God's word Archives

The right priority builds a strong wall

When do our priorities line up with God’s?

Our lives are getting back to normal again. My whole family just went to our first baseball game and our granddaughter’s horse show and enjoyed being in the crowd. I didn’t even think about catching a virus because I was too busy thinking about the Rangers catching a baseball or me trying to catch the perfect photo of my granddaughter in her cute riding pants and blazer.

How quickly our priorities can change!

IF YOU HAD TO PICK ONE PRIORITY . . .

What if someone asked you to name your number one priority? Is that even possible? We might be able to list our top ten, but which would make the list first?

• Faith?

• Family?

• Friends?

• Future?

How can we choose a priority when so many things matter so much?

JEREMIAH’S PRIORITY

Jeremiah is often described as the weeping prophet, a name I think he would probably hate. Chances are, if you pick up your Bibles for a time of devotion, you are more likely to read from Ephesians than the book of Jeremiah.

Jeremiah was a prophet to the Southern tribes of Israel, or Judah. They were supposed to be the “good guys” of Israel, and were, much of the time. But Jeremiah preached to Judah after the Northern Tribes of Israel had been captured, enslaved, and removed from the land. The Northern Tribes never did return home.

Judah should have learned from their brothers’ mistakes but didn’t. As a nation, Judah became distracted by their enemies, their finances, their families, and their future. As a result, their priorities changed. Jeremiah’s job was to speak for God and warn Judah that the same thing that happened to the Northern Tribes could happen to them as well. And it did.

Daniel and his friends were taken captive, and then came a second and third wave of attack. The temple in Jerusalem was destroyed, and their lands and families were taken away by the Babylonian armies. Some would say they lost everything, but they didn’t.

They never lost God’s word. The prophet Jeremiah and many others kept teaching and preaching what God wanted his people to understand.

Jeremiah preached God’s word almost twenty-five hundred years ago, and I’m still teaching his lessons today. Jeremiah lived during one of the worst times in biblical history. He and the people he loved lost almost everything in their lives. And Jeremiah was tasked with warning the people to repent. He knew how to help, but the people just wouldn’t listen. In fact, they attacked Jeremiah for preaching the truth, and it broke his heart and spirit. That’s why he is called the weeping prophet.

Jeremiah 15 is a conversation between God and Jeremiah. God tells Jeremiah what is going to happen to Judah because of their lack of faith and misguided priorities: God will judge his people and Judah will fall. Jeremiah knows what will happen and knows nothing will stop God from fulfilling his words.

When Jeremiah understands he can’t help Judah, he prays for himself. He asks God to protect him from the coming judgment. Jeremiah offers one defense to God. The prophet asks for God to protect him because he has maintained one important priority.

Jeremiah 15:16 says, “When your words came, I ate them; they were my joy and my heart’s delight, for I bear your name, Lord God Almighty” (NIV).

Do we share Jeremiah’s godly priority? If so, we can also share in God’s promise.

CHRISTIANS BEAR GOD’S NAME TOO

The first people to be called Christians were in the church of Antioch, the church considered most responsible for supporting Paul and his missionary work. The name Christian literally means “little Christ.” Christians bear the name of the Son of God.

More and more our culture is attacking that name and attacking those who bear it. Is there coming a time when we will pray Jeremiah’s prayers for our nation? And pray Jeremiah’s prayer for himself? Is that time already here?

Jeremiah prayed to God with confidence because he had lived with one powerful priority. The prophet had consumed God’s word. God’s thoughts and ideas were Jeremiah’s joy and his heart’s delight. The prophet understood that his role in life was to bear God’s name everywhere he went.

Like Jeremiah, we bear God’s name too. The question for all of us today is this: Do we also share Jeremiah’s priority?

Do we simply read God’s word, or do we consume it as our joy and our delight? Is God’s word truly our daily bread?

If so, we should listen to and claim Jeremiah’s promise from God.

GOD’S PROMISE TO JEREMIAH

God responded to Jeremiah’s prayer with this promise. God said to Jeremiah and to us, ‘“If you repent, I will restore you that you may serve me; if you utter worthy, not worthless, words, you will be my spokesman. Let this people turn to you, but you must not turn to them. I will make you a wall to this people, a fortified wall of bronze; they will fight against you but will not overcome you, for I am with you to rescue and save you,’ declares the Lord” (Jeremiah 15:19–20).

There is so much I want to say about the passage above. I know the Lord spoke to me in those words as I read them again and again. I expect the Lord will do that for all of you as well. Let’s consume his words to Jeremiah as food for our own souls. Will you receive God’s teaching with joy? Will you delight to obey?

God needs the people who bear his Son’s name to be that fortified wall of bronze. The people in our culture need to be able to turn to the Holy Spirit in us for God’s love and wisdom. We were never allowed to turn to the culture for our guidance.

It may seem like the culture is winning right now, but that isn’t the biblical truth we should take to heart, with joy. Jesus echoed God’s words to Jeremiah when he told his disciples, “I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world” (John 16:33, ESV).

PRAY LIKE JEREMIAH

We can pray like Jeremiah if we share the prophet’s priority. He consumed God’s word as his great joy and delight. Jeremiah bore God’s name.

Jeremiah could have preached his words to our culture and people would have treated him the same way today. The calling for all of us who bear Christ’s name is to share Jeremiah’s priority. It will no doubt cause us some trouble going forward. Thankfully, we also share Jeremiah’s promise. Hear God say to you: “They will fight against you but will not overcome you, for I am with you to rescue and save you.”

God needs his people to be that bronze wall of truth today.

We will be—if we will live with Jeremiah’s priority.

