foolish. Instead, it is wise to continue to prepare both in body and spirit. First, you must prepare your heart. Jesus is more concerned about your heart than anything else, but He does not stop there. You must, secondly, continue to be good stewards of what the Lord has given you. Has He given you a home? Care for it. A family? Provide for them and leave them an inheritance. A business? Steward that well and continue to care for it as He blesses the work of your hands.
Continue to put God first, spend time with Him, and care for what He has given you. “Seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you” – Matthew 6:33. God created this earth for us to enjoy and to care for as we reside here until the day that He calls us home.
Maybe you identify with the wise virgins instead? Those who were vigilant in filling their lamps with oil before the bridegroom’s arrival. They, too, fell asleep. However, they could rest knowing that they were prepared for the wedding (or the kingdom of Heaven). These are people who prepare themselves by learning God’s word, even when their peers tell them it doesn’t matter. They go against the grain and prepare themselves for the groom’s coming. When He arrives, they can light their lamps with the oil they already have and join the wedding party while the others are locked out because they slept instead of being prepared.
… plan as if you still have another hundred years on this earth.
What are you doing with your time? Have you given up on any ambition? Have you lost hope? Have you given yourself to procrastination, saying you have time to figure it out? Or do you spend time filling your -*lamp with oil? The oil of the Holy Spirit and the Word that gives you that fills you with purpose, hope, and vision. As you fill your lamp with oil, you live with your eyes wide open, searching for the opportunity to obey God’s Word and live rightly. The word of God is hidden in your heart so that you can use it when you need it. Spending time with God in His Word and prayer fills your lamp with oil and gives you the passion for preparing yourself physically and spiritually for His coming.
This message is not one of sadness; this is a call to action!
If you have been following Jesus yet feel that you identify with the foolish virgins, it is not too late. Wake up, get up, and fill your lamps with oil. Seek Jesus with all your heart, and you will find Him. And if you don’t yet know Jesus as Lord, ask Him to come into your heart, to be your Savior. Repent of your sins, and God will lead you in the way you were created to go in. He is faithful and wants to have a relationship with you! “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart” –Jeremiah 29:11-13.
The Bible is clear that Jesus is coming again, but no one knows when, so I will echo the words I heard over ten years ago…
Live every day like He’s coming now, but plan as if you have another hundred years.
“God has now revealed to us his mysterious will regarding Christ—which is to fulfill his own good plan. And this is the plan: At the right time he will bring everything together under the authority of Christ—everything in heaven and on earth” –Ephesians 1:9-10.
The crowd’s thunderous, “…Hosanna to the Son of David!” “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!” “Hosanna in the highest heaven!” –silent now. Even the treacherous “…Crucify him! Crucify him!” vomited up from the mouths of the ones He had come to save, dried up. His Bloodstained Cross lay discarded, yesterday’s news. The very agent of their supposed victory abandoned now. His Cross, burned to ashes, perhaps? They didn’t want to leave behind even a trace of His Precious Blood, erase all evidence of Him, lest one of His radical followers claim this Bloodstained wood held power, leading others to believe that even in death, He lives. Has power, still. Not magic. Not some religious relic. Rather, Bloodstained wood that will never be silenced. Truth, some tried desperately to seal up in tomb-like silence, behind some weighty stone they mistakenly thought would shut up His claims of being their long-awaited Messiah—once, for all. The King of the Jews sealed neatly away, silent now, finally. Blood cleaned up. Body wrapped up. Problem solved!
But God had a plan.
Long before the Third Day Resurrection of our Lord, even before the Trinity stood over the dark void and spoke, God had a plan in place to redeem all of His children, Jew, and Gentile alike, one, in Christ Jesus. Child of God, Your Father has loved you with an everlasting love. I know, such a mystery is too great to take in. For me, it’s right up there with Jeremiah 1:5, “I knew you before I formed you in your mother’s womb. Before you were born I set you apart and appointed you as my prophet to the nations.” Wait, what? Even before I was in my mother’s womb? Wouldn’t that imply…
If you didn’t catch how purposefully loved you are after reading Jeremiah 1:5. Hand-chosen, a unique and vibrant thread intricately interwoven into a lavish tapestry far exceeding anything our finite minds and myopic vision can fully take in; all before that tapestry yet existed, then read this. Let it add some other beautiful layer of certainty as to how it is God sees you. “But now thus says the LORD, he who created you, O Jacob, he who formed you, O Israel: “Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine.
You are His. And, He has redeemed you.
To fully understand the full weight of those two statements, a more than cursory understanding of the ancient Jewish wedding ceremony is helpful here. I won’t get into it now, but I do encourage you to look up a reliable source and read the intricate and detailed process of ancient Jewish weddings. Or back click on the link I’ve provided. Times and customs may have changed, but God’s love and election haven’t.
It has always been about Jesus—God’s redemptive plan, that is. When Adam and Eve sinned, we catch our first glimpse of “God’s plan” in Genesis. We, God’s children, being covered by the blood of something innocent—a foreshadowing, a sign. God has always given signs to those who have eyes to see. “And the LORD God made garments of skin for Adam and his wife, and clothed them” –Genesis 3:21. An innocent life had to be taken. Innocent blood was shed. The guilty, covered. That’s you. That’s me. That’s the Gospel Message. The Living proof of John 3:16 foreshadowed in Eden. Sinful man saved by the redeeming Blood of God’s Spotless, Perfect Lamb. His One and only Son, our Lord, Jesus the Christ. The Way. “Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” –John 14:6.
“God has now revealed to us his mysterious will regarding Christ—which is to fulfill his own good plan. And this is the plan: At the right time he will bring everything together under the authority of Christ—everything in heaven and on earth. Furthermore, because we are united with Christ, we have received an inheritance from God, for he chose us in advance, and he makes everything work out according to his plan. – And this is God’s plan: Both Gentiles and Jews who believe the Good News share equally in the riches inherited by God’s children. Both are part of the same body, and both enjoy the promise of blessings because they belong to Christ Jesus” –Ephesians 1:9-11;3;6.
Easter is over. The Crown of Thorns vanished, His Cross, ashes. But Jesus is still here. Still very much alive and calling “whosoever will” to Himself. And the Power of His Blood, well, that’s forever. The Blood will never lose Its power—or voice. The work of the Cross is finished. Praise God! But the plan God had for the Cross, its true purpose, continues. I know this with certainty because I’m still here, but that’s for another day. God’s plan to redeem all those chosen in Himself since before eternity past is alive and well today. “Because of Christ and our faith in him, we can now come boldly and confidently into God’s presence” –Ephesians 3:12.
Consider this your invitation from God. Accept His love for you, the plans He has just for you. “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future” –Jeremiah 29:11. Be used by Him, not as man uses you, but be used for God’s glory and honor, weaved into His lavish and beautiful tapestry so resplendent in glory you cannot take it in, yet. But in just a moment, if you’ll but believe, you’ll see as Jesus sees, and every thread will make perfect beautiful sense.
Now I hear you saying, but I have no faith; I don’t know your Jesus. Take heart, friend; Jesus knows you; that’s why He sent me. The truth remains Truth even when you don’t believe it to be Truth. That’s the beauty of Truth, of God. He is unchanging. You can rely on Him, His Truth.
So If you are here, you’re here because God’s called you here. There is no coincidence. You are being invited to join Him; you are one of those spoken of in today’s Scripture. You are part of God’s plan. One He chose in Himself, before the foundations of the world. Accept His offer and come on back home. “Jesus answered him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God” –John 3:3.
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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