In the desert but not deserted: Part 2

God always has a plan for the desert times in our lives. Most times we land there, God is simply providing us some down time, so that we can listen. Everyone experiences desert times, caused by any number of things.  Last week I wrote about the desert seasons of our lives that are natural to our journey and the dry times God intends to use for our discipline and growth. 

Today, I want to write about most of the desert times in our lives.  A desert time is simply a quiet, often spiritually dry time in our lives. 

Often we expect our earthly lives to be less challenging than they are. We have become a culture that expects our lives to be easier than God has promised. This is true of the Christian culture as well. We live in a period of time when many Christian leaders have said if we do A, then God will do B.  

Beware of sermons that promise an easy life to those who walk closely with God.  Biblical truth, like Romans 8:28, is that when we walk closely with God, he is with us in every circumstance and able to redeem those moments for our great good. 

Paul had an un-removed thorn in the flesh. Peter was crucified upside down. John was exiled on the island of Patmos. All of us know strong Christians who have received a difficult diagnosis.  Sometimes God’s saints struggle with a difficult child or an unhappy marriage. Sometimes we enter a desert because of our own choices, but most of the time our deserts exist as a normal part of our journey to heaven.

There are at least three types of deserts, and it is helpful to know why we are crossing through a dry time:

• Is this just a normal part of our earthly journey? 

• Are we there because God wants to discipline and help us make changes?  

• Or, has God provided the desert time for direction or deliverance?

THE DESERTS OF DIRECTION

Most of us live fast-paced, full lives.  As we age, we tend to replace speed with routine. There are a lot of ways to move through our lives that cause us to program out the voice and leadership of God. We know to pray and seek God when things aren’t going well, but it’s often the regular, routine parts of our lives that cause us to live according to our own thoughts and ideas rather than God’s. 

It’s no surprise that God would lead us to a desert so he can break our routine and cause us to seek his leadership. The best way to avoid a few of those deserts is to live our lives knowing we have a constant, daily need for his voice. We only think we know our schedules this week. When we made Jesus our Lord, we gave him permission to interrupt our routines any time, for his good purpose.

If our lives are simply a product of our routine choices, we should probably pack our bags for a stay in the desert.  If God can’t direct our paths, he will probably direct us to the desert. We often quote Proverbs 3:5-6 but have we allowed God’s word to mean what it says?

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him and he will direct your path” (Proverbs 3:5-6).  This verse is written in a Rabbinic teaching method.  The second part of the sentence is a restatement of the first. Here is why that matters:

Trusting in the Lord with all our hearts means that we do not lean on our own understanding. 

Picture yourself on a bridge, with rushing water underneath. Some parts of the railing are fragile while others are secure. Don’t we want the maker of the bridge to tell us which parts of the railing are safe to lean on?  

In all our ways, if we acknowledge that God is perfect and we aren’t, then we will allow him to direct our path.  The key to that verse is the word “all.”  Sometimes the routines of life cause us to keep doing things like we have always done them. We direct our own paths along what is familiar instead of allowing God to lead.

GOD’S PLAN TO DIRECT YOUR PATH  

If God can’t direct your plans each day, he will likely lead you to a desert place until you understand your need for his leadership. A day-to-day routine or a life that is too programmed and rushed doesn’t allow God to call you to his work – the work that matters eternally.  

If our lives are full of things that matter, but not the things that matter most, God will want to provide us with new directions.

Is God re-directing your career path?  Is God re-directing your daily routine?  Is God re-directing your friendships?  Is God re-directing your priorities?  Sometimes the Lord just needs you in another place for a certain amount of time because he has a job for you to do.  Sometimes the Lord turns our lives in a completely different direction.  

He often uses the desert times in our lives to “direct our paths.”  What should we do during that time?  “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and don’t lean on your understanding.”  

If a committee had put together a plan to move the Israelites into the chosen land it is almost certain the members of the committee would not have chosen to cross when the waters were flooded. They would have leaned on their own understanding. Interestingly, the reason the people of Jericho were terrified of the Israelites when they arrived is because they had already heard about the power of their God. 

God’s ways are perfect, but if you look at the bulk of Scripture, God’s plans are often outside the scope of men’s natural, reasoned choices. If our lives are limited to our choices, we are limiting what God wants to do through our lives. His direction matters eternally for us and for our witness to others.

THE DESERTS OF DELIVERANCE

Finally I want to talk about the desert times we need, that God provides. There are more of these times in our lives than I think we realize. Have you become “weary in well doing?” Have you been through a time of great grief, loneliness, sickness or of great service to God?  

Sometimes we come to a time when we need significant rest, and God provides us a desert of deliverance. 

God created us to need rest and therefore he provides us the time to rest when we need it.  I love the verse from the prophet Isaiah that says, “For the Lord comforts Zion; he comforts all her waste places and makes her wilderness like Eden, her desert like the garden of the Lord; joy and gladness will be found in her, thanksgiving and the voice of song” (Isaiah 51:3).

One of the most important lessons from our desert times of life is the knowledge that God walks them with us providing comfort and all we need until we come to a place of thanksgiving and praise.  Our desert times have a beginning and an end.  More importantly, our desert times have a good purpose.

