The Path of Life

You will make known to me the path of life,
you will fill me with joy in your presence
with eternal pleasures at your right hand. —Psalm 16:11

Life.

Joy.

All we’ve ever longed for—finds its fulfillment in God’s presence.

Every pleasure we enjoy in this life is a whisper of what awaits us in the life to come—and they are all gifts from a good Father who loves to give his children good things.

Don’t miss your opportunity to gather with his people this weekend to worship him and celebrate his goodness—in his presence.

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It’s The Little Things

I love days when everything falls into place. Plans coming together. Teams knocking it outta the park. Celebrations for accomplishments.

Beautiful.

But those days don’t happen every day.

What do we do on those days when nothing comes together? If we only move forward on good days, very little will get done.

The key to moving forward isn’t only for the days when everything works the way it should. If you want to move forward, it will take small steps every day.

It’s the little things.

Small, seemingly insignificant steps are the key. Making that phone call. Sending that reminder text. Cleaning up that mess that others ignore.

It’s the little things. Every day.

It’s easy to overestimate what we can do in a week, and underestimate what we can do in a year.

Be patient. One step at a time.

So, on those days when things aren’t working out, or when you feel what you’re doing isn’t making a difference, don’t stop.

Just take the next right step. Every day.

Remember, it’s the little things.

What is your “next right step” today?

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Feeling Fatigued?

He gives strength to the weary
and increases the power of the weak. —Isaiah 40:29

Feeling fatigued?

Erin and I live in Washington state and one of the things we love about summer in the beautiful PNW is the long, warm, glorious days. The sun rises early and sets much later than the rest of the year.

The great part about this is that there are opportunities for extra events. The downside is the fatigue that comes with those extra events.

And when you’re fatigued, it impacts everything: your energy, your outlook, your attitude, your decision-making.

Everything.

Not only that, but when we’re fatigued, we can easily make long-range, life-altering decisions—when what we really need is a good night’s rest.

So, the good news is, if you feel fatigued in the month of August you’re not alone!

The even better news is that God has a prescription for you: rest. Your significance doesn’t come in your doing. Rest.

Fatigued? Weary? Feel powerless? Take a break. Take the time to rest.

Rest in the knowledge today that God can do far more through even our weakness than we can in our strength.

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Unwavering

Let us hold tightly without wavering to the hope we affirm, for God can be trusted to keep his promise. —Hebrews 10:23

Erin and I were organizing the basement yesterday and she found a box of old dishes that didn’t look familiar. They are definitely “antiquey” but we agreed that we haven’t used them for 20+ years.

Time to clean house. Those dishes are going to the thrift store!

Like many things in life, it was time to let this stuff go. And to let anything go, we have to hold it loosely.

But one of the reminders that Jesus gives throughout his teaching—and his disciples picked up on this as well—was the encouragement to hold onto Jesus’ words. Never let them go.

While there are many things in life we hold loosely, we want to hold tightly to his words. It is a place of timeless confidence.

And the reason you can have confidence in Christ isn’t because of the sincerity of your faith. It’s not because you’ve taken someone else’s word, or were talked into it; nor is it true because it lines up with the talking points of your “tribe.”

We hold onto it because it is true.

Our hope—our confidence—in Christ rests in the unwavering promises of God. This is the one place we can hold onto with total certainty.

In a world of unrelenting change, God is trustworthy.

Let go of all else that no longer serves—but hold tightly to him.

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Restored

In his kindness God called you to share in his eternal glory by means of Christ Jesus. So after you have suffered a little while, he will restore, support, and strengthen you, and he will place you on a firm foundation. —1 Peter 5:10

Whatever you’ve done—or whatever has been done to you—remember this, God is in the restoration business.

This is his specialty.

He restores broken lives.

His desire is to restore you, making you strong, giving you a firm foundation.

He is the God of new beginnings—and his goal is that you would experience a fresh new start.

Just in case you ever wonder.

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What’s Next?

Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. —1 Thessalonians 5:16–18

When I graduated from high school I remember thinking, “Now what?” “Where do I go from here?” “God—what is your will for my life?” I was perplexed because, up to that point, most of my education/opportunities had been programmed—from Kindergarten through High School.

But now what—what is my next step?

Since that time I’ve realized that, while there are any number of opportunities that I could take, there are some meta-principles that will open up our vision to God’s direction for our lives.

