Broken Pieces

The other day I was working on something called a life timeline. Basically you draw a line from when you were born to today on a piece of paper and write the major things in your life that have shaped you.

It was kind of hard looking back at some things like past trials and struggles... even current pain and struggles.

But throughout all of that mess I can still see the traces of God at work. I can look at the moments where I grew in my faith, the moments where He reminded me of His Words. Even in the trials, He was working to shape me and grow me.

Without those times, the good and bad, I wouldn't be who I am today.

Of course, going through trials isn't fun. In fact, in James 1 James is talking about having joy in trials. I basically want to ask James if he was crazy. But the reality is that we CAN have joy in trials, because our joy isn't in our circumstances but in Jesus.

I look at people in the Bible and when you look at people in the Bible you see a lot of failings, temptations, and human foolishness. But you can also see God using those people for His glory and purpose. God can use us too.

When I look at my future, I feel a lot of uncertainty because the future is unknown. I have no clue what's going to happen in my life. But I can have peace in the uncertainty because I know God holds my life in His hands and He's going to work it all out for His glory.

Life is messy. But that's okay.

It's like when the world was perfect before the fall, it was a beautiful picture. After the fall it became like broken glass. We look around and we see God putting the pieces together, but He isn't doing it like we think He should. We don't understand what He's doing. But maybe He's putting the broken pieces together to make  a beautiful mosaic.

The book of Ecclesiastes isn't a very happy one. But it still has some good truths. Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 talks about how there is a time for everything. We can't rush through the hard times, but we need to remember that there will be times to dance and laugh.

Guys, I don't know what you're going through today. Maybe it's an external struggle like loss of a loved one, what college to go to, or something else. Maybe it's an internal struggle like depression, anxiety, or fear.

No matter what's going on in your life, trust God. Pain cuts deep and it doesn't always make sense. But God is still in control and He loves us all.


Below is the lyric video to a beautiful song called "Red Sea Road" By Ellie Holcomb. It has great reminders that we're never alone and that God is faithful. I highly recommend listening to it.

~~

I know I've been pretty absent on this blog this fall. But I have to confess that I've been struggling to find the words to write what God has been teaching me. I can't promise to write every week, but I'm going to try to get back into posting now and then.

Traveling Pictures

I'm back! I haven't blogged in months. After traveling I just continued this blogging break. It was a great break. I needed it. But now I'm ready to try to get back in the groove of blogging.

I have way too many pictures from my trip to China to not post some, so this won't be my typical post. Next week I'll try to start again with my normal posts.

Here are some of my favorite pictures of the sights I saw in China...

Shenzhen, China ^

Picture taken from a train ^

Nanning, China ^

Nanning, China ^

The Guilin mountains ^

A spot in Guilin ^

View in Guilin ^

View of Guilin ^

Guilin mountains ^

Bamboo rafting ^

A Dong village ^

Dong village ^

The Great Wall ^ 

The Great Wall ^

A spot in Beijing ^

Beijing at night ^

Anyways, those are some of the highlights. I'm excited to be getting back to blogging!

With us in the trials...

Hey guys.... so I unintentionally took the last two weeks off of posting. This summer has been crazy and I've only posted a handful of times, but that's okay!

I also wanted to give y'all a heads up that I probably won't be posting again until September... I'm going to be traveling a lot in the coming weeks.

~~

I'm not really sure yet where I'm going with this post. I guess I just want to share some things I've had on my heart recently, so bare with me here.

This summer has been wonderful, challenging, and weird all rolled into one. It's been a time of a lot of internal struggling for me, but that's also made a pathway for growth.

I've been struggling with insecurity, identity, friendships, and a lot of other things for a while now. But I'm slowly learning how to grow and move past those struggles. It's a process, but it's Jesus who sees me through it.

A few weeks ago I was reading through James and James 1:2-4 always sticks out to me...
"Consider it a great joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you experience various trials, because you know that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its full effect, so that you may be mature and complete, lacking nothing."

Maybe you're thinking, "woah James, back up. A great joy to go through trials?"...

Yeah, that's what pops in my mind too. It's crazy to think of having joy while going through trials. But here's the thing: sometimes when we're going through struggles it's not just us suffering for no reason. Those struggles - those trials - produce endurance which helps you to grow in maturity in your faith.

Have you ever played guitar or a simple instrument? If you have then you know that when you first start playing, it hurts your fingers. Your fingers are soft and the strings hurt. But as you continue to play and practice your fingers build callouses and you can play with ease and without pain.
While that's not a perfect example, it helps get the point across. Sometimes you have to go through pain to get what's necessary to grow (or perhaps become a better guitarist).

Guys, I get it. Life can seem awful sometimes. Sometimes it feels like the pain has no meaning. Like we go through trials for nothing but pain. But that's not the case. I know it can seem like those struggles bring nothing but suffering and perhaps for now that's all you'll be able to see.

Last year I went through a time where I seriously struggled with fear. I hated going to bed because the darkness would come and Satan would whisper lies that would terrify me. It got so bad that I wanted to scream for the lies to be silenced. That went on for a while. At the time I couldn't see an end in sight, I couldn't see any good in that situation. But through God and the power of His Word, He helped me to move past that. He helped conquer my fear. That doesn't mean I'm never afraid, but since then I haven't struggled with it that much.
Going through that time taught me how memorizing scripture can help a lot (Psalm 56:3 and Romans 8:15 helped and comforted me during that time). Now I can look back and see how God worked. He used someone in my life to help get some truth back in my head. He was there with me through it all.

I'm not sure what you're going through. But I do know that God can get you through it. But I'm also not guaranteeing that all your problems will automatically vanish.

In 2 Corinthians 12:1-10 Paul is talking about how he had a thorn in his side and he prayed three times that God would take it away. But God didn't.

In verse 9 God told him, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is perfected in weakness."

Sometimes God will ease our suffering. Other times He will give us what we need to bear it.

God loves you so much. He's with us always. He will never leave or forsake us. So trust Him with what you're going through. He will be with you through it.

Seasons

Ecclesiastes 3:1, "There is an occasion for everything, and a time for every activity under heaven."

I've heard this verse quoted so many times. Or, more commonly, shortened to just "to everything there is a season".  People tell you to be satisfied and content in the season you're in.

But what if the season is one of pain?
What if the season is one of trial?
What if you would like nothing more than for that season to end?

