Honest Reflections

2 minute read.

Daily Reading: Jeremiah 28:1-29:32 ESV, 1 Timothy 1:1-20 ESV, Psalm 86:1-17 ESV, Proverbs 25:17 ESV

Daily Verse: “The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost.” (1 Timothy 1:15 ESV)

PROTOS (4413): “IN time, place, order, or importance.  In 1 Tim. 1:15-16, of a sinner.”[1]

First place.

Paul calls himself the prize winner for sinners.  Considering he killed followers of the Way before meeting Jesus, I would give Paul the trophy if one existed.  Thank God, Jesus forgives our sins and cleanses us, making us new.

And thank God for Paul, whose life changed so drastically; he truly does set an example of a new creation.  From killer to a preacher, Paul’s meeting with Jesus made the difference between the two extremes.

Paul’s decision to follow Christ meant doing things differently.  In the same way, I decided to do things Jesus’ way in my late 20s after spending a decade following my desires, ending in despair.

Discover joy.

Life didn’t become one long vacation when I placed my faith in Jesus.  No, God gives us purpose.  Allowing Christ to prompt me from within made me think differently; instead of putting myself first, I began to put others first.

Following Jesus helped me learn to set boundaries.  Christ taught me unhealthy people couldn’t have healthy relationships.  Jesus continues to teach me that I’m not the Savior.  My purpose on earth doesn’t include running it, but God does expect me to love the residents.

Every day, I continue to learn as I pursue life with Jesus.  Going deeper in my relationship with the Lord takes me places I didn’t want to go.  But only by trusting God can I find healing from the hurts. 

As you journey with Jesus, you discover His joy.  Amid heartache, God’s peace descends, helping us out of the pit.  Forgive yourself for the sins God forgave long ago.  Let go of the past and embrace the future, one filled with the hope of the Lord.

Admitting your sins will enable you to have life to the fullest in Christ as you embrace His grace and mercy, experiencing His joy.

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[1] Strong, J., & Strong, J. (2010). The New Strong’s expanded exhaustive concordance of the Bible. Greek Dictionary of the New Testament (p. 217) Thomas Nelson

2 minute read.

Daily Reading: Jeremiah 26:1-27 ESV, 2 Thessalonians 3:1-18 ESV, Psalm 85:1-13 ESV, Proverbs 25:16 ESV

Daily Verse: “May the Lord direct your hearts to the love of God and to the steadfastness of Christ.” (2 Thessalonians 3:5 ESV)

KATEUTHUNO (2720): “This word means to make straight, remove all hindrances in order to guide or direct.”[1]

Make straight.

God makes our paths straight when we let Him direct our hearts.  We will feel the twinge inside when starting down the wrong road.  Like a pinprick, my heart winces when I turn in the wrong direction.

Since I run the website for our tennis academy, I handle registration.  Physical space limits the class size; they fill up immediately.  Chaos ensues as I try to untangle the rapidly firing emails. Unintentional miscommunications happen.

When fall registration opened, I received an email from an unhappy parent.  The immense traffic to the website caused a crash in the payment system; as a result, her daughter didn’t get into the class.

God’s guidance.

Reading the angry email caused my blood to stir.  If you’ve read “Three Word Prayers for Everyday Living,” you know I struggle with anger issues.  Accusing me of things I didn’t do, my fingers tapped rapidly on the keyboard with a response.

But then God.  My heart felt a ping as I reread my words.  Anger screamed from the screen, and I knew I didn’t want to head down that road.  Backspacing does show maturity when it comes to written communication.

And so, I backspaced, and prayed, then answered with love.

When God directs our hearts, He makes our paths straight.  Paul’s prayer for the Thessalonians also applies to us.  May God direct your hearts today to His love and Christ’s steadfastness. 

If your heart winces when you head down the wrong path, listen to it.  Our connection with God happens in the heart.

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[1] Strong, J., & Strong, J. (2010). The New Strong’s expanded exhaustive concordance of the Bible. Greek Dictionary of the New Testament (p. 135) Thomas Nelson

2 minute read.