WHAT DESERTS DO YOU REMEMBER?

To close, we should ask God to remind us of the desert times in our own lives. It was probably difficult to praise him at first, but what did you learn?  How did God deliver you from that time?  Isn’t it interesting that we most often remember what God taught us, rather than why those times were difficult?

I think that is what God would have us know as we exit the desert time labeled “COVID.”  We should try to remember what God taught us during those days.

My favorite verse for the desert times is from the prophet Isaiah. He wrote, “Remember not the former things, nor consider the things of old. Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert” (Isaiah 43:18-19).  

God is always redeeming our deserts for a new purpose in our lives.  It has been tough, and now, for most of us, it isn’t. God is working to make himself known in this world.  God is providing a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert. A few years ago we prayed for God to end the drought and he did.  A year ago we prayed for God to end the plague of COVID and he did. 

What are you praying for today?  

Our desert times have a purpose because they were part of God’s plan.  When you enter a desert time– and you will– take the journey with God.  He brought you to that time for a reason, and his promise is to redeem it for your good, if you will walk that desert with his good purpose in mind. (From Romans 8:28).

May your journey forward be blessed with the comfort of God’s presence.  He is good; all the time.

In the desert but not deserted: Part 1

I titled my book Content to Be Good, Called to Be Godly. It’s not a great title, but I could never come up with anything else. I published it with Tyndale about thirteen years ago, and then our ministry bought the rights so I could update it and do a reprint. This week’s blog post and the one for next week will be a summary of one of the chapters in the book. 

I did radio interviews after the book was published, and the host usually asked me to explain why I wrote the book and gave it that title. My answer: After a lot of years in the ministry, these are the things I most want to say to my brothers and sisters in Christ—and I gave it that title because it seemed to me like most of the Christians I knew were settling for less than God’s best, myself included. We are often content to be good when God has called us to his higher standard. 

I wrote a chapter about the desert times because it seemed to me like too many Christians were just enduring their spiritual deserts instead of learning from them. We should never be content to simply survive the tough times. God has a higher purpose for those days. That’s what I’ll write about for the next two weeks. 

So, what is the first thing we should do when we realize our soul has landed in a desert? 

ASK GOD WHY 

I’d lived my life trying to be a good enough preacher’s wife, and one of my first desert experiences occurred when I realized that I never would be. 

It’s an impossible job to get right all of the time. At first, I assumed my desert time was my doing, and in some ways it was. But, I learned a LOT about God as I was home, recuperating from a case of pneumonia that almost took my life. Actually, in many ways, my entire ministry changed after that time. I stopped trying to do a good job and began to work at allowing God to do his job through me. It made ALL the difference. 

God does a lot of work in our lives during the desert times. So, instead of being defeated by a desert, I’d like to suggest we all learn to be redefined by those dry, often difficult, times. You aren’t alone in the desert, although it usually feels that way—even when you are still busy and surrounded by others. You know when your soul is dried up; other people likely won’t notice. The first thing to realize when your soul dries up is that you haven’t been deserted. 

God never deserts you, but he does allow the deserts. Why? 

Deserts aren’t just a period of time to endure. Deserts have a purpose and, if you walk them well, they are an important part of your Christian growth. The thing to ask first is, “Why am I here, Lord?” 

SOME DESERTS ARE SIMPLY MEANT FOR CROSSING 

There are seasons of life and there is grace for each season. God is looking for growth, not perfection. We who are older need to be far less judgmental of young people and far more understanding. Is that young person growing in the Lord? If the answer is yes, they deserve our praise, not our comparisons. 

I was a very young, inexperienced pastor’s wife—with two busy toddlers. I wasn’t very knowledgeable of the Bible yet and had a LOT of growing to do. There were some who judged me and many who encouraged me. But those who judged seemed to have louder voices in my life. 

Can I say that a lot of parents who have toddlers probably feel like they are permanently living in a desert? It’s not permanent, but I’m not going to lie: it can seem like a long, dry spell. I used to have an apron that said, “And I spent four years in college for this?” 

Jim would preach about the need for a daily quiet time and, honestly, I wanted to stand up in the middle of the sermon and shout, “The ONLY reason you have a daily quiet time is because I pull your children off the door handle until you are done.”  

Parents of toddlers don’t always have a free hand or much free time to feed their souls. Let’s give grace to all Christians who are in a difficult season of life and help them find ways to grow, even if it is a “slow growth” season of life. 

Interestingly, I probably learned to love God during that young season of my life. I realized the overwhelming love I felt for my two boys was the way God felt about his children, me included. And I can name the people who encouraged me to grow in my knowledge of God and cheered me on every step of the way. Don’t you want to be named on someone’s list of encouragers someday? 

When I speak to parents of preschoolers, I often tell them that while this season is tough, there is never a time of your life that you will laugh and smile more often. Some of our spiritual deserts are simply because we are in a season of life or a season of circumstances. The goal is to take God’s hand and keep moving forward. Some deserts are simply meant for crossing. Growth is learning to walk that time with God and enjoy the comfort of his loving Presence.  

