Devotional Christian » Jody Sneed

Awaiting God’s Arrangements for Us

Jody Sneed — Thu, 07 Jan 2010 11:37:01 +0000

“No one’s ever seen or heard…never so much as imagined…what God has arranged for those who love Him.”
1 Corinthians 2:9

Recently at a small group gathering, a comment was made about an upcoming event that would be happening in the new year. “2010?” a friend questioned. “I know it’s the new year and all but there is just something about ‘2010’ sounds like science fiction!”

Coming from a generation that grew up with the space program, we fully expected personal jetpacks and manned exploration of Mars by 2010. Yet with all the technological change in the intervening decades, our imaginations have become moribund. The ‘anticipated’ new cell phone, computer or movie only seems to add to the commonplace. With similar changes in our worship and overwhelming amounts of Christian information, I sense we have also diminished our expectations of God. What will it take to catch our attention spiritually?

Consider Habakkuk 1:5, “Look among the nations, and see; wonder and be astounded. For I am doing a work in your days that you would not believe if told.” The prophet was warning Israel about consequences for failing to follow God. And history tells us He was true to His word. As a parent disciplines out of concern, our Father has followed through on His promises, be they positive or negative. In Matthew 7:11, Christ tells us, “If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!” If He will correct us, how much more so will He bless us?

Just consider the differences in terms: God called His creation ‘good’…how much better can His ‘good’ be than our ‘best’ or ‘unbelievable’? According to Paul in his letter to the Corinthians, we cannot imagine what God has arranged for His children. Why don’t we recognize His gifts?

Simply put: impatience. Wanting something now prevents us from receiving God’s good gifts at the time He knows is best. Like a child too eager for a birthday or Christmas, we have tried to take over for God and supply our wants in our time. We read about Abraham being promised a family that would be uncountable or the Israelites entering a land flowing with milk and honey. While God’s plan was ultimately achieved, His people suffered for trying to make things happen on their schedule. But His discipline blesses us and prepares us for an even ‘better’ future.

While it may be 2010, let’s not diminish God’s blessing by our haste, but let us anticipate what God’s unbelievable arrangement will be for us in His time, not ours.

God Knows Just the Right Time

Jody Sneed — Wed, 30 Dec 2009 17:57:26 +0000

But when the right time came, God sent his Son, born of a woman, subject to the law. God sent him to buy freedom for us who were slaves to the law, so that he could adopt us as his very own children.
Galatians 4:4-5

In our lives, so many plans are prefaced with conditions: when things get back to normal; now’s not a good time; if I get a raise; we are so busy; I don’t feel right about it… it’s a wonder anything ever happens at all! Depending on our circumstances, making any number of decisions can be agonizing. How can we know when it is best to act and when to wait? When will we know the right time?

Was the timing right for Abraham to obey and leave Ur or for Moses to head to back to Egypt? How about a carpenter named Joseph going through with a marriage to his young bride? Ecclesiastes 3:11 tells us, He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end.

In hindsight, these heroes of the faith made their choices at just the right time to fulfill a part of God’s plan. But at the time, unlike the writer of Ecclesiastes, “beautiful” may not have been their adjective of choice to describe their circumstances. Lacking any concrete evidence for the outcomes of their actions, they moved forward armed only with trust. In each case, their reward far outweighed any and all of their fears about the future!

Consider how salvation for all humanity was set into motion with the arrival of Christ at the right time. Jesus was born as a Jew under God’s law and yet was the only man who lived the law flawlessly. The Messiah’s sacrifice as the only perfect man was timed perfectly to redeem us as sinners under the law. Not only were we freed, we were adopted as heirs, sharing in Christ’s rich inheritance of all of God’s promises, provisions, and power.

With the weight of eternity in our hearts, having the faith to obey God can be a struggle. Trying to know which decision best follows His will can leave us paralyzed and indecisive. At these times, we easily forget God’s completely perfect record of faithfulness and love for us. Regardless of our circumstances, and our inability to see beyond them, we can always trust that God will always act at the right time!

