The Word became flesh and dwelt among us. We observed his glory, the glory as the one and only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth. (John 1:14)

In the beginning, God created a good, good world. There was no pain or grief, no hardship or poverty, no loss or heartache. Even better, our first parents, Adam and Eve, enjoyed unbroken fellowship with their heavenly Father. But almost as quickly as the story began, it took a dark turn. In the shade of Eden, Adam and Eve doubted God’s good heart, and with the crunch of forbidden fruit, all of creation began to unravel.

However, God did not abandon humanity in their sin. Even as he was doling out consequences and judgments, he made Adam and Eve (and all of us) a promise. He told the serpent, later identified as the devil (Revelation 12:9), “I will put hostility between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring. He will strike your head, and you will strike his heel” (Genesis 3:15). With that word of judgment, God announced a Savior would one day be born, and He would deal evil a fatal blow.

And so, down through the centuries, the people watched and waited, looking for the one God had promised. But they were not left to wait in isolation. God spoke, giving his people instructions and making them promises. At one point, he also came to live with his people, taking up residence in the tabernacle as Israel sojourned in the wilderness, and later filling the temple in Jerusalem. But still the people waited for their Savior.

Jesus’ arrival was a new chapter in humanity’s story, to be sure, but it was also the fulfillment of all the stories the people of Israel had treasured in their hearts. And so, when the apostle John sat down to write his account of the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth, he knew just where to start.

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God” (John 1:1). With that opening line, John ushered his readers back to the book of Genesis. There, God brought creation into being by his spoken word. John will introduce his audience to that Word, but first he wants them to consider that the Word is both God and also distinct from God. It won’t do to press them together too tightly, nor will it work to pull them apart. It’s just like a word that proceeds from your lips—it us both an extension of you and distinct from you. The Word is Yahweh, and yet the Word is with him. He is sent from God, and yet he is God.

All that brings us to John’s use of “the Word” to describe the Son of God. The prophets of Israel and Judah would sometimes describe revelation they received from God as “the word of the Lord.” (See, for example, Genesis 15:1; 1 Samuel 15:10; Ezekiel 14:2). As we read these passages, we commonly think God spoke to these Old Testament saints by a powerful impression or perhaps even with an audible voice, but that’s as far as we go. The “word of the Lord” in these instances is a message, nothing more.

But perhaps we’re wrong.

Consider Jeremiah 1:4–10. There, Jeremiah records, “The word of the Lord came to me” (v. 4). But then, a few verses later, the prophet tells us, “Then the Lord reached out his hand, touched my mouth, and told me: I have now filled your mouth with my words” (v. 9). A disembodied voice, no matter how powerful, does not reach out its hand and touch someone’s mouth. This “Lord” conveying divine words to Jeremiah’s mouth was God in physical form.

In John’s famous prologue, the Word is a message from the Lord. More accurately, he is the ultimate message, for he is “the radiance of God’s glory and the exact expression of his nature” (Hebrews 1:3). He came to show us what God is like, to silence any doubts about his goodness. That is why Jesus could say, “The one who has seen me has seen the Father” (John 14:9). But Jesus is more than a message.  He descended to be born one of us. He is the offspring God promised to Eve in the garden, the one he said would crush the head of the serpent (Genesis 3:16). He is the God who “camped out” or “tabernacled” with Israel in the wilderness (for that is literally what the Greek word translated “dwelt” in John 1:14 means).

At Christmas, we celebrate the God who draws near, the Savior who came to earth to wipe away our tears, put an end to our grief, and make a way for us to come home. We praise the Word who put on flesh so that he could reach out and touch those he loves.

The post The God Who Draws Near first appeared on Live Original.

We all have fears. What distinguishes us from each other is how we deal with our fears. Some people try to ignore them. This strategy might appear to be working in the short term, when what is actually happening is a boatload of deferral. Our unaddressed fears compound interest and grow in size and in the power they have over us.

Another approach is to confront our fears in small increments—not unlike inching our way into a cold lake by slowly shuffling our feet forward. Feet, ankles, and after a long period of time we might make it up to our knees. Progress is slow and unsatisfying. But the healthiest way to deal with our fears isn’t to grab our knees and do a cannonball in an attempt to beat them back, it is to understand them.

Plenty of times Jesus asked people who had good reason to be fearful the reason why. He asked a couple of the men in a sinking boat, “Why are you so afraid?” A seemingly unreasonable question to a boat full of guys who perhaps knew they could not swim to shore. There was no mention of life jackets, life rings, and rescue boats. These seem like questions with obvious answers, but only until you consider the circumstance more deeply and understand that there was much more going on under the surface than in the boat.

God doesn’t ask us to ignore or dismiss our fears but instead to understand them. When we figure out what our fears are attached to, we can ask God for the kind of supernatural help we need to overcome them.

