I will exalt you, my God the King;
I will praise your name for ever and ever.
Every day I will praise you
and extol your name for ever and ever.
Great is the Lord and most worthy of praise;
his greatness no one can fathom.
One generation commends your works to another;
they tell of your mighty acts.
They speak of the glorious splendor of your majesty—
and I will meditate on your wonderful works.
They tell of the power of your awesome works—
and I will proclaim your great deeds.
They celebrate your abundant goodness
and joyfully sing of your righteousness.
The Lord is gracious and compassionate,
slow to anger and rich in love.
The Lord is good to all;
he has compassion on all he has made.
All your works praise you, Lord;
your faithful people extol you.
They tell of the glory of your kingdom
and speak of your might,
so that all people may know of your mighty acts
and the glorious splendor of your kingdom.
Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom,
and your dominion endures through all generations.
The Lord is trustworthy in all he promises
and faithful in all he does.
The Lord upholds all who fall
and lifts up all who are bowed down.
The eyes of all look to you,
and you give them their food at the proper time.
You open your hand
and satisfy the desires of every living thing.
The Lord is righteous in all his ways
and faithful in all he does.
The Lord is near to all who call on him,
to all who call on him in truth.
He fulfills the desires of those who fear him;
he hears their cry and saves them.
The Lord watches over all who love him,
but all the wicked he will destroy.
My mouth will speak in praise of the Lord.
Let every creature praise his holy name
for ever and ever.
“And he told them a parable to the effect that they ought always to pray and not lose heart. He said, “In a certain city there was a judge who neither feared God nor respected man. And there was a widow in that city who kept coming to him and saying, ‘Give me justice against my adversary.’
For a while he refused, but afterward he said to himself, ‘Though I neither fear God nor respect man, yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will give her justice, so that she will not beat me down by her continual coming.’
And the Lord said, ‘Hear what the unrighteous judge says. And will not God give justice to his elect, who cry to him day and night? Will he delay long over them? I tell you, he will give justice to them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?’ Luke 18:1-8
This Thursday, May 1, is the National Day of Prayer, and our country and world are in desperate need of it. Prayer has taken a back seat in favor of entertainment, the pursuit of money, even religion. Our time with God has been neglected. How do I know? Because I look around at the state of things and I see the fruit of it.
I see morals being thrown out the window by the bucketful. I see people using one another for their own gain. I see adults’ behavior regressing into immaturity and downright childishness. I see the family unit disintegrating more and more. I see disrespect and even hatred on a whole new level. I see sin coming out of the darkness and living proudly in the light for all to see, and I see people afraid to stand up against it. I see the pain and suffering caused by rampant sin.
And more and more those who call themselves Christians are looking and walking and talking no differently than non-believers.
Yet I see Christians pointing an accusing finger at the world and talk about how awful it is and if they’d just straighten up and fly right everything would be okay. But God says that “if MY people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land.” 2 Chronicles 7:14
God doesn’t tell the world to change, He tells His own people that if we will repent, and if we will submit and turn from our old man and live righteously before Him, then God will our land. We are the example to the world. We are to be salt and light. And when we are right with God then we will be able to, by the grace of God and the blood of Christ, stand in the gap between God and unbelievers and pray that God will open their spiritual eyes and that they will be saved.
It starts with us.
I was saved, because of the persistent, year-long prayers of a Christian, when I was 25 years old. By that time I’d already formed a lot of erroneous beliefs. One was that abortion was acceptable since our laws give us a right to it, and the other was that God and satan were equal powers, the only difference being that one was a power for good and the other for evil.
But the moment I was saved and indwelt by the power of the Holy Spirit, my eyes were opened and those two beliefs were dispelled. I knew immediately that abortion was wrong and that God’s power over satan was infinite.
The only way to see our country and world transformed is to pray for them, one person at a time. To pray that God will soften hearts and open eyes, like He did mine, and that people will be saved.
