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Dominos is a favorite because it is so versatile. There are over 100 games that can be engagingly played with the identical elements and the age range can run from kindergartners to the elderly. One that I have been attracted to is when you stand them on end, maybe an inch apart, in a snake-like shape. When the first one is tipped, all the rest will fall.

It is fun when you set up your finances just right so that when one domino falls; you will reap a windfall of money. The more sobering domino type is when events in finances, health, or international conflict are set up that tipping one of them has the potential of tipping all the rest, leading us into depression or world war. I recently read in the news that a study group focused on international affairs said our world is as close to world war as have ever been. The last very tense time came when I was in high school. The Cuban Missile Crisis in 1962 happened when Russian and the United States were in the Cold War. There was scary talk about nuclear bombs and building your own bomb-shelter.

The Global Peace Index (GPI), the world’s leading measure of global peacefulness, reported our world is at a crossroads. We have 56 conflicts going on, the most since World War II. But beyond that, given how nations align themselves, it means 92 countries are involved in conflicts beyond their borders. The more notarized conflicts are the Russian-Ukraine and the Israel-Arab wars. Our own nation is facing a highly divisive condition when facing a hostile presidential election. Given the dockworkers’ strike, our days ahead could get very dark.

I point those matters out only to help us acknowledge it would not take too many dominos to fall for our world to be severely shaken. Jesus warned us about these world conditions when He said, “you will hear of wars and threats of wars, but don’t panic. Yes, these things must take place, but the end won’t follow immediately.  Nation will go to war against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in many parts of the world.  But all this is only the first of the birth pains, with more to come Matthew 24:6-8 (NLT2)”. Cf. Mark 13:7-8 He then said situations for Christ’s followers would become horrible!!

Given that warning, it begs the question; how then should we be living? The most important answer won’t come from others. It will come from what your inner being (spirit) is saying to you about you. Living in denial at this time will not be in your best interest!! As for me, the Bible has proven to be the only truth that has endured through time. But the Bible is of no use if you don’t know what it says about how to live. Jesus said multiple times, “he who has ears to hear (is open to hear), let him hear (Mark 4:9 NIV)”. Clearly, not everyone who has ears will hear. Jesus’ disciples heard and wanted to hear more clearly, so they took the initiative to ask what He was really saying. He said to those who asked; “you are permitted to understand the secrets of the Kingdom of Heaven, but others are not (Matthew 13:11, NLT2)”. My point is, unless you are eager enough to discover for yourself what the Bible says, you won’t like the price you will pay.

Yes, there’s “more to come”. World conditions are warning us it’s time for you, and your loved ones, to get deadly serious about discovering for yourself what the Bible says. There are other qualifiers in the Bible and only those that endure to the end will be saved. But, Jesus said, when you find that treasure, you will gladly “sell all that you have” to own it. (Matthew 13:44-46)

Several years ago, I learned about the Johari Window. It is a self-awareness test that shows how blind we are in how we see ourselves. Think of it as an iceberg that has far more beneath the surface than what is visible. It is made up of four quadrants, each representing a different aspect of human interaction.

• • • Open area: What you know about yourself and are willing to share with others.
    • Blind area: What others know about you, but you don’t know about yourself.
    • Hidden area: What you know about yourself, but don’t want to share with others.
    • Unknown area: What is unknown to you and others.

This model was often used in corporate settings to help improve relationships and communication by understanding conscious and unconscious bias.

The Johari Window reveals everyone is blind in some areas of their life. It is easy to see in political figures who are certain what they see is right when others can see their idea leads to destruction. It is also true of our spiritual life. The Psalmist and Prophets referred to this condition as having eyes but cannot see and ears but cannot hear. Isaiah wrote for the LORD has poured out upon you a spirit of deep sleep, and has closed your eyes (the prophets), and covered your heads (the seers) (29:10 (ESV). An example of this is also seen in the Jewish leaders who refused to believe what Jesus said. At a different level, Jesus’ disciples were blind. Jesus repeatedly preached for three years about the kingdom of God. Nevertheless, they still didn’t ‘get it’ until Jesus ascended into Heaven!

