JESUS IS THE WAY, THE TRUTH & THE LIFE

A friend told my husband one time,

“All ways lead to God at the judgment seat, but only one way gets you past that.”

That statement has stuck with me because there is so much truth packed into it.

One day, every person will stand before God. No matter what we believe, what path we have taken, or what we have placed our trust in, we will all ultimately stand before our Creator.

But the Bible makes it very clear that there is only one Way to the Father.

Jesus said:

“Jesus answered, ‘I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.’”
— John 14:6

Jesus didn't say He was a way.

He said He was the Way.

He didn't say He would show us a truth.

He said He was the Truth.

And He didn't say He could simply improve our lives.

He said He was the Life.

That is an exclusive statement. There aren't multiple roads that ultimately lead us to God. There aren't many different truths that contradict one another but somehow all arrive at the same destination.

There is one Way to the Father, and His name is Jesus.

Jesus Is the Truth

Scripture teaches us that God is truth, and because Jesus is God, everything Jesus spoke was truth.

Jesus didn't come speaking His own opinions or offering suggestions about how we should live. He spoke the words the Father gave Him.

His words are trustworthy because He is trustworthy.

And because we know who Jesus is, we can have confidence that not one word He has spoken will ultimately fail.

That is why we can trust the Bible.

God's Word isn't simply a collection of ancient writings containing helpful advice. It reveals the character of God, points us to Christ, exposes lies, teaches us what is true, and gives us the foundation upon which we can build our lives.

Augustine wrote:

“Wherever truth is found, it belongs to God: All truth is God's truth.”

I love that thought.

Every true thing we discover about God's creation ultimately belongs to Him because He is the Creator of it all.

When scientists discover something that is true about the universe, they aren't discovering something that exists outside of God's authority. When we learn something true about how the human body works, how nature operates, or how the world around us functions, we are simply discovering more about a creation that already belongs to God.

Nothing is outside His domain.

Truth doesn't threaten our faith.

Truth belongs to God.

How Do We Know What Is True?

That question is especially important in the world we live in today.

There are so many voices competing for our attention. Everyone seems to have an opinion. Everyone has an answer. Everyone wants us to believe that their version of the truth is the right one.

But not every voice speaks truth.

So how do we discern the difference between truth and lies?

My Application Bible puts it beautifully:

“In today’s world, it can be difficult to know what is true. So many voices clamor for our attention and claim to have the right answer, the true answer. Truth is so important in society and in relationships. It is necessary for trust. It is necessary for justice. So how do we pick through the lies and find the truth? In order to know truth, we must know God. When we immerse ourselves in His Word and cultivate a relationship with Him through prayer, we will find that we can discern the truth from lies because we will become transformed into a person more and more like Jesus (Romans 12:2). As we remain in Him, we will know the truth, and the truth will set us free (John 8:31–32).”

In order to recognize a counterfeit, we have to know the genuine.

The more we know God's Word, the more familiar we become with His voice, His character, His ways, and His truth.

The more time we spend with Him in prayer and in His Word, the more He transforms the way we think.

Paul tells us in Romans 12:2:

“Do not be conformed to this age, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may discern what is the good, pleasing, and perfect will of God.”

This is why knowing God's Word matters so much.

We don't study Scripture simply so we can know more about the Bible.

We study it so we can know God.

And the more we know Him, the more clearly we can recognize what is true.

There Is Only One Way

Going back to that statement my husband's friend made:

“All ways lead to God at the judgment seat, but only one way gets you past that.”

That is a sobering thought.

There will come a day when every one of us stands before God.

Our accomplishments won't be enough.

Our good intentions won't be enough.

Being a good person won't be enough.

Following our own version of truth won't be enough.

There is only one Way.

Jesus.

He is the Way to the Father.

He is the Truth we can trust.

And He is the Life we desperately need.

So when the world tells us there are many paths to God, we need to remember what Jesus Himself said.

“I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”

That isn't a statement we need to apologize for.

It is a truth we need to hold onto.

Because when everything else is stripped away—when every opinion, every philosophy, every argument, and every competing voice falls silent—the Truth will still be standing.

And His name is Jesus.

Know the Truth.
Know the Word.
Know Jesus.

Because Jesus isn't simply the One who shows us the way.

Jesus IS the Way.

When God Changes Our Plans

I love this verse because it reminds me that we can make all the plans we want, but ultimately, the Lord is the One who establishes our steps.

I don't know about you, but I like to have a plan. I like knowing where I'm going, what I'm doing, and what comes next. There is something comforting about having things figured out.