Have you ever struggled with something where you felt as if the struggle would never end, would never cease? Have you ever gone through a time of waiting where you just wanted to something to begin?

It's hard, when you wish the season you are in would end. There are times when we are so passionate about God, there are times when we struggle in our faith, there are times when we are waiting, and there are times when we're going through trials.

But the thing is, we aren't guaranteed tomorrow. And we were never promised a life without suffering.


So what do you do when caught in a season you wish would end?


Philippians 4:11-12, "I don’t say this out of need, for I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I find myself.  I know both how to make do with little, and I know how to make do with a lot. In any and all circumstances I have learned the secret of being content—whether well fed or hungry, whether in abundance or in need."

Paul figured it out. He learned that he could be content anywhere as long as he had Christ, who strengthened him.

"When you've hit rock bottom you have no place to look but up."

I've also heard that quote quite a few times (I think I paraphrased it though). It's true. Often it's at the end of ourselves that we turn to Jesus.

Like I wrote in my last post, we may not always understand what He's doing, but we can always trust in Who He is.

Psalm 42:5, "Why, my soul, are you so dejected? Why are you in such turmoil? Put your hope in God, for I will still praise him, my Savior and my God."

Habakkuk 3:17-18, "Though the fig tree does not bud and there is no fruit on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though the flocks disappear from the pen and there are no herds in the stalls, yet I will celebrate in the Lord; I will rejoice in the God of my salvation!"

Those are two of my favorite passages in scripture. Why? Because they both have the same theme: Both authors, while they didn't understand what was going on, they still praised God.

That is such an important reminder to me. I'm a realist, and often I can feel a bit dragged down by the things going on around me. I can struggle with hope and joy. But no matter what happens, I know that I can and should praise God.

The problems, the sin, the trials in our world today aren't a negative reflection of God, they are a reaction to the choice of mankind when we chose to sin.

So yes, even when we don't feel like it, even when we're struggling, even when the world is in chaos around us, even when we don't understand.... we can still praise God.

Who He is

It was late. I was lying in bed, tired, but I couldn't fall asleep. I had to be up early for church the next morning, but my thoughts wouldn't leave me alone. I just wanted it to be morning. My mind wandered, as it often does on late nights, and I started thinking about God and His Word. A Bible verse came to mind and I knew I wouldn't be able to sleep without looking it up so I grabbed my Bible and turned on my lamp.

I was flipping through the Psalms trying to find it (I didn't bother googling it), but instead of finding that verse I came across another verse.

Psalm 38:15, "For I put my hope in You, Lord; You will answer me, my Lord, my God."

As I read that verse, something came to mind...

~ When I put my hope in Christ, my hope isn't in what He will do. My hope is in Who He is.

Then I came across another verse.

Psalm 43:4, "... Then I come to the altar of God, to God, my greatest joy..."

~ When God is my joy, my joy isn't in my circumstances around me. My joy is in God within me.

God will never let me down because He is the same forever.  I may not always understand what He's doing, but I can always trust in Who He Is.

My joy and my hope aren't merely emotions based on the world around me, they are results of Who God is in me.

To be completely honest, I have always struggled with having joy and hope. I still do. But when I remember that joy and hope solely depends on Who God is, it's easier to have joy and hope. God doesn't change. His character is the same as it's always been and is as it always will be.

He is my hiding place (Psalm 32:7).

He is my comforter (Psalm 119:50).

He is my peace (John 14:27).

The list goes on and on. God doesn't change (Job 23:13). His character remains the same. When we learn about Who He is through His Word, we more clearly see Who He is in our lives.

Sometimes its hard to have joy, peace, and hope. But we have to remember that those things are found in Jesus and in Him alone. It doesn't depend on our circumstances, but on Who He is.

~~

What are some of your favorite Bible verses about God's character/attributes? What are your thoughts on the subject? Any other thoughts?

The Battle is His

If you're cutting a watermelon, you can't use a plastic knife. If you want to cool off, you can't pour a bucket of hot water on your head.

That just doesn't make sense. I know those things are really obvious, but don't we do similar things in our day to day lives?

We're in a war every second of our lives. It's a war that's been raging on for thousands of years. It's a war that we can't see, but that we're very much involved in. It's a war that God has already claimed the victory in.

Ephesians 6:10-12, "Finally, be strengthened by the Lord and by his vast strength. Put on the full armor of God so that you can stand against the schemes of the devil. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers of this darkness, against evil, spiritual forces in the heavens."

If you're going out to war, you can't bring a toy gun. You can't go into this spiritual war without the right tools at your disposal. Just like you can't cut a watermelon with a plastic knife, you can't fend off the Enemy's attempts without the things God has given you.

Ephesians 6:17-18, "Pray at all times in the Spirit with every prayer and request, and stay alert with all perseverance and intercession for all the saints."

Luke 22:46, "Why are you sleeping?" He asked them. "Get up and pray, so that you won't fall into temptation."

We weren't made to go out to battle on our own.

1 Samuel 17:47, "...and this whole assembly will know that it is not by sword or by spear that the Lord saves, for the battle is the Lord’s. He will hand you over to us."

I just finished 1 Samuel and one thing that is very clear through that book is that the battle is the Lord's. He fought for His people. He fought on behalf of His people.

God is with us. He's equipped us with everything we need. We have the armor of God ready for use (Ephesians 6:13-17). We have the Word of God as a sword, available at any time. And we can talk to God through prayer.

This isn't a battle we can win on our own.

You can't combat fear, insecurity, anxiety, and expect to win on your own.

It's only in Christ that we find victory.

I don't know what you're going through today. Fear, depression, anxiety, insecurity, friendship issues, loneliness, loss... There are so many things that the world throws our way. There are so many struggles we face daily. Take it to Jesus.

Satan will use every tactic and deception he can come up with. We need to know God's Word, we need to pray, and we need Jesus if we're going to fight this war.

~

There's a song I recently fell in love with called "Surrounded (Fight My Battles)"  by Michael W. Smith. I've heard it many times, but recently it took on a new meaning for me. There's a video below if you want to listen to it.

Psalm 24:8, "Who is this King of glory? The Lord, strong and mighty, the Lord, mighty in battle."

Here to Show Love

The young woman looked out the window pane. Raindrops sliding down the glass blurred her vision of the big city around her.

