The Holy Spirit’s Unique Insight

If you desire the Holy Spirit to guide you, possessing spiritual wisdom and revelation to understand God’s purposes for your life is crucial. Paul’s prayer to the Christians in Ephesians 1:17 serves as a valuable Word to apply: “That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him” (Ephesians 1:17).

The Phillips translation of Ephesians 1:17-18 reads: “I never give up praying for you; and this is my prayer. That God, the God of our Lord Jesus Christ and the all-glorious Father, will give you spiritual wisdom and the insight to know more of him: that you may receive that inner illumination of the spirit which will make you realize how great is the hope to which he is calling you.”

We cannot know who we are or what God has planned for us without the Holy Spirit’s wisdom and “inner illumination.”

In Ephesians 1:17, the word “wisdom” comes from the Greek word “sophias.” It describes an insight that is not naturally gained. In other words, this is not man's natural wisdom. This is a supernatural, unique insight from the Holy Spirit. 
 
In this same verse, the word “revelation” comes from the Greek word “apokalupsis.” This word signifies something hidden for a long time and then suddenly, almost instantaneously, it becomes visible to the mind’s eye. That sudden moment when the Holy Spirit reveals something that has been hidden from you is called a revelation. The knowledge has always existed, but just wasn’t apparent to you.

The spiritual truths we comprehend today have always resided in the realm of the Spirit. At one point, they were concealed from our view. Even though they had always existed, the time for their revelation had not yet arrived, so they remained hidden from our sight. When the opportune moment arrived for a spiritual truth to be revealed and for the Holy Spirit to remove the veil that concealed that truth, our mind instantly recognized and comprehended it. That revelation was a profound experience.
 
Think of a time when you suddenly saw something in the Word you had never seen. That truth had always been there, but it had been hidden from your sight. Then, unexpectedly, one day, it jumped off the page and came to life. You saw it, and you understood it. You had a revelation. 
 
Spiritual truths are hidden until the Holy Spirit reveals them to us. Paul prayed for God to give the Ephesian church “a spirit of wisdom and revelation.” The Ephesian Christians needed wisdom (and so do we) beyond their human understanding. He asked God to give them unique insight. He prayed for the veil that had hidden their understanding to be suddenly gone, and they would be enabled by the Holy Spirit to see what they could never see by themselves—His revelation.
 
The Ephesian Christians weren’t smart enough (and neither are we) to figure out their lives, so Paul prayed for God to give them a unique insight into His knowledge. He explained that this kind of wisdom could only come through a revelation, and only God could provide them with the wisdom they needed. 
 
Are you looking for direction? Ask God to give you His spiritual wisdom and insight to know Him better. God has all the answers you need—answers you’ll never discover with your natural reasoning. They aren’t as far off as you might think. In an instant, the Holy Spirit can lift the veil that has held you in darkness and flood you with His light, enabling you to see clearly what you need to understand. 
 
“If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him” (James 1:5).
 
The Holy Spirit is here to assist you. His desire is to help you. Ask Him for His wisdom. He doesn’t withhold His unique insight from you.


 

Your Value in Christ

You need to develop a picture of your worth and value from God and not from any warped reflections of your past. The healing of low self-esteem truly rests on a choice you make. Will you succumb to Satan’s lies, misrepresentations, insults, and hurts, allowing him to tie you up you with destructive feelings and beliefs about yourself? Or will you seek your self-esteem from God and His Word?

What right do you have to criticize and despise someone whom God loves so deeply?

Never claim to know that God loves you, but you simply can’t stand yourself. This statement betrays faith in God’s love. It’s an insult to Him and an understated expression of resentment towards your Creator. When you feel contempt for His creation, you are essentially revealing a dislike of yourself and a lack of respect for Him. You’re calling yourself unclean in God’s eyes and failing to grasp the profound depth of His love for you and your importance to Him.

What right do you have to criticize or despise someone whom God has honored so highly? 

“Consider the incredible love that the Father has shown us in allowing us to be called ‘children of God’” (1 John 3:1, Phillips). That’s not all we’re called. In the very next verse, Paul says, “Here and now, my dear friends, we are God’s children.” Do you believe that when you call yourself unworthy in His eyes and put yourself down that He is pleased with you?

What right do you have to put down or despise someone whom God values so highly?

“In human experience, it is a rare thing for one man to give his life for another, even if the latter be a good man… Yet the proof of God’s amazing love is this; that it was while we were still sinners Christ died for us… We may hold our heads high in the light of God’s love” (Romans 5:7-8, 11, Phillips). God has declared your value. He holds you in such high esteem that He sacrificed His beloved Son to redeem you.

What right do you have to demean someone whom God has provided for so completely? 

“How much more will your Father which is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him” (Matthew7:11, NKJV)? “God shall supply all your need” (Philippians 4:19, NKJV). This doesn’t sound like God wants you to dislike yourself or feel inadequate. It sounds like He loves you and wants to take care of you.

What right do you have to despise someone whom God has very thoroughly planned for?

“Praise be to God for giving us through Christ every possible spiritual benefit… Consider what he has done—before the foundation of the world he chose us to become, in Christ, his children, holy and blameless in His sight… He planned, in his love, that we should be adopted as his own children through Jesus Christ” (Ephesians 1:3-5, Phillips).

What right do you have to belittle someone in whom God delights? 

Paul said that we are “accepted in the Beloved” (Ephesians 1:6, NKJV). Do you remember what the Father said when John baptized Jesus? “This is my Son, in whom I am well pleased” (Matthew 3:17, NKJV). In Ephesians 1:6, Paul presents us with a bold truth: we are “in Christ.” He used this phrase at least ninety times. You are “in Christ,” consequently, you are in the Beloved. God looks at you in Christ and says to you, “You are My beloved child, in who I am well pleased.”

Just where will you get your self-image from? From the reflections of your childhood? From the past hurts and false beliefs that have been ingrained in you? Or will you declare, “I will no longer succumb to these lies. I will not listen to Satan, the liar, the deceiver, the accuser, who twists and distorts what is true. I will embrace God’s opinion of me and allow Him to transform me until His loving assessment of me becomes an integral part of my life, right now, to my very core.”

You must cooperate with God in this process of transformation and renewal. Such work is an ongoing process. There’s no single Christian experience that will transform your self-image overnight. You are to be “transformed by the renewing of your mind” (Romans 12:2). The verb “transformed” in this verse signifies a continuous action, while the word “mind” describes the way you perceive life every day.

How can you cooperate with the Holy Spirit? Whenever you find yourself putting yourself down, ask God to get your attention. You might even realize that your whole life has been a put-down of yourself. Take a moment to consider how you react when someone compliments you. Do you say “thank you” or do you give a long explanation about why you’re not so great? If you’ve been demeaning yourself for a long time, it’ll be hard to stop making those excuses. But with God’s help, you can.

Someone might say, “You did so well teaching that lesson,” and you respond with “Well, it wasn’t me. It was all the Lord.” Sure, it was the Lord. However, it was also you partnering with Him. God couldn’t have taught it without your surrender. If you do this kind of thing repeatedly, it reveals a low self-esteem and your feelings of unworthiness.

Let God love you. Let Him guide you on this journey, teaching you to love yourself and others. You crave love, His approval, affirmation, and acceptance, which He freely offers. But due to wretched coaching from other sources, it becomes difficult to embrace His love. In fact, it becomes so difficult that you find it more comfortable just to stay the way you are.

Today, I dare you to embark on God’s healing journey, so that you can know without a doubt who you are as a child of God and that you are His Beloved.

