As a songwriter, I find myself asking God to release new words and music over me on a regular basis.  I love to lean in and hear the sounds Heaven is making.  The words of eternity spoken over our today are exciting to hear.  I love music.  I love Holy Spirit. 

Lately though, as I’ve asked for songs, I haven’t really heard anything complete…just snippets of words here and there, but no complete thought.  Then God showed me that while living out my day-to-day life with Chris and the kids, I am making music with my life.  Every movement feels like a dance.  Every new thing we begin feels like a bridge.  The chorus comes from the daily routine of our day.  Every morning carries a new verse.  It’s exciting.  Instead of giving me a written song, in this moment, God is showing me that my life is a song.  His favorite song to hear is the song of family.

What song does your life sing?  What is the sound of Heaven over your family?

Is it melodious?  Is it moody?  Is it loud, soft, full of harmony or dissonance?  Everybody’s life sings a song.  Every song is beautiful. 

Sometimes the tempo changes and sometimes the volume changes, but our lives speak…they speak of heaven and of the goodness of God.  They sing of eternity.  They call for all to acknowledge the glory of God.  His fingerprints are all over the place.  He inhabits it all.

Today, I encourage you to lean into the sound and the rhythm of your life.  God has placed a song in your heart.  There is a movement swaying in your heart.  There is a tempo to your day.  There is a sound in your home…maybe it’s laughter, chatty voices, or quiet…whatever it is, you can be certain that every home carries a sound.

We can carry the dance of Heaven into our daily chores.  We can sway with Heaven as we go grocery shopping, cook, clean, drive kids around. 

I will never forget, years ago, when God showed me that as I went about my daily tasks, it looked like a dance to Him.  He loves us so much.  He loves to watch us love those His has given to our care.  He loves to watch us nurse babies and hold crying or laughing toddlers.  He loves to watch us sing to them, pray over them, lead them to Him.  He loves it all.

It’s a pleasing melody to Heaven…it carries the aroma of a living sacrifice.  Giving ourselves fully to motherhood and fatherhood.  Devoting ourselves to our husband or wife.  Family…carries the sound and fragrance of Heaven.

Imitate God, therefore, in everything you do, because you are His dear children.  Live a life filled with love, following the example of Christ.  He loved us and offered Himself as a sacrifice for us, a pleasing aroma to God.  Ephesians 5:1-2

May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing to You, O Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer.  Psalm 19:14

Over the years, I have had many God dreams.  I’m talking about nights when I dream powerful things.  Sometimes, these are dreams where I face giants in my life, such as fear and disappointment.  Sometimes, the dreams help me to let go and surrender to God what is His.  Sometimes, in these dreams I find myself zeroing in on the power of the name of Jesus. 

The latter are my favorite kind.

When we moved to Oklahoma it was a big adjustment for us.  The kids had spent most of their lives in Pennsylvania, so they were completely unaware of tornadic weather.  I really hadn’t considered this fact, because I grew up in such weather and it’s normal to me…but it’s true that to them it was foreign.  During our first 6 months here, the tornado season was hard.  The kids developed some real fear.  It was hard to watch and actually increased my fear level of storms. 

How can this be?  It’s not like I haven’t grown up weathering the spring storm cycle.  I quickly discovered I needed to get a grip on my emotions when storms come.  Then one night I had a dream that changed it all.

In the dream I was outside, and I saw a tornado in the distance.  I began to run to shelter.  When I found a safe haven in what looked to be a warehouse of some sort, I then saw a tornado come very close and it had a face.  I didn’t know the person whose face it was, but when it came near me…from somewhere deep inside I spoke, “Peace, be still in Jesus’ name!!”  and the tornado immediately went away.  Then another tornado came, with another face on it and I repeated the words again as I held up my hand, “Peace, be still in Jesus’ name!!”.  This same scenario played out multiple times before the dream ended, but when it did, I knew I had my solution for facing the next big storm. 

Well, I told the family about my dream…and when the next storm did come…we used those words.  Before the storm cell even got close, we held up our hands and said, “Peace, be still in Jesus’ name!!”. 

This practice became transformational for our family.  Just last week, when storms began to come, Hannah came to me and said, “Momma, I said ‘Peace, be still in Jesus’ name.’ and the storm went away!” 

