Month: May 2025

We bear the likeness of Jesus, (I Corinthians 15:49) and were made in the image of God. (Genesis 1:26) So when we become a Christian, our journey begins by daily putting on our new self, which is being renewed in knowledge and in the image of its Creator. (Colossians 3:10) And as we determine to imitate Jesus more and more, this restoration of the fullness of the image of God in us is accomplished by Christ in us…transforming our old self bit by bit into His image…until when people look into our eyes they won’t see us but Jesus smiling back.

When you fly on an airplane, the flight attendant instructs you to “put your oxygen mask on first,” before helping others. Why is this an important rule for ensuring survival? It’s because, if you run out of oxygen yourself, you can’t help anyone else with their oxygen mask. In order to support and serve your loved one, you need to start with yourself. Now at first glance, this may look selfish, but during stressful times, your loved one will be looking to you for help & support…and how can you be at the top of your game if you aren’t meeting your own needs first? Practice taking care of yourself…for selfcare isn’t ignoring your duties as a caregiver – it’s enabling you to do the very best job you can. Besides, even Jesus didn’t neglect Himself, but practiced selfcare regularly, as Luke 5:16 tells us that He would go off by Himself to rest, reflect & pray.

Because of the covenantal relationship we have with God, we are to love what He loves and hate what He hates. (Romans 12:9) This means we are to have no contact or relationship with unethical or immoral activities…which in the world today is pretty hard to do. But God promises here to snatch us away from sin and godless hostility…for I Corinthians 10:13, it tells us that He will keep us from temptations greater than we can withstand, and in doing so, will give us an escape…if we so choose to take it.

It’s good to reflect on the mighty works of God in our lives. I Chronicles 16:12 tells us, “Remember the wondrous works He has done, His miracles and the judgments He uttered…” So looking back on His deeds on our behalf can’t help but make us eternally grateful for what He’s done, and how He’s brought us through very difficult situations. It’s also good to look to the future with hope and eager expectation. Psalm 25:3 says, “No one whose hope is in You will ever be put to shame.” For when we look to the future with hope, no matter what our current situation is, we can take a fresh hold of God and His promises. Finally, it’s good to look around and be helpful… for it’s a tangible way of allowing our gratitude and hope to shine through us… for our good and His glory.

Coming from the context of an agricultural economy in Biblical times, the idea of failing crops and dwindling herds in a society that totally depended on them, surely struck the fear of famine and poverty into many a heart. But we see here Habakkuk’s unwavering trust & hope in God that couldn’t be crushed, and we see his complaints change into a hymn of joy as Habakkuk makes the conscious decision to rejoice in the Lord even in the midst of conflict, adversity, and deprivation…which means that his joy didn’t depend on favorable circumstances but on the Lord alone. You may find yourself in a similar situation today…overwhelmed, weary, and stressed because of events that are out of your control. But like Habakkuk, you too can choose to rejoice and be joyful in the Lord your Savior.

When most people think of giving to others it means money. But the greatest service to others that truly cultivates Spiritual blessings is the giving of our time. It’s ministering in compassionate love towards the needy…a laboring for others and giving with a right heart. For when we give someone the gift of our time, we’re sowing or giving of ourself and that can only deepen the experience of God’s grace for all involved. And in the end, needs are met and God is glorified.

For the most part, no one needs to be reminded of their moral understanding of right and wrong…we intuitively know. And this is how the Holy Spirit works in the unbeliever’s life. He convicts us of our sins… (John 16:8) and shows us very plainly what we already know…our contemptible and wretched lifestyle. And His reason for doing so is simple…that we would turn from our sinful life and repent. He then does this by revealing the cold hard truth that we need a Savior. Maybe you’ve heard the phrase, “To come to the end of oneself.” When we’re pummeled by the Holy Spirit with overwhelming conviction & the stark reality of our own sinfulness, we must finally acknowledge our limitations, imperfections, and need for help…ultimately coming to the point that we admit that we are powerless and sick of where we find ourselves & who we’ve become. This is when we become “willing” as the Holy Spirit has worked in & through us.

Elsewhere in the Scriptures, we read in Ephesians 4:30, that we are not to grieve the Holy Spirit…in other words, we are not to offend or insult the Holy Spirit by our divisive attitudes and behaviors. We think that the world’s clatter can easily drowned out that still small voice of the Holy Spirit (I Kings 19:12), but in reality not nearly as well as we can. Everyday we make choices which to us seem good…ignoring that gentle voice that is imploring us to allow Him to make the very best choice for us. So it’s by our own willfulness and refusing to waive our rights to Him that we effectively snuff out the Holy Spirit’s voice…and with it the sense of warning and restraint that only He can impart…and sadly in the end, our Spiritual life will be impaired for it.

There is much comfort in this verse when we’re at a loss on how to pray for ourselves. When our prayers are silent, with unspoken words captured within unseen tears. But Romans 8:26 tells us that the Holy Spirit is there in our state of weakness and perplexity as to how to pray for ourselves. And rest easy, this is an universal Christian experience. (II Corinthians 12:8-10 and Philippians 1:22-24) Though our inarticulate and jumbled longings of what to pray can leave us feeling even worse…thinking we can’t even make our needs known. But Jesus assures us in Matthew 6:8 that God already knows our needs before they have even left our heart. So go ahead and rest quietly in those silent prayers and groanings of the heart…For God hears our anguished cries and will act. (Exodus 2:24)

This Proverb contrasts two different types of people…the one with humble prosperity and the other that conceals poverty with pretense. In this world of immediate gratification and the fear of missing out, people would rather pin their dreams on unrealistic expectations, fantasies, and self-importance. Their goal is to keep up with the Jones… while dreaming of affluence but refusing to actually work for it. But those who quietly work without fanfare are far better off. They have money in the bank, bills paid, and peace in their heart as good stewards of what God has given them…for they have sought first the kingdom of God.