What am I doing here?

The question lingered in her mind as she made her way out of her apartment building. She had moved two years ago for her job, yet she still didn’t feel like she belonged there. She wasn’t sure what she was supposed to do.

I thought You wanted me here, Lord. How come I don’t feel like it? What am I supposed to do?

Rose opened her clear umbrella to cover her before stepping out of the shelter of the awning. She set out at a brisk pace down the sidewalk. The subway was available for her to take, but it wasn’t that long of a walk to her workplace so she opted for walking instead.

After pushing her brown hair out of her eyes and adjusting her glasses, she shifted the strap of her briefcase so it wouldn’t fall onto the wet ground below. She approached the crosswalk and stood beside a few other souls who decided to brave the rain as well. Besides two business men, a woman braving the rain for a morning run, and herself,  there was a young woman who looked around her age, holding the hand of a little boy who looked to be around six. Rose smiled at the pair.

The little boy sneezed and the young woman with him looked worried.

“It’s okay,” His mother told him. “We’ll be there soon.”

“I’m cold.” He said. “And I’m wet. I don’t feel good.”

After a moment’s hesitation she turned their way again. “Hi. I couldn’t help but overhear. Would you like my umbrella? If he’s sick it might help so he doesn’t get as wet.”

The woman bit her lip, glancing from the little boy to Rose again. “Are you sure?”

Rose smiled, not regretting her decision in the least. “I’m positive. Here.” She handed over the umbrella to the pair. The woman held the umbrella over her and the little boy.

“Thank you so much. We just moved here and I was taking him to the doctor and got turned around and it started raining…” She trailed off. “You probably don’t care about that, sorry.”

“No, it’s fine. I’m glad I could help. Have a great day!”

“Thank you, you too.”

That said, Rose and the pair went their different ways. Rose was now getting soaking wet, but smiled as she continued walking in the cold rain.

This is why I’m here, she thought to herself. I’m here to show love.

~~

That's a short story I wrote a while back. We're all in different places for different times, but one thing remains the same: We're here to show love. That may look different for some of us. Perhaps its starting a Bible study, or serving children in your church, or engaging your cashier in conversation. Or maybe it's giving up your umbrella :).

1 John 4:7, "Dear friends, let us love one another, because love is from God, and everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God."

Redefined.

A few months ago I wrote a post about freedom and grace, looking at the book of Galatians. I wonder what we would be like if we actually walked in that freedom and grace everyday...


We would be joyful in the freedom we're living in.
We would be confident in our identities in Christ.
We would freely walk in grace, showering others with grace.
We would remember and delight in the fact that we're children of God.
We would love others with all our hearts.

I think of Proverbs 31:26, "She walks in strength and dignity and laughs without fear of the future."

That list goes on. So what holds us back from living in that freedom and grace? I can think of a number of reasons....

We're prone to think with a negative mindset.
We're insecure about how we look and act.
We're afraid of standing out too much, its easier to do what others are doing.
We're afraid of rejection.
We feel ashamed of our sin and transgressions.
We struggle with our identity in Christ.

I think that one issue we have is the fact that our world has redefined certain things. We lost the line between what we are and what we're supposed to be. Somewhere along the way we're forgotten who we are in Christ. At some point we allowed the world to define us.

You can walk in confidence in who you are in Christ without being arrogant.
You can take care of your needs without being selfish.
You can be selfless without being a people pleaser.
You can look on the bright side of things without being naive.
You can be gentle while being strong in Christ.
You can live in the now while looking ahead to eternity.

-

Christ has redefined us.

~ We were once slaves, but now we can be children of God.
Galatians 4:7, "So you are no longer a slave but a son, and if a son, then God has made you an heir."

~ We were dead in our sin, but now we can be brought back to life.
Ephesians 2:4-5, "But God, who is rich in mercy, because of his great love that he had for us, made us alive with Christ even though we were dead in trespasses. You are saved by grace!"

~ We were afraid and alone, but now we've been adopted into God's family.
Romans 8:15, " For you did not receive a spirit of slavery to fall back into fear. Instead, you received the Spirit of adoption, by whom we cry out, ""Abba, Father!""

~ We are sinful, but can become righteousness through Jesus.
2 Corinthians 5:21, "He made the one who did not know sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God."


When we realize who we are in Christ we can live freely for Christ. We exist for His glory and for His Name.

I don't want this to come across as a "feel good" post. I want this post to encourage you to live in the freedom Jesus Christ has offered you. It's a daily struggle to live for Him, but it's worth it in the end. It's easy to fall back into slavery, to put on the chains He broke, pick up the burdens He lifted.
Let's live in the freedom and grace He's offered us. Let's bring glory to His name.

Romans 11:36, "For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be the glory forever. Amen."

Recognized

Two weeks ago we focused on Judas and his betrayal of Jesus, last week we looked at Peter and his denial of Jesus. In this post, the last of the three part series, we're going to look at someone whose name is never actually mentioned in scripture.

Before I jump into the main passage let me summarize what's happened so far. Jesus prayed, Jesus was betrayed, Jesus was condemned to die, He was whipped and mocked. Along with two criminals, He was led to a place called The Skull and they crucified Him between the two other criminals.

I love what He says in Luke 23:34, "Then Jesus said, "Father, forgive them, because they do not know what they are doing.""

Moving down a few verses.... Jesus is hanging on a cross between two criminals. People are still mocking Him, saying that if He's the Son of God He should save Himself. Even one of the criminals beside Him jeered at Him.

But then comes one of my favorite parts of the passages about Jesus' crucifixion.

Luke 23:40-42, "But the other answered, rebuking him: "Don’t you even fear God, since you are undergoing the same punishment? We are punished justly, because we’re getting back what we deserve for the things we did, but this man has done nothing wrong." Then he said, "Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.""

This man beside Jesus, a criminal whose crimes deserved one of the most painful deaths according to Roman law, he got it. The religious leaders, the other Jews... they didn't understand. But he understood. He'd probably heard all about Jesus and he recognized that Jesus was innocent, while he was guilty. He believe that Jesus was the Son of God.

He saw his own sin and instead of looking past Jesus, he recognized Who He was and what gift He holds.

I love Jesus' response in verse 43, "And he said to him, "Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise.""

