Mercy Condemned

We cry for justice, not realizing it is mercy we need. Humanity condemned Christ as He poured out mercy upon us. We fail to realize that justice in this broken world is a concept beyond our grasp. There are so many variables, so many perspectives that different people define “justice” in completely opposite ways. Our viewpoints are obscured by our own biases, but God sees perfectly. Jesus is the only answer to justice–that will give us life. Learning to respond with the same quiet confidence Jesus had in the face of injustice is lofty, lifetime ambition. Here is Isaiah’s description of how Jesus dealt with unjust condemnation:

He was oppressed and treated harshly, yet he never said a word. He was led like a lamb to the slaughter. And as a sheep is silent before the shearers, he did not open his mouth. Unjustly condemned, he was led away. No one cared that he died without descendants, that his life was cut short in midstream. But he was struck down for the rebellion of my people. Isaiah 53:7-8

Isaiah reveals that:

  • Silence was the Savior’s response to being oppressed – driven, tyrannized – and brow-beaten.
  • The divine reaction to wrong was continued focus on His purpose for coming. Jesus trusted God to produce the BEST outcome.
  • Death did not deter the Savior from following the Father’s plan.
  • No one really seemed to care what Jesus had done. Despite His sacrifice for the sins of others…for the loved ones of others, most just went on about their business.

Make it personal:

Have there been times you overlooked what God has done/does for you?

What have you been willing to sacrifice for another?

How did they respond to your generosity – did their attitude change what you were willing to do/give?

How can focusing on God’s will for your life help you face injustice?

What action steps might you take while you wait on the Lord for justice?

This is the fourth article in a series on Isaiah 53. Previous posts include:

Verses 1 and 2
Verses 3 and 4
Verses 5 and 6

Jesus’ Unfair Suffering = Your Healing

When was the last time you cried, “Not fair! I didn’t cause this, but I’m paying the price.” We people don’t do well when we feel like we’re being treated unjustly. Something in us cries for justice–when the blame rests on another. We want understanding and mercy when we have caused problems. Our Lord shows us a totally different path.

I Peter 1:19,20 and Revelation 13:8b, offer us a fascinating glimpse of the eternal plan. Jesus is referred to as the lamb slain before the foundation of the world. So before the very first human was ever created, Jesus agreed to pay the penalty all humanity would incur. THAT is the heart of our Creator, Savior, Sustainer God. Isn’t it amazing?

Isaiah 53:5-6 frames our focus for this week:

But he was pierced for our rebellion, crushed for our sins. He was beaten so we could be whole. He was whipped so we could be healed. All of us, like sheep, have strayed away. We have left God’s paths to follow our own. Yet the Lord laid on him the sins of us all.

These two verses reveal: Every person is guilty of preferring a self-created path…rebelling against God. And God looked through time, picked up ALL OUR sin and put it on Jesus. The cost of that sin—the consequences—pierced, crushed, whipped, crucified Jesus. Peace and healing flow from Him because He bore our sins effectively.

What has your rebellion looked like? Was it willful resistance or did you just feel unable to do what you knew God wanted? Praise Jesus for meeting you wherever you are!

How does knowing Jesus understood the cost of creating–and loving mankind–affect your heart?

Iniquities are ‘twists of truth’ – maybe intentional – maybe accidental – perversions of God’s plans.

When have you seen the impact of such twists – have you thanked Jesus for paying the price for them?

In what ways have you received the peace and healing Jesus has for you?

The debt is paid, and the resources are yours for the asking. Don’t waste the price Jesus paid. Consider sharing your insights with others. Only together can we see God in His fullness.

This is the third article in a series on Isaiah 53. Previous posts include:
Verses 1 and 2
Verses 3 and 4

Finding Purpose in Grief

Life really is hard. Sometimes the sorrows, conflicts, and tragedies of the world crush in on me. I feel helpless and hopeless — until I lift my eyes back to Jesus. He is the Sovereign King. Nothing takes Him by surprise, and He really can work all things for good.

We must never ignore or gloss over the reality of life’s intense hardships. Doing that creates a fake life with no integrity. And it falls short of God’s good plans in all things. Our griefs have purpose and potential. We often can’t know the fullness of God’s plans, but seeking Him never fails to produce good. Problems help us seek and savor the touch of the Lord. Our heartaches produce eternal good we can’t even fathom if we trust the Lord with them (Romans 8:28; Ephesians 3:20). We can face the horrors of life–and rise victorious over them–through faith in Jesus Christ. Because He already faced the worst–and won (John 16:33)!