Loving God, Self, and Others

“The first and most important one is this,” Jesus replied—‘Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your mind, and with all your strength’. The second is this, ‘You shall love your neighbour as yourself’. No other commandment is greater than these.”
—Mark 12:31, J B Phillips


Some Christians build a theology around something they consider wrong. A virtue can also be made out of a vice. It’s impossible to think incorrectly and live correctly, or to believe error and exercise truth. We must let God and His Word correct any wrong beliefs.

Demeaning yourself isn’t true Christian humility; it actually contradicts some fundamental teachings of our Christian faith. The great commandment is to love God with all your being. The second commandment is an addition to the first—to love your neighbor as yourself. We don’t have just two commandments. Within these two, there are three commandments: to love God, to love yourself, and to love others. Loving yourself is second only to loving God, as Jesus explicitly stated that self-love is the foundation for loving anyone else. The term “self-love” carries a negative meaning to many individuals. Regardless of whether it’s referred to as self-love or self-worth, it’s undoubtedly the basis of our Christian love for others. This idea of self-love contradicts the beliefs of many Christians.

Do you believe that you need to belittle yourself? You need to correct this belief. When you love God, yourself, and others, you are fulfilling the entire law of God (Matthew 5:43-48). When Jesus proclaimed the law, He did not endorse or glorify it, unlike some Pharisees who did. Instead, he was emphatically reiterating the fundamental principle of the eternal three-in-one—a genuine love for God, for ourselves, and for others. This fundamental principle of God is inherent in the very nature of the universe, and it works within each one of us. A person with a positive self-image is healthier in every aspect of life compared to someone with low self-esteem. This is the way God designed you, and if you deviate from the way He created you to be, you’re not only embracing erroneous theology but also paving the way for your own downfall.

Many Scriptures suggests the importance of a positive self-image. The Apostle Paul said it was the basis for one of the most intimate relationships of all—marriage. “So husbands ought to love their own wives as their own bodies,” he declared. “He who loves his own wife loves himself; for no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ also does the church” (Ephesians 5:28-29, NASB). 

J.B. Phillip rephrased Ephesians 5:28 in this way: “The love a man gives his wife is the extending of his love for himself to enfold her.” The very best example of this love is given in the next verse: “And that is what Christ does for His body, the Church.”  Then Paul emphasized this self-love again." Let every one of you who is a husband love his wife as he loves himself, and let every wife respect her husband.”

If someone has little love for himself, this is the very reason their marriage will eventually fall apart; they are loving their spouse the way they love themself. Degrading oneself works its way through a marriage and begins to destroy it. If you’re going to be a good husband or wife where you don’t require constant affirmation and validation from your spouse, a genuine understanding and careful nourishing of your own worth are absolutely necessary.

A good self-esteem is crucial to love your neighbor. Paul’s advice in Romans 12:3 is to the point; each believer should not think more highly of themselves than they should, but should think with sober judgment. Clear-headed judgment is balanced. It doesn’t overestimate or underestimate. Satan is the one who confuses and blinds us, accusing us with words like, “Oh, be careful. Don’t feel too good about yourself.” True humility neither demeans or promotes. 

A Christian exercising true humility is totally dependent on God’s estimation of them. Individuals with low self-esteem are constantly striving to prove themselves. This is partly because they may feel unappreciated and exploited, and they don’t believe God’s estimation them. Someone with a poor self-image is consumed by feelings of  rejection rather than God’s love for them. They are constantly looking at themselves, wondering about themselves, constantly seeking praise, and manipulating others into reassuring them. 

It’s challenging to truly unconditionally love others when you’re constantly seeking affirmation of your own worth. While it may appear you’re loving someone, you might be using them to reassure yourself that you’re okay. 

Trying to demean yourself in the eyes of others isn’t a part of true humility or godliness. It’s actually thinking less of the value God has placed on your life in Jesus Christ. Self-crucifixion and self-surrender should never involve this kind of false humility.

You develop your self-worth and value from God, not from the distorted mirrored images of your past. The healing of a poor self-image hinges on following through on a commitment to seek God’s truth for oneself, to be captivated by it, and to be obedient to the faith it inspires. 

Will you succumb to Satan’s lies, innuendos, accusations, and hurts of the past, allowing unhealthy, unChrist-like feelings and beliefs to bind you? Or will you seek your self-worth from God and His Word?

To cultivate a healed and healthy self-image, you must pursue knowing God. As you grow to know Him, your image of yourself will begin to agree with God’s assessment of you. As you take in the Word as your own, you will begin to see yourself through the eyes of the Lord rather than those of the old man who died on the cross with Jesus. Are you hungry to experience God’s love, transforming your self-image? In the next devotional, let’s start the process to make the value God has placed on your life yours and to co-partner with the Holy Spirit to see it accomplished.

Sources of Your Self-Image

Everyone has a mental image of their identity that manifests in their emotions and relationships. Your self-image, the perception you have of yourself, influences how you interact with others. As a Christian, this image can be healthy, reflecting how God loves and sees you, or poor, reflecting how you perceive yourself through the eyes of that old person who died on the cross with Jesus.

Yesterday, we looked at the first source of our self-image, the outer world of family. As children, our knowledge and feelings are largely shaped by the way our family members respond to us. We observe their expressions, hear their words, and witness their reactions, which provide us with insights into our own identities and who we will become. As adults and new creations in Christ, how we perceive God’s love for us greatly and powerfully affects how we see ourselves.

Today we consider the three other sources of our self-image—the inner world, Satan, and God and His Word.

Your inner world consists of the spiritual, emotional, and physical equipment you bring into the world. This includes your senses, nerves, your capability to learn, understand, and respond. The inner world for some people includes physical deficits.

Differences exist between people in the spiritual, emotional, and physical tools they have to navigate life. Look at children. No two children are alike in emotional and physical makeup. You can have one child who is so stubborn that you almost have to knock him in the head to get his attention. Then you have another one who is so sensitive to the touch, you only have to look at him to get a response. You can’t raise one child the way you raise another one. God sees us as He created us. We are all wonderfully made but also wonderfully different. God raises us according to how He knows we will learn, understand, and respond to Him. Regardless our different makeups, spiritual rebirth in Christ is the power which changes everyone emotionally and physically.

The spiritual part of our lives cannot be ignored. This is where Christians differ with secular and humanistic thinking, which looks at human nature as fundamentally good. We don’t believe this. In His Word, God has revealed to us that we aren’t born into this world fundamentally good. We are victims of a moral deficiency, an inclination to do wrong. It’s called original sin.

Down through the generations since Adam and Eve’s sin, flawed parenting has existed. Less that perfect parenting is revealed in frustration, ignorance, inappropriate words and actions, and the most detrimental, conditional love. We are all a victim of Adam’s original sin. We came into this world inclined toward the wrong. Consequently, we are imbalanced in our motives, desires, and purposes. This causes our reactions and responses to also be off kilter, unbalanced, and imperfect.

Children often misread what they see due to the inherent self-centeredness in all of us. This significantly impacts their self-image. No matter how hard a parent attempts to raise their child to have a healthy self-image, children can misinterpret what they see and hear and grow up feeling inadequate. There is no perfect parent or child. However, there is the Word of God that has the power to renew us from the inside out, transforming what is off kilter and imperfect.

The Word of God reveals that we are not just victims. We all have fallen short of God’s glory and share in the responsibility of who we are and what we are becoming. No one is ever truly healed until he forgives those who have wronged him and receives God’s forgiveness for his own wrong reactions.

The next source of our self-image is Satan. He is certainly the author of low self-esteem. He comes to steal, kill, and destroy (John 10:10). Satan uses any dislike we have about ourselves as a weapon against us. He is a liar (John 8:44), he is an accuser (Revelation 12:10), and he blinds our minds to the truth of the Gospel (2 Corinthians 4:4). In all these ways, the devil exploits our feelings of inferiority and inadequacy, urging us to belittle ourselves to prevent us from realizing our full potential as God’s beloved children.

