TODAY’S TWO ROADS

Our daily map offers two roads: one of joy and one of worry. Both carry us toward the same destination -- the end of the day -- but they shape us differently as we travel. Worry fixates on what might happen, draining our strength with imagined futures and burdens we were never meant to carry.

Joy, however, meets us in the present. It doesn’t promise certainty or offer guarantees, yet it reveals itself in small, surprising ways -- moments of mercy, beauty, and grace that appear almost out of nowhere. Joy is drenched in possibility, inviting us to live the day we’ve been given rather than fear the one we cannot see.

Both roads lead to the same sunset. But only one allows us to arrive with a heart that has actually lived. And here is the quiet truth Scripture keeps repeating: God is found on the road of joy, not the road of worry.  Not because He abandons us when we worry, but because worry blinds us to His nearness.

Jesus said, “Do not worry about tomorrow… each day has enough trouble of its own.” (Matthew 6:34 NIV) He wasn’t dismissing our concerns -- He was inviting us to walk the road where He is most clearly seen.

-- Based on a quote by Ray Waddle in “The Upper Room Disciplines 2001”

#6461

 

 

THE ALL-POWERFUL GOOD SHEPHERD – Part 1 of 2

“The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.… Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.”  (Psalm 23:1,4 NKJV)

I grew up in a big church in downtown Atlanta. When I was twelve, I remember being in our seventh-grade boy’s Sunday school room. Tan linoleum floor. Cinderblock walls, also tan. Metal folding chairs. Maps of Paul’s missionary journeys on the wall. A window with blinds -- always closed. And on the far wall a big painting of the “meek and mild” Jesus. You know what I’m talking about? His face was pale. He looked like He hadn’t been outside in a long time. His robe was perfect. His hair was perfect. He had a woolly lamb on His shoulders and a crook in His hand -- and Jesus was gazing off into Foreverland with a faraway look in His eyes. But Olan Mills Portrait Studios Jesus is nothing like the real thing.

He’s your hero. Your defender. He’s the mighty Son of God! When you are up against life and death, when your back’s against a wall, when circumstances are poised to take you out, and when the Devil is whispering lies in your ear, you need to know there’s an all-powerful Good Shepherd with a rod in one hand and a staff in the other. That’s the Jesus of Psalm 23. That’s why we find comfort in His presence. With that staff, the Good Shepherd can grab you and pull you to safety. And with that rod, He can crush any prowling lion or raging bear that charges you. 

-- Louie Giglio in “Don’t Give the Enemy a Seat at Your Table” 

#6424

YOKED WITH JESUS

Jesus said, “Come to Me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and my burden is light.”  (Matthew 11:28–30 NIV)

At our home in Door County, Wisconsin we have a yoke that my great-grandfather used on his farm in the late 1800’s. Seeing that yoke I have always been curious about Jesus’s use of that term in Matthew 11. There’s a reason Jesus doesn’t simply say, “Come to Me and rest.” He goes further. He says, “Take My yoke upon you… and you will find rest for your souls.”

A yoke is an instrument of work, not leisure. It joins two animals together so they move in the same direction, at the same pace, sharing the same load. At first glance, it seems strange -- why would Jesus offer rest by giving us a yoke?

Because His yoke is not a burden. His yoke is a relationship.

To be yoked to Christ means we no longer walk alone. We no longer pull the weight of life by ourselves. We no longer guess which direction to go or strain to keep up. When we take His yoke, we step into a life where He sets the pace, He bears the weight, and He guides the way.

When we are yoked to Him our striving becomes steady, because His strength steadies us. Our direction becomes clear, because His wisdom leads us. Our burdens become lighter, because His shoulders carry what ours cannot. Our souls find rest, not because life is easy, but because He is near.

Jesus doesn’t promise a life without burdens. He promises a life without weariness. A life where we move in step with the One who is gentle, humble, patient, and strong. A life where we learn from Him -- not by listening from afar, but by walking right beside Him.

Seeing my great-grandfather’s yoke is a good reminder to me to be yoked with Christ. And today, Jesus invites you again: Come. Take My yoke. Walk with Me. Let Me carry what you cannot.  In His presence even the heaviest loads become light.