You see, we found the power.  The Power of the name of Jesus.  And with that power, came utter confidence and assurance that we can face all things.  The name of Jesus is all we need.  He is Strength. 

Now when we see storm warnings begin to roll in, we pre-eminently speak, “Peace, be still in Jesus’ name!!”.  We don’t have to wait until trouble comes…we can go stand out in the proverbial field of our lives and speak peace in Jesus’ name.   The peace the surpasses all understanding, also surpasses all circumstances, bringing calm in advance. 

When you see trouble coming, take a moment and stand in faith saying, “Peace, be still in Jesus’ name!!”

Then Jesus got into the boat and started across the lake with His disciples.  Suddenly, a fierce storm struck the lake, with waves breaking into the boat.  But Jesus was sleeping.  The disciples went and woke Him up, shouting, “Lord, save us!  We’re going to drown!”  Jesus responded, “Why are you afraid?  You have so little faith!”  Then He got up and rebuked the wind and waves, and suddenly there was a great calm.  Matthew 8:23-26

As I recently considered the story of Lazarus, Mary, and Martha…I remembered several different sermons and perspectives that I’ve heard about why Jesus wept.  None of them seemed to satisfy.  I listened and pondered them, but felt the answers were all slightly off center.  Then I felt in my spirit…He wept because He felt.  I believe it’s that simple. 

When Jesus chose to come to earth as a baby, He laid aside His “rights” as King of all the earth and humbled Himself beyond what any of us could imagine.  The level of His humility is unfathomable.  In doing so, He also resigned Himself to feel, as a man does.  He felt all man’s emotions, while holding the knowledge of God.  Can you imagine what that would have been like for Him? 

Making Himself both a Son of God and Son of man…He then had human emotions.  He did so, I believe, in part to show us that He knows…He has felt what we’ve felt, so He understands.  When He came upon the scene of Lazarus’ death and his family’s sheer disappointment and grief, He knew He was about to raise him, but He could also feel what Mary and Martha felt inside.  He felt a mixture of anger and sorrow, I imagine.  He felt deeply troubled, it says.  I believe He felt what He was experiencing, along with what everyone around Him was experiencing.  He knew He was going to raise Lazarus, but everyone else had already transitioned to grieving…even though He told them exactly what He was going to do. 

It’s similar to our gift of discernment.  I often feel what others are feeling, as I stated yesterday.  This enables my empathy to increase.  It gives me a deeper perspective and understanding of them.    While on earth, Jesus felt all human emotion…He was loved, rejected, despised, fought against, wrongly accused…He felt the effects of that.  He lived with people and felt what they felt.  I’m sure while growing up in His family, He had the truest form of empathy ever. 

He knows.

No matter what you are battling…He knows.  No matter what emotions you’re wrestling with, He cares.  He sees and has seen.  He’s been there…and wasn’t that part of the point?  The Lamb without blemish, came as a babe to die for us, and since He did, He had to experience what we experience.  He is the only true God…and in no other religion is there a god that has lived as humble a life as He.  There is none other who truly knows all things.

God sees.

You are seen. 

You are understood.  No matter what, you are heard and valued.  The God of the universe loves you and prepared a way for you. 

Isn’t it comforting to know that Jesus wept?  Doesn’t that reach into your soul and allow you to feel He has a greater understanding of your heart?

The God Who knows is embracing you right now.  He’s holding you in your triumph and your pain.  He understands.  He really does care.  You are important to Him. 

Today, I challenge you to take time to sit.  Sit and be known by Him.  Take time to reflect on the fact that Jesus knows…He knows your struggles and won’t forsake you.  He will never leave you.  You are held.

When Jesus saw her weeping and saw the other people wailing with her, a deep anger welled up within Him, and He was deeply troubled.  “Where have you put him?” He asked them.  They told Him, “Lord, come and see.”  Then Jesus wept.  John 11:35

Jesus responded, “Didn’t I tell you that you would see God’s glory if you believe?”  So they rolled the stone aside.  Then Jesus looked up to heaven and said, “Father, thank You for hearing me.  You always hear me, but I said it out loud for the sake of all these people standing here, so that they will believe You sent Me.”  Then Jesus shouted, “Lazarus, come out!”  John 11:40-43

Recently, I found myself feeling breathless.  I wondered if the spirit of anxiety was trying to creep up on me again.  I wondered if I was feeling the stress of someone around me…it happens that I often physically feel other’s emotions as part of my discernment gifting.  I wondered if we would ever truly find our way out of this wilderness journey…are we destined to wander and struggle forever?