People in the church today have varying levels of spiritual blindness. Our perception of God limits what He can do in our life or through us. A few examples of this are…

• • • Unbelief (shown in not being willing to take a risk with or for Him).
    • Pride (personal knowledge or experience, doctrine, way of worship).
    • Past wounds, sinful habits (gossip, prejudice, addictions, contempt, thinking like the world).
    • Need to control.
    • Too busy to spend time seeking God. You no doubt have others that came to you.

Of course, we are not able to ‘see’ the blind areas in our life, and that is a most sobering thought to me. My personal prayer is that God please protect me from myself, the foolish decisions I make due to my blind area. Recently someone fixed my collar at church, which I appreciated. Later my ‘fly’ was down, but I didn’t see it either. I NEED others to be candid with me and tell me what I don’t see about myself, but not just about my apparel.  We all NEED each other to be candid with us and call our attention to spiritual or social blind spots we have. Have you given permission to your friends to do that? How else are we going to become like Jesus?

Paul wrote some very sobering words that we often attribute to others who are spiritually blind. Romans 1:18-22 (abbreviated -NLT2) But God shows his anger from heaven against all sinful, wicked people who suppress the truth by their wickedness. They know the truth about God … Yes, they knew God, but they wouldn’t worship him as God or even give him thanks. And they began to think up foolish ideas of what God was like. As a result, their minds became dark and confused.

 I urge you to get alone with God and ask Him what truth you have been suppressing because it is too scary to face. God wants to bring spiritual sight into those areas so you can live an increasingly free life in His presence and His likeness.

I’ve been doing a deeper dive of Isaiah in my current personal devotions. As I journal, I receive more dynamic revelations about God in some sections than in others. Most recently, the context in Isaiah 43 is the Jews in captivity in Babylon. The Spirit is inspiring Isaiah to prophesy to them that although He had to send them into captivity for their sin, He still deeply loved them (as He does when He disciplines us). Paul describes this same love when he wrote, God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners (Romans 5:8, NLT2).

Through Isaiah, God tells those in captivity He is going to bring about a new exodus out of Babylon. It will be far more awesome than their exodus out of Egypt or their liberation from the Assyrians—two armies of two world empires. In each case, in a single fell swoop, God drowned the best Egyptian army and destroyed the powerful Assyrian army in one night through a plague! I couldn’t even imagine a power of that magnitude! And we stew about an election or skirmish between the Russians and Ukrainians or between the Jews and the Arabs or the economy. Let that word-picture soak into your heart and inspire your inner being!

As Isaiah was writing this prophecy, something happened to him. It appears a fresh wave of the Spirit crashed upon him. I wonder if it might be like being on the top of a very high mountain looking over the surrounding mountains. From that height you only seek the peaks, not the valleys. You are just amazed at what appears as a nearby mountain range. Isaiah got so excited that what his spirit envisioned about this new exodus began to blur with real time. He tells those in captivity to forget about those things that he just wrote about. God is going to do a new thing!

The wording could give the impression that it’s talking about their return trip from Babylon. Yet, if you take a closer look, it reveals itself as something much greater. In verses 19-20, he discusses the transformation of the wilderness into a flourishing garden with flowing rivers. This change would lead to even wild animals and birds praising God. The reality is, nothing even remotely like that happened when they came back. Was God or Isaiah misleading the people? Not at all! If you read the next verse, God refers to people He has formed for Himself, who will declare praises of Him. Stop and consider. How would you describe the spiritual state of Jews today? Most are not ‘practicing Jews’ and are far from sharing God’s values. Even so, there was a small group of Jews who remained devoted to God during that period, just as there are today. The same applies to the church in modern times. There are ‘overcomers’ who are serious about being apprentices of Christ. These are the ones who God is forming for Himself. Paul writes …as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, so that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish (Ephesians 5:25b-27, ESV).

