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The Heroism of Faithful Love & Service
When we think of heroes, our minds often go to courageous people who rush into danger, rescue the helpless, or perform dramatic acts of bravery. We rightly honor those moments. But Scripture also invites us to recognize another kind of courage: the quiet, daily surrender of a life poured out in love. Not every hero dies in a single moment of sacrifice. Some heroes rise each morning and choose, again and again, to live sacrificially for the good of others.
We often identify everyday heroes as doctors, teachers, police officers, or firefighters, and we should give thanks for the ways they serve. But everyday heroes are not always wearing uniforms or standing in front of classrooms. Sometimes they are the mothers and fathers who get up early, stay up late, and give themselves steadily for their children and families. They provide meals, wash clothes, keep appointments, offer correction, speak encouragement, and carry burdens that often go unseen. Many also care for aging parents, honoring them with patience, tenderness, and faithfulness. Because these acts are ordinary, we may be tempted to overlook them. Yet in the kingdom of God, ordinary faithfulness is never small. The Lord sees the hidden labor, the tired prayers, the quiet tears, and the love that keeps serving when no one applauds. What the world may dismiss as duty, God receives as devotion.
Consider also those who care for an ailing spouse or loved one. They remember medications, attend appointments, prepare meals, offer comfort, and make space for another person’s weakness while carrying their own. Their time, energy, resources, and love are poured out day after day. Is this sacrifice any less holy because it is given at home, in private, and to someone they love? I do not believe so. Jesus taught that whatever we do for “the least of these,” we do for Him. Every act of love, patience, and service becomes an offering when it is placed before the Lord.
There may be no medals for this kind of love. There may be no public applause, no seat of honor, and no earthly reward. But Christ Himself modeled this way of life. He came not to be served, but to serve, and to give His life for many. He calls us to follow Him in the same spirit: to lay down our pride, our convenience, our comfort, and sometimes even our plans so that others might be strengthened. This is not easy. Our flesh resists sacrifice. We grow weary. We want to be noticed, appreciated, and relieved. Yet when we choose to serve anyway, by the grace of God, we reflect the heart of Jesus. In those quiet moments of obedience, love becomes worship.
Do not diminish the gravity of what it means to be a parent, friend, spouse, or child of an aging parent. Each day, you have the opportunity to be a hero to those around you by faithfully serving them, even when that service is unseen by many. God sees it.
So do not despise the hidden places where God has called you to serve. Do not diminish the weight or beauty of being a parent, spouse, friend, caregiver, or child of an aging parent. The work may be unseen by many, but it is never unseen by God. Each day, you have the opportunity to love like Christ in the very place He has planted you. Your faithfulness matters. Your service is holy. And when you pour yourself out in love, God sees, God strengthens, and God is glorified.
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Our Greatest Need
“Son, your sins are forgiven.” That’s what Christ said to the lame man lowered through the roof—the man who had never walked. I’ve always wondered why Jesus began with those words. The Pharisees questioned it too, but for different reasons; they wanted to know why He thought He had the authority to forgive sins. But I understand why: Jesus is the Son of God and He, as He later says in Mark, has the authority to forgive sins here on Earth. My reasons for wondering were different. Let me explain.
The lame man’s most obvious problem was his inability to walk. Anyone passing by would have said his issue was being lame. It was a clear, physical limitation. Yet, when faced with this need, Jesus first said, “Son, your sins are forgiven.” Did he look like a terrible sinner? How much trouble could he have gotten into without the ability to walk? But what made him a sinner is the same thing that makes us all sinners. Humanity is under the curse of Adam, separated from God. As scripture says, “Since by man came death, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.” Adam’s sin brought the curse upon us all. Humanity was corrupted, and though we don’t die immediately, sin—separation from God—creates a condition for eternal death. So when Christ looked at the lame man, He saw the man’s greatest need. It wasn’t the need to walk.
God doesn’t see things the way we do. The man’s friends didn’t bring him to Jesus for forgiveness; they brought him because they wanted him to walk again. Even they didn’t see his greatest need. But Jesus did. His greatest need was salvation, forgiveness, reconciliation with God. Walking was just an added blessing. Of course, Jesus told him to take up his mat and walk, but only after addressing his deepest need.
This made me think about what our greatest need really is. When I look at those around me, do I see them as Christ did? Am I only noticing the obvious needs—the need for healing, provision, shelter, or whatever limitation is visible? Or am I seeing their soul, in need of forgiveness and salvation?
If Christ had restored only the man’s ability to walk and not his soul, it would have been a temporary fix. Our bodies aren’t eternal. Instead, Christ restored his soul, doing an eternal work. Temporary healing addresses the body, but eternal healing—the restoration of the soul—is what lasts forever. Next time we pray for the needs of those around us, maybe we should remember their greatest need.
It’s something worth thinking about. Some people need to hear that their sins are forgiven, that they are loved, and not defined by their past. Others need to be reminded that there’s grace for them and in Christ, all things are made new. No matter the outward challenges or physical struggles, this is their greatest need.