The last source of our self-image is God. He is the perfect source, who through the renewing of our minds with His Word, transforms us mentally, emotionally, and physically to agree with His image of us. 

“I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me” (Galatians 2:20).

As a believer in Jesus Christ, you can move from the torturous mess of a poor self-image to a healthy self-image. You can turn away from your crucified nature’s perception and see how God perceives you—this new person you are in Him. Through His resurrection power, you can experience healing and restoration of your spirit, soul, and body. This is God’s promise to you. This is His work, but you must cooperate with Him by faith. No longer a mess, your life can become the manifestation of His message. 

Tomorrow, as we explore some misconceptions about loving God, ourselves, and others, I encourage you to begin seeking your identity in God’s Word. See yourself through God’s unwavering commitment to you, His unconditional love, and grace.

Your Self-Image: the Reflection in Your Family’s Mirror

Stop hating yourself! This was a strong word Pastor Bill had for someone during his message yesterday. You can be told again and again that God loves you, but without a healthy self-image, you will have trouble receiving God's love. If you see yourself as unworthy of His love, you won’t be able to love yourself. And if you can’t freely receive God’s love, you can’t freely give it away.

Your self-image is based on images and feelings that shape your perception of yourself. It encompasses both mental pictures and emotional experiences. Proverbs 23:7 reveals this truth: “As he thinks in his heart, so is he.” The way you see yourself and feel about yourself way down deep in your heart, reveals who you will be and what you will become. Paul declared in 2 Corinthians 10:5 that we are to “cast down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ.” To develop a positive self-image that nurtures a healthy relationship with God and ultimately with others, it’s crucial to challenge and overcome negative thoughts and embrace obedience to the Word. 

A healthy self-image is composed of three essential elements. The first is a sense of identity, of belonging, or being loved. Simply put, this is the awareness that you’re wanted, accepted, known, and cared for. The second is a sense of worth and value. This is the belief that you have something worth offering in this world. The third is a sense of being able to capably accomplish something in this life. You know you can do a task you undertake.

One of the factors that contributes powerfully to your self-image is what you have experienced in life. This is the influence of the outward world on your development. These experiences begin the moment you are born. Your experiences reveal how you were treated, how you are raised, and how you related to people in the early years of your life. When you were a little child, you had no understanding of who you were, but as you grew you began to gain an image of yourself. Where did you get this image? From what people “mirrored” back to you. You recognized the way important people in your life reacted and responded to you; you saw yourself through their understanding, and you grew to reflect it.

When Paul wrote about growing up spiritually in 1 Corinthians 13:9-12, he used this of idea of a child growing up and “mirroring” the reactions and responses of others.

Your knowledge, including your understanding of yourself, is imperfect. As a child, you spoke, thought, and reasoned in a childlike manner. But as you matured, you let your childish ways go, yet, until you grow up spiritually, you will see yourself as a reflection of how others reacted and responded to you.

A child only partially understands love. As we grow up and mature, we develop a deeper, more profound understanding of love. Our knowledge and feelings are largely shaped by the way our family members respond to us. We observe their expressions, hear their words, and witness their reactions, which provide us with insights into our own identities and who we will become. As these gradually become an integral part of us, we gradually take on the characteristics and qualities of the person we see in our family’s mirror. 

If you haven’t grown spiritually, you’ll constantly seek love, acceptance, and care. This is because you don’t have a sense of being loved, accepted, and belonging to God; you’ll try to earn the love He has freely given you. You’ll see your mistakes, sins, and life through the lens of others, not realizing the new creation you are in Christ. One day, you’ll have perfect knowledge. Then you’ll see God face-to-face. Now you know in part, but then you’ll understand yourself fully, even as you’ve been fully understood by God. If your self-image isn’t being transformed by the Word of God, the partial understanding you have now will never grow. You’ll continue to see yourself as if in a darkened mirror.

Do you need a new mirror?  If low self-esteem has been ingrained in you, it becomes challenging for you to experience love and acceptance from God, and a sense of worth in your work for Him. Many spiritual struggles are not spiritual at all. Although they may seem and feel like God’s judgment, they come from low self-esteem reflected in the family mirror.

Only God’s Word, His perfect mirror, reflects who you really are in Jesus! Only Jesus can redeem a poor self-image! Only the continual  renewing of your mind can transform you to see yourself the way God sees you. 

The redemption of your self-image is a journey. It is a process. It begins as a commitment, but continues as an intentional choice. You must follow through on your commitment. Otherwise, you’re only fooling yourself. If you don’t listen to the Word and obey it, it’s like glancing at your face in a mirror; you see yourself, walk away, and forget what you look like (James 1:22-24). The Lord wants you to always know who you are in Him! He wants you to always remember He loves, accepts, and cares for you. He wants you to make yourself captive to His Word and to be obedient to it. 

There are other factors that contribute to our self-image: our inner life, Satan, and God and His Word. I’ll try to share these in the upcoming days. If you are someone who suffers from a poor self-image, I’m praying for you. It’s my prayer you’ll diligently seek the healing God has sent to you in His Word to deliver you (Psalm 107:20).

The Consequences of Humility

Many Christians place trust in themselves before they trust God. They put their opinions and experiences above God’s Word. They look to themselves instead of looking to God. As a result, they struggle to believe Him. Since they haven’t given their worries to the Lord, they have trouble receiving His care. They get weary. Pride keeps them from experiencing the benefits of God’s grace.

Our words reveal what is in our hearts (Matthew 12:34), and our words will either acquit or condemn us (Matthew 12:37). The Lord knows when we are full of conceit and pride. Yet, He is gracious (Psalms 145:8). He doesn’t treat us as we deserve (Psalm 103:10). 
 
Pride is full of jealousy, bitterness, and anger. It doesn’t produce righteousness (James 1:20). Pride declares that the end justifies the means. But a good outcome isn’t so good when a morally bad thing is used to achieve it. God grants us time to accept His grace, repent, and humble ourselves (2 Peter 3:9). But a time will come when God will judge our pride (Hebrews 10:30).
 
Job discovered this truth. He lived around 2200 BC. He was a man of integrity who followed God even when no law required it. Job feared God and rejected evil. He was wealthy, but in just one day, Satan stole his wealth and took away his children. And then painful boils covered his entire body. 
 
When Job’s friends heard of his plight, they came and grieved with him for seven days. Finally, Job opened his mouth, emitting the bitterness and anger in his heart. He cursed the day of his birth and wished for his death (Job 3). Then Job’s friends responded, not easing his pain at all.
 
“Bad things don’t happen to good people,” they said. “Your own sin has brought all this adversity on you.”
 
“If I’ve sinned,” Job responded, “show me my sin. I don’t know why this is happening. I’m innocent.”
 
The advice of his friends only caused Job more grief. During their back-and-forth conversation, Job began to question and doubt God. He went from “I don’t understand why this is happening to me” to “God isn’t fair to me, and there is no benefit in serving Him.” 
 
Job 32:1 says that Job’s friends stopped answering him because Job was “righteous in his own eyes.” 
 
When God finally spoke, He did not explain Himself or answer Job’s questions. He only addressed Job’s foolishness. In chapters 38-41, God reminded Job who he was and who He was. Was Job the creator? Did he clothe himself with excellence and glory? Did he put the prideful in his place? 
 

It’s God who brings the prideful low and exalts the humble (1 Peter 5:6).  
 
Look at Job’s response:
 
“I take back everything I said, and I sit in dust and ashes to show my repentance” (Job 42:6 NLT).
 
Humility and repentance are the right responses to God’s correction. Job humbled himself and repented, and God exalted him by restoring everything Satan had stolen. 
 