-- Rev. David T. Wilkinson, SOUND BITES Ministry™

#6331

LIVING IN THE PRESENT

“God replied to Moses, ‘I Am Who I Am. Say this to the people of Israel: I Am has sent me to you.’”  (Exodus 3:14 NLT)

Live life in the present tense. When we spend our time dwelling on mistakes we have made in the past (which we can’t change) or anticipating problems in the future (which can’t be foreseen), we are prone to stress. And we are robbed of the joy of the present moment. It is interesting that in the Old Testament the most holy name for God is translated “I Am.” And throughout the Gospel of John Jesus refers to Himself as “I Am.”

The following piece by Helen Mallicoat reminds us of the significance of that truth in our lives:

I was regretting the past and fearing the future. Suddenly my Lord was speaking to me. “My name is I Am.” He paused. I waited. He continued. “When you live in the past, with its mistakes and regrets, it is hard. I am not there. My name is not I Was. When you live in the future, with its problems and fears, it is hard. I am not there. My name is not I Will Be. When you live in this moment, it is not hard. I am here, My name is I Am.” 

-- Robert Jeffress in “Choose Your Attitude Change Your Life: How to Make Life’s Circumstances Work for You, Not Against You”

#6297

FINDING THE PLACE

"Early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up and slipped out to a solitary place to pray."  (Mark 1:35 NIV)

Researchers once surveyed people about their favorite room in the house. The top answer was the kitchen. People love that one. Most husbands’ top answer was the bedroom. Want to guess what the top answer was for mothers of young children? The bathroom.

Why? You lock the door. You keep those little rug rats out of there for at least a couple of minutes. You keep your husband out of there for at least a couple of minutes. The idea is that you find some place where you know you are alone. You are free of stress. You find sanctuary -- a holy place.

God wants to give us sanctuary. There is another kind of presence when we are gathered together, but there is a unique way in which we experience the presence of God when we are alone.

I have one friend who finds this special solitude with God at a little Italian restaurant. Another friend experiences it most often while driving country roads. One finds it on airplanes. Another likes to go to a retreat center in the hills of Malibu Canyon. Still another finds it is the early hours of the morning in his office. You will recognize the place where you can be yourself before God. 

-- John Ortberg in “The Me I Want to Be”

#6277

THE ANNOUNCEMENT OF JOY

“While they were there, the time came for Mary to give birth. She gave birth to a son, her firstborn. She wrapped Him in a blanket and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room in the hostel. There were shepherds camping in the neighborhood. They had set night watches over their sheep. Suddenly, God’s angel stood among them and God’s glory blazed around them. They were terrified. The angel said, ‘Don’t be afraid. I’m here to announce a great and joyful event that is meant for everybody, worldwide: A Savior has just been born in David’s town, a Savior who is Messiah and Master. This is what you’re to look for: a baby wrapped in a blanket and lying in a manger.’”  (Luke 2:6-12 MSG)

Christmas is more than lights, gifts, and traditions -- it is the announcement of joy breaking into a weary world. The shepherds, ordinary men keeping watch in the dark, were the first to hear the angel’s proclamation of a “great and joyful event that is meant for everybody, worldwide.” This joy was not dependent on circumstances, wealth, or status. It was rooted in the arrival of Jesus, the Savior who came to bring peace, hope, and reconciliation.

Joy at Christmas is not fleeting happiness; it is the deep assurance that God has come near. In Christ, we discover that joy is not something we manufacture -- it is a gift we receive. Even in seasons of difficulty, the presence of Jesus brings a joy that sustains and strengthens. 

– Adapted from BibleStudyTools at Crosswalk.com

#6263

CHRIST IN YOU, THE HOPE OF GLORY

“God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. He is the one we proclaim, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone fully mature in Christ.”  (Colossians 1:27-28 NIV)

Christ in you means you don’t have to face anything alone. Anything! When you walk into a doctor’s office with more questions than answers, Christ in you is the hope of glory. When you’re sitting at the kitchen table staring at bills that you can’t pay, Christ in you is the hope of glory. When you’re parenting a child who’s breaking your heart, Christ in you is the hope of glory. When you are unseen in your workplace, unappreciated in your home, or feeling unqualified for the next thing that God asked you to do, Christ in you is the hope of glory. When you’ve prayed the same prayer a hundred times and the mountain hasn’t moved, yet, even in that place, Christ in you is the hope of glory. It’s not just a verse. It’s not just a doctrine. It’s not just a hope for someday. It’s a promise for right now and if the fire still is burning, meaning if there is still breath in your lungs, then God is not finished with you yet. 