Isaiah 53:3-4 frames our focus for this week:

He was despised and rejected – a man of sorrows, acquainted with deepest grief.
We turned our backs on him and looked the other way. He was despised, and we
did not care. Yet it was our weaknesses he carried; it was our sorrows that
weighed him down. And we thought his troubles were a punishment from God, a
punishment for his own sins!

Isaiah says, the Savior:

● was scorned by the people He came to save.
● experienced and bore our sicknesses.
● was misjudged and misunderstood.

When have you experienced similar heartaches:

♥ Has someone refused the help you offered?
♥ Perhaps a loved one’s illness was a grief you carried?
♥ Or maybe you’ve felt the pain of abandonment or the sting of rejection?
♥ Has someone mis-judged you?

What does knowing God experienced these things reveal about His love?

Could there be purpose in your pain as there was in the suffering of Christ?

Consider sharing your insights with others. Only together can we see God in His fullness.

Finding Comfort in Grief: Isaiah’s Message of Hope

Suffering is a common experience for all in this life. Isaiah prophesied of our Savior that He would be a “man of sorrows – acquainted with grief.” The One through whom (and for whom) all things were made endured great heartache as well as physical suffering. He understands our hurts.

The passage I quoted from above is a deep look at WHO Christ was, is, and always will be. Join me from now until Resurrection Sunday, and let’s consider the God-man who endured so much for us.

1 Who has believed our message? To whom has the Lord revealed his powerful arm? 2 My servant grew up in the Lord ‘s presence like a tender green shoot, like a root in dry ground. There was nothing beautiful or majestic about his appearance, nothing to attract us to him. Isaiah 53:1 -2

Isaiah gives us a surprising look at our Deliverer. Isaiah tells us He will show up as a tender plant…a root from dry ground. The Hebrew word implies a twig sprouting from a stump. The power of God bursts forth in the dry places of life–right when we need Him the most!

It’s important to see that Isaiah is speaking about those who BELIEVED the message of the prophets! Perhaps we miss God [when we need Him the most] because we’re looking for beauty, glory, and magnificence. Our human preference is for a “god” who rushes onto the scene to give us all the things we want. Instead of running to His arms, we run from hard times. We seek the things that appeal to us instead of looking for Him.

Yet, it is in our sorrows that the Savior becomes most clear and most dear to us. As you ponder these verses, ask the Holy Spirit to help you experience the presence of the Comforter more powerfully. Let the hurts of life be a call to reach out your hand for Jesus.

Dig Deeper:

What actions can you take to cultivate your trust in God? Think of the things (or research it) that need to be done to plant a garden.

Can you recall a time when God revealed His presence with something small — a word or a flower? How did that impact you?

Have you experienced God’s presence in a place you thought held only emptiness and loss?

Are there ‘good and beautiful’ things in your life that compete with your desire for God?

Consider sharing your insights with others. Only together can we see God in His fullness.

YOU CAN’T CHANGE SOMEONE ELSE

My mentor’s words often echo in my head, “Stop wanting more for others than they want for themselves.” That’s hard truth. Especially when someone dear to us is making choices that damage their life–and the lives of others. Change is a choice – and you can’t make that choice for anyone but yourself. God never violates the principle of free will. Although we try, He won’t allow us to violate it either.

God didn’t put you in charge of me–nor me in charge of you. He calls each of us to live His way and invite others to do the same—that is love. He never asks us to judge those who refuse our invitation. Nor are we to partner with the enemy and throw accusations around at others. We are to know and live God’s desires [as expressed in His Word], so that our lives will shine a light for others to follow.

Change must come from within. That is the truth of Psalm 37:4. When we delight in the Lord, He gives us [right] desires. When you desire right, you will put forth the effort to change. But it’s a personal decision that requires hard work.

Learning to love someone who is “hell-bent on self-destruction” is a painful journey. The way of suffering is the path Jesus walked. If you bear His name, it is a path you are called to walk. Restoring people to the love of God is a messy business.  Since the Garden of Eden God has been loving people who reject His ways. Nothing we do stops God’s call of love. But the choices we make either have us walking in His favor or His wrath. The Word of God is the standard for life for those who believe in the redemption offered by Jesus Christ.