Look at the responses of others in the Word to the glory of God. Each time they experienced the Lord’s glory, humility was the consequence. When Isaiah saw the Lord, he repented (Isaiah 6:5). When God spoke to Abram, he fell on his face (Genesis 17:3). When God spoke to Moses from the burning bush, Moses hid his face from God’s glory (Exodus 3:5-6). When the angel appeared to Joshua, he bowed to the ground in utter devotion (Joshua 5:14). 
 
If we ever genuinely see the glory of God, we, too, will humble ourselves and lose all conceit and pride. 
 
When faced with adversity, we don’t need to go from “I don’t know why this is happening to me” to “God isn’t fair, and there is no benefit in serving Him.” Pride is dependence on ourselves instead of God. It keeps us from experiencing the blessings of His grace. God exalts those with a humble heart—just as He exalted Job when he repented. 
 
God, who once was hidden from us because of our sin, sent His Beloved Son to become our sin so we could be justified and receive His glory (Romans 8:30). For those who believe in Jesus Christ, God no longer judges and humbles us from without. He no longer judges our actions, but our hearts. And Jesus has justified and glorified us, humbling us from within. 

Disgrace comes with pride, but grace and wisdom come with humility (Proverbs 11:2). God gives more grace to the humble (James 4:6) and wisdom to those who ask (James 1:5). The consequences of humility are grace and wisdom.
 
How can I not respond in true humility to the Lord who humbled Himself for me? 

Your Master?

What is it that you repeatedly and faithfully submit to in your life? Whatever it is, it rules your life. While you may declare Jesus as Lord of your life, if you faithfully and continually submit to other things, then those things truly rule your life. They become your Master.

“Do you not know that to whom you present yourselves slaves to obey, you are that one’s slaves whom you obey” (Romans 6:16)?

In John 5, there’s a story about a man who was a slave to his circumstances. He had been lying by the Pool of Bethesda for thirty-eight years because of a physical affliction. He, along with many other sick people, were waiting for an angel to alledgely stir the waters, and the first person to enter the water would be healed.

This sick man had subjected himself to two different masters, who governed his life. He was held captive by the very things he was obedient to. 

First of all, this man was a slave to his sickness. It had dictated his life for nearly four decades. His identity, daily regimen, and his future were constantly centered around his sickness. It had mastered his life. Secondly, superstition ruled his life. His belief held him captive to a pool of water. I can’t find anywhere in the Old Testament where it mentions healing being bestowed upon Old Testament believers through an angel stirring the waters of a pool. Yet, many people, along with this man, had subjected themselves to this belief. His illness and that pool were all that man could see. They were his entire existence, and they had become lords of his life.

“When Jesus saw him lying there, and knew that he already had been in that condition a long time, He said to him, ‘Do you want to be made well’” (John 5:6)?

One day, Jesus broke into this man’s self-consumed existence and presented him with a new option. This option meant that the masters of sickness and superstition would have to relinquish their control on him. “Do you want to be made well?” Jesus asked him. This man could attain true freedom if he was willing to let go of these two masters who were ruling his life and accept Jesus’ option.

Many times, we allow our circumstances, superstitions, fear, and erroneous thinking to control us without even knowing it. While we declare that Jesus is our Lord, we remain bound by other masters that rule our lives. True freedom, including healing, can be found when we choose to make Jesus our one true Lord.

You can be a slave to what you face in life or you can be free of its mental, emotional, and physical bondage. Who or what is your master? Are you longing to be free of your affliction? Surrender your mind, heart, and future to the Lordship of Jesus Christ, the One who purchased your freedom with His life. He didn’t come to just stir the waters for the first one who could reach Him. He came to all who would believe in Him.

Release yourself from the control of circumstances. Your journey to true freedom begins with recognizing the “masters” that hold your life in bondage and then making the decision to break free, giving your heart to the One who loves you and yearns to set you free.

“Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed” (John 8:36).
 

Walking by Faith

While we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal.
 —2 Corinthians 4:18


This sinful world may attack my senses and emotions daily, but Paul proclaims my life in Christ should center on what is unseen rather than what is seen. Despite Paul’s words, many Christians are more moved by their feelings and human reasoning than by the “unseen.” 

Paul writes that we are to “to walk by faith, not by sight” (2 Corinthians 5:7).

Why do people who live in a world of “sight” build their lives around things they can’t see, yet are convinced they are real? If a physician tells someone they have a specific diagnosis, they will believe what the doctor has said. We can’t see for ourselves what is happening in the world, yet we trust the news, allowing our emotions to be influenced. However, often when someone states they believe God’s Word over physical circumstances or symptoms, it is thought that they have lost touch with reality. 

The Christian life is to be controlled by faith instead of physical sight. There is a sense in which sight is involved, but it is spiritually seeing by faith rather than seeing with the physical eye that should determine our lives.

Moses “by faith…forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king: for he endured, as seeing him who is invisible” (Hebrews 11:17). In other words, Moses’ faith allowed him to carry on despite hardships, because he could visualize and understand the God who is incapable of being seen (John 1:18). Abraham was strong in faith because he was fully persuaded that what God had promised, God was able also to perform (Romans 4:20-21). The woman with the issue of blood was strong in faith, being healed the moment that she acted upon her belief (Mark 5:25-34).

Faith is being certain of what is believed (Hebrews 11:1) and acting upon that belief (James 2:20). God is the object of our faith and what we believe. Our faith is in Him, and not what we see, hear, or feel. We must always believe the promise of God and the God behind that promise. Faith, like a seed, must be planted, watered, and nurtured (Matthew 13:18-23). It is a lifestyle where you daily “walk by faith and not by sight.”

Walking by faith is the decision to believe in God’s Word, to take into account the invisible and visible aspects of the world, and choose to see as God sees. Walking by faith is evidence of the unseen world of God’s promises (Hebrews 11:1). While a physician may see an illness, the believer chooses to see healing and life. While another may see lack, the believer chooses to see the riches of their inheritance in Christ Jesus.
 
Walking by faith means I choose to set aside my emotions and human reasoning. It means I choose to submit to God rather than succumb to fear, worry, depression, symptoms, or what I perceive as lack or failure. Walking by faith gives freedom from those limitations and steps into a place of certainty where God’s Word holds the highest authority over all aspects of life.

Faith without my response is dead; it has no power. For the rest of my life on this earth, I will renew my heart with the unchanging truth of God’s Word and focus exclusively on His promises. I will daily die to self and trust Him above all that bombards my senses and emotions. 

Today I choose faith in Jesus over self, healing over sickness, joy over despair, peace over fear, and supply over insufficiency. Walking by faith and not by sight is a decision I make daily to walk in His victory.  

Draw from the Well of Your Salvation

Salvation lies within each believer in Jesus Christ. As Jesus explained to Nicodemus in John 3:3, salvation is not a physical birth but a spiritual one. Our spiritual being was dead and separated from God due to sin. Just as we failed to achieve our physical births, we are equally incapable of producing this spiritual rebirth. We are utterly incapable of saving ourselves; therefore, we require a Savior. Simply believing in the Lord Jesus Christ is the only condition for salvation. Faith alone is sufficient, but it’s never alone. James 2:17-18 emphasizes that faith without works is dead. However, salvation is not a reformation; it’s a total regeneration, a new birth, and a new creation from within that can only be accomplished by a creative miracle of the Holy Spirit. When we are saved, we become a new creation in our spirit (2 Corinthians 5:17). And that is where we are created entirely new and identical to Christ because His Spirit has been shed abroad in our hearts (Galatians 4:6, Romans 8:9).

“Therefore with joy, you will draw water from the wells of salvation,” Isaiah 12:3 declares. 