OTHER DESERTS ARE FOR DISCIPLINE 

Every Christian blows it and sometimes God hands us a “time-out.” If you ask God why you are in the desert, he might say, “Because you need to stop so we can talk.” Sometimes God wants to preserve our witness and protect us from ourselves! 

The deserts of discipline happen when we blow it. Sometimes we just flat-out lose it and sin. Sometimes we make choices that have lifelong consequences. Other times, we slip into what I like to call “Pharisee mode.” We might see ourselves as a little more “holy” than God does. 

How can we know if we have been led to the desert, aka the time-out chair? 

Ask God and take time to think. You know if your prayers are shallow. You know if God’s voice has grown silent. You know if you are under conviction. And you know if you are too arrogant and think of yourself “more highly than [you] ought” (Romans 12:3). 

God is a perfect father, and his discipline is because he wants better for us than we might settle for ourselves. God doesn’t want good Christians; he wants us to be godly—and there is a HUGE difference between those two things.  

If you know your spiritual life has dried up, it’s important to understand why. Ask, and be ready to repent of whatever is in your life that God is tired of putting up with. The apostle John was on the island of Patmos when Jesus gave these words for the weakened church in Laodicea: “Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline, so be zealous and repent” (Revelation 3:19). 

A perfect Father teaches his children how to live a blessed life. “For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it” (Hebrews 12:11). 

God disciplines when we are living in ways that hinder his ability to bless us and others through us. The desert time of discipline is for our sake and for the sake of our witness with others.  

EVERY LIFE HAS DESERT TIMES 

The truth is, all of us live with the highs and lows of life.  

All of us experience desert times in our lives because deserts are part of the journey. Christian growth isn’t about avoiding desert times as much as it is about learning from those days, months, and sometimes years. Maturity doesn’t mean we don’t experience desert times but it often means we learn not to stay there as long. 

Next week, I’ll continue with this subject. Before then, will you spend some time this week and consider your surroundings? If things are lush, green, and growing in your soul, praise God. If things seem to be dry, dusty, and less than you want them to be, ask God to meet you in the desert, and ask him to lead you out. 

The psalm says that he leads you to the still waters to restore your soul (Psalm 23:2–3). But, God also leads us to the deserts for that same purpose. 

What is God saying to you right now? 

Ask and keep asking until you know. 

Spiritual Pilates

My husband and I just returned home from our much delayed anniversary trip. We spent ten days in Hawaii, and it was wonderful to relax, rest, and restore our souls. And then it was time to come home and get back to work. 

Honestly, after one week home I’m thinking I need another vacation! Several times on our trip, Jim and I talked about the “pace” of our lives and how much slower things seemed to happen in Hawaii.

Hawaiians walk slowly. Cars drive a LOT more slowly. And, at our anniversary dinner, I thought the coconut shrimp would never arrive. (More on that later.) 

We are back home and looking forward to the “lazy days of summer.” Will we slow down? 

Honestly, I hope not. 

RELAXED OR RESTORED? 

I’ve learned there is a significant difference between relaxed and restored. That difference is a great place to begin this month’s blog posts. We are going to spend the month of May thinking about the desert seasons of life and what we can do spiritually to move through those times. 

I think one of the great lies Satan likes to use when tempting God’s people is to convince us we need to relax, when what we most need is to be restored. 

The purpose of the Sabbath rest was so that people would focus on God. A good study of the Sabbath shows that God didn’t tell his people to “relax” their standards on the Sabbath. In fact, in many ways the standards were much higher for that day. 

It was good to relax on our vacation, but the real purpose of that time was restoration. When the ten days were over, it felt good to get back to work. 

A permanent vacation is not what God intended for our lives. 

NOW, ABOUT THOSE COCONUT SHRIMP 

There is a reason why I called this blog post “Spiritual Pilates.” Every morning, Jim and I took a long walk on the beach. One of the resorts we walked past had an early morning Pilates class on the beach. There were people of all ages and abilities doing the morning routine, and I thought it looked interesting! 

I came home and found several videos I can use at my house. I’m interested in Pilates because I was a little too interested in those coconut shrimp! 

I won’t get in shape simply because I rest. I also need to rest from those coconut shrimp. God had a similar reason when he commanded us to have a Sabbath rest. Our rest is something to be worked at if we want to truly be restored. 

STRONGER IS BETTER 

I watched those people of all ages doing the Pilates class on the beach. The music was wonderfully quiet. Their movements were slow and focused. And they could modify the poses for their needs. The point of those exercises was stretching, balance, and strength. 

What would spiritual Pilates look like? 

• What area of your spiritual life needs to be stretched? If you do the same spiritual exercises all of the time, chances are you have stopped growing. Routine spirituality is good unless it has become just a routine.

• Does your life feel balanced? Sometimes work, family, stress, and health issues can throw our lives off. Our lives, this side of heaven, are imperfect. The whole point of Pilates is to counterbalance. When the things of this world pull us off-center, we need more of God in our lives as a spiritual counterbalance. We can’t keep the stuff out of our lives, but we can allow God to keep us in balance and prevent us from falling.

• Finally, all of us have a certain amount of muscle because God has created us to be strong. The same is true spiritually as well. When God gave us his Holy Spirit, he gave us his strength. But, the muscles we don’t use grow weak. No one is strong spiritually unless they consistently use the strength the Holy Spirit wants to provide.