God Disciplines Us for Holiness

Jody Sneed — Sat, 26 Dec 2009 12:38:16 +0000

Heading into Jerusalem for that fateful Passover week, Jesus grieved over the Holy City, “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones God’s messengers! How often I have wanted to gather your children together as a hen protects her chicks beneath her wings, but you wouldn’t let me.” (Matthew 23:37 NLT)

Jesus’ heart was full as He surveyed the people that would hail his entry and in a few days, demand His departure via the cross. How well He speaks to parents with children that have wounded them. I know such a parent, a single mom undergoing serious trials with a rebellious teen-age son. She has not walked with God for many years but having been laid off twice in the past 18 months and dealing with her son’s escalating drug problems have brought her back to a journey of faith.

In these ordeals, she has found solace in prayer and speaks of asking God to use her in these troubling situations. Yet as her faith has grown, her son’s academic, legal and medical woes have also increased. With mounting troubles, her doubts and questions have developed in recent days: how can she see that the God she seeks is bigger than the hurricane force storm she finds herself in?

To a church facing the storms of persecution, Paul wrote in Hebrews 12: 5-11, “…do not make light of the Lord’s discipline, and do not lose heart when he rebukes you, because the Lord disciplines those He loves, and He punishes everyone he accepts as a son. Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as sons. For what son is not disciplined by his father? If you are not disciplined (and everyone undergoes discipline), then you are illegitimate children and not true sons. Moreover, we have all had human fathers who disciplined us and we respected them for it. How much more should we submit to the Father of our spirits and live! Our fathers disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, that we may share in His holiness. No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.”

Despite the forces aligned against Him, Christ wept over Jerusalem’s rebellion. Paul sought to encourage and strengthen those persecuted for the name of Jesus. For this mother, my prayers are that God’s words will comfort and strengthen her in the present and that the consequences her son faces will ultimately benefit him. For all of us, these promises of peace and righteousness can become a foundation of truth and faith for all our families. Knowing that “God disciplines us for our good, that we may share in His holiness” can give us much needed hope as we look forward to the His “harvest of righteousness and peace”.

Is God Really Glorified by My Ordinary Life?

Jody Sneed — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 13:45:42 +0000

So here’s what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life – your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life – and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him.
Romans 12:1 (The Message)

Throughout history, we have grown accustomed to segmenting our lives, determining where spiritual matters are appropriate and when the secular must take precedent. Such compartmentalization is common to human thinking, allowing us to segregate actions that are acceptable in one venue from another where they are not. We allow our lives to be scheduled by the places and times certain behaviors are tolerated, even encouraged. God is conveniently placed in His box and my life is what I want of it, when and how I want it. And our priorities have changed little over the past twenty centuries.

Trouble is, life rarely accommodates our plans and we soon spend much time putting out the fires caused by our convenience and ease. In his New Testament writings, Paul spoke from personal experience about moving from having life his way to the much better way…God’s way.

In the 12th chapter of Romans, Paul describes every aspect of each life as an offering to God, not just the portions we or society select. He wisely begins the chapter with the admonition “God helping you”, knowing personally that God equips those He calls. By relying on God’s strength rather than our own, we can focus our “everyday, ordinary” lives on Him rather than ourselves. In this way, we can present ourselves to Him as an appropriate offering.

By “embracing what God does” for us with this type of sacrifice, we fulfill God’s purpose in creating us: worshipping Him. Paul calls this the best thing we can do for our Creator. May we have the courage to seek God’s help to use what we consider run-of-the –mill in our lives to glorify Him!

The City of God to Come

Jody Sneed — Sat, 12 Dec 2009 13:12:47 +0000

Here we have no lasting city, but we are looking for the city that is to come.
Hebrews 13:14

In the 13th chapter of Hebrews, we find comfort.

I cannot find a better term than comfort to describe the 25 verses of Hebrews 13. Written to believers enduring the severest of persecution, this chapter speaks of developing and maintaining our maturity in following Christ. While we may not be suffering publicly for our faith, our souls must contend with the struggles, doubts and temptations in our own troubled times and lives. For me, the comfort in Hebrews 13 is found in knowing our current situation is temporary (‘here we have no lasting city’) and in the hope of someday seeing the culmination of His promises in the ‘city that is to come’ at His return.

