There was a bizarre story in the news a couple of years ago. It seems there was a couple in Arkansas who were trying to trade their two-month-old child for a six-pack of beer. The receiving couple, who were concerned about the welfare of the child, agreed. The first couple then returned later and asked for a $1000 cashier’s check as well. They even wrote up a handwritten contract, which they signed. The receiving couple videoed the transaction and then promptly called the police. The first couple was arrested, and the child was placed in protective services.
Hard to believe, isn’t it? That people could trade something so precious as a baby that easily. But God points out in our passage today that we do that as well. Israel lost sight of their identity. They became so integrated in the culture of the land that they began to practice the religions of the people there. They traded their sacred relationship with God for worthless idols. And it broke God’s heart.
When I read the passage today, I realized that we do that along the way as well. How many of us have wanted so badly to be accepted by a particular group of people that we let THEM determine our worth instead of God? We even find ourselves saying things, doing things, and acting in ways that we know are not who God wants us to be. But we trade our God-given identity and favor with God for something as shallow and fleeting as the approval of people.
Or sometimes our “idol” is our desire to get ahead or to make more money. So, we cut corners we shouldn’t cut. We lie on our taxes or lie on our resumes. We take advantage of people and justify it by saying that if they’re that stupid, they NEED to be taken advantage of. I’ve seen families fighting over inheritance money from a deceased parent or grandparent and acting in ways that are anything but Christian. Money is an idol that can steal your soul. That’s why Jesus said, “The love of money is the root of all kinds of evil.”
What’s your “idol”? What is it you tend to trade your identity in Christ for or compromise your integrity for? What is it that you find yourself justifying in your mind but feel convicted about in your heart? Don’t trade eternal reward for temporary pleasures. Don’t trade your soul for something that will never satisfy your deepest desires. And don’t trade your love for God for a love of stuff. A baby is worth more than all the beer in the world. And God is worth more than anything this world has to offer. No more idols. That’s God’s Word for you today.

Several years ago, I was on a trip for about a week and was getting ready to fly home. I called Wanda to check in and let her know what time I would be arriving. When she answered the phone, I could tell there was something different about her. She seemed more anxious to see me and excited about my coming home than usual. Then she told me why. She had been attending a conference that was about a 45-minute or so drive one way every day that week. Since she had a long drive both ways, she decided to listen to the cassette tapes that we used to send each other when we were in college.
Back then, there was no internet, cell phones, or computer video calls. So, for the two years we dated long distance, we sent letters, cards, and cassette tapes. We were deeply in love and couldn’t wait for the day when we could finally be together forever. Listening to those tapes stoked the fires of love in Wanda’s heart. Listening to her tell me about it rekindled the fires of love in me. I’m telling you, that plane couldn’t get me home fast enough!
God was reminding the Israelites of how passionately they used to love Him in our passage today. He compares them to a young bride who is head over heels in love with her groom. God missed those old days and tried to get them to remember them, too.
That’s what needs to happen for us in our walk with God as well. It’s so easy to fall into the routines of our walk of faith that we forget why we started that journey in the first place. Remember how amazed you were to discover how much God loved you? Remember how overwhelming it was to be washed clean by His grace? Remember how you couldn’t get enough of His Presence, enough of His Word, or enough of worshipping Him with all your heart? Maybe today is a good day to do what Wanda did. Reflect and remember how amazing it all was. And just maybe the Holy Spirit will rekindle that fire of love for God again in YOU! That’s God’s Word for you today.

One of the discoveries I’ve made through the years is that most people are afraid to have “hard” conversations. We’re afraid to speak up at a group meeting if we have a different opinion or believe the group is going in the wrong direction. We’re afraid to confront an employee, fellow worker, or boss if there’s something they're doing that’s causing problems or disruption. We’re afraid to have a hard conversation with a family member who is saying hurtful things or whose behavior is causing everyone to walk on eggshells. Maybe we lack confidence. Maybe we lack courage. Maybe we believe that if we just ignore it, it’ll go away. But most of the time it doesn’t. We simply allow unhealthy, dysfunctional cultures to continue.
What if I were to tell you that I believe God WANTS us to have hard conversations? Our passage today is a good example. God wants Jeremiah to get up and say what many people don’t want to hear. He wants him to speak the hard truth to the people, to the religious leaders, even to the king. God tells him in advance that it won’t be easy and that he will have those who will push back on him. But God promises Jeremiah that He will be with him. If anything is going to be different, or if anyone is going to change their ways, someone has to say something. Jeremiah is that someone.
Full disclosure. Sometimes hard conversations don’t end well. Sometimes people get mad. Sometimes people walk away. Sometimes people accuse you of ulterior motives. But sometimes, through the hard conversation, God breaks through. Eyes are opened. Hearts are softened. And people change. I am who I am today because a few people along the way loved me enough to have a hard conversation with me. I imagine some of you may have had a few of your own. Why not give some others the same gift that we’ve been given?
Let’s stop taking the easy way out. Let’s stop ducking and hiding and refusing to step up, speak up, and say in love what needs to be said. Dysfunctional churches, family stress, hurtful relationships, and toxic workplaces are often that way because everyone is afraid to say what everyone already knows. If God’s nudging your heart, don’t be afraid to be the catalyst to put the problem on the table. What others do with it is up to them. It’s not our job to fix people. But sometimes, like Jeremiah, it is our job to point out what needs to be fixed. That’s God’s Word for you today.