Life is easier when we have strength. When the Pilates class ended, the people were tired—and stronger. If you need spiritual encouragement right now, that might be your answer. Tired isn’t a bad thing if what you are doing is increasing your strength. Stronger is better. 

IT’S TIME TO TRAIN FOR THE DAYS AHEAD 

COVID was hard on everyone and still is for many who haven’t had their vaccine. The hospitals are filling up again, but this time it is the younger adults with COVID. Counselors’ schedules are filled as well. For many in our culture, this past season has been their first spiritual season of living through a crisis. It was the first time their choices were limited and their freedoms were taken away. During an unhealthy season, spiritual health was even more important. In fact, I would say it was the most important counterbalance. 

Every life goes through seasons of change. One day, we will look back with understanding on the many ways God has brought good from the tough times. I think our vacation in Hawaii was made even more joyous because it became a celebration of much more than our marriage. We finally felt safe and were therefore joyful as we traveled, rested, and enjoyed the beauty of God’s world. 

When we go through a tough time or feel spiritually weak, think Pilates. We need to counterbalance. If we feel spiritually weak, we need to rest from the world and focus on God. Stronger is better. 

IN HIM WE LIVE AND MOVE AND HAVE OUR BEING 

If you read this blog post, I assume you wake up each day knowing you “live and move and have [your] being” in Christ (Acts 17:28). I can’t write a blog post without using God’s word, so allow me to close with this. 

Jesus was responding to Satan’s temptations when he told the devil, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God” (Matthew 4:4). Our culture has turned God’s truth inside out. Most are much more concerned with their daily bread, and too many actually disdain the words that have come from God’s mouth. There is a great need to refocus on the laws of God so we can enjoy his blessings. 

Christians should be ready to spiritually train for the days ahead and be stronger. Maybe that is why God allowed a season of COVID. It probably isn’t difficult to know if the tough times led you to focus on the Lord more often or less. So many in our culture need to wake up in the confidence we have in Christ. We need to share “every word that comes from the mouth of God.” 

What “exercise” will strengthen your walk with the Lord? 

With an army of strong believers, we can change the world. It’s happened before. I expect it will happen again. God always has a plan to restore his people to a place of strength. 

Let’s see God’s plan for the days ahead. It will be a spiritual workout. You will be stretched, balanced, and stronger. Spiritual Pilates will probably make you tired, but stronger is better. 

Will you start today?

The best time with God is any time with God: 4 steps to focus your day on him

A note from Janet: One of my great blessings in 2020 was the addition of Trace Kennedy to our ministry team. Trace is the Brand Manager for the JanetDenison.org brand and has been an invaluable asset as we expand the outreach of our ministry. Trace will be guest writing for my blog for a couple of weeks while I am away. I know you will enjoy her thoughts. Thank you, Trace, for everything you do!

All month Janet has been talking about making time for God to replenish your soul. His timing is perfect; it was a convicting reminder for me.

I have to be honest: since I’ve started working full time, my schedule has shifted significantly. I’m much busier than in recent years. As a result, my quiet time has suffered. I study God’s word a lot because it’s part of my job as well as part of my responsibility as a Bible study leader. 

But unencumbered, dedicated time alone with God? 

That has suffered. So has my soul.

What might be keeping you so busy that consistent, wholehearted time with God is suffering? 

You could be a mom committed to making sure your kids know the Bible only to find that you never seem to have time to read it for yourself. 

You may serve as a Bible study leader or Sunday school teacher who devotes hours each week preparing your lessons, but there just doesn’t seem to be enough time to be still and know God. 

You may even work for a ministry, getting paid to serve daily, yet, at the end of the day, you somehow never encountered your Boss.

Time with the Lord is essential to good spiritual health

Just like our bodies need consistent, quality exercise and nutrition to stay healthy, our souls need daily, quality time with the Lord. He created us for relationship with him. John 15:5 says, “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.” 

We aren’t meant to do anything separate from God, but how often do we find ourselves too busy to spend time with him, and then, by default, we do most of our day without him?

Intention doesn’t equal action

A. W. Tozer said, “To desire revival . . . and at the same time to neglect prayer and devotion is to wish one way and walk another.” 

Said another way, while we may have great intentions, if our actions don’t match our intent, we won’t get the results we want. 

For example, simply knowing we need to make better lifestyle choices doesn’t get us in shape. It’s when we create a plan and follow through with it regularly and consistently that we begin to notice the positive changes occurring in our bodies. 

We can’t wish our bodies into shape, just like we can’t wish for our relationship with God to deepen into something meaningful and transformative.

We truly won’t reap the benefits of that relationship until we develop a plan that not only works in our schedules but is also something we can easily execute daily.

Make a plan you can stick to

For the past decade or so, I worked as a personal trainer. Recognizing that lack of time was the greatest excuse people made not to exercise, the fitness industry began exploring the benefits of shorter, more intense workouts. 

In “Why Efficient Workouts are Best,” Ryan Shepperd, MSEd says, “Keeping the time commitment low will help make the workout easily attainable, no matter how busy your schedule may be.”