When we accept the offer of eternal life, we commit to a process of transformation. AND we commit to walking with others who make the same commitment. That means there are those we will have in our lives that we cannot walk with. We are to keep inviting them to walk with us, but we can’t allow them to pull us away from Jesus.

Years ago when a loved one’s choices were crushing me, God sent someone who shared the truths below with me. They helped me—and may help you if you are walking alongside someone trapped in addiction, bitterness, or pride.

Walking out the love of God

I choose to hold only good feelings in my heart for you.

My sorrow, pain, resentment, and frustration, I will give to Jesus.

God gives you the freedom to choose how to live. I can do no less.

I will remember first, last, and always, that you are God’s Child.

I will remember you are growing…and He is a capable grower.

I will trust God to place the help you need within your reach.

I will trust God’s spirit to:

Take care of you;

Continue calling you closer;

Cheer you on every step of the way.

Show you the way to your highest good.

I will think of you always surrounded by God’s love and power.

I will not worry, fret or be unhappy for you.

I will not be anxious concerning you.

I will not be afraid for you.

I will not blame you, criticize you, or condemn you.

I will not give up on you.

I will be patient with you.

I will have confidence in God’s love for you..

I will stand by you with faith in Jesus Christ.

I will bless you in my prayers and in Jesus’ Name.

The commitments above are an expression of love that will make your faith real. If you will seek to live that love, Jesus will free you from the pit of anxiety and struggling that threatens to drown you.

When a rescue swimmer goes to a drowning person, they throw the life ring to the person in danger BECAUSE otherwise they will drown too. We can’t tell people Jesus gives us hope—and then drown in despair because we aren’t believed. When we do that, we need to realize, our hope is in the other person, not Jesus.

We have to live what we profess. And there’s nothing like a drowning loved one to reveal where our hope is rooted. The Scriptures tell us God will shake what can be shaken. True faith in Christ is rock solid—but it doesn’t just happen.

Isaiah 53 tells us those who see the strength of the Lord have seen Him grow up as a ‘root out of dry ground.’ Most of us spend our lives saying we trust God, and then set out to take care of things on our own. It is those situations that we can’t fix reveal our own desperate need. But we don’t need to despair. God IS able – if we will get out of His way. We will see His strength and His beauty revealed in those times.

We are called to be transformed and help others in the process. We don’t do that by making demands – we show others how Jesus works in our life. Jim Wilder, a believer who holds a PhD in Psychology and a Masters in Theology, gave me some helpful insights. He explains that the ‘soil of transformation’ has four necessary nutrients:

  1. Show others the ‘face of Jesus’ – look at others with the love Jesus showed the rich, young ruler who walked away from. (Mark 10:21)
  2. Be “for others” – be on their team, not just a know-it-all or a critic.
  3. Invite them to integrate the values of Christ.
  4. Give healthy correction – not everything is beneficial. Don’t settle for peace that’s built on lies.

Cultivating that soil is hard work. It will require you to change and sacrifice. Remember, Jesus walked a path of suffering. Empty words make our faith a sham. “I care.” “I’m praying for you.” without any skin in the game—without personal cost to you is poisonous—for you and them. When another’s situation touches your heart, don’t rush in as their rescuer. That’s not your role. Ask God what He wants you to say or do to help them move toward Him. Then commit to doing what He shows you, so He can love them personally. He is the bridegroom–we’re just His friends.

Watch with me

The hard times are an invitation from Jesus to “watch with Him.” He understands the heartache – remember Gethsemane. Sometimes what He wants is for us to get out of the way. We have to stop making demands in His Name. Love does not demand its own way (1 Corinthians 13). We have to wait and watch, believing His plans are good and His power sufficient for every situation.

Live the Truth you understand, and let life’s consequences prompt the change your loved one needs. You can’t force the right choice nor do the work for them. And if they reject His way, you choose to trust this is God’s will for you to experience. You choose to believe He will work even the present horror for good. Choose to embrace your hard situations with faith in God’s sovereign goodness. It’s hard. Job expressed it this way, ‘Though He slay me, I will trust me.’

God is not absent in the hard times. There is something greater than we can grasp that He is working out. The horrible, hard circumstances we find ourselves in still have the firm, shaping hand of the Potter. His work is always good, and He will work as you lift your eyes to Him.

Faith is not an easy answer–but it is Truth. You can trust God when you follow the ways He has revealed in the Word of God. Reach out to those who know His Word, know His heart – and ask to walk with them. If they know Him, they will be quick to say, ‘come along!’ They won’t make it all better, but the Light within them will light your path. And one day, your Light will shine out for another. Walk in love, friend.