But life doesn't always work that way, does it?

We make our plans, and then God sometimes takes us in a completely different direction.

Sometimes He opens doors we never expected.

Sometimes He closes doors we were sure we were supposed to walk through.

Sometimes He changes our plans so completely that we find ourselves wondering, “Lord, what are You doing?”

I've had plenty of moments like that in my own life.

I've had things I thought would happen that didn't. I've had plans that didn't work out the way I thought they would. And I've had seasons where I simply had to trust God even though I couldn't see where He was leading me.

And that's really what this verse comes down to for me: trust.

I can make my plans, but I have to remember that God sees what I can't see.

He knows what's ahead.

He knows what is best for me.

He knows the people I'll meet, the circumstances I'll face, the opportunities that will come, and even the things I may never understand this side of heaven.

I see the step in front of me. God sees the entire path.

Sometimes we may wonder why God didn't allow something to happen the way we wanted. We may not understand why He closed a particular door or why He took us down a road we never intended to travel.

But I've learned that just because something doesn't go according to my plan doesn't mean it isn't going according to His plan.

Sometimes what we think is a detour is actually God's direction.

Sometimes a closed door is God's protection.

Sometimes a delay is God's preparation.

And sometimes God takes us somewhere we never planned to go because He knows that's exactly where we need to be.

So yes, make your plans. Dream your dreams. Set your goals. Make wise decisions and do your best to move forward.

But don't forget to leave room for God to change those plans.

Because if my plans don't line up with His, His plan is going to win out anyway.

And honestly, I'm okay with that.

Because I would much rather have God establish my steps than spend my life trying to establish them myself.

I may not always understand where He's taking me, but I can trust the One who is leading me.

He knows the way. He knows the destination. And He knows every step in between.

“The heart of man plans his way, but the LORD establishes his steps.”
— Proverbs 16:9

Shining in a World That Feels Dark

“Those who are wise will shine like the brightness of the heavens, and those who lead many to righteousness, like the stars forever and ever.”
—Daniel 12:3 NIV

My NIV Application Bible puts Daniel 12:3 this way, and every time I read it, I find myself thinking about the world we live in today.

There seems to be panic everywhere you turn.

Turn on the news. Scroll through social media. Listen to conversations around you. There are plenty of people who are convinced that if we don't act immediately, our entire society is going to be turned over to the devil.

And honestly, sometimes there is good reason to be concerned. There are things happening in our world that should grieve us. There are things we should stand against. There are things we should pray about and, when God gives us the opportunity, things we should do something about.

But I don't believe God has called His children to live in a constant state of panic.

When I read Daniel 12:3, I am reminded that wisdom doesn't mean joining the panic. Wisdom means knowing God, trusting Him, remaining faithful to Him, and allowing His light to shine through us—even when the world around us feels very dark.

And that's where I come back to those two little words that can change everything:

But God.

The world says, “Look at what's happening!”

But God.

The world says, “Everything is falling apart!”

But God.

The world says, “There's no hope!”

But God.

Because without God, there really is no lasting hope. Without God, we don't have the wisdom we need to navigate a world that can sometimes feel completely upside down.

But with God, we don't have to be controlled by fear.

That doesn't mean we stick our heads in the sand and pretend nothing is happening. It doesn't mean we ignore evil or stop caring about what happens around us. And it certainly doesn't mean we shouldn't pray, speak truth, or take action when God calls us to.

It means we remember Who is ultimately in control.

Daniel 12 is actually talking about a much bigger picture than what we see happening around us today. It's pointing toward the end, toward God's ultimate victory, and toward those who remain faithful to Him. Daniel was given a glimpse of things far beyond his own lifetime.

And right in the middle of that message is this beautiful picture of God's people shining.

“Those who are wise will shine like the brightness of the heavens…”

That makes me ask myself: What kind of light am I shining?

Am I adding to the fear and panic?

Am I constantly telling people how bad everything is?

Or am I pointing people toward the One who is greater than everything happening around us?

Because perhaps one of the greatest ways we can shine in a dark world is by refusing to let the darkness change who we are.

We can be people of wisdom instead of foolishness.

People of faith instead of fear.

People of prayer instead of panic.

People who speak truth instead of adding to the noise.

And most importantly, people who lead others toward righteousness.

That's the part of Daniel 12:3 that really gets me:

“…those who lead many to righteousness, like the stars forever and ever.”

I don't just want to shine for the sake of shining.