Just like short blocks of daily exercise can add up to significant strength and health gains, short blocks of time spent with God in worship, prayer, and study can add up to significant spiritual growth and revitalized joy.

Build your plan

I’ve found that the following plan works for me. Feel free to use it as a model for your own plan:

1.  Morning: Simply rest in the presence of God (5–15 minutes)

Come to him with no agenda, no requests, and no expectations other than seeking his face.  Praise him simply for who he is. Then submit your day to him, including your calendar, your family, and your work—anything that consumes your time. 

“You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you, declares the Lord” (Jeremiah 29:13–14).   

2. Midday: Meditate on any Scripture, people, or sin he may have placed on your heart that morning (5–15 minutes)

Seek his forgiveness, pray for that person(s), or study his word. Then again, submit the rest of your day to his will. 

“Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and he will establish your plans” (Proverbs 16:3).

3. Any time you’re waiting: Give thanks, pray, and listen.

On your drive home from work, or as you wait in the carpool line for your kids, or while you’re preparing dinner or taking an afternoon walk, give thanks to him for anything he accomplished through you, pray for those he puts on your heart, tell him about any concerns, struggles, or needs you may have, and then be quiet and listen for his voice. 

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God” (Philippians 4:6). 

4. Before bed: End your day in gratitude.

Before you go to bed, maybe while brushing your teeth, straightening up the house, or while lying in bed, end your day in gratitude. Thank God for walking through the day with you, respond to anything he may place on your heart, and then go to sleep and rest in his presence.  

“Worship the Lord with gladness; come before him with joyful songs” (Psalm 100:2). 

For me, these four small, intentional blocks of time have added up to significant, transformative time with the Lord each day. The benefits? My days are less stressful, my joy remains consistent, and my desire to spend as much time as possible with God continues to deepen. 

Any time spent with the Creator of the universe will result in good fruit, “for he satisfies the thirsty and fills the hungry with good things” (Psalm 107:9).

For more resources to help you create intentional space for God, please click on the following links: 

“Jesus: Got Questions?” is here

You might have been reading this blog for years, but maybe you don’t know my faith story.

I was about ten years old when I ran over a little book with my bicycle. I hopped off my bike to get a closer look. The cover was torn off, but the first page said something like, “If you want to be sure you are going to heaven . . . .”  

I rode around that park several times waiting to see if someone was going to return for their book.  After a while, I decided no one was coming for it, so I put that Bible tract in my pocket and rode home.

I have no idea if that is the day I became a Christian, but it could be. I had been raised to know who Jesus was, and I’d attended the classes at our church. I was sprinkled, congratulated, and sent home with a certificate.

I do know this: After I took that Bible tract home and read it cover to cover, I prayed the prayer of salvation printed on the last page. I wanted to be sure I was going to heaven. I either became a Christian that day, or I settled the choice in my own heart and mind.

I wish I knew what happened to that Bible tract. It got lost along the way. But, I’m grateful God drew my attention to that little book lying on the ground.  

When I was first drawn into God’s word

My dad worked for IBM. One day, during my sophomore year of high school, Dad came home and announced he had accepted a job in the Los Angeles area. While my friends were ordering their class rings, I was packing up my bedroom to move.

My youth pastor bought me a copy of The Living Bible, which had just been published. He had all the kids in the youth department write me a note on the back of the cover. He presented it to me and suggested I read the book of John first.

I sat on the curb as our furniture was being loaded into the moving van, and I read the gospel of John from The Living Bible. It was the first time I had read Scripture from anything other than the King James Version. I remember being drawn into God’s word and the story of Christ. The book of John helped my fifteen-year-old soul face forward with hope, as I considered starting over again in a new place.

Forty-five years later I want to pay it forward.

I’ve written a new book titled Jesus: Got Questions?

Now, the girl who sat on the curb reading the gospel of John has written a little book that will help kids come to know Jesus as their Lord and Savior.

I’ve taught Bible for a lot of years now, and I’ve often been asked questions about Scripture and the Christian faith. Jesus: Got Questions? provides answers to the things children most frequently ask about the Bible and includes an NIV version of the gospel of John.

In fact, I answered all the questions using age-appropriate vocabulary and quoting verses from the gospel of John so the kids could look up the Scripture themselves.

Sometimes I like to picture myself in heaven, meeting the person who dropped that Bible tract. Or maybe it’s the person who handed it to someone who later rejected it and threw it on the ground. I want to say thank you to whomever it was that helped a ten-year-old girl be sure she was going to heaven.  

I can’t remember my youth pastor’s name, but I look forward to telling him what his gift meant to a teenager who was feeling lost and overwhelmed with her circumstances. The book of John made all the difference that day.

I’ve been writing this blog for several years, and this is the first time I can remember asking my readers to help me with a project. But, this project is worthy of our best efforts. I prayed my way through each word. I chose phrases, thoughts, and theology with the help of God’s Holy Spirit. I didn’t want to write the answers; I needed him to author each word. And I believe He did!

How you can help share Jesus: Got Questions?

Jesus: Got Questions? is a little book that can lead a child to a saving faith in Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior.

