I’ve been thinking about a saying I heard earlier this year that I heard again just a few days ago. Blessing is on the other side of obedience.
In the Garden of Gethsemane, we have no known record of the Father talking to Jesus during one of Jesus’ two most intense human struggles (the other being on the cross). Why wasn’t God speaking or acting to relieve Jesus’ struggle? Jesus knew what He had to do. The only way out of the struggle was either to quit or to do what His Father had already told Him. Blessing (eternal life, reunited with Father in glory, our salvation, etc.) is on the other side of obedience (dying on the cross and an excruciating, though temporary, separation from His Father).
When you already know what Jesus wants you to do, blessing is on the other side of obedience. Your struggle today may have nothing to do with your enemy or your Father, but your will own. Blessing is on the other side of obedience. Stop struggling, in the Spirit’s power, just do it!
Set Free Now“W”w

It’s been said, “I claim the holy right to disappoint men in order to avoid disappointing God.” The moment we start caring more about what our God thinks of our thoughts, words and actions than others, past or present, is the moment we’ll start walking in the freedom Christ came to bring us.
If you want to know what God thinks, start by listening to Him while reading His Word, not just reading to understand or get it done.
S“E”t Free Nowww

I read this quote after being in a perfect setting of eating an awesome Thanksgiving meal with my wonderful wife and kids: Perfection is unattainable, but the pursuit of perfection allows you to experience excellence.
Both sides of Scripture command and encourage us to be perfect. Yes, perfection this side of heaven is experientially unattainable. As we pursue perfection, though, we will become more and more like Jesus along the way, which is our desire, right?
As we make progress towards perfection we’ll see our lives transformed and our sin and the consequences (guilt, shame, embarrassment, insecurities, stupidity, etc.) of it further and further in our rearview mirror.
I was reminded of how thankful I should be as I read that quote. Jesus saved me, which makes perfection possible. He is saving me, which means I can make progress towards it. And, He will finish the job of saving me, which means I’ll no longer be broken but whole! I don’t know about you, but I often beat myself up over my inadequacies and failures; and yet praise the Lord that is not how God sees me.
Lord, help us to keep pursuing You with every step we take and praise You with every breath we draw. Because of You, we have a lot to for which to be thankful.
Set Free No“W”ww

“How much of or how badly do you want to experience the freedom and life Jesus came to give?” Slow down before you answer. It’s going to take waiting on Him to see both if you do. Isaiah writes, “From of old no one has heard or perceived by the ear, no eye has seen a God besides you, who acts for those who wait for Him.” (66:4)
You have the choice to do whatever you think is best how ever you think best to do it. Yet, there is a consequence to that mindset. Tozer wrote, “It is dangerous to be so busy that you have no time to wait on God.” It’s one thing to be busy doing something and quite another to be busy doing what Jesus would have you do, which is the only true way to feel alive.
How big do you want your God to be, one you can control or One who can control you? If you want to experience a God that’s bigger than your challenges, your drugs of choice, and you, you must first learn to slow down, listen to Him and then wait to act until He says, “Go for it.” It’s not easy, but freedom is simply worth the wait.
S“E”t Free Nowww

I sure the love the fruit of my labors (pun intended). Sometimes, though, the work to get it is not so fun – weeding. Weeds suck up precious water and minerals from the soil that my fruit trees need to produce luscious and tasty fruit.
Sometimes I can pull the weed out by hand and other times I must use a hand tool. Why? There are times the weed breaks off in my hand leaving part of the root in the ground. This looks pretty good from an aesthetic point of view. I only see and smell the fragrant oranges. Yet, I know the weed will eventually return as part of the root remains.
This truth came home the other day. The Lord showed me I had stopped short in my thinking. I thought the Spirit had gotten to the root of a certain behavior, but it took additional failing to see the lie He was extracting from my brain. Praise Jesus for His love to go deeper! And I thank God for His grace and mercy that gave me room to fail forward.
Jesus didn’t come to add new behaviors to me, but to replace me with Him. Adding new behaviors only makes me look good for the moment. Replacing me with Him by removing the root thought lasts for eternity.
Instead of sweating the process, surrender to it. The tasty fruit is worth the effort.
Set “FREE” Nowww