God’s Presence is the Present

Sometimes I forget that the gift of God is the gift of His loving, involved presence in lives. It is such a joy to see evidence of God’s awareness of our desires—of His involvement in the lives of individuals. Serving others in the name of Christ, investing your time in reaching out to others that they might feel the goodness of God puts you on the front row to see HIM at work.

In the book of Isaiah, we read the beautiful prophecy:

All right then, the Lord himself will give you the sign. Look! The virgin will conceive a child! She will give birth to a son and will call him Immanuel (which means ‘God is with us’). Isaiah 7:14 NLT

It is easy for us to be blind to the gifts of God. We think that the things that happen are just happy coincidences, but that impoverishes our spirit. It robs us of seeing His glory.

Join me in celebrating the generosity of God in these little snippets. All occurred in the last few days.

A Warm Coat

Many of us take a warm coat for granted. Indeed, we’re likely to have a few coats to choose the one that fits our “need” on any given day. But that’s not everyone’s reality.

Coat drives are common in most areas, and a free coat is usually readily available. This year the hurricane devastation in the mountains has diverted many of the usual resources. The weather in the south has been unusually cold for this time of year. Both of these situations sent me on the hunt for a coat for a young lady. The power of social media delivered an answer in less than an hour.

“I have two coats I can bring so she can make a choice,” was the ready reply. “I’ll bring them today.” Before she could deliver the coats, a second call came into the office. “We have a client who is homeless – and wearing only a t-shirt. Do you have any coats?”  God saw this need — and met it before we even knew about it!

God’s detailed orchestration of events never ceases to amaze me. But He didn’t stop at just ‘provision.’ When the first young lady saw the coats, she exclaimed,

“I’ve always wanted a coat like this!” She saw God at work and said, “God did this, didn’t He?”

God wants to reveal Himself to each of us. That is a wonderful reality! And He does it in the most unusual ways. Look at this:

A Candy Apple

Have you seen those beautiful (and expensive) chocolate candy apples? A little girl had seen one when shopping with her grandma. But the cost was more than Grandma could afford. In fact, their family relies on the local food pantry to meet their needs. There are no extra funds for frivolous purchases. As they came together to the pantry for their December pick up, a bag caught the eye of the grandmother. “What is that?” she asked.

“Oh, it’s just a candy apple,” was the nonchalant reply.

Grandma’s eyes teared up – and so did the volunteers when she shared her granddaughter’s request. The goodness of God astounds us when we embrace the privilege of glimpsing Him at work!

A Calendar

One final sweet story of God meeting a wish within the hour of its expression. In a ‘family meeting’ at our transitional house, one resident saw a calendar another was using. “I need something like that,” she exclaimed.

The meeting concluded and the ladies went on to a Christmas gathering. The typical gift exchange ensued, and I’m sure you can guess the results. The gift she received was a calendar just like she had seen.

God IS with YOU!

God cares about the details of every life. Ask Him to give you vision. In Deuteronomy, we read that the Israelites did not see the blessings God gave them as they wandered in the desert. Their shoes didn’t wear out. They did not lack food or water. Too often, we are like the Israelites.

We focus on the struggles we see and miss the signs of His presence. God is with us. He is all-powerful. He is generous. Help others know His goodness. You will be blessed.

And if you are in a desert period, look for the blessings He is giving. Know He has good things planned for you. Don’t let what you see blind you to His presence. We walk by faith—that is the only way to please Him. God is with you. Rejoice!

Glory Glimpse: ZEALOUS

We complete our alphabet journey of ‘names’ for our amazing God with Zealous!  Our Lord is zealous and desires for us to be as well.  Zeal without knowledge is dangerous–but zeal rightly directed changes everything.  The ‘Zeal of the LORD of Hosts’ delivered Judah from Assyria (2 Kings 19:31), but even greater, that zeal provided total victory in Jesus Christ (Isaiah 9:7; 59:17).  

During Christ’s earthly life, He demonstrated the same zeal.  Early in His ministry, the disciples recognized that Christ fulfilled the prophet Isaiah’s words:  ‘Zeal for thy house consumes me.’  The LORD described zeal as a cloak wrapped about His armor of salvation and justice; Christ is the earthly reality of that depiction.