The salvation we have received within must be drawn out to make a difference in our lives. This verse says joy is what draws it out.

As Christ is so are you in this world (1 John 4:17). You are identical to Christ in your born-again spirit. However the rest of "you" must work out your salvation with fear and trembling (Philippians 2:12). The "wells" of your salvation are the truths of your new life in Christ. These truths must be drawn from within the “well” of your born-again spirit through faith, ultimately transforming your mind, heart, and body.

“Though now you do not see Him, yet believing, you rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory,” Peter declares (1 Peter 1:8). 

Although we don’t see Jesus with our physical eyes, we can see and know Him by faith (2 Corinthians 5:7), and that is better than knowing Him by sight. If we are truly in faith (James 1:6; 2:5), there will be rejoicing with joy inexpressible and full of glory. Our joy is related to what we believe, not our experiences. A lack of rejoicing and joy is evidence of a lack of believing.

“Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved” (Acts 16:31). 

God doesn’t want you to remain stagnant, never progressing in knowledge and experiencing the truths of your salvation. The Word is life, and it reveals your true identity in Christ. Just as you received salvation through faith, you also receive the truths of your salvation through faith. Your new life in Christ must be drawn from the “well” of your spirit to transform your life. This new life—free from sin, unforgiveness, darkness, despair, insufficiency, sickness, and everything evil—is just waiting to be drawn out through faith to conquer your flesh. Jesus is waiting to give His new life to your mortal body (Romans 8:11). He is patiently waiting to transform you, sanctifying your entire life—spirit, soul, and body from the inside out (1 Thessalonians 5:23).

“Deep calls unto deep at the noise of Your waterfalls; all Your waves and billows have gone over me” (Psalms 42:7).

Deep calls to deep. The Spirit calls you. Draw from the wells of your salvation. Jesus never runs dry; He accomplishes all of His truths in all of your life when you believe. 

I believe, Lord Jesus. Come, and wash over me.



 

Possess the Lord as He Has You

Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you your heart’s desires.
—Psalm 37:4 (NLT)

Do you find joy in knowing Jesus Christ? This verse says to “take delight in the Lord.”  When you take something, you possess it. You own it. Joy is yours in Jesus. The Holy Spirit calls for you to own the new life—the joy—Jesus has given you. Jesus didn’t give His life for you to strive in shame and live in fear. He wants you to possess what He has possessed for you. Righteousness in Him. Freedom in Him. Peace in Him. Faith in Him. To own these truths, you must comprehend the value Jesus has placed upon your life—you must grasp the transformative power these truths bring and believe with unwavering faith that they are rightfully yours. And when you believe, you experience joy. 

“Always be full of joy in the Lord,” Paul wrote. “I say it again—rejoice” (Philippians 4:4, NLT). 

Paul reminds the Philippians that when they choose to rejoice in the joy Jesus has given them, they shall be full of joy in Him. Your attitude determines the value of His gift. When you choose to believe and praise Jesus for His righteousness—His freedom—His peace—His faith, you are placing value on them. When you take delight in Jesus, these become real to you. When you believe in your heart—when you take on the new identity He has purchased for you, you own that identity, allowing the truths of it to shape your life. You possess that new identity. You take delight in the joy of your salvation.

Psalm 37:4 says that the Lord will give you the desires of your heart. He placed His desires within you the moment you were born again; you received them in your spirit when you received Jesus as your Savior. However, for the truths of Jesus’ identity to change your life, you must take possession of them; you must make them yours. 

The Holy Spirit changes your perception of who you are in your mind. He renews your thoughts. He transforms your understanding from the natural realm of your mind to the spiritual realm of His Spirit until you no longer believe what your natural mind perceives as true. You believe what His Word declares is true. You come to believe His promises of what cannot be seen, heard, or felt. Faith is the evidence of what isn’t naturally sensed. In your born-again spirit, His spiritual truth is your evidence. When you renew your mind continuously with the Word, the Holy Spirit transforms your life until you align with the Word. When you finally “hear” His Word in your heart, you believe and know it is yours. You speak its truth, bringing forth and clothing yourself with the reality of the new life Jesus has given you. The fruit of His truth becomes evident in your life no matter what you face; His joy is your strength.

The entrance of God’s words gives light and understanding to the simple (Psalms 119:130). His Word is more precious than silver and “much fine gold” (Psalms 19:7-10). When you know the precious and fine value the Lord has placed on your life, you can “be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power” (Ephesians 6:10, NLT).  You must put continually put on the righteousness Jesus has given you, coming into fellowship with Him daily, and His joy will be your strength.

Allow the infinite love and value Jesus placed on your life to change your perception of who you are. Be enlightened and transformed by His truth. Come into His presence. Come into the fellowship with the One who has given you new life. In His presence is fullness of joy (Psalms 16:11). You are the Lord’s desire. Let Him be your desire. Possess Him as He has possessed you, and you will own His joy. Believe in your heart and experience the reality of the spiritual truths of your salvation.

https://www.lynnlacher.com/2025/10/possess-lord-as-he-has-possessed-you.html

 

 

Turning Your Loss into a Seed for Your Future

It’s impossible to avoid loss, heartache, and persecution in this  life. These can steal the abundant life promised in Christ. When we are wounded by others or experience loss, we have a choice; we can either let bitterness and resentment take root in our hearts or we can change each negative experience into a positive experience that affects our future. Our attitudes and perspectives in life will determine the path we take.
 
If we suffer loss due to someone else’s dishonesty, it’s natural to feel resentment, bitterness, and conflict with the person who hurt us. However, instead of allowing bitterness to take hold, we can view that loss as an opportunity for growth. That loss can be a seed we sow for our future. While bitterness will keep us trapped in on-going pain, adopting a positive attitude can transform that loss into the potential for a future harvest. Even if you’ve been wronged, choosing a positive outlook in life can lead you to experience positive results.
 
We will inevitably encounter pain in this life. No one intentionally plants weeds in their lawn, yet they still appear. Many of life's challenges are like weeds; they arise suddenly. Our response to these challenges can lead us to experience God's abundant grace or plunge us into despair and bitterness. If we can learn to let go of the loss and, with faith, invest that loss into our future, the joy of the Lord will return, and our expectations will improve. Ultimately, our attitude shapes the outcomes of our lives.

Love those who take advantage of you. If someone uses you, pray for them. Don't let what they’ve done stop you from being a blessing. Holding onto bitterness will destroy the peace that is yours in Jesus. Avoid the "eye for an eye" mentality; remember, God is the judge. If you don't judge others, you will free yourself from the bitterness of condemnation. Forgive others as Jesus has forgiven you; you will keep your peace and joy instead of losing them to the relentless pain of unforgiveness. It’s your choice which seed you sow. Whatever you give to others will always come back to you.
 
No offense has the power to hold you captive. When God restores your loss, you are overcome with joy (Psalm 126:1-2). Read Luke 6:27-38, meditate on these verses, and let the Holy Spirit enlighten your understanding of loving those who have wronged you. The words of Jesus can transform your life. Sow His words into your heart. You can turn your loss into a seed to sow for your future, and with gratitude, you can praise God for the increase that comes. So let go of that loss. Don’t let it define your life. Be generous with forgiveness. When you give it, it will be given back to you in abundance. The measure you use in giving will determine your future harvest (Luke 6:38). 
 
He who goes out weeping,
    bearing the seed for sowing,
shall come home with shouts of joy,
    bringing his sheaves with him.
—Psalm 126:6

Rich in Faith

My friend, Debbie, and I visit an amazing lady. Her name is Margaret, and she is a member of our church. Margaret had a stroke many months ago, and as a result has lost her sight. Margaret’s loss does not weaken her faith. In fact, she has the kind of patient, unwavering faith I wrote about yesterday. She may sit in darkness, but her life is filled with light. She resolutely believes for her sight despite the opinions of others that she will never see again. 

