“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.”
- Galatians 5:22-23
We live in a world where it feels like anxiety is the air we breathe. Stress is normal. Worry is expected. Restlessness has become a way of life. People long for peace, but most only know how to chase temporary relief, whether a vacation, a distraction, a quick fix, or a moment of quiet that disappears as soon as life presses in again.
But the peace of God, the next fruit of the Spirit, is not a fragile escape from life’s pressures. It is a supernatural calm that holds steady in the midst of the storm. Jesus promised this kind of peace in John 14:27: “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” The world gives peace by removing problems, but Jesus gives peace in the middle of them.
Biblical peace is more than the absence of conflict or inner calm; it is wholeness, harmony, and spiritual well-being. The Hebrew word shalom, often translated as peace, carries a sense of completeness, a soul secure in the care of God.
In Philippians 4:7, the Apostle Paul describes it like this: “And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” Peace transcends understanding; it doesn’t always make sense. Peace guards your heart and mind; it defends against fear and anxiety. Peace is rooted in Christ Jesus, not in circumstances. With the true peace of God, you can be surrounded by chaos and still stand calm. You can be in the middle of uncertainty and still feel secure. You can face loss and grief and yet not collapse because God is holding you.
But peace isn't something we manufacture; it is something God gives. It flows from knowing who He is, believing what He has promised, and trusting His heart even when we do not understand His ways. Before we can experience the peace of God, we must first receive peace with God, which is restored through the salvation that is only found through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
Once we have peace from God, then we can begin to experience relational peace with others. This fruit of the Spirit not only calms our hearts toward God, but also softens our hearts toward people. Romans 12:18 tells us, “If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.” We cannot control other people’s responses, but we can control ours. Spirit-filled peace reconciles, forgives, listens, and seeks unity over winning arguments.
But if peace is a gift from God, why do so many believers struggle to live in it? Because peace is constantly attacked by fear when we are not fully trusting in God for all things. Fear gets us to ask the questions, “What if this goes wrong? What if God doesn’t come through?” Our sin disrupts peace in our lives. Anything that separates us from God also separates us from His true peace in our lives. When peace feels distant, the Holy Spirit invites us to come near to God; not to try harder in our own strength, but to surrender more deeply.
The peace of God is not just comfort; it is direction and protection. In Colossians 3:15, Paul writes: “Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful.” The word “rule” has the idea of acting like an umpire. Peace can be a signal for us as we live our lives. When peace fills your heart, move forward. When peace withdraws, pause and seek God. The Spirit’s peace is often God’s way of guiding us.
In a frightened, anxious world, peace can also be powerful evangelism. A peaceful Christian stands out. Others may panic, but you are trusting God. Others may complain, but you give thanks for what God is doing in the midst of difficulties. Others may lash out in anger, but you respond with gentleness. Others may crumble under burdens, but you remain steady in Christ. People notice these things. When we live with Spirit-filled peace, the world sees something different in us – they see Jesus.
But there are seasons in life when peace feels distant or maybe even impossible. But having God’s peace does not mean we never struggle; it means that God is present in the struggle. Sometimes the most powerful peace is not a feeling, but a decision to trust God no matter what. Our emotions may go up and down like a roller coaster, but our faith in Christ holds us steady and will bring us to that place of peace.
While peace is a fruit of the Spirit, we can actively participate in cultivating it. We can pursue peace by fixing our minds on God. When we focus on God and trust Him, we will shut out the worries of this world and experience His peace. We can also counteract anxiety through prayer, building that relationship with God, and handing over our burdens to Him. Meditating on Scripture, practicing gratitude, and even intentionally resting and spending time with God will also encourage the Spirit’s peace in our lives.
Where is your heart restless today? What is one step you can take today to slow down and rest in God’s presence? Who in your life needs peace that you can help bring through prayer, forgiveness, or encouragement?
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Then she kissed them goodbye and they wept aloud and said to her, “We will go back with you to your people.”
But Naomi said, “Return home, my daughters. Why would you come with me? Am I going to have any more sons, who could become your husbands? Return home, my daughters; I am too old to have another husband. Even if I thought there was still hope for me—even if I had a husband tonight and then gave birth to sons— would you wait until they grew up? Would you remain unmarried for them? No, my daughters. It is more bitter for me than for you, because the LORD’s hand has turned against me!”
- Ruth 1:9b-13
This passage continues the deeply emotional exchange between Naomi and her daughters-in-law, Ruth and Orpah. For the context before this, check out last week’s post. Naomi’s raw honesty about her situation and her insistence that they leave her paints a vivid picture of her grief and hopelessness. It also sets the stage for the monumental choices Ruth and Orpah must make.
Naomi’s words are layered with cultural context, theological undertones, and human vulnerability. Naomi’s reference to sons becoming husbands highlights the ancient practice of levirate marriage, outlined in Deuteronomy 25:5-10. This custom ensured the preservation of a deceased man’s lineage by requiring his brother (or closest male relative) to marry his widow. The children from this union would inherit the deceased man’s name and property.
Naomi laments her inability to fulfill this role for her daughters-in-law. She is too old to remarry and bear sons, and even if she could, it would take years for the boys to grow up. By emphasizing the impossibility of their situation, Naomi seeks to release Ruth and Orpah from any perceived obligation to her.
Widowhood in the ancient Near East was a precarious position. Without a husband or male offspring, a woman faced economic insecurity and social marginalization. Naomi’s continuing pleas for her daughters-in-law to return home reflects her concern for their well-being, knowing that their chances of remarriage and stability were far greater in Moab.
Naomi’s declaration, "It is more bitter for me than for you, because the Lord’s hand has turned against me” (verse 13), reveals her deep sense of despair and her belief that her suffering is a direct result of divine action. This statement reflects a common worldview in the ancient Near East, where calamity was often interpreted as evidence of divine displeasure or judgment.
Naomi’s grief has shaped her perception of God. Having lost her husband and both of her sons, she feels abandoned and cursed. Her lament mirrors the language of other biblical figures, such as Job, who grappled with the apparent absence of God’s favor amid suffering. Naomi’s bitterness is not just about her personal pain but also about her perceived alienation from God’s blessing.
Naomi’s emotional struggle raises timeless questions about the nature of God’s presence in times of suffering. Why do bad things happen to good people? Does God’s silence mean He is absent? While Naomi feels forsaken, the unfolding narrative reveals that God’s providence is still at work, even in ways she cannot yet see. This tension between human perspective and divine purpose invites readers to trust in God’s unseen plan, even when circumstances seem bleak.
We witness a great emotional weight in this passage. Naomi’s act of kissing Ruth and Orpah goodbye (verse 9b) is a poignant gesture of love and finality. In the ancient Near East, a kiss symbolized not only affection but also a farewell. This moment underscores the emotional bond between the women, forged through shared experiences of loss and survival.
Ruth and Orpah’s initial response is to reject Naomi’s suggestion. They declare, "We will go back with you to your people" (verse 10). This shows their loyalty and unwillingness to abandon Naomi in her time of need. Their weeping reflects the deep sorrow they feel at the thought of separation, as well as their recognition of the gravity of the situation.
Naomi’s insistence that Ruth and Orpah return home highlights her selflessness. Despite her own need for companionship and support, she prioritizes their futures over her own. This sacrificial love mirrors God’s hesed (steadfast love, mercy, lovingkindness), which is a central theme of the book.
Naomi understands that Ruth and Orpah’s chances of a secure future are greater in Moab. By releasing them from any sense of duty to her, Naomi acts as a protector and advocate for their well-being. Naomi addresses Ruth and Orpah as "my daughters," not “daughters-in-law” (verse 11), emphasizing the depth of their relationship. Her words are not those of a bitter widow seeking to cling to her daughters-in-law but of a loving mother figure who desires their happiness and security.