-- Pastor Larry Frank, Grace Church, Cape Coral, Florida

#6191

FACING LIFE’S STORMS

"We do not live to ourselves, and we do not die to ourselves. If we live, we live to the Lord, and if we die, we die to the Lord; so then, whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord's. For to this end Christ died and lived again, so that he might be Lord of both the dead and the living." (Romans 14:7-9 NRSV)

The question came from a fellow soldier after our combat unit had moved into a field in the hedgerow section of Normandy, France, during World War II. "How come you are a Christian?" he asked me.  I answered him the best way I knew at the time.  I said, "A person would have to be really dumb not to be a Christian, for you live better and you die better."

I don't remember if my answer satisfied him or not.  But now, after having lived about 85 years, I can reaffirm that same simple answer.  I am convinced that people of faith do live and die better, for they are able to face life's storms with greater peace than those who walk without faith that God is walking beside them.  As we live and as we die, people of faith have assurance of God's presence with them.

-- Jack G. Ammon in the “The Upper Room Daily Devotional” -- E-mail Edition, April 25, 2007, (c) 2007 by The Upper Room.

#6177

JESUS TO THE RESCUE

"Then [Jesus] got into the boat with them and the wind ceased. And they were utterly astounded…" (Mark 6:51)

Sometimes we are, as it were, in the middle of the lake and the storm breaks, usually from a quarter we don't expect, and we are doubtful whether the little boat is going to stand it. We feel helpless, making no progress and are inclined to say: "I have gone to bits; I have no help, no support. This cannot be a spiritual life." We begin to lose our grip. The boat is very cranky and unstable, the waves very threatening and steep, the sky darkening. We are in utter wretchedness and discouragement.

It was like that when Jesus got into the boat with them and the wind ceased. Then the situation was transformed by His presence. One way or another, life brings every awakening Christian soul this experience. When we recognize and reflect on it -- for it may come in a way that seems very simple -- it fills us with awe and grateful love. God in Christ intervenes between us and the storm that threatens to overwhelm us. His power is brought into action just where our action fails. He comes to the rescue of those caught in the toils of circumstance…

Certainly life is not made soft for Christians but it is, in the last resort, safe. The universe is safe for souls [when Christ is there]. 

-- Evelyn Underhill in “The Soul's Delight”

#6136

THE COMMUNITY GOD LONGS TO BUILD

Christian community, like beauty, often presents itself in the intimate, the common, the close at hand. It comes to bud and flower in the simplest of places. Race by, and we miss it. Wait to see it in some idealized state, and we pass without knowing it is there.

…On the matter of Christian community, Jesus was direct and pointed: “Where two or three are gathered in My name, I am there among them” (Matthew 18:20). These words clearly contain a counsel of simplicity. As Jesus’ followers, if we are to find true community with one another and with Him, then we should look not just to the massive throng or the dramatic moment. We should look as well to the simplest instance of one life brushing up against another. We should open ourselves to the small and intimate moments when persons draw together in their joys and in their needs.

If love flows among us, even briefly, God is there -- in [the frustrations of daily living], in places of staggering beauty, in the realms of darkest communal pain. If we find ourselves bound together even momentarily, God is present. We taste with our spirits the community God longs to build. 

-- Stephen V. Doughty in an article called “Simple Place” in Weavings Journal, May/June 2003

#6119

FAITH BEYOND SIGHT

“Jesus told Thomas, ‘Because you have seen Me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.’” (John 20:29 NIV)

Thomas, one of Jesus’ disciples, often called “Doubting Thomas,” had missed the moment when the risen Jesus first appeared to the others. His doubt wasn’t born of defiance but of a deep longing to see and experience for himself the truth of the resurrection. In John 20:24-29, Jesus graciously meets Thomas where he is, inviting him to touch the wounds in His hands and side. Thomas responds with a powerful declaration, “My Lord and my God!”

This story is a reminder that doubt doesn’t disqualify us from faith -- it’s often a step along the journey. Jesus didn’t rebuke Thomas; instead, He gently guided him toward belief. But Jesus also blessed those who believe without seeing, inviting us into a faith that trusts His promises even when evidence isn’t visible.

When we face moments of uncertainty or struggle to perceive God’s presence, this passage assures us that faith doesn’t require perfect understanding. Trusting in His faithfulness and love, even in the unseen, brings a special blessing.  As Lamentations 3:22-23 reminds us: "Because of the LORD’s great love we are not consumed, for His compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness." 

