I was never popular in school. I had a weird name, I was tall and gangly, clumsy and awkward. I wore hand-me-downs and homemade clothes, and every school picture looked like I didn’t own a hairbrush. I didn’t belong with the smart kids and wasn’t part of the “in” crowd. Oh, but I wanted to be. I wanted so much to be accepted by the pretty girls who dressed in the latest fashions and carried themselves with an air of confidence I could never master. That carried over into my adult life, always feeling like I was on the outside looking in, honestly, even to this day. When I became a Christian, those feelings didn’t change. Even in my relationship with the Lord, I wondered if He truly accepted me or just tolerated me.
That’s why I love Paul’s letter to the church in Ephesus. He writes, “You are no longer foreigners and aliens, but fellow citizens with God’s people and members of God’s household” (2:19). Paul said I belong. And it’s not because I’m more graceful or dress better or finally found a hairbrush. If I took a selfie right now, you’d know that’s not the case. It’s because of Jesus. Jesus made me acceptable to God. He made me part of the family. He died to cover all my sins and to take away my shame. Because of Jesus, I am not an outsider; I’m part of the “in” crowd – because I’m in Him. It’s not a popularity contest. In God’s Kingdom, everyone is the same – rescued, redeemed, restored, and joined together as one holy dwelling place for the Lord (2:21).
My friend, God’s hand is stretched out to you too, to welcome you into the family, to be “in,” and to never be rejected again. It doesn’t matter what you wear or where you live or work or whether your hair is neatly brushed. It doesn’t matter if you never finished school or if you have a string of letters after your name. It doesn’t matter if you made all the right choices in life (like anyone has) or if you made every mistake possible. It doesn’t matter if you are rich or poor, live in a mansion or a tent, come from the right family or the wrong side of the tracks. God says to you, “Come.” Beloved, take Him up on His offer. There’s more than enough room at the family table for you. You can sit next to me.

With war across the globe that has put the world on alert and cultural war raging in the U.S., I asked God what message He wanted me to share with you. Surely something about God fighting our battles, or His mighty strength. I’m always drawn to passages about God being my Fortress and place of Security. Maybe He will take us on a glimpse into Revelation. Instead, He led me to Luke 12 and the Parable of the Rich Fool. A parable about greed. Thanks God, that’s gonna be real helpful.
But one key to studying the Bible is to look at the surrounding passages, and as I did, I began to see what God was up to. Let me set the stage. Jesus tells the story of a rich man who, after a bountiful harvest, decided to hoard up all he had, even though he had more than he needed. Sound familiar? The man would not enjoy his harvest, though, for that night he would die. You could pull several three-point messages out of that passage: Don’t be greedy. Share your blessings and bounty. Plan for eternity instead.
But let’s look at the bigger picture, because as my Bible Study 101 students know, “Context is king.”
Before and after this parable, Jesus repeatedly said: “Do not be afraid,” and “Do not worry.” (Check out verses 7, 11, 22, 25, 26, 29, 32.) He followed this parable with the famous discourse of the Father providing for the birds and the flowers – “how much more valuable are you than they?” (v. 24). How much more? A whole lot.
Worry and fear cause us to “run after” the things the world chases (v. 29-30) or to hoard up what we have in fear of not having enough (v. 16-19). Just a few years ago, we all experienced a real-life illustration of this message as stores were stripped of basic necessities and people stockpiled toilet paper. Yet Jesus told us not to worry. Why? Because “your Father knows that you need [these things].” And because it delights the Father to provide for His children.
God knows all about what’s happening in the world and the ripples it’s causing. He knows that these are scary times. But never forget, He also knows what you need. And He says, “Child, do not be afraid.” Beloved, your Father is the King of Heaven and Earth – what could you possibly have to worry about?

