Tag Archives: Denying Self

Am I a Friend of Jesus?

Posted on by

“She has done a beautiful thing to Me.” Mark 14:6b ESV1

Read Matthew 26:6-16; Mark 14:3-11 & John 12:1-11

One of my favorite hymns is “What a Friend We Have in Jesus” by Joseph Medlicott Scriven (1819-1886). Mr. Scriven suffered much loss in his life. He penned the words of this hymn in 1855 after the tragic loss of his second fiancée. The trouble in his life drove Mr. Scriven into a deeper relationship with the only One he could never lose. Thus, the words of this hymn are especially encouraging to anyone struggling in any manner. Likewise, singing this hymn is particularly moving to many who know Jesus intimately because of the times He has met them in their need. The powerful words of this hymn are as follows:

“What a Friend we have in Jesus; all our sins and griefs to bear!

What a privilege to carry everything to God in prayer!

Oh, what peace we often forfeit; oh, what needless pain we bear,

All because we do not carry everything to God in prayer!

Have we trials and temptations? Is there trouble anywhere?

We should never be discouraged; take it to the Lord in prayer.

Can we find a Friend so faithful, who will all our sorrows share?

Jesus knows our every weakness; take it to the Lord in prayer.

Are we weak and heavy-laden, cumbered with a load of care?

Precious Savior, still our Refuge; take it to the Lord in prayer.

Do thy friends despise, forsake thee? Take it to the Lord in prayer!

In His arms, He’ll take and shield thee; thou wilt find a solace there.

What a Friend we have in Jesus; take it to the Lord in prayer.”2

Indeed, Jesus has been a tremendous Friend to me, but have I reciprocated? I have been looking at a well-known and often referenced passage of Scripture in the light of friendship with Jesus.

Continue reading →

An Occasion for Germination

Posted on by

“For they all contributed out of their abundance but she, out of her poverty, put in all she had to live on.” Luke 21:4 ESV1

Read Mark 12:41-44 & Luke 21:1-4

During my life, I have never lived more than twenty miles North or South of the Western half of the Wisconsin-Illinois state line. It is a land of bright, green grass and dark, rich soil. In the warmer months, this area looks like God spread a monochromatic, patchwork quilt, stitched in forest green and tied in barn red, over the rolling hills. It is a land meant for growing things. I live in the country and if I look out any of the windows in my house, I can see flourishing fields.

Last Fall, my husband purchased a roto-tiller to pull behind his tractor. I watched him work up four separate areas in our lawn to prepare them for planting grass. It was beautiful, the way that roto-tiller worked up the ground. It broke up the soil into pea-sized or smaller chunks, evened out the dirt, and made these little tracks to collect the seeds and the water. My husband sowed grass seed in each of those areas. And every day, I watered those sections, dreaming about how beautiful our lawn was going to look when Spring came.

When Spring arrived, three of those sections had green, grass shoots appearing. But the fourth area produced only weeds. Even though that fourth section was given the same treatment as the other three, the seed in that place, for whatever reason, didn’t germinate.

Continue reading →

Faithful Rendering

Posted on by

Jesus said to them, “Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s and to God, the things that are God’s.” Mark 12:17 ESV1

Read Matthew 22:15-22, Mark 12:13-17 & Luke 20:20-26

To faithfully render something is to accurately represent it. But one can faithfully render something without rendering faithfully at all. To explain this phenomenon, let’s turn to an account recorded in the synoptic Gospels.

Continue reading →

Life After Death

Posted on by

“Why do you seek the living among the dead? He is not here, but has risen.” Luke 24:5b-6a ESV1

Life after death is usually in reference to where one will spend eternity. But in the context of Easter, it takes on a little different meaning. Easter is the celebration of Jesus’ resurrection–His return to life after His death–to a restored human body that walked again on Earth for a short time and then ascended into Heaven in bodily form.2

As we approach the Easter season, we are reminded of Jesus’ death. The horror of crucifixion becomes more vivid in our imaginations. And the enormity of our sin and the greatness of God’s gift is refreshed in our memories. Taking time to remember Jesus, His sacrifice, and His conquering of sin for our sake is a significant part of this season. Likewise, rejoicing over the fact that death could not keep Jesus’ body in the grave and that Satan has lost his power over humanity is of utmost importance. But we will miss the full extent of this celebration if we never consider our own personal Easter stories. But I must ask: Do you have an Easter story?

Continue reading →

The Ultimate No and the Greater Yes

Posted on by

“When it was full, men drew it ashore and sat down and sorted the good into containers but threw away the bad.”  Matthew 13:48 ESV1

Read Matthew 13:47-52

When I was parenting my children, I made a practice of saying yes whenever possible no matter how much sacrifice or inconvenience saying yes might require. I did this for one reason—so that when I had to say no, it meant something. I believe Jesus does the same thing; He says yes way more than He says no. But when He says no it is for a very important reason.

Continue reading →

Taking Up Our Crosses

Posted on by

“If anyone would come after Me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow Me.” Mark 8:34 ESV1

Read Matthew 10:34-39, Mark 8:34-38 & Luke 14:25-33

Maybe it is because we have become accustomed to adorning ourselves with cross jewelry. Maybe it is because we find it fashionable to decorate our homes with cross accents. Maybe it is all of the gracious blessings we receive because of our association with Christ, but in this day and age, we have lost the horror of the Cross. Even when we speak of bearing a cross, we only mean that we are enduring some unpleasant circumstances. But when the first-century followers of Christ heard Jesus say they must take up their crosses to be His disciples, they would have been both confused and dismayed. Continue reading →

Who’s Your God?

Posted on by

As they were going along the road, someone said to Him, “I will follow You wherever You go.” Luke 9:57ESV1

Read Matthew 8:19-22 & Luke 9:57-62

Sometimes I think Jesus could have been a little nicer. After all, God is the epitome of love, and His sending of Jesus to Earth to save us is evidence of the outpouring of His love (see 1 John 4:7-10, John 3:16 & Titus 3:4-6). Over and over, the Psalmist testified to the unceasing nature of God’s love. “How precious is Your steadfast love, O God! The children of mankind take refuge in the shadow of Your wings” (Psalm 36:7). And it is the kindness of God which brings us to the point of repentance (see Romans 2:4). Yet, sometimes, when one claimed his devotion to Jesus and His purposes, Jesus seemingly extinguished that one’s enthusiasm by saying something less than encouraging.

Continue reading →

Noble Joseph

Posted on by

Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit.   Matthew 1:20b NLT1

Read Matthew 1:1-25

As he worked in his carpenter’s shop, did Joseph ever ponder the fact that he was a descendant of the great King David? His ancestors, for fourteen generations, had been kings of Israel, the leaders of God’s chosen people. Did he ever wonder how his life would have been different had Israel faithfully served God and still had a king on the throne? He could have been raised as a prince, not a pauper. He could have been preparing for the throne instead of building a blue-collar business.

Continue reading →