I’m not saying God doesn’t care about our physical struggles—He absolutely does. But He didn’t come to save our bodies; He came to save our souls. By His stripes, we’re healed spiritually, emotionally, and physically. We need to remember that our greatest need isn’t something we can see or fully grasp materially. We’re sojourners, seeking restoration of heart and soul—something not easily visible from the outside. Maybe people notice something different, but it’s hard to define. That day, Christ saw the lame man’s true need and met it first. Praise God, He still does the same for you and me. Maybe it’s time we see others as He does, pray for their greatest need, love and serve to meet it, and live in gratitude that Christ has met ours when we belong to Him.
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Running to the Refuge
God is my fortress and my refuge, a very present help in times of trouble. I’ve read that Scripture, and I’ve sung that song, but now I’m living that life. It has become very real to me.
There’s one thing I’ve figured out about life in my nearly 50 years of living it: in this world, we will have trouble. It comes in all forms and at all times. Sometimes it is as small as the challenge of motivating yourself to do life that day. Sometimes it is challenges with coworkers, parenting, marriage, or single living. Sometimes it is simply the day-to-day work of avoiding conflict, keeping yourself and those you love from danger, and carrying the responsibilities that come with living. I don’t want to diminish that challenge or exaggerate it, because the truth is, it is hard to face life day after day and do all the things necessary for living. It’s not challenging like trying to lift a 1,000-pound weight, the impossible. It is more like the daily grind: a weight you have the capability of carrying, but it still feels heavy after carrying it over time. For many, anxiety or internal struggles greatly affect how they feel and approach daily life. The challenge becomes heavier because of that extra burden. It’s that feeling of wanting to run away instead of facing what is right in front of you. We’ve all felt it, and if we haven’t yet, we will. This daily grind can wear you down just as effectively as a chisel to a rock. It is like water running over a rock for a long time, slowly changing it. The water may not seem as daunting as the chisel, but over time it still has a similar effect.
I want to recognize that it has been a privilege to get to do this for almost 50 years. I know this time is not granted to everyone. So as much as the grind of daily living is a challenge, it is also a blessing, because the alternative is not living. Because of these daily challenges, we can see and recognize that we need a refuge so in a way the challenges are a blessing to because they remind us of our need for a Savior and a Shelter. We need a place of safety to hide away. We are all warriors fighting a daily battle. But just like the words of that Twila Paris song, the warrior is a child. Sometimes I feel like that, like the picture of the little girl in the grown-up woman’s shoes, as if I’m trying to fill shoes that are too big for me in life. It feels like more than I can take, like I’m an impostor, and I don’t want anyone to know that I’m actually just that girl, absolutely and totally dependent on God to give her strength. I project the confident woman, but I don’t always feel like that inside.
This daily grind has not conquered me, but it has reminded me every day that I need to stay connected to the vine. I have a source of strength and hope and peace, but it is not within myself, my own capabilities, or my circumstances. The daily grind reminds me that I serve a sovereign God, and I am not in control—He is. It reminds me that I must depend on Him very much like a child. It also reminds me that I am not alone because we are all facing it. It isn’t as if I’m the only one who has had to motivate herself to get up, dreaded the alarm clock, or felt weary before even putting her feet on the ground. Life can be exhausting. It can’t all be exciting, fun days we look forward to. Even Jesus got tired and needed to go away and be refreshed. It is part of being human. So, we should handle our daily grind and our weariness the same way Jesus did. We should be like little chicks that huddle under their mother’s wing and find rest, warmth, and safety there. We should be like the weary soldier coming back into the fortress after a fierce day of fighting, safe and protected from the battle. We should be like Jesus, going away to spend time in prayer and seek God alone. We will find that God is like a mother hen, with wings strong and wide enough to cover all who are His. He will hold us close to Himself and keep us warm and safe.
But we can’t stay there. We have to go back out and do the work He has given us to do, but we can go out strengthened and renewed by our times of refreshing with Him. We can’t forget how important it is to refuel. We can’t forget how important times of refreshing are in His presence. It doesn’t matter if it is in church, at a Bible study group, in your car praising the Lord like nobody is watching, at home in prayer and supplication, or out in nature when you feel surrounded by the glory of God. It doesn’t matter where, but as believers, we have to take those moments to steal away with God, to refocus and recenter our minds.
There is something to be said for meditating on God and focusing on all his benefits, blessings, and truth. It brings wholeness and rest to your soul and spirit. If you are weary, you should rest—rest in the Lord.
I don’t know why I ran from it for so long, fighting my own humanness and denying my own weariness, driving myself to the point of exhaustion. It is like I looked up and God was saying, “Why are you doing this to yourself? Don’t you know I’m here with a place of refuge for you?” I ask you today, fellow believers: why run from the refuge? Why seek any other solace when there is no other but God alone? Go running home when you fall down. Come when you are weary, when taking another step feels like more than you have within yourself. When all you find on every side is challenge and opposition, you can run to the name of the Lord. It is a strong tower. You can run into it and be safe. You can find that place of peace.
No, refuge doesn’t mean the battle has stopped everywhere or that the challenges have gone away, but at least for a little while, you can be at peace, rest, and shore up your strength to step out and face another day. Let’s look to the Lord everyday to be the strength of our Life and our place to hideaway and find solace and peace.