I’m running (more like crawling) on about 4 hours of sleep this morning. Between phone calls during the night for a sick family member, a loud storm, and a little girl who couldn’t go back to sleep at 4 a.m., my tank is on E. Now she is sitting behind me as I try to study and write, providing a running commentary on the game she is playing on her phone. Lord, help me.
I have been scanning through my Bible app for a verse that will encourage me and pump me full of energy. Because of the context, some of them don’t exactly fit my situation. (And we know better than to take a verse out of its context, don’t we?) I’m not weary because I have “labored and am heavy laden” (Matt 11:28), and I haven’t “grown weary of doing good,” I’m just tired from a lack of sleep.
I’ve landed on Isaiah 40:29, “He gives strength to the weary, and increases the power of the weak.” Yep, that’s me. Or how about this one, “I will refresh the weary and satisfy the faint” (Jer 31:25). Oh, I really like Psalm 73:26, “My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.” Ah, here it is, from the Book of Wisdom: “when you lie down, you will not be afraid; when you lie down, your sleep will be sweet” (Prov 3:24).
I don’t think there’s enough coffee in my house to keep me going today. Besides, what I need is not caffeine, it is rest.
God rested from His creative works on the seventh day, and He expected His people to do likewise. But they didn’t just need rest from their labors; they needed rest from their sin. Under the Old Covenant, the Jewish people were obligated to obey a list of commandments and requirements to be in a relationship with God. He was perfect, and He demanded perfection from His people. But that was impossible for sinful human beings. They either had to work themselves to exhaustion, or there had to be a substitutionary sacrifice for their sin. And all they had were sheep and goats and bulls, which couldn’t fully atone for their sins (Heb 10:4).
But “There remains, then, a Sabbath rest for the people of God” (Heb 4:9). Rest from human sin is only possible through the work and blood of Jesus. This rest is more valuable than a good night’s sleep. It is an eternal rest. And it can be yours, Beloved. All you have to do is believe it, receive it, and put your feet up.

My sweet Joy is a mixture of wisdom, raw truth, malaprops, silliness, and yes, a bit of sass when she speaks. She can bless your heart, make you laugh, or blow your mind with her words. But there is one thing she says that honestly annoys the stuff our of me: “Hold on.” Hold on means, “I have no intentions to stop what I’m doing to do what you told me to do.” Drives. Me. Up. A. Wall.
Sometimes, though, waiting is necessary. Abraham waited 25 years from God’s promise of a son till the birth of Isaac. David waited 15 years to become king of Judah and another 20 years to rule over all Israel after he was anointed by Samuel. Even Jesus waited 30 years before He stepped into His earthly ministry. God doesn’t always reveal the reason for the delay, but it is often a season of preparation.
Two accounts in the Bible speak to my heart about waiting.
After His resurrection, Jesus told His disciples, “Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised . . . in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit” (Acts 1:4, 5). He was true to His word as the Holy Spirit fell on them ten days later, and they were given power to carry out Jesus’ command to be His witnesses “to the ends of the earth” (see v. 8; 2: 1-4). They would not be able to fulfill the Great Commission without the Spirit, but waiting was necessary.
The other scene is in Revelation 6. John saw, “under the altar the souls of those who had been slain because of the word of God and the testimony that they had maintained. They call out in a loud voice, ‘How long, Sovereign Lord, holy and true, until You judge the inhabitants of the earth and avenge our blood’” (vs. 9). They were the martyrs of the tribulation, and John saw them receive white robes, and heard someone tell them to “wait a little longer.” The reason for the delay was so that all who met their end holding true to the Name above all Names could be gathered together with them. That may even be you and me.
No one likes to wait, but God promises that “Those who wait on the Lord, will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint” (Is 40:31). That’s a blessing worth waiting for.
Beloved, is God asking you to wait? Then hold on.

When the Lord took a basin and a towel to wash His disciples’ dirty feet, Peter couldn’t understand why He would take on such a menial task. Jesus said, “You do not realize now what I am doing, but later you will understand” (Jn 13:7). That is one of the most hopeful verses in Scripture to me.
Three weeks ago, my job was eliminated, but the truth is I had expected it for nine months, with sweeping changes occurring at the campus. When the axe finally fell, my first thought was, “Why didn’t I get out sooner? I knew this was coming. Why didn’t I look for another job before now?” All I can tell you is my spirit told me to stay put and wait for the Lord. So, I did. But I was kicking myself when it all happened.
Then, baby boy decided to come early, and he had a bit of a rough start to life (just like his daddy did). I spent most every day at the hospital, helping however I could. Even as they come home, they will need a lot of help in the coming weeks as Mommy recovers from his birth.
Joy is home for the week of Spring Break, and she’s so happy that Nana will not have to work while she’s here. Plus, I’ve been able to spend more time studying the Bible and working on writing projects these days. (But I still haven’t got my house cleaned up yet.)
Do I think that God orchestrated my job loss so I would be available to minister to my family when they needed me? Absolutely. Because He “knows the end from the beginning” (Is 46:10). That applies to world events and to my family.
God is sovereign. That is, He has absolute authority to determine what will happen, and He has absolute power to pull off His plans even within the unexpected (to us). He also has the advantage of seeing “the bigger picture.” Like putting a puzzle together, He sees each piece as it fits into its place and becomes part of the whole, because He is the one who designed the picture and where every piece belongs.
I am leaning on the truth that God was not caught off guard by this change. He knew that my family would need me and when, and He set all this in motion according to His wisdom and His plan. I don’t know what tomorrow holds for me, but I know who holds tomorrow (Ira Stanphill, 1950).
You really can trust Him, Beloved. He’s got the whole world, and you, in His hands.

This morning, I was scrolling through my FB memories and came across a memory from the early days of college. I was just about to dive into a course that scared me near to death: hermeneutics – all about how to study the Bible, which I loved (and still love) to do. This stuff seemed so far out of reach for me, who did not excel in high school. I wondered if my brain, at 50+ years old, would ever understand it. Next to algebra, nothing frightened me more.
But I knew that God called me to teach the Bible, so I needed to know how to “rightly divide the Word of Truth” (2 Tim 2:15). It was important that I be “thoroughly equipped” (3:17) for this good work before me, so I took several deep breaths, opened my textbook, and soon discovered one of my greatest Joys.
This memory meant so much to me because twelve years later, I am currently teaching basic hermeneutics – a study I wrote called Bible Study 101– to a group of ladies who are hungry for the same thing. They are like baby birds in the nest, devouring everything we cover so that they can feast on the Scriptures for themselves.
I feel like God has brought me full circle, taking me from anxiety and being overwhelmed to loving and even teaching these same hermeneutical principles.
When Moses saw a burning bush in the wilderness, he had no idea the call that the Lord God was about to put on his life. Out of that “strange sight – a bush that did not burn up” (Ex 3:3) – God would enlist him to go before Pharaoh and demand the release of the enslaved Israelite people. Moses sounds a lot like me in that moment: “Who am I, that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?” (v. 11). Who am I, God, that you would call me to study and teach Your Word?
Moses and I both argued with God: I’m not smart enough, I can’t speak well. This is too much for me; can’t You find someone else? But no, God had a plan for Moses and for me, and He wasn’t going to let either one of us back out. And the man who shrank from God’s calling was soon leading 2 million plus people out of bondage and into God’s promise.
When God calls you to something, whether it is raising godly children, preaching from a pulpit, teaching His Word, singing His praises, or writing a book, He doesn’t leave you to do it on your own. He trains and guides and empowers and enables you through His Holy Spirit. He is with you every step of the way. Beloved, what has God told you to do that scares you? Go wherever He is leading, and you will find your purpose and deep Joy.

If you’ve followed my posts this week, you’ll know we’ve had the quite the adventure of blessings and concern with our newest grandson, Mateo. You rejoiced with us at his birth and his head full of black hair. And you’ve prayed with us as he developed choking issues and has to stay in the hospital a couple extra days..
This is déjà vu all over again for me. Almost 34 years ago Mateo’s dad – our son – was born with blood sugar issues (I had gestational diabetes and pre-eclampsia) and we spent five days in the local hospital and a week in Children’s Hospital at UAB. So I know the anxiety that Mommy and Daddy are experiencing right how. Hopefully, they can come home by the week’s end and not have to go for anything else.
They are experiencing something else that his we did – the sweet ministry of the Body of Christ. The very same ladies that brought care baskets to the hospital and bathed us in prayer are at it once again. They stood by us all those years ago and they are standing by my son and his family today. That is the beauty and blessing of being part of the family of God.
Paul wrote, “The Father of compassion and the God of all comfort comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God” (2 Cor 1”3-4). I know these ladies’ stories; they are passing on to us what was poured out on them from God through the hands of godly friends and family in their time of need.
God promises, “As a mother comforts her child, so will I comfort you” (Is 66:13). And He has over and over and over again, through caring Christian friends. Honestly, I don’t know how people endure difficult seasons without a church family. God has ministered to us in so many ways and some really hard times through the church. And we’ve tried our best to share the love and compassion we’ve received with others.
Jesus said, “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” (Jn 13:34-35).When we love and care for our brothers and sisters in Christ, we are fulfilling the command of Christ and we most resemble Him in those moments.
Beloved, if you are trying to do life alone, you need to get you a church family. They make a soft pillow on which to lay your weary head at night.

I’ve had several conversations recently with ladies who are struggling with oppressive, negative, fearful, or angry emotions. They are surprised when I tell them that the key to overcoming these emotions is to learn to take control of their thoughts. We tend to focus so much on our feelings, but we forget that those feelings are fed by our thoughts. And our thoughts can be controlled. Negative thoughts, depressive thoughts, sinful thoughts, and angry thoughts can and must be brought into submission. It’s a matter of paying attention to what’s running around in your head.
Psalm 77 was written by Asaph, one of the Temple priests, during the Babylonian captivity. The situation seemed hopeless, and this is reflected in his Psalm. In verses 1-9, Asaph lamented God’s apparent rejection of His people. In verse 2, he says, “My soul refused to be comforted.” Ever been there? I know I have. But look at verse 10, Asaph turns his mind and heart on a pivot, like a door on its hinges. “Then I thought, to this I will appeal: the years of the right hand of the Most High. I will remember the deeds of the Lord…I will meditate on all Your words” (vs. 10, 11, 12). Did you catch the keyword? Thought. In that moment of despair, Asaph took control of his thoughts and changed the focus of his heart and mind. He deliberately remembered and meditated instead on the character and deeds of God. And when he opened that door, hope, light, and peace flooded in.
We see the same change of mind in Lamentations 3, which starts out: “I am the man who has seen affliction,” (v.1) and continues for 20 verses saying, “my soul is downcast within me” (v. 20). And then verse 21 begins with that hinge word: “Yet this I call to mind and therefore I have hope.” There’s the clue again, “I call to mind.” Jeremiah’s whole focus and attitude are transformed. A change in his focus changed everything.
Paul said, “We take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ” (2 Corinthians 10:5). Then we take the Philippians 4:8 prescription – you should have that memorized by now. It’s how we battle mental negativity. Beloved, the only sure way to find peace in seasons of struggle is to intentionally turn your thoughts to God, to wrap His Words around you like a comforter, and trust in His love, faithfulness, and peace to carry you through.

From the cradle roll in the church nursery to a “sunbeam” with perfect attendance bars cascading from my pin, I was the quintessential church kid. I “asked Jesus into my heart” and was baptized when I was 9. I tried hard to live by the rules, but always had a nagging sense that something was “off.” So, I tried harder. And harder. I reasoned that for every time I fought with my brothers, or disobeyed my mother, or said, “dang!” I had lost my salvation. I had to “do something” to make myself right, so I sentenced myself to extra chores as penance. I swore I would do better – that I would be better. I repeatedly “rededicated my life to Christ,” And I failed more and more.
I heard preachers talk about believing they were saved, even serving in ministry, only to discover they were not. Surely that was me. So, I would pray the “sinner’s prayer” again and wade through those baptism waters one more time, trying to get it right. I was convinced that I had to do and say all the right things to be saved and finally stop the cycle of sin in my life.
Then in my late 30’s, through the Scriptures, I came face to face with mercy.
Paul wrote, “[God’s compassion] does not depend on man’s desire or effort, but on God’s mercy.” (Romans 9:16). A light dawned in my heart, and I realized that it wasn’t anything I did or anything I was that saved me. It was the work of Christ because of the love of God that saved me. The only thing I contributed to my salvation was realizing that I was a sinner in need of a Savior. I surrendered to His undeserved mercy and was set free from the demands of my own guilt and shame. I am no longer driven by the need to be good enough for God. Because I never will, and that is the whole point of mercy.
Now I live every day in the grace that flowed freely from Jesus’ broken body.
Mine isn’t one of those “powerful testimonies” of Jesus saving me out of a life of debauchery – though I was just as lost as the ones who were. But I’ve discovered that it is a testimony that many people who live a frustrated Christian life can connect with. Beloved, God didn’t save you because of you; He saved you because of Jesus. And Jesus is enough.

The world is anxiously watching the Middle East as war rages. This is the most volatile region in the world, and though the weapons may change, the animosity there never has. But it’s not just that area where political and ideological tension exists. War has been an ever-present reality somewhere in the world throughout human history. Someone somewhere is fighting with someone else. If we’re honest, some of us will admit that war has even raged in our families, perhaps even under our own roof. Will we ever know peace?
In the Bible, when the Lord declares war on a nation, He instructs them to “Beat your plowshares into swords and your pruning hooks into spears” (Joel 3:10). He is advising the target to prepare for battle, for they are about to face judgment that they cannot escape. But the converse side of this warning is found in Micah 4:3. When the Lord brings peace to His people, “They will beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks” (See also Isa 2:4).
I read these beautiful promises and prophecies about fashioning weapons into farm tools, and think of them as poetic, but – honestly – impractical. The imagery is just too good to be true. How can we hope for peace when war rages in every corner of the world? How can I hope for peace when there is strife and tension under my roof? How is it possible to hope in these beautiful pictures of peace when there is so little peace?
But when I dig into the Scriptures and consider how God works, I realize that hope is rarely practical. Hope goes against the grain, swims upstream, and believes God for the impossible. Hope steps out onto the water and walks on dry ground. Hope builds an ark in the desert and believes God can fulfill His promises in the face of the impossible. It marches around walls, slings a stone at God’s giant enemy, refuses to bow to a pagan king, and spends the night in a lion’s den. And hope takes a fantastic tale of a dead man coming to life as the gospel truth.
Hope is not fanciful dreams or wild wishes. Hope is the confidence that swords really will one day pull up weeds because the God who spoke it deals in very practical reality. Hope is the by-product of simply believing God.
Beloved, where’s your hope today?