I want my life to point someone else to Jesus.

I want someone who is afraid to see that they can trust God.

I want someone who feels hopeless to be reminded that God is still their hope.

I want someone who is lost to see the light of Christ through the way I live.

I want to be wise—not because I have all the answers, but because I know the One who does.

And when the world around me feels dark, I want to remember that darkness doesn't get the final word.

God does.

So when I find myself becoming overwhelmed by everything happening in the world, I don't need to panic.

I need to pause.

I need to pray.

I need to open God's Word.

I need to remember Who my hope is in.

And then simply say:

“But God.”

Because He is still God.

He is still on His throne.

He is still in control.

He is still our hope.

And He is still calling His people to shine.

So that's my desire—to be wise, to shine brightly, and to lead others toward righteousness so that they, too, can know the hope, peace, and light that can only be found in God.

In a world that seems to be getting darker, let's be people who shine.

Not because we're so wise or so strong on our own...

but because we belong to the One who is.

TRUST IN THE LORD FOREVER

Everything about faith in God is about TRUST.

God has never, ever done anything to lose our trust in Him.

We, however, do so many things that lose others’ trust in us. We are all guilty of it at one time or another. We say things we don't mean. We make promises we don't keep. We make mistakes. We disappoint people. Sometimes, even when we have the best intentions, we fail.

But God doesn't.

He has never failed us. He has never broken a promise. He has never changed His mind about loving us. He has never stopped being faithful.

That is why I love this verse.

It doesn't simply tell us to trust God for a little while. It says to “trust in the Lord forever.”

Why?

Because “the Lord God is an everlasting rock.”

A rock is something solid. Something firm. Something that doesn't move when everything around it does.

And that's who God is.

When our circumstances change, He doesn't.
When people disappoint us, He doesn't.
When our plans fall apart, He remains faithful.
When we don't understand what He's doing, He is still good.
When we feel uncertain about tomorrow, He is already there.

God is not asking us to put our trust in something temporary or unstable. He is asking us to put our trust in Him—the everlasting Rock.

So why do we make it so hard?

I think sometimes it's because we confuse trusting God with understanding God.

We want to know how everything is going to work out before we're willing to trust Him.

We want the answer before we trust the One who has the answer.

We want to see the path before we're willing to take the next step.

But that's not really trust, is it?

Trust says, “God, I don't understand this, but I know You.”

Trust says, “I can't see what is ahead, but I know the One who can.”

Trust says, “I don't know how this is going to work out, but I know You are faithful.”

And maybe that's where faith becomes real—not when everything makes sense, but when it doesn't.

It's easy to trust God when the bills are paid, the diagnosis is good, the relationship is healthy, the plans are working, and life feels secure.

But what happens when the ground beneath us starts to shake?

That's when we discover what—or Who—we've really been standing on.

The beautiful thing about an everlasting Rock is that He doesn't move just because our circumstances do.

We may move.

Our emotions may move.

Our confidence may move.

Our circumstances may move.

But God remains.

So today, maybe the question isn't “Can I trust God?”

The question is:

“Will I choose to trust Him?”

Not just when I understand.

Not just when I can see the outcome.

Not just when life is going the way I want it to.

But forever.

Because He is worthy of our trust.

He has always been faithful.

And He will always be our everlasting Rock.

God Is My Refuge

The amplified bible says,

"God is our refuge and strength [mighty and impenetrable], A very present and well-proved help in trouble."

There have been so many moments in my life when I realized just how much I needed a refuge.

Not a place. Not an escape. Not someone who can fix everything.

I needed God.

Life can bring circumstances that leave us feeling overwhelmed, uncertain, exhausted, or even afraid. Sometimes we don't know what the next step is or how everything is going to work out. We may not have the answers, but we can know where to turn.

God is our refuge.

A refuge is a place of safety—a place we can run to when the storms of life come. And I love that this verse doesn't say God might be our refuge or that He will become our refuge when everything falls apart.

It says He is our refuge.

He is also our strength.

There are times when we simply don't have the strength within ourselves to carry what we're carrying. And maybe that's exactly where God wants us—to recognize that our strength was never meant to come from us alone.

When I'm weak, He is strong.

When I'm afraid, He is my peace.

When I don't understand, He is still faithful.

When I don't know what to do, I can run to Him.

And perhaps one of the most comforting parts of this verse is those three little words:

“Ever-present help.”

God isn't distant. He isn't too busy. He isn't waiting for us to get everything together before we come to Him.

He is present.

Right in the middle of the trouble.

