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When my children were small, they would sometimes wake up with nightmares. I'd hear the sound of little feet pattering down the hallway, and within minutes, I'd have a little one snuggled up next to me in our bed. For one of our kiddos, we eventually kept a sleeping bag right next to our bed so that when she felt afraid of the dark, she could snuggle in, knowing we were just inches away.
John 10:10 has been a favorite Scripture of mine for many years now. It says, "The thief comes only in order to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have and enjoy life, and have it in abundance [to the full, till it overflows]" (AMP). This verse opened my eyes to the truth that Jesus gave His life so I could have a good life now, here in this world, and not just when I go to heaven someday. But the question was: How can I actually have abundant life in Christ?
For what the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh, God did by sending His own Son. (Romans 8:3) I love today's Scripture. The answer, my friend, is found not in the law, but in the Son. The law was given by a servant, Moses; grace came through the Son, Jesus. The grace revolution begins with a person and His name is Jesus. When you have Jesus as your Lord and Savior, and a revelation of His grace, you have everything. You have, most importantly, a new and righteous identity in Christ.
In a world that constantly shifts the definition of who belongs and who doesn't, it's comforting—no, liberating—to rest in the truth that God's love is exclusively inclusive. It's not a contradiction; it's a holy mystery. The goodness of God is not diluted by extending grace to all—it is revealed through it. And because God is good, you are good with God.
We live in a rational, intellectual culture that doesn't acknowledge the role of hearts in making decisions. People do change, yet facts don't change them. Our beliefs and actions are filtered through our compromise and captivity… that's why Jesus set the captives free before they could follow him. Our identity, beliefs, and actions flow from our hearts. What we can "know" is limited by the experience of our hearts. That historic baggage is the lens through which we view the world.
Philippians 4:8, "Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things." We all know that we should think on good things that are positive and uplifting. Unfortunately, it was easier for Paul to write than for us to practice. The question is, "How can I habitually think good thoughts?
No one ever taught me how to capture every thought and make it obedient to Christ, as 2 Corinthians 10:5instructs us: "We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ." I didn't have anyone to mentor me on this principle, and the church I attended didn't teach it. So, I struggled. Fear would torment me. Vain imaginations ran wild. False scenarios played out in my mind, feeding my anxiety and stealing my peace.
You must be ready and alert — spiritually awake, to know what God is doing. Only through a heart connected to God in worship and prayer will your lamp be burning. Let your waist be girded and your lamps burning. Luke 12:35 In this passage, it is important to embrace "being girded" as it means being ready to serve. As we read on, we see Jesus says that "the Master" responds as He will "gird Himself to serve" those who are found doing these things. Blessed are those servants whom the master, when he comes, will find watching.
Today, during my prayer time, I received a powerful vision from the Lord. In this vision, I saw a locomotive gaining speed, racing down the tracks toward a dam wall. It appeared to be headed for an inevitable collision, and I wondered why the tracks were laid directly into a wall—surely, it would mark the end of the line. Yet, the train accelerated even more!
When I get into my car, there are specific songs I prefer to listen to on my satellite radio. For example, if I want to listen to a gospel station, I turn to channel 64, for a jazz station, I turn to channel 67, and for relaxing smooth music, I turn to channel 66. All of these genres of music operate on different frequencies. Tuning into a radio frequency is about matching your radio to the specific frequency at which a station is broadcasting. This is so it can pick up the signal and convert it into sound.