The passage leaves the reader on the edge of a pivotal decision: will Ruth and Orpah heed Naomi’s plea and return to Moab, or will they accompany her to Bethlehem? Naomi’s heartfelt plea and her daughters-in-law’s emotional responses highlight the complexities of human relationships and the challenges of navigating grief and transition. As the narrative continues, we will see how these choices lead to transformative outcomes, demonstrating that God’s grace often meets us on the road of uncertainty.
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Before we continue any further in the book of Ruth, it’s important to pause and look more in-depth at the Hebrew word hesed. This is a key theme and concept in the narrative of Ruth, and this word is one that it’s difficult to translate into English.
The Hebrew word hesed is one of the most profound and multi-dimensional terms in the biblical lexicon. Found throughout the Hebrew Bible, it is often translated as “loving-kindness,” “steadfast love,” “mercy,” or “faithfulness.” Hesed carries a richness that encapsulates covenantal loyalty, enduring compassion, and the transformative power of love.
Hesed is notoriously difficult to translate because it encompasses a range of meanings that vary depending on context. At its core, hesed refers to a loyal and loving action that arises within a covenantal relationship. Unlike fleeting emotions or conditional acts of kindness, hesed implies a committed and enduring love.
In biblical texts, hesed often reflects God's covenantal relationship with His people. For example, in Exodus 34:6-7, God proclaims Himself as “abounding in love [hesed] and faithfulness.” This self-revelation highlights God's unwavering faithfulness and deep compassion toward humanity, even in the face of human failure.
Rabbinic literature and modern scholarship underscore that hesed is not simply an internal sentiment but a tangible expression of love and loyalty. It is an action-oriented concept that finds its fulfillment in acts of care, justice, and fidelity. Thus, hesed is both relational and transformational, bridging divine love with human responsibility.
The concept of covenant is essential to understanding hesed. Covenants in the ancient Near East were binding agreements, often sealed with rituals, that defined relationships and obligations. In the Biblical context, covenants between God and His people—such as those with Noah, Abraham, and David—are marked by divine hesed.
In 2 Samuel 7:15-16, God promises David that His “love [hesed] will never be taken away” from him or his descendants, even when they falter. This steadfast commitment underscores that divine hesed is not contingent upon human perfection but flows from God's unchanging nature. Similarly, Psalm 136 repeatedly emphasizes God's enduring hesed, declaring in every verse, “His love [hesed] endures forever.”
God’s covenantal hesed invites human participation. In Micah 6:8, the prophet encapsulates the ethical response to God’s hesed: “And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.” Here, hesed becomes a model for human relationships, encouraging mutual care, fidelity, and mercy.
While hesed is often associated with divine action, it also describes interpersonal relationships. In the book of Ruth, hesed is a central theme that binds the story’s characters. Ruth’s loyalty to her mother-in-law, Naomi, epitomizes human hesed. Despite Naomi’s bleak circumstances, Ruth commits herself to Naomi with the famous words: “Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God” (Ruth 1:16).
Later in the narrative, Boaz extends hesed to Ruth by ensuring her protection and provision. His actions reflect the ethical dimension of hesed, demonstrating that loyalty and kindness are not passive but require intentional and sacrificial acts. In Ruth 2:20, Naomi acknowledges Boaz’s hēsed as a reflection of God's overarching care, blurring the lines between divine and human manifestations of this quality.
Hesed is intricately linked with justice in the Hebrew Bible. In Hosea 6:6, God declares, “For I desire mercy, not sacrifice, and acknowledgment of God rather than burnt offerings.” This verse critiques empty religious rituals devoid of ethical substance. It highlights that true devotion to God manifests in compassionate actions and a commitment to justice.
The prophets consistently call for a society rooted in hesed. Isaiah 58, for example, emphasizes the need for fasting that leads to social justice: “Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen: to loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and break every yoke?” (Isaiah 58:6). Here, acts of hesed are inseparable from the pursuit of a just and equitable community.
This interplay between hesed and justice challenges contemporary readers to consider how their faith translates into tangible actions. Hesed invites us to move beyond personal piety and engage in the work of healing, reconciliation, and systemic change.
The Hebrew word hesed encapsulates a divine and human ideal that transcends time and culture. Rooted in covenantal relationships, it is a love that acts, endures, and transforms. From the ancient Israelites to contemporary readers, hesed offers a vision of a world shaped by compassion, loyalty, and justice.
As we reflect on the meanings and implications of hesed, may we be inspired to embody its qualities in our lives. Whether through small acts of kindness or larger commitments to justice and mercy, hesed calls us to participate in the divine story of steadfast love. In doing so, we not only honor the legacy of this profound biblical concept but also contribute to the flourishing of our communities and the world.
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In the days when the judges ruled, there was a famine in the land. So a man from Bethlehem in Judah, together with his wife and two sons, went to live for a while in the country of Moab. The man’s name was Elimelech, his wife’s name was Naomi, and the names of his two sons were Mahlon and Kilion. They were Ephrathites from Bethlehem, Judah. And they went to Moab and lived there.
Now Elimelech, Naomi’s husband, died, and she was left with her two sons.
- Ruth 1:1-3
These opening verses of the book of Ruth set the stage for the entire story by introducing us to the main characters and the challenges they face. While these verses appear to be a simple introduction, they contain much cultural, historical, and theological significance. For more of the context and background of this book, check out last week’s post. As we dig into this narrative, it’s important to look at the significant aspects of these first few verses. Biblical names often carry profound significance, offering insight into a character’s identity, role, or destiny. The names in Ruth 1:1-3 are no exception.
The opening phrase in verse 1, “In the days when the judges ruled,” situates the narrative in a tumultuous period of Israel’s history. This era, spanning roughly 300 years, was marked by moral decline, political instability, and a cyclical pattern of disobedience, oppression, repentance, and deliverance. The refrain in Judges, “Everyone did what was right in his own eyes” (Judges 21:25), underscores the spiritual chaos of the time.
Against this backdrop of instability comes a famine in Bethlehem, a town whose name means the "house of bread.” This ironic detail reveals the severity of the situation, as the land known for its abundance could no longer sustain its inhabitants. Elimelech’s decision to leave Bethlehem for the foreign land of Moab underscores the desperation of the moment. Moab was historically an enemy of Israel and not a place where one would seek refuge lightly.
The name Elimelech means “My God is King.” This name is a powerful declaration of faith, emphasizing God’s sovereignty. However, Elimelech’s actions seem to contradict his name. Instead of trusting God to provide in Bethlehem, he takes his family to Moab, a land associated with idolatry and immorality. This decision raises questions about faith and the tension between human agency and divine trust. Elimelech’s death shortly after arriving in Moab (verse 3) further highlights the precariousness of relying on human solutions rather than seeking God’s guidance.
Naomi’s name means “pleasant” or “delightful.” This reflects her character and the life she likely enjoyed before the famine. However, as the story unfolds, Naomi experiences profound loss and hardship, leading her to later declare, “Do not call me Naomi; call me Mara, for the Almighty has dealt very bitterly with me” (Ruth 1:20). This transformation of her name symbolizes the shift in her life from joy to sorrow, yet it also sets the stage for God’s redemptive work in her story.
The names of Elimelech and Naomi’s sons carry a somber tone. Mahlon means “sickness,” and Chilion means “wasting” or “pining.” These names may foreshadow their premature deaths, which occur a few verses later (spoiler alert). Their names remind readers of the fragility of life and the pervasive effects of sin and brokenness in a fallen world.