Right in the middle of the uncertainty.

Right in the middle of the storm.

I know this because I've lived it.

Back in 1994—I know, I'm dating myself here—I needed His refuge and strength more than anything.

But I didn't feel like I deserved it.

I felt like I had messed up too much in life. Because of the things I had endured growing up, I saw myself as damaged goods. I didn't believe I was worthy of God's refuge. I didn't believe I deserved His strength.

But God had a very different view of me.

And looking back now, I can see that Psalm 46:1 wasn't just a verse to read. It was a promise I desperately needed to learn how to live.

I had so many things to work through, and God led me to the right place at the right time to get the help I so desperately needed. What happened during that season of my life was so life-altering. It rocked my world—in the best possible way.

It was there that I began to truly understand what it meant for God to be my refuge and my strength.

I learned that He was my safe place.

I learned that I didn't have to have everything figured out before I could run to Him.

I learned that He was an ever-present help—not just when life was easy, but especially when it wasn't.

And perhaps most importantly, I learned that God had been there all along.

He was there through the things I experienced growing up.

He was there in the moments when I felt alone.

He was there when I didn't understand what was happening or why I was going through it.

He was there even when I didn't know Him the way I know Him today.

Because God isn't limited by the moment we finally recognize Him.

He already knows our story.

He knew what we would walk through before we ever walked through it.

He knew the wounds we would carry.

He knew the places where we would struggle.

He knew the moment we would finally turn toward Him and place our faith in Him.

And He knew the moment we would finally allow Him to become our refuge and strength.

He wasn't waiting for me to become worthy.

He was waiting for me to come.

And when I did, He was right there—ready and willing to meet me.

That's what makes this verse so personal to me.

I don't just believe that God can be a refuge.

I know He is.

I don't just believe that He can give us strength.

I know He does.

And I don't just believe that He is present when we need Him.

I know He has been present all along.

We may not always understand what God is doing, and we may not know how our story will unfold. But we can rest in knowing who is with us while it unfolds.

Whatever you're facing today, you don't have to carry it alone.

Run to your Refuge.

Lean on your Strength.

Trust the One who has been there all along.

“God is our refuge and strength [mighty and impenetrable], A very present and well-proved help in trouble.”

And if He could meet me there in 1994, He can meet you wherever you are today.

The Word Became Flesh

This verse is one of the most powerful verses in all of Scripture.

Read it again slowly:

“The Word became flesh and dwelt among us.”

The Word didn't simply appear to be human. He didn't temporarily take on the appearance of flesh. The Word became flesh.

Jesus—the eternal Word of God—stepped into His creation. He came into the world He created and made His dwelling among us.

And that word dwelt is significant. The Greek word used here carries the idea of tabernacling or pitching a tent among us. In the Greek Old Testament, this same language is associated with the tabernacle—the place where God's presence dwelt among His people.

Think about that for a moment.

The glory of God, which had once been associated with the tabernacle, was now being revealed in tangible human form through Christ.

God came near.

Take a moment and really allow that to sink in.

The Word became flesh and dwelt among us.

That should mean everything to us as Christians.

He loved us so much that He came to us.

He wanted a relationship with us so much that He willingly stepped into humanity. He humbled Himself, lived among us, walked among us, taught us, loved us, suffered for us, and ultimately gave His life on the cross to make a way for us to be reconciled to God.

He came so that we could come home.

And ultimately, He came so that we could spend eternity with Him.

Eternity with God.

That should mean everything to us.

But does it?

I can't help but think about how much our world has changed.

When my parents were growing up, Sundays looked very different. Sunday was largely considered a day of rest. Stores were closed. Businesses were closed. Families went to church. Communities gathered together. After church, there might be a potluck lunch or a picnic where people simply spent time together.

There was a rhythm to life.

There was a recognition that some things were more important than getting everything done.

Even when I was growing up, Sundays still felt different. Things had already begun to change, and more people were choosing to stay home rather than go to church, but there was still a sense that Sunday was a day set apart.

As the years went by, though, the changes continued.

More busyness.

More chaos.

More things demanding our attention.

Sunday gradually became another day to shop, clean the house, mow the lawn, run errands, prepare for the week ahead and check off everything on the never-ending list of things that need to be done.

And somewhere along the way, we lost the rhythm of stopping.

Now, I don't believe the point of John 1:14 is that we need to bring back the way Sundays used to look.

The point is much deeper than that.

Do we still recognize the significance of what God has done for us?