Judas betrayed Jesus, Peter denied Jesus, but this criminal, who had probably never actually met Jesus, he recognized Jesus. He recognized that Jesus was the Son of God, who didn't deserve death.

~

Judas betrayed Jesus and while he felt remorse over it, he didn't repent.

Peter denied Jesus and he wept bitterly because of it. He went on to truly love Jesus more than his own life.

The criminal had committed terrible crimes, but he recognized who Jesus was.

The question is: what will our response be? We've looked these past three weeks at the passages of scripture surrounding Jesus' death and resurrection. What will your response be? Will you see your sin and feel remorse, but not repent? Have you denied Jesus in the past, but are now striving to love Jesus more than yourself? Have you sinned against God and repented, recognizing Who He is?

~

Let's talk....

Which has been your favorite post from this series... Judas, Peter, or the criminal? Which gospel has your favorite account of scripture about the events occurring around Jesus' crucifixion? Would you like to see more post series like this? Any other thoughts?

Denied

Last week we took a look at Judas and his betrayal of Jesus (click here to read it). This week we're going to look at another one of Jesus' disciples, Peter.

I got to say, I like Peter. I love reading passages that he's in. He's far from perfect, but that makes him so relatable.

So after the Passover meal (and the first Lord's supper) Jesus and His disciples (all except for Judas) were gathered around. After hearing that Judas was going to betray Jesus, I'm sure the disciples were still a bit shaken up. Then Jesus says this...

"Then Jesus said to them, “Tonight all of you will fall away because of me, for it is written: I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock will be scattered." (Matthew 26:31-32)

Peter, always quick to speak, answers, "Even if everyone falls away because of you, I will never fall away." (Matt. 26:33).

But Jesus says, ""Truly I tell you," Jesus said to him, "tonight, before the rooster crows, you will deny me three times."(verse 34)

""Even if I have to die with you," Peter told him, "I will never deny you," and all the disciples said the same thing." (verse 35)

After this, Jesus took Peter, James, and John to a place called Gethsemane. He told the three of them to sit and wait while He went to pray. He went a little ways away from them and prayed. When He returned He found them asleep.

"He asked Peter, "So, couldn’t you stay awake with me one hour? Stay awake and pray, so that you won’t enter into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak." (Matthew 26:40-41)

But they didn't stay awake and pray. They fell asleep, again.

I wonder sometimes what would've happened if Peter had prayed. Jesus knew what was about to come, I mean He straight out told Peter that he would deny Him three times! He knew that the strength they need wasn't in themselves, but in Him. He knew that while their spirits were willing, He knew their flesh would win out. That's why He encouraged them to pray.

Alright, now let's fast forward some to after Jesus was betrayed and led away.

Matthew 26:69-75,
 "Now Peter was sitting outside in the courtyard. A servant girl approached him and said, "You were with Jesus the Galilean too."
But he denied it in front of everyone: "I don’t know what you’re talking about."
When he had gone out to the gateway, another woman saw him and told those who were there, "This man was with Jesus the Nazarene!"
And again he denied it with an oath: "I don’t know the man!"
After a little while those standing there approached and said to Peter, "You really are one of them, since even your accent gives you away."
Then he started to curse and to swear with an oath, "I don’t know the man!" Immediately a rooster crowed, and Peter remembered the words Jesus had spoken, "Before the rooster crows, you will deny me three times." And he went outside and wept bitterly."

Just as Jesus had said, Peter denied Him three times before dawn. Peter, who had just hours before promised to be willing to die for Jesus, denied Him three times.

I believe that Peter truly regretted what he did. I mean he wept bitterly. I believe that he didn't have any intention to deny Jesus. But when the pressure was on, he caved.

We may be quick to judge Peter, but don't we do the same thing? We promise to love Jesus and to never deny Him, but how often do we do the opposite? We deny Him when we lie about going to church, or when we do something that directly contradicts His Word.

Just like Jesus told Peter to do, we need to pray so that we won't fall into temptation.

All the good intentions we have mean nothing without prayer.

Without prayer, we will deny Jesus every time. Because our flesh is weak! We can't do this on our own! We need Him.

Thankfully Peter was redeemed. John 21:15-19 talks about Peter and Jesus (after He was risen) walking along together on the beach, talking. Jesus asked Peter three times if Peter loved Him. Three times Peter said he did.

Peter grew a lot. I mean the book of Acts talks about him a lot and he was persecuted and he didn't deny Jesus again. While not recorded in scripture, historians write that he was later crucified upside down for Jesus' name.

He learned the power of prayer.


~~

What're your thoughts? What stands out to you about those passages?

Betrayed

Last year around Easter I wrote a post called Incomprehensible Love. Besides talking about Jesus, of course, I focused on another person mentioned. Barabbas. But in this post I'm going to look at Judas. Actually, this is going to be a three part series, each post looking at someone else.


Picture the scene: It's the night of the Passover and Jesus and His twelve disciples are reclining around a table, celebrating it together. Perhaps the disciples were joking with one another, after all, they had known each other for a while at this point. Or maybe they were in respectful and thoughtful silence, reflecting on what the Passover represents. Regardless, their world was shaken when Jesus spoke.

Matthew 26:21, "While they were eating, he said, "Truly I tell you, one of you will betray me.""

They begin to question one another and ask Jesus, "Surely not I, Lord?" (Matt. 26:22).

Matthew 26:23-25,
"He replied, "The one who dipped his hand with me in the bowl—he will betray me. The Son of Man will go just as it is written about him, but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would have been better for him if he had not been born."
Judas, his betrayer, replied, 'Surely not I, Rabbi?"
"You have said it," he told him."

John 13:27, "After Judas ate the piece of bread, Satan entered him. So Jesus told him, "What you’re doing, do quickly.""

At this point the rest of the disciples were still a bit confused.

So when did this all come about?

Luke 22:1-6 ,"The Festival of Unleavened Bread, which is called Passover, was approaching. The chief priests and the scribes were looking for a way to put him to death, because they were afraid of the people.
Then Satan entered Judas, called Iscariot, who was numbered among the Twelve. He went away and discussed with the chief priests and temple police how he could hand him over to them. They were glad and agreed to give him silver. So he accepted the offer and started looking for a good opportunity to betray him to them when the crowd was not present."

Jesus was betrayed by Judas. To be completely honest I had never thought that much about that part. But think about it. Jesus had been with these twelve disciples for a while. He had spent time with them. They had eaten together, talked with one another, traveled with each other. They lived life with each other.

