Honest Reflections

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him was not anything made that was made. In him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. 

And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth. (John bore witness about him, and cried out, “This was he of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me ranks before me, because he was before me.’”) For from his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace. For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. No one has ever seen God; the only God, who is at the Father’s side, he has made him known. 

John 1:1-5; 14-18 

As we begin the Christmas season, ending one year and preparing for the next, let’s focus our hearts on Jesus. Each week, we’ll look at a different aspect of Jesus’s life: 

Week One: Preparing the Way 

Week Two: Our Savior is Born 

Week Three: Ministry of Jesus 

Week Four: The Promises of Jesus 

Let’s begin at the beginning, with God’s Word, the opening of Genesis 1:1, and the start of John’s gospel, not referring to a particular moment in time but to a timeless eternity. “Word” means logos in its original form, expressing personality through communication. Words have a creating power, the source of our world, all that we see and feel. As Pastor Mike Cooke loves to say, “Words create worlds.”  

By starting the chapter referencing Genesis, John highlights three aspects of God’s Word: Jesus’s preexistence, His distinctiveness, and His deity. In verse two, John emphasizes that Christ existed in the beginning with God; nothing came into existence without Him. Life came through Jesus, His light, the light of us all, shining in the darkness, conquering its milky depths. 

John uses the term “life” 36 times in his gospel. The word refers to physical and spiritual life, often coupled with the adjective “eternal,” indicating the power and purpose given to a believer through faith in Jesus. In verse 15, he refers to the Savior when “the Word became flesh and dwelt among us.”  John the Baptist, different from the gospel writer, bore witness to Christ with his ministry. Calling for repentance and baptizing with water, John set the scene for Jesus’s arrival: 

“I baptize you with water for repentance, but he who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.” 

Matthew 3:11 

Jesus, the preexistent Son of God, Creator and Executor of His Father’s will, came in human form to save us from our sins and bond us to the Lord through faith. John introduces us to the manifestation of grace and truth through Jesus; God’s compassion made flesh for us. “The only Son from the Father” (vs. 15) has no equal and fully reveals God to us; no one else can do what Jesus did; the embodiment of grace and truth came to save a sinful world. Our Savior, Lord of all, led with love and continues to save those who place their faith in Him. 

Thank God for sending His Son to light the world, overcome darkness, and give us new life in Him. 

Prayer: 

Lord, thank You for sending grace and truth to us through Jesus. As we begin this Christmas season, help us prepare our hearts to worship the Savior. Remind us of the good works He did for us, and give us hope for the works He will do in the coming days. Please help us center our lives around the season’s true meaning and not get caught up in the things that will pass away. Through Jesus, we find life to the fullest, today and always. 

IJNIP. Amen 

Two-minute read.

I always thank my God for you because of his grace given you in Christ Jesus. For in him you have been enriched in every way with all kinds of speech and with all knowledge— 

1 Corinthians 1:4-5 

Paul always starts his letters by thanking God for those receiving them. Think about how our interactions with people, whether believers or not, would change if we started our interactions by thanking God for them. Just because we disagree with people doesn’t make them our enemies. According to scripture, we all bear the image of Christ. 

“So God created mankind in his image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.” 

Genesis 1:27 

By thanking the Lord for people, Paul reminded himself of their significance to the Lord and the need for intercession. We, too, can pray for the people God places in our lives, either for them to grow in their relationship with Christ or begin one that transforms them forever.

When Jesus died on the cross, He did so for all people. When believers place their faith in Christ, their lives become enriched in speech and knowledge as they follow the Savior. God doesn’t hold back His good gifts; He bestows them generously on those who give their lives to Him.   

Ask the Lord to see people through His lens. Let Him transform your life as God reveals His truth to you. The closer you become to the Lord, the more He will enrich your life with speech and knowledge, helping you fulfill your divine destiny. In Jesus, we find abundant life and a purpose we can only accomplish with Him. 

Praise: 

Praise God for enriching our lives through Jesus. 

Prayer: 

Lord, thank You for Jesus and for giving us new life in Him. Please help us live fully for You, submitting our lives, receiving Your gifts, and sharing them with everyone. Thank You for the people You place in our lives and the opportunity to love them for You. 

IJNIP. Amen 

Two-minute read.

Because of the LORD’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. 

Lamentations 3:22-23 

God’s unconditional love transforms us when we submit our will to His. Great in His faithfulness, the Lord has compassion on us when we falter. As we seek our Maker, drawing closer to Him in a relationship, we will become more sensitive to our shortcomings and aware of His unending mercy. 