One of the common denominators in the journey of faith for people God used is how they first made excuses as to why they COULDN’T do what God was asking them to do. Abraham and Sarah complained that they were too old to have kids. But they did. Moses whined that he wasn’t good at speaking, so he could never be the one to free God’s people from Egypt. But he did. Gideon told God he was the “least of the least,” so there was no way he could defeat the Midianites. But he did. And now we have Jeremiah telling God he is too young to be a prophet. But God used him as a prophet just the same.
All of these people made the same mistake we often make when God wants to work through us. IT’S NOT ABOUT US! God doesn’t choose us because we are “all that.” God chooses us because HE is all that! God would give the miracle baby to Abraham and Sarah. God would go before Gideon and defeat the Midianites. God would stretch forth His Hand to set the Israelites free from Egypt. And God would be the one speaking through Jeremiah the words the people needed to hear. God doesn’t need shining stars. He simply needs lanterns through which He can shine.
So what’s your excuse? When God tugs at you to be someone whom He works through or speaks through, what excuse do you give to try to get out of it? Is it that you’re too young or too old? Is it that you don’t know enough Bible or aren’t educated enough? Is it that you are afraid of saying the wrong thing, doing the wrong thing, or acting the wrong way? Set yourself free today. Look in the mirror and say, “It’s not about me.” Then step up and be obedient to what God tells you to do. If God calls you to it, He’ll get you through it. No excuses. That’s God’s Word for you today.

One of the pieces of theology that I think we’ve lost along the way is the idea that we are all called by God for service in His Kingdom. That means that every one of us is a “minister” in some form or fashion. Jeremiah shares that God revealed to him that he was called to be a prophet. God had some very special words He wanted to share through Jeremiah at this very critical time in Israel’s history.
But as we nod our heads and marvel at how God used Jeremiah, we need to be asking a very important question. “What’s MY calling?” We’re not all prophets, that’s for sure. And we’re not all called to serve as missionaries, pastors, or worship leaders either. But what IS our calling? If God made me and redeemed me, then what has He made me to do and what purpose has He saved me for?
I think maybe we overthink it a bit too much. Now that I’ve announced that I’m retiring next Spring, I get a lot of people asking me what I’m going to do. Which is a bit funny to me, I have to admit. It sounds as if people expect me to take up another full-time job. I’m retiring. My future plans at this point are to sleep for about two months. That’s as far as I’ve gotten.
But as I’ve processed how I might serve God best in the next chapter of my life, I thought about what I always said years ago. “I think I’d like to be a Walmart greeter.” I know that sounds funny, but if you really know me, you know how well that fits. I love meeting people. I love striking up conversations with people. I love finding out where people are from and what’s going on in their lives. Paul doesn’t list it in Corinthians or Romans, but I think I may have the spiritual gift of conversation. I’ve had intimate, engaging conversations with people in the most unusual places. At the Y, at the airport, at a Love’s truck stop, and in someone’s front yard. I hugged and prayed with a sobbing man a week ago, filling up with gas at a 7/11. Conversations come easy for me. It’s how God made me.
How about you? God formed YOU just like He did Jeremiah and me. What do you think your calling is? Maybe God’s made you to be a listener. Maybe God’s made you to be a helper. Maybe God’s formed you to be a behind-the-scenes prayer warrior. Maybe God’s shaped you to be someone who is a caregiver, or someone who loves to visit people in the hospital, or someone who is a text-encourager. Think about what you love to do. Think about what it is that when you do it, you think to yourself, “I love doing that.” When God puts it in your wiring, it’s more than just a trait. It’s your calling. That’s God’s Word for you today.

One of the things I spent time thanking God for today, as I walked, was how relentless He has been in His love for me. He chased after me when I was running the other way. He kept calling, even when I wasn’t listening. He kept trying to get my attention when I was focused on pursuing other things. It reminded me that God is not only faithful, but He is tireless. He is relentless in His desire for us.
That relentlessness is pointed out again and again in Scripture. When the world became exceedingly wicked, and there was only one man worth saving, God didn’t quit. He used Noah and his family to start again. When God saw how wicked Sodom and Gomorrah had become and decided to enact judgment upon them, He allowed Abraham to intercede for them. In fact, God allowed Abraham to talk Him down from finding 50 righteous men to only finding 10. Why? He is relentless in His desire to save us. When the Israelites doubted God and disobeyed Him again and again in the wilderness, God didn’t give up on them. He kept leading, providing, protecting, and correcting all the way to the Promised Land. All because of His Relentless Love.
You don’t catch it easily, but that same relentless nature of God is found in our passage today. It says that our Lord gave messages to Jeremiah. What were those messages for? We’ll discover that they were meant to AWAKEN God’s People, to WARN them, and to CALL THEM back to the Lord. God’s People had chosen their own way. They had forgotten the God who had chosen them and called them by His Name. But the Lord had not forgotten them. When God started speaking through Jeremiah, it says from the “thirteenth year of the reign of Josiah…until the eleventh year of the reign of King Zedekiah.” That is a 40 to 50-year span! Think about that. God used Jeremiah for DECADES to call His People back to repentance. That’s tenacious, relentless love!
God loves you, my friend. He is not only faithful TO you, He is also relentlessly chasing after you. He wants you to experience all He has to offer you. He wants you to know the fullness of His grace, the fullness of His presence, and the fullness of the life that’s possible when it’s lived in intimacy and obedience to Him. So run if you want to, but God won’t quit. Hide if you think it’ll help, but He will find you. God will never stop chasing after you until you are finally, completely His. He is RELENTLESS. That’s God’s Word for you today.