-- SOUND BITES Ministry, compiled from a variety of sources 

#6104

THE GIFT OF CHRIST’S INDWELLING PRESENCE

“For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form, and in Christ you have been brought to fullness. He is the head over every power and authority.”  (Colossians 2:9-10 NIV)

Jesus is the whole package. He is not part of the package, part of the solution, part of the hope. Being in Him, living in union with Him, and having Him dwell within us, is the complete, sufficient, and enduring hope of the human heart.

There is no hope for the heart that matches Jesus. There is no other ultimate solution for the ills of humankind. And no one who has truly discovered the power of Christ’s love and the gift of His indwelling and healing presence would want it any other way. 

-- Excerpted from “The Wake-up Call” with Dan Wilt 

#6072

OVER THE WEIGHT LIMIT

"Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.”  (Matthew 6:34 NIV)

What we have here may be the most important ammunition of all – a systematic strategy to weed out your worry. Jesus is saying something quite interesting: you won’t sink under the burden of today’s crises, but tomorrow’s agenda puts you over the weight limit. Have you ever tried to carry too many bags of groceries at the same time? After cleaning the eggs from your driveway, you’ll know better – and next time you’ll make two trips instead of one. Jesus tells us to carry today’s bag today and make a fresh trip tomorrow.

Living in the present tense is an art. Do you know someone who’s “not all there,” for his or her eyes are focused on some invisible horizon? This person is preoccupied with absent problems. But have you ever known someone who lives completely in the present? Such people seem lively, full of energy and charisma, and getting their money’s worth out of every new thing that comes along, and you won’t catch them worrying. That’s how Jesus wants us to live -- a day at a time. There’s a reason God placed us within the moment, bracketed away from both the past and the future. They’re both off-limits to us, and we need to post No Trespassing signs. The past is closed for good, and the future is still under construction. But today has everything you need. Come here and make your home. 

-- David Jeremiah in “Keep the Faith: How to Stand Strong in a World Turned Upside Down”

#5943

REASON TO DANCE

“Then David danced before the LORD with all his might;…”  (2 Samuel 6:14a NKJV)

God’s greatest gift is Himself. Sunsets steal our breath. Caribbean blue stills our hearts. Newborn babies stir our tears. Lifelong love bejewels our lives. But take all these away -- strip away the sunsets, oceans, cooing babies, and tender hearts -- and leave us in the Sahara, and we still have reason to dance in the sand. Why? Because God is with us.

This must be what David knew. And this must be what God wants us to know. We are never alone.  Ever.

God loves you too much to leave you alone, so He hasn’t. He hasn’t left you alone with your fears, your worries, your disease, your death. So kick up your heels for joy. 

-- Max Lucado in “Facing Your Giants”

#5920

THE RISEN CHRIST IS WITH US – Part 1 of 2

“Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, ‘All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.’”  (Matthew 28:18-20 NKJV)

At this very moment when I write and at the very moment when you read these words, you and I are in the presence of the living Christ. To remember this truth is to be shaped constantly by the presence of God in Christ in our lives. We often forget this central truth of the Christian faith, and when we do [forget], we are easily overcome by the troubles of the world.

For me, what I write will pass before the eyes of the One about whom I write. As I write, I hope that my ordinary capacity will be energized, directed, and used by the One who gives me life and has called me to this ministry. If I allow myself to think that this ministry… is all up to me, I risk feelings from despair to arrogance. However, if I remember that I am not alone, but think, work, and live in the presence of the living Christ, I remain hopeful that even the most simple and ordinary task carried out in that presence and with the assistance of Jesus Christ is sacred, meaningful, and useful.

For you, what you read comes not from the word processor of someone full of years and short of energy or imagination. For these words are now read and heard in the presence of Jesus Christ who is able to use the most simple and ordinary words and events to enlighten, comfort, heal, and direct the seeking heart. 

-- Rueben P. Job in “A Guide to Prayer for All Who Seek God”

#5832

MY EASTER QUESTION: WHY GALILEE? – Part 2 of 3

One might have thought that the first day of His resurrected life, the risen Christ might have made straight for the palace, the seat of Roman power, appear there and say, "Pilate, you made a big mistake.  Now, it's payback time!"

One might have thought that Jesus would do something effective.  If you want to have maximum results, don't waste your time talking to the first person whom you meet on the street, figure out a way to get to the movers and the shakers, the influential and the newsmakers, those who have some power and prestige.  If you really want to promote change, go to the top. 