Do we still stand in awe that the Word became flesh and dwelt among us?

Do we still understand that the Bible isn't simply another book sitting on a shelf?

Because if we truly believe that this is the living, powerful Word of God, then it should affect us.

It should slow us down.

It should make us stop and listen.

It should change what we prioritize.

It should change how we spend our time.

It should change what we pursue.

It should change how we love.

It should change how we live.

The problem isn't simply that Sundays have become busier.

Our lives have become busier.

We've filled our days with so much noise that sometimes we don't have room to hear God.

We've filled our schedules with so much activity that we don't stop long enough to consider eternity.

We've accumulated so much stuff that we can forget that none of it is coming with us.

And perhaps most heartbreaking of all, we can become so familiar with the words of Scripture that we forget just how extraordinary they are.

“The Word became flesh and dwelt among us.”

That isn't just a sentence in a book.

That is the story of God's love for us.

The Creator entered His creation.

God came near.

Jesus came to dwell among us, full of grace and truth.

He came knowing exactly what it would cost Him.

He came knowing He would be rejected.

He came knowing He would suffer.

He came knowing He would go to the cross.

And He came anyway.

For us.

So maybe what we need isn't simply a return to quieter Sundays.

Maybe what we need is a return to wonder.

A return to recognizing that God is worthy of our attention.

A return to making room for His Word.

A return to slowing down long enough to hear His voice.

A return to remembering that this life is not all there is.

Because the Word became flesh.

He dwelt among us.

We have seen His glory.

And because of what Jesus did for us, eternity with Him is possible.

That should mean everything.

May we never become so busy that we forget to stop and marvel at the fact that God came near.

SET YOUR HEARTS ON THINGS ABOVE

“Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.”
— Colossians 3:1

The beginning of this verse says, “Since, then, you have been raised with Christ,” and then it tells us to “set your hearts on things above,” where Christ is seated at the right hand of God.

This verse as a whole takes on so much meaning.

Being raised with Christ emphasizes the new status of believers, which also requires a new life. That new life gets underway as Christians set their hearts on—or seek—things above.

Since, as believers, we are in Christ, we already belong to the world above, where He is. As such, every thought, aim, value, aspiration, and striving should come under His lordship.

I know that’s a mouthful and a lot to process.

But I want to focus on the “set your hearts on things above” part.

Setting our hearts and minds on things above is no easy task, especially in the world we’re living in today. There is so much chaos, noise, busyness, and distraction competing for our attention and pulling us away from a life that is lived for God.

I don’t know about you, but there are so many things that need doing throughout my day that sometimes the time I want to spend setting my heart on things above gets pushed to the wayside.

Not because I don’t love God—I do.

Not because He doesn’t cross my mind throughout the day—He does.

But because life is messy. Life is busy. And there always seems to be something that needs to be done.

As my mom gets older and has things that need my attention, I’ve found myself going from one busy season of life into another. I’ve heard myself say, “There just aren’t enough hours in the day to get everything done that I want to get done.”

And maybe you’ve said the same thing.

But I’ve realized something: if I don’t intentionally make time for God, something else will always fill that time.

For the longest time, I ended my day with God. I would read Scripture, do Bible studies, or read Christian living books before going to bed.

And there’s absolutely nothing wrong with spending time with God at the end of the day. But I found that it wasn’t working for me.

By the time the day was over, I was tired. My mind was full. And sometimes the very thing I wanted to give my best attention to was getting whatever was left of me.

So I decided to switch things up.

Instead of ending my day with God, I started my day with God.

And honestly?

Starting your day with God is where it’s at.

There is something about seeking Him before the demands of the day begin. Before the phone starts ringing. Before the to-do list takes over. Before life starts happening.

Setting my heart and mind on Him first thing in the morning helps me focus the rest of my day where it needs to be.

Now, I’ll be honest.

This has been a battle for me because those who know me well know that I am NOT a morning person.

I love my sleep.

I used to think people who got up early to spend time with God were nuts. I valued my sleep far too much to voluntarily get up earlier than I needed to.

I now realize I was the nutty one.

They knew something I didn’t.

They understood that there is something powerful about giving God the first part of your day—not because He needs our mornings, but because we need Him.

For nearly 20 years now, I’ve done my best to set aside time to spend in God’s Word at the start of my day. Sometimes that means listening to Scripture through the Bible app. Sometimes it means sitting down with my physical Bible and actually reading the words on the page.

And lately, I’ve found myself really enjoying watching sermons from ministers I follow. I love being able to pause when I need to, look up a Scripture, take notes, and really sit with what is being taught.