Don’t live weary my friends as those who have no refuge, no home, or shelter from the daily grind and challenges of life. Rush to rest at his feet and find peace and strength to face every challenge, every battle, and each new day!
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The Greatest Miracle
I had heard it so much all my life, really—or at least as long as I can remember—that Jesus loves me and that he forgives my sins. All of them. That he has saved me. It’s been spoken on the tongues of preachers, sung in anthems, said in prayers, written on signs. I’ve even read it in God’s Word, but I realized today a great truth: I had missed the greatest miracle recorded in Scripture.
In Luke chapter 7, when the sinful woman came to Christ and washed his feet with her tears and hair, then anointed him with perfume, Christ said to her in response, “Your sins are forgiven.” Then he proceeded to tell her that her faith had saved her, that she was to go in peace. The thought ran through my mind: her faith had saved her from what? What miracle had she received?
We’ve heard it said in other parts of Scripture that when Jesus said, “Your faith has made you well,” it involved restoration of life, physical manifestations of healing in the body. But here, very plainly, it’s not just that your faith has saved you from a temporary ailment or problem. It occurred to me that the woman was saved and freed from the penalty of the sins that had been held against her. She was released from the guilt, shame, burden, and penalty of her sins because she was forgiven by Christ. The greatest miracle is the one we overlook, or don’t even really think of as a miracle: the miracle of salvation through forgiveness by faith.
Maybe, like me, you’ve just heard it so much that you have forgotten what a miracle salvation is. Let me explain what is so amazing about the salvation provided by our Savior. You were stained with sin so completely that you could not wash it off through any effort of your own. You could not deny your guilt, although perhaps you ignored it. Literally, your sins had poisoned your soul to the point that you were completely separated from God and dead—a lost cause. Through the miracle of faith in Christ, your black soul was washed white through the red blood Christ shed for you. He honors our faith and trust in who Christ is and what he can do. He is the one who can forgive our sins. He is the only one who has made a way where there is no way. He took the penalty for our sins on himself so we would not have to bear it. He ransomed our life and defeated death so that it no longer has a hold on us. Without him, we would have been lost, condemned, and without hope. His forgiveness and salvation is everything.
Just sit with that thought for a minute and think about the wonder of the miracle of salvation. This is something we take for granted and so flippantly say, “Just come to the Lord and say a prayer, and your sins are forgiven and you’re saved.” It’s almost as if we minimize what’s happening in that moment. Complete healing, which you were incapable of bringing about yourself. Your stained soul made white. While your righteousness is like a filthy rag to be thrown away, he covers you with his own righteousness. Your debt completely paid, which was too great for you to ever pay.
The penalty for the condition of your soul and your sin was death, and you had no way to save yourself. Praise the Lord, through the grace of God and with the faith he gives you to believe, you believed in his authority and power to completely heal, restore, and redeem your life from the pit. This is not just one of the things God does, and then he heals and provides also. The salvation he gives us is everything. It is our greatest need: forgiveness and redemption. It’s the greatest miracle!
Whether you’ve heard it a million times, or it’s your first time hearing it, I want you to understand today that when Christ says, “Your sins are forgiven,” it is the most awesome miracle that could ever be done. Even more amazing is the fact that he’s saying that to you and to me. When we come in faith and believe in his power to save us, he saves and forgives.
You do need salvation. He’s the Savior for you, the only one who could save. What an awesome God we serve! He sees our greatest need and he meets it. And still he goes one step further and not only forgives us and saves us, but grants us peace, grace, and love.
Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound, that saved a wretch like me. I once was lost, but now I’m found. I was blind, but now I see what Jesus really did for me—what he wants to do for us all, if only we will come in faith. Don’t miss the greatest miracle and Don’t miss out on the greatest miracle! It is available to us all today.
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The True Meaning of God’s Favor
What does favor look like? For a long time, I thought that if you were in someone’s favor, everything would be wonderful—that they would pour out honor and blessings on you. Like at work: if you had your boss’s favor, you’d get promoted, you’d get the best opportunities, you’d stay on the “winning” side of things. I guess I assumed favor would feel good. It would feel like a blessing. But the other day, while reading scripture, I saw God’s favor in a different light.
If you grew up in church like I did—raised in the pew and carried to Sunday school—then you know the story of Joseph. Joseph had dreams as a young boy, and when he shared those big, bold dreams with his brothers, it didn’t go over well. They resented him—and they resented their father’s deep affection for him. When the chance came, they attacked him, threw him into a well, and planned to leave him there. But then they decided to sell him instead, handing him over to slave traders passing by on the road. One young man, betrayed by his own brothers, was carted off to Egypt.
And in Egypt, Joseph did receive a “position”… but not the kind we usually imagine when we talk about favor. He was a slave. Yet scripture says God blessed what he did. God’s favor was on him. So much so that Joseph was trusted with more responsibility—higher roles, even as a slave. Have you ever thought about a “higher slave position” as favor from God? It makes you stop and think. Maybe favor doesn’t always look the way we expect it to look. Maybe it doesn’t feel the way we expect it to feel. God’s favor didn’t mean Joseph was freed. It didn’t mean he was instantly restored to the life that was stolen from him. It meant that everything he put his hand to was blessed.