The answer came in a vision a short time after…but not my vision…it was the vision of one of my children.  How sweet is that?!

The kids and I gathered to pray over Chris.  We felt a struggle in the spirit, and I determined that our best course of action was to come together, pray in the spirit and see what God would show us…so we did.  At the end of the praying time, I asked each child what they saw, heard, or felt…one had this vision.

“I see dad and he’s climbing a very steep mountain and has boulders of doubt on his back.”

Wow!  That was a powerful moment. 

But I realized that as they spoke that vision, I too was struggling with the same thing.  Then the Lord began to speak to me…

“Lisa, when you climb a mountain…at first it is fairly easy and the air is normal, and breathing comes without effort, but as you reach summit…suddenly things shift.  The air is thin, and the landscape is much steeper and more treacherous.  You are reaching the summit…that is why there’s a sudden breathlessness and struggle.  Keep taking one step after another…you will get there!”

I receive that, Lord.  Yes and amen.

My encouragement to you is the same today.  If things in your life have felt suddenly breathless and harder, don’t simply think you’ve made a mistake or that your faith is waning.  Check in with God, because you may just be reaching summit. 

Friend, few people ever truly summit…in real life and even fewer reach summit in the spirit.  So, if you happen to be where I am, be extremely grateful.  It’s a privilege.

God has given our family the privilege of growth, perseverance, maturity, faith, hope, love and steadfastness.  He’s given us the gift of being rejected by those He never intended us to join up with long term.  He’s given us the gift of removing our comfort, so we wouldn’t stay where we are not supposed to be, and would follow Him anywhere.  He’s given us the gift of finding our true Comforter.  He’s gifted us with the knowledge of who He says we are; and the separation from “normal” ways, so He can establish His ways in us.

Our struggle is our privilege.

Our lack is leading to the fulfillment of the greatest promise of our lifetime.  We are about to see God manifest the entirety of many dreams, visions, and promises that He has given us.  Because we chose to follow Him anywhere. 

Every day, I feel Him opening my heart and mind to look further outside the box.  The more I do, the more peace I find…peace and contentment. 

He is my portion.  He is my prize.  He is the only One worthy.

Friend, if you find yourself in the struggle…thank your lucky stars that He chose you. 

Those who live in the shelter of the Most High will find rest in the shadow of the Almighty.  This I declare about the Lord; He alone is my refuge, my place of safety; He is my God, and I trust Him.  For He will rescue you from every trap and protect you from deadly disease.  He will cover you with His feathers.  He will shelter you with His wings.  His faithful promises are your armor and protection.  Do not be afraid of the terrors of the night, nor the arrow that flies by day.  Do not dread the disease that stalks the darkness, nor the disaster that strikes at midday.  Though a thousand fall at your side, though ten thousand are dying around you, these evils will not touch you.  Just open your eyes, and see how the wicked are punished.  If you make the Lord your refuge, if you make the Most High your shelter, no evil will conquer you; no plague will come near your home.  For He will order His angels to protect you wherever you go.  They will hold you up with their hands so you won’t even hurt your foot on a stone.  You will trample upon lions and cobras; you will crush fierce lions and serpents under your feet!  The Lord says, “I will rescue those who love Me.  I will protect those who trust in My name.  when they call on Me, I will answer; I will be with them in trouble.  I will rescue and honor them.  I will reward them with a long life and give them My salvation.  Psalm 91

Today we will soak in the second half of Psalm 34…Yesterday was such an encouragement.  

It’s so important to not only read scripture, but to soak in it.  Maybe you are asking, “What does it mean to soak in scripture?” 

It means, read it and then read it again…invite Holy Spirit to come as you read again.  It means that throughout the day you think about what it says.  It means to ask God to speak to you about it and allow Him to breathe new life into it.  It means that we don’t just read it and not allow it to speak to us new every time.  God is so vast…and scripture is Holy Spirit inspired…so it is alive.  It can speak to you in one way today and in another way tomorrow…don’t ever just gloss over it because you’ve read it a hundred times.  No.  Take it slow and allow it to speak fresh revelation to you. 