Maybe it’s because I’m a little slower these days.

Or maybe I just need more time to process things.

Either way, I’ve realized that I learn better when I can stop, look up the Scripture, write something down, and really let it sink in.

Which brings me to something else I miss.

I miss the days when a preacher would say, “Turn with me in your Bibles to…” and then actually wait while everyone found the passage.

I miss hearing the sound of Bible pages turning throughout the church.

There was just something about it.

There was something about everyone opening their Bibles together, finding the passage, and then settling in to hear what God had to say through His Word.

And maybe that’s part of what “set your hearts on things above” looks like for me in this season of life.

It’s not about having a perfect quiet time.

It’s not about checking a box.

It’s not about how early I get up or how many chapters I read.

It’s about intentionally turning my heart toward Him.

Because the world is going to compete for my attention all day long.

There will always be a to-do list.

There will always be responsibilities.

There will always be someone who needs something.

There will always be something that feels urgent.

But not everything that demands my attention deserves my heart.

My heart belongs to Christ.

And if I want to live a life that reflects that truth, I have to intentionally set my heart on things above.

So maybe today, before you dive into everything that needs to be done, stop for a moment.

Open your Bible.

Listen to Scripture.

Pray.

Sit quietly with God.

Give Him the first part of your day—even if it’s only a few minutes.

Because when we set our hearts on things above, we begin to see the things happening around us from a different perspective.

The chaos doesn't disappear.

The responsibilities don't disappear.

The problems don't necessarily disappear.

But we are reminded of Who is above it all.

And that can change everything.

Set your heart on things above.

Not tomorrow.

Not when life slows down.

Not when you finally have more time.

Today.

(picture taken from MTYC's social media page)

Exceedingly, Abundantly Above All We Ask or Think

This is one of those Scriptures that I could read over and over again and still find something new in it.

Paul ends this portion of his letter with a doxology—a declaration of praise to God. And what a declaration it is.

He reminds us that God is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think.

Think about that for a minute.

Not just what we ask.

Not just what we hope for.

Not just what we can imagine.

Above all that we ask or think.

Our prayers are limited by what we know. Our expectations are limited by what we've experienced. Even our imaginations have limits. We tend to look at a situation and try to figure out how God could possibly change it based on what we can see right now.

But God isn't limited by what we can see.

He isn't limited by our circumstances.

He isn't limited by our understanding.

And He certainly isn't limited by our imagination.

God's ways are higher than our ways, and His thoughts are higher than our thoughts. Sometimes we look at a situation and see a dead end while God sees a doorway. We see something that seems impossible while God sees an opportunity to show us just how powerful He is.

And I think that's part of what makes this verse so powerful.

God is already at work even when we can't see what He is doing.

That doesn't mean God will always answer our prayers the way we want Him to. I've learned that sometimes His answer is different from what I expected, and sometimes His timing is very different from mine.

But that doesn't mean He isn't working.

Sometimes God is working in the situation.

Sometimes He's working in the people around us.

And sometimes, if we're being honest, He's working in us.

That's what Paul means when he says, "according to the power that works in us."

God doesn't just want to change what's happening around us. He wants to transform what's happening within us. He wants to grow our faith, strengthen our trust, change our perspective and teach us to depend on Him.

There have been plenty of times in my life when I didn't understand what God was doing. I've prayed for things that didn't happen the way I thought they would. I've wondered why certain doors closed and why certain seasons lasted as long as they did.

But looking back, I can see things I couldn't see while I was walking through them.

I can see where God was protecting me.

I can see where He was redirecting me.

I can see where He was growing me.

And I can see that what I thought was the end of something was sometimes the beginning of something I couldn't have imagined.

That's why this verse is such a reminder to me to trust God with the things I cannot figure out.

I don't have to know how He's going to do it.

I don't have to know when He's going to do it.

I don't even have to understand what He's doing.

I just have to remember who He is.

He is able.

He is able when I am not.

He is able when the situation looks impossible.

He is able when I don't see a way forward.

He is able when my plans don't work out.

He is able when my faith feels small.

And He is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that I ask or think.

What if we actually lived like we believed that?

What if instead of telling God how big our problems are, we started reminding ourselves how big our God is?

What if we stopped putting limits on what God can do because we can't see a way for it to happen?

What if we prayed bigger prayers—not because we expect God to give us everything we want, but because we trust that He knows what is best?

Let's leave room for God to surprise us.