Jesus doesn’t force Himself or His ideas on anyone, not on me or on you or on others, even though we are all desperately in need of His involvement in our lives. Instead, He puts the ball in our court. He asks us the unexpected questions and then waits for us to acknowledge our true needs and receive what He offers: love, acceptance, and a relationship with Him.

Sometimes God will lead us into difficult situations where our fears are triggered. His hope is that we would realize our desperate need for Him.

Think about it for a minute. What are you afraid of today? The way to take away the power fear may hold over us is to name what it is we’re afraid of, understand the origins of our fear, and then take these fears to Jesus to overcome.

Most of us can come up with a list of our concerns and fears, but what may take a little more digging is figuring out where these fears originated. If it is a fear of rejection you harbor, go back to your earliest memory of being rejected. See yourself in that time and at that place and remember what it felt like. That was you back then, but it doesn’t need to be you right now. You have changed and grown and learned what to trust and who to trust. You might ask Jesus to help you find your confidence in Him and His promise that He’s not going anywhere, ever.

I remember lying in bed the night before law school started. Tears were streaming down my cheeks, because, at orientation that day, the faculty had given their draconian version of a pep talk by saying that every third chair was eventually going to be empty because one-third of the class would flunk out the first year. No matter what end of the row I started, as I counted silently toward myself—one, two, three, one, two, three—I was always the third guy.

My first thought was to defer law school and start some other time when I had my act together. Isn’t this what a lot of us do when that fear of failure kicks in? We settle for the dissatisfaction of what we know rather than the ambiguity of what we haven’t tried yet. But settling for the ordinary when the extraordinary is right around the corner doesn’t get us anywhere.

How about this? Instead of avoiding distress, confront it. Rather than fostering a sense that failure might be near and doom is just around the corner, name what your fear is and call it out. Once it is out in the open, not only can you begin to understand it, but you also take away the power it has over you. 

What fears are standing in your way? Do you struggle with a fear of failure? Maybe it’s a big, public screw up that you’re afraid of, or perhaps it is the thought of an even bigger private mess-up that is holding you back. Whatever it is, do the work to determine where that fear came from, so that you can then ask God to help you sort out what is true and what is not true and what a good plan might be moving forward to break free from those fears.

Identify what is keeping you back today and bring that to Jesus. Tell God what you are afraid of. Take Paul’s words to his younger friend Timothy to heart: “For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.”

Experience the freedom that comes from calling out what you fear as specifically as you can and then bringing it to Jesus today. Ask Him for the guts and the grit to do something about it.

Fearlessness is the opposite of being ignorant of the circumstances. It’s saying, “Notwithstanding the circumstances, I serve a mighty Lord, and He can handle this.”

Run after fearlessness with all you’ve got.

—

Adapted from Catching Whimsy: 365 Days of Possibility by Bob Goff. Copyright © 2024 by Bob

Goff. Published by Thomas Nelson. Available wherever books are sold.

The post Name Your Fears and Embrace the Extraordinary first appeared on Live Original.

Perfectionism is an insidious foe, especially during the holidays, when we’re inundated on every side with images of unattainable excellence. Social media feeds us snippets and squares of strangers’ lives which have often been carefully curated to edit out the imperfections of real life. We feel our lack, howsoever subtly, turning from our screens with a critical eye toward our own imperfect lives, resolving to make them look more like this or that influencer’s. Comparison culture has been linked to feelings of inadequacy, low self-esteem, depression, and anxiety. It can cause us to set an impossible standard for ourselves before inviting people into our lives, or, worse yet, cause us to withdraw in an attempt to shield our messy, ordinary lives from view. Yet comparison is so prevalent in our society, we scarcely realize how it’s affecting us. Theodore Roosevelt famously said that comparison is the thief of joy. But it’s also the thief of hospitality and human connection, not to mention any semblance of a meaningful holiday. And if we’re serious about engaging with what matters most this time of year, we’re going to have to recognize the role of comparison and call out perfectionism for the enemy that it is.

One of the ways I have learned to do this is to rely on a mantra to keep me tethered to what is true. “Perfect imperfection” is one I like to roll around, particularly when I start feeling tempted to overextend myself in preparations for Christmas. What I mean by that is that it’s the very fallibility of life that makes it life, and that anything that connects us to our humanness and that of others is not only good, but essential. Myquillin Smith, the home décor guru and founder of the “cozy minimalist” movement, says that “imperfections set people at ease,” and I have found this to be absolutely true, both in my experience as host and as guest. Perfection—even the appearance of it—can be threatening, off-putting, inhospitable. But if we really want to connect with people and make lasting holiday memories, we will embrace the fact that it’s the very imperfections that make it memorable.