Bethlehem, meaning “house of bread,” is a significant location in biblical history. It is not only the setting for part of the story of Ruth but also the birthplace of King David and, later, Jesus Christ. The mention of the family being Ephrathites, a prominent clan in Bethlehem, highlights their social standing and underscores the dramatic fall from security to vulnerability that Naomi experiences.
The family’s journey to Moab is fraught with theological tension. Moab’s origins stem from an incestuous relationship between Lot and his daughter (Genesis 19:30-37). Throughout Israel’s history, Moabites were often at odds with the Israelites, both politically and spiritually. By choosing to sojourn in Moab, Elimelech’s family steps into a land characterized by foreign gods and potential hostility.
However, their sojourn also reflects a broader theme in Scripture: God’s purposes often unfold in unexpected places. Just as Abraham left his homeland in obedience to God’s call, Naomi and her family’s journey to Moab becomes the catalyst for a series of events that ultimately reveal God’s redemptive power.
Elimelech’s death is a pivotal moment in the narrative, leaving Naomi as a widow in a foreign land with her two sons. In the ancient Near East, widows were among the most vulnerable members of society, relying heavily on male relatives for provision and protection. Naomi’s loss underscores her precarious position and sets the stage for the unfolding drama of loyalty and redemption.
Spiritually, Elimelech’s death raises questions about the consequences of stepping outside of God’s covenant community. While Scripture does not explicitly attribute his death to divine judgment, the narrative invites readers to consider the risks of seeking security apart from God.
The famine in Bethlehem serves as a test of faith for Elimelech and his family. While their decision to go to Moab may have been pragmatic, it also reveals the difficulty of trusting God in times of scarcity. This theme resonates with believers today, as we are often tempted to rely on our own understanding rather than seeking God’s guidance in difficult situations.
These opening verses of Ruth invite us to reflect on our own faith journeys. How do we respond to famine (literal or metaphorical) in our lives? Do we trust God to provide, or do we seek solutions apart from Him? These verses also challenge us to consider the legacy of our names and identities. Do our lives reflect the truths we profess, as Elimelech’s name proclaimed “My God is King”?
Finally, these verses remind us of God’s faithfulness, even in the face of loss and uncertainty. Just as He worked through Naomi’s story to bring about His purposes, which we will see as we continue through this narrative, He is at work in our lives, weaving our stories into His broader narrative of redemption.
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We do not want you to be uninformed, brothers and sisters, about the troubles we experienced in the province of Asia. We were under great pressure, far beyond our ability to endure, so that we despaired of life itself. Indeed, we felt we had received the sentence of death. But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead. He has delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us again. On him we have set our hope that he will continue to deliver us, as you help us by your prayers. Then many will give thanks on our behalf for the gracious favor granted us in answer to the prayers of many.
- 2 Corinthians 1:8-11
Last week, we began looking at this introductory section of Paul’s letter to the Corinthians. In that section, Paul emphasized how God is our comfort in times of suffering, and we should then comfort others. Here, Paul tells us a bit more about those sufferings and the hope that he has in spite of that.
In verse 8, he desires to inform the Corinthian church about what he’s gone through, though he does not go into great detail. Paul’s reference to “in the province of Asia” is vague, so scholars do not know exactly where this trouble occurred. Scholars believe that it had likely occurred recently, given that Paul still seems to be emotional from this experience. It is likely that the Corinthians would have known the specifics since Paul does not elaborate.
Scholars do have some ideas on what Paul’s great affliction in Asia was, though these are all speculative. Some believe it was his fighting with wild beasts in Ephesus (1 Corinthians 15:32). Others believe it was him suffering 39 lashes 5 times from the Jewish leaders, which he mentions later in this letter (2 Corinthians 11:24). It could also refer to the riot at Ephesus (Acts 19:23-41) or perhaps another time when people attempted to kill Paul. Or it may refer to persecution that Paul experienced somewhere from people who opposed him (Acts 20:19, 1 Corinthians 16:9).
However, this does seem to be a unique experience for Paul, at least up to this point in his life. It was incredibly overwhelming to him and his travel companions, and they basically gave up hope. They felt they could not endure it, and they did not think they were going to live through it. The rare Greek word translated as “despaired” in the last phrase implies that there is absolutely no opportunity to get out of a particularly oppressive circumstance. They did not think God was going to sustain them on earth through this affliction.
Paul reiterates that sentiment in the first part of verse 9: “Indeed, we felt we had received the sentence of death.” He fully expected that his time on this earth was done. But, God clearly delivered Paul and his companions from this terrible experience! Paul equates being so close to death and then being given life again with resurrection. He knows that it was only God who brought them through that affliction, and he shares this with the Corinthians so they can see what a miraculous work God did in Paul’s life. This was not to bring Paul and his companions any glory but rather that they would rely on God. God is the only one who can raise the dead, and Paul can now relate to that, being given a new lease on life.
God had delivered them from a deadly situation, and Paul believed that God would do that again in the future (verse 10). Note that Paul doesn’t say that he hopes never to be in a similar situation instead. He does not try to avoid future suffering. Instead, he knows that he will be put in this kind of situation again in the future, and he trusts that God will deliver him again. Whether that deliverance is on this earth or to leave this life and spend eternity in heaven, Paul does not know. But he fully trusts in God to provide deliverance through suffering, rather than hoping that God would simply not let him go through that kind of suffering again.
Paul also knows that the prayers of the Corinthians and other churches of the time will help sustain him and his fellow workers for the Kingdom (verse 11). The people should pray to thank God for delivering Paul so that he may continue to spread the gospel message of Jesus Christ on this earth; his work was not yet done! Many will give thanks for God sparing Paul’s earthly life at that time because he would continue to spread the gospel to more people.
While we don’t know exactly what Paul experienced, we do have the opportunity to know the God who delivered Paul through it. We want God to deliver us from suffering rather than delivering us through it, but that is often not how God works. We need to go through difficult times in our lives in order to see God as the one who delivers us, sustains us, and comforts us no matter what. Stories like Paul’s, even if we don’t have many details, can encourage us just like Paul writes: “He has delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us again.”
God is a God of deliverance. Sometimes that means delivering us here on this earth, or sometimes that means delivering us to eternal life in heaven with Him. But either way, take comfort in the fact that although we cannot (and should not) avoid suffering on this earth, God is there to deliver us through it, just as he was for Paul.
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“When God made his promise to Abraham, since there was no one greater for him to swear by, he swore by himself, saying, ‘I will surely bless you and give you many descendants.’ And so after waiting patiently, Abraham received what was promised. People swear by someone greater than themselves, and the oath confirms what is said and puts an end to all argument. Because God wanted to make the unchanging nature of his purpose very clear to the heirs of what was promised, he confirmed it with an oath. God did this so that, by two unchangeable things in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled to take hold of the hope set before us may be greatly encouraged. We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure. It enters the inner sanctuary behind the curtain, where our forerunner, Jesus, has entered on our behalf. He has become a high priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek.” -Hebrews 6:13-20
Right before this passage, Hebrews 6:12 said, “We do not want you to become lazy, but to imitate those who through faith and patience inherit what has been promised.” This section then builds on that promise, first using the example of Abraham.
Abraham is the prime example of faith for the people of Israel. God made many promises to Abraham, but the most notable one is what’s quoted here in verse 14, which can be found in Genesis 22:17. Interestingly, this occurrence is not the first time God made that promise to Abraham; Genesis 22 tells the narrative of God commanding Abraham to sacrifice his son Isaac. After God spares Isaac, He reiterates this promise to Abraham.
By this point, Abraham had already waited many years just for this one son, even getting impatient with God and having a son with a servant first. Notice that the author of Hebrews points out this long time of waiting in verse 15, but that Abraham did receive the fulfillment of this promise. His son Isaac became the father to Jacob; Jacob’s name was changed to Israel and he was the father of that great nation. Abraham was blessed and given many descendants.