“Whoever is patient has great understanding, but one who is quick-tempered displays folly.” – Proverbs 14:29 (NIV)

I recently read one of the most inspiring books that I’ve ever read. It’s called “The Shining Light, the Man, Mission, and Movement of the YMCA.” It’s the story of how God used a 19-year-old young man named George Williams to found an organization that has profoundly impacted the world.
George worked in a factory in London. After he gave his heart to Christ, he became deeply burdened for all the other young men at his factory who were so lost in sin and despair. He didn’t know what to do or where to begin. So he began to pray and invited a few other believers to pray with him. On June 6th, 1844, George and eleven others gathered in his dorm room above the factory where they worked and cried out to God. At the end of that prayer meeting, they made a commitment to bond together to share the good news of Christ by loving, helping, serving, and witnessing to the other young men in the factory and around London. They decided to call themselves the Young Men’s Christian Association. And their impact spread like wildfire through the factory, across London, and then around the world.
When you read the book, it’s like reading the Book of Acts from the Bible. None of these young men were anything special. What’s more, they KNEW they were nothing special. They knew that if God didn’t move in their midst, nothing of significance would ever take place. So they prayed as though everything depended on God, and worked and served as though everything depended on them. They were not rich, educated, and had no social status or influence. They simply knew what God had done for them and believed He was the answer others needed as well.
The secret to their success is found in our passage today. “I will bless those who have humble and contrite hearts, who tremble at my word.” That verse describes these men perfectly. They knew they were nothing, so they prayed as though God was everything. Because He IS. They made themselves totally available to be used by God, but believed that unless God went before them, they were doomed to failure. They certainly weren’t perfect men. But they were utterly humbled, broken, and dependent on God. Their strength, as the Apostle Paul put it, was found in their admitted weakness. So they prayed until God showed up and gave Him all the glory for every victory. That’s probably a great reminder for all of us about how to change our world as well. That’s God’s Word for you today.

When Wanda and I were touring Spain a couple of years ago, we visited the Sagrada Familia cathedral in Barcelona. It is a huge, amazingly beautiful cathedral that takes your breath away. It also has the distinction of being the tallest church in the world. While we were there, it was still under construction. Which is kind of crazy since they broke ground on it in 1882! They finished this past February, and it was officially blessed by Pope Leo on June 10, which coincided with the centennial death of the architect.
The cathedral is too much to take in with a single visit. You could probably spend an entire day just looking at all the various sculpted Bible scenes that adorn it. They’re incredible. Then, there are the magnificent stained-glass windows that are beyond description. It was one of those places where I just wanted to take pictures of EVERYTHING. It was overwhelming.
The only problem with the cathedral is that it’s too small. God can’t live in there. It’s a wonderful sight for us, but it can’t begin to display the beauty and the glory of God. A person might feel small and insignificant standing in its massive chapel. But God couldn’t even fit His pinky toe in that space. The sculpted scenes are wonderful images of some of the moments of Jesus’ life, but like John said at the end of his book, “Jesus also did many other things. If they were all written down, I suppose the whole world could not contain the books that would be written.”
In our passage today, God reminds us of just how big and majestic He truly is. Even as He tells His People to return to Jerusalem and rebuild the temple, He reminds them that the temple was for THEM, not HIM. He’s too big to fit in the grandest of human creations. I love His imagery. The earth is like a “footstool” to Him. Our temples and cathedrals are nice places to gather and worship Him, but they are only impressive to US. To God, they are like the Lego creations of kids. He’s much, much bigger than that.
Remember that today, when you try to squeeze God into your “box.” When you tell yourself that your problem is too big, your need too great, or your situation too complex. When you throw up your hands and declare that nothing can be done, remember who God is. He’s bigger than your imagination, greater than your worst fear, and stronger than any force you know of. When we put God in our “box,” no matter how big our box is, God doesn’t fit. God is greater. Even if your box is the Sagrada Familia. That’s God’s Word for you today.

One of my favorite stories I love to tell is one time several years ago when Wanda and I went to a restaurant with several people from our church. It’s one of those places where you order your entrée, and then you get to choose your sides from a display case that has about 20 different options. Wanda looked at the board, which listed all the main dishes, and chose the chicken fried chicken. The cashier punched that in and said, “You get two sides with that.” Wanda began walking along the display case, carefully looking at all of her options. My wife has a very narrow range of foods she actually likes, so I said to the young cashier, “She has to look at everything, but she’ll take the mashed potatoes & gravy and the mac & cheese.” After carefully looking at all 20 items in the case, Wanda looked at the cashier and said, “I’ll take the mashed potatoes & gravy and the mac & cheese.” The young cashier started laughing, looked at me and said, “That was unbelievable! You must be psychic!” I laughed and said, “No, that’s just 30 years of being married!”
All you long-term married people out there will understand this. There is an intimacy of knowledge that you develop about someone from being with them for so long. I can pretty much tell you with uncanny accuracy what movies she’ll like, what she thinks about most topics, and what kind of things make her feel irritated or annoyed. I can also tell you what things touch her heart, make her happy, and make her cry. Often, I can finish her sentences after just a couple of words. That is, if I’m actually listening to her!
God is like that with us. God knows us better than anyone. In fact, He knows us better than we even know ourselves. He knows what’s on our hearts and in our minds. He knows what we fear or what we’re really dreaming of. He not only knows us so well, He also loves us more than we can ever imagine. That’s why He tells us in Isaiah that even before we ask, He is already answering. That’s an attentive, caring God.
So go ahead. Tell God what you’re worried about today. Not for His sake, but for yours. It’ll do you good to voice it to Him. But be sure of this. He already knows. Tell Him what you need and in what ways you desire His help today. But let this amaze you. The words won’t even be out of your mouth before God will already be on His way to meet you at your point of need. You see, God CAN read your mind. He can also read your heart. So before you can even ask, He’s answering. That’s how much God knows and loves YOU! That’s God’s Word for you today.