Zeal for the ‘house’ of God–the building project of the Father–was and is Christ’s power source.  Paul tells us that we are God’s building and fitted together in Christ we become a holy temple for God’s presence!  Zeal for the Father’s purposes propelled Jesus from heaven’s glory to the gloom of Israel’s defeat.  

Zeal brought Jesus into Israel‘s reality: a lost kingdom, submission to Rome and centuries of silence from their King.  Zeal for the Father’s purposes powered every miracle Jesus chose to perform, every word He chose to speak and every undeserved punishment He willingly received.  That Zeal did not fall short; that Zeal raised Jesus from the curse of death to reign eternally just as Isaiah prophesied hundreds of years before.

Our lives, hidden in Christ, are to be cloaked in the very same Zeal.  Built up in our Savior, His life surrounding and filling us, zeal is the natural state of the believer.  We are commanded to be zealous to do what is right.  Misdirected zeal destroys, but God-centered zeal delights the Father.  In the Revelation to John, the Laodecian church was rebuked for its lack of zeal.  Christ pleaded with them—pleads with us–be zealous in seeking God, turn from self-seeking and have a passion for the things of the Lord!

If you are enjoying this journey, there are two formats of these devotions on Amazon. You can find one here: Alphabet of Names

Glory Glimpse: YOUNG CHILD

Angels announced his birth; faithful saints prophesied of his greatness; his parents pondered all.  The wise men sought and found Jesus as a Young Child…and they bowed down and worshipped Him!  When we consider the Young Child who became our Savior, we, too, will rejoice in His greatness and bow before Him. We will long to be like Him.   Certainly, Jesus grew strong in body, spirit and wisdom during His earthly life—but God chose to have the Savior come as a Young Child.  We will grow as we ponder ‘why’!

Imagine—the Lord of the Universe accepted the limitations of infancy, allowing Himself to be wholly dependent on a teen-age mother because the Father willed it to be so!  The example of humility in the Savior coming as a child transforms hearts.  Our human tendency is to strive for independence—and expect others to do the same.  We do not want to depend on anyone, God included.  Our pride resists every limitation and closes us off from the deepest joys of a humble heart.

Christ’s humble heart did not resist absolute dependence because He knew the heart of the Father.  A Young Child need not strive to possess anything because a child’s heart trusts in the Father’s generosity.  The gentle purity of such a heart is foreign to most of us for we see it very seldom.  Even our children rarely experience such security.  We live in a culture that claims to love children, but many of our choices show a different value.  We rush children through childhood, anxious to share the ‘burden’ of their care with others.  We choose careers and independence above sacrificial giving to our young ones.  Our example reveals a mind-set that says each must be the ‘captain of your own ship’—meeting your own needs first.  Jesus did not give that example. Love puts the needs of another above one’s own—and trusts the Father to care for all.  

In His short, busy years of ministry, Jesus insisted on allowing children to come to Him.  He valued the example children give—and the generous desires the Father has for every soul.  Jesus knew that receiving God’s best necessitates a trusting, child-like heart.  Indeed, such a heart is a precious commodity in this world.  The heart of a Young Child has no concern about ‘honor’ from others for it needs nothing!  A Young Child is open to receive the riches of the Father and no needs exist.  Such a fulfilled heart emanates the gentleness and joy that builds relationships.

Christ clearly saw each of His disciples as a ‘Young Child’ for He often addressed them as such.  The disciple of Christ today must seek to grow into childhood as well.  Adult hearts strive in pride and convince themselves of their humble purity (Colossians 2:20-23).  A Young Child’s heart accepts that Jesus is our only hope.  We must rejoice in His example of trust in the Father’s design—complete dependence is our deliverance.  Self-driven efforts may improve our outward appearance but striving never transforms the inner darkness of our hearts.  Simple youthful joy in the generosity of God is what we must grow into!  Christ began where we are to arrive:  Young Child!  Grow down today.

If you are enjoying this journey, there are two formats of these devotions on Amazon. You can find one here: Alphabet of Names

Glory Glimpse: X-PRESS IMAGE

Arriving at “X” in our journey through the alphabet demands some creativity in our spelling!  Oh, but what a glorious view of Christ we will receive.  Our primary text verse comes from Hebrews 1, verse 3:

Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high; 

Jesus is the “X-press image” of our glorious God.  The NIV translation uses the phrase “X-act representation.”  Jesus pours forth the very glory of God like the rays of the sun bringing light to the earth!  The supreme joy of our lives is to know Jesus more—to know God more.  When we focus our eyes on the life of Christ, we see what our own lives are to look like.  It is a humbling, challenging look, which gives immeasurable meaning to each life.