That same favor didn’t keep him from trouble either. Joseph was falsely accused by his master’s wife and thrown into prison. And even there—behind bars—God blessed him. Favor didn’t mean the prison doors swung open. Favor didn’t mean the conditions suddenly became comfortable. Favor meant that God was with him, and what Joseph touched was blessed. People around him could see there was something different—something more than Joseph. It was the Lord’s presence on his life.
So maybe favor doesn’t mean things are easy. Maybe God’s favor doesn’t mean freedom from every struggle, or that life looks the way you wish it looked. Maybe favor is God providing—right in the middle of hard places. Maybe favor is the strength to keep moving forward, and the kind of integrity that shines so clearly other people can’t ignore it.
And when you look closely at Joseph, you can see why the favor of God rested on him. Think about how he responded to the two fellow prisoners who wanted to understand their dreams. Joseph didn’t act like the gift belonged to him—he pointed them to God. He made it clear: he couldn’t do it on his own, but the Lord could reveal what was hidden. Joseph understood that the power was God’s, and the glory belonged to God. That humility mattered.
People say they want the favor of God because they want blessings—open doors, ease, comfort, increase. But God doesn’t pour out His favor so we can be selfish with it. Even Israel was blessed to be a blessing. And Joseph—through every twist and turn—ended up feeding nations, saving lives, and pouring out what God put in him. He could’ve given in to bitterness. He could’ve felt sorry for himself. But again and again, he chose humility, and he chose to honor God.
In my own life, I can point to seasons that felt unfavorable—places I didn’t choose, delays I didn’t understand, hardships I didn’t ask for. But when I look back, what stands out isn’t the difficulty as much as the faithfulness of God. Even when I felt far from Him, He wasn’t far from me. And I have a feeling Joseph would say the same—not because scripture quotes him saying it, but because you can see it in the way he lived and the way he honored God.
God’s favor is not an easy life, and it’s not everything working out exactly the way you planned. His favor is His faithful, gracious provision—His presence in the pit, His blessing in the prison, His strength for the journey. So don’t believe the lie that because things aren’t picture-perfect you must have missed God or somehow fallen outside His blessing. He provides how He chooses. He sustains how He chooses. But His faithfulness is still real, and it is still for His children.
You, my friend, live under the favor of God. I pray today you recognize it and see it clearly. The road God took Joseph down had purpose—and the path to the dream ran straight through the nightmare—but at every step he was under God’s favor. So if your road feels long and hard, don’t assume God is against you. He is for you. He is drawing you to Himself. He is working, even when it’s impossible to understand. We just have to trust His heart, trust His love, and trust His faithfulness that never ends. As a child of God, you are highly favored and deeply loved. And even when the middle of the story makes no sense, one day it will be clear.
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Selective Reading
I’m sure you’re familiar with the concept of selective listening, and if you’re a parent, you’ve likely accused your children of it. It’s when you listen but only hear the messages you want to hear, while somehow ignoring everything else, even if it’s said. It’s as if you’re deaf to any instruction other than those you want to hear. This idea of selective listening got me thinking and I realized that this selective behavior also applies to reading.
For years, there were certain parts of scripture that I preferred to avoid. Some of these were for legitimate reasons, as I didn’t see how they could add value to my life. Additionally, there were scriptures whose messages I understood but didn’t want to accept. I’m not alone in this selective reading behavior. As believers, we often practice selective reading when it comes to the word of God. Popular verses like “I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength” and “nothing can separate me from the love of God” easily roll off our tongues. We appreciate the messages they convey and enjoy the perceived benefits of these scriptures.
Then there are the scriptures we prefer to avoid. For instance, “As much as you can, be at peace with each other. Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, and forgiving one another as God in Christ forgave you.” We tend to avoid this when we don’t want to forgive or when we want to give free rein to our anger because we feel justified in our offense. I’ve heard many believers say they won’t forgive, which I believe is a result of selective reading, neglecting Matthew 6:15: “But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.” What offense could be greater than what we did to God? We cost Him the life of His most precious, His own Son. We willfully caused this because of our sin. When I hear believers say they won’t forgive, that verse quickly comes to mind. When I’ve thought I don’t want to forgive, that scripture runs through my mind. I realized that I have to forgive, that I must forgive because God forgave me. How can I ask or require Him to forgive me so much if I’m not willing to forgive others?
What about the scripture about what true religion and what it is? According to James 1:27 religion that God our father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world. You see scripture says that true religion is not attending church every Sunday, it’s not having Christian radio stations bumper stickers plastered on your car, or even blasting worship music. It’s not wearing a cross or witness wear. No true religion is when you are the hands and feet of Jesus and you minister to orphans, shut-ins, widows, the disregarded, the forgotten, those in prison, the homeless on the streets, the neighbors in need who offer nothing in return. True religion is giving freely the love of God through acts of service, kindness, and selfless generosity. That’s what scripture says. It also says that Jesus will one say to certain people that I was hungry, and you fed me, I was naked and you gave me clothes, I was sick or in prison and you visited me. That whatever you do to the least of these you’ve done unto me. Do you see the message that’s so clearly there if you will choose not to selectively read scripture but instead take it as a whole.