The eyes of the Lord watch over those who do right; His ears are open to their cries for help.  But the Lord turns His face against those who do evil; He will erase their memory from the earth.  The Lord hears His people when they call to Him for help.  He rescues them from all their troubles.  The Lord is close to the brokenhearted; He rescues those whose spirits are crushed.  The righteous person faces many troubles, but the Lord comes to the rescue each time.  For the Lord protects the bones of the righteous; not one of them is broken!  Calamity will surely destroy the wicked, and those who hate the righteous will be punished.  But the Lord will redeem those who serve Him.  No one who takes refuge in Him will be condemned.  Psalm 34:15-22

God watches over us when we do right, and His ears are tuned to our cries.  He turns away from those who do evil.  He will cause them to be forgotten on the earth. 

How do you know God hears you?  If you are His people, He hears…it’s a promise.  He will rescue you from ALL troubles.  That’s powerful.  It doesn’t mean He’ll rescue you in the time frame or way that you think He should, but that’s not the point.  The point is that He will rescue you in His perfect way and timing.  He is close to the broken hearted, and rescues those crushed in spirit.  We WILL face troubles, that’s also a promise…but He will rescue us every time, which is another promise.  The Lord will punish the wicked in the right time…even if they seem to be prospering today…tomorrow is coming.  Their success won’t last.  Not one of God’s redeemed will be condemned, which is far more important than earthly success. 

The privileges we enjoy as co-heirs of the kingdom are HUGE!  When you weigh them against the perceived successes of the wicked…it’s clear that we win in the long run.  Don’t weigh yourself down being jealous of those who refuse to do right.  Let them go and let God deal with them.  Meanwhile, focus your heart and attention on things that are worthwhile, beneficial, and eternal.  When you do this, you will discover you are far more successful than you were when you were trying to hold the world accountable. 

When you boil it down, it’s never been about your success or mine…it’s never even been about the wicked’s success.  It’s supposed to be about Jesus.  We are nothing compared to Him and nothing matters more than to bring God glory…to worship Him…to honor Him in all we do.  It’s not about us, it’s about Him.  When we keep life in this perspective, then we let go of all the things that don’t matter and pursue the One worthy of pursuing.  Earthly success will come and go, but God is forever.  Heaven is our forever home…let’s build into that direction.  Let go of the world and cling to the Hope of eternal life with Christ Jesus.

Imagine how different our lives would be if we would default to scripture when the attacks, disappointments and lies of the enemy come.  What if we really believed God’s word?  When I read a Psalm (or any scripture) I take a moment and really mull it over.  I read it once, then re-read it while soaking it into my heart.  I read it as if it’s a reality.  I read it as if it is the most important instruction I could receive.

Today is simple…I want to look at this portion of Psalm 34 and then really focus in on what it’s saying.  Tomorrow, we will complete the Psalm…separating it into two days so we can slowly bite into the fruit it gives us.  Let’s get to it!! Here is the first half of Psalm 34…

I will praise the Lord at all times.  I will constantly speak His praises.  I will boast only in the Lord; let all who are helpless take heart.  Come, let us tell of the Lord’s greatness; let us exalt His name together.  I prayed to the Lord, and He answered me.  He freed me from all my fears.  Those who look to Him for help will be radiant with joy; no shadow of shame will darken their faces.  In my desperation I prayed, and the Lord listened; He saved me from all my troubles.  For the angel of the Lord is a guard; He surrounds and defends all who fear Him.  Taste and see that the Lord is good.  Oh, the joys of those who take refuge in Him!  Fear the Lord, you His godly people, for those who fear Him will have all they need.  Even strong young lions sometimes go hungry, but those who trust in the Lord will lack no good thing.  Come, my children, and listen to me, and I will teach you to fear the Lord.  Does anyone want to live a life that is long and prosperous?  Then keep your tongue from speaking evil and your lips from telling lies!  Turn away from evil and do good.  Search for peace, and work to maintain it.  Psalm 34:1-14

Praise Him.  Speak out loud, His praises.  Boast in God, not ourselves.  When we pray, He will answer.  He frees us.  He makes us radiant with joy…joy is a by-product of a life lived in His presence.  All shame is removed.  No shadow of shame can fall upon those who look to God.  When we are desperate, He saves us.  The angel of the Lord guards us. 