Let's stop trying to put God in a box based on what we think is possible.

Because our view is limited.

His isn't.

And the beautiful thing about this passage is that Paul doesn't end by making the focus about what God can do for us.

He ends with praise:

"To Him be glory..."

That's the point.

Whatever God chooses to do, however He chooses to do it, and whenever He chooses to do it, the glory belongs to Him.

So today, let's choose to believe that God is working even when we can't see it.

Let's choose to trust Him with the things we don't understand.

Let's choose to pray, to believe, to wait and to leave room for God to do what only God can do.

Because we don't want to limit God to what we can see.

Let's remember that He is able to do exceedingly, abundantly above all that we ask or think.

And maybe the thing we're praying about right now isn't going to happen the way we think it will.

Maybe God has something completely different in mind.

Maybe His answer will be better than the one we would have written for ourselves.

So let's keep trusting.

Let's keep praying.

Let's keep believing.

And let's keep reminding ourselves:

God is able.

More able than we are.

More powerful than our circumstances.

More faithful than our feelings.

And capable of doing far more than we could ever ask, imagine or dream.

To Him be the glory. Forever and ever. Amen.

LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART

This is a Bible verse that I hold very dear to my heart.

When I was younger, I didn't understand it the way I do today. As I've grown older and grown in my walk with God, this verse has come to mean so much more to me than simply a command to be obeyed.

It has become something I have experienced.

As God has guided my life to where it is today, I have naturally come to love Him with all my heart, soul, and strength.

I began to understand this so much better when I started seeing God as my Dad back in my 20s. Looking at Him through the eyes of a child looking up to a loving father completely opened up my world when it came to my faith walk with Him.

I had always known about God.

But I was beginning to know Him.

And there is a huge difference.

That understanding of His love really began to sink in during my time at Mercy Multiplied in Monroe, Louisiana. That experience helped me see what true love—the God kind of love—really means.

God's love for us is deeper than anything I have ever experienced in my life.

He loves us with everything He has.

He doesn't love us only when we get it right. He doesn't love us only when we're obedient. He doesn't stop loving us when we mess up, when we hurt, when we're angry, or when we don't understand what He is doing.

He simply loves us.

And when you have spent a good portion of your life not fully understanding what that kind of love looks like, experiencing it can change everything.

There was an older couple at Mercy Multiplied who were always there for us. They showed us the kind of love that a parent should show their children.

The husband always made a point to hug me every time he saw me.

That might sound like such a small thing to some people.

It wasn't small to me.

Those hugs opened my heart.

They gave me a glimpse of the kind of father-daughter love I had never really known. And through that experience, God began showing me something I desperately needed to understand:

I had a Father who loved me.

A Father who wasn't going to abandon me.

A Father who wasn't going to hurt me.

A Father who wasn't going to make me earn His love.

A Father who saw everything I had been through and loved me anyway.

And as I began to understand God's love for me, He began to deal with the anger I had carried in my heart for so many years because of the things I had experienced growing up.

He began to heal places in me that I didn't even realize still needed healing.

God brought me to Mercy Multiplied for such a time as that.

He knew exactly what He was doing.

He wasn't just bringing me there to get through a difficult season. He was bringing me there so I could begin to heal, become whole again, and ultimately become the woman He had created me to be.

He was preparing me for His plan for my life.

Looking back now, I can see His hand in so much of it.

I can see how He used people.

I can see how He used circumstances.

I can see how He used that season of my life to tear down walls I had built around my heart.

And most importantly, I can see how He taught me what love really is.

That is why Deuteronomy 6:5 means so much more to me now.

“Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.”

How can you love someone with all of your heart if you don't believe they truly love you?

How can you completely trust someone if you don't believe they have your best interest at heart?

How can you surrender everything to God if you are constantly afraid of what He might do with your life?

I believe that's why understanding God's love is so important.

When you truly understand how much God loves you, loving Him back becomes a natural response.

It isn't forced.

It isn't something you have to manufacture.

It isn't simply checking a box because the Bible tells you to.

It's the response of a heart that has finally realized, “My Father loves me.”

And once I understood that, everything changed.

I began to trust Him differently.

I began to surrender differently.

I began to pray differently.

I began to see my past differently.

And I began to see myself differently.

I wasn't the sum of everything that had happened to me.

I was His daughter.

And there is something powerful about knowing who you belong to.

Today, I can honestly say that I love the Lord with all my heart, soul, and strength.

Not because I've lived a perfect life.

Not because I've always gotten everything right.