One of the things I love about scripture is how the grace of God comes pouring through from cover to cover. We see it here in our verse for today. God shows not only His willingness to welcome us into a relationship with Him, but also His eagerness to do so. Look at what He says. “I was ready to respond.” In other words, God is ready for US long before we are ready for Him!
Think about that for a second. The One who is above all and Lord over all, wanted us even before we wanted Him. That’s like having the guy or gal that we always wanted to date, but never thought we’d ever have a chance with, saying, “I’ve been waiting on pins and needles for you to ask me out!” We would never imagine that they even knew who we were. But they DID. And they WANTED us!
God goes even further to let us know that He seeks after us. He says, “Here I am, here I am!” This reminds us that all of those little nudges along the way were from God trying to get our attention. This tells us that all of the people that God brought along our path to tell us about Him, to point us toward Him, and to model who He is, were not by accident. In fact, I envision in heaven God revealing to us all those times He intervened, protected, and tried to shake us out of our slumber. In a thousand different ways, God was saying, “Here I am, here I am!”
The last part of this verse is actually the one that is the most revealing about God’s great grace. The NIV and NLT translate it from the Greek LXX as “to a nation that did not call on my name.” But the Hebrew is actually “to a nation that was not called by my name.” In other words, God was saying that He was demonstrating His passionate, pursuing love to people who had no clue who He even was. The Gentiles. God was the most concerned about those who were the least concerned about Him.
Take this with you today. God is ready for you—are you ready for Him? God is trying desperately to get your attention—are you looking for Him? And even if you haven’t given God a second thought in your life, you have ALWAYS been on His mind. God’s arms are open to you, my friend. Are your arms open to Him? When you’re ready, God’s ready! That’s God’s Word for you today.

God suffers. That seems like a strange concept, doesn’t it? Since God is All-Powerful, you’d think that He couldn’t suffer. But He does. He suffers for us. He suffers WITH us. It isn’t out of His weakness that He suffers. It’s out of His love.
Jesus demonstrated this. Do you remember when His friend Lazarus died? When they brought Jesus near to the tomb, the Bible says, “Jesus wept.” Why was Jesus weeping? He wasn’t weeping for Lazarus. He knew where Lazarus was and how much better he had it. He wasn’t weeping for Himself. He knew He was going to bring Lazarus back from the dead. Jesus was weeping for Mary and Martha. He loved them. He had stayed in their home. They were dear friends. And they were hurting. So their suffering became HIS suffering.
Or how about when Jesus rode into Jerusalem for the last time? Remember how He wept over the city? He said He wished He could gather them all under his wings like a mother hen gathers her chicks. What were those tears all about? Jesus knew He was about to go to the cross. He knew that many of His own people weren’t going to believe in Him. They were so lost. They struggled so much. They carried so many burdens and had so many problems, and they wouldn’t turn to Him for help. So they would die in their sin and their loneliness. He hurt for them. He was broken for them. They were suffering and their suffering became HIS suffering.
This is what Isaiah is talking about today in our passage. When God looked down upon His People, He hurt for them. They continued to make poor choices that led them down difficult paths that resulted in painful outcomes. Yes, it was their own fault. Yes, they were suffering the consequences of their own choices. But God loved them just the same. And their suffering was HIS suffering.
God suffers with us, too. When we grieve, He grieves with us. When we go through difficult places, He feels our struggle. Even when we’re dealing with the consequences of our own poor choices, God hurts with us. Our suffering is HIS suffering. So, whatever you’re dealing with today, you are not alone. God is with you. Your troubles are His troubles, your pain is His pain, and your suffering is His suffering. That’s how much your Heavenly Father cares about YOU. That’s God’s Word for you today.