Daily Reading: Jeremiah 23:21-25:38 ESV, 2 Thessalonians 2:1-17 ESV, Psalm 84:1-12 ESV, Proverbs 25:15 ESV

Daily Verse: “But we ought always to give thanks to God for you, brothers beloved by the Lord, because God chose you as the firstfruits to be saved, through sanctification by the Spirit and belief in the truth.” (2 Thessalonians 2:13 ESV)

ALETHEIA (225): “Signifying the reality lying at the basis of an appearance; the manifested, veritable essence of a matter.”[1]

Veritable essence.

Seeking truth takes work.  You can’t believe everything you hear and see in today’s world.  The web of worldly lies has so many strands only Jesus can untangle them.  We place our faith in truth by receiving the Holy Spirit and accepting Christ into our lives.

“I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser.” John 15:1 ESV

When we talk about Jesus, we always chat about love.  But Christ also came to tell the truth, which we forget.  Satan lies, cheats, and steals; Jesus does none of those things.  Following God’s Son will lead you to the veritable essence of any situation.

Discerning truth.

Given enough time, the truth always comes out.  When we take a situation to the Father in prayer, asking for His discernment, God will lead us to the veritable essence.  Sometimes the answers come quickly; sometimes, they take time, and often, we must desire to know them.

For many people, the tools they use to deal with life come as avoidance and denial.  Instead of dealing with the not-so-pretty facts of a circumstance, they ignore it.  Healing can’t come if we don’t know the truth.

When I took my mother to the doctor in her elderly years, the doc asked her how she felt.  “I’m fine,” she always answered.  However, as her caretaker, I knew she suffered from different ailments; she just didn’t want to face them.  Not telling the doctor her symptoms meant he didn’t have the full facts to treat her.

Following Jesus will reveal hard truths, some you’d rather not know.  But we hurt ourselves and others if we don’t deal with facts.  Baring our souls to Christ allows Him to reveal the truth and help us find healing from the hurts.

God wants us to live life to the fullest, so He sent Jesus.  Pursuing life in Christ happens when we seek truth with Him.

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[1] Strong, J., & Strong, J. (2010). The New Strong’s expanded exhaustive concordance of the Bible. Greek Dictionary of the New Testament (p. 13) Thomas Nelson

2 minute read.

Daily Reading: Jeremiah 22:1-23:20 ESV, 2 Thessalonians 1:1-12 ESV, Psalm 83:1-18 ESV, Proverbs 25:11-14 ESV

Daily Verse: “We ought always to give thanks to God for you, brothers, as is right, because your faith is growing abundantly, and the love of every one of you for one another is increasing.” (2 Thessalonians 1:3 ESV)

ADELPHOS (80): “Denotes a brother, or near kinsman; in the plural, a community based on identity of origin of life.”[1]

Near kinsman.

Having four biological brothers, they come to mind first when thinking about this word.  But Paul’s referring to our spiritual siblings, fellow believers in Christ.  You can have both.

2.38 billion[1] people practice Christianity in the world today.  As believers, we have a vast family with siblings of all nationalities.  When you meet a brother in Christ, you instantly connect spiritually.

Family recognition.

Think of the last time you met a fellow believer in the world.  Maybe at a gas station, a random conversation led to Jesus.  Or possibly the nurse at the doctor’s office mentioned faith, and you instantly bonded.  Nothing makes me smile more than instant praise parties when you meet a brother in Christ.

When I meet a sibling in Christ, we always end up praising Him.  Maybe something minor happens, or perhaps not so small, but we find something to thank God for at the moment.  Like our tenth wedding anniversary, when we met a couple celebrating their 37^th on the same day.  We rejoiced about our marriages, and each year God gave us together.

Following Jesus sometimes seems like a lonely journey, but don’t fall for the lie.  Brothers in Christ live all over the world; when you seek, you shall find.  Thankfully, in America, we can worship freely and find siblings in the faith without too much effort.  Many in the world don’t have the luxury we do in the U.S.

Journeying through life with other believers makes the trip better.  Pain and suffering come with life, but so does support.  God adopted us into His family, which has billions of members.  Remind the devil of the facts when he tries to trick you into believing otherwise.

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[1] Strong, J., & Strong, J. (2010). The New Strong’s expanded exhaustive concordance of the Bible. Greek Dictionary of the New Testament (p. 5) Thomas Nelson

[1] https://worldpopulationreview.com/country-rankings/most-christian-countries

2 minute read.