The very reason God chose Israel was so they could be blessed and, in turn, bless others. Nothing that God sends out returns empty or simply ends. Our salvation and the life we have in Christ are meant to be shared with others. This creates a cycle of life and growth. It flows through us and continues to others, rather than stopping with us. That’s what scripture teaches.
I challenge you to consider all of scripture, even the parts that make you uncomfortable because they highlight areas in your heart and mind that need change. King David expressed it best in Psalm 139 when he said, “Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me and lead me in the way everlasting.” We should ask God to search us and use scripture as a guide to identify aspects of ourselves that need transformation or removal. If you only selectively read scripture, you’ll miss the full message of the gospel of Christ. Your salvation wasn’t just for you; it was a gift meant to be shared as you forgive, show kindness, serve, and love others. Ultimately, this glorifies your Father in heaven by generously offering all you are in service to Him, just as Christ offered all of Himself for you.
He doesn’t expect us to accomplish everything in one day. It’s a process, but choose today to open your heart and spirit to the transformative word of life. Choose today to embrace and fully absorb the message found in scripture. Pray the prayer David prayed and truly mean it. Then watch as the word of God, which is more powerful than you can imagine, transforms, renews, and gives you brand new vision and eyes to see the world and others. Not as problems to be solved or annoyances to avoid, but as lost souls desperate for the same amazing gift you have already received so freely. Will you read it all and let it change you? Will you read it all and let it transform others as it flows through you? Will you stop selectively reading and embrace the full gospel of Christ?
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Armor Up: Fighting the Battle Within
The best generals and warriors understand that battles aren’t always won by might; they are also won by perception. If you can convince someone they are defeated, they will stop trying to fight. These are tactics that aim to deceive, confuse, and psychologically break your enemy’s will to fight rather than relying on a direct contest of strength. This kind of psychological warfare is just one of the many tactics that our enemy uses against the body of Christ, against believers.
Satan is a cunning enemy. He never stops trying to take as many of us from the Lord or prevent as many of us from coming to the Lord as he can. He does this in many ways. One of the most obvious ways is through comfort. He makes it look so good to be independent from God and not worry about the consequences. He deceives people into thinking they have plenty of time and not responding to the tugging or the knocking while they have a chance. He encourages others to harm and hurt the innocent, making it seem deserved. He works at suppressing the message of the gospel in this way. These are the most obvious of his tactics, and we all know full well that he employs them.
Yet there is one tactic that is harder to identify but is employed just as often against believers. It’s the psychological warfare that we go through in our battle with the enemy. If he can’t convince you with creature comforts to sit out of a fight, like the survivor players who choose to take the reward instead of staying in to win the prize, then he’ll try other ways to convince you to come down off the obstacle and quit.
The psychological warfare that makes the pain scream louder so that you hear it, that makes the time stretch and feel like an impossibility to ever win even though winning is within your grasp, the feeling that everyone else is stronger than you so why even stay in the game because you won’t win anyway? He’ll try to distract you with temptations that would pull you away from this race that you’re running. He loves the compare game, you know which game I’m talking about. It’s a game where when you look at Facebook or when you walk around outside, that thing you’re struggling with is right in your face, and it seems like everyone else is winning but you. For me, this is at church on Sundays when I look around and everyone’s going home after church, and it seems like they’re all surrounded by their families with their partners and joyful, and I’m going home alone again. Or I’m going with just my boys and me but no partner to enjoy life us. I feel the lack because as I’ve looked around, I’ve seen others who have. It’s not that I’m envious; I recognize that having a partner wouldn’t make my life magically wonderful. It’s just an ache and an unmet desire that I have. I’ve known women who desperately want a child who experienced the same kind of feelings as they’re looking around, and all of a sudden, it seems like everyone is pregnant, but they can’t get pregnant. Maybe it’s not a relationship or a person you want in your life, but maybe it’s finances, and you look around and see that it seems everyone else has the new thing that you’re not able to get or that you really want. Perhaps even the things you need are hard to attain, and it’s discouraging when you look around because it seems so easy for everyone else. That’s the compare game that the enemy likes to use, his tactic of distracting you away from focusing on unity in the body of Christ and focusing on what you do have and your relationship with the Lord.
I want to be very blunt when I say that if you hope in anything but the Lord, you will be disappointed. Everyone else and everything else that we can put our hope in besides God will disappoint us or fail us somehow. If not in the beginning, then eventually. We are fickle humans, and we live in a world full of mortal, fickle humans with corruptible and perishing things. There is not a single thing that we have here that endures or lasts forever; there is no one who is faithful without ever making a mistake or failing us. We cannot live forever, so we will ultimately disappoint anyone we love because we will leave them, and we won’t want to. I know we’ll see them again in heaven, but here on this earth, we will cause others grief in one way or another. The only place to properly put your hope where you won’t be disappointed is in the Lord.