Isaiah’s words became so alive and dynamic to me when I realized Isaiah was writing like Jesus talked—in parables. The words could apply to daily life, but what Jesus said was really about spiritual truths. (Matthew 13:10-13) It not only showed me God’s sovereignty, wisdom, and power, it also boosted my faith in Him resolving life’s troubling circumstances. If God has such things all planned out and under control, what is the big deal about the frightening things going on around us? They are really NO BIG DEAL in the light of our God. I can now relax and be more child-like as He said we should be.

The term ‘friend’ today has a wide range of meanings. If you ‘friend’ someone on Facebook, you will be able to see each other’s comments, etc., but you can just as easily unfriend that person for any trivial reason. Some boast of how many friends they have on Facebook. However, this would be the loosest use of the term possible. From that base level, there is a wide spectrum of use of that term. Try to name at least one for each classification.

1. Acquaintances

These would be like your neighbor whose name you know and maybe their job, or someone you chitchat with at the library, coffee shop, or at your job. You don’t make firm plans to see each other, although you might be neighborly.

2. Casual Friends

With friends of this sort, you socialize and talk about colleagues, maybe a job change, or noteworthy events, but you don’t reveal your deepest secrets. Your casual friends are tied to your hobby, profession, and occasionally coffee or lunch.

3. Utility Friends

These friendships are based on both parties receiving help from each other in some way. They might be business partners that share financial interests but disagree in various other areas. They are common and regular, but they can be impermanent and change over time.

4. Mentor/Coach Friends

These are the individuals with whom you share private information but only to enable them to better help you improve in an important area of your life.

5. Close Friends

These have earned a VIP pass to your heart. You feel genuine affection and concern for each other, therefore spend hours with each other nearly every week. They are friends with whom you openly discuss personal matters, dreams, and fears. They know your quirks, favorite ice cream flavor, and do vacation with you. They are like co-pilots on your life journey.

6. Intimate Friends

These are your few soulmates of friendship—the ones who know the secrets within your heart. Your shared trust enables you to freely share everything. You are with them every free opportunity and you talk about anything and everything. They’ve seen you at both your highest and lowest points. Solomon describes them when he wrote, there are “friends” who destroy each other, but a real friend sticks closer than a brother (Proverbs 18:24, NLT2). The Bible tells us Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness”—and he was called a friend of God (James 2:23, ESV). His belief in God was seen in how he took the huge risk of packing up all his belongings, leaving his hometown and friends, and headed east to a city that didn’t even have a name! It was also seen in his willingness to offer Isaac as a sacrifice.

I’ve shared this so I can ask this question for you to ponder. In real time, where might you classify your relationship with God? You see, it is within the context of intimate friendship that transformation occurs. It is through authentically living out this relationship we become more like Him. You cannot become like Him just by attending church, seminars, or mission trips, as important as those opportunities are. It is absolutely true, without that relationship, all a person has is religion. I can tell you from personal experience, a continued intimate relationship with Him is without an equal. You then know deep within that it is well with your soul. It will provide you with the greatest sense of well-being possible on this planet earth.

Do you remember how many spam calls you got last week? If you accidentally answer their call, you soon discover they all have a sales pitch, trying to sell you a desirable product or play on your fear of losing something very important. It is always a scam of some sort. A person I know responded to spam in the last 30 days and it resulted in a loss of well over $100 thousand dollars.

Have you considered the possibility that there are also ‘religious’ spammers? They too have a pitch offering simulations of true worship that sounds Biblical but is really appealing to a god created in man’s image—created to please the soul or flesh of mankind. Their liturgy and teachings appeal to the mind and/or emotion over one’s spirit and are based on ‘cherry picked’ Bible verses. They offer a way to go to God’s Heaven that will include most everyone, no matter the kind of person they are (not were). Most religious spammers are not bad people. Most are good, well-meaning individuals. They simply are not students of the Bible nor apprentices of Jesus and therefore they preach or teach other speakers material.  They were simply spammed by what they heard or have been taught or may not have had much of a personal encounter with the Bible God that changes everything.