My mother once spent Christmas Eve basting and slow roasting a goose my dad had brought back from a hunting expedition in Canada. The aromas were intoxicating as she opened the oven again and again throughout the day to drizzle another layer of apricot-laced pan drippings, and by suppertime my brother and sister and I were fairly ravenous. We gathered around as Daddy carved the bird, like a modern rendering of the Cratchit family, anticipating the first bite as he said the blessing. At Mama’s first bite, however, she twisted her mouth and knit her brows. Then, before any of us had a chance to raise so much as a forkful, she swept our plates into the kitchen and scraped them into the trash. The goose, it seemed, was full of lead shot. I honestly don’t remember what Mama served us for dinner that night in its place—probably fish sticks or canned ravioli. What I do remember, however, is her humor in relation to the thing, and how we have laughed about it over the years. That story has been canonized in my family history as evidence that the details don’t matter as much as the gift of simply being together.

Another thing that helps is to decide ahead of time what we want to give our time to. If we love to deck the halls and have people over, then let’s keep our menus relatively simple. If, on the other hand, your idea of love is to spread a four-course feast, or simply set a beautiful table for a family meal, it’s all right to scale back your decorations in other parts of the house, if need be. Give yourself permission to give lavishly in the ways you feel most called and equipped. But also give yourself permission to take a pass on the things that drain you of energy and joy.

Finally, and most importantly, invite God into your plans. We serve a Savior who is intimately acquainted with the details of our lives, and who wants to commune with us in the very midst of our calendars and to-do lists. Do not be afraid to ask for wisdom in matters great small pertaining to this holiday. As God-with-us, Jesus has entered into the minutia of our lives, dignifying even the lowliest things with his presence. He never asks us to pursue perfection in our own strength, but to rest in his unfailing, unconditional love and to extend that love to others. It is from this resting place alone that we can embrace the perfectly imperfect gift of this holiday season.

BIO:

Lanier Ivester is a homemaker and writer in the beautiful state of Georgia, where she maintains a small farm with her husband, Philip, and an ever-expanding menagerie of animals. She studied English Literature at the University of Oxford. For over a decade she has kept a web journal at lanierivester.com, and her work has also been featured on Southern Living, The Gospel Coalition, and The Cultivating Project, among others. Her latest book is Glad & Golden Hours: A Companion for Advent and Christmastide (Rabbit Room Press, November 2024).

The post Perfectly Imperfect first appeared on Live Original.

Has there ever been a time in your life where you feel you could insert your name in that sentence? Or maybe you feel that you can right now as you read this.

Are you anxious and troubled about many things? School? Grades? A busy schedule? Trying to juggle being a good friend, sister, daughter, mother, mentor, etc? Or perhaps getting anxious as this season gets busier and busier? Something didn’t go the way you thought it would? Unmet high expectations?

Let me give you some encouragement. These are actually the very words of Jesus as He came to visit Mary and Martha. And the words He shared with them are the words He’s sharing with us. And it is something that God has used to radically change my life. And I pray it does the same for you <3

I want us to pause and open our Bibles to Luke 10:38-42.

Once you’re there, I want you to read along with me. What I am about to share with you is something God used to radically change my life. And it comes straight from His Word.

“Now as they went on their way, Jesus entered a village. And a woman named Martha welcomed him into her house. And she had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet and listened to his teaching. But Martha was distracted with much serving. And she went up to him and said, “Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Tell her to stop then to help me.” But the Lord answered her, “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things, but one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her.”

Luke 10:38-42

Wow. Is this not moving? Can you immediately insert yourself into this story? I know I can!

Here we have Jesus Christ—God in the flesh—in Martha’s house. In Martha’s mind, she wants to serve him well. (Understandable, right?) And don’t you know Martha truly means well? She wants everything to be so perfect for Jesus. She probably wants the food to be perfect. A clean house. A house prepared to host. And I imagine she was going ninety-to-nothing.

In the midst of it all, Martha became incredibly distracted. And with all of the things piled up on each other, she began to be anxious about many things. This was because she was missing one thing….the main thing. Enjoying being with the one she was hosting. Sitting at his feet. Listening to him. Learning from him. She thought that the “things” she could do for him was the key when really, she didn’t have to do a thing but sit at his feet.

Now let’s talk about Mary. Mary knew all that needed to be done I imagine. My guess would be that Martha probably gave her a list of all the things they needed to check off and all Mary needed to do to help serve Jesus.

But when Jesus entered the room, immediately in Mary’s heart and mind, nothing else mattered. Everything else stopped in her life. She knew who was in her midst. And she just wanted to sit at His feet and enjoy His presence. There’s something so powerful about that last line—“ Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her.”