Living our faith has never been easy, regardless of the state of the time we inhabit. To gain the strength and perspective needed for such a life, we need reassurance that our decisions and actions are in accord with our Master. The entire book of Hebrews calls us to spiritual maturity by demonstrating the superiority of Christ in all aspects of our daily lives. He spoke of the reward of the faithful in Revelation 3:12, “The one who conquers, I will make him a pillar in the temple of my God. Never shall he go out of it, and I will write on him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, the new Jerusalem, which comes down from my God out of heaven, and my own new name.”

We were created in the Garden to live in a perfect fellowship with the Father. And since the Fall, all people, especially His followers, have had to live with an indescribable ache in our souls for reconciliation, for a reunion with Him. In ‘looking for the city to come’, we find hope in a fallen world and comfort in knowing our faith will be rewarded with the return of our Savior!

Don’t Panic!

Jody Sneed — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 13:18:11 +0000

“Don’t panic. I’m with you. There’s no need to fear for I’m your God. I’ll give you strength. I’ll help you. I’ll hold you steady, keep a firm grip on you.”
Isaiah 41:10 (The Message)

God promised His watch care and love to the Israelites despite their infidelity, especially when they were threatened by foreign adversaries. His followers today are under the same protection and have the same opportunity to fellowship with their Creator. Our uncertain paths can become crystal clear if we walk in His glory… ”if’ being a mighty big order when our sight is dimmed by the insecurities of the world.

After being laid off in March, I began doing consulting work while looking for a new full-time job. New clients continued to seek me out while employers did not. In late November, my wife and I decided that the result from the latest interview would determine if I kept up an intensive job search or focused on the new career path. Meanwhile, I was wearing out our home computer and needed a laptop to work with clients at their locations. Much research followed and the exact type was determined. We were capable of making the purchase but I consistently hesitated, deferring to my fears about an uncertain financial future. Work remained steady but so was my reluctance to “buy in” to my self-employment.

The Thanksgiving Day newspaper was full of circulars for the sales to follow on Black Friday. In one was an ad for the exact laptop I wanted, with a tremendous rebate. We drove past the store Thursday evening after seeing our family and a long line had already circled around the side of the building. Surely the early crowd that camped out would snap up the bargain, so I said I would check the store out later in the day. If any were left, it would be the right sign for me to buy. My youngest son went with me to find a full parking lot and check-out lines stretching far back into the store. I sighed in relief at the crowd, knowing I would be too late and I could avoid the purchase. But in the computer department was a full display of the model in question! The relief became resignation as I picked the laptop up and we began the long wait to check-out.

On the way home, I stopped by the mailbox to find a letter from the firm where I last interviewed. While they were impressed with my qualifications and experience, a better suited candidate was selected. Had I waited for this confirmation, I may have missed the opportunity to invest in and strengthen my work, an opportunity to recognize that regardless of all I think I know, I am not in control.

As He did for the Israelites, God has provided for me time and time again. Yet all I saw was the potential for complete failure if the work dried up… we would need the funds spent on the laptop to survive! There was no evidence for my perception, just the unwarranted fear. Mark Twain summed up my condition well: “I am an old man and have known a great many troubles, but most of them never happened.”

Just when I think I am holding on to His promises, I realize what Isaiah said is all true: “Don’t panic.” So many times, when I feel I am standing on my own, the Truth is that He is holding me steady, keeping a firm grip on me!

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Choosing a King Other Than God

Jody Sneed — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 12:41:11 +0000

Things were not going well. Selfish decisions, benefitting few, were ruining the lives of many. All around them things were falling into chaos, there was little action they could take and even less hope to be found.

Does this sound like our recent economic woes? This was the time Samuel’s sons were the judges of Israel. Corrupted by the authority of the office, they took advantage of many for their own gain and pleasure. For many, this sounds familiar, especially if you have been laid off in this recession. I know all too well, as I was laid off earlier this year.