Taste and see His goodness…taste…as in, fully experience in your life His goodness.  See…as in, may your eyes be opened to truly see His goodness everywhere.  When you fear Him, you lack nothing. 

Guard your mouth.  Speak with intentionality, not fool heartedness.  Walk away from what you know is evil…and do only good.  Seek peace…once it’s found, then remain partnered with it.  Choose it.  Follow it.  Live it. 

We must work to maintain peace…don’t overlook that part.  We search for peace, then work to maintain it.  It must be fought for and defended.  Peace is work, but it’s good work. 

As you head out into this day, I encourage you to continually come back to this portion of scripture.  Are you facing job troubles or financial insecurity?  Re-read these verses and say, “Amen”.  Come into agreement with God’s word and watch as it transforms your life.  Are you feeling pursued by the enemy’s forces?  Re-read the above scripture and remember that God watches over your ever move.  He longs for you to taste and see His goodness.  We can hide in Him.  We can run to Him for refuge.  He is faithful.

Sometimes, while living out the day to day life, it can feel like harvest may never come.  All the obstacles we face each day or month can come together and feel like a mill stone hanging over our necks.  The mistakes, failures, disappointments…can seem to threaten to drown us…but we have this promise.

Unfailing love and truth have met together.  Righteousness and peace have kissed!  Truth springs up from the earth, and righteousness smiles down from heaven.  Yes, the Lord pours down His blessings.  Our land will yield its bountiful harvest.  Righteousness goes as a herald before Him, preparing the way for His steps.  Psalm 85:10-13

His unfailing love and truth meet together.  His righteousness and peace kiss.  He pours down blessings.  It’s just Who He is.  He is a God Who blesses His people.  He loves to do it.  He makes infinite possibilities for it to happen.  He leads us to blessings, through blessings, from blessings.  Everywhere we look we can find hidden blessings.  When we recount our days, we will see how each one was wrapped in blessing. 

The only question is, will you notice?

We are so abundantly blessed even on our worst days…it’s just that some of us don’t notice it.  Others take it for granted.  But there are those who look upon each day and desire to see…truly see…how very blessed we are. 

Have you ever met a person who seemed incapable of admitting good things happened to them?  I have.  Those people, regardless of what God has done in their lives, for some reason refuse to not focus on their perceived lack.  It’s so frustrating to speak with them.  In fact, I think we are wise to maintain some distance from them, lest their ungrateful hearts begin to influence ours.

I don’t ever want to be that way.  I always want to be able to see and receive the many blessings of God.  They say that whatever you focus on will become your reality.  We decide what to magnify in our lives.  Will we magnify the bounty of God or the bounty of our fear of lack?

Finding abundance is always possible.  Even in our families very lean times, we found great abundance.  Abundance of relationship blessings, abundance in being blessed by others generosity, abundance in our walk with God.  There is always good to be found.

Choose this day what you will serve…the God of abundance or the god of lack.  It’s truly that simple…and it all begins in the mind and heart. 

God, I surrender my heart and mind to you now.  I choose to see You in all things today.  Where You are, I am assured to find blessing.  Thank You for loving us enough to bless us in all things.  You are such a gracious Father.  Blow over our land.  Increase our harvest.  May Your angels come and assist us as we gather.  May Your people be anointed to lead with bounty.  Divorcing ourselves from lack, let us embrace the reality of abundance as You transfer the wealth of the wicked to Your people.  In Jesus’ name, Amen.

I listen carefully to what God the Lord is saying, for He speaks peace to His faithful people.  But let them not return to their foolish ways.  Surely His salvation is near to those who fear Him, so our land will be filled with His glory.  Psalm 85:8-9

As I read the above verse, I was struck with something…He speaks peace to His faithful people. 

Peace.

It’s my constant guide and companion.  Even in tough situations, I always look for peace…even when I need to do something difficult, I always do it from a place of peace. 

Peace is like the wind that blows into my sails as I navigate the waters of life.  Peace.  It’s one of the only things the enemy can’t fabricate…there is NOTHING else like God’s peace.  Once you’ve experienced it, you know it always.  Peace and a sound mind go hand in hand.  So, when I feel swirly, I know I’ve lost eye contact with the Prince of Peace and need to refocus.