This moves me every time I read it. The GOOD portion. The one thing necessary. And it won’t be taken away.

Can you relate to this story? If so, do you identify more with Mary or with Martha? This story is so, so timely for us today in the society we are living in sisters.

For me, part of my testimony is that I was a Martha at one point in my life. Honestly it was for a few years! My lifestyle was insanely busy and it was go, go, go non-stop. To say I was distracted was an understatement. And to say I was anxious is an understatement. And it’s because I was trying to take control of things and carry the weight of all that I was juggling and I was never meant to.

The life that society throws at us and tempts us to adopt and adapt to is not sustainable. And that is why anxiety is rampant in this world. It’s why so many are crippled by it. I myself felt crippled by it. But praise God He drew me out of the pit and set me on higher ground. He spoke the better word over me and that’s why I’m sharing my heart in this text today because if you are reading this and you feel that you’ve been a Martha too—anxious or distracted or troubled by many things, there is hope! And there is an answer. And His name is Jesus 

Let me tell you sisters, anxiety is NOT your portion! Your portion is peace and joy. And it is found in Jesus. He IS our peace. He IS our joy. He healed me and He will heal you too!

My life was radically changed when I entered into His rest and began to walk at His pace. I haven’t been the same and I’ll never be the same.

I was Martha. Distracted by many things. Anxious about many things. Busy doing all of the things. And it’s not that these things were “bad” things! But they were distracting. Martha surely wasn’t doing anything “bad”—but she was so busy doing so many things that she was distracted from the main thing—the good portion—sitting at the feet of Jesus and resting in His presence. And that was my story too.

In most beautiful, gentle, loving way, God told me to just be with Him. To be still and know that He is God. To cease striving. To sit at His feet. And doing that enabled me to step into the fullness of joy. A joy that’s unshakeable and a joy that cannot be taken from me.

The joy doesn’t come from everything in my surroundings becoming perfect. Things won’t be perfect until Jesus comes back one day and makes all things new.

The joy comes from knowing I belong to my perfect Heavenly Father who has already won. Who loves me. Who is pleased with me. Who calls me His own. Who sent His only Son to die for me. Who reigns victorious over all. Who has gone before me. Who chose me before the world began. Who wrote a story for me before I was even born. And I choose every single day to rest in the shadow of the Almighty and I live for an audience of One.

And sisters, this truth applies to you too. You can step into the fullness of joy that only Jesus offers and enter into His rest. You can reclaim your peace!

We’re not called to be a Martha. We’re not called to do all of the things. We’re robbed of our peace when we begin to do that.

Let me give you some good reminders that I pray will ease your mind in some way, shape or form 

• It’s ok if you go to sleep with dirty dishes.
• It’s ok if you didn’t get all the laundry folded.
• It’s ok if you didn’t do so well on that test.
• It’s ok if you’re single.
• It’s ok that guy broke up with you—God has someone better!
• It’s ok if you were accidentally late for class.
• It’s ok that you don’t have as many followers as she does.
• It’s ok if you don’t dress like she does.
• It’s ok if you didn’t get your workout in.
• It’s ok that you don’t have that job just yet.
• It’s ok.

Do you know why it’s ok? Because Jesus isn’t asking us to hit every mark of society.

He’s asking us to abide in Him. To trust Him. To rest in Him. To be totally found in His unconditional love. To love Him with all that we are. To sit at His feet.

And when we abide in Him, we will bear much fruit. The fruit of the Spirit—love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. And this is what brings a fulfilled life. An empowered life—empowered by God’s Holy Spirit. And when He is living in you, know that that is the same power that raised Jesus from the dead. Therefore sisters—you can overcome whatever may come your way! Not because of your own strength, but through the strength of the One living inside of you.

And sisters, the truth is that we wouldn’t have any of this if it weren’t for Jesus coming to the earth as a baby—God in flesh. Immanuel. God with us. And as we are in the middle of this Christmas season, I pray each and every one of us keep the main thing, the main thing. You’re going to be tempted to be a Martha. To feel stressed you haven’t gotten all of your Christmas shopping done, or maybe the house isn’t clean for the guests, or maybe your mind is cluttered from all you have to do.

Let me encourage you to stop, pause, and breathe in the peace of God. Don’t let society’s portrayal of Christmas cloud out the true meaning of what Christmas is. The miracle of God coming to earth through Jesus—as He provided eternal hope for us and enabled us to be made right with God.

Sit at the feet of Jesus. Keep your eyes fixed on Him.

Whether it’s something involving the Christmas season or something else going on in your life, I want to leave you with some truths.

Jesus says in Matthew 11:28-30 “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.”

Be reminded of Philippians 4:6-7. It says, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

When we lay all that we are anxious about down at the feet of Jesus, something incredible happens. His peace—the peace of God—that surpasses ALL understanding, guards our hearts and mind in Christ Jesus.