Daily Reading: Jeremiah 19:1-21:14 ESV, 1 Thessalonians 5:4-28 ESV, Psalm 82:1-8 ESV, Proverbs 25:9-10 ESV

Daily Verse: “But you are not in darkness, brothers, for that day to surprise you like a thief.” (1 Thessalonians 5:4 ESV)

SKOTOS (4655): “Is the exact opposite of phos (5457-light).  It is a neuter noun used in the NT as the equivalent of skotia (4653-physical darkness). Metaphorically, of “moral and spiritual darkness,”1 Thes.5:4.”[1]

Spiritual darkness.

Paul’s telling the Thessalonian believers they don’t have to worry about the day of judgment.  Because they acknowledge their sin willingly before God, repenting and submitting their lives to Him, they needn’t fear judgment day. 

In a recent message at our church, the pastor shared a story.  A man, driving alone at night in California, has a car in front of him.  Suddenly the ground shakes, and the vehicle ahead disappears.  As the drive nears where the car disappeared, he sees the gaping hole in the road caused by the earthquake, stopping short of the newly formed ravine.

All in.

Gaping at the car far below, the man doesn’t know what to do.  Then he realizes another vehicle’s heading in the same direction.  Standing by the side of the road, he flags them to stop, but they don’t, also driving into the ravine.

Before he can process the events, he sees a bus coming at him. 

“I decided in that moment that the only way the bus was going over the cliff was if it took me with it.” Driver

The two cars who went into the ravine didn’t know what lay ahead.  But the man who saved the bus did.  Only when he committed his life to the mission did the driver get the bus to stop.

Many people live in spiritual darkness in our world, heading for a surprise ending.  Dedicating our lives to help them see the light means going all in with God.  Like Christ gave His life for us, we must give our lives for others, serving them to the best of our ability.

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[1] Strong, J., & Strong, J. (2010). The New Strong’s expanded exhaustive concordance of the Bible. Greek Dictionary of the New Testament (p. 229) Thomas Nelson

2 minute read.

Daily Reading: Jeremiah 16:16-18:23 ESV, 1 Thessalonians 4:1-5:3 ESV, Psalm 81:1-16 ESV, Proverbs 25:6-8 ESV

Daily Verse: “Finally, then, brothers, we ask and urge you in the Lord Jesus, that as you received from us how you ought to walk and to please God, just as you are doing, that you do so more and more.” (1 Thessalonians 4:1 ESV)

ARESKO (700): “This word signifies “to be pleasing to, be acceptable to.”[1]

Signifies acceptable.

Paul wants the Thessalonians to grow spiritually; he knows they must change their ways for that to happen.  Instead of living to please themselves, they must put God first.  Pleasing God means acceptable actions in His sight.

In order to please God, you must first know what He desires.  To find out the Creator’s heart, we must spend time getting to know him.  Like any relationship, the more time you spend together, the more you know about the other person.  Knowing more means pleasing more.

Learn God’s ways.

When I first started reading the Bible each year, I didn’t know nearly as much about God as I do now.  Even after decades of reading Scripture each morning, God still surprises me.  Inevitably, whatever the situation, something in God’s word speaks to it and gives me direction.

“Little House on the Prairie” remains my favorite childhood show.  One episode which impacted my life involved Caroline, the family matriarch.  Alone at home, she got a nasty infection in her leg.  Not knowing what to do, she read her Bible, finding a verse discussing cutting out the infection.  And so she did, inevitably saving her life.

Pleasing God means putting into action what His word says to do. When Jesus entered the world, He brought unconditional love never before seen.  Loving others for Jesus will challenge you, but remember, Christ went first.

Please God by spending time with Him each day.  Develop a relationship with the Creator and align your heart with His.  Pleasing God will grow you spiritually like nothing else and lead to everlasting peace.

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[1] Strong, J., & Strong, J. (2010). The New Strong’s expanded exhaustive concordance of the Bible. Greek Dictionary of the New Testament (p. 41) Thomas Nelson

2 minute read.

Daily Reading: Jeremiah 14:11-16:15 ESV, 1 Thessalonians 2:9-3:13 ESV, Psalm 80:1-19 ESV, Proverbs 25:1-5 ESV

Daily Verse: “You are witnesses, and God also, how holy and righteous and blameless was our conduct toward you believers.” (1 Thessalonians 2:10 ESV)

MARTUS (3144): “(Whence Eng., “martyr,” one who bears “witness” by his death) Denotes “one who can or does aver what he has seen or heard or knows”; it is used in a historical sense 2 Thes. 2:10.”[1]

Historical sense.