Giving our souls a tune-up

I’m smiling as I remember my dad’s best efforts to teach me how to give my ’67 Chevy a tune-up.

That Chevy was the first car I ever owned, and my dad wanted me to learn a few things. I can honestly say that almost nothing I learned is helpful to car maintenance now. No one I know owns a timing light or changes their own spark plugs and filters. In fact, I don’t even know where the spark plugs are in my car today! Now, I drop my car off at the dealer when the “Maintenance Needed” light comes on.

I’m smiling because there are more important lessons I learned from my dad’s advice. Dad helped me understand maintenance was important if I wanted to keep my car in good shape. In a lot of ways, my dad helped me write this blog post today.

We understand our cars need maintenance. We spend the time and pay the cost because we don’t want to get stranded somewhere. We can apply that same principle to our souls as well.

If your life is sluggish and not responding to God’s will, you might need a spiritual tune-up today.

WHEN MAINTENANCE IS NEEDED

It would be nice if something in our lives would flash with the words “Maintenance Needed” like our cars do today. We are a lot more like a ’67 Chevy. We have to notice the sluggishness, the slowness to start, and the “wrong noises” that indicate the need for a tune-up. My dad could just listen to engine noises and know there was a problem, and he usually knew how to fix it.

It would be nice if there could be a “Maintenance Needed” light that would flash in our spiritual lives, but there are indicators:

• Has your witness grown sluggish?

• Are you a little more difficult to “start” when the Spirit prompts you?

• Is your prayer life making some strange noises . . . maybe a little too full of self-absorbed rattles and clunks instead of purring along?

It’s better to fix the problems we notice than break down somewhere.

God created our souls to run like a perfectly tuned engine: “You are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light” (1 Peter 2:9). We are God’s possession and he wants to keep us running well. But, he also waits for us to respond to the warnings and bring our cars to the shop!

THE DEALER HAS THE BEST SERVICE DEPARTMENT

A lot of places can do routine maintenance. It’s fairly easy to find someone who can change wiper blades, replace an air filter, or rotate the tires. But, if something inside the engine is not working, we know the dealership has the most specialized care.

We take our souls for weekly maintenance to church or Bible study each week. Don’t you notice how much easier it is to treat people with kindness and put others first after spending time in worship? We are cleaned up and running more smoothly after a helpful sermon and time of worship.

Routine maintenance is essential to almost everything in life. Our souls were meant to run on “daily bread,” our time with God each day. If you are reading this blog post, you are probably someone who understands that we need to keep our souls maintained by the daily disciplines of Bible study and prayers. The daily maintenance means we can keep our lives running more smoothly, and Sundays are a great boost to our daily routines. But, there are times when things in life require more help than our routines provide.

My car has a need for significant maintenance at certain mileage markers. It’s expensive, time-consuming, and rarely “good news.” But, I pay the price because it almost guarantees I will avoid the breakdowns. When the dealer tells me I need to do significant maintenance, I do it.

Our Dealer knows what is needed in our lives. He manufactured us and knows what is necessary to keep us running. It is good to know we need regular maintenance and care for our souls that way. But, when was the last time you submitted your soul for the more complete work, the work that only the dealer can accomplish?

That kind of maintenance will come at a cost. It will cost you more time and effort and will be more of a sacrifice than just a Sunday morning service or daily devotions. When is the last time you left your regular routine to spend a significant time away with the Lord?

If things aren’t running smoothly in your life, it could be time to take more time and submit your life to the One who created it.

Jesus was preaching, healing, and creating a great stir in the synagogues. The Pharisees had begun to take notice of him and Luke wrote that “they were filled with fury and discussed with one another what they might do to Jesus” (Luke 6:11). Jesus, our example, knew he needed God’s divine wisdom and help. Luke writes, “In these days he went out to the mountain to pray, and all night he continued in prayer to God” (v. 12).

Even as I type those words I feel a sense of conviction. When last did I retreat from the world and my daily routines to spend an extended amount of time with God?

Is it time for the “extended maintenance?”

The dealer/manufacturer will need us for more time in order to do more work, and it will require a greater cost. But, have you ever noticed how much better your car runs after those times of maintenance? Our souls will experience greater benefits as well.

ONE CAR WILL LAST A LIFETIME

I’m not sure how many cars I will drive in my lifetime. I was in my forties when I bought my first new car. I kept it a decade, did all the suggested maintenance, and it never did break down. I’m now driving my second version of that car! My ’67 Chevy will always be dear to my heart because it was my first car and I worked hard to be able to buy it. But, I’m glad I can drive a better car these days, and I am careful to take good care of it.

We only have one soul because that is all we will ever need. The first choice we ever made was to allow Jesus to buy our souls back for God, from the world. But, for the rest of our lives, we will choose to maintain what Jesus bought and has promised to continue to make new.

We have been given one life, but it is all we need if it is eternal. I’m so glad I exchanged my old ’67 Chevy for something better. I’m glad I exchanged my old life for something better as well. My soul is eternal, and I want it to run as well as possible on earth and in heaven. I’m glad for the warning lights that remind me when maintenance is needed. It’s good to know life will run more smoothly with his care.

The Apostle Paul wrote, “And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ” (Philippians 1:6). One day these cars of ours will roll through the pearly gates and we will realize they are “maintenance free.”

Until then, we need help from our mechanic. He is waiting to care for our souls. Do you need to do some routine maintenance or schedule an extended visit? He is always at work and always able to get you back on the road.

But, we also have a lot to look forward to. One day when our journey is complete, it will feel great to pull into the garage, see my dad and my Dad, and know I am safely and forever, home!

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: