Just a Quick Note...

Edited by Myrna Moore

 As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: continue ye in my love.               {John 15:9}

Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: {I John 3:1} 

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Filling the Gap: An Exhortation for Ladies of All Ages

Alright, ladies . . . it's time for a sister-to-sister (in Christ), heart-to-heart chat!

Sorry, fellas . . . this post doesn't really apply to you. (Note: after final editing, I suppose some of the content of this post can be relevant to a guy's perspective too, but I've written it to be geared more toward a girl's perspective since I'm much more familiar with it.)

If you were anything like me growing up, you probably spent many hours playing "wedding" and "rescue the princess." Some of my fondest and funniest childhood memories involve one or both of those make-believe games. Getting into heated discussions with my sister and girl cousins over who was going to be the groom or the knight in shining armor after failing yet again to convince our male cousins to fill those roles, picking names for our future children, arguing over who was going to get married first . . . ah, yes, those were the days.

Middle school rolled around, and I started on a seemingly endless string of innocent crushes that never went anywhere, most of which were married men much older than me. I laugh when I remember those days - I was so clueless!

High school brought me my first boyfriend/girlfriend relationship. We were convinced that we were meant for each other. Why? Because we "just felt it" . . .

We were (VERY) young and (VERY) wrong. Our relationship was built on emotions and feelings. As we came down from the emotional high on which our relationship was based, the relationship fizzled out. I came out a bit emotionally bruised from the experience, but also a bit wiser too.

Freshman year of college brought a new environment, new friends, new responsibilities, new opportunities . . . and, yes, new boys.

The environment and culture at the college I attended was rather dating/couple-oriented. I don't say that in an attempt to bash my alma mater. I don't think it was purposely intended to be that way, it's just what ended up happening. It was routine for me to feel awkward, embarrassed, even ashamed of my singleness during Freshman and Sophomore year. It seemed like everyone but me was getting paired up, "seriously dating," getting engaged, etc.

After several "almost boyfriends" my first two years of college - guys who seemed interested, but eventually lost interest and moved on to other girls - I had had just about all I could take. I had allowed little bits and pieces of my heart to be given away to this guy and that, guys who had made no promise or commitment to me. I decided that enough was enough. I wasn't going to keep giving parts of my heart to guys who hadn't proven they were worthy (or even wanted) to win my heart in its entirety.

The last month of Sophomore year rolled around, and I began dating a guy friend I had become close to over the course of the school year. We spent the next three and a half months cultivating a long-distance relationship. In hindsight, those three and a half months of long-distance dating gave him the perfect opportunity to portray himself in the best way possible instead of how he really, truly was as a person.

We continued to date through the end of Junior year. The longer it went, the more he wanted to "push the envelope" physically to see how far I would let him go, how much I would let him get away with. To my shame, I let him get away with a lot more than I would like to admit. It felt good to be with a guy who (seemingly) loved me for myself, and I didn't want to rock the boat of our relationship.

The summer after my Junior year, some events (which I will be silent on for privacy reasons) caused me to see that our relationship needed to end. I didn't go about it in a Christ-like manner, and he didn't respond in a Christ-like manner. Our relationship ended in an extremely messy breakup.

I returned to school for my Senior year, disillusioned, lonely, and rather bitter over the broken relationship. I went through a few more "almost boyfriends" before making an emotionally-charged decision to give up on guys for good. Thankfully, the Lord brought some ladies into my life who helped me work through the baggage I was still carrying from the broken relationship, helped me get my heart back on track, and made me see just how much fun singleness can be when you have your heart in the right place.

A few weeks before graduation, I made a commitment before the Lord to save my heart and my body for my future husband, if it's His will for me to me to marry someday. I would be lying if I told you that I've never struggled with contentment since then, but God has certainly grown me a great deal in this area.

You're wondering why I shared almost everything about my "love life" history, aren't you? Hang in there . . . there is a point to all of this; trust me.

I know many, if not every girl struggles with contentment with being single in some form or another, at some point in their life. Even married women struggle with contentment. God made us with the desire to be loved, to be cherished. It's a sad truth that many of us have turned to men (or "boys" in a lot of cases) to fill that gap we have in our heart and have come out emotionally scarred and beaten down.

Let me share something with you, dear sister in Christ: a man can never fill the gap in your heart. It's like trying to make a square peg fit in a round hole. It just doesn't work. I learned that the hard way.

Isaiah 54:5 tells us who can fill the gap.

"For thy Maker is thine husband; the LORD of hosts is his name; and thy Redeemer the Holy One of Israel; The God of the whole earth shall he be called." 

The Lord, our Maker, our Redeemer, the Lover of our souls, the One who loves with a perfect love . . . Love Himself . . . can fill the gap in our heart, if we will let Him.

Don't allow any man to take the place of your First Love, no matter how good he might be (or you might think him to be). Remember, a man can never fill the gap in your heart, because God designed it in such a way that He is the only one who can fill it.


Maya Angelou was right when she said, “a woman's heart should be so lost in God that a man has to seek Him in order to find her.” I hope and pray that we will all strive for such deep love and intimacy with our First Love.

Our feelings come and go, but the Lover of our souls remains constant in His love.

This is my beloved, and this is my friend . . . 

Song of Solomon 5:16

The LORD thy God . . . will rejoice over thee with joy; he will rest in his love, he will joy over thee with singing. 

Zephaniah 3:17

Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God . . . 

I John 3:1

We love him, because he first loved us. 

I John 4:19

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Marks of the Christian Life

What does a Christian look like?

In other words: what qualities are Christians characterized by? What kind of speech does a Christian use? How do Christians treat others? How do Christians handle conflict?

Let's take a look at Colossians 3 for some answers to these questions.

Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering; forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye. And above all these things put on charity, which is the bond of perfectness. And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful. {Colossians 3:12-15}

This passage paints a clear and direct picture of the marks of the Christian life.

Let's break this down, shall we?

{ ... holy and beloved ... } This describes our position in Christ as "the elect of God." The remaining qualities in the list are a natural outpouring of this.

{ ... bowels of mercies ... } Those who owe so much to the mercy of the Father are to be merciful to those who need mercy (see Luke 6:36).

{ ... kindness ... } Christians are characterized by a kindness that extends to everyone, not just those who are kind to us.

{ ... humbleness of mind ... } A Christian practices a humble mindset and thought pattern to match a humble demeanor (see Matthew 11:29 and Philippians 2:3).

{ ... meekness ... } Christians patiently bear the anger of others and bridle their own anger towards those who have provoked them.

{ ... longsuffering ... } Continued forbearance and patience towards those who continue to provoke (see I Corinthians 13:4). Since God is longsuffering, Christians are to exercise longsuffering to others in the same fashion.

{ ... forbearing one another ... } We all have something that others need patience to bear with. In the same way, we should patiently bear with others in what is disagreeable to us. In other words, Christians are to be characterized by a mutual patience for the imperfections we all have as sinful, fallen creatures.

{ ... forgiving one another ... even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye ... } Quarrels happen, even among "the elect of God." But it is our duty to forgive each other. A Christian is characterized by a readiness and willingness to forgive, because Christ forgave us.

{ ... put on charity ... } Unconditional love ("charity") is the capstone of the Christian faith, and an overriding principle in a Christian's life.

{ ... let the peace of God rule in your hearts ... } The Christian life is marked by a peaceable disposition, a peaceable spirit that keeps the peace and makes peace. This "peace of God" is working in all of those who are His. We are called to this peace - the privilege of peace with God and the duty of peace with our brothers and sisters as a body in Christ.

{ ... be ye thankful ... } Gratitude towards God and the provisions He has made for us (spiritual, material, etc.) is an important mark of the Christian life because He deserves our gratitude. It also sets the tone for a person's attitude, their disposition toward others and their outlook on life.

Colossians 3:12-15 serves as an excellent checklist for what the Christian life looks like. Each quality is just as important as the other. They all work together to exemplify Christ.

Prayerfully meditate on this checklist and ask the Lord to show you which qualities are lacking in your life. None of us are perfect, so none of us will ever exemplify Christ perfectly. We are not called to be perfect - we are called to strive toward Christ-likeness.

What does a Christian look like?

A Christian looks like Christ.

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Christ's Example of Godliness

"Jesus Christ" by Heinrich Hofmann

We all know that our lives are to be characterized by godliness. Many verses in the Bible mention this concept of godliness, or "the working of God in a person's life to make that person more like Himself" (definition mine). A few examples:

But refuse profane and old wives' fables, and exercise thyself rather unto godliness. For bodily exercise profiteth little: but godliness is profitable unto all things, having promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come. 

{I Timothy 4:7-8}

But godliness with contentment is great gain. 

{I Timothy 6:6}

 But thou, O man of God, flee these things; and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness. {I Timothy 6:11}

One verse in particular helps give us a better understanding of the nature of godliness.

And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory. 

{I Timothy 3:16}

Jesus Christ, the Son of God, is the ultimate manifestation of godliness because He was God in human form ("in the flesh"). A look at His time on earth reveals several ways in which Christ exemplified godliness. 

Christ's Examples of Godliness

1. Christ's love for all people. 

Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. {Matthew 22:39}

2. Christ's desire for the Gospel to be proclaimed to everyone.

 Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. {Mark 16:15} 

3. Christ obeyed His Father's commandments.

 If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father's commandments, and abide in his love. {John 15:10}

4. Christ put the needs of others before Himself.

For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty might be rich. {II Corinthians 8:9} 

5.  Christ was committed to do the will of God, no matter the price.

Nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt. {Matthew 26:39}

6.  Christ showed His love for God's House.

And Jesus went into the temple of God, and cast out all them that sold and bought in the temple, and overthrew the tables of the moneychangers, and the seats of them that sold doves, and said unto them, It is written, My house shall be called the house of prayer; but ye have made it a den of thieves. {Matthew 21:12-13}

7. Christ set the example for how we should pray.

And it came to pass in those days, that he went out into a mountain to pray, and continued all night in prayer to God. {Luke 6:12}

Christ's life is the perfect example of godliness. Why not use it as a blueprint for your own life as you seek to live in a godly way?

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Yet I Sin

Eternal Father,
Thou art good beyond all thought, 
But I am vile, wretched, miserable, blind;
My lips are ready to confess, but my heart is slow to feel,
      and my ways reluctant to amend.
I bring my soul to Thee;
      break it, wound it, bend it, mould it.
Unmask to me sin's deformity,
      that I may hate it, abhor it, flee from it. 
My faculties have been a weapon of revolt against Thee;
      as a rebel I have misused my strength,
      and served the foul adversary of Thy kingdom.
Give me grace to bewail my insensate folly, 
Grant me to know that the way of transgressors is hard,
                            that evil paths are wretched paths, 
                            that to depart from Thee is to lose all good.
I have seen the purity and beauty of Thy perfect law,
                  the happiness of those in whose heart it reigns,
                  the calm dignity of the walk to which it calls,
                     yet I daily violate and contemn its precepts.
Thy loving Spirit strives within me,
                          brings me Scripture warnings,
                          speaks in startling providences, 
                          allures by secret whispers,
                             yet I choose devices and desires to my own hurt,
                                     impiously resent, grieve,
                                        and provoke Him to abandon me. 


All these sins I mourn, lament, and for them cry pardon.
Work in me more profound and abiding repentance;
Give me the fullness of a godly grief that trembles and fears,
       yet ever trusts and loves,
       which is ever powerful, and ever confident;
Grant that through the tears of repentance I may see more clearly
       the brightness and glory of the saving Cross. 


{"Yet I Sin" from The Valley of Vision}

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Fruits of the Spirit: Love

Now, before you think that I'm about to get all mushy and lovey-dovey on you, let me assure you that is not my intention at all. The goal of this post is to examine the first fruit of the spirit listed in Galatians 5.

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. {Galatians 5:22-23}

Many people have tried to define love, both in secular and spiritual terms. One of my favorites:

Love is not love

Which alters when it alteration finds,

Or bends with the remover to remove:

O no! it is an ever-fixed mark 

That looks on tempests and is never shaken; 

                      Sonnet 116, William Shakespeare 

For the purposes of this post, I believe C.S. Lewis defines it better than anyone else.

"Love is not affectionate feeling, but a steady wish for the loved person's ultimate good as far as it can be obtained."

We can glean from these two quotes that true love is consistent and steady, no matter what may come its way.


What does the Bible have to say about love? Some examples from Scripture:

We are to love God completely.

And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might. {Deuteronomy 6:5}

 Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. {Matthew 22:37}

 And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment. {Mark 12:30}

 We are to love the foreigner/stranger.

Love ye therefore the stranger: for ye were strangers in the land of Egypt. {Deuteronomy 10:19}

 We are to love God's law.

O how love I thy law! it is my meditation all the day. {Psalm 119:97}

Love covers sin.

Love covereth all sins. {Proverbs 10:12b}

Charity shall cover the multitude of sins. {I Peter 4:8b}

We are to love our enemies.

But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; {Matthew 5:44} 

But I say unto you which hear, Love your enemies, do good to them which hate you, {Luke 6:27} 

 We are to love our neighbor.

Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. {Matthew 22:39, Mark 12:31}

 Christ's love for us is a reflection of the love of God the Father.

As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: continue ye in my love. {John 15:9}

Christ's showed His love for us through His sacrifice.

 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. {John 3:16}

 But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.  {Romans 5:8} 

Another word used in Scripture to describe this concept of love is "charity." I Corinthians 13 is the to-go passage to understand what biblical love ("charity") looks like.

(1) Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal. 

(2) And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing. 

(3) And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing. 

(4) Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, 

(5) Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil; 

(6) Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth; 

(7) Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things. 

(8) Charity never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away. 

(9) For we know in part, and we prophesy in part. 

(10) But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away. 

(11) When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things. 

(12) For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known. 

(13) And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity. 

What can we learn about love ("charity") from I Corinthians 13?

1. Anything done without love is meaningless (vs. 1-3). 

"Without [love], the most glorious gifts are of no account to us, of no esteem in the sight of God. A clear head and a deep understanding, are of no value without a benevolent and charitable heart. There may be an open and lavish hand, where there is not a liberal and charitable heart. Doing good to others will do none to us, if it be not done from love to God, and good-will to men. If we give away all we have, while we withhold the heart from God, it will not profit." {Matthew Henry}

2. Love is long-suffering, kind and humble. It is not envious (v. 4).

3. Love always behaves appropriately. It is not self-seeking, easily provoked, or quick to think ill of others (v. 5).

4. Love delights in truth (v. 6).

5. Love patiently endures everything. It always hopes for and believes the best (v. 7).

6. Love never fails (v.8).

7. Love is the greatest virtue a Christian can possess (v.13).

"How excellent would Christianity appear to the world, if those who profess it were more under this Divine principle, and paid due regard to the command on which its blessed Author laid the chief stress! Let us ask whether this Divine love dwells in our hearts. Has this principle guided us into becoming behaviour to all men? Are we willing to lay aside selfish objects and aims? Here is a call to watchfulness, diligence, and prayer ... Where God is to be seen as he is, and face to face, there charity is in its greatest height; there only will it be perfected."                                                                                  Matthew Henry

Do you have any thoughts you would like to add to this? Are there any verses or principles you know of that describe love or give instruction on how we can exhibit love in our lives? 

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Depth of Mercy

Depth of mercy! Can there be
Mercy still reserved for me?
Can my God His wrath forbear,
Me, the chief of sinners, spare?


I have long withstood His grace,
Long provoked Him to His face,
Would not hearken to His calls,
Grieved Him by a thousand falls.


I have spilt His precious blood,
Trampled on the Son of God,

Filled with pangs unspeakable,

I, who yet am not in hell!

I my Master have denied,

I afresh have crucified,

And profaned His hallowed Name,

Put Him to an open shame.

Whence to me this waste of love?

Ask my Advocate above!

See the cause in Jesus' face,

Now before the throne of grace.

Jesus, answer from above,

Is not all Thy nature love?

Wilt Thou not the wrong forget,

Permit me to kiss Thy feet?

If I rightly read Thy heart,

If Thou all compassion art,

Bow Thine ear, in mercy bow,

Pardon and accept me now.

Jesus speaks, and pleads His blood!

He disarms the wrath of God;

Now my Father's mercies move,

Justice lingers into love.

Kindled His relentings are,

Me He now delights to spare,

Cries, 'How shall I give thee up?'

Lets the lifted thunder drop.

Lo! I still walk on the ground:

Lo! an Advocate is found:

'Hasten not to cut Him down,

Let this barren soul alone.'

There for me the Savior stands,

Shows His wounds and spreads His hands.

God is love! I know, I feel;

Jesus weeps and loves me still.

Pity from Thine eye let fall,

By a look my soul recall;

Now the stone to flesh convert,

Cast a look, and break my heart.

Now incline me to repent,

Let me now my sins lament,

Now my foul revolt deplore,

Weep, believe, and sin no more. 

{Depth of Mercy by Charles Wesley}


Among the attributes of God, although they are all equal, mercy shines with even more brilliancy than justice. Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra

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What is Biblical Forgiveness?

Photo by Myrna Moore

When you have suffered at another's hand, the last thing you want to do is forgive. You pride tells you not to forgive. It tells you that you have the right to be offended.

God is very specific about the Christian's responsibility to forgive. There are no exceptions to this command. We must forgive, whether we feel like it or not; whether we think the the person who offended us deserves our forgiveness or not.

When Jesus was asked, "Master, which is the great commandment in the law?," this was his response:

Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets. {Matthew 22: 37-40}

 What is biblical forgiveness? It is a promise that you will not deal with those who have offended you, hurt you, or sinned against you. It is a promise that you will not bring the offense up to them or anyone else ever again.

You are to forgive because God forgave you.

And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you. {Ephesians 4:32}

Forgiveness is...

• not an apology. Apologies are what you do/say to explain yourself. "I did that because..." "I said that because..."
• not forgetting. When God forgives your sin, He chooses to remember it no more. Forgiveness is a choice, an act of the will to remember the offense no more.
• not a matter of faith or spirituality. Forgiveness is simply obedience to a direct command of God.
• not a feeling. You don't forgive because you feel like it. You forgive because you are commanded by God to do it.

Christ gave us an example in Scripture of our choice to respond according to our feelings or to respond in obedience to God's commands.

But which of you, having a servant plowing or feeding cattle, will say unto him by and by, when he is come from the field, Go and sit down to meat? And will not rather say unto him, Make ready wherewith I may sup, and gird thyself, and serve me, till I have eaten and drunken; and afterward thou shalt eat and drink? Doth he thank that servant because he did the things that were commanded him? I trow not. So likewise ye, when ye shall have done all those things which are commanded you, say, We are unprofitable servants: we have done that which was our duty to do. {Luke 17:7-10}

The servant in this parable was probably exhausted and hungry from working all day. You might be thinking, "How unfair for the master to require more of him than was expected!" But the servant was required to obey his master, regardless of whether his feelings about how he was being treated were legitimate or not.

Your feelings may be legitimate based on what you have experienced or are experiencing. But your feelings are not to be your master. God is your Master. God commands you to stop living according to your feelings and just obey. Obedience is not the extra mile; it is your duty as a servant.

Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye. {Colossians 3:13} 

You are to forgive because God has forgiven you. he has given you mercy and withheld judgment. He wants you to give mercy and allow him, the Righteous Judge, to administer judgment to those who have hurt you. Mercy is no longer hoping in your heart that hurt or evil comes upon those who hurt you. You give up the desire to punish of hurt the one who has hurt you. Mercy and forgiveness walk hand in hand. You never see one without the other.

God has given specific instructions about how Christians are to treat those who have hurt them.

But I say unto you which hear, Love your enemies, do good to them which hate you, bless them that curse you, and pray for them which despitefully use you. And unto him that smiteth thee on the one cheek offer also the other; and him that taketh away thy cloke forbid not to take thy coat also. Give to every man that asketh of thee; and of him that taketh away thy goods ask them not again. And as ye would that men should do to you, do ye also to them likewise. {Luke 6:27-31}

Jesus, having suffered all the shame, the physical and emotional abuse, the rejection, and the sins of the world, lifted His voice to heaven and prayed, "Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do." He forgave so that you may be forgiven and, following his example, can also forgive.

When you humble yourself as a servant before the Lord and determine to obey His command to forgive, you witness to the world Christ's forgiveness of sin. Christ died for the sins of those who hurt you in the past, who who are hurting you now and those who will hurt you in the future.

Now, forgiveness does not mean:

• the hurt you experienced was justified.
• the blame rests upon you for the hurt inflicted.
• you are going to confront the offender.
• all memories of the offense and the offender will vanish the moment you forgive.
• there is no pain or sense of loss involved in the forgiving of the offender.
• that the other person was right.
• that the other person controls you.

Yield in obedience to Christ and choose to forgive all of those who have hurt you. This initial act of forgiveness is crucial, but keep in mind that forgiveness is to be continual. As these offenses come up in your mind again - and they will - you must lay them at the foot of the Cross once again, remembering that you have given forgiveness. 

To be a Christian means to forgive the inexcusable because God has forgiven the inexcusable in you. {C.S. Lewis}

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Letting Go

There's an old Gaelic proverb that says, "Nothing can get into a closed fist." It is literally impossible to get anything into a closed fist (if you're skeptical, try it). This "closed fist" mentality is a daily struggle for many of us. It can manifest itself in many different forms, the most common being worry. Worry is, essentially, a lack of faith and/or a distrust of God's ability to handle circumstances. Whenever we raise the "closed fist" of worry, we're telling God that we don't believe He knows what's best.

The reality is, God does know best.

For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts. {Isaiah 55:8-9}

 For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end. {Jeremiah 29:11}

And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. {Romans 8:28} 

Letting go doesn't mean giving up; it means having enough trust in God's plan to move on. It's one of the hardest things for us to do. Starting at birth, we grasp on to anything we can get our hands on, and hold on as if we will cease to exist when we let go. We feel that letting go is giving up, quitting, and that, as we all know, is cowardly. But letting go isn't a sign of weakness or cowardice; it's an exercise of the strength that faith and trust in God's sovereignty provides. It shows that you believe God is true to His word.

Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths. {Proverbs 3:5-6}

Be careful [anxious] for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. {Philippians 4:6-7}

 Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you. {I Peter 5:7}

 Perhaps you are facing financial troubles, health problems, or other difficult circumstances. God will take care of you. He has a plan, even if you can't always understand why He is allowing you to experience those difficulties. He will take care of you.


Perhaps you are burdened for someone close to you who has drifted far from God and is living in sin. As a brother or sister in Christ, you are to do everything you can to help them understand their need for change and restoration (see Matthew 18 and Galatians 6). If you have already taken the proper steps for confrontation, and they remain steadfast in their rebellion against God, you have to let them go and trust that God will work in their life without your intervention. 


Letting go of someone we love is hard. We often worry that letting them go will be perceived as giving up on them, or not caring enough to keep trying, because we don't want them to think that we don't love them. But letting go means having enough faith to let that person go, trusting that God is big enough to take care of them, no matter how hard you might have to fight yourself to do so. A friend of mind put it this way: "You don't stop loving them, but you have to let them go. Because you love them, you have to have enough strength to let them go and put them completely in God's hands." Show your love by praying for them. Give them over to God - He will take care of them.

Lay all your problems, cares, and worries at the throne of God, and leave them there. Open your closed fist, give everything you're holding on to over to Him, and don't take them back. Ask the Lord to increase your faith and trust in His promises. Keep your hands open so He can give and take people and circumstances in your life as He sees best. 

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Quotes by C.S. Lewis

C.S. Lewis (or "Jack," as he liked to be called) is one of my favorite authors and Christian apologists. His writings are some of the most profound works on Christianity that I have read so far in my experience with Christian apologetic literature. His unique ability to describe complex ideas in a simple ways is an inspiration to me.

So, without further ado, I would like to share with you some quotes attributed to him that I have found helpful, thought-provoking, and encouraging. I hope they will minister to your heart, as well.

"A man can no more diminish God's glory by refusing to worship Him than a lunatic can put out the sun by scribbling 'darkness' on the walls of his cell."

"A young man who wishes to remain a sound atheist cannot be too careful of his reading."

"Aim at heaven and you will get earth thrown in. Aim at earth and you will get neither."

"Christianity, if false, is of no importance, and if true, of infinite importance. The only thing it cannot be is moderately important."

"Courage is not simply one of the virtues, but the form of every virtue at the testing point."

"Failures are finger posts on the road to achievement."

"God cannot give us a happiness and peace apart from Himself, because it is not there. There is no such thing."

"Miracles are a retelling in small letters of the very same story which is written across the whole world in letters too large for some of us to see."

"Nothing that you have not given away will ever really be yours."

"There are two kinds of people: those who say to God, 'Thy will be done,' and those to whom God says, 'All right, then, have it your way.'" 

"We are what we believe we are."

"You are never too old to set another goal or to dream a new dream."

 "You don't have a soul. You are a soul. You have a body."

"To love at all is to be vulnerable. Love anything and your heart will be wrung and possibly broken. If you want to make sure of keeping it intact you must give it to no one, not even an animal. Wrap it carefully round with hobbies and little luxuries; avoid all entanglements. Lock it up safe in the casket or coffin of your selfishness. But in that casket, safe, dark, motionless, airless, it will change. It will not be broken; it will be come unbreakable, impenetrable, irredeemable. To love is to be vulnerable."

"I pray because I can't help myself. I pray because I'm helpless. I pray because the need flows out of me all the time - waking and sleeping. It doesn't change God - it changes me." 

"Love is not an affectionate feeling, but a steady wish for the loved person's ultimate good as far as it can be obtained."

"Atheism turns out to be too simple. If the whole universe has no meaning, we should never have found out that it has no meaning..."

"To be a Christian means to forgive the inexcusable because God has forgiven the inexcusable in you."

"Pain insists upon being attended to. God whispers to us in our pleasures, speaks in our consciences, but shouts in our pains. It is his megaphone to rouse a dead world."

"There are far, far better things ahead than any we leave behind."

"What draws people to be friends is that they see the same truth. They share it."

"I know now, Lord, why you utter no answer. You are yourself the answer. Before your face questions die away. What other answer would suffice?" 

"God allows us to experience the low points in life in order to teach us lessons that we could learn no other way."

"Though our feelings come and go, God's love for us does not."

"It is not your business to succeed, but to do right; when you have done so, the rest lies with God."

"To walk out of His will is to walk into nowhere."

"When you are arguing against God, you are arguing against the very power that makes you able to argue at all."

"God loves us, not because we're lovable, because He is love. Not because He needs to receive, because He delights to give."

"Faith in Christ is the only thing to save you from despair."

"When we lose one blessing, another is often most unexpectedly given in its place."

"If God forgives us, we must forgive ourselves. Otherwise it is like setting up ourselves as a higher tribunal than Him."

"If we only have the will to walk, then God is pleased with our stumbles."

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What God Says About "Getting Even"

When someone is hurt - physically, emotionally, or otherwise - the initial (and natural) response is often anger. Hurt can cause fear, sadness, hopelessness, depression, feelings of isolation, and/or a deep loneliness. All of these emotions are fertile ground for anger. We often respond to this anger by wanting to hurt those who hurt us. After all, it's only fair that  they get what they deserve by getting the same treatment...right?  


Let's dive into God's Word and see what He has to say about wanting to get even.


Rejoice not when thine enemy falleth, and let not thine heart be glad when he stumbleth: lest the LORD see it, and it displease him, and he turn away his wrath from him. Fret not thyself because of evil men, neither be thou envious of the wicked; for there shall be no reward to the evil man; the candle of the wicked shall be put out. {Proverbs 24:17-20}


...it is a righteous thing with God to recompense tribulation to them that trouble you; {2 Thessalonians 1:6}

Okay, so we know how we're not to respond...but how are we to respond to those who hurt us?

But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; that ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh the sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust. {Matthew 5:44-46} 


Bless them which persecute you: bless, and curse not. {Romans 12:14}


Recompense no man evil for evil. {Romans 12:17a}


Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, said the Lord. Therefore if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink: for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head. Be not overcome with evil, but overcome evil with good. {Romans 12:19-21}


And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you. {Ephesians 4:32}


Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye. {Colossians 3:13}


What does God say about us if we choose to stay angry anyway and seek to "get even"?

He that saith he is in the light, and hateth his brother, is in darkness even until now. He that loveth his brother abideth in the light, and there is none occasion of stumbling in him. But he that hateth his brother is in darkness, and walketh in darkness, and knoweth not whither he goeth, because that darkness hath blinded his eyes. {I John 9-11}


Anger cannot be hidden or denied. It must be responded to, or it will consume you. God commands you to get rid of it. You must bring it out of the darkness of denial and into the light of admission and repentance.

Signs of an angry spirit:

• A critical or sarcastic attitude
• Holding a grudge or keeping a list of hurts
• Being extremely negative on a regular basis
• An unforgiving disposition

Do any of these describe you? Would others describe you in a similar way?

Quiet your heart and ask the Lord to show you any areas of your life where you are holding on to anger. Are you willing to acknowledge your anger, your desire to "get even," as sin? 

Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: and see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting. {Psalm 139:23-24}

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Washed Clean

As I write this, rain is tapping away at the windowsill. The taps are becoming progressively louder as the rain starts coming down harder. At first glance out the window, it looks to be a dreary scene.

The rain has lightened up to a soft drizzle now.

On a second, more concentrated look out the window, I see it - a bush situated right underneath the window. I remember noticing the other day that this particular bush was covered in pollen and spider webs. Thanks to the rain, the bush is now free from the pollen and spider webs. It has been washed clean from all the filth I had noticed before. I couldn't help but be reminded of how Christ's atonement on the Cross gave my soul a similar cleansing when I accepted Him as my Savior.

(I realize this comparison/illustration breaks down, but bear with me a little.)

Back in in the days of the Old Testament, those who loved and feared God were required to make sacrifices to make restitution for their sins (you can read more about this in the first five books of the Old Testament, Genesis-Deuteronomy). Blood had to be spilled to cover their sins, because "without the shedding of blood is no remission [pardon/forgiveness]," Hebrews 9:22b. This wasn't just a one-time event. They had to take a sacrifice to the Tabernacle or the Temple (depending on when they lived) every day of their lives.

Approximately 2,000 years ago, God sent His Son to serve as the once-for-all sacrifice for all mankind. Christ was the Lamb "who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God" (Hebrews 9:14). The little phrase "without spot" carries big significance. God required a perfect sacrifice to make restitution for the sins of Old Testament believers. When Christ came to earth to die for us, that standard had not changed. He couldn't just be "good enough" - he had to be perfect, sinless, something  humans can never be no matter how hard we try. Christ had such great compassion and love for us pitiful, sinful, hopeless creatures that he "washed us from our sins in his own blood" (Revelation 1:5), something we could never do for ourselves.

The rain washed away the impurities I saw on the bush outside my window. The bush had no way of removing the filth itself; it was helpless. Similarly, you and I are completely helpless to cleanse our sinful hearts to be the perfect sacrifice that God requires to atone for sin. When we accepted Christ, Christ's blood washes us clean from all the "dust" and "spider webs," all the impurities of our sinfulness, once and for all. That doesn't mean we never sin again - we still have our sinful nature, and it will remain until we die. But our sins - past, present, and future - are already paid for. We do not have the burden of them on our shoulders anymore because of what Christ did for us on the Cross.

If you know Christ as your Savior, you have great cause to rejoice: you are washed clean of your sins by the blood of the Lamb - FOREVER!

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