I’ve answered questions, and I’ve asked the reader if he or she wants to be sure about going to heaven. I’ve provided a prayer they can use to ask God for their salvation in Christ and the help they need to understand what they are doing at that moment.

ChristianParenting.org, our parenting website, in partnership with the Pocket Testament League, is giving copies of these gospels to anyone who wants to request them. This is a step of faith on our part, but we know that God has a plan for this little book.

We are sending ten copies of Jesus: Got Questions?, along with ten copies of Amy Simmons’ booklet, Amazing Grace.

We are asking people to share them with the children in their families and then teach their children to share the remaining copies with others. Kids are natural evangelists, and this will help them share their faith with confidence.

If you would like to order copies, you can click here.

But, if you have raised your kids, would you help me give this away to others?

We have reprogrammed the donate button from this site to send money for a while to fund this project. These little Bibles with Q&As cost less than fifty cents per copy and there are shipping costs. Still, this project gives a lot with our dollars. My husband and I have given the first gift. I wouldn’t ask you to do something I wasn’t willing to give toward myself.  

Our hope is to provide these to Vacation Bible schools, Christian camps, church groups, and to kids like I was, maybe just riding their bicycle through the park. I rarely ask for help—but can you pray about helping with this?  

All donations given for a while on JanetDenison.com will be used to print these little gospels.  

Pray that God draws a child to every copy, and then draws them to their salvation in Christ. I believe he will!   

Thank you for praying, and, if possible, for giving. I will keep you posted on the progress!

You can order and donate here.

The Best Way to End Arguments

The older I get, the more valuable time seems. And I don’t want to spend a lot of time debating people who aren’t looking for an answer as much as an argument.

My husband, Jim, was preaching from Luke 5 when the idea for this blog post was born. In that passage, Peter, the apostle, provides the best way to end arguments about our faith.

Peter and his coworkers, Andrew, James, and John, had just returned from a very unproductive fishing expedition. These men were professional fishermen. Jim reminded us that Jesus was a carpenter.

Technically, Jesus should have offered Peter advice about building a boat and left the fishing to Peter and his crew. Instead, Jesus tells Peter, “Put out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch” (Luke 5:4).

You have to love Peter at this point.

He gently reminds the King of the Universe who the “professional” fisherman in the conversation should be. Peter says, “Master, we toiled all night and took nothing” (5:5).  I would love to have a photo of Jesus’ face at this moment. I imagine Jesus giving Peter “the look” because the next words have Peter saying, “But at your word I will let down the nets” (5:5).

Bam. Argument over.

Expert opinions

Our culture struggles with authority these days, and often that’s a good thing.

We live in an era when the news media is more interested in creating drama than reporting facts. Those of us who blog for the internet are told to “grab” our readers in the first two paragraphs because we only have eight seconds before readers click it “off.” Creativity should never be more important than truth.

(A personal word: keep reading on my posts . . . the best stuff is almost always at the end.)

Are the best opinions in front of the camera wearing makeup and designer clothes or exiting the network doors with their resumes in hand? What if our finest opinions are unheard because the authors of those opinions don’t want to endure the media circus that is sure to follow? Opinions are only as impressive as their sources.

Some people accept authority better than others. You probably already know your own tendencies. Do you question whether the doctor is giving you good advice? Do you tend to believe or doubt the “experts” you encounter? How does that impact your approach to God’s word?

Peter was an expert fisherman and had built a large company as a result. (We know that because he had multiple employees and boats.) The apostle could have created an effective argument with Jesus, and most of us would have been swayed by his opinion. Peter was, after all, the expert fisherman. But Peter was also aware of who was telling him to get back in the boat.

Peter’s words should frame every faith argument we have in the future. We might see ourselves as the “experts” in the conversation,but we aren’t; Jesus is. The words that should guide ours are the same words Peter used: “But at your word I will” believe, go, teach, obey, choose—you get the point.

Obedience and blessings

Are we struggling to believe everything the Bible teaches?

Are we okay with kids or grandkids living together or experimenting with sex before marriage because “it’s what everyone is doing these days”?

Have we begun to think of things like abortion as a political opinion rather than what God’s word says about life?

Do we think because someone is born with a weakness that it justifies their sinful behavior?

Do we go easier on sin because the world offers understanding and compassion as justification?

How do we “argue” for our faith in a world that makes great arguments against our beliefs?

Peter answered that question for us with his example.  He told Jesus, “But at your word I will . . . .”

Psalm 119 is about the eternal truth of God’s word. I try to read that psalm often to focus my own thoughts and ideas. The psalm begins by saying, “Blessed are those whose way is blameless, who walk in the law of the Lord!”

Peter’s men went fishing again that day and caught so many fish their boats started to sink. They returned to the shore with their enormous catch and, “when Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, ‘Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord.’ For he and all who were with him were astonished at the catch of fish that they had taken” (Luke 5:8–9).

Peter obeyed Jesus’ word and was greatly blessed.

All of us desire God’s blessings, and God wants us to have them. The next time we argue with the wisdom of Scripture or become involved in someone else’s argument with God’s word, let’s follow Peter’s example. We just need to look to Jesus and say, “But at your word I will . . . .”