Sisters. This peace is yours. Claim it today and forevermore.

Peace isn’t found in the absence of trouble. It’s found in the presence of Jesus.

So sisters, let’s be a Mary and just sit at His feet. Let’s choose the good portion. The one thing that won’t be taken from us.

–Your sister,

Anne Elizabeth

Anne Elizabeth Buys is from Vicksburg, MS and has a deep passion for sharing the love of Jesus, for her family, and continually being a student of God’s Word. In 2017, she served her state as Miss MS and it was during that year she felt the call of ministry on her life. She began to write daily devotionals and share the gospel any and every way she could, with a deep passion to speak life into young women’s identity. She also began serving in her church on the worship team and leading in the youth group. She attended Mississippi State and graduated with a degree in broadcasting and worked in the corporate world for a few years, but in 2023, she felt the Lord calling her to jump into ministry full time. She answered that call and now works full time as the Director of Ministries at Triumph Church of Vicksburg and embraces every opportunity to serve the Kingdom.

Follow along on social media @anneelizabethbuys. 

The post The One Thing first appeared on Live Original.

 I’ve been studying the topic of trust lately. And what I’ve realized is that I attach a great deal of my trust in God to my desire for things to turn out like I think they should.

I want the goodness of God to compel Him to fix things, change minds, prevent hurt, punish the bad, and vindicate the good on my timeline. I want the goodness of God to make people who do hurtful things say they are sorry and then act better, do better, be better. I’m desperate for Him to make circumstances good in the timing that seems good to me.

But that’s not faith. It’s actually a sign that because I still don’t understand what he allowed to happen in my past, I’m struggling to trust him with my future. So I’ve started asking myself this question: Can I trust Him enough to really start surrendering the outcomes the way my life will go?

Proverbs 3:5–6 instructs, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.” I know these verses, but I want to live these verses. And in order to do that, I must acknowledge God’s version of making my path straight most likely will not line up with what I expect.

Ugh. Can I do that? Can I make peace with the fact that my definition of a path being made straight is limited by my human thinking and emotion? Can I find my security in the unlimited, all knowing power of God?

Friend, as we sit with all of this, I’m reminded of this big, uprooted oak tree I once saw after some bad weather. It was a stately tree that appeared incredibly grounded and stable. But as I got closer to the fallen giant, I saw that when it fell, the roots were so shallow that they lifted out of the ground as well. As a crew was cutting up the tree to remove it, I saw that the tree was hollow on the inside. I just had to know: What made such a seemingly immovable tree fall? One of the men said, “Shallow roots and ants.”

“Huh?” I replied. He explained that sometimes big trees that grow in yards with sprinkler systems get so easily satisfied by the water from the surface that the roots don’t need to go deep into the ground for water. The trees can look strong and stable, but shallow roots make them less stable and way more vulnerable in storms and strong winds.

Oh boy. I could feel the life lesson coming in hot.

When life looks like I expect it to and feels relatively good, I am tempted to get satisfied with where I’m at and not continue to grow deeper and deeper in my faith. Or if I’m just letting others sprinkle some biblical wisdom on me through their sermons and podcasts but I’m not digging into God’s Word and going deeper in my application, then my roots will be shallow.

That all seems okay until a storm comes. And storms always eventually do come. The ants played a big part in this tree falling as well. They target where some sort of injury has occurred and the moisture that gets in has started to weaken the wood. Taking full advantage of the softer wood, they wear away at it, eventually even damaging the sound wood and making the tree hollow inside, even though it may look solid from the outside. The more hollow the tree becomes, the more it will lose structural strength.

Notice that the hollowing out of the tree and the tree having shallow roots happened slowly, daily, one compromise after another. I am a lot like that tree. But instead of trying to control things beyond my control, I want to make the choice to surrender them today to God. And then surrender again tomorrow. And the next day too. Refusing to control is an act of building more and more trust with God.

Each time I have doubts and fears about God’s goodness, I will bring these to God and let His truth refute them. My job is daily obedience to God. His job is holding and handling my future. This is a whole lot to think through. It’s weighty stuff. But for today, let’s hold onto this truth: Trusting God is holding loosely the parts of my life I want to hold most tightly. Is it easy? No. But is it the pathway to the peace I long for? Yes, it really is.

Lysa TerKeurst is president and chief visionary officer of Proverbs 31 Ministries and the author of seven New York Times bestsellers. Her latest book is I Want To Trust You, But I Don’t (October 2024, Thomas Nelson). She enjoys life with her husband Chaz and her kids and grandkids. Connect with her at www.LysaTerKeurst.com or on social media @LysaTerKeurst.