As Samuel grew old, he appointed his sons to be judges over Israel. Joel and Abijah, his oldest sons, held court in Beersheba. But they were not like their father, for they were greedy for money. They accepted bribes and perverted justice.

Finally, all the elders of Israel met at Ramah to discuss the matter with Samuel. “Look,” they told him, “you are now old, and your sons are not like you. Give us a king to judge us like all the other nations have.” 1 Samuel 8:1-5

In my case, especially with a son in college, the obvious answer was to find a new full-time job (with benefits, of course) like the jobs my friends and family still enjoyed. For the Israelites, the desire was for a human king, like the neighboring countries had. For them and me, particular individuals created the problem and the best perceived solution was in finding new human leadership to guide and correct the situations.

God responded to Samuel: “Do everything they say to you,” the LORD replied, “for it is me they are rejecting, not you. They don’t want me to be their king any longer. Ever since I brought them from Egypt they have continually abandoned me and followed other gods. And now they are giving you the same treatment. Do as they ask, but solemnly warn them about the way a king will reign over them.” (v.7-9)

I obsessed over my predicament in the job search, despite encouragement from friends to start my own business. Even after I gave in and began consulting work, I felt it was a stop-gap until “the job” arrived. Never mind that every client I had came to me by way of referral, that my son stayed in college, that we were able to help relatives that also were laid off, that all the bills were paid and no meals missed… yet it was not enough. I was still looking for my own “king” in the form of a new full-time job.

The Israelites felt the same way. Despite Samuel’s warnings of the sacrifices the people would have to make with the imposition of royalty, they said, “Even so, we still want a king… We want to be like the nations around us. Our king will judge us and lead us into battle.” (v.19-20)

Reading this chapter opened my eyes to what I was seeking: trading the absolute reliance of the One True God for the “security” of another steady paycheck. God had provided new clients as our circumstances required. None of the consulting work or new jobs I sought on my own came to fruition. I never made it to a second interview but our needs were met. And still are being met.

The Israelites got their wish in Saul. I have realized I already have my wish in the One who has met our needs and promises to continue doing so in the future!

Knowing God Better and Better

Jody Sneed — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 17:18:12 +0000

“In your life, learn to walk with Jesus.
In your faith, be real and never fake.
And in your ministry, surround yourself with people who are better than you.”
Brother Andrew

Best known as founder of the Open Doors ministry, Brother Andrew was called “God’s Smuggler” for his bold transportation of the Bible into countries that had banned the Word. On reading this quote by him, I was challenged and knew I needed to get busy.

“Okay, let’s work down the list,” I thought. “Already walking with Jesus, check. Next, have a real faith, yes, got that. Last item: surround myself with people superior to me…hmmm…not sure about that…what about the ministries I’m in charge of…aren’t leaders supposed to be on top of things?”And that would usually end the mental discussion as I moved on to the next devotional reading. Yet, I kept coming back to the simplicity of his comments versus how I would normally react.

Typically, our response to a challenging devotional is conviction for coming up short in our spiritual life. We commit to work harder at the spiritual disciplines: pray, study, service. I have to remind myself that devotion means to be inspired in our consideration of an individual, not to create an effort of working for that person’s favor or attention. Should my response be to work for my salvation, to prove myself worthy of the relationship? Or should it be to appreciate the holiness and goodness of God? We should use the devotional as a path to reviewing, renewing and anticipating our love toward the Lord, as well as a check on our spiritual progress.

Brother Andrew starts out with such an assignment, not one of duty but relationship, to learn to walk with Jesus. Spending time in study and prayer to have this quality of relationship with the Lord, not the expectation of reward, must be the call of our heart. In so doing, we reflect Him with integrity, honesty and humility in all aspects of our lives. Paul had a similar thought regarding the believers in the church at Colossae:

So we have continued praying for you ever since we first heard about you. We ask God to give you a complete understanding of what he wants to do in your lives, and we ask him to make you wise with spiritual wisdom. Then the way you live will always honor and please the Lord, and you will continually do good, kind things for others. All the while, you will learn to know God better and better. (Colossians 1:9-10)

Paul asked them to consider that in becoming students of God, learning His ways, living in His wisdom and caring for others, their relationship with Him would only increase. And so it is with us today!