Every voice of the enemy attempts to rob us of peace.  Many leaders and pastors, etc. use fear to guide their flock…when they do, you can rest assured, they are not the right leader for you.   I only listen to those who I see are peace driven.  Those who I see can rest.  Those who are willing to be still. 

All the fast talk and hustle the world says we are to have is crap. 

Peace will get you further faster than anything else.  God moves mountains.  God levels the path before you.  God is the Way Maker.  Why not invest in peace more than hustle?

You know why many people live life and lead others from a position of constant hustle? 

Well, it’s a combination of things…but includes…their own fear, their belief that their works make them valuable, them not wanting to deal with real issues of the heart…so staying busy with “God’s work” makes them seem holy when they aren’t, their desire to be famous has usurped their heart for intimacy with God…and the list could go on…but it’s a list of not good things.

“I am leaving you with a gift- peace of mind and heart.  And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give.  So don’t be troubled or afraid.”  John 14:7

God is peace.  Even when Jesus faced hard people and situations in His time on earth, He did so from a position of peace.  We can read about it all throughout His ministry.  How can you partner with peace today?  Lean into His heart and ask the Prince of Peace to tether you before you head out to face this day.

God, thank You for being Peace.  Thank You for giving us a way to walk out life from a position of peace.  Thank You for making peace an act of warfare.  You are a good and gracious God, and all Your ways are higher than man’s ways.  Teach us to lean into You more and more each day.  We want to live life Your way, Yahweh.  In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Do you remember learning how to ride a bike?

I don’t know how it worked for you, but for me, it looked like this.  My grandfather had a special stick that formed a “Y” at the end, and he’d put that on the back of my bike and used it to push and stabilize me as I began to struggle forward, finding balance and trying to ride on my own.  We repeated our process many times and as I increased in my ability to keep up speed and balance, he’d begin the process of letting go…a little more each time.  At first, he’d run right next to me, so I didn’t fall.  Then he’d push and balance me for a bit, then let go and see how far I’d ride before noticing he wasn’t there. 

I clearly remember the moments of being so wrapped up in my efforts that I didn’t notice he’d let go and wasn’t next to me anymore…then I DID notice and usually fell.  Haha.  Those were the moments that I stopped trusting.  When he was next to me, I trusted him to not let me fall.  When he wasn’t next to me, I feared falling.

Sometimes, our walk with God is like riding a bike, and this process can occur multiple times over the years, as we learn new things.  It’s like each new thing we learn is a new bike we must learn to ride.

Recently, I was asking God why I didn’t feel Him the same right now.  Even before the question fully left my mouth, I knew I was riding another bike.  He said, “You’re learning to ride a bike.  Now I want you to trust yourself.”  Just then I saw myself riding a bike alone…except there was a wind all around me…you see, even when the Lord let’s go…He’s still very present.  So, though I’m riding on my own, I am never truly alone.  That’s part of the beauty of our heavenly Father.

Trusting myself has always been the hardest part.  I am so desperate to remain faithful, pure, and in step with Holy Spirit, that I can struggle to make a decision.  But when I refuse to trust the part of me that God trusts, it’s like those moments of realizing He’s not right there next to me holding up the bike and I fall. 

There are moments in our walk with God when He wants to mature us.  Are you open to maturity?

Allowing Him to grow us into different facets of maturity is crucial to us continually growing in Him and knowing Him better.  Take these devotionals, for example.  At first, when I thought of writing, I wondered how I could ever have enough wisdom or authority to do so.  I wondered why anyone would want to listen to anything I had to say.  But God made it clear, time after time, that this is exactly what He wanted me to do.  There was no denying that I was made to write…even though I couldn’t always conceive of it. 

Then I began writing.  At first He would fall on me a certain way and I knew exactly what to say, but over the years, I’ve had to learn how to lean in a little more.  Sometimes, He comes in that old way, but other times, He challenges me to pursue Him differently…and to trust Him more. 

If things in our lives are always the same, then we will never grow new muscles. 

I also quickly realized that He would walk me through a lot of different circumstances and trials during each year I wrote.  But it’s because He trusts me.  It’s also because He wants me to keep growing.  So, each year He instructs me to write another round of devotionals, the “Yes” comes with a more sobering heart…as I buckle my seatbelt for the ride I’m about to go on. 