The post How Can I Trust God When I Don’t Understand His Ways? first appeared on Live Original.

One day as Jesus was walking along the shore of the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers—Simon, also called Peter, and Andrew—throwing a net into the water, for they fished for a living. Jesus called out to them, “Come, follow me, and I will show you how to fish for people!” And they left their nets at once and followed him.

—Matthew 4:18–20

“Follow me.”

I can visualize Peter and Andrew on the shoreline, standing with their dirty nets and their sweaty brows. I imagine them watching Jesus as He walks up to them and tells them to follow Him so they can learn “how to fish for people.”

It seems as if they instantly dropped those nets and did what Jesus asked. Was it that simple and easy?

For the disciples and others to whom Jesus spoke, it seems that making the decision to follow Him was easy. As Jesus said in Luke 9:23, “If any of you wants to be my fol­lower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross daily, and follow me.” Such a simple decision to make. Of course, Peter and Andrew demonstrated that following Jesus comes at a price. Their lives testify that “the gateway to life is very narrow and the road is difficult” (Mat­thew 7:14).

Jesus doesn’t say that following Him will be easy, but He still asks us to do it.

My song “I Will Follow” speaks to this sort of faith. I can imagine those disciples saying to Jesus the very same words: “I’ll follow where You lead. Your hand I trust com­pletely. You can lead me. Where You lead I’ll go.”¹

Can you say that?

If Jesus walked up to you today, could you easily drop whatever nets you’re holding?

Could you suddenly, without any fear or reservation, say that you will follow your Lord and Savior?

“I’ll follow where You lead.”

Along with the rest of the disciples, Peter and Andrew trusted Jesus wholeheartedly. For three years, Jesus took His disciples on an amazing journey. They saw miracles, watched wonders, learned truths, and witnessed the glory of Jesus. They saw Him nailed to the cross. And then they saw Him risen.

To come to the feet of Jesus, we first must follow Him. We must trust in and obey Him.

Pursuing Jesus wholeheartedly is a decision we make today and again tomorrow and every day after. And we know that someday we will see Jesus in His full glory, seated at God’s right hand.

PRAY

Dear heavenly Savior, thank You for the gift of Your Son, Jesus. Thank You for allowing me to fol­low Him. Help me follow You with all that I am, and grant me Your mercy when I fail to follow You. Help me be bold and pursue Your feet, Lord. In Jesus’s name, amen.”

Excerpted from Do It Anyway Devotional by Tasha Cobbs Leonard. Copyright © 2024 by Tasha Cobbs Leonard. Published by WaterBrook, an imprint of Penguin Random House, LLC. Used by permission.

Two-time Grammy Award-winning singer and songwriter Tasha Cobbs Leonard is one of the most iconic artists in gospel music history. Winner of fifteen GMA Dove Awards, sixteen Stellar Awards, three Billboard Music Awards, and two RIAA Certified platinum singles, Tasha was named Billboard‘s Gospel Artist of the Decade. Alongside her husband, Kenneth Leonard, Jr., she serves as the executive pastor at their church plant, The Purpose Place, in Spartanburg, South Carolina. A successful entrepreneur and owner of several businesses, she launched her own record label, TeeLee Records. Tasha lives in Greenville, South Carolina, with her husband and their four children.

The post Do It Anyway first appeared on Live Original.

For others, this year may mark a “first” that feels anything but joyful: first year without “them”, first year with the diagnosis, first year alone. And for others, it may not be a “first”, but this holiday season carries a heaviness that can’t quite be put into words, even if you tried.

Did you know that the word “holiday” comes from an Old English words meaning “holy day?” I believe this is so important because when we first think of the holiday season, it’s so easy to measure it on the scale of whether it’s going to be a “good” “bad” or “hard” holiday season. But what if the origin of this word opens up so much more meaning of the holidays for each of us, no matter what season we find ourselves in?

What if we asked Jesus, the author of our stories, the following questions as we kick off the seasons festivites:

Lord, what does clinging to your holiness in the brokenness look like this holiday season?
Jesus, how can I bring your sacred presence into my home, even if my family can’t get along?
God, what areas of my life am I not leaning on your holy presence?

My prayer for you, is that you would see these holy moments found in God’s presence all around you this holiday season. Not in spite of what you are carrying this year, but through it.

I pray that the “God of all comfort who comforts us in all our affliction” (2 Cor. 1:3-4) will draw near to you this year, nearer than you ever knew possible.

I pray that if you’re in the valley, Jesus would wrap his arms around you through His presence, His word, and His people. And if you are the friend walking alongside someone in the valley, that you would comfort them just as you have been comforted through the power of prayer and presence.

If I’ve learned anything, it’s that we as humans need two fundamental things in life: We need God and we need each other 🤍

Let’s be people who seek help when we needed this year and also be those who keep our eyes open for those who may need a smile, a hug, and prayer.