Bam. Argument over.

Have a “blessed” week!

Barbara Bush’s Genuine Pearls

A New York Times article called Barbara Bush “soft power in fake pearls.” Many of our nation’s first ladies have worn pearls, but none as famously as Mrs. Bush. In fact, her famous three-strand necklace is still sold by Kenneth J. Lane on his website. (I provided the link in case you are in the market!) The former first lady once teased that if she removed her pearls “her head would fall off.” She was wearing those pearls on the evening I had the privilege of shaking her hand. That was a BIG moment for me!

I like the message her three-layered strand of faux pearls said about her personality and character. She wore them to the inaugural ball in 1989 with a designer dress and an old pair of comfortable, inexpensive shoes. Her “ensemble” was a picture of who she chose to be as a first lady and as a person. She was more interested in having values than owning valuables.

A lot of things have been said about Barbara Bush since her death. But I have been most impressed with the things she said while she was living. As I read various quotes attributed to her, I realized I was reading genuine pearls of wisdom. Jesus told a parable about living life on earth for the sake of heaven. He said, “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls. When he found one of great value, he went away and sold everything he had and bought it” (Matthew 13:45–46). In the ancient world, a pearl and the mother-of-pearl from the shell were highly esteemed for ornaments and decoration. In addition, the word pearl also symbolized wisdom of great value.

King Solomon said, “The beginning of wisdom is this: Get wisdom, and whatever you get, get insight” (Proverbs 4:7). So, as a way of honoring the life of Barbara Bush, I wanted to share a few of Mrs. Bush’s “pearls of wisdom” and the biblical wisdom from her words.

Barbara Bush wanted to live life without regrets. She is most often quoted with these words: “At the end of your life, you will never regret not having passed one more test, not winning one more verdict and not closing one more deal. You will regret time not spent with a husband, a friend, a child, or a parent.” Romans 12:9–10 says, “Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good. Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor.” In honor of Mrs. Bush, who could you spend some extra time with this week?

When Mrs. Bush lost her young daughter to leukemia, everything in her life gained a different perspective. She grew to understand more fully the blessings in life that matter most. She said, “When all the dust is settled and all the crowds are gone, the things that matter are faith, family and friends.” We have been inordinately blessed, and we know that.” The apostle Paul was at the end of his life when he told Timothy, “I am reminded of your sincere faith, a faith that dwelt first in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice and now, I am sure, dwells in you as well. For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands, for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control” (2 Timothy 1:5–7). “Faith, family and friends” is a good list of the things that matter most.

At the end of her life, Barbara Bush said, “I know there is a great God, and I’m not worried.” Mrs. Bush had the gift of knowing that her life was coming to an end. I like to imagine her picking up her Bible to find strength, comfort, and encouragement for herself and her family. I imagine her reading Jesus’ words to his disciples when he said, “Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me. My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.” (John 14:1–3). Mrs. Bush knew God, knew Jesus was her salvation, and knew heaven was her promise.

You might wonder if the quotes above were simply parts of a speech that had been written for her. How do we know that Mrs. Bush truly believed in what she told others? I read an interesting article written by one of her former Secret Service agents, Jonathan Wackrow. The article told several stories about Mrs. Bush that described her life as consistent with her words. I think those things were summed up in the last piece of information he gave. Mr. Wackrow said, “The United States Secret Service code name for Barbara Bush was ‘Tranquility.’ It exemplified her demeanor and its calming, humanizing and gentle effect on those around her. She will be forever missed.”

If Barbara Bush could say one more thing to us today, I think she would want us to know her most recent joy. As she walked through those gates of pearl and saw her daughter again, and all those other people she has loved, she also saw Jesus. If she could leave one more pearl of wisdom for this world, I think she would repeat the words of Paul and Silas when they told their Philippian jailer, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved—you and your household” (Acts 16:31).

That knowledge is the truth about God’s kingdom and the genuine pearl of wisdom that is worth everything we have.

A Modern Parable of Success

Dan munched on his chicken sandwich as he watched the long lines of people waiting outside. His anger welled as his neighbors continued to leave their money in the hands of the undeserving. No one carried his banner. No one shouted in protest. One by one, each neighbor filed in and left their support for the message and the mess. Dan finished his lunch, lost in his grief, alone in his anger. Another storefront, another success—another reason to wave his fist at the truth. He ordered a milk shake and some more waffle fries, then scowled at the cow who wished him a good day. He finished his milkshake on the subway, threw the evidence away, and thought, “Maybe my words will change some minds.”

A parable is a story designed to teach a truth or a moral lesson. Today’s parable is based on a story in the New Yorker magazine. “Dan” wrote an article that is making lots of headlines and helping Chick-fil-A make a lot of extra sandwiches.

Dan Piepenbring titled his recent article Chick-fil-A’s Creepy Infiltration of New York City. The reporter is angry at the company because, in his words, “New York has taken to Chick-fil-A. One of the Manhattan locations estimates that it sells a sandwich every six seconds, and the company has announced plans to open as many as a dozen more storefronts in the city. And yet the brand’s arrival here feels like an infiltration, in no small part because of its pervasive Christian traditionalism.”