But that’s not the author’s point in sharing about Abraham here. He’s focusing on the fact that God swore by Himself when giving this promise to Abraham in Genesis 22:17. If we want to make an oath and swear by something, we need to swear by something greater than ourselves in order to give the oath its proper weight. But there is no one greater than God, so the greatest thing God could swear by was Himself. This sets up the author’s point in sharing about oaths and God’s character.
Verse 16 tells us that when a person swears an oath, he is making certain that what he says is true. If it is determined to be false, that person’s entire reputation is at stake. The wording used here in Greek refers to an old Egyptian legal formula that still expressed a legal guarantee. An oath was understood in that society to be the end of discussing a matter; the answer has been found and sworn as an oath, so no further argument is needed.
The author then turns from people making oaths to God making an oath in verse 17. Since God cannot lie, He really had no reason to make an oath; His word has always been and will always be completely true and binding. But God needed to use this human construct of an oath to explain that to humans. God’s nature is unchanging and His promises will always be fulfilled. The use of the phrase “to the heirs” is significant here in the context of Abraham’s descendants; Abraham was not immediately the fulfillment of this promise, but it took a few generations for his descendants to become as numerous as God had promised.
So why did God swear this oath? Verse 18 tells us that humankind now has two unchangeable things: the promise and the oath. We can and should be greatly encouraged by this fact! We could not trust in a God who would change; knowing that God does not change means that He is fully worthy of our trust. Similarly, knowing that God always fulfills His promises further means that we can fully trust in Him for everything that He has promised us. That doesn’t always mean we’ll get it exactly how or when we want it; after all, Abraham had to wait many years to even have just one son with his wife! But God will fulfill His promises in the way He knows is best.
This is important for us as verse 19 says: “We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure.” There is nothing more firm and secure than God’s promises and God’s character! This is what stabilizes our lives when this world threatens to toss us about. No matter what other chaos is going on in our immediate world or the greater world around us, God does not change. His Word is always firm and true. We can always trust in Him.
Along with being an anchor for our souls, this hope also “enters in the inner sanctuary behind the curtain.” This imagery would have been familiar to the Israelites - it depicts the Most Holy Place where God dwelled in their temple. That room was symbolic of God’s presence, and people were not allowed to enter it except for the high priest on one day a year (see this post for more on that). But now, this hope that we have allows us to enter God’s presence.
Why can we now enter God’s presence? Verse 20 tells us – because Jesus entered on our behalf! This returns to the discussion of Jesus as the great high priest that the author began back in Hebrews 4:14. This passage ends with a mention of the order of Melchizedek, which the author will discuss more in the next section.
So, what does all of this mean for us today? God’s character does not change, so the God of Abraham is the same God as when Hebrews was written and the same God today. If God could be trusted to fulfill His promises to Abraham, then God can be trusted to fulfill His promises to us today. God confirmed this with an oath, though there is nothing greater to swear by than Himself. Because of this truth, we can always fully trust God with our lives. This hope is the anchor for our souls in this chaotic world that we live in. Put your trust fully in Him today!
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As we wrap up this eventful year of 2020, God’s sovereignty should be especially important in our faith lives. If you’ve been around churches or Christians for a while, you’ve probably heard that God is sovereign, maybe even in the context of the Covid-19 pandemic. But what does that really mean, and how should God’s sovereignty affect our lives?
Most simply, the word sovereign itself means supreme power or authority. The word itself originates from the late 13th or early 14th centuries in Latin, then was used in Old French, and then in English. Sovereign is often associated with the highest ruler or leader.
Those of us who are followers of Jesus Christ believe that the God of the Bible is the only true God, so He is, therefore, the supreme God of the universe. He is the highest ruler of the entire creation. Scripture makes it clear that there is no one greater than our God.
“No one is like you, Lord; you are great, and your name is mighty in power. Who should not fear you, King of the nations? This is your due. Among all the wise leaders of the nations and in all their kingdoms, there is no one like you” (Jeremiah 10:6-7).
“There is no one holy like the Lord; there is no one besides you; there is no Rock like our God” (1 Samuel 2:2).
“Among the gods there is none like you, Lord; no deeds can compare with yours. All the nations you have made will come and worship before you, Lord; they will bring glory to your name. For you are great and do marvelous deeds; you alone are God” (Psalm 86:8-10).
Jesus, being fully God, is also sovereign: “For certain individuals whose condemnation was written about long ago have secretly slipped in among you. They are ungodly people, who pervert the grace of our God into a license for immorality and deny Jesus Christ our only Sovereign and Lord” (Jude 1:4).
That’s all fine and good, but how does that matter for our daily lives living in this world? We have the opportunity to serve the supreme authority of the universe. In our sinfulness, we often think that we humans are the ones who should be worshiped - and we often apply that to ourselves, that we’re worthy of praise. But the truth is, God is the only one who is worthy of all praise and honor and glory. “You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they were created and have their being” (Revelation 4:11). We have fellow humans in authority over us while on this earth simply to maintain order, but the truth is that all people are sinful, just like us. Sinful people are not worthy of our worship; the one true God is. We should not desire to serve those who are sinful like us but to serve the one holy and perfect God of the universe - the supreme authority over everything. Everything.
The next aspect of God’s sovereignty for our lives is one of obedience and trust. Do you know every single thing that is happening everywhere in the world right now? How about everything that has ever happened or will ever happen to all people and in all times and places? God does. He knows everyone. He knows every detail - thoughts, words, and actions - about every single person who has ever or will ever live. Would you rather trust someone who only knows a tiny fragment of maybe a few people’s lives, or would you rather trust God who knows everything? God, being all-knowing and all-present, can fully be trusted. We are called to be obedient to Him and trust in Him because He has proven over and over again that He is worthy of our trust. Read any story in the Bible and see how God handled it perfectly, while the humans in it messed things up because they didn’t have the full picture of what was going on. We’re just like that, so we can and should trust in God and be obedient to Him because of His sovereignty.
Finally, God’s sovereignty should give us immense comfort and peace. This world is scary, there’s no doubt about that. Lots of bad things can happen to us in this world because of the sinfulness of ourselves and our fellow humans. But nothing - and I mean NOTHING - should truly scare us when we know that God is sovereign. While He does not control us, He has this entire world in His hand and under His control. Yes, very bad things can and likely will happen to each of us. But God is bigger and more powerful than anything that this world can give us. Covid-19 seems to have taken over our whole world and many people are living in great fear of it, but God is still bigger. Our loved ones, or even we ourselves, may get Covid-19 or cancer or any number of other ailments, but does that mean God is no longer in control? Definitely not! When bad things happen to us, that gives God the opportunity to show His sovereignty in our lives. We should take comfort in the fact that God is still God no matter what is happening on this earth, and He still loves His creation more than our minds can comprehend.
God’s sovereignty allows us to serve the almighty and powerful ruler of the universe and give Him the glory that He is due. We can trust Him and live our lives in obedience to Him because He is worthy of our trust. We can have comfort and peace knowing that God is always in control and His loving plans for us will be fulfilled.
How have you seen God’s sovereignty play out in 2020? How can you better serve, trust, and be comforted by Him in 2021?