Some years ago, one of our dear saints and I were talking after a service. She commented about how much she enjoyed the service and how good God had been to her. Then she looked me in the eye and said, “I pray for you every night, pastor.” She said those words with a love and dedication that left me speechless for a moment. I’d had many people tell me through the years that they’ll pray for me. But she said it with such sincerity that I knew it wasn’t just words. This woman believed prayer mattered. She believed in spiritual warfare and was committed to doing her part. She didn’t pray general prayers of “God bless everyone.” She named names. She prayed for specific outcomes. She was persistent, passionate, and constant in her prayers. This woman was a Watchman.
I don’t think she is alone in this role. My guess is that there are many of us who are still alive or in the faith only because we had Watchmen in our lives who kept on praying and believing even though many others had given up. They called out to God on our behalf for deliverance, protection, encouragement, and strength. For most of them, two things are what kept them faithfully at their post. First, is that they had such a depth of love or concern for us that taking hold of the throne of God and not letting go was not a chore. It was a sacred privilege. The second is that they believed that prayers make a difference. They believed that God heard them when they prayed. They believed that God was moved to action when they prayed. They believed that though they couldn’t always see the results of their prayers, somehow, someway, God was honoring those prayers. James 5 says that “the prayers of a righteous person are powerful and effective.” Our Watchmen believe that.
So whose walls has God posted YOU on? Whose life is being touched by God as an answer to YOUR constant, passionate prayers? Who is counting on YOU to stand on the wall, stand in the gap, and stand against the forces of evil that wage war in spiritual places? We don’t know exactly how prayer works. But we DO know that God promises that our prayers are not in vain. If God is placing Watchmen on the walls of lives to share with Him in guarding over His People, who are YOU a Watchman for? Who will YOU one day be able to look in the eye and say, “I pray every day for you”? I promise you, those words will mean the world to them, just like they did for me. That’s God’s Word for you today.

On September 26, 1989, a little boy named “Freddie” was born in Quincy, Florida. No one is sure exactly where the birth took place, because Freddie was found as a newborn lying beside a dumpster where he had been abandoned by his birth mother. He was adopted by a wonderful couple named Nathan and Betty Figgers. This couple surrounded him with love and anchored him in faith. They also told him how much he was loved and how much they believed in him.
Their love was important because kids weren’t kind to Freddie. They often called him “Dumpster Boy” and reminded him that he was just someone that somebody else threw away. But Freddie blossomed. He was really smart. He actually fixed a broken computer that his father bought from Goodwill with parts from a clock radio when he was only 9 years old. When his father started developing dementia and wandering away, Freddie developed a device that he installed in his father’s tennis shoe, where he could track him and call him. He later sold the rights to that device for $2.2 million. Freddie Figures became an amazing man and a wildly successful businessman. You can check out his story and what he’s up to now at freddiefiggers.com. His own mother may have abandoned him, but God wasn’t done with him. He still isn’t!
Forgotten, forsaken, abandoned, rejected, unwanted, unloved. Have you ever experienced any of those? It’s amazing to me how “disposable” people and relationships can be to some. People who should always be there for you often aren’t. People sometimes tell you that you can always count on them, but you discover you can’t. Freddie’s story represents a lot of us today. But so does the love and redemption that rescued him! God is not someone who just says he loves you. He TRULY loves you. He loves you with a love that is steadfast and true. You may feel like someone’s “trash” that they simply tossed aside, but you are God’s “treasure.” Isaiah reminds us that God doesn’t quit on us or toss us aside, even when the discarded places we find ourselves in are a result of choices we have made. His love for Israel was relentless. As is His love for you. If you’re feeling abandoned, alone, or worthless today, turn your face toward Him. Let Him lavish His love upon you. You are “the city of God’s delight” because He delights in YOU. No matter what you’ve been through, God isn’t done writing your story. Just ask Freddie Figgers. That’s God’s Word for you today.

“And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” – Philippians 4:7 (NIV)

In October 1988, John Barrier walked into his bank in Spokane, Washington, to cash a check. He parked in the bank’s parking lot while he tended to some business that day in the downtown area, and the bank was his last stop. After the teller cashed the check, John handed her his parking ticket and asked her to validate it. The teller looked him up and down. John was dressed as he was on most days, in his shabby clothes, stained and dirty from the construction work he did. He also drove an old pickup that matched his clothes. The teller pushed his parking ticket back to him and told him that ticket validation was only for customers who carried out transactions. John told her he had just cashed a check. She said that didn’t count. John asked to see the manager. The teller rolled her eyes as if to say, “That won’t help.” John said, “Fine. I’ll make a transaction then. I’d like to withdraw all my money from this bank.” John Barrier, who made his money buying and refurbishing buildings, was a millionaire. It was a lesson the teller never forgot.
I’ll bet some of us have had that experience. People who looked at us and put a low price tag on our worth. People who treated us as though we were less than them—not worth their time, their energy, or worth being treated with human courtesy. Sadly, some of us may have even grown up in homes where we were made to feel that way. Like we were a mistake. Like we were in the way. Like we had no place, no purpose, or no value.
Thankfully, God sees us much differently. Look at how we are described in our passage in Isaiah today. We are “a splendid crown in the hand of God.” There are several wonderful meanings in this description. Let me just give you two.
One is that we have SIGNIFICANCE. A crown represents royalty. God declares us to be His Children—and He is a KING! That means that He has given us honor and station. He has given our lives a divine meaning and purpose. As members of the Royal Family, we are to carry out the plans and commands of our Father/King.
The second is that we are PRICELESS. A crown was not made of ordinary metal. It was made of gold and studded with precious gems. Isaiah tells us that God holds us up in His Hand so that the whole world can behold the priceless nature of who God has made us to be. We are the “pearl of great price.” We are the “treasure” that He was willing to sell everything to possess. We have a value that no scales on earth can calculate.
Camp on that today. Carry yourself with that thought today. Not with an air of pride or vanity, but with a confidence in who you really are. You are Significant. You are Priceless. No matter how the tellers in this world may treat you, you are “a splendid crown in the hand of God.” That’s God’s Word for you today.