God-Ordained Goals and Serving the Least of These

Jody Sneed — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 13:22:47 +0000

“Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’

“Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’

“The King will reply, ‘I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.’” Matthew 25:34-40 (New International Version)

Our men’s group is reading Mark Batterson’s Wild Goose Chase and part of the study involves personal goal setting – 100 of them broken into several categories. Among those on my first draft was a mission trip to the United Kingdom, helping with a church plant, writing for and teaching youth and parents more often. I asked my sons for their thoughts and received this from our oldest. “I like to help people or donate time, volunteer, what have you. I know y’all do it often but to have it as a goal might help you remember why you do and who you actually do it for. Matthew 25:40. I should practice this myself. I heard it somewhere and it stuck with me.”

In the book, Batterson writes: “…I’m convinced that one of the primary reasons most of us don’t accomplish more for the kingdom of God is because we don’t have any God-ordained goals we’re going after.” Combined with my son’s thoughts, I realized many of my goals, especially those specific to ministry, were of my desire and design, not God-ordained ones. Where were ‘the least of these’ being reached?

Yet we are described in Matthew 25:34 as being blessed by the King’s Father for our actions in meeting distinct human needs. These are ‘God-ordained’ goals where the righteous were not specifically looking for the Lord but for people in varying situations of distress. Helping ‘the least of these’ can require individual action as well as small and large group leaders, committee members.

And I fit neatly into those categories. But the Kingdom is not categorized for our preferences but the King’s. In my current work as a teacher in several venues, a deacon, a committee member, was I responding to the needs of others or just saying “yes” when asked to serve? Have I been confusing ministry with activity? My son called it remembering why we serve and who we actually do it for…a proper question to consider when presented with a ministry opportunity!

With thanks to my son and much prayer and humility, I will redraw my list with reaching the ‘least of these’ as a guide in making God-ordained goals my own.

Serving With The Right Intentions

Do Christians Know How to Party?

Jody Sneed — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 11:21:31 +0000

“But you walked away from your first love – why? What’s going on with you, anyway?” Revelation 2:4 (The Message)

Mike Yaconelli once observed, “It doesn’t take much to make most of us realize that we have become too serious, too tense, too stressful. The result is that we have forgotten how to live life…What happened to the gleam in our eye? What happened to that joyful, crazy, spontaneous, fun-loving spirit we once had? The childlikeness in all of us gets snuffed out over the years…the sign that Jesus is in our hearts, the evidence of the truth of the Gospel is that we still have a light on in our souls.”

How can someone walk away from their first love, lose that gleam in their eye? Could I walk away from my wife of 28 years? By all accounts, my love for her is not same as that August day in 1981 when she walked down the aisle at our wedding. Since then we have had two sons, careers, personal successes and tragedies and a growing walk with the Lord. If nothing else, today my love for her is stronger and more intimate than in those precious and heady days as newlyweds.

Yet as I claim a stronger relationship with the Lord during this time, I honestly know that I have been living in Ephesus when it comes to my walk with God. Just as human relationships have plateaus, I must confess that I have not sought out the depth of God, pursuing the love and fellowship I knew in my early days as a believer. This is what is going on: I have walked away from my first love and forgotten how to live life!

Regaining the life I seek with Him, returning to a childlikeness, requires intimacy. I know full well the intimacy I seek with Him will benefit from improved spiritual disciplines (such as more time in His Word and in prayer). But I cannot rely on these activities alone, otherwise I have fallen under the Law and am practicing faith by works. Relationships grow out of intention and communication as well as in following through with responsibilities. Any life with Him begins and ends with making God the priority, not just one of many pressing concerns in my everyday living.

Living this life means adopting a willingness to live His life, not my own. Returning to my first love means saying “no” to all the competing interests and consistently putting the needs of my Beloved before my own. My marriage is no different and it suffers when attention and intention give way to selfish living. When my priorities are restored, the joy returns to the relationship.