Paul’s actions imitate Christ.  He witnesses for Jesus because of what happened to him.  Becoming a witness for Christ means acknowledging your life change.  After you meet Jesus, accepting the grace and mercy He offers changes your life, just as it did Paul’s.

Paul appeals to the Thessalonians to acknowledge how he changed.  Becoming a missionary and changing his conduct happened because Paul met Jesus.  The apostle wants the Thessalonians to recognize the change God made in his life and theirs.

Everything Paul did, he did for the new believers, encouraging the church in their journey with Jesus.

Faithful witness.

Becoming a faithful witness for Christ means living your life following God.  Eighty percent of God’s will reveal itself in scripture.  Applying Christ’s teaching to your life does change it.  Obeying God means we will spend our lives loving Him and others for the kingdom.

Try loving everyone you meet today.  No matter who comes before you, Christ died for them.  Whether or not they believe in Jesus shouldn’t affect your witness for the King.  We control our reactions, despite their actions.  When people turn their back on God, it grieves Him more than we can ever know.

Like Paul, submitting your life to Jesus and living for Him makes you a witness.  God doesn’t call for perfection; He wants obedience.  When we obey God, He blesses our efforts and makes all things work to the good for those who believe and trust in Him.

Give your life to Christ today.  Become a witness for the King of Kings.  Count on His divine assistance when the journey gets tough.  Witnessing for Jesus brings love into the world, the gift Christ gave everyone.

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[1] Strong, J., & Strong, J. (2010). The New Strong’s expanded exhaustive concordance of the Bible. Greek Dictionary of the New Testament (p. 157) Thomas Nelson

2 minute read.

Daily Reading: Jeremiah 12:1-14:10 ESV, 1 Thessalonians 1:1-2:8 ESV, Psalm 79:1-13 ESV, Proverbs 24:30-34 ESV

Daily Verse: “We give thanks to God always for all of you, constantly mentioning you in our prayers,” (1 Thessalonians 1:2 ESV)

MNEIA (3417): “Remembrance, mention” (akin to mimnesko, “to remind, remember”).  Is always used in connection with prayer and translated “mention” in 1 The. 1:2.”[1]

To remember.

Paul starts his letters by thanking God for the recipients, which gave him an attitude of gratitude.  Silas and Timothy also shared their appreciation for the churches.

By thanking God first and foremost, Paul lifts his thoughts from earthly things to heavenly ones.  Paul gives credit for the Thessalonians to the source of their spiritual progress, Jesus. 

Realizing our complete dependence on God helps us stay focused on Him.  Keeping a clear focus helps us move into more incredible spiritual exploits.  In other words, if we keep the Son in our eyes, we will grow spiritually far more than we ever thought or imagined.

Thankful prayer.

Like Paul’s letters, if we begin our conversations with God by thanking Him for the people in our lives, we will focus our thoughts above.  Everyone has good qualities for which we can thank God, finding them helps us love.

When Corrie Ten Boom and her sister found themselves in a Nazi concentration camp with thousands of other women, they thanked God for the fleas.  Because of the little mites, the guards wouldn’t enter the barracks, which meant the ladies could have Bible study.

“like waifs clustered around a blazing fire…The blacker the night around us grew, the brighter and truer and more beautiful the Word of God.” Corrie Ten Boom, “The Hiding Place”[1]

Become like Paul; start your conversations out with thankfulness.  Allow gratitude to focus your thoughts on Jesus.  Mention those around you to the King, letting appreciation for others soften your heart towards them as you talk to God about them.

When we pray for others, God changes our hearts, softening them.  Giving grace to others starts when we mention them to God in prayer, thanking Him for their presence in our life.

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[1] Strong, J., & Strong, J. (2010). The New Strong’s expanded exhaustive concordance of the Bible. Greek Dictionary of the New Testament (p. 166) Thomas Nelson

[1] https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/561909.The_Hiding_Place

2 minute read.