Happy Holy Days, friends 🫶🏼

The post A Note for the Holiday Season first appeared on Live Original.

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ABOUT KORIE ROBERTSON:

LO Mama host Korie Robertson starred on A&E’s hit reality TV show Duck Dynasty and produced The Blind, a film about the true story of the Robertson family. She and her husband, Willie, have 6 kids. Together, they grew their family business, Duck Commander, from a living room operation into a destination for all things outdoors. They also built Tread Lively, a multimedia production company that creates films, television shows, and award-winning podcasts that lift up the culture.

ABOUT BETH REDMAN:

Beth Redman is married to Matt and they have 5 children. An author, communicator and Dove-award winning songwriter, Beth carries a passion to speak into the lives of women and their walks with God.

The post I Was Running So Fast & I Wasn’t Coming Up for Air! Finding Balance in a Busy Life first appeared on Live Original.

The view from my back porch used to include three giant Leyland Cypresses, a towering Oak, and half a Hackberry Tree. The scenery was lush. That is, until one December evening when a hard freeze killed everything. The one pleasant surprise, however, is that I can now see a grand and gorgeously coiffed tree, one with multiple branches fanning outward in near perfect symmetry and crowned with a healthy head of thick, summer-green hair. The pre-existing foliage had obscured my view of this near perfect Maple. In this case, I hadn’t been able to see the tree for the forest.

Sometimes, the removal of certain obstacles or distractions, even healthy activities, can sharpen our perspective. Suddenly, what we couldn’t see before now towers in front of us with unmistakable clarity.

This reminds me of the book of Esther. For centuries, the book of Esther has been a favorite. It’s enthralled us with its gripping story about a vulnerable, young Jewish girl turned queen of the Persian Empire. Esther, a literal beauty queen, possessed more than physical splendor. Her rich character and unflinching resolve, traits that developed over time, are an inspiration to us all. In many respects, Esther is the heroine we hope lives inside us. Hers is the against-all-odds, rags-to-riches story we cherish. Who doesn’t want to know that our lives matter, that God has a purpose and a plan for us, even when—especially when—life doesn’t look the way we thought it would?

For the longest time, I thought the book of Esther was primarily about Esther’s heroic bravery on behalf of her people. And certainly, this is no small detail. But the book is about far more. It is ultimately a story about God and His covenant faithfulness to His people—no matter where they find themselves. This is most clearly on display during one of the book’s most pivotal moments, when Esther learns of the king’s approval of a plan to annihilate the Jews, her people (Esther 3).

In Esther 4:4-12, we learn Esther was overwrought with fear in response to the news, and I appreciate this detail because it reminds us that she is human. Even queens get scared. Back and forth, from palace to court, short messages flew between Esther and Mordecai, like modern text messages. For the first time in the story, we hear directly from Esther (v. 11). She explains that approaching the king means putting her Jewish identity on display and her very life in jeopardy.

We don’t have to make too big of a leap to see the connection to our own day. How easy it is to keep quiet about our faith in Christ among our colleagues, neighbors, and friends. And yet, will we really serve a Savior with whom we have not yet publicly identified? Will we stand up for our church community when no one knows we’re even a part of it?

Certainly, Esther’s situation was extreme. It is unlikely that any of us will be forced to put our lives on the line for an entire people group. Yet, how often do we resist speaking up for our faith for fear of our reputations? We’re afraid that if we tell our neighbors and coworkers we are followers of Jesus we will be lumped in with religious fanatics or the intellectually weak, thrown into a certain political party, or just labeled a strange ranger. The stakes are higher for some: the loss of a job or professional opportunity, maligned character, or an uncomfortable situation for one’s children. The costs are real, and more so by the day.

But sometimes it is these very risks that define the edges of our faith. When compromise is easy to come by, our faith can lose its definition. But when our work, child’s school, or social status in the neighborhood comes into direct conflict with being obedient to God’s Word, we’re suddenly forced to choose. Will we blend in or take a stand? This was the question for Esther, and it’s the question for Christ followers today.

You and I have the opportunity to talk about the hope we’ve found in Jesus! Yes, some will dismiss what we have to say, but many are longing for Jesus in their lives. Let’s not hold back. We may be afraid, but so was Esther, yet fear didn’t stop her.

I’ve been praying that God would give me natural opportunities to speak about Him without forcing Him into conversations. He has been answering this prayer. Boldness for Christ doesn’t necessarily mean extremely awkward situations or risk of reputation. It may mean those things, but for most of us being a witness for Him is simply a matter of letting our true identity be known—that we love Jesus and follow Him. As we do this, our conversations (as well as the way we walk through life’s joys and trials) will naturally testify to His love, authority, and power in our lives.