Dan Piepenbring doesn’t like much about Dan Cathy’s company. He wrote about the Bible verses that “adorn” the headquarters and pans the statue in the courtyard of Jesus washing his disciple’s feet. He mentioned the company’s motto, “Treat every person with honor, dignity, and respect,” as flawed because of Cathy’s stand for Christian family values.

But, here is the real point of the parable. Dan’s article was inspired while he sat in the new Chick-fil-A, eating his lunch. It was opening day for the new twelve-thousand-square-foot franchise, and he was waiting to see his fellow New Yorker’s protest the establishment. He wrote, “When the first stand-alone New York location opened, in 2015, a throng of protesters appeared. When a location opened in a Queens mall, in 2016, Mayor Bill de Blasio proposed a boycott. No such controversy greeted the opening of this newest outpost.” Dan had come to see his community protest Chick-fil-A and watched their support instead.

Here is what I hope the parable will mean to Christians. First, Chick-fil-A has stood for biblical values from the beginning. They have received a lot of criticism, a lot of protest, and suffered a lot of persecution from the anti-Christians in our culture. Now, they are one of the most successful fast-food chains in the country. What does their example say to all of God’s people about the power of God and his desire to bless a godly witness?

Second, as a Christian, how do you feel about Dan? I admit my first thoughts were not God’s. I felt victorious because Chick-fil-A was “winning.” I felt smug because Dan’s angry words didn’t stand up against the obvious success of the company’s expansion. And then I thought about Dan and went back to the parable to insert the sentence about him as “lost in his grief” and “alone in his anger.” That is the real point of the parable.

Chick-fil-A isn’t winning the war. It is simply a company doing its part to fight some battles. They are consistently providing the food people want even when those people disagree with their message. Is the same true for our lives?

It doesn’t matter that the “words” I write in this blog post are about God if the way I live my life in the world is not godly. Jesus said, “By this all people will know you are my disciples, if you have love for one another” (John 13:35 ESV).

Two chapters later, in John 15:18–21, Jesus teaches the real point of my parable. He said, “If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you. Remember what I told you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also. If they obeyed my teaching, they will obey yours also. They will treat you this way because of my name, for they do not know the one who sent me.”

People like Dan misunderstand the ways of God. They are lost and alone, separated from the God who sent Jesus. And Jesus sends us today. Our words aren’t enough. The power of God is unleashed through our works which give credibility to our words.

Chick-fil-A’s story is a parable to all of God’s people today. We need to notice people like Dan, sit down at their table, and bravely share God’s love with him. A lot of people are lost and alone because they don’t know “the one” who sent Jesus so they could be saved. Who is Jesus going to send you to this week? Christian success, blessing, and probably some persecution will come from saying, “Here I am. Send me.”

The point of the parable: We have great food. Are we working as hard as Chick-fil-A to provide it?

One Word That Makes All the Difference

The word is “whatever.”  Interestingly, that word was labeled one of the top five annoying words in 2016. The meaning of the word depends a lot on the attitude behind the person using it. The Bible uses the word whatever about 173 times, depending on your translation and, when the word is used biblically, it makes all the difference.

God used the word whatever in the very beginning to show us the difference between human beings and the rest of creation. People were created in the image of God and he honored us with the power of choice.  He had just finished creating all the living things on earth and he brought them to Adam. Scripture says, “Whatever the man called every living creature, that was its name” (Genesis 2:19).

Imagine if God had presented those animals for Adam to name, but Adam felt he had something better to do. Adam could have glanced at all those animals and flippantly tossed his hand saying “whatever” and a trip to the zoo would be a much different experience.

Almost every time the word “whatever” is used, it’s because we have a choice to make. God created everything, but only human beings were created in his image, with the ability to choose. Whatever happens today, we can choose to look and act like God’s unique and powerful children or something less. The whatever verses in Scripture will help us choose what is best.

God instructed Moses to consecrate the altar saying, “Whatever touches the altar shall become holy” (Exodus 29:37). Those words give added meaning to the moment when the veil of the temple was torn, from top to bottom. Only God could have done that and only the death of Christ could make that holy altar available to everyone.  Whatever touches the altar of God is made holy, and Jesus gave everyone access to the altar. What do you need to bring to his altar today?

Later the Apostle Paul taught one of the most important things we can bring to God’s altar is our thoughts. If our thoughts are made holy, our actions will follow. Philippians 4:8 is possibly the best use of the word whatever in the Bible. The verse says, “Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.”

When we take our thoughts to the altar of God, He will make them holy. What are holy thoughts?

  • God will make our thoughts true and separate them from the lies we might have believed.
  • Our thoughts will honor God and his purpose
  • Our thoughts will be just and we can see things with God’s perfect judgment
  • God can remove whatever is making our thoughts dark and purify them with his holiness
  • God can change our ugly thoughts to ideas and opinions that are lovely
  • Our thoughts can often condemn us and others. God can make them commendable instead.
  • God can make every thought excellent and worthy of praise.

So, whatever plans you have made for the day, remember that God created you with the ability to choose his holiness and Jesus provided everything you need to attain it. The altar is right in front of you, and the curtain is wide open. Whatever will you choose to do?