Turning our eyes back Jesus’ arrival on this earth, we see Him trust the Father’s purposes so much He left the riches of heaven for the womb of a young mother.  Christ’s confidence in the manifest power and wisdom of God propelled Him to forsake all for the Father’s purposes of redeeming a lost world.  That confidence was not misplaced for all of Christ’s life proved the faithfulness of the Father.  Divine provision for earthly needs came from hearts moved by the Spirit of God:  wise men of the orient supplied finances, faithful servants in the temple gave nourishment to the souls of his parents; Mary and Joseph nurtured the precious treasure of Christ.  

Throughout Christ’s earthly life, the will of the Father drove all that He did.  The glory of God was His in obedience.  The miracles, the teaching, the betrayals—Jesus knew each and every detail of His life had divine purpose.  He received the circumstances of life with confidence in the Father’s plan.  Christ never chose the work He would do…the needs of humanity did not drive Him.  Neither personal fame nor even self-protection compelled the actions of Christ.  Nothing but the will of His Father directed Christ.

Christ accepted all as Father-filtered, and the radiance of God revealed itself!  As He lived this earthly life, He felt the hardship and difficulty of obedience through His sufferings.  Jesus prepared for His role as High Priest for you and me through enduring great suffering.  In fact, Christ’s suffering brought such anxiety He sweat drops of blood as He contemplated the personal cost.  Christ understands—understood—that the glory of God transforms trials.  He longs for us to understand that as well.  The purpose of God is to give us hope and a future.  Like Christ, we can trust in the Father’s plan.  In fact, God desires that destiny for each of us:  transformation by gazing at His glory.   The X-press image of God—the essence of Christ—is love that is willing to sacrifice self in obedience to fulfill the will of God.  Living with our eyes fixed on the glory of Christ brings His glory to this world!

If you are enjoying this journey, there are two formats of these devotions on Amazon. You can find one here: Alphabet of Names

Glory Glimpse: WELL of LIVING WATER

Today’s view of the Lord reminds us that He is the source of endless supply:  He is a Well of Living Water.  The nation of Israel experienced many reminders of water’s value.  Palestine receives little rain from May to October; the preciousness of water never fades from view.  Divine provision of water preserved lives in several scriptural accounts.  Wells of water were treasured possessions and family inheritances.  Christ’s revelation of Himself as the Well of Living Water is divine provision and priceless treasure!

Receiving Jesus as the Well transforms us.  Jesus promises that living water will flow from the life of all who drink of Him.  The prophets often spoke of the living water to come.  Ezekiel reported that because of the Living Water, “…the fruit will serve for food and the leaves for healing.”  A life nourished by Christ blesses others.  Isaiah spoke of the joy that accompanies drawing water from the well of salvation.  The pure Well of Living Water cleanses our hearts and allows us to enter into the joy of eternal life.  In John’s revelation, the Lamb leads heaven’s residents to the Living Fountain of Waters where God wipes away all tears.  Our Well never runs dry for the eternal one is our source.  The Well of Living Waters flows with wisdom and understanding.  Christ is the Well that makes the garden of our earthly life bloom with beauty and hope.

Proverbs contains much wisdom about wells.  Scripture identifies our heart as the wellspring of life.  Exercising caution in choosing a source for that wellspring is imperative.  The Well of Living Waters is available to all—but it is a personal supply.  We must carefully protect our Well from the contamination of impure additions.  We are to share generously but carefully of our supply by inviting others to walk with us to our Source.  Lives that draw upon the Well of Living Waters create a thirst for Jesus—and a path to the Source for others.

A life that does not draw upon the Well of Living Waters withers away.  The shallowness of any other ‘life’ source limits potential.  

  • Without the Well, the roots of faith never penetrate to the depths that provide nourishment.  
  • Without the Well, the ears of faith tune to sentimental messages and resist deep truths.  
  • Without the Well, the foundations of life settle on dry, sand soil that shifts—and lives crumble.  
  • Without the Well, shallow hearts blow from place to place always thirsting.  

We must drink deeply of the Well allowing it to flow forth into the dry, thirsty land around each of us!

If you are enjoying this journey, there are two formats of these devotions on Amazon. You can find one here: Alphabet of Names