Picklegate, Ron, and I’s current first-world problem caused me to falter. Trying to build a program centered around pickleball that would benefit our community, we ran into political issues that stopped the event before it started. When confronted by the “perpetrator,” I responded poorly, letting my emotions lead my words. Although I spoke the truth, I did not do it in love, and I damaged the relationship, acting like Beth and not like Jesus. When I confessed my sin to God, He immediately forgave me and convicted me of the error of my ways.  

And the Lord gave me work to do, first on myself, then with others. 

God loves us, whatever the mess, but He doesn’t leave us in it. Instead, with great love, the Lord helps us learn from our mistakes and become more like Jesus as we learn to humble ourselves and seek His will instead of ours. God’s teaching me to view others not as my enemy but as fellow humans, full of imperfections, just like me. Instead of judging people, the Lord shows me how to love them and myself with His divine love. Asking God to keep my heart soft, developing an attitude of gratitude, and learning to walk in humility transforms me, little by little, each day.   When you submit your life to the Great Lover, He will do the same for you. 

Praise: 

Praise God for His great love for us. 

Prayer: 

Lord, thank You for loving us unconditionally and giving us new mercies each day. Please help us see ourselves as You do, letting us understand the depth of Your affection for us. Let us transform our lives as we allow Your truth to take root in our hearts, uprooting all the lies and making us more like Jesus. 

IJNIP. Amen 

Two-minute read.

“Sacrifice thank offerings to God, fulfill your vows to the Most High, 

Psalms 50:14 

In Leviticus, chapter 7 outlines the peace offering, which the Israelites used for one of three reasons: making a vow, as a free-will offering, or as a thank offering. Understanding the three parts of the thank offering helps us grasp the attitude God wants us to have. First, we must offer thanks to the Lord, then God’s representative, and the third part goes back to the offerer as a thanksgiving feast, which they must eat that day; no leftovers permitted. 

God’s portion, the fat of the animal, went to Him alone, burned entirely up at the altar. The priest waved his portion of the offering before the Lord, receiving the choice cuts of meat; God wants his representatives to have the best part, not the leftovers. The rest of the sacrifice went to the offerer, which they ate as covenantal thanks to God for His work. Representing provision and nourishment, the feast strengthens the body to live a holy life serving the Lord. 

In today’s world, we no longer do animal sacrifices, but we can learn how to prioritize our thankfulness from the Old Testament book. First, we must remember God, then His representatives in our lives that help us know the Lord better. Lastly, we must thank God for His provision that nourishes and strengthens us to serve Him with our whole hearts, mind, and body. Each day, we can offer thanks to the Lord; living with gratitude helps us serve Him and others, loving them unconditionally. The Creator takes care of His creation, and we should give thank offerings to Him. 

Praise: 

Praise God for His provision. 

Prayer: 

Lord, thank You for providing all our needs and giving us purpose in this life. Please help us live according to Your will, obey Your commands, and complete our divine mission. Receive our thank offerings for all You do. 

IJNIP. Amen 

Surely he says this for us, doesn’t he? Yes, this was written for us, because whoever plows and threshes should be able to do so in the hope of sharing in the harvest. 

1 Corinthians 9:10 

God doesn’t expect us to work for free. Paul addresses the right of the Lord’s servants to receive food, drink, and other necessities of life as they labor for Him. 

“Do not muzzle an ox when it is treading out the grain.” Deuteronomy 25:4 

Using scripture to support his argument, Paul references oxen. The giant beasts would drag threshing sledges over the grain, treading it with their feet. Feed bags, placed over their mouths, allowed them to eat while they worked. When we work for the Lord, producing a harvest, we expect to also share in it. 

When God sent Elijah to the King of Ahab with a distressing message because of the king’s disobedience, the Lord provided for him. Hiding Elijah by a brook twice daily, the Lord gave the prophet bread and meat, using ravens to deliver the meals. When the brook ceased to flow, God sent Elijah to a widow’s home, where she never ran out of flour and oil to make bread. The Lord provided for his servant Elijah, and He will provide for us as we seek to do His will. Trusting the Lord means expecting Him to meet our needs and sharing in His harvest. 

Wherever God guides, He provides, and on that, we can depend. Paul understands the concept of the Lord’s provision and teaches it to Christ’s followers, helping them know it. We reap what we sow; those who don’t plow in the spring won’t harvest in the fall. 

Praise: 

Praise God for His provision. 

Prayer: 

Lord, thank You for providing for us as we serve You. Please help us trust in Your provision as we go about our business, laying our anxieties at Your feet and moving boldly forward, completing Your will for our lives. 

IJNIP. Amen 

Two-minute read.

‘ “The LORD bless you and keep you; the LORD make his face shine on you and be gracious to you; the LORD turn his face toward you and give you peace.” ’ 

Numbers 6:24-26 

By blessing the individual, God blesses the entire community. When the Lord gives us gifts, He doesn’t want us to hoard them but share them with those around us. God wants us to share the biggest blessing He gave us, Jesus, with everyone we meet. We accomplish that task when we use the other blessings from above to love others and, by doing so, introduce them to Christ. 

When Hurricane Helene destroyed much of the southeastern United States, churches flooded the area to help. The 500-mile path of destruction left people homeless, amid despair, grieving loved ones lost in the devastation. One man took his work crew, as many generators as he could find, filled his trucks with water and supplies, and headed into the aftermath to rescue and serve those who needed help. Sharing his blessings with others, working tirelessly for the Lord, one blessed individual blessed a community. Story after story told the same tale as Christ’s followers shared what they had to love others and introduce them to Jesus during their darkest hour. 

Like Moses on Mount Sanai, when God shines His face upon us, we receive His glorious light filled with grace and mercy. The Lord gives us His peace that surpasses all understanding, guiding our steps and helping us fulfill our purpose. Let the Lord bless and keep you, discovering His glory and living in His peace. 

Praise: 

Praise God for His blessings. 

Prayer: 

Lord, thank You for shining Your face upon us, blessing our lives, and giving us Your peace that surpasses all understanding. Please help us share Your gifts with all we meet as we strive to honor You with our actions. 

IJNIP. Amen 

Two-minute read.

So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness. 

Colossians 2:6-7 

Lacking thankfulness makes you vulnerable to doubt and spiritual delusion. When we search for things to praise God for in life, we find them. But when we look for things to complain about, we see them. What we choose to focus on determines our outlook. We don’t live a balanced life; we live a centered one, and when the Lord holds the center position, we will find ourselves rooted and built up in him. 

Roots live deep under the ground, drawing water into the plant or tree, the more anchored and spread out, the more nourishment they receive. Young plants with shallow roots don’t withstand storm winds and easily uproot. But mighty oaks with thick, pervasive roots hold firm when hurricanes blow. As Christ’s followers, we build our root system every day we follow Jesus. Our roots grow deep as we spend time reading scripture, praying, journaling, fellowshipping with other believers, and serving. The more we pursue the Lord, the deeper our roots grow. 

In my third decade of starting my mornings with the Lord and His word, I’ve grown deep roots. Each day, as I allow God to search my heart, adjust my attitude, and set my intentions for the day, the roots grow a little deeper, and my thankfulness overflows at all my Maker does for me. Centering my life on Christ strengthens my faith, helping me to live for Him and praise His wondrous and mighty deeds. 

Center your life on Christ. Let your roots grow deep into Him, and experience His abundant life for you. Rooted and built up in Jesus, He will strengthen your faith, and thankfulness will overflow from your heart. 

Praise: 

Praise God for rooting and building us up. 

Prayer: 

Lord, thank You for strengthening our faith, making our hearts overflow with thankfulness, rooting us in the ground, and building us up each day. Please help us stand strong in the storm winds, trusting You for protection. Let us become more like Christ every day. 

IJNIP. Amen 

Two-minute read.

It is good to praise the LORD and make music to your name, O Most High, proclaiming your love in the morning and your faithfulness at night, 

Psalm 92:1-2 

Praise comes easily to your lips when God overwhelms you with His presence.  Recently, the Lord blew my socks off with His maneuverings.  Praying for a way to help a friend, the Great Provider ordered my steps, and I didn’t even know it, culminating in an action that brought comfort to my friend in a way I could never have done on my own, no matter how much I tried.  Weeks later, I’m still marveling at what happened and how the Lord worked, and I continue to make music to His name, knowing that today’s events will result in tomorrow’s miracles. 

“The steps of a man are established by the LORD, when he delights in his way;” 

Psalm 27:23 

Trusting God means letting Him order your steps, even if you don’t understand them.  Walking nine holes of golf with my husband, I hit a bunker on every hole but three.  Not only did I land in the sand, but the ball sat inches from the lip on four of them, making for a tough shot.  Time and again, I had to take more than one stroke to get out of the pit.  But by the last hole, I hit a perfect sand shot.  When Ron commented, I said, “I’ve had lots of practice.” 