Several years ago, I was the speaker at a leadership conference. The worship leader was leading the group in a song just before the prayer that preceded my message. It was a song I had never heard before. But it was also a song that hit me harder than any song ever had. It’s the song called “I Will Change Your Name.” Here are the lyrics:
I will change your name
You shall no longer be called
Wounded, outcast, lonely, or afraid
I will change your name
Your new name shall be
Confidence, joyfulness
Overcoming one
Faithfulness, friend of God
One who seeks My face
We sang this chorus through twice, but I was such a mess by the end of the first time that I simply cried all the way through the second. The song captured so accurately the pain of the way I used to be and the transformation of who God has now made me to be, that it was overwhelming. It still is.
As you read the lyrics through, are there adjectives that you can relate to? Maybe even some that you’re feeling today? This song comes from our passage today in Isaiah. People who had fallen and failed, been exiled and enslaved, who felt abandoned and alone, were now being restored. No longer would they be defined by what they did or who they were. God was going to give them a New Name. A name of Honor. A name of Restoration. A name of Victory.
Today, you can lay your old name right there at God’s feet. It doesn’t matter what you’ve done. It doesn’t matter what others have thought of you. It doesn’t matter what you’ve been through. You can lay down all your pain, all your rejection, all your fear, all your loneliness, and all your failures. God has a New Name for you. Confidence. Joyfulness. Overcoming One. Faithfulness. Friend of God. One Who Seeks His Face. So what’s YOUR New Name? That’s God’s Word for you today.

There was a guy named Luke Wintrip who really wanted to marry his girlfriend, Sarah. So he finally got up the courage to pop the question. She said, “No.” He was stunned and heartbroken. She told him that she had only known him for six months, and though she thought she loved him, she didn’t want to commit to something that she would later regret. That sounded semi-reasonable to Luke, so they kept dating. Sometime later, he asked her again. And again, she said, “No.” But Luke was determined.
Luke began to plan exotic trips and took Sarah to amazing places. From renting out a castle in Prague to taking her horseback riding on a beach in Jamaica, he tried to show her the full extent of his love. Over the course of SEVEN years, he proposed to her 43 times. Finally, on the 43rd time, she said, “Yes.” She told people, "He should probably get a Guinness World Record. I am grateful he persisted for so long."
I thought of that story when I read our passage today. Do we pray with the same passion and love that Luke had? Do we care about reaching our loved ones for God so deeply that we refuse to quit praying, even when they reject our invitations to church over and over again? Do we believe so passionately and deeply that God hears, God cares, and God answers that we cry out relentlessly for healing, deliverance, and breakthroughs that we believe are so desperately needed? In Luke 18:1, it says, “One day Jesus told his disciples a story to show that they should always pray and never give up.” God is moved by passionate prayers. God is moved when our hearts latch on and won’t let go. God is moved when His People care enough to seek Him day after day after day because they believe that God alone has the answer they seek. God is moved by prayers of persistence.
Isaiah had a vision of a new Jerusalem. He had a vision of a people who were righteous, holy, and faithful. Isaiah believed with all of His heart that God was the only one who could transform Israel into the country that it longed to be. And Isaiah loved his people with the same tenacious love that Luke loved Sarah. Isaiah declared that he would never stop praying until he saw it come to pass. May God help us love like Luke and pray like Isaiah! That’s God’s Word for you today.

A couple of weeks ago, my wife showed me a clip from the Today Show. It was a really interesting look at a phenomenon happening in our country today. Young adults are returning to church. Especially young MEN! It’s no secret that over the last couple of decades, the church has been in decline. Most denominations have experienced a loss of attendance, particularly in younger age groups. But now, there seems to be a migration back toward faith. Young people are longing for something to satisfy their thirst for the spiritual in their lives. They are also longing for COMMUNITY. Christ and His Church are a great remedy for both of those.
Amazingly, though, the greatest growth in the Christian faith isn’t in the United States at all. Some of the most rapid growth is happening in places like China, India, Indonesia, and Africa. What’s startling about this is that Christianity isn’t even allowed to be publicly expressed in some of these places! Sure, in some places you’ll see large gatherings of believers, larger than we’ve even imagined in America. But in most of these places, the Christians are gathering in homes, basements, huts, and hideouts. People are desperate for the gospel of Christ and are even willing to risk their lives to experience and spread His Word. Much like in Acts 8, when the church comes under persecution, it doesn’t get squashed. It gets SCATTERED!
This is what God foretold in Isaiah hundreds of years before Christ was even born. His salvation wouldn’t be limited to just one city, one country, or one nation. God desires that the WORLD come to Him. And that’s what we see. “Plants springing up everywhere.” Jesus talked about this, too, as He presented Himself as the Good Shepherd. He wanted His disciples to know that the gospel wasn’t just for the Jews. In John 10 He says, “I have other sheep, too, that are not in this sheepfold. I must bring them also. They will listen to my voice, and there will be one flock with one shepherd.”
Let these words spur you to pray today. Pray for these countries and these leaders who are being persecuted, threatened, and killed. Pray that God would protect them, strengthen them, and cause His Word to spread. Pray also for our young adults whom God is calling back to Himself. The church of the future will be upon their shoulders. Let’s support them. Let’s make room for them. Let’s pour into them, mentor them, and release them to lead. God wants His Garden to GROW. Let’s make sure we do our part to make that happen. That’s God’s Word for you today.