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The answer to this question is perhaps one of the most important questions we can ask ever in our lives. “Is Jesus the only way?” The Apostles got in trouble as they began to bring the Gospel throughout the Roman Empire in Asia Minor and into Europe. Why? It wasn’t because they proclaimed Jesus as God. It was primarily because they proclaimed Him as the ONLY God. If they proclaimed Jesus as just “a” god, the crowds would not have been enticed to riot in Ephesus. In Acts 19, so many people were turning to Christ, but in that process, they destroyed all the idols and ceased buying from the idol makers, fortune tellers, etc. Why? Because they realized all those idols were false and had no power or value. The Gospel was literally running the occult businesses out of business by removing their customers and the demand for their goods and services. Take note: when you preach the true Gospel and people repent, those who make money doing evil deeds will come after you and draw in as many as they can with them to take you out. Imagine the bars and sex clubs and drug/sex trafficking coming to a stop because the demand for those ‘services’ ceased. That’s what happens when the Gospel is preached and received on a wide scale.
Jesus declared Himself to be the only way. He was the only option to save mankind. His statements on the matter include: “I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life. No man comes to the Father except through Me.” When Jesus addresses the Jewish crowds, He made several statements: “I am the Bread of Life.” “Unless you eat of My flesh and drink of My blood, you can have no part of Me.” What is He saying? He is saying the only way we can have hope and sustenance is to make Jesus our actual diet. Jesus’ very life has to be taken in and become the very source of life for us. And He made this statement to the people who had the strictest food diets in the world. The entire purpose was that the people of God were to only get their source of life from God. And believe me when I say that this is the most difficult thing for any person to do. This is why the True Gospel is so offensive to most people, especially those who are nominal Christians, wearing the label but were never born again.
The knee-jerk reaction to this kind of claim is: “Who are you to say that?” “How cruel!” “What about those who don’t believe Jesus?” “Why should I serve a God like that?” “How can you be so dogmatic?” “How can you be so sure that your interpretation is right?” What is interesting is that I get these kinds of reactions from other Christians, not just the unbelievers. What are they really saying with these questions and statements? “Why can’t I believe what I want to believe and still get in?” “Why can’t I get to heaven and still enjoy the things I enjoy doing?” That’s really what they are asking.
Now I am going to open up a can of worms that I am certain will get some very difficult reactions. But I ask those who will give that reaction to hear out the argument BEFORE you react. Respond to that. The questions that are being asked about Jesus being the only way are the same questions being asked about whether God created the heavens and the earth in 6 days with only about 6000 years passing since He finished. Before you tune me out, hear why I say this and for the clarification about what I mean by this.
The Young Earth Creationists believe that their “interpretation,” if you can call it that, is the only possible correct model of origins because that is what the Bible describes. That is the claim YEC’s make. The Bible does not describe anything resembling any of the models that call for “millions of years” to be involved. The typical response I get when I proclaim such origins model is along these lines: “What makes sure you are right?” “Do you have to believe that to be saved?” “That’s just your interpretation.” It’s the same argument on origins as it is with Jesus.
Now, I am not putting one’s position on origins on the same level of “requirements” for salvation as belief in the resurrection of Jesus. But if you are going to claim belief in the resurrection, you need more than just the fact that Jesus rose. You need all that comes with it. When Jesus said, “Follow Me,” He also said, “Count the cost.” If you want to claim the name of Jesus, you need to take what comes with it. It includes forsaking of self, denying self of your rights and your dreams and your wishes, and laying them at the feet of Jesus, for Him to direct and guide and dictate. What comes with the cross and the resurrection? The need for the cross and the resurrection which is laid out in Genesis 1-3. You cannot separate the solution from the problem, or the treasure from the map, and yet most people want the treasure with no cost to themselves, no the key to the chest or no map to follow.
I am not declaring here that the Young Earth position cannot be questioned, but I am saying that if the argument against the Young Earth position is “Is that really the only possible option?” then would not the same person ask the same question about Jesus himself? Behind the argument is: “I still want to believe what I want to believe.” If this is the argument, and the person making it claims to be a Christian, that person is inconsistent. You either believe Jesus is the only way or you don’t. You either believe the ENTIRE Scripture is inspired and God-breathed and sufficient, or you don’t. You don’t get to pick and choose which parts you need to believe or you don’t. If someone does not believe that salvation does not depend upon origins, they need to ask a different question than this. Because it reeks of, “I want to do this my way.”
If salvation itself cannot be done any other way besides what God said, why should origins be any different? Why should any area of life be any different? Jesus didn’t die for you so you can get to heaven and live your life however you want and think however you want to think. He died and His resurrection is in part to save you FROM yourself. There is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end, it leads to death. The only way that leads to life is through Christ, and that way starts out in Genesis. It will end through the events described in Revelation. Jesus is the only way. The origins that the Bible describes is the only correct origins model. The requirements of the Gospel – repentance and faith – are the only response acceptable to God. And the world is going to end as God described in the Bible. It’s the ONLY way. Call it dogmatic if you want; truth is dogmatic and exclusive. I only seek to speak it, and while it sounds harsh and while it sounds exclusive, it is liberating. I’ve noticed that people who used to believe in God and left it tend to describe their account in terms of education and enlightenment. I can see a fog coming over their heads, blinding them to the truth. But those who escaped from that don’t come to God in terms of education or enlightenment, but in terms of deliverance. Know the truth and the truth will set you free. It is the only way to be free. Let us surrender ALL of ourselves so that Christ might reign actively today, instead of living in rebellion against His rule. His rule is sovereign over everything, and anything not submitting to it will be judged as sin. Anything submitting to His rule will be judged as righteous. Which one are you? The one who does things God’s way, or does things your own way?
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Editor’s note: Due to the popularity of this post, we’re re-posting this one today for your enjoyment.
As I continue in my “little gods” series, I’d like you to consider the following. With all of the political banter and debate going on as well as our nation seemingly being torn more and more apart, I would like you to ask yourself the following question: Who do you put your faith, hope, and trust in? In the book of 1 Samuel, we see Samuel not only seeking the Lord’s council in giving the people of Israel a king or not but also warning the people with God’s warning about what will happen if they do have a king rule over them. You can read of the whole story in 1 Samuel 8. What led to this though? Well, we read in verse 3 of chapter 8 that Samuel’s sons, which he was about to make judges over the people, did not walk in the ways of God. They were not only dishonest men but “took bribes and perverted justice.” I’m guessing this made the people quite nervous and unsure of the future. So, instead of choosing liberty and God’s sovereignty, the people of Israel chose a different path of security and what they thought was safety, along with the shortcomings of a human being as their leader. In a day and time in our nation where the cult of personality is “king,” believers in Jesus Christ need to really seek and search out who we are putting our faith, hope, and trust in. Who do you trust? Do you trust people who will absolutely let you down? Or do you trust in Almighty God and His ways that have not only stood the test of time but have stood before there was time? Just like in Samuel’s day, I believe we are at a crossroads, not only in the United States of America but it is a crossroads that will affect much of the world we live in. Do I believe We The People in the USA need to lead? Absolutely, but we need to lead in the right way and be led by the right leader. We have a choice. We can choose the little god of safety and security, which will inevitably lead to bondage and slavery, or we can choose the God-given freedom and liberty that He so longs for, for each person that He has made. The choice is up to you, but it will affect others. Liberty, which will inevitably lead us down a path of risk and adventure. Is it perfect? No, but you will be free. or Safety and security, which inevitably will lead us down a path of bondage and slavery. This looks so inviting at first, but the price to liberty is quite high. Before you move on to something else, I’d like to challenge you with this thought: If you are only thinking about the political situation in the USA after reading this post, then you have partially missed the point. Partially. I encourage you to think about your own life, your life as an individual. Where have you as an individual given up liberty for the sake of feeling safe and secure? Perhaps, for you, this has been a great decision. Perhaps though you are thinking of something else that you could have made a different decision on and chose liberty over safety, and now you are realizing liberty would have been a better choice. Is this something you could work on to change? Is it possible that in this area of your life you could finally attain some liberty? Well, I encourage you to think about that and pray about it. Take time to read Galatians 1 for more to ponder on this.This forum is meant to foster discussion and allow for differing viewpoints to be explored with equal and respectful consideration. All comments are moderated and any foul language or threatening/abusive comments will not be approved. Users who engage in threatening or abusive comments which are physically harmful in nature will be reported to the authorities.