Margaret is uncompromising in her faith and is fully persuaded that God has the power to do what He has promised her. She remains steadfast and firm in her conviction. She believes for her healing no matter how long it takes. Despite her loss of vision, her commitment to God healing her is unshakable. Nothing and no one can tempt her to change her mind and give up. She holds confidently to her promise. Margaret’s faith is strong, enduring, and tenacious. She believes in her Savior in whom she has placed her faith.

It would be easy for someone in Margaret’s condition to be depressed and suffer from a lack of faith, but Margaret doesn’t. She believes God will restore her sight, and she encourages herself daily. She is totally dependent on her son and others to take care of her physical needs. Yet, she isn’t poor as some might think of her. Margaret doesn’t feel sorry for herself. She isn’t poor. “God is so good to me,” she always declares. Margaret is rich. She has an overflowing wealth of patience and faith. She only “sees” Jesus. She knows that the Word of God says she shall receive her sight according to what she believes (Matthew 9:29). 

Margaret may sit in the dark, but she is never alone. Her constant companion is the Holy Spirit, who constantly stirs a deep hunger within her heart to do something for God. She yearns to be used because Brother Bill’s sermons over Youtube each week inspire her to get up and serve. To be able to write a note to someone who is hurting or just pick up a phone at a moment’s notice to pray with someone are things we take for granted. To Margaret, these choices are everything. 

It could hurt terribly to believe God is drawing you to do something, yet not have the physical ability to do it. But Margaret doesn’t focus on what she doesn’t have; she “sees” what God has promised her. God had a purpose for Margaret long before anyone had an opinion about her. His power and promise to fulfill Margaret’s hunger is absolute. God doesn’t call us to where He doesn’t provide. He is faithful to do the work in and through us ( Thessalonians 5:24).

“Assuredly, I say to you,” Jesus said, “whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven. Again I say to you that if two of you agree on earth concerning anything that they ask, it will be done for them by My Father in heaven. For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them” (Matthew 18:18-20).

Margaret has shared her dreams of seeing again with Debbie and me. We have also shared with Margaret what the Holy Spirit has revealed to us. We are standing and praying in agreement, binding the enemy’s destruction and loosing the life of Jesus. 

Do you believe in the power of the Word? Will you pray, agreeing with Margaret, praising the Lord for her restored sight? Will you believe the vision she has “seen” in her spirit is God’s promise and not a remembrance of something she once “saw?” Will you agree that Jesus will manifest healing in her life, empowering her in the calling He has given her? Can you sense a spiritual awakening in yourself and this world? God is pouring out His Spirit. We will either be part of His miraculous work or not. We will either receive His Word in our hearts by faith and experience His power or not. He wants to not only heal and empower Margaret’s life for service, but also ours.

Margaret is already a miracle. She is rich in faith. She endures where others give up. She believes where others doubt. It’s a great honor for Debbie and I to believe with her for her sight. Will you believe, too? Will you believe not only for Margaret’s promise but also for yours?

“Therefore know that the Lord your God, He is God, the faithful God who keeps covenant and mercy for a thousand generations with those who love Him and keep His commandments” (Deuteronomy 7:9).

“Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved” (Acts 16:31).  

Our God is faithful and merciful, keeping His covenant to Margaret and to us. He loves us. God sent Jesus, His living Word, to heal and deliver us (Psalm 107:20). Hold on to His instruction to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. The same faith in Jesus that saved you is the same faith that heals, guides, and empowers you. His light shines, banishing the darkness. Believe without wavering for the promise Christ has given His precious blood for you to receive. 

Margaret believes. Will you?

This Kind of Patience

Many Christians give up on their faith when they fail to see results as swiftly as they anticipate. When their prayers for healing aren’t answered within a certain time frame, their experience convinces them that their illness must be God’s divine purpose. Those who invest their time and resources into the Lord’s ministry and fail to observe a return within a specific time frame are also tempted to give up believing. Not witnessing the results of promises such as “by His stripes you were healed” or “whatever a man sows that he shall also reap” makes these promises appear false. However, God’s promises aren’t lies. The problem lies in the fact that many believers seek instant solutions to problems that most likely have developed over time, and they haven’t given their faith the time to witness the fruit the Word promises.

A significant amount of patience is involved to develop our faith. A lot of people give up before faith has a chance to work in their lives. Faith and patience are connected. Both are necessary to receive God’s promises. Hebrews 10:36 states in the King James Version: “For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise.”

The word “patience” comes from the Greek word “hupomene,” which is a compound of the two words “hupo” and “meno.” The word “hupo” means “under,” and the word “meno” means “to stay or to remain.” Together these two words mean “endurance” and “to stay under.” The Greek word “hupomene” describes a person who is burdened by a problem but remains steadfast in their faith, determined to endure the wait for an answer, no matter how long it takes.

This person portrayed in the word “hupomene” is unwavering and fully persuaded that God has the power to do what He has promised (Romans 4:21). He will remain steadfast in this uncompromising position until he achieves victory. Despite the sacrifices he must endure, his commitment remains unshakable. Nothing can tempt him to change his mind. He is resolute in his determination to hold tightly to his belief. His faith is strong, tenacious, and stubborn; it refuses to give up on what is promised.

Perhaps, pressure from the devil has kept you from standing resolutely in faith. Don’t let his lies condemn you for your failure. Neither let your heart condemn you, and you can have confidence in God to try again and “to stay” the course (1 John 3:21). To experience victory in a strenuous situation, you must make a courageous stand of faith and remain steadfast in your commitment to it.

Time is often required to experience victory. Even if your request aligns with God’s will, the answer doesn’t always come promptly without hindrances. The enemy comes against your understanding of God’s will for your life. You also struggle with your flesh, which craves comfort and hates challenges. Your faith may need to grow. As you seek the answer to your prayer, God desires your faith to progress to a higher level. You must renew your mind so that you can “ask in faith, nothing wavering” (James 1:6).

With steadfast focus and determination, your faith remains unshakable. If you want to outmaneuver the enemy and successfully accomplish what God has planned for your life, you must sow and nourish this kind of patience. If you want to stay in the battle until the enemy is defeated and you are victorious, endurance is a requirement.

With this kind of patience in your life, there’s no doubt that you’ll emerge victorious in the battle; the only question is when. You must hold on tightly to your faith, remaining steadfast, resolute, relentless, unwavering, and unyielding. Resist any attempts to sway you.

Lord Jesus, I repent for the times I have given up on my faith before it has had time to work. There are times I have not fed my faith with your Word, and I have become impatient instead of persevering and remaining strong.  Lord, I receive your forgiveness, and I ask you to strengthen me in my inner man so patience can have its perfect work in me. Lord, your promise to me is true. It is your will, and I will remain steadfast until I receive it. I pray this in your wonderful and powerful name. Yours is the name above any sickness, need, or issue. Yours is the name above princes and principalities, the name above all. You are my Jesus, and I can put my faith in you. You will never fail me.

Let Jesus Serve You

Peter said to Him, “You shall never wash my feet!” Jesus answered him, “If I do not wash you, you have no part with Me.”
—John 13:8

Peter refused to allow Jesus to wash his feet, believing he was utterly unworthy of his Master’s care and attention. While Peter was undoubtedly right in his assessment of his own unworthiness, he overlooked a crucial truth. Jesus’ service to Peter wasn’t driven by Peter’s unworthiness, but rather by His profound love for him.

Despite Peter’s humble refusal, he was actually resisting God’s will and refusing because of his pride. Pride isn’t just about inflating yourself above what is fitting; it can also be about deflating yourself below what is fitting. Pride is really being self-centered instead of being submitted to God’s will. Peter ought to have been humble enough to know His Master knew what we was doing; Peter should have surrendered to Jesus’ desire to serve him.