And certainly not because I have all the answers.

I love Him because He first loved me.

He met me in broken places.

He stayed when I didn't understand.

He patiently worked on my heart.

He brought people into my life who showed me His love in ways I could actually receive.

And He took the pieces of my life that I thought were too broken and began putting them back together.

That's what God does.

He doesn't waste our pain.

He doesn't waste our past.

He doesn't waste the seasons we wish had never happened.

He can take all of it and use it for His purposes.

And maybe that's why this verse means so much to me now.

When I read, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength,” I don't hear a harsh command anymore.

I hear an invitation.

An invitation to love the One who has loved me all along.

An invitation to trust the Father who never stopped pursuing me.

An invitation to give Him every part of my heart because I know now that His hands are safe.

When you know how deeply you are loved by God, you don't have to be convinced to love Him back.

You just do.

And that is what Deuteronomy 6:5 has become for me.

Not simply a verse I memorized.

Not simply a command I obey.

But a reflection of a love that has changed my life.

The Peace I’m Going After

Recently, I went back and listened to a message of Pastor Chad's again so that I would be able to pause and make all the notes that I was unable to get the first time I heard the message.

I'm in the process of doing the three things he said to do with the "peace pill" scriptures that he gave us:

1. Memorize them.

2. Meditate on them.

3. Practice them.

I made images of each one to put in the photos on my phone so I can go over them daily. I want these verses to become more than words I've read. I want them to become truths I actually live by.

We can never have enough peace in our lives.

If most of us were honest, we need much more peace in our lives than we probably realize we need.

Our lives probably have more drama in them than we want, and sometimes we need to make some changes if we want to have more peace and happiness in our lives.

Life is never without its challenges. There will always be something that needs our attention, something that doesn't go the way we planned, something that worries us, or something that hurts.

But in the midst of those challenges, I want more peace.

More peace than I've ever had.

I'm just at that stage of life where peace means so much more to me. Having peace. Walking daily in peace. Protecting my peace. It's something I want and desire greatly, and for the most part, I've been learning that peace doesn't just happen. I have to pursue it.

If it weren't for God in my life and my guys being so good to me I don't know if my life would have as much peace as it does.

But I've also learned that peace isn't dependent on everything around me being peaceful.

Peace comes from knowing Who is with me in the middle of it.

That's what these scriptures keep reminding me.

Peter tells us to cast all of our cares on Him, because He cares for us.

Paul tells us not to be anxious, but to bring everything to God through prayer and thanksgiving—and then comes that beautiful promise of the peace of God guarding our hearts and minds.

Isaiah tells us that God keeps in perfect peace the person whose mind is stayed on Him because he trusts in Him.

And Psalm 131 gives us such a beautiful picture of a soul that has been calmed and quieted.

That's the kind of peace I want.

Not a temporary peace that comes when everything is going my way.

Not the kind of peace that depends on everyone behaving the way I think they should.

Not the kind of peace that disappears the minute something goes wrong.

I want the kind of peace that only God can give.

And that's why I'm taking Pastor Chad's challenge seriously.

I'm memorizing these verses so that they're there when I need them.

I'm meditating on them so that God's Word becomes what I think about instead of whatever problem happens to be in front of me.

And I'm practicing them because knowing what God's Word says doesn't do me much good if I don't actually live it.

I want these verses to become more than words I've read.

I want them to become how I live.

When I'm anxious, I want to pray.

When I'm overwhelmed, I want to remember who is in control.

When my mind starts running in a hundred different directions, I want to fix my thoughts on God.

When life gets noisy, I want to learn how to quiet my soul.

And when I don't understand what God is doing, I want to trust Him anyway.

Peace is something I want to carry with me—not something I want to wait for.

So these are my "Peace Pills."

I'm taking them daily.

Memorizing them.

Meditating on them.

Practicing them.

And I'm praying that as I do, God's Word will become so much more deeply rooted in me that when life gets hard, His peace will be what rises up first.

Because we may not be able to control everything that happens around us.

But we can choose where we turn when it does.

"Let me hear what God the Lord will speak, for he will speak peace to his people." — Psalm 85:8

That's the peace I want.

And I'm going after it.  

How about you?

Here are the links to the Pastor Chad's messages: 

Living The Good Life, Part 3

Living The Good Life, Part 4

Just click on these links to watch these messages. You can search the churches YouTube page for parts 1 & 2 as well if you want to watch the entire teaching. The entire teaching is so good. Pastor Chad is such a solid teacher of God's Word.