Daily Reading: Jeremiah 10:1-11:23 ESV, Colossians 3:18-4:18 ESV, Psalm 78:56-72 ESV, Proverbs 24:28-29 ESV

Daily Verse: “Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving.” (Colossians 4:2 ESV)

GREGOREUO (1127): “As a verb, has the meaning of vigilance and expectancy as contrasted with laxity and indifference.”[1]

Vigilance and expectancy.

Prayerfulness, remaining in constant contact with God, requires intentionality.  Paul wants everyone to begin developing an attitude of prayer, devoting themselves to it. 

The root word for “devote yourselves” comes from “to be strong.”  Implying persistence and fervor, while “being watchful” refers to spiritual alertness.  Following Christ and becoming watchful and active in prayer creates fullness in life you can find no other way.

Praying with an attitude of thankfulness refers to how we should offer our prayers to God.  In all things, find something to thank God for as you begin the conversation with Him.

Devoted Prayer.

Creating a lifestyle of prayer means including God in everything.  In other words, think of yourself as never alone.  Everywhere you go, so does Jesus.  He knows and sees all you do.  You don’t need to fill Christ in on the details; include Him in the conversation.

For instance, I pray, “Lord, help me,” often.  When I get up in the morning, stiff and achy, “Lord, help me.”  As I begin my lessons, “Lord, help me teach well.”  When I sit down to write, “Lord, help me write.”  When I don’t have words during difficult conversations, “Lord, help me” always works. I don’t need to give God details, He already knows them, but I need His help in all I do.

Developing a continual conversation with God means acknowledging His presence in your life.  When God feels distant from us, He didn’t move; we did.  Closing the gap happens when we start a conversation with Jesus, talking to Him about whatever struggles or joys we face. 

Just like wifi connects us to the internet, prayer connects us to God.  God never loses service, and He always has a strong signal.  But if we stop connecting, we miss God’s divine assistance.

Start today, and include God in all you do.  Short prayers keep us connected to the source and help us live life to the fullest as Jesus intends.

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[1] Strong, J., & Strong, J. (2010). The New Strong’s expanded exhaustive concordance of the Bible. Greek Dictionary of the New Testament (p. 62) Thomas Nelson

2 minute read.

Daily Reading: Jeremiah 8:8-9:26 ESV, Colossians 3:1-17 ESV, Psalm 78:32-55 ESV, Proverbs 24:27 ESV

Daily Verse: “Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth.” (Colossians 3:2 ESV)

PHRONEO (5426): “To exercise the mind, i.e., entertain or have a sentiment or opinion; by impl. To be (mentally disposed (more or less earnestly in a certain direction); intens. To interest oneself in (with concern or obedience).  Col 3:2, set your affection.”[1]

Exercise the mind

“If you’d stop and think once in a while, you wouldn’t get into so much trouble,” Mom. 

My mother told me to stop and think because of my actions.  In other words, my movements indicated a lack of thought.  When I overspent on my credit card, I did it impulsively.  Breaking my foot because I kicked a chair in anger revealed an emotional reaction I didn’t control.  Wrecking my car because I fought with a boyfriend showed a lack of priorities.

Paul’s telling the Colossians to stop and think about their thoughts.  They say they follow Jesus, but their actions, which come from thoughts, don’t align with their words.

Stop and think.

Think about where you focus your thoughts.  Ask yourself questions:

• “What do I spend the most time thinking about every day?”
• Are my thoughts positive or negative?
• How much do I think about Jesus before I react to a situation?

One of the things which genuinely helps me the most, and I do not do it enough, happens when I think about Jesus first.  If I take time, before I do anything else, to ask myself, “What would Jesus do?” I stop and think. 

In a moment of crisis, when my emotions overwhelm me, I struggle to stay focused on Jesus.  My mind races to the worst-case scenario so quickly that it scares me.  Trying to reign in those thoughts, capturing them, and refocusing on Jesus takes extreme effort.  Sometimes I fail; other times, I don’t.  But I do know the more I try, the better I do.

Following Jesus takes practice.  We have to stop and think about our thoughts.  We can’t capture what we don’t know.  But when we take time to think about our thoughts, then refocus them on Jesus, we’ll experience peaceful minds. 

Our actions reflect our thoughts.  When we focus our minds on Jesus, our actions will reflect Christ.

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[1] Strong, J., & Strong, J. (2010). The New Strong’s expanded exhaustive concordance of the Bible. Greek Dictionary of the New Testament (pp. 266-7) Thomas Nelson