Just as Esther was determined to stand up for her people, may you and I stand up for Christ and His church with love, truth, and grace.

Discover how Esther’s story inspires us to live faithfully and courageously in our own time with Esther: Daring Faith for Such a Time as This, a 7-session Bible study by Kelly Minter.

Kelly Minter is passionate about God’s Word and believes it permeates all of life. The personal healing and steadfast hope she’s found in the pages of Scripture fuel her passion to connect God’s Word to our everyday lives. When she’s not writing or teaching, you can find her tending her garden, taking a walk with friends, cooking for her nieces and nephews, riding a boat down the Amazon River, or walking through a Moldovan village with Justice & Mercy International. Kelly is also working on her M.A. in Biblical and Theological Studies at Denver Seminary. 

The post Esther first appeared on Live Original.

Joyful music is wonderful but true Godly sorrow is transformational. And we need both in the House of God.

Not long ago, our precious Border Collie, Bear, was hit by a truck in our cul-de-sac and his leg was so badly damaged we were forced to amputate. It was only the second week at a brand-new school for my then eleven-year-old, and I knew it would be better for Selah to be in school while we had Bear at the vet hospital. That morning, rather than having her take the bus, we drove the backroads of Kentucky together in silence, her sitting in the front seat. Her little hands were perfectly clasped in her lap as she gazed out the window, her eyes full of tears threatening to fall at any moment.

I grabbed her hand and started thanking God for the gift that Bear was to our family and how God used him to bring us joy and protection and laughter. Right there in our little Toyota SUV, God met my daughter and me in a time of thanksgiving and lament, because God meets us in both expressions of worship. We don’t have to gaslight ourselves into believing everything is always good all the time. Our children need to see us wrestling with God in situations that feel unfair and unkind. They need to hear us praying, weeping, rejoicing, and worshiping in freedom, not fearing what people will think.

In Acts 16:25 we see Paul and Silas sitting in their prison cell and we’re told, “Around midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening.” 

I don’t know about you, but I struggle with nighttime. During the day I am busy and my thoughts are on the many tasks in front of me, but as soon as my head hits the pillow, I’m a prisoner to regret, fear, and insecurity. As someone who has struggled with anxiety, the midnight hour can be filled with Googling mysterious symptoms ailing my body, rethinking old conversations and scenarios, and waking up to every creak in the house as I beg sleep to find me.

Paul and Silas were in their own literal midnight hour, but rather than worry and focus on their circumstances, they began to pray and worship, and it says in the scriptures that the “other prisoners were listening.” (v25)

What should we take away from this?

Those in bondage to this world are watching us as Christ followers to see how we will respond to the midnight hour.

The cancer diagnosis.

The divorce.

Our prodigal.

The loss of a child.

A season of unemployment.

Financial struggles.

Will we worry or will we worship?

There are sounds we can’t un-hear. For me as a church kid, it was the wailing of saints in the pews begging God to bring home their prodigal. It was praying in living rooms for God to restore a marriage. It was the silent sobs of a mother in her birthing room asking for a miracle. It’s a groan like no other. It’s animalistic, primal, raw, a sound I could identify without looking up.

Because sometimes worship and wailing sound the same but I learned they come from two different places. One from what God has already done and the other from a deep hope of what we long for Him to do.

I remember the first time I distinguished the difference between someone worshiping from a place of gratitude and worshiping from a place of deep sorrow because it woke me up. Yes, joyful music is wonderful but true Godly sorrow is transformational. And we need both in the House of God. Both have changed me.

From far away one might not be able to tell the worship from the wailing, but it reaches the throne of Heaven equally. It’s a sound I’ll never forget. It’s a sound that kept drawing me back into the House of God and into the homes of the saints and it’s possible this sound led me into an early ministry of worship leadership. I got to be part of both the celebration and the transformation, in the lives of the congregation as well as my own.

Holy lament is a song few want to sing, but it’s our worship penned in the dark night of the soul that writes a mournful melody in a minor key. We’re singing over those who have lost, wrestling with anger, contending for peace, waiting for answers, grieving, weeping, suffering.

When the Church worships, lives are changed. We don’t worship because we got the outcome we wanted, the test results we prayed for, or the miracle we felt we were promised, but because God promises that when we worship and pray, he will be among us. Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom and unity.

May we be a people who worship and wail, shouting His salvation and mourning with sweet brokenness His amazing grace.

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Excerpted from The House That Jesus Built: Leading Our Churches Back to God’s Original Blueprint © 2024 Natalie Runion. Used by permission of David C Cook.  May not be further reproduced.  All rights reserved.

The post Sometimes Worship and Wailing Sound the Same first appeared on Live Original.