Then Judas betrayed Jesus.

Have you ever been betrayed by a friend? Even if you hadn't I'm sure you can imagine the heartbreak of that occurring. Yes, Jesus knew Judas was going to betray Him, but that doesn't make it any less painful.

But Jesus died for Judas. He went through that, for Judas. He was betrayed for the one who betrayed Him.

We betray Jesus sometimes too. Every time we sin we're betraying Him and what He means to us.

Jesus was humiliated. He was mocked and jeered at. He was spat upon. He was whipped. Being whipped means that His flesh was literally ripped off. His organs were exposed. He stood silent, being accused before a crowd who kept shouting, "Crucify Him! Crucify Him!". He was nailed to a cross. He struggled to breathe while hanging there. Until at last He breathed His last.

He went through all of that for Judas. For you. For me. He knew we would reject Him. He knew we would betray Him. But He still went through that.

Jesus was betrayed and killed by the ones He came to save.

Why?

I ask myself that question sometimes. I look around me at our evil world, at the sin in my own heart, and I simply ask why. Why would Jesus go through all of that for us? We don't deserve it and often we reject it.

The answer is simple, but so far beyond our comprehension. He loves us. The King of the Universe, Creator of all things, God of every nation... He loves us.

1 John 3:16, "This is how we have come to know love: He laid down His life for us."

Jesus said to love your enemies (Matthew 5:44). We may claim this is too hard and that He doesn't know what He's talking about but He knows that better than we do. He loves us and we were all His enemies.

Ephesians 2:12-13, "At that time you were without Christ, excluded from the citizenship of Israel, and foreigners to the covenants of promise, without hope and without God in the world. But now in Christ Jesus, you who were far away have been brought near by the blood of Christ."

So what happened to Judas? I find it very sad. After Judas betrayed Jesus into the hands of the religious leaders, after he saw that He had been condemned, he was full of remorse. He realized what he did was wrong and he returned the money that he had received from betraying Jesus. I wish I could say he repented. I wish I could say he turned back to Jesus. But Judas hung himself. (Matthew 27:3-10).

~

Jesus loves us. He loves us so much He died for us, so that we could have a way to the Father. Judas' life had a heartbreaking ending, but we can choose differently. We can choose to repent and turn to Jesus. Yes, we may have been enemies of God, we may have betrayed Him, but He still loves us and we can turn back to Him!

John 15:9, "As the Father has loved me, I have also loved you. Remain in my love."

~~~

What're your thoughts? What stands out to you about this? Have you ever thought that much about Judas?

He's Risen!

A few weeks ago my youth group had a movie night and we watched Narnia: The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. For those of you who haven't heard of it, it's based on the first book in the book series by C.S Lewis called The Chronicles of Narnia. Different characters in the movie (and books) represent things from the Bible. Aslan is a lion who represents Jesus.

In the movie (spoilers ahead) then there's a boy named Edmund (who represents us) who betrayed his family and according to Narnia's laws since he was a traitor he belonged to the White White (who represents Satan) and was to be killed. But Aslan gave up his life for Edmund. In that scene Aslan walked through the jeering crowd, he was bound in ropes, he was mocked and humiliated, and he was killed.

Aslan gave up his life for one person. He suffered all of that for one person.

That movie is, of course, fictional. But what happened represents what Jesus did for us.

Jesus was chained. He was beaten. He was mocked and spat upon.  He stood before a jeering crowd. He was humiliated. He was crucified.

He went through all of that for each and every person. If each person was the only person on earth He would have done no less.

Isaiah 53 is a prophecy of Jesus' coming and describes Him as the Suffering Servant.

Verses 4-5... "Yet he himself bore our sicknesses, and he carried our pains; but we in turn regarded him stricken, struck down by God, and afflicted. But he was pierced because of our rebellion, crushed because of our iniquities...."

Verse 12... "Therefore I will give him the many as a portion, and he will receive the mighty as spoil, because he willingly submitted to death, and was counted among the rebels; yet he bore the sin of many and interceded for the rebels."

Something that just blows my mind is the fact that Jesus stepped down from His heavenly throne into the world of mere humans. The fact that God took on flesh and dwelt among us (John 1:14) is just... wow.

He did it because of His great love for us.

But the story doesn't end there! Jesus rose again! (Luke 24)

It was His death that gives us life, but it was His resurrection that gives us hope.

Without Jesus shedding His blood for us, we would have no redemption, no way to Jesus. (Hebrews 9:22, 27, 28) His resurrection, however, showed that He really is the Son of God. It would have been impossible any other way.

When I think about what Jesus did for me I'm just amazed. I can't even begin to comprehend that kind of love. We're the ones who deserve that humiliation, that pain, that death. Yet He loved us so much He took our place.

This next Sunday is going to be Easter Sunday, when we celebrate His resurrection. Let's rejoice for Jesus is alive in heaven and seated at the Father's right hand!

Psalm 35:9, "Then I will rejoice in the Lord; I will delight in His deliverance."

Luke 19:37-40, "Now He came near the path down the Mount of Olives, and the whole crowd of the disciples began to praise God joyfully with a loud voice for all the miracles they had seen: The King who comes in the name of the Lord is the Blessed One. Peace in heaven and glory in the highest heaven! Some of the Pharisees from the crowd told Him, "Teacher, rebuke Your disciples." He answered, "I tell you, if they were to keep silent, the stones would cry out!""

~~

On a different note, next week (if all goes as planned) I'll be starting a three part series, backtracking some to the events before, during, and after Jesus' death and resurrection. I'll be looking at a different person in each one.

Let's talk...

What's something that stands out to you about Jesus taking our place? What's your favorite verse about God's love? Have you ever seen Narnia? If so, how did that scene where Aslan was killed make you feel? Any other thoughts?

“Let me see Your glory”

Throughout the books of Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy we get a glimpse at the relationship between God and Moses.

Deuteronomy 34:10 says, "No prophet has arisen again in Israel like Moses, whom the Lord knew face to face."

"Whom the Lord knew face to face".... wow. Their relationship reminds me of Enoch and how he walked with God (Genesis 5:24).

One of my favorite passages in scripture is a conversation between God and Moses and I love what Moses says...

Exodus 33:18, “Then Moses said, ‘Please, let me see Your glory.”

“Please, let me see Your glory.” .....So often when we pray we get caught up in all the requests running through our minds that we don’t really think about Who we’re praying to. When’s the last time you prayed something similar to what Moses prayed? That question is pretty convicting to me. Sometimes I get so focused on seeking what God wants me to do that I forget to seek God.

Moses was focused on what mattered. He had his priorities straight. In that moment the only thing that was on his mind was that he was in the presence of God and he longed for more of Him. Moses could've kept questioning the Lord about the Israelites, he could've just complained, he could've asked more questions. But no. He had one request.... to see God's glory.

When we get a glimpse of God's glory we're going to long for more.

Psalm 63:2, "So I gaze on you in the sanctuary to see your strength and your glory."

Psalm 27:4, 8, “I have asked one thing from the Lord; it is what I desire: to dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, gazing on the beauty of the Lord and seeking Him in His temple.... My heart says this about You: ‘Seek His face’. Lord, I will seek Your face.”

I love those verses!

When did we forget to seek the Lord? Not just seeking His will, what He can do for us.... just to seek His face. When did we stop looking at His glory and try to claim all the glory for ourselves?

Psalm 29:9, "The voice of the Lord makes the deer give birth and strips the woodlands bare. In his temple all cry, "Glory!""

When we see His glory we want to give Him glory.

Let's glorify His name!

Psalm 57:11, "God, be exalted above the heavens; let your glory be over the whole earth."