Some Christians think they are undeserving of God’s favor because they are so consumed with their unworthiness instead of being consumed with the gift of His redeeming love. They beat themselves up in penance, working to prove to God how humble they are. It is true that our actions don’t earn God’s favor, but a genuinely humble person can expect the Lord’s blessing as a demonstration of His love (James 4:6). It is only by the Lord’s grace and not through our works that His grace really becomes free and undeserved (Romans 11:6). The moment you start relating God’s blessings to anything you have done you void His grace in your life. You void Him serving you. Humility that is misplaced is just as harmful as pride.

Peter desired to serve Jesus, but he was reluctant to allow Jesus to serve Him by washing his feet. Jesus emphasized that unless Peter allowed Him to serve him, Peter would be unsuitable to serve. Since we cannot make ourselves or anyone else suitable to Jesus, we are totally dependent on God’s grace. Only in total surrender to God’s grace do we become fully equipped to serve others.

Before we can serve others with God’s unconditional love and grace, we must continually surrender to Jesus and allow Him to minister to us. It is only when we trust in Him to bless us in the way He chooses can we become the blessings we desire to be to God or anyone else. When we allow Jesus to serve us and surrender to His grace within us, we are driven by His profound love and give to others the grace we receive. 

Will you allow Jesus to serve you so that you may serve others with His goodness and grace? Jesus’s purpose manifesting in you and blessing others through you is the greatest fulfillment in this life.

Who is Your Most Important Person?

Our pastor made a profound statement yesterday: “The will of God for your life probably involves others.” God’s will certainly involves others! We each have the calling and privilege of sharing the love of Jesus with those we come in contact with! 

Debbie Sivley and I have come to realize the truth behind this statement. Every week, we visit shut-ins, offering our prayers and time to make a positive impact on their lives. Jesus calls us to emulate His presence in this world, radiating His love, offering His touch, providing comfort through His words, and attentively listening to their spoken and unspoken concerns. Some individuals yearn to be heard, while others require encouragement in their faith. Still others simply need our presence, allowing them to experience the profound love of God both emotionally and physically. 

I have always found comfort in Psalm 46:10, which proclaims, “Be still and know that I am God.” Yesterday morning, our pastor encouraged us to take a few moments to be still and meditate on this verse before he began sharing the Word. It was akin to a Quaker meeting, where you silently await the Holy Spirit to move upon your heart. Yesterday, the Spirit touched my heart, reminding me that in being still, I can connect with God and receive His love. The love I have received in Jesus isn’t meant to be concealed within me; it’s meant to be radiated outward. I have freely received it, and I must freely give it to others. 

This picture depicts Debbie and Melba Harris. Melba is responding to our visit with her. I wish I had a picture of the radiant smile and overwhelming joy that lights up Melba’s face every time she looks at Debbie and connects with her. If you could witness the sudden burst of happiness and life in Melba’s eyes, you would see her coming alive in the love of Jesus. You would also see her returning the love she is receiving—Melba is ministering to Debbie in return!

The world is yearning for this love. The grumpy man down the street is yearning for it. The woman who uses offensive language is yearning for it. The angry one who constantly pushes you away is yearning for it. The child who has turned away from his faith is yearning for it. The shut-in in the nursing home is yearning for it. The lady who can’t see but believes in her healing is yearning for Jesus’ love and physical touch. They all need His grace. They all need His unconditional love. They all need Jesus loving them through you. And you may not realize it, but you are starved for His love when you aren’t letting Him love through you.

Years ago, even as my parents lost ground to dementia, they inspired me with their love for Jesus. But they still needed something from me. I asked the Lord to reveal their hearts to me. And these were their unspoken words He spoke in my heart.

“Sometimes I feel so alone in my world and so afraid. But then I feel your hand on my arm and I know you are with me and will take care of what I can’t. God doesn’t abandon me now that I am old and gray and lost to even myself. I feel Him in your love, in your words, in your touch, and in the moments that you give me. No matter how lost I may become, I am still me. Remind me of who I am when I have forgotten and love me through times which may break your heart. As long as you love me, I know who I am through you.”

Who is your most important person? Is it someone else or it is you? Are you loving the shut-in, your neighbor, your friend, and the one who annoys you so much? Are you loving them so they can know how much Jesus loves them? Are you laying down your life for them as Jesus laid down his for you?

In her time with Debbie, Melba knows she is loved. She is loved as she longs to be loved, and she returns it with joy. In that moment, Debbie receives the blessing of the one she has blessed. 

God blesses us to bless others. Love those He brings into your life with His love. Share His Word and take the time to genuinely listen to them. Pray for His wisdom and ask the Holy Spirit to continually guide you. Sharing God’s unconditional love and grace with others is your highest calling; never run away from it; run to it! There, you’ll find your joy, peace, and purpose! 

God's Abundance for Every Good Work

And God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work.
—2 Corinthians 9:8

In chapter nine of 2 Corinthians, Paul speaks about financial giving. He declares in 2 Corinthians 9:8 that God can make all grace abound toward us so we can trust His provision, enabling us to be generous. In Philippians 4:19, Paul also assures us that God will supply all needs according to His riches in glory. God’s grace isn’t just for salvation but also for empowering our daily lives. He supplies what we need to accomplish His work in this world. His provision is unlimited.

This verse doesn't say, “God will make all grace abound toward you.” It says that God is able and willing to supply every need of a cheerful giver, but this supply doesn’t just happen. Galatians 6:9 says, “Let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.” 

2 Corinthians 9:8 also dismisses the idea that God only supplies our bare needs. He is willing and able to make “all” grace abound toward us. 

“Charis” is the Greek word for “grace.” One derivative of “charis” is “charisma,” which translates as a “free gift” (Strong’s Concordance). Vine’s Expository Dictionary defines “charisma” as “a gift of grace, a gift involving grace on the part of God as the Donor.” God is our donor. He graces us with His provision so we can grace His work in the lives of others.
 
The word “abound” means “to be great in number or amount; to be fully supplied” (American Heritage Dictionary). Whatever hardships we face in this life, God’s grace “abounds” much more (Romans 5:20). The Lord desires that we are “fully supplied” and have “sufficiency in all things.” It is not God’s will for us to suffer financially. 

Deuteronomy 8:18 states, “And you shall remember the Lord your God, for it is He who gives you power to get wealth, that He may establish His covenant which He swore to your fathers, as it is this day.”

People who argue against financial success point to examples of people who have sought riches to fulfill their own lusts. They rightly say these people are selfish and corrupt because of their greed. God desires us to be prosperous not for our selfish ambitions but for His purposes.

Genesis 12:2 says, “I will make you a great nation; I will bless you and make your name great; and you shall be a blessing.”

The intention of God’s prosperity is to bless us so that we can bless and help others. If we are unselfish with our prosperity, those blessings are wonderful. If we are selfish with our financial blessings, we degrade the grace with which His blessings were given to us.

2 Corinthians 9:8 describes abundant financial blessings in our lives, where we can “abound in every good work.” This means we should never be unable to give to any good cause. Satan has convinced many Christians that God wants them to always be poor, causing many good works to go unfunded. 

Money isn’t evil. It is our love of money that is (1 Timothy 6:10). If you're always thinking about the amount of money you have—whether it is a lot or too little, you are thinking about the wrong thing. What money can do for you is your concern. You are thinking about yourself and your needs instead of others and their needs. If you are blessed in this life, God has blessed you to have an abundance for every good work. He has given you sufficiency in all things. As a man thinks in His heart, He is (Proverbs 23:7). Believe Him for even more abundance so you can bless others as He has blessed you. 

