Do you ever notice how some things are simple on the surface, but when you learn more about them, you find they are much more complex and sophisticated then they first appear. For example, we know we need to eat a balanced diet of fruit, vegetables, protein, starch, fats… but why? If you learn more about nutrition you find out that our bodies break the foods down into different components and chemicals. Even deeper some of these chemicals and components are used to provide fuel, dissolve other nutrients, or support other functions in our bodies. So the simple concept of eat well and be healthy really is a very sophisticated science that we are still discovering.

In ways, Christianity is the same. On the surface, and most important, is our acceptance of God’s salvation by believing Jesus Christ saved us. However, the more we study and meditate (actively think about) the words in the Bible and what God is doing, we realize the complexity of it all. Why did Jesus Christ have to be sacrificed? Why do some people accept and others don’t? How does the Holy Spirit come into our hearts? What is a soul? What is our Spirit? The more we learn, the more we realize there is to learn.

In Mark 4:11 when his disciples asked what the parable of the sower and the seed meant, Jesus said, “You are permitted to know some truths about the Kingdom of God that are hidden to those outside the Kingdom.” and in verse 13, “But if you can’t understand this simple illustration, what will you do about all the others I am going to tell?”

Jesus will provide us the wisdom we need to understand, if we take the first step. In verse 24 Jesus tells his disciples and us, “And be sure to put into practice what you hear. The more you do this, the more you will understand what I tell you.”

Dear Lord, strengthen our faith and help us come to a deeper understanding of your word and your plans. Inspire us to use this understanding to do your will with our lives. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

I write this daily post as somewhat of an instruction for Christians, including myself, on how to live and think about living our lives on earth, but I think it is important to take a moment and remember the sequence that God has established for us.

First we are saved, not by doing the right things and living the right lives. Jesus says in John 3:17,18, “God sent his Son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the world through him. There is no judgment against anyone who believes in him.”

The Holy Spirit gives us the ability to believe. As Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 12:3, “no one can say Jesus is Lord, except by the Holy Spirit.”

Then, because we believe, we live the Christian life God desires. John writes in 1 John 2:3, “and we can be sure that we know him if we obey his commandments.”

Finally, as active Christians we share our faith with others so they might receive the Holy Spirit and believe. Jesus says in Matthew 28:19, “Therefore go and make disciples of all the nations,”

Dear Lord, help us keep this order in mind. It starts with your love for us that saves us, and follows with our love for you that leads us to live the life you want us to. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Question for you. Are you righteous or are you a sinner?

In Matthew 9:13, Jesus says, “For I have come to call not those who think they are righteous, but those who know they are sinners.”

It is not comfortable to say, “I am a sinner,” but it is only by accepting the fact that we are sinners that we can say, “I am saved.”

Dear Lord, what great joy it is to know that even though we are sinners, and precisely because we are sinners, we can accept your gift of salvation and be saved. Thank you. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

There is a funny, but insightful perspective about success that goes, “you don’t wait for all the traffic lights to be green before leaving your driveway.” The point is that there will always be unknowns in our path that we cannot anticipate, but we need to begin anyway.

This concept may have originated with Solomon’s teaching in Ecclesiastes. He writes in Ecclesiastes 11:4-6 “Farmers who wait for perfect weather never plant. If they watch every cloud, they never harvest. Just as you cannot understand the path of the wind or the mystery of a tiny baby growing in its mother’s womb, so you cannot understand the activity of God, who does all things. Plant your seed in the morning and keep busy all afternoon, for you don’t know if profit will come from one activity or another—or maybe both.”

We need to have our plan, then get moving, and adapt, with God’s help, as we proceed.

Dear Lord, as Solomon says, you do all things, and we cannot understand the intricacies. We do know that you love us and with are us through it all. Help us act with confidence in your care and live our lives as good examples for you. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen

“Praise the Lord! How joyful are those who fear the Lord and delight in obeying his commands. Their children will be successful everywhere; an entire generation of godly people will be blessed. They themselves will be wealthy, and their good deeds will last forever.”

No this didn’t come from some “prosperity preacher” on television, it is Psalm 112:1-3

Dear Lord, help us believe your promises, and delight in obeying your commands. In Jesus’ name. Amen.