~~~


Here's a link to a beautiful song called Nothing Else by Cody Carnes (click here to listen to it). It talks about simply sitting in God's presence, worshiping Him. I highly recommend listening to it.

What's one of your favorite passages from the Bible? What's something about God and Moses' relationship that stands out to you? Any other thoughts?

A Cry to God's Heart : A Study in Lamentations

This past Saturday evening I was trying to decide what to do... I was feeling a bit restless. I ended up picking up my Bible and I flipped through to the book of Lamentations. I've never read the entire book before, just bits and parts. I started reading through with just a pen in hand, to underline and make notes. I ended up reading all five chapters. I wanted to share in this post some of the things I learned.

First here's a little background on the book. The book of Lamentations is believed by most to have been written by the prophet Jeremiah. It was written after 586 BC, after the third group of people had been taken to Babylon. Jerusalem lay in ruins, with so many of her people gone.

One thing that I probably like about the book of Lamentations is the way it's written. The author uses personification, metaphors, and vivid imagery. Now, the book does take a little diving into to understand, but it's worth the time. I'm not going to go into all of that in this post, instead I want to focus on a few main points. 

Why did all of that happen? Why were  the Jews carted off to Babylon? Why was their country invaded? Why didn't God intervene? 

^ If you've ever read the book of Lamentations, or even just one of the books of prophecy written around that time then those are some questions that may have popped in your head. The author of the book actually answers some of those questions...

Lam. 4:13, "Yet it happened because of the sins of her prophets and the iniquities of her priests, who shed the blood of the righteous within her."

Lam. 5:6, "We made a treaty with Egypt and with Assyria, to get enough food."

Lam. 1:18, "The Lord is just, for I rebelled against His command..."

The people of Judah had sinned against God. They turned to other countries for what only God could give them. God had forbidden them from making alliances with other countries. He wanted them to rely on Him for their needs. But they didn't. They trusted in other nations, who later failed them. 

I've often heard the quote, "Sin will take you farther than you want to go, keep you longer than you want to stay, and cost you more than you want to pay." It's true, in our lives and in their lives. Sin has a huge price. The price is death (Romans 6:23). But God, in His mercy, He often gives us another chance. But that doesn't mean there aren't consequences.

I have a question for you, and I want you to really think about it. Does your heart break over your sin? "Lament" means to express deep grief and sorrow and that's what the writer of Lamentations does. He says how he's in distress, how his heart is broken because of his rebellion. (Lam. 1:20)

To be completely honest I don't think I am most of the time. When it comes to some things.. like snapping at a sibling, letting my thoughts wander where they shouldn't, etc... I tend to shrug it off rather than truly repenting to God. That doesn't mean we're to live in shame and guilt. No! God called us to freedom (Galatians 5:13). But if we want to live in that freedom we have to bring our sin and shame to Him and truly turn from it. 

The people of Judah turned from God and to others. They turned from Who truly loved them, to alliances with cheap promises. 

We may be quick to judge them, but how often do we do the very same thing? So often we turn from God and His love and truth to the world and what the world offers. But the pleasure sin brings is fleeting and isn't worth the price. 

Lamentations 3:31-33, "For the Lord will not reject us forever. Even if He causes suffering, He will show compassion according to the abundance of His faithful love. For He does not enjoy bringing affliction or suffering on mankind."

I think those verses pretty much sum up the book of Lamentations. God doesn't enjoy the pain and devastation our world faces today. I believe all of the sin and sorrow breaks His heart. He has allowed us the gift of freewill, and sadly we often chose to rebel against Him. But He always remains compassionate and His love is faithful.

On a different note, I think I'm going to start doing posts like this more often. Perhaps once a month or something like that. I actually did something like this a while back on Isaiah (click here to read it).

Lamentations 3:21-22, "Yet I call this to mind, and therefore I have hope: Because of the Lord's faithful love we do not perish, for His mercies never end."

Truly Known

Do we ever truly understand one another? I mean completely and truly understand one another? Sure, we know people. We know some people better than others. Some people we're closer to.

We have different pasts, different hopes, different dreams, different experiences, different families, different friends. Even if people share things in common we still respond and react to things differently. No one truly knows your mind inside and out.

But God does.

Psalm 139:1-4, "Lord, you have searched me and known me. You know when I sit down and when I stand up; you understand my thoughts from far away. You observe my travels and my rest; you are aware of all my ways. Before a word is on my tongue, you know all about it, Lord."

God knows you better than you know yourself. Isn't it comforting to know that someone understands you? We all feel desperate to be understood... God knows what you're going through. He knows what your favorite song is, He knows why you always wear your hair a certain way or always change it, He knows your all time favorite kind of ice cream, He knows what you do when no one else is around, He knows what you do when struggling, He knows what song you like to dance to, He knows what your go to Bible verse is.

This is a poem I wrote a few months ago...