A lot of us are weary, though. We’re weary of seeing sin gain the upper hand. We’re weary of trying and feeling like we’re moving two steps forward and one step back. We’re weary of praying and praying and praying and not seeing results. I get it. I’ve been there.
There are some things I’ve prayed years for and still have yet to see fruit. But that doesn’t mean nothing’s happening. God is making things happen behind the scenes that I’ll never see. He waits for circumstances, other people, our hearts and a multitude of other things to be just right before He can answer prayers.
Some He’ll answer quickly, and some take a lifetime. But His timing is always, always perfect. There are some answers where I’m beginning to see the bud develop, but it’s taken an excruciatingly long period of time. And there are some things I prayed a long time for, and now know those things will never happen. And in those instances hope can take a hard hit.
But God says don’t give up. Hope in Him.
In the Luke 18 parable, Jesus illustrated that if even an unrighteous person relents to someone’s pleas simply because they don’t give up, how much more will God, who is fully righteous and loving towards His children, give to them when they continue to seek Him?
Yes, you’re weary. And distracted. So am I.
So why pray? The bottom line is this: God wants to see our prayers answered. He wants to show us His will. He wants to broaden our dreams and give us victory in this life. And what’s more, He wants us to have the peace and courage and wisdom we need every day, and the only way to have those is through prayer. That’s why He tells us to pray and keep on praying. Some answers to prayer simply take a long time. And what if we give up before it’s time?
So let’s find a little corner and sit down at the feet of Jesus—the giver of strength and peace and wisdom–and pray, and gain our strength again.
Let’s stand in the gap for our family, our church, our friends, our neighborhood, our state, our country, our world.
Our children and grandchildren are growing up fast and the legacy we leave them in this world will depend on if we choose to pray or not. It’s a responsibility and privilege we can no longer take for granted.
Here is the link to the website for the National Day of Prayer. I hope you’ll choose to be one of those on the front lines of prayer for our nation and our world as the time draws closer to the Lord’s return.
And when He does, as Jesus asked, will He find faith? Will you and I be the ones He sees holding onto our faith in Him as we continue to seek Him in prayer?
Tomorrow we’ll talk about how to pray. Please pray for me as I seek the Lord for wisdom.
“Jesus said to her, ‘I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; and whoever lives by believing in me will never die. Do you believe this?’” John 11:25-26
The whole world thought he was dead.
Their hopes had been so high. Living under an oppressive rule, he had emerged as a man who performed miracles among the least of them — the poor, the lame, the blind, the leper, the demon-possessed. So many lives had changed beyond anything they could have imagined. They were healed, brought back to life, rejoined to their families, all because of one man.
One man had noticed them when no one else had. When the only other attention given to them was shame or pity, he had seen them. He had looked into their eyes, into their very souls, and validated their existence.
He had done and said things no one ever had. He worked on the Sabbath and made no apologies. He overturned the tables and cleared the temple for making a mockery of it. He stood in the faces of hypocritical religious leaders and called them blind guides and whitewashed tombs. He fed thousands with a boy’s lunch.
They’d hoped to make him king. He was on his way to greatness and they were on their way to freedom. Just a week before they had celebrated him.
And now he was dead.
His disciples were in mourning. He had said something to them about being raised on the third day, but who could know what he meant now. The past three years were gone, and it all seemed a blur. Things seemed to be headed in such a hopeful direction. Once they thought he’d be their leader and they’d serve alongside him. He would redeem Israel. He would be their savior.
Now he was a prophet at best. Just a good man lying dead inside a tomb. Where was God? Why did He let it happen? Jesus’ life and theirs had all taken a turn they never saw coming, and all their hopes and dreams were gone.
But things aren’t always as they seem.
Beyond their understanding, beyond their imagination, beyond their greatest hopes and dreams, Christ rose from the dead on the third day, just like He said He would.
Now, with the benefit of 2000 years and God’s Word, we know the end of the story. We know there was a purpose for His death. We know He was indeed the Christ, the Messiah who was to come, and that He had to die and live again for the remission of the sins of mankind. We know He stayed with them, teaching them for another forty days, and then He ascended into heaven to the right hand of the Father where He rules forever.