In 2015, my family and I were blessed by God and finally to be able to move to the country. In 2016, we were able to get a little puppy, who we named Caspian. We were super excited to finally have a dog of our own!
About one year later, another dog started coming around our place and began to coax our dog away from our home almost on a nightly basis. This dog was living at the local quarry and was obviously a stray that someone had probably dropped off in our neighborhood. We tried for a long time to convince the dog we were trustworthy by giving it food now and then but this dog has serious trust issues. Any time we would get near it, it would either cower and run away or just run away. Because we didn’t know anything about this dog, we just called it the Stray Dog. It became obvious after a while that this dog was a female and after searching for quite a while no one could find her puppies anywhere.
For 18 months we tried to convince this dog that we were friendly, and we were not going to hurt her. Finally, one day my wife was able to actually get near enough to pet this dog for a very short time. She still ran off. Even though she now knew we weren’t going to hurt her, she still wasn’t sure.
Then, it happened. After all that time running away and us trying to convince her we were not going to hurt her, after a long time and much patience, she started not just trusting my wife but she also started trusting our daughters enough to not only pet her but to feed her on a daily basis. My wife named her Saidee because Stray Dog just wasn’t a very good name. It was really quite an incredible transformation to witness. Saidee not only would hang out with Caspian, but now she would allow my wife and daughters to pet her more and more. She was still very leery of men and especially of me. If I didn’t have anything in my hands I could get closer to her, but it was very obvious she had been beaten as a puppy. It was very sad to know this. When trying to approach her, I would try to talk very softly and not make quick actions and have nothing in my hands. Time and time again, I would only get so far before she couldn’t handle it anymore and she would just get up and start walking away from me.
It was very time consuming and I had to be very patient in trying to win her over. After a while, though, she actually let me approach her and even pet her for short spurts. A lot of times she just couldn’t handle it anymore and would walk away while I was petting her. Now, I can pet her for a very long time, and she trusts even me, though she still can get a bit skittish or cower if I approach her with something in my hands. The thing is though, she really is an amazing dog. She helps keep the rodent population down around our house, that is for certain. I can’t believe someone would basically just throw her away.
One thing I enjoy about this dog is that our relationship makes me think of how God never gives up on anyone. Having Saidee around has made me even more thankful for our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. I think about what He has done for each one of us and how He made the way back to the Father, even though we may not realize how wonderful the Father really is. Like Saidee with my family, if each one of us would just give in to our Heavenly Father’s plan for our lives it could be oh so good. No matter where you have been or what you have done, God wants to be with you. He wants to love you and give you good gifts. His plan is so much better than you can ever imagine. Turn to Him today.
For some encouragement, go read Hosea 14:1-9.
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Over the past few weeks, we have seen two very different mindsets rearing their heads in public. It’s really easy to post cute and positive quotes from great people in history or some encouraging and uplifting song and think that we are living our lives in that way, but one has to think… are we really?
It’s easy to share or talk about living a life without fear, but once the rubber hits the road or the fecal matter hits the fan, how are we really living? Do we get anxious and fear, or do we choose to rejoice in the difficulty? We know that things are going to be difficult, but what is our mindset throughout the trial? Are we willing to face a difficulty head on, knowing that bad things could happen but trusting in God that no matter what the trial brings, we will rejoice in the Lord? If our plans are changed and we don’t know why or how this could happen, how do we deal with this outcome? What is our attitude?
For instance, if you are a follower of Jesus Christ and work in retail and you are worried about getting sick, I would ask, why are you worried and what are you worried about? Believe me, I am not judging you; I am trying to encourage you in your faith in Christ. Are Christ’s words true or not? You have to decide.
Jesus said, “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?
“And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.” (Matthew 6:25-34)
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by Steve Risner
This week in my musings, I thought I'd share some thoughts concerning the trustworthiness of God. I've known far too many people who trusted God when it was easy—when everything went as they had planned. But when times were tough or a situation didn't work out the way they'd wanted it to go, all of sudden God didn't know what He was doing. He somehow had become untrustworthy and didn't deserve their time, love, devotion, or respect. I'm sure we've all seen it, or even some of us have experienced it, too. I would like to suggest to you that regardless of how things are going, no matter the circumstance or outcomes, God is worthy of our praise and of our trust. I base this statement on the Word of God. Let's take a look.
The book of Job, considered by most to be the first book of the Bible that was fully written and put together, has a huge amount of application and study. The gist of the story is this: Job was a righteous man. God was happy with him, so the devil asked to tempt Job into being angry with God. Satan believed Job only blessed God because God blessed him. God approved of Satan's plans to attack Job as long as he did nothing to Job physically. All at once, all of Job's possessions and his children were taken from him. But he never cursed God. He praised God anyway. So, Satan was granted permission to strike Job physically. As this happened, Job's wife said, “Are you still clinging to your integrity? Curse God and die.” Job's response was still to acknowledge that God is sovereign, and His ways are better. He says in Job 2:10, “Shall we accept only good from God and not trouble?” Keep in mind that after Job had lost all his worldly possessions (he was very rich), lost all of his children when a house collapsed on them, and he was very sick and suffering, he still chose to respect God and believe that God's ways were better—that He was high above all of us.
Think about that for a moment: Job suffered far more than just about any of us ever will and his question to his wife was, “Will we only accept good things from God and not bad things?” The deal is really found in Jeremiah 29:11. God says, “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” Here is God Almighty, sovereign Lord of the universe, telling us He has plans for us—and they're awesome! But He says His plans include not harming us. What's the deal? Well, I do believe that sometimes things happen to us because of us—we earn something bad that's happened to us. Sometimes not. So how does that work?
I believe that it's true that bad things can happen to us that are part of God's plan for us. Again, sometimes not, but it's definitely possible. The big picture is what God has in mind for us—His plans include eternity and, often times, impacting others for their good. The bottom line with Job, I think, is that God knew that in the end, none of the stuff that happened to Job on this earth truly mattered. His eternal destination was the big deal.
Now, I'm not suggesting that nothing that happens here is important. What I am saying is that it can be easier to deal with earthly trials and tribulations if we understand that heaven is at stake. God's plans are taking everything into account. His plans for us include spending eternity with Him in His awesome glory. Job, in all his sufferings—losing literally what would be equivalent to millions of dollars and losing his children and living in agony for a very long time—never abandoned his Lord. He looked to God for answers and didn't understand what was going on, but he never questioned God's goodness or His integrity.
Sometimes God's plans for us means we'll be healed. Sometimes it means we won't. Sometimes it means we'll have way more than enough. Other times it means we're in need. Sometimes God's plans for us include joy and peace and being on top of the mountain. Other times it could mean we're struggling in the valley, fighting for every breath and living in turmoil or adversity with others. But God knows what's going on and He's got great things in store for us.
Solomon, called the wisest man to ever live, repeatedly stated in the book of Ecclesiastes that this life is meaningless. What he's saying is this earthly life and all it involves—work, happiness, sadness, sickness, and so on—doesn't mean anything in light of eternity. (Check out Katie Erickson’s current blog post series for more on that.) Would you throw away everlasting life in eternal peace and glory with Jesus because you failed to grasp the importance of eternity (and the gravity of the alternative) and turned your back on God because you decided He didn't get something right? I would hope not.