People can't read my mind.
They don't see my every side.
But God, You know my every thought.
My every sin is before You, caught.
You know each sinful desire I've had.
It breaks Your heart, makes You sad.
I ran from You, ran as fast as I was able.
But now the game is up, the cards are on the table.
You see my sin, my transgressions.
You see the things I've worshiped, worldly possessions.
You see the shame I can't hide.
You known about every time I've lied.
Yet You died for me.
You died to set me free.
Your grace is all I see.
How can this amazing love be?
You covered my sin with Your blood,
because of Your love.
Thank You is all I can say,
for loving me every day.


Before I close out this post I do want to make something clear. I'm not saying that you shouldn't have close relationships with people, I'm not saying you can't understand people at times, I'm not saying you can't know them. What I am saying is that with God you are truly known. He knows everything about you and loves you so very much.

Psalm 139:13-16, "For it was you who created my inward parts; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I will praise you because I have been remarkably and wondrously made. Your works are wondrous, and I know this very well. My bones were not hidden from you when I was made in secret, when I was formed in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw me when I was formless; all my days were written in your book and planned before a single one of them began."


~~

Let's talk...

What's your favorite verse from Psalm 139? What're your thoughts on the subject?


Hebrews 4:14-16, "Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens—Jesus the Son of God—let us hold fast to our confession. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who has been tempted in every way as we are, yet without sin. Therefore, let us approach the throne of grace with boldness, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in time of need."

Vulnerable

C.S Lewis once wrote "To love is to be vulnerable."

According to dictionary.com vulnerable means...

"capable of or susceptible to being wounded or hurt"
"open to assault; difficult to defend:"

Who wants to be vulnerable? It means you're open to being wounded, hurt, and you're exposed. When it comes to being vulnerable there's no where to hide.

But C.S Lewis said that "To love is to be vulnerable." Huh ? We're supposed to be vulnerable?

That goes against our culture today. We use sarcasm as a defense, we build up walls so high that no one could tear them down, we betray one another, talk about one another behind our backs. So what happened to love?

Quick note: In this post I'm not talking about romantic love, but about love for one another

1 Corinthians 13 isn't nicknamed the love chapter for nothing. It talks about love, about what love is. But the chapter opens up talking about how without love, nothing is worth anything. Think about it for a minute. I mean without love, what would be worth anything?

The word love is mentioned in the book of 1 John twenty-six times (in the CSB version). Yeah, John wrote a lot about love.

1 John 3:1, "See what great love the Father has given us that we should be called God’s children—and we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it didn’t know him."

1 John 3:16, "This is how we have come to know love: Christ laid down His life for us."

1 John 4:7-8, "Dear friends, let us love one another, because love is from God, and everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. The one who does not love does not know God, because God is love."

1 John 4:10, "Love consists in this: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the atoning sacrifice for our sins."

1 John 4:19, "We love because he first loved us."


We are deeply loved by the God of the universe! How could we not show that love to others?

When we love someone we have to allow ourselves to become vulnerable with them. And who better than with the One who made us? Don't be afraid to talk to God about anything, He's not scared off by scars, pain, and hurt. He wants you to talk to Him.