God’s ways were much higher than Jesus’ disciples ever could have imagined. He didn’t come just to save Israel for this life, but all believers for eternity. He didn’t come to be just king of a country, but King of our hearts. We know He wasn’t only a prophet or a good man, He was, and is, God.
And in His resurrection, He showed His power over death. He proved the words He’d spoken to them: “I am the way, the truth, and the life.” John 14:6
Resurrection morning is all about life. His life and ours. It’s about the Source of life coming down to redeem us and give us new life. Not only did Christ rise, but in Him we rise. When we believe in Him we’re forgiven of all our sins and His life courses through our veins. We have the promise of our souls rising from the grave the moment our life here ends, and our bodies at the end of all things.
But we are not yet resurrected. We are still bound to these bodies and we battle sin in ourselves and in the world every day. And there are times our lives can take a jolting turn. Like the disciples, we can have plans that God doesn’t have. Life had been moving along so well and we had it all mapped out. And then there was the loss of something — a child, a spouse, a parent, a career, a friendship, health. Something changed and it wasn’t supposed to be that way. Disillusion sets in. All our hopes and dreams are gone.
And we can be like the disciples in those long hours after their friend’s lifeless body had been carried away for burial. We wonder what happened. We wonder where God is and how things could have turned out so differently than we thought they would. The hours tick by and we wonder if the third day will ever come. We feel lost, confused and alone.
But things aren’t always as they seem.
In the dark hours of suffering and loss we can understand what the disciples didn’t: that our preconceived notions and personal hopes and dreams have to die if God’s are to live in and through us. Just as God wanted to do so much more than the disciples could have imagined, He wants to do much more in our lives than we can ever dream.
We see the end of the story that the disciples had not yet seen. And God sees the end of our story. He sees what He is making us to be. He sees what’s on the other side of that hill in our journey. He sees the joy on our faces as He raises us from the dead and we join Him in heaven. He sees us living whole, glorified lives, our souls freed from every kind of pain to soar forever with Him in new life.
He is the Author of Life, and we can trust Him.
“Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day.” 2 Corinthians 4:16
Christ’s power over death is at work in us right now. It may not look like it; it may not feel like it. But the disciples would all tell us that looks and feelings can be deceiving. We can have His joy now, knowing our third day will come soon. And one day that joy will be complete, when the Maker of Life raises us with Him. His resurrection gives us a taste of that new life now, and a glimpse of the glory to come.
“See to it, brothers and sisters, that none of you has a sinful, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God. But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called ‘Today,’ so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness. We have come to share in Christ, if indeed we hold our original conviction firmly to the very end. As has just been said:
‘Today, if you hear his voice,
do not harden your hearts
as you did in the rebellion.’
Who were they who heard and rebelled? Were they not all those Moses led out of Egypt? And with whom was he angry for forty years? Was it not with those who sinned, whose bodies perished in the wilderness? And to whom did God swear that they would never enter his rest if not to those who disobeyed? So we see that they were not able to enter, because of their unbelief.” Hebrews 3:12-19
Don’t miss that this letter is written to brothers and sisters in the faith, yet the author warns them against unbelief. How could they not believe once they’ve believed?
I believed in – put my faith in, trusted in – Christ as my Lord and Savior 24 years ago, yet in that 24 years the Lord has told me many things that have been hard to believe. We believe unto salvation once, and afterward we make countless choices to believe (or not believe) truths unto maturity.
Unbelief is rebellion and fear. Belief is worship.
Whatever you hear from your shepherd, whichever way He leads you, choose to believe and follow. Continue to put your faith in Him, and He will lead you into a life of victory.
A wealthy society, prominent schools, medical access, fine clothing, a good church. Successful. A community where anyone would be fortunate enough to have a home and raise a family.
Sound familiar?
Like one of countless neighborhoods in America, doesn’t it?