I find hope and direction in Yaconelli’s concluding thought: “Christians are not just people who live godly lives; we are people who know how to live period. Christians are not just examples of moral purity, we are also people filled with a bold mischievousness. Christians not only know how to practice piety, we also know how to party. I believe it’s time for the party to begin.”

With the reminder of from Ephesus and hopefully a gleam in my eye, I know it is party time!

Delight, Desire and Joy in God

Jody Sneed — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 11:20:53 +0000

Delight yourself in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart. Psalm 37:4

Some days, I wonder if God feels about my faith the same way I feel about food while on a diet: if it tastes good, spit it out. In the ministries we have, the common mindset seems to be if I want to do it, then it’s probably selfish and not of God. So I just do what is commanded without thought, letting obedience become duty and obligation…a joyless ritual that must be observed or we have failed to be holy.

Based on the verse above, am I justifying myself in religious busyness or am I delighting myself in Him? Is the work at hand the desire of my heart?

This is an example of spiritual cause-and-effect…how do I delight myself in the Lord? The psalmist answers in verses 5-6. Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him and he will do this: He will make your righteousness shine like the dawn, the justice of your cause like the noonday sun.

Commit my way to Him? Scripture tells us how in John 15:9-11: “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. If you obey my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my Father’s commands and remain in his love. I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete.”

Obedience out of love leads to joy and righteousness. With those in hand, the justice of our cause becomes the brightest light in the sky, like the noonday sun – if our cause is to follow Him…and we encourage others to join us!

In consideration of how I commit my way to Him and His cause, here are some thoughts:

In preparing a lesson, working a youth event or cleaning up after a meal, am I loving my Savior or checking off one more item on the to-do list?
Is my attitude and demeanor attractive to the lost?
Am I laboring for my salvation (grace by works)?
Have I presented the joy He brings in our redemption or have I placed joy under the bushel so that none may see by it?

My delight should be that the desire of my heart is to have my joy complete in Him!

Delight in God’s Commandments

Crooked Rows and the Kingdom of God

Jody Sneed — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 20:06:05 +0000

As they were walking along someone said to Jesus, “I will follow you no matter where you go.” But Jesus replied, “Foxes have dens to live in, and birds have nests, but I, the Son of Man, have no home of my own, not even a place to lay my head.” He said to another person, “Come, be my disciple.” The man agreed, but he said, “Lord, first let me return home and bury my father.” Jesus replied, “Let those who are spiritually dead care for their own dead. Your duty is to go and preach the coming of the Kingdom of God.” Another said, “Yes, Lord, I will follow you, but first let me say good-bye to my family.” But Jesus told him, “Anyone who puts a hand to the plow and then looks back is not fit for the Kingdom of God.” Luke 9:57-62

One Sunday morning with our 12th grade Sunday School class, the topic was following Christ and was based on John 1 (the calling of Phillip and Nathaniel) and Luke 9 (Jesus letting his potential followers know that a hard path awaited them rather than one paved by their own priorities). I explained that the tools for agriculture in that day were mule and plow, not machinery. The question then posed was, “If you were plowing, why couldn’t you turn your head to see where you had been or wanted to go?”

“Crooked rows,” one student answered immediately. “You’d get crooked rows when you looked back.”

Wow. I grew up on a farm and a row was that wasn’t straight wasn’t right. But in Christ’s meaning, the issue wasn’t pride but priority. Same with the follower who presumed four-star accommodations along the way or the one with a funeral to attend…Jesus was letting us know that the Kingdom will not be built according to our priorities but His.

Jesus didn’t want “crooked rows” in His Kingdom. He wanted his plowers to plow for all they were worth…not to be distracted by “what might have been” had they stayed home. Following Him meant obedience and dedication, saying a firm “no” to competing interests.

How often do we look back from the plow? I think that is why there are so many miserable Christians who feel they missed something (a verse or prayer) that would cure their pain or feel that God has led them on a wild goose chase after the abundant life He promised but is always just out of reach.

“Crooked rows” prevail in the landscape of my ministry…but Abba is more interested in my learning how to keep my eye on the prize than re-doing the past.