The Bible has a lot of images and metaphors that it uses to describe our lives, both before and after God transforms us. One of those is the use of garments and clothing. Notice how Isaiah describes it today. “Clothing of salvation.” “Draped in a robe of righteousness.” Like a “bridegroom dressed for his wedding” or a “bride with her jewels.” All of those create images for us. They all give the impression that our lives ought to have a “holy attraction” to them. We ought to radiate with the changes God has made in our lives. But is that truly the “clothing” we’re wearing?
Remember when Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead in John 11? It was one of the greatest of Jesus’ miracles. Lazarus’ sisters led Jesus to the tomb, and Jesus had them roll away the stone that covered the entrance. They hesitated, because after being 4 days dead, they knew Lazarus would stink! But they did it. Then Jesus says, “Lazarus, come out!” To everyone’s amazement, he did! There he was, wrapped in strips of cloth from head to foot. Jesus then speaks these words, “Unwrap him, and let him go!”
Stop there for a moment. Can you imagine, as they take the cloth off of his head, Lazarus saying, “You know, Jesus, I just got these grave cloths broken in. They're nice and snug in all the right places. How about if I just keep on wearing them?” I know. That sounds stupid, doesn’t it? Why in the world would someone raised from the dead, want to keep wearing soiled, smelly, grave cloths when they could be wearing fresh, new, beautiful clothes of the living? Why indeed? But that’s what we do sometimes, isn’t it? God offers the opportunity to put on the garments of His Spirit, made in the likeness of His Son, and yet we sometimes still cling to those garments of the grave that we ought to be throwing away.
Can I offer you some of this “new clothing” today? Listen to the words of Paul in Colossians 3. “Since God chose you to be the holy people he loves, you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others. Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds us all together in perfect harmony. And let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts. For as members of one body, you are called to live in peace. And always be thankful.” – Colossians 3:12-15 (NLT). Why not try on a few garments from the wardrobe of God and give a fresh look to YOUR life today. In case you haven’t noticed, those grave clothes really do stink! That’s God’s Word for you today.

I’m preaching a series on the Fruit of the Spirit right now at church. Yesterday I preached on “Joy.” As I prepared for the message this past Sunday, it hit me how many people in the faith show so little evidence of joy in their lives. Which is really too bad. Joy is a promise of God and should be a fruit that is seen if the Spirit of God is living in us. Joy gives our lives energy and motivation. Nehemiah tells us that the “joy of the Lord is our strength!” Can I share a few thoughts I gave to our people?
Joy is rooted in the soil of gratitude. Pay attention to how many times the words “thanks” or “thanksgiving” and “praise” are used in the same verse throughout the Psalms. Focusing on what God has done floods my heart with gratitude and makes me want to praise Him with joy. Times He’s forgiven me. Times He’s healed me. Times He’s protected me. Times He’s guided me. Times He’s opened doors for me. I could go on and on and on. One of the greatest causes of a lack of joy is a bad memory. Because when I REMEMBER all that God has done, I can’t help but have joy!
We reclaim our joy when we reclaim our identity in Christ. We often forfeit our joy when we let other people define us. We let THEM tell us who we are rather than believe who God says we are. People can say whatever they want, but the only one who gets to define us is the God who MADE us! And He says we are Precious and Perfect.
We also become defined by NOW, not THEN. The Enemy will remind us from time to time of things we’ve done and times we’ve failed. He wants to put shackles of shame upon us and have us devalue ourselves. But we are a people who are bought by the precious blood of Christ. When we confess our sins to Him, they are cast into His Sea of Forgetfulness, never to be remembered again. We aren’t who we were. We are now New Creations in Christ Jesus our Lord.
We cultivate joy by being joyful. I had a professor who liked to say, “Act enthusiastic, and you’ll BE enthusiastic.” He was absolutely right. I’ve had many people tell me through the years that they got up on a Sunday morning and didn’t feel like coming to church. Maybe they were tired, or had a bad week, or were just feeling down. But they came anyway. After coming to worship and singing and praising God, they would say, “I feel so much better! I didn’t want to come today, but I am so glad I did!” What happened? Acting joyfully produced joy within them. Isolation and wallowing in how miserable you are doesn’t make you feel better. It only makes you feel worse. Expressing joy can help light the fire of your emotions to help you feel that joy again.
Spend time today remembering what God has done. Reclaim your identity in Christ and who God has made you to be. And whether you feel like it or not, turn on some praise music and sing with all your heart. Then maybe you can say with Isaiah, “I am overwhelmed with joy in the LORD my God!” That’s God’s Word for you today.