We join this idea with James as he says in James 4:14, “Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes.” Our time on earth is so very short; what really counts is eternity. Let's keep it in perspective. If we live 100 years on this earth, that's nothing—it's not even a fraction of a drop in the bucket compared to eternity.
God's plans for us, if we are to believe Him, are awesome and for our benefit. We can choose to go along for the ride with Him, accepting that His plans are better than ours, or we can choose to reject Him and His plans and go it on our own. However, there are some things to consider if this is actually what we want to do.
1) We have to take responsibility for the outcomes. If we go it on our own, it's ours. When it crashes and burns (and it most likely will), we must own it. We also forfeit any reward we might have had from the Lord for sacrificing our will to His. In other words, if we choose to take responsibility for everything, we immediately give up any hopes of spending eternity in heaven with Christ because we can't possibly pay our way in. More on that in a moment.
2) God's plans for us are far better than our plans could ever be. He knows more, loves more, and is much wiser than we could ever hope. So in effect, we're sacrificing awesome plans for our selfish and often foolish plans. How does this make sense?
It's like this analogy: God is offering us a huge sum of money—say $1 billion. He's offering it to us if we want to take it. We just need to accept it. Or we can go it on our own—we can fight and scrape and sweat and bleed for whatever we can earn. The bad news is, at best, we can earn about $0.25. The ticket to ride to heaven for all eternity is $1 billion, so if we choose to go it ourselves, we lose and in a big way. If we accept the free gift of God and choose to trust Him with our future, we win and in so many ways. Most importantly, we win for all eternity.
God is worthy of our trust—our unconditional trust in His goodness, His love, and His wisdom. Keep in mind that trials, tribulations, sufferings, hurts, and loss are all part of living. We lose people we love. We can lose jobs or money. We can lose our health. But none of this is what we take with us to eternity. We take our soul to heaven and nothing else. This life is a vapor—it's like smoke that comes up from a flame. It's visible for a second and then disappears.
In the end, God restored everything Job had many times over. He blessed the man in this life for being faithful to Him when it was hard. That might happen for you and me as well, but it may not. God may allow us to walk through the fire so we are pure as the purest gold when we pass into eternity. Stay the course! God's plans for you are so much better than our plans for ourselves. He doesn't owe us a thing. He's already given us far more than we ever deserved. Trust Him!
This forum is meant to foster discussion and allow for differing viewpoints to be explored with equal and respectful consideration. All comments are moderated and any foul language or threatening/abusive comments will not be approved. Users who engage in threatening or abusive comments which are physically harmful in nature will be reported to the authorities.
by Steve Risner
Last week, I began writing on surrendering to the Lord. We looked at the importance of surrendering to Him and how we often may fail at doing so fully. This week, we'll focus on why God is worthy of our surrender and what it may be that we're not giving Him in this process. I hope you find it edifying and challenging.
God not only wants us to totally surrender to Him, but He's worthy of us doing so. And why does God deserve such surrender? Aside from the reasons outlined last week—His great love for us that drove Him to leave heaven's glory and be born humbly in a stable, live a perfect life, and die a gruesome and hideous death for our wrongdoings only to rise again under His own power and ascend to the Father so that we can have life both here on earth and in eternity with Him—there are many other reasons why we should have no problems surrendering to the Lord.
God is the Creator. He made the heavens and the earth and everything that is in them. Everything is the product of His mind. His power in creating the universe from nothing but His thoughts, and giving life to us, is unmatched and truly inconceivable. He's beyond description. He made us.
He loves us in a way that is far beyond any form of human ability to love. He is all-knowing and His will is perfect. He has great things planned for each one of us and they're far better than any plans we would ever have for ourselves. In Jeremiah 29:11, God tells us, “’For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.’” Now, many of us may feel we have pretty great plans for ourselves. But with our limited vision, our limited knowledge, and our limited ability to be truly good (we're humans, which means our plans are likely self-serving), our plans are stinking piles of filthy, rotting rags compared to the amazing plans God has for each of us. His plans are for our good but also for the good of the Kingdom, and for the good of many others quite often. Ultimately, His plans are to usher us into His presence both here and for all eternity, and there is nothing better than that.
I encourage you, reader and friend, to seek the Lord with all your heart. Ask Him what it is in your heart that is keeping Him from saturating your heart and life. Often times, what we're holding back are things we may not even realize are hindering us. A short list comes to mind, but this list is likely not extensive.
We may be sheltering a love for something that is not from God in our hearts. For some, that could be a boyfriend or girlfriend who is not a follower of Christ. It could be a friend who is a bad influence or is dragging us away from God rather than helping us grow towards Him. It could be a job, money, or position. It might be an activity that perhaps is not a sin in and of itself but is keeping us preoccupied and harming our relationship with God. It could be sinful behavior, that “pet sin” we don't want to give up because we enjoy it too much or feel we're in bondage to it and can't give it up.
Something we may be holding back is our future. It's possible we don't trust God's plan for our lives, or we don't want what He's called us to do or be, so we push it to the side and pursue our own ambitions. We want a great job that we love and can make a lot of money doing. We want power and position and notoriety. But maybe God has called us to do something we don't esteem so highly. Maybe it's a career that doesn't make as much money or have as much prestige. Maybe it's more difficult or in a location we hadn't counted on. Whatever it is, we can trust God that. As His Word tells us, His plans are better than our plans and they're for our good.
For some, the things we're holding onto that are hurting our relationship with the Lord are past hurts. We're not forgiving someone who hurt us, or in some cases we're angry with God because of something “He allowed to happen” or something like that. I don't mean to minimize or trivialize your life experience, but if this is you—if you are blaming God for something that happened in your past—please hear me here. God may or may not have had something to do with whatever it was than happened. Perhaps He called home a loved one before you were ready—a child, a parent, a grandparent, a close friend, or spouse. Realize that if the person you lost was a believer, your loss is their gain. They are in the presence of Jesus Christ right now celebrating and happier than they ever could have been on this earth. They're free to see Him face to face and they will never suffer again. You'll miss them, but if you stay faithful, you will see them again and celebrate with them in heaven's glory. Perhaps God has taken something from you, or in some cases NOT taken something from you that you desperately want Him to remove from your life—a relationship, a hurt, an illness or sickness/ailment. Whatever it is, perhaps, as Paul realized, this thing is there for your benefit in eternity. Perhaps the reason is He wants you to realize His grace is sufficient and He wants you to rest in Him.
However, in many (if not most) cases, the thing we're holding against the Lord was not really His doing. It's either the result of our own actions and we are reaping the consequences of those actions, or it's the result of someone else's actions—whether those actions were intended for good or evil. God isn't to blame for what others do. If you've been hurt by someone, you need to forgive them and set them free. Setting them free is actually setting you free. If that person is no longer living, you can still set yourself free from the hurt by releasing them. Rather than blaming God for what we or someone else did, perhaps we should lean on Him and trust Him to make us what He wants us to be through the incident or through the pain. Christ provides healing and restoration and to give us life—real life.
John reports that his close friend Jesus said, “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life and have it to the full.” I considered just quoting the second half of this saying of Jesus, but I realized the first half exposes the problem while the second half tells us of the solution. The thief—Satan—wants to use your experience to keep you from God and keep you from abundant life. His goals are to destroy you and anything you care about. Most importantly, he wants to put something between you and your Savior, redirecting you to hell rather than into the presence of the Almighty. Do not allow him to do this! Jesus came that we might have full, abundant life and, truly, the only life worth living is one immersed in Christ Jesus. It's the only form of true living and is the gift of God and the result of Christ's sacrifice.