Today, as I sit here, I fight the psychological battle with the enemy. He wants to discourage me, he wants me to play the compare game, he wants to point out all the ways that I shouldn’t be happy and all the things I don’t have. I don’t have to let those arrows hit me. I don’t have to believe the lies that are being thrown at me. I don’t have to allow myself to become discouraged and feel defeated. I will not lay down my sword, my shield, or take off my armor and quit fighting for the Lord. I will ask God to give me the strength to just stand. I will cover my heart and my mind with prayer and with truth from God’s word. I will ensure that the only playlist I have running is the one that speaks of the truth of who I am in Christ and his love for me.
Recognizing the kind of battle we’re fighting is key. Once we recognize the kind of battle we’re fighting, then we know how to fight back or how to combat the enemy. My goal is that you would see the kind of battle you’re facing because it might be the same kind of battle I’m fighting now. Maybe it’s different versions of the same arrows: discontentment, disappointment, insecurities, maybe even pride and confidence in yourself, not in Christ. But the enemy lobs arrows at us. The enemy tries to distract us with all the wonderful things we could have if we choose our own way instead of standing there fighting the battle that God has called us to do.
When I was in my kitchen cleaning dishes, thinking about my life and my workday ahead and all the frustrations, and I was feeling overwhelmed, I realized that the enemy was trying to discourage me so I wouldn’t share this with you, but I am going to share it anyway.
My fellow believers, we have an enemy, and no, he is not at fault for everything we do, but he is the cause of all the lies and the deception and the hurt in the world. He is the cause of all death and grief. He wants to write your story, tell you that it’s better that you take the pen out of God’s hand, and you write it the way you think it would be best. Let’s win this psychological battle; let’s let God write our story. Let’s walk in hope for salvation and righteousness in Christ, not in hope of temporary things that don’t endure. Let’s invest ourselves and our time in building God’s Kingdom instead of being concerned about only building ours the way we want it to be. Choose to stand and say, “I am a child of God, and no weapon formed against me, whether real or psychological, will prosper, and every lie that rises up against me will fall, put down by the truth from God’s word.” I am not afraid of what the devil will bring or use to try to defeat me because I’ve already won because Christ won. I just have to stand and believe, and no amount of psychological warfare will defeat me because I have victory in Christ. The Son set me free, and I am free indeed.
I will not be tied down; I will not be discouraged, and I hope you make that decision too. Sometimes it is a decision we have to choose because we don’t feel it, but even when I don’t feel it, I know the truth of who I am in Christ, and I will not allow the enemy to convince me otherwise and let him win. Lucifer, father of lies, I’m going to shine my light no matter what; you cannot dim it, not with any tactic you try to use against me. Because I have a fortress and a refuge, and I have armor, and my team has already won!
Do you believe it? I hope you do, that the truth sinks into your soul and helps strengthen and sustain you today, like it has me.
Scripture reference: Ephesians 6:11-13, 2 Corinthians 10:3-5, 1 Peter 5:8, Psalm 91, Isaiah 54:17
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When I don’t
There is a newer, and really fun praise song people sing at churches all over. It’s actually just called “Praise.” There’s a line in that song that I was thinking about this morning. It says, “I’ll praise when I feel it, and I’ll praise when I don’t.” I’ve been reflecting on this idea of moving and acting despite not feeling.
There are seasons that I would describe as neuropathy of the soul. Neuropathy occurs when there’s been damage to the nerves, causing symptoms like numbness, tingling, and even pain. Ironically, sometimes losing feeling actually hurts. These are the real-life symptoms of a physical condition. However, I would argue that neuropathy of the soul functions in much the same way. These are seasons of numbness, doldrums in life with no wind to guide or move you. It’s like you’re just stuck or suspended there, with motivation or emotion. Yet, even in that place, as believers, we have a choice to make.
We can choose to actively pursue, praise, and walk by faith even when we don’t feel like it. When I feel no motivation to lift my hands in praise, I can still lift my hands in praise. When reading scripture feels like just reading other words on a page, I can still read the words on the pages of scripture. When singing praise songs feels pointless and joyless, I can still sing praises. When praying feels like sending words into a void or as if the words are bouncing right off the ceiling and coming back at me, I can still pray. Even when I don’t feel the drive to pursue God passionately, I can still choose to pursue Him passionately. My faith is not based on my feelings. I don’t serve God because it feels good or even because I want to. I am compelled to serve God out of absolute gratitude because of His boundless grace. And even when I don’t feel it, the truth of His boundless grace has not changed. Not only am I compelled out of gratitude to serve the Lord, but there’s also nourishment and hunger that can only be met through connection with the Lord.
Often, when you have a fever or some kind of cold symptom, you can lose your desire for food, not your need for it. Primarily, people lose their hunger because they can’t taste the food. When you can’t taste the food, even though you still need it, your desire for it reduces. This is what happens during this season of neuropathy of the soul. It’s almost as if I can’t taste and see that the Lord is good; instead, I just have faith that He is. This is harder. To want to eat when there is no desire or motivation to. Where previously I felt the full effects of joy and peace, it was sweet, and my soul longed for that refreshing. When the same nourishment is like sawdust in my mouth, even good things are hard to swallow. Sometimes it’s like that. There’s no sweetness even to things that are sweet, no enjoyment in taking in nourishment. There’s no flavor, but it’s not because there’s no flavor; it’s because you can’t taste it. The food hasn’t changed; your ability to taste it and recognize the sweetness has. When you don’t feel it, when your walk with the Lord and all His blessings, His sustaining grace, have not lost their sweetness or somehow seem to have become less, we just can’t feel it, the truth has not changed.