And I did; dealing with the lousy lies made me practice shots I would never hit.  We would never enter a pit ourselves, but when God leads us into one, He’s trying to teach us something.  The quicker we learn the lesson, the faster we find ourselves back on stable ground, and the more praises we will sing to the Lord.  When you look for reasons to proclaim God’s goodness, you will always find them.

Praise: 

Praise God for giving us reasons to sing His praises. 

Prayer: 

Lord, thank You for loving, guiding, and giving us reasons to make music in Your name.  Please help us keep our eyes focused on You when we find ourselves in the pit, learn the lessons You have for us, and find our way back to solid ground. 

IJNIP. Amen 

Two-minute read.

May the LORD repay you for what you have done. May you be richly rewarded by the LORD, the God of Israel, under whose wings you have come to take refuge.” 

Ruth 2:12 

Ruth, a Moabitess, followed her mother-in-law Naomi to Bethlehem after her husband’s death, which meant she followed Naomi’s God. Using the imagery of a baby bird nestling beneath its mother’s wings, Boaz, Ruth’s kinsmen redeemer, blesses her submission and obedience.

According to Jewish protocol, a kinsmen redeemer married his deceased relative’s wife, dedicating the first child to them to perpetuate his name for future generations. Boaz met Ruth when she came to glean leftover grain stocks in his field; impressed by her work ethic, he ordered his men to leave extra for her to gather.

People notice the work we do and honor it, just as Boaz did Ruth. God sees all we do, even when we think no one else notices. The long hours we labor for the Lord, the anguished prayers we pray for loved ones, and the tenacity we use to pursue His will for our lives, God sees it all and blesses us for our efforts. The Creator understands the motive of our hearts, and even if we fail, God understands the right intentions. And what we deem as failure, the Lord can use as a stepping stone to success.

Whenever I produce something for my crafting business, I encounter many failures. However, I learned from each one and eventually developed a saleable product. We can’t give up when things seem to fall apart; we must persevere, taking refuge under the Lord’s wings, seeking His direction, and finding His will. When we do, like Ruth, God will richly reward us and protect us.

Praise: 

Praise God for His rich rewards. 

Prayer: 

Lord, thank You for noticing our efforts to pursue You and richly rewarding us with Your presence in our lives. Please help us follow You closely, becoming more sensitive to Your promptings and aligning our hearts with Yours.

IJNIP. Amen

Two-minute read.

But I, with shouts of grateful praise, will sacrifice to you. What I have vowed I will make good. I will say, ‘Salvation comes from the LORD.’ ” 

Jonah 2:9 

The prophet, plummeting through the waters, knows he will die if the Lord doesn’t intervene, and Jonah trusts God will help. Commanding the whale to vomit Jonah out, the Creator saved his life from the ocean’s depths, giving Jonah another chance to complete his mission. The Lord wanted Jonah to go to Ninevah and call them out for their evil ways, but instead, the prophet boarded a ship to Tarshish and ended up in the belly of a fish. 

In despair, Jonah cries out to the Lord for salvation and receives it. Once saved, the prophet fulfills his mission, traveling to Ninevah and giving them the message from the Lord, which causes the evil city to repent and receive salvation as well. God offers salvation to all who turn to Him and repent, forgiving their sins and giving them new life as He did Jonah and the Ninevites. Jonah didn’t think the Ninevites deserved salvation, so he resisted telling them the Lord’s message. However, once God demonstrated His saving grace to Jonah, the prophet submitted to the Creator and did His will. 

In life, we must remember that God’s ways differ from ours. We have a limited perspective, but the Lord sees all things. The Creator calls us to love others for Him.  When we judge people unworthy of God’s salvation, we place ourselves in the judgment seat, a job the Lord didn’t give us to do. Jonah made that mistake, and we can learn from him or end up in the belly of a fish, requiring divine assistance. One way or another, God will accomplish His will and continue to offer salvation to all who repent and turn to Him. 

Praise: 

Praise God for His salvation. 

Prayer: 

Lord, thank You for giving us Your saving grace despite our sinful ways. Please help us center our lives on You and not put ourselves in the judgment seat. Let us complete our mission to love others for You, submitting our lives to Your will, not ours. 

IJNIP. Amen