Here, the apostle says, is God’s will for you as you follow Christ:

First, rejoice regularly—recognize God’s purposes in your life. Know that what comes into your life may not be what you’ve planned. Yet, because God is a good Father, you can be truly happy in what he provides.

Second, pray continually—bring him your cares and confess your doubts. Tell him what you need and thank him for what he has done. He is never too busy, and he is a good, good Father who loves to hear what weighs on the heart of his children.

And finally, give thanks frequently—Thank him in every circumstance. And thank those that he has placed around you for the contributions they have made in your life. An attitude of gratitude can reframe our circumstances in a whole different light.

It is from here—the vantage point of contented, prayerful gratitude—that we gain a life-changing perspective on God’s unfolding plan in our lives.

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God is With Us

God is our refuge and strength,
always ready to help in times of trouble.
So we will not fear when earthquakes come
and the mountains crumble into the sea.
Let the oceans roar and foam.
Let the mountains tremble as the waters surge! —Psalm 46:1–3

More reliable than the sunrise, more constant than anything in all creation: God is here. He is with us.

A place of safety—wherever you are—and a strength in whatever you face.

So, we will not fear—whatever comes. Earthquakes, heat waves, fires, floods, whatever.

Because he is here. Now.

Take a moment now to acknowledge this to him, thanking him for your 24/7 access to his amazing grace.

God is with you.

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Never Give Up

“And so I tell you, keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And to everyone who knocks, the door will be opened.” —Luke 11:9-10

Why does Jesus tell us to persevere in prayer? For at least two reasons.

First, we are easily discouraged when we don’t get what we ask for initially. Perseverance builds endurance. Remember: there is more to this life than this life. God is preparing you for heaven.

Second, it is only over time that we discover who he truly is (this is how all relationships work). We discover that (thankfully!) he doesn’t give us everything we ask for. We discover that he is kind, compassionate, grace-filled, all-knowing, all-seeing, all-powerful, ever-present—that he is totally other, in other words, that he is holy. That kind of knowledge doesn’t come casually or quickly.

So continue to ask. Keep seeking. Never stop knocking.

Jesus tells us that everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. Everyone who knocks, the door will be opened.

This is the reward he promises to those who never give up.

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Sweet Rest

The apostles returned to Jesus from their ministry tour and told him all they had done and taught. Then Jesus said, “Let’s go off by ourselves to a quiet place and rest awhile.” He said this because there were so many people coming and going that Jesus and his apostles didn’t even have time to eat.
So they left by boat for a quiet place, where they could be alone. — Mark 6:30–32

Fatigued?

One of the subtle dilemmas with being fatigued is that, most often, we don’t realize we are.

One of the subtle dilemmas with being fatigued is that, most often, we don’t realize we are.

You may experience fatigue as a mental fog, or the sense that something is not quite right. But if you are task-oriented you may try to push through. Again.

The reality is that working in fatigue has a diminishing return—what you could have accomplished in 15 minutes when you’re fresh, now takes an hour and a half.

Part of the reason we overlook fatigue is that we live in an age of productivity and it is tempting to measure our significance by how much we get done. But for some of us, the work never ends—especially for those of us who are task-oriented. And the allure of accomplishing “just a little bit more” sings its siren song to us—especially in our fatigue.

Part of the reason we overlook fatigue is that we live in an age of productivity and it is tempting to measure our significance by how much we get done.

But isn’t it fascinating that, in the middle of long hours, no time to eat and endless expectations, Jesus pulls his disciples aside and says “Let’s go off by ourselves and rest.”

Ahh, rest. Sweet refreshment. Again, Jesus subverts our expectations and reveals the heart of God—not a task-master relentlessly driving people to push through, but a Father who realizes the need for rest.

I hope you can find a quiet place of rest today and, if not, that you would schedule it soon. Don’t miss the opportunity to refresh. It is in the quiet that we experience his peace.

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I Love New

Let the Spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes. Put on your new nature, created to be like God—truly righteous and holy. —Ephesians 4:23–24

There is something about new.

A fresh start. New hope. New possibilities.

When the old has passed, the new arrives.

What can you put behind you today to let go of past offenses, past limitations and past hurts?

It’s a new day.

It’s a new week.

Today—afresh—throw off the old and put on the new. Allow God’s Spirit to renew your thoughts and attitudes. Follow Christ and allow him to do in you what only he can do. This is who you are.

This is your new nature.

Happy Monday, y’all!

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