Also, I'm not saying you need to become vulnerable with everyone you come across. I'm just saying that in general, loving is becoming vulnerable. When you open yourself up to love others, you're also opening yourself up to pain. But its worth it.

~~~

Let's talk....

What're your thoughts about love? What's your favorite Bible verse about love? What do you think about vulnerability?

Freedom and Grace

"I know that this is truth." I whisper to myself.
"But is it really?... How do I truly know this is truth?" I second guess myself for the millionth time.
"I know this is truth." I repeat.
"What proof do I have? Even if it is truth what can I do about it?...."

If you've ever had a thought process like this ^ before, we have something in common. Last week I posted about truth and how we need to read truth to discern Satan's lies. But even if we know something is true, it's hard to believe that it's true.

That may sound a bit contradictory, but think about it. Believe means having confidence in something, know means understanding something as a fact. While you may know as a fact that something is true, it can be hard to have confidence in that truth to response accordingly.

So right now I'm going to talk about freedom and grace. And where better to dive in than to look at God's Word?

I would never be able to choose a favorite book of the Bible. However, Galatians is definitely in my top five. It talks about freedom and grace, along with many other truths. Here are some verses that we'll dig more into...

Galatians ....

1:15,"... who from my mother's womb set me apart and called me by His grace..."

2:21, "I do not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness comes through the law, then Christ died for nothing."

3:26, "for through faith you are all sons of God in Christ Jesus."

4:7, "So you are no longer a slave but a son, and if a son, then God has made you an heir."

4:9, "But now, since you know God, or rather have become known by God, how can you turn back again to the weak and worthless elements? Do you want to be enslaved to them all over again?

5:1, "For freedom, Christ has set us free. Stand firm then and don't submit again to a yoke of slavery."

5:13, "For you were called to be free..."

6:15, "... what matters instead is a new creation."

Wow! What amazing verses!

I have a question for you... Do you understand what the grace of God truly is?

Before you answer that think really hard while I ask another question: Do you put the pressure on yourself to do things for Jesus that perhaps just seem like the right things to do? Do you try to earn God's favor by doing things for Him?

I do not believe that we can get to heaven through any way, but through Jesus Christ (John 14:6). I do not believe that we can have access to God through our own works and actions.

But sometimes I struggle to believe in the abounding grace of God.

I hadn't even realized this until recently. Sometimes I try to do this life on my own. On my own terms. On my own strength.

That isn't the way we were called to live. As Galatians 5:13 says, "For you were called to be free,". Grace and freedom go hand in hand. God has such amazing grace on us that He sent His One and Only Son to die on a cross to set us free from our sins.

Okay, so I know you may be thinking, what in the world does this all have to do with truth? Good question... for a moment there I was kind of wondering where this post was going (God's got this under control).

Satan attacks us. He knows our weaknesses. For some of us that comes in the form of insecurity, doubts, and fears. He can cause us to question who we are in Christ. He can cause us to doubt God's unfailing grace. He can cause us to feel as if we aren't free. He tempts us to go back into bondage.

That's why it's so important to remember truth! What does grace and freedom have to do with true? This grace and freedom we have in Christ is truth.

God's grace is unfathomable. We can only hope to scratch the surface of His grace!

~~

One of my favorite songs is Scandal of Grace by Hillsong United. It's a great song if you wanted to listen to it (click here to listen to it).

Let's talk...

What're your thoughts on truth, grace, and freedom? What are some of your favorite Bible verses about freedom and grace? In what ways do you struggle to believe God's grace and to live in His freedom?

Truth

We are constantly bombarded by messages. Through social media, from friends, through school and work, we are surrounded by messages. But most of the messages we hear are false. We hear lies on a daily basis. So what is truth?

John 14:6, "Jesus told him, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.""

Jesus is Truth. He never lies. His Word is true.

But Satan is the father of lies. Lies come from Satan.

John 8:44... "He was a murderer from the beginning and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he tells a lie, he speaks from his own nature, because he is a liar and the father of lies."


If we want to know Truth, we have to spend time with Jesus and in His Word. But spending time in His Word shouldn't be an obligation, it shouldn't be something we want to get over with. Spending time in the Bible, reading the very words He inspired and spoke, should be something we desire to do.

Psalm 119 talks about God's Word, about delighting in His Word and about keeping His commands.
Here are some verses that stick out to me from the passage...

Vs. 11... "I have treasured your word in my heart so that I may not sin against you."

Vs. 25... "My life is down in the dust; give me life through your word."

Vs. 37... "Turn my eyes from looking at what is worthless; give me life in your ways."

Vs. 47... "I delight in your commands, which I love."

It's a beautiful passage. I especially love verse 37.

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While we are always going to hear lies on this earth, there are certain things we can do to help. For instance, if you notice that getting on social media, or perhaps a particular book or movie series is effecting you negatively, maybe you could try taking a break from it. Like I've said before, sometimes there are things that aren't necessarily bad but they could still have a negative effect on you.

I love what Paul writes in Philippians 4:8, "Finally brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable—if there is any moral excellence and if there is anything praiseworthy—dwell on these things."

Whatever is true, honorable, just, pure, lovely, commendable... we are to dwell on these things. So often our thoughts are no where near any of those words. But if we spend time in Truth that's what our mind will be filled with.


One more thing, lies are exactly what they're called, lies. Lies can lead to insecurities, fears, doubts, and more. Set your mind on truth and treat lies for what they are.


Colossians 3:2, "Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things."

Psalm 26:3, "For your faithful love guides me, and I live by your truth."

What is sin?

What is sin?

It's the three letter word that seems to haunt us. But sometimes we wonder... what is sin? Yes, murder is definitely a sin and so is stealing. But is it really wrong to say a little lie? Or to watch this TV show that maybe glorifies the wrong sort of thing?

Sin is anything that is  displeasing or dishonoring to God. Sin is anything apart from God.

I think Paul puts it best....

1 Corinthians 10:23, "“Everything is permissible,” but not everything is beneficial. “Everything is permissible,” but not everything builds up."

I think what trips us up most of the time aren't the sins that are obvious, but the ones that are generally accepted, or what we do with the privacy of our own phone or computer.

There are certain things in life that are shown as they are: evil. But more often than not, a lot of things are glorified that are sins as well.

Jesus said that hatred and anger against someone is as bad as murder (Matthew 5:21-22).

Gossiping is sin. Sure, a lot of the time we don't call it that but talking about someone negatively behind their back is gossip.

Lying... no matter how big or small the lie is... is sin.

Oh and please don't think that what you do without anyone else's knowledge stays hidden. Luke 12:2 says, "There is nothing covered that won’t be uncovered, nothing hidden that won’t be made known." God knows everything that you do.

But also other things. Maybe there's a book series or a TV show that's popular and you know that it glorifies things that the Bible clearly states is wrong. Even if something isn't necessarily bad doesn't mean that it's what's best. As Paul said, not everything is beneficial.

That's why it is so important to guard our ears, our eyes, and beware of where we go. What we fill our minds with is evident through our actions and words.

I think sin is one of the subjects that we avoid. At least we avoid talking about our sin. But as Romans 3:23 says, we've all sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. There is grace and forgiveness, though!

One thing, however. I'm not writing this post trying to accuse you, or trying to judge you. Only God has the right to judge. I'm writing this post from love. I'm writing this post as much to myself as I am to you. When we sin against God it breaks His heart. He wants to have a loving relationship with us. But when we sin we're stepping away from Him. He wants us to repent and to live for Him.
God said to not have any idols before Him and when we put something in our lives before Him, that's an idol.

But we can learn from these times! Walking with Jesus is a lifelong thing. Being a Christian isn't being on time for church on Sundays, or serving with kids (those things are great though). Being a follower of Jesus means walking with Him. Not a step ahead or behind Him. But when we sin we seem to step off to the side of the path. But if we do that we're going to get behind and lose our way. We learn from these times.

Let's try to live for Jesus in all areas of our lives. That may mean to stop reading a certain book series, or perhaps to be more careful of what we say. Remember, while a lot of things aren't necessarily bad, they can still trip us up and aren't always beneficial.


1 Corinthians 10:31, " So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do everything for the glory of God."

I wanted this, didn't I?

I’m alone with nothing to do… I wanted this, didn’t I?

I’m with friends talking and laughing… I wanted this, didn’t I?

I’m spending a day in town… I wanted this, didn’t I?

I’m traveling many places… I wanted this, didn’t I?

I’m watching movies all day… I wanted this, didn’t I?

I have a great job… I wanted this, didn’t I?

Then why do I feel restless inside?

How come these desires now feel likes lies?

Everything I thought that would satisfy me,

Left me emptier than I thought I could be.

When will this be over?

I thought that this next thing would make me happy.

Why can’t truth be seen?

Why do these desires fill me if none of them will fulfill me?

I feel caught between what I desire so badly,

And what will actually make me free.

God, I know that none of these things can satisfy.

This world has been feeding me lies.

I need You.

I need Your truth.

~~~

We need something. We just all look for it in different places. Relationships, jobs, books, food.... we all seek to be satisfied. But somehow we don't realize that the only place we can truly be satisfied is found in Jesus.

Psalm 27:8, "My heart says this about you: “Seek his face.” Lord, I will seek your face."

Our world fills our heads with lies. But let me tell you something: you will never be satisfied if you get the perfect job, if you have great relationships, if you find temporary relief in something, if you get to your ideal body weight, if you wander restlessly. The only true satisfaction is found in Christ Jesus. 

Matthew 6:33, "But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be provided for you."