God desires you to have an overflow of His blessings so He can overflow into the lives of others. He wants you to have His abundance for “every” good work, not just one or two. God has given you sufficiency in all things. Never limit Him. Never forget that He gives more grace to the humble (James 4:6). Believe Him and expect to be more blessed so you can be a greater blessing in His Kingdom. Favor others abundantly as God has favored you. 

What Are You Sowing in Your Heart?

For I know that this will turn out for my deliverance through your prayer and the supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ, according to my earnest expectation and hope that in nothing I shall be ashamed, but with all boldness, as always, so now also Christ will be magnified in my body, whether by life or by death. 
—Philippians 1:19-20
 
 
Paul preached the Good News of Jesus Christ. The message of new life in Christ was his absolute focus. Paul had the unwavering expectation and hope that God was with him at all times, guiding and empowering him to share the Gospel. God’s grace was sufficient in everything, and nothing could keep him from God’s will. Paul had an earnest expectation and hope that no feeling or circumstance could compromise his faith. He was bold because he allowed the fruit of his relationship with Jesus to be bold. Paul knew who Christ was manifested in his life. He had assurance—he trusted—and he expected God to magnify Himself in his life. He was willing to give all for the grace of Jesus to be known and lived out in the lives of others.
 
Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life. He is the only one who makes all the difference in your life. He is the only one who gives you a new life. You were also Paul’s focus. Jesus Christ is the life Paul offered to you. Paul endured persecution for the sake of Christ so you could experience the fruit of your relationship with Jesus. Your expectation and hope make all the difference in how you live this new life.
 
Look at the phrase “according to my earnest expectation and hope” in Philippians 1:20. 
 
You are expecting something in life whether you are aware of it or not. Look at your expectation as soil from which your life grows. A pessimist only expects a negative life. An optimist discovers something positive in every circumstance and thing that happens. If you fill your life with negative influences—negative thoughts—negative things, you will wrestle with negative expectations.  If you dwell on the mistakes and sins of the past, you will find yourself expecting more of the same in your future. Your attitude—your approach to life—is extremely powerful. 
 
Your expectations are either based on God’s promises or on your fears and failures.  Hope comes alive as a result of positive expectations. Hope in God’s promises can only grow from the soil of your positive expectations. Since faith is the substance of things hoped for (Hebrews 11:1), a negative approach to life can never inspire your faith to grow. Faith can only be inspired and exercised when positive expectations and hope are alive. Negative expectations are why so many Christians struggle to live in victory.
 
Expectation, hope, and faith spring from a promise God has made to you. These grow in your life from a seed that has been sown in your heart.  Every promise of God activates your faith, and faith comes when you “hear” His Word in your heart (Romans 10:17). God never lies. It isn’t His nature to lie. And God has designed seeds to multiply according to their nature. A farmer who plants seeds expects a harvest. A believer who sows God’s grace and His love into the lives of others can also expect a harvest. What you invest will be multiplied and returned to you.
 
What do you expect in your life? What is the source of your attitude? If you are basing your life on God’s promises—if you believe you will reap a harvest from sowing His truth in your heart, you will without doubt live a life of faith. If you see everything through the eyes of a pessimist, you will be left to your own strength. You will experience a stingy life when you could have had an abundant one.
 
Paul had the expectation, hope, and faith that the Holy Spirit would supply all his needs as he stepped out to share the message of grace so you could, also, plant the seed of God’s truth in your heart; so you, also, could choose to live by faith and not by sight; so you could, also, believe. 

What are you sowing in your heart? It’s going to multiply.

—Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.
—Romans 15:13
 
 

A Vessel of His Love

Many people who deal with sickness find themselves in a place of helplessness. Some believers try to work up their faith to believe they can be healed. Others hope that some medical help will be their answer. Others live in total despair that there is hope.
 
Here’s Jesus’ instruction to us as the body of Christ. 
 
“Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out demons. Freely you have received, freely give” (Matthew 10:8).
 
Jesus instructs me to give what I have received freely. Do I really believe that I have freely received healing as a gift from God? Do I believe in healing as an expression of God’s goodness?
 
1 Peter 2:24 says, “who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness—by whose stripes you were healed.”
 
According to 1 Peter 2:24, I have been healed by Jesus’ stripes. According to Matthew 10:8, I am to give freely what I have been given. Through my faith, can healing be a gift of love freely given to someone who is hurting? 
 
“Believing unto righteousness” (Romans 10:10), the new birth, is a spiritual transformation of personal faith. Healing is a physical transformation that also requires personal faith.

Receiving healing can be an act of personal faith, a gift through another's faith, or simply a miracle that comes through God's goodness, who makes His rain fall on the just and the unjust. 
 
Peter had faith for the lame man (Acts 3:6-7). The centurion had faith for his servant (Matthew 8:13). The Canaanite woman had faith for her demon-tortured daughter (Matthew 15:28). Jairus had faith for his sick daughter (Mark 5:23). In each situation, the faith of another person brought the gift of healing to the one who was suffering. 

Lord Jesus, help me to receive the revelation of this truth in my heart. I am to impart You freely. I never need to burden a suffering person with working up their faith to believe in their own healing. Rather than frustrating someone who is hurting, I can be a vessel of Your love and bring healing to them. You are that good. Lord Jesus, I am willing. You are the potter. I am the clay. It is Your excellence. I have none. Lead me, Lord. I will follow You.
 
 

Come in Confidence

 

 

Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.
—Hebrews 4:16
 

The only way we can come to God is in humility. God resists the proud but gives grace to the humble (James 4:6). Humility before God doesn’t demand anything based on your accomplishments or worth. Humility is also not groveling and bargaining with God to answer your prayer. Humility before God is coming to Him in confidence, knowing He gives mercy and grace in your time of need. It is knowing the worth Christ has placed on your life.
 
When you come boldly to the throne of grace, it doesn’t mean you come instructing God. That is not the surrender that expresses humility. That is pride. When you come boldly to God, you come in the assurance of your relationship with Him. You come knowing your right standing with God. When you believe in your heart the truth of everything Jesus has purchased with His blood on your behalf, you have confidence in your relationship with the Father. 
 
“Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him” (1 John 5:14-15).
 
Do you have the confidence to approach God boldly? If you ask anything according to God’s will, He will hear you, and you will receive it. Do you believe this? If what you ask is promised in the Word of God, it is without question God’s will. 
 
When you believe who you are in Christ, you are at peace in your relationship with God. You walk in the freedom His grace has given you. When you have a need, you come freely to God without fear of reproach, judgment, or retribution. You come knowing what the grace of Christ has given you. You come knowing your Father loves you, and you will receive His mercy and grace to help you. You come with a heart of praise because you believe.
 
True humility does not promote self. Neither does it demean itself. True humility only glorifies the Father. When you have confidence in your relationship with the Father, you don’t need to beg for mercy and grace. You don’t need to beg God to give you anything He has already provided in the gift of salvation. You don’t need to beg for forgiveness, healing, or your needs to be supplied. Jesus paid the price for all of these long before you were made in your mother’s womb or wrestled with sin, illness, or need. You received His complete salvation when you were born again. There is nothing left to earn. His love earned it for you.
 
“But He gives more grace. Therefore He says: ‘God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble’” (James 4:6).
 
God pours more grace into the lives of those who walk in true humility and are confident in their relationship with Him. He pours more grace into those who depend only on Him. True dependency on the Father promotes confidence in Him and not in yourself. 

Resist pride’s temptation and receive more of God’s grace in every moment of your life. You will believe the Father for what the rest of the world believes impossible. Present your requests to God confidently, knowing Christ has made you worthy to receive the petitions that you have asked of Him.