Only this community, more specifically the church in this community, is mentioned in the Book of Revelation. Jesus Christ speaks directly to her, the Church in Laodicea. But He doesn’t send His congratulations at being a center of modern medicine, or for being a mecca for trade and wealth, or for dressing themselves in fine clothes.
They had made the mistake of finding contentment in their earthly treasures. And in their wallowing, they had become spiritually destitute.
They thought they had everything, but because He sees differently than we see, Christ gives them an eye-opener – a warning and a call to repentance. He tells them they are wretched, miserable, poor, blind and naked.
They had allowed their prosperity to rob them of their zeal for Christ, and their faith had become lukewarm. Good for nothing. Tasteless. And they were in danger of being vomited from His mouth.
Sound familiar?
America has anything anyone could want. Lady Liberty lights the way to welcome countless people from around the world who come to find their American dream – a job, a home, education, medical expertise. We are the land of the free and the home of the brave.
And we’ve become spiritually impoverished.
We are now the home of the seeker-friendly church. We’ve watered down the gospel for fear of hurting someone’s feelings. We’ve made it exciting for fear of alienating young people. We’ve rested on our American laurels. We’ve molded to the world instead of allowing the truth to mold it.
And we’ve become, in large part, wretched, miserable, poor, blind and naked.
But as always, Christ gives us hope. As He counseled the Church in Laodicea, I believe He counsels the Church in America, and wherever else it applies, to “buy from Me gold refined in the fire, that you may be rich; and white garments, that you may be clothed, that the shame of your nakedness may not be revealed; and anoint your eyes with eye salve, that you may see.” Rev. 3:18
It’s not in a white-collar career, a mini-mansion, a car with heated seats, clothes fresh off the Paris runway, or in any kind of fame that we are made whole.
It’s not in a set of religious rules, or intricate stained-glass windows, or hip, modern teaching about how nobody needs to worry about hell, maybe peppered with a cuss word here or there to prove that Christians aren’t all stuffy.
It’s in the person of Jesus Christ.
It’s in believing in Him and putting faith in Him and His work on the cross.
There is nothing inherently wrong with wealth or a finely-tuned Sunday morning service.
But:
1. Those will not save one soul. And in this sin-sick world, people need Christ. People are hungry for the truth, hungry for answers, hungry for hope and starving for love. And it’s a sin for a church to rob someone of that knowledge in favor of an entertaining Sunday get-together.
2. Those are not our goal. Our goal is to know Christ and take what He infuses into our souls to the world as salt and light. Our goal is to give ourselves over to Him for the sanctification of our souls and renewing of our minds.
Our goal is to get up on the cross with Christ and die.
It’s to overcome the world, not give in to it. To overcome the enemy, not join forces. To overcome the sin that entangles us, not sit and wallow in it.
And this can only be done as we hold onto Christ. And if we do, He gives us a promise:
“To him who overcomes I will grant to sit with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne.” Rev. 3:21
We have a short time here, and then the reward. May we see ourselves through Jesus’s loving, gracious, sober eyes and remember the reason we’re here.
Grace and peace, love and joy,
Hello again!
I’m excited to announce that my testimony, along with 39 others, will be published in a book and released sometime later this year! Some stories, like mine, will be about how, against all odds, the truth of Jesus Christ penetrated hearts and brought people to a saving faith in Him. Other stories will be glimpses into the lives of believers and how they were able to keep holding onto faith despite trying times. All will be stories of hope and the miracles that only Christ can do. I’ll let you know more details as they’re announced. I’m excited to see how the Lord will use the book in the lives of many hurting people desperate for real hope in a world that’s increasingly lacking it. Add it to your Christmas list!
I asked the Lord one day how He can stand it. How can He know all the pain and suffering that goes on in the hearts of men, women and children every minute of every day and not be overcome with grief?
He spoke to my heart and said, “Because I have hope.”
I had to think about that one for a bit. What does God need with hope? He knows all things. But the kind of hope God has is not the wishing kind.