As believers, we often sing songs of worship that focus on our surrender. “Here I am / down on my knees again / surrendering all / … I surrender / I surrender / I want to know You more.” “I surrender all / I surrender all / all to Thee my precious Savior / I surrender all.” “I'm giving you my heart and all that is within / I lay it all down again / to hear You say that I'm Your friend.” “All to You, I surrender / everything, every part of me / all to You, I surrender / all of my dreams, all of me / I surrender.” There are so many other lyrics of surrender—total surrender—but do we mean it when we sing it? Are we singing with our lips or our hearts? He is worthy. There's none more worthy. You can find these songs and others here.
Please consider praying about whatever it is and allowing God to show you what He wants you to surrender to Him so He can more fully pour Himself into you and use you to do awesome things in His name. It may be something obvious that you're aware you're holding back, but perhaps not. It could be something more subtle. Allow God to reveal it to you and (very importantly) respond. Thanks for reading and be blessed.
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by Steve Risner
Surrender. This isn’t a word most find appealing, but I’d like to share some things concerning it with you today and next week. Recently in a prayer meeting, a man from a local church stood and prayed a prayer very similar to a prayer I’d had on my heart for some time. That prayer centered on surrendering all to the Lord. It was a beautiful prayer. He was much more eloquent than I would have been and more so than I will be in the paragraphs to follow, I’m sure. My hope is that you can take something away from this to better your walk with the Lord.
He began by saying that we don’t actually need more of God in our lives. I thought that was interesting. But he went on to say we need to surrender more of ourselves to the Lord and there will be more opportunity for God to work in and through us. I've often heard God described as a gentleman - He won't force Himself into your life if He's not welcome. This is what that portion of his prayer was getting at. If we give God a little piece of our heart, He won’t do much in our lives. If we give Him more, He'll be more present.
We see this throughout the history of the nation of Israel. When they were all in, He was all in. When they sought help from some other place or worshiped other gods, He removed Himself from them. Over the course of a believer's life, as we mature (or IF we're maturing) in our faith and grow closer to the Lord, we sacrifice more, we give more, we're more conscious of God's working and moving, and we are more open to His leading. This can all be summed up in the word surrender. This is a struggle every believer deals with for his or her entire walk with the Lord. We can always surrender more. As we surrender more, He fills in those areas that we've given up to Him.
I can see how this would mean we have more of God in our lives. However, the real deal here is that we've given more space to the Lord, so His moving, leading, and power in our lives is more easily seen and made manifest. It's really less of us. He's given us all of Himself already. We can join John the Baptist in saying, “He must become greater; I must become less.” All the while, God may very well have been moving or speaking to us, but we hadn't given Him the ear we needed to hear Him. This changes as we surrender more.
“God didn't just rent the attic. He bought the whole house.” This was one statement made during this prayer of surrender and it spoke to me. What a great description of so many of us! We have God in our heads—we know of Him, we may even know Him personally, but He's never made it to the rest of our lives because we've let Him stay in the attic, and we've locked the doors to the rest of the house. He paid the price for it all, not to have a piece but to have the whole thing. Our lives should be His.
James 4:7 tells us to “Submit yourselves, then, to God.” Then the result of surrendering to the Lord and not giving in to our flesh or the enemy is stated: “Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” As we surrender ourselves to the Lord, we give up those fleshly desires and it becomes easier to resist the devil. As we resist him, he runs! We submit to God, and we resist the devil. In Proverbs, it's beautifully said: “My son, give me your heart and let your eyes delight in my ways.” God isn't interested in anything before He's interested in you. He wants your heart—all of it—and He can do amazing things with you. But if we hold back something, His presence in our lives is diminished. It's only after we've given Him ourselves that He will happily accept those other things we want to give Him.
In Mark 12:29-30, Jesus is quoting Moses when He says, “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord alone is God. And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.” God is not ambiguous here. He doesn't say He's satisfied with some of us or a part of us or even most of our hearts. He wants it all. He references every aspect of our existence: our inner person and our physical body. In fact, the first of the Ten Commandments is, “You shall have no other gods before Me.” He wants nothing before Him. He wants nothing between us and Him—no distractions, no competition, nothing.
How do we NOT give God everything? How do we not surrender when we know it's the right thing to do? Due to a lack of trust (a lack of faith in His care for us), we hold back. There may be other reasons, but I feel this is a big one. We give Him pieces of our lives that are not really difficult to surrender. We surrender things that we can do without anyway. We may offer Him something that others can see so we benefit not from God's blessings but from the praise of men. We've all done it. We've all done the right thing for the wrong reasons. Resist this! It's not easy.
Or, we give Him the stuff that seems like it's what Christians do. We go to church on Sunday. We might listen to Christian music on occasion. We pray before some meals or when we're in trouble or have a loved one in trouble. We might give a few bucks here and there to help out. We give out of abundance (whether time or money) but not when it really counts or really hurts. If we go to church and spend a minute in prayer for each meal and, say, once or twice a week because we need help, we're looking at about 2 hours of our week. What about the other 166 hours of the week? Okay, so you're sleeping for 56 of those, give or take. But we're looking at a small portion of actual time that we sacrifice to the Lord. What's keeping you from fully surrendering? Is He on your mind most of the time? Are you talking with Him throughout your day? Are you looking for ways to bless others in His Name or to share Him with others? Are you thanking Him for those blessings He gives throughout your day?
Or, we give God the junk and keep the rest. We offer up our sufferings and our hurts, our problems and pain, but we forget about Him when we're not in the valley. When we're on the mountain top and life is going well, we forget about Him. He deserves our attention, our time, and our resources all the time, not just when we're in trouble.
Why? What's the big deal? If I give God some of my time, some of my heart, some of my life, isn't that enough? Can't He do amazing things with something so small? Of course, God is capable of doing whatever He likes, but He wants your participation and your heart. He's worthy of all we can give Him and so much more. We owe a debt to Him we can't possibly begin to pay. The highest praise isn't enough to glorify Him. The most dedicated life falls short. But this shouldn't hinder us or discourage us from giving Him all of us. It should push us to lay it all down because He's worthy of that and He deserves it and so much more. He gave Himself for us—He gave up every last drop of blood for us. He left heaven's glory and came to the earth as a humble child, born in very unimpressive circumstances to live a perfect life in harmony with the Father, teaching us His ways, and then dying a terrible death for our rebellion against God. He gave us all of Himself willingly and, according to the Apostle Paul, He did this while we were still at war with Him. Paul writes, “While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” How awesome is that!
My question is this, and I think about this often: if you've truly encountered Jesus Christ and have even a tiny bit of understanding of what He's done for you and what you should receive (death and hell) versus what you will receive (heaven’s glory and His presence) as His disciple, how can you not actively pursue surrendering more to Him? Likewise, if this is true, how can you keep quiet about the Good News? I'm not suggesting we all should be pastors or preachers, but I am suggesting that, just as Christ said and as the Apostle Paul modeled for us, we should be telling others as we go about our business. Christ said that, “As you go, make disciples...” What this means is that if we truly get what the deal is—what we deserve because we are like every other human being (a terrible sinner) and what Christ gave up, suffered, and accomplished for us while we still deserved death and hell and where we will spend eternity solely because of His work for us—we'll openly and freely talk about our faith and live out that faith in front of anyone we meet. Jesus deserves such devotion and commitment, and those He died for need to hear it and know it.
That's where we'll leave it this week. Next week we'll continue on this topic and explore why God is worthy of our total surrender and what sorts of things we may be holding back from Him—things that may be hindering His power and presence in our lives. Thanks for reading and be blessed.
This forum is meant to foster discussion and allow for differing viewpoints to be explored with equal and respectful consideration. All comments are moderated and any foul language or threatening/abusive comments will not be approved. Users who engage in threatening or abusive comments which are physically harmful in nature will be reported to the authorities.