Trust and obey, for there’s no other way to be happy in Jesus…than to trust and obey.

The Lord says, “I will guide you along the best pathway for your life.  I will advise you and watch over you.  Do not be like a senseless horse or mule that needs a bit and bridle to keep it under control.”  Many sorrows come to the wicked, but unfailing love surrounds those who trust the Lord.  So, rejoice in the Lord and be glad, all you who obey Him!  Shout for joy, all you whose hearts are pure!   Psalm 32:8-11

Then Jesus told this story to some who had great confidence in their own righteousness and scorned everyone else:  “Two men went to the Temple to pray.  One was a Pharisee, and the other was a despised tax collector.  The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed this prayer:  ‘I thank you, God, that I am not like other people- cheaters, sinners, adulterers.  I’m certainly not like that tax collector!  I fast twice a week, and I give You a tenth of my income.’  “But the tax collector stood at a distance and dared not even lift his eyes to heaven as he prayed.  Instead, he beat his chest in sorrow, saying, ‘O God, be merciful to me, for I am a sinner.’  I tell you, this sinner, not the Pharisee, returned home justified before God.  For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.  Luke 18:9-14

Friends, just like the disciples, we spend far too much time worried about which of us is better than the other.  Yep, that’s a hard word…but it’s true. 

Sin is sin.  It’s all the same to God.  We are the ones who rate sin, not God. 

For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard.  Yet God, in His grace, freely makes us right in His sight.  Romans 3:23-24a

Everyone…not some, not a few, not even most…but all. 

No one is holy like the Lord!  There is no one besides You; there is no Rock like our God.  1 Samuel 2:2

This, by no means, is me saying that we go along with everyone’s sins.  But we are to love people.  Jesus loved people.  The ones we see Him fussing at are the religious people…let that sink into your heart just a little bit.  The ones who considered themselves the righteousness standard were the ones He held most accountable.  I think it’s partly because they were the ones who should have been displaying God’s attributes the most.  The pharisees and teachers should have had the most grace, but instead they were corrupt and robbed people, etc. while acting in public ways of righteousness.  On the other hand, He had immense mercy for the lost ones…but He still told them, “Go and sin no more.”  (I think our culture has forgotten that little tidbit.)  God was kind to the lost, and in that kindness, He gave real and honest direction.  Go and sin no more, He said multiple times.  And while ministering to tax collectors and prostitutes, He still lived a life set apart.

 He constantly went away to spend time with God.  Jesus was wise beyond our comprehension and lived a life that none of us can attain, in His perfection, but He did display behaviors that I believe He wants us to remember and practice.  It’s wisdom to separate yourself from others for a time, to refresh.  It’s important to be so connected with the Father that His will is your first response…your knee jerk reaction.  The last one I notice most about Jesus was that He wasn’t worried about His reputation, He was only concerned with reaching the lost in whatever way the Father directed.

None of us is any better than the other really…as clearly stated in all the above scripture.  But that doesn’t mean we can’t try to live life in a healthier way.  We can learn to lean into the Father more.  We can work to cut blatant sin out of our lives.  If we gird ourselves up in the armor of the Lord, then when we go minister to the tax collectors and prostitutes of our day, we can stay pure in heart, mind and deed.  It all stems from a heart of true humility. 

This devotional is the result of many hours spent pondering the state of the “church”.  Wondering how we can have churches and staff, etc. but return to the purity and holiness God desires.  So many church leaders have fallen recently…it’s indicative of a true problem.  So many churches no longer host the Holy Spirit, that is a grievous error.  So many churches simply fight with other churches about who is right and who is best…another point of grief. 

Today ends with an unresolved question:  If we do church the way God intended, what would it really look like?

I hope this question lands on your heart and causes you to have a real and honest talk with God.  Let’s lean in today and ask for His heart…everything else is just empty noise and failed understanding.

God, what is Your true heart for the church body?  If church looked more like You, then what would need to change?  Speak to my heart about where You are and how You desire to move in me during this season.  I am open to hearing from You, even if it’s very different from what I expect.  Show me Your heart.  Create in me a pure heart…because I am desperate to see You.  Forgive me of my sins and lead me down righteous paths.  In Jesus’ name, Amen.