It’s not a verb, as in “I hope this or that will happen…”
It’s a noun. It’s a sure thing. An expectation. A confidence. And the object of our hope is nothing less than God Himself.
As I write this, Oklahoma is being slammed with a second round of deadly tornadoes. New mystery viruses are killing people and doctors don’t know what to do about it. Abuses such as slavery and pornography abound and the news seems to grow darker every day.
And a bit closer to home, I know three people who are currently battling cancer. I see people struggling in their walk with Christ. And I have a daily battle going on in my own mind with health issues that keep trying to take my attention away from what’s important.
No one gets through life without experiencing at least a few storms. Waves of trials come crashing into our lives and it can feel like we barely have a chance to take another breath before we feel the sting of another. We feel tossed around emotionally and spiritually in the violent winds and waves and there are moments we can feel like the whole thing is going to capsize.
But we’ve been given an anchor to still us.
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.” Hebrews 6:16-19
The world puts its hope in things like health, finances, children, a spouse, friends. And there are religious doctrines that will tell you God wants our lives to be perfect, that He wants us to put our hope in those things. I’m not sure how anyone can read the accounts of Abraham or Job or Joseph or Paul or even Jesus and come to that conclusion.
No, God wants us to know that no matter what happens He is our hope. So He swore by Himself–because He cannot lie–to prove that His promises are true. But we may have to weather a few storms first.
Hope in God is what anchors us in those storms.
Intead of being overcome, hope is what keeps us still and grounded, focused on God instead of thunder and lightning and our wet feet.
And the more we know who God is—that He is a God Who never changes, that He is Who He says He is, and does what He says He’ll do, and that He loves us beyond comprehension and wants for us His absolute best—the more heavy with hope we’ll become.
Sometimes it’s in the middle of the storm we’re tempted to panic and let go of hope. But that’s when we need to hold on the tightest.
God has hope because He knows the plans He has for us. He knows He’s in the boat with us and He maintains control of the storm at all times. He knows that if we’ll just hold onto Him, at the end of our storms we’ll be children of God who will shine pure as gold, who will more and more reflect the beauty of His Son.
And we can have hope that this life is not all there is. That there is another one waiting for us. One where all our hopes and dreams will be fulfilled. One where our joy is never again interrupted by pain or sorrow or suffering. The hope of living with Jesus in paradise.
The storms may not abate, not for a while at least, but we can be confident in the One Who has power over them, and us.
With great hope,
I know, I know, you’re asking yourself, “How can I never miss God Treasure again?” I’m so glad you asked! Just enter your email in the box under the welcome message to the right. Don’t worry, I don’t spam, message or pass the hat. God bless!
I’ve been a believer in Christ almost half my life (maybe more, but that’s a story for another day). I’ve lived this Christian life so long that I can sometimes forget all that Christ has saved me from.
But once in a while God gives me a reminder, a little glimpse into what my life could have been like had I kept walking the path I was on. I very well could have died in my sins. Lost forever.
But my Redeemer lives.
For I know that my Redeemer lives, and He shall stand at last on the earth; and after my skin is destroyed, this I know, that in my flesh I shall see God, Whom I shall see for myself, and my eyes shall behold, and not another. How my heart yearns within me!” Job 19:25-27
Even Job, who lived centuries prior to Christ’s incarnation, because of his intimate relationship with God knew he had a Redeemer. While he sat utterly destitute and broken by the tornado of suffering he suddenly faced, he held onto hope that he would be saved, even if not until he passed on from this life. He knew His Redeemer would reign victorious at the end of all things and that He would be raised with Him and see his Redeemer face to face.
God did save Job and restored his life. And I have no doubt that Job’s faith carried him home to see the face he so longed to see, where all suffering melted away.
God’s saved me from more than I have time to tell you here. And no matter what struggles I go through as a believer, it’s nothing compared to living this life without Jesus, without the hope of salvation.
He’s redeemed my soul from the pit. He’s saved me from destroying myself. He’s rescued me from destructive relationships and from wandering the earth in a state of spiritual blindness.