Do you stop eating because you can’t taste the food? No, if you did, you would die from lack of nourishment. Your body still requires nourishment even if there’s no enjoyment in receiving it. It’s the same for your soul. There is never a moment when you do not need the nourishment that only comes from the bread of life. There’s never a moment when you do not require the water from the well that never runs dry. When you feel it and when you don’t, the only way to do anything in the daily life of a believer is to stay connected to the vine. We must draw from and seek God at all times. When we feel the amazing connectedness and joy in that relationship, when there’s sweetness that we can savor, and when we feel nothing at all. We can recognize that those are just seasons of neuropathy of the soul or times when we’ve come to a place in the ocean of our life where we are stuck in a doldrum. Our position might be different than it had been, but God has not changed. He is still amazing even if, when we look, we do not feel any wonder.
So what do we do? What is our response to these times of numbness, times where there’s no intrinsic or extrinsic motivation to seek and stay connected? It’s simple: we eat anyway. Those are the moments that we choose to walk by faith and believe in something that we can’t feel or see but that we know is true. Those are times we choose to seek what our soul doesn’t even recognize in that moment that we need but we know that we do. These are times of trial where we are tested in a very specific way to see if we will continue to pursue God and serve even when there is no benefit or it feels like there’s no easy, quick-win benefit for us. If I only serve God when it feels good, if I only seek God when it’s easy, what kind of service and seeking is that?
If your response to this is, “I’ve never felt that way and I never will,” I have news for you: you will. All of us go through these times, and all of us as believers have a choice to make regarding our reaction and our action in those moments. It’s fun to say, “I’ll praise when I feel it and I’ll praise when I don’t,” but it’s not so much fun to actually have to choose to praise when you don’t feel it. That’s when our act of worship becomes a sacrifice of praise and an act of faith.
This journey with the Lord requires nourishment and connection every day and every moment. So when you feel it and when you don’t—regardless of your feelings—I challenge you to pursue God anyway. Remind yourself when it feels joyless and there’s no sweetness in the pursuing to keep pressing on. Remember, we live not by sight but by faith, and we pursue God not by feelings but by faith. And because of our faith we pray. “Lord, when we don’t, We still will because we need you always! Help us Lord never to forget that!” You are my God when I feel it, and when I don’t! You are the one I serve when I feel it and when I don’t! And I will seek you always – when I want to and when I don’t! – I will preserve and believe by faith!
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Lifting Up Weary Arms: A Journey of Faith
I haven’t been writing lately. When I try to tap into that part of myself that’s inspired, I find very little. Why? Absolute weariness. Weariness can lead to many symptoms, and a lack of creativity is just one of them. It also has a tendency to take me down that dark road where I wonder why it even matters that I continue to write. That dark road of the valley of depression and despair where motivation is hard to find and positivity is fleeting
Yes, even in the life of a believer, there are times when life becomes so heavy and situations so taxing that you find yourself at the end of your rope. Because I find myself here, I started to realize I should do what I typically do: process, come, and see a way to either look at this situation from God’s perspective or perhaps find a way, with God’s help, to move through this season with grace. Unlike before, I’m not condemning myself for being here. There are very valid reasons for my bone weariness. Work demands are very high, stressful situations with team members, my father’s health struggles, and having to recognize that his passing might be sooner than I feel ready for, if one can ever be ready for that. Some health challenges of my own, probably due to the exhaustion. Financial strains and the regular daily responsibilities that are always there but now feel impossibly heavy. All of these things combined remind me that I don’t need to condemn myself or blame myself for the weariness. I recognize that life is just heavy at the moment.
Even though I don’t condemn myself for not being stronger, I’m still not sure how to cope. It’s like I have a bill to pay that’s higher than the amount of money in my account to pay it. There’s nothing I can do inside of myself to make up the difference. So it goes unpaid, and the need remains. But does it have to? That’s what I’m asking myself today: do I have to stay weary, or is there another answer?
This brought my mind to Jesus asleep in the middle of the raging storm. It brought my mind to Paul and Silas singing praises when they were beaten and shackled inside that prison. And it brings my mind to so many other saints who had praised and found peace in circumstances much worse than my own. How can I find that place of rest when I don’t even have the strength to lift my own arms for help?
My mother reminded me of Moses in the Old Testament during the battle when he held his arms up and the victory continued to be on Israel’s side. But when his arms grew weary and started to fall, the battle began to be lost. What was the answer for him? He had help—those who came alongside him and held up his arms so the battle would be won. I realized there are moments when we cannot raise our own arms, when our strength has been sapped and we need help. For the battle to be won, we need help. As humbling as it might be, I need to reach out, even just to a few, and ask to be lifted up in prayer for strength and peace. Why is it that people either feel entirely willing to share everything they think is wrong or share absolutely nothing because we should be stronger and shouldn’t have needs? Perhaps we don’t share because we’re not sure exactly what we need—there’s just so much, and we can’t really explain it. The Bible tells us to cast all our cares on Christ, for He cares for us, and it also tells us to bear each other’s burdens and so fulfill the law of Christ. It says if anyone is sick or in need, they should call for the elders of the church and have them pray for them. Are we bringing our needs to the Lord? Am I?