Our worship pastor shared a video this week of her 10-year-old daughter playing in the swimming pool at Kids Camp. When you watch the video, you can tell that she is obviously the daughter of a pastor. While all the other kids are splashing and playing all around her, she’s grabbing them and baptizing them. I’m not sure she got all the words right as she dunked the little girl in the video, but her style was GREAT! I’d say she’s definitely got a future in ministry. :-))
Isaiah reminds us in our passage today that we ALL have a future in ministry. Take another look at the verse. “You will be called priests of the LORD, ministers of our God.” Have you ever thought of yourself as a “priest” or “minister”? You are. If you have committed your life to Christ and His Spirit lives in you, that’s EXACTLY who you are. In fact, it’s the way God planned it from the beginning.
Go back with me for a minute to Exodus 19. Two months after Moses led the people out of Egypt, they found themselves at the base of Mount Sinai. Moses goes up on the mountain to meet with God. In that conversation, God reveals His plan for how special Israel is to God for redeeming the world to Himself. God tells Moses, “And you will be my kingdom of priests, my holy nation.’ This is the message you must give to the people of Israel.” (Exodus 19:6) Did you catch that? A KINGDOM of priests. Yes, Moses would be a significant leader for them. Yes, they would have official priests who would lead them in their ceremonies, rituals, and sacrifices. But THEY, TOO, would be priests—people who would communicate to the world the love, grace, and character of the One True God.
That’s OUR role too. Paul said it this way. “So we are Christ’s ambassadors; God is making his appeal through us. We speak for Christ when we plead, ‘Come back to God!’” (2 Corinthians 5:20) Let the weight of that wash over you. When you go to Walmart today, you’re not just a shopper. You’re a PRIEST. When you visit with your neighbor next door, you’re a MINISTER. When you go to work, go to school, or go on vacation, you are an AMBASSADOR for our Lord Jesus Christ! We are the mediators of the grace of God to a lost world. We are representatives of His Kingdom in a world we’re just passing through. We have been given a holy commission by God to be His Priests wherever we go. So go fulfill your divine calling. Love, lead, and make known the great grace of our Heavenly Father to all you can. You can even dunk ‘em right there in the swimming pool! That’s God’s Word for you today.

“I have told you these things so that you will be filled with my joy. Yes, your joy will overflow!” – John 15:11 (NLT)

Do you remember Monty Hall and “Let’s Make a Deal!”? It was such a cool show. You could come and bring whatever useless thing you brought with you to the show, and if Monty called you out of the audience, you could trade that piece of junk for something you knew would be better. It was a blind trade, so you didn’t know what you were getting, but you knew it had to be better than what you had in your hand. After that, it got a little trickier. Monty would try to persuade you to trade something nice for the possibility of something amazing. But sometimes what you got behind the curtain wasn’t so amazing. It was something much less than what you had already won.
It hit me today that Monty Hall was like both God and the Devil. God gives you up trades. You can give God your junk, and He will give you something wonderful and amazing. The Devil tries to get you to trade the things you have that are beautiful for something that he tells you is going to be amazing. But the Devil is a liar. And your beautiful thing gets traded for something ugly and horrible.
I like God’s version of “Let’s Make a Deal” much better! Isaiah gives us a glimpse of that in our passage today. The people knew that God was going to restore their city and restore their temple. What they didn’t know was God’s ability to restore their very lives as well! And God’s deal is extended to US as well!
God will restore our broken hearts that are covered with the ashes of grief. He will renew them with the beauty of His Hope and Comfort. God will take our discouragement and failures and lift us, encourage us, and bless us with His power and presence. God will breathe life into us and restore our weary and downtrodden souls. And God will remove our sin with His grace and wrap us in His robes of righteousness. Monty Hall couldn’t give you ANYTHING like that! But God can. Go ahead and take the deal! That’s God’s Word for you today.

Today as I wrote this, Wanda and I celebrate 50 years of marriage. There is much I can say about her, and I will, on my personal Facebook page. But since I know that everyone struggles with relationships (not just marriages), I thought I’d reflect today and share some of the most helpful lessons I’ve learned in the last 50 years. I hope these will be helpful to you.
Good relationships take hard work. Many people just decide to tolerate each other because listening, learning, growing, and changing take work. Make the effort. It’ll be worth it.
It’s usually me. I used to believe that people annoyed or frustrated me because they were flawed. I discovered that most of my relationship difficulties were because I was flawed, not them.
The Devil is at work. One of the greatest discoveries I made was how the Enemy tries to create division in my relationships by planting thoughts in my head. He’s a liar and wants to destroy everything beautiful in my life.
The best apology is changed behavior. I used to say I’m sorry a lot for making the same mistakes/hurts over and over again. God helped me understand that repentance is more than saying, “Sorry,” and expecting people to just get over it. It is a change in the way I live.
I’m the only one I can change. I spent a lot of time through the years trying to change other people. I finally learned I’m not responsible for them. I’m responsible for ME. And I’m the only one I can change.
Manage your stories. The most powerful story in the world is the story I’m telling myself. The stories I believe about myself and the stories I believe about others will shape how I relate to them. Tell yourself better stories, and you’ll have better relationships.
It’s okay to get help. God gave us people to help us figure things out. Pastors, counselors, coaches, and wise friends can sometimes guide us through relational issues we’ve wrestled with for years. You’re only alone in this if you choose to be.
Relationships are a skill. Some people are better at relationships than others. But I discovered that there are skills ALL of us need to learn and ANY of us can. Stop giving yourself an out by saying you “can’t.”
Forgive as you want to be forgiven. I have needed more grace in my life than I have a right to. I need to be as good at giving it as I am at receiving it.
I can’t do this without God. “Unless the Lord builds the house, we labor in vain.” Wanda and I made it this far only by God’s help. I’ve discovered I need His strength, guidance, and compassion in EVERY relationship I have. He’s the glue we all need.
I encourage you to read our passage today and ask God to speak to you about YOUR relationships. Cherish those close to you. You never know how long you have with them. That’s God’s Word for you today.