But Jesus?  He didn't go up to the palace, the White House, the Kremlin, or Downing Street.   (Jesus never got on well with politicians.)  Jesus went outback, back to Galilee. 

Why Galilee?   Nobody special lived in Galilee, nobody except the followers of Jesus.  Us.

The resurrected Christ comes back to, appears before the very same rag-tag group of failures who so disappointed Him, misunderstood Him, forsook Him and fled into the darkness.  He returns to His betrayers.  He returns to us. 

It would have been news enough that Christ had died, but the good news was that He died for us.  As Paul said elsewhere, one of us might be willing to die for a really good person but Christ shows that He is not one of us by His willingness to die for sinners like us.  His response to our sinful antics was not to punish or judge us.  Rather, He came back to us, flooding our flat world not with the wrath that we deserved but with His vivid presence that we did not deserve.   

It would have been news enough that Christ rose from the dead, but the good news was that he rose for us.

-- Adapted from a sermon entitled “He Came Back… To Us!” by William Willimon

A CONSTANT GUIDING PRESENCE

Whenever I hear of a Christian copping out of some undertaking for God in order to wait to learn God's will for his or her life, I have to ask, "Where in the Bible does it tell you that God will reveal the divine plan for your whole life?  It seems to me that it's just the opposite.  The Bible lets us know that God keeps us in a constructive and spiritually edifying state of dependency.

"There are two ways I could tell you how to get to my house," I tell them.  "I could draw you a map, and you could use the map to figure out how to get to my house on your own.  You might or might not get there, depending on how good a mapmaker I am and how good you are at reading maps.  But better than giving you a map would be if I got in the car with you and guided you all the way.  If I showed you every road to take and every turn to make as we drove along, you would get to my house without any trouble."

I then go on to explain that God directs our lives by being a constant guiding presence, rather than by giving us directions to follow by ourselves.  We are not given a road map for the rest of our lives, because that would enable us to chart life's course without leaning on the Lord.  Rather, as it says in John 16:13, Jesus sends the Holy Spirit to us with the promise that the Spirit will be a guiding presence in our lives. 

-- Tony Campolo in “Following Jesus Without Embarrassing God”

#5735

GOD’S PRESENCE IN THE VALLEYS

“Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.”  (Psalm 23:4 NKJV)

With a heart cry to God, I have thanked Him that He is with me and knows the extent to which this frame can be bent, but not broken. I often need His resiliency in my life, so that the branches of my mind will not snap, when times come that make life difficult to bear.

Understanding the Psalms helps us see we no longer need to feel guilty for the impassioned feelings that sometimes sweep over us. When David wrote those masterpieces, he created a place of refuge for us to follow. Anyone suffering mental anguish could look to them and find comfort. He knew the deepest valleys and was not afraid to tell God the truth about himself.

If we were always on the mountaintop, we would miss what God would teach us in the valleys -- that even on days when we feel He is unreachable, He is there. It is at this time we have to rely completely on faith and say, “Lord, I do not feel Your presence with me, but I know that You are there and this wilderness is only temporary in my life.” 

-- Joan Winmill Brown in “The Shelter of His Wings: A Book of Hope and Comfort”

#5640

 

GOD WITH US

“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.”  (Joshua 1:9 NIV)

God’s richness is such that He can totally give Himself to every person, can be there only for them – and likewise for a second and third, for millions and thousands of millions. That is the mystery of His infinity and inexhaustible richness. 

-- Ladislaus Boros in “Hidden God” 

#5632

SACRED INTERRUPTIONS

“Now when Jesus had come into Peter’s house, He saw his wife’s mother lying sick with a fever. So He touched her hand, and the fever left her. And she arose and served them.”  (Matthew 8:14-15)

We are not alone. I firmly believe it, partly because I have experienced God’s presence in my life directly as well as through my encounters with others. I’m an extrovert and I’ve always loved people. I truly enjoy meeting people and getting to know them. For the last several years of my life, I have been a full-time singer/songwriter. It seems like I spend a lot of my time coming and going. As I read the stories of Jesus, I notice that He interacted with lots of folks in His comings and goings. People interrupted Him with requests, needs, and questions. He seemed to have the gift of perspective, recognizing priority and importance even in the interruption. He made time to deal with whatever or whoever He bumped into along His journey. Certainly His destination was important, but given His ability to stop and to give, the journey may have been just as significant as where He was headed. 

-- Celia Whitler in “On the Way to Somewhere: Stories and Songs for the Journey”

#5600