Am I doing what they do in Psalms when they lamented the weariness and frustration of life but marveled at the greatness of God? Am I willing to admit that right now I have no strength and even the song in my heart seems much quieter, and I don’t exactly know how to get free of this? Am I asking the few that I trust to hold me up in prayer, and am I being real when someone asks if I’m okay? Are you? If you feel like me, absolutely worn out, are you being honest and open? Are you letting the body of Christ know how they can support you?
The path forward, I see now, is simple. I have to honestly reach out, lean into the Lord, and lean into the body of believers around me. I cannot think that in my own strength this battle will be won. I wasn’t meant to run this race on my own, and sometimes I need somebody else who’s running to look over and say, “Hey, keep going. Let me take that burden from you so you can run easier.” Maybe you feel very much like me. Let’s try a new way. Let others help hold your arms up when you can’t find the strength in yourself, like Christ and His Holy Spirit through the love and encouragement of those around you, infusing you with a second wind, a little extra when your tank is empty. Be honest and real, but always remember to stay hopeful because there is help to be had. We are not like those who face the heaviness of life, as it tends to become very heavy at times, without aid or assistance. We are those who have a Savior, a Father, a true friend in Christ. We are those who have a body of Christ to support, encourage, and love us. We are those who are one part of a whole, and we should recognize that and act that way. If you’re hurting, if you’re weary, if you’re tired, it affects more than just you. You don’t have to stay there. You have others who will come alongside you, walk with you, lift you up, and encourage you, showing you that there is a pathway back up once again. Or who can take part of the weight so you can still walk but rest.
Life will never not be challenging. The tasks we face will always require energy and at times tax our strength to the point where we’re on empty. But God and His family, the support and love that He has and wants to lavish on us, is even greater than we could ever imagine. Start today. Stop trying to be strong enough and let someone else hold up your arms.
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Strength for the Journey: Spiritual Nourishment in Daily Life
Most Saturday mornings I walk with my sister. It’s such a sweet time of communion and fellowship, not to mention the health benefits. However, this Saturday morning I struggled with lightheadedness and weakness during our walk. This week was very stressful at work, and I often didn’t have time to stop and eat or drink water. Yesterday was no exception. After several days of spotty meals and insufficient hydration, walking our usual three miles was challenging. Waves of weakness washed over me as we walked. Praise God I made it, but the experience reminded me of an important lesson for us as believers.
To work and live, we need energy, which we get from the nutrition and nourishment of food and water. If we don’t consume the right amount, our bodies weaken. The same applies to our spirits. Spiritually, God has called us to walk the path of discipleship, which requires energy and guidance. Jesus is the bread of life, and God’s word and presence are our food and nourishment. If we don’t regularly feed our spirits, we will experience spiritual weakness, just as I did physically this morning.
Have you been feeling spiritually weak? When facing challenges, do you feel faint? Ask yourself if you are feeding your spirit. Are you regularly taking in God’s presence and word? Are you abiding in Him and staying connected to the vine? It matters because the only way to stay spiritually nourished and healthy is to continually take in spiritual nourishment. Just as our bodies consume the nutrition we eat and it is necessary that we regularly take in nutrients, our journey with the Lord uses and consumes the spiritual nourishment we bring in through His Spirit and work in us. We need to regularly take in spiritual nourishment. That is why God doesn’t give us everything all at once. Instead, He saves us, and we continually draw from Him. This drawing is an action we choose to do or not to do.
Of course, there are heavy moments that are impossible to face without extra grace from God, no matter how strong we are spiritually. However, if you actively pursue God, building and feeding your spirit, He will give you strength to persevere. You will still face challenges, but you will face them with a spirit soaked in God, a mind renewed with His word, and a heart passionate to follow Him no matter what.
God has not called us to a race on an easy road. It is not one we can complete in our strength alone. Our journey requires much more. The only way to strengthen yourself and prepare for each day with the Lord is to prioritize your spiritual nourishment. It matters.
Are you feeling weak in the face of everyday challenges? Consume the bread of life, stop and drink from the living water of God’s word and Spirit. You don’t need to continue lacking strength; it’s right there for you, but you have to take it. No matter how busy I am at work this week, I will set aside time for regular nourishment to avoid feeling physically weak. I want to be able to walk next Saturday and feel stronger. Even more importantly, I will continue to feed my spirit because life is much harder than a three-mile walk. The challenges we face are greater, so we must continually draw from the Lord, consume the bread of life, receive the words of life, renew our minds with His word, and always remain in thankful prayer.
There’s no need to continue in spiritual weakness when there is such abundance. You need only to sit at His table and be nourished by Him.
Devotions For Real Life
God moments, lessons learned, and hope for the journey
Look for a new post every Sunday. My hope is you find encouragement, wisdom for real life moments, and share them with others who may benefit from any of the posts.
Devotions For Real Life 