He’s given me sight to see Him and ears to hear Him. He’s changing my heart from hardened stone to pure, soft flesh. He’s blessed me in ways that before I would have thought impossible. And He’s filled me with His Spirit to give me the hope of salvation and that one day I, too, will see my Redeemer face to face.
A boy grows up like any other boy. Only this boy would teach in the synagogues, and with such authority the priests would be seized with jealousy. They would obsess over plotting to kill Him.
The boy grows up into adolescence like any other young man. Only He would not look for a wife, but instead devote Himself to carpentry and to prayer.
The adolescent grows up like any other man, only He changes water to wine.
And He claims to be the Son of God. The I Am.
Twelve men would leave their families and their lives in an instant because He called them.
It doesn’t make sense.
In an ordinary place among ordinary people, a Man walks among them. A Man who, on the outset, would seem ordinary, too. But He isn’t.
He heals the blind, He touches the leper, He raises the dead.
In a time when women are property, He defends them.
In a place where there is no food, He feeds multitudes with a boy’s lunch.
How can that be?
To some religious leaders He boldly states, “The Son of Man is also Lord of the Sabbath.” Luke 6:5
Time and time again He shows His power, His authority.
Except one night when soldiers have come to take Him. Still, His authority overwhelms them and they fall helpless to the ground. He gives them strength again and as His disciples look on, they stand to their feet and seize Him. A soldier loses an ear in the melee and He heals him.
Why? Why doesn’t He run while He can?
He stands before men in four separate mock trials.
He is sentenced to die in the place of a murderer who is set free.
He is beaten beyond recognition as a man.
But some begin to recognize Him as more than a man.
He is nailed to a cross to die among thieves, and promises one of them who asks that he will have a place with Him in Paradise that day.
How can He make that promise?
“But even the rulers with them sneered, saying, ‘He saved others; let Him save Himself if He is the Christ, the chosen of God.’” Luke 23:35
Why didn’t He?
He calls to His Father in heaven, asking Him to forgive all who have sinned against Him.
He dies and is buried in a tomb with armed guards standing watch.
The disciples scatter. Judas is dead. Peter hides in his shame. Hope is lost. A man is dead.
Was it all too good to be true? Were His claims preposterous? Were His promises empty?
Three years had come and gone like a dream and now they were awake. It’s over. The Sabbath comes and goes.
And it’s morning on the third day.
Some disciples journey to the tomb. Some take spices for burial.
Photo by Ferrell Jenkins
But the stone is already rolled away and He’s gone.
How? Where were the soldiers?
In her grief, Mary Magdalene begs a man she supposes to be the gardener, “Sir, if You have carried Him away, tell me where You have laid Him, and I will take Him away.” John 20:15
If only she could have one more moment with Him.
The Man calls her name.
“Mary!”
That voice, she knows that voice!
“Teacher!”
And she clings to Him.
She clings to Him Who is hope, to Him Who is the resurrection and the life, to Him Who is the Lord of the Sabbath, the Lord of the universe, the King of heaven.
It was all true! It sounded preposterous, ludicrous, absurd. A boy born to a virgin who claimed to be God and came to die for the sins of the world? To human ears, human reasoning, it seemed insane.
It was beyond their comprehension.
It’s a story so elaborate, so perfectly designed, so extraordinary, so humble and so powerful at the same time that only God could dream it.
From the very beginning, everything He said would happen did.
He’s still dreaming dreams for us. He’s still making promises that seem completely contrary to anything we can understand. He’ll heal the marriage, He’ll bring home the child, He’ll provide the need. He’ll forgive the sin, He’ll make us new creations. He’ll love us and be by our side no matter what.
He’ll prepare a home for us and come back to take us there.
And He’ll seal the promise by filling us with His Holy Spirit.
It seems preposterous. Impossible. Almost unbelievable.
But the stone is rolled away and He is alive.
May the joy of Jesus’ Resurrection fill you this day and every day!