How can you know if you attend a spammer led or ‘progressive’ oriented church, or one that subtly deconstructs what you know the Bible does says about God? Unfortunately, far too many attendees don’t personally know what the Bible actually does say about God and His truth because they don’t know how or haven’t taken the time to personally find what it says. Churchgoers come to hear what their pastor tells them the Bible says or their unique spin on what they think He intends to say in His Word. It’s like eating at a fast-food place with unhealthy ingredients you wouldn’t use if you cooked the meal yourself.

Interestingly, the Holy Spirit inspired Paul to write all Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work (2 Timothy 3:16-17, ESV). He wrote in the previous chapter a cure for avoiding religious spammers.  Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth (2 Timothy 2:15, ESV). The original word translated Do your best literally means to be eager, zealous, diligent, make every effort, to do your utmost, to do what? To … present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth. It is noteworthy that Paul tells you what to expect when you zealously or diligently study scripture. There are four things it is profitable for; teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness. Did you notice it is NOT just to soothe your bruises or pump you up? The scripture’s teaching helps you get a clear understanding of truth, reproof points out errors when you read or hear them, correction straightens out the curves or distortions in your life, and instruction is to help you know how to make correct decisions and align your values and ways to those of God’s kingdom.

By handling real currency, you can learn to spot counterfeit money. By consistently studying scripture, God’s truth is stamped in your heart so you will intuitively sense if what you hear or read is spam. How are you positioning yourself so God can imprint His truth in your heart so you can spot spam when you hear or see it? If your plan is anemic, I strongly urge you to take responsibility for protecting yourself and those you love from the prevailing winds of deception.

Heads up! I acknowledge I am in a state of having been blown away by the awe-inspiring infinite capacity of God. I am so blown away I do not understand all I am about to write. So please don’t take what I will write as Bible doctrine. Rather, take this as a deep impression of a person trying to describe the ‘crazy, wonderful’ light that I have been experiencing the last couple days. Try to engage with me in my musings in this cloud of wonder.

Isaiah, a highly regarded prophet, revealed the vast scope of God’s ‘emotional’ ability. I admit up front that I am not able to hold within myself a passionate hatred for the rebellious, audacious sin in someone, while at the same time have an even stronger passion of sacrificial love for those disrespectful rebels. While God was arranging for Jews to be disciplined for their repulsive, evil hearts, He is also working towards how He would show them His incredibly deep love. This brings more depth to God’s words through Isaiah. My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts, says the LORD. And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine. For just as the heavens are higher than the earth, so my ways are higher than your ways and my thoughts higher than your thoughts (Isaiah 55:8-9, NLT2). Anyone who imagines they can give wise counsel to this God does not know Jehovah, God Almighty, and thinks more highly of themselves than they ought!! (Romans 12:3)

His first words to Isaiah after responding to God’s call were Go, and say to this people: Keep on hearing, but do not understand; keep on seeing, but do not perceive. Make the heart of this people dull, and their ears heavy, and blind their eyes; lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their hearts, and turn and be healed (Isaiah 6:9-10, ESV). Interestingly, Jesus quoted this verse when asked why He spoke in parables. They were still rebellious, so Jesus was also doing what God told Isaiah to do.

Isaiah warned these rebellious people, speaking of Jerusalem, … I will bring disaster upon you, and there will be much weeping and sorrow. …I will be your enemy, surrounding Jerusalem and attacking its walls. I will build siege towers and destroy it (Isaiah 29:1-3, NLT2) Isaiah later said, … Who allowed Israel to be robbed and hurt? It was the LORD, against whom we sinned, for the people would not walk in his path, nor would they obey his law.  Therefore, he poured out his fury on them and destroyed them in battle. They were enveloped in flames, but they still refused to understand. They were consumed by fire, but they did not learn their lesson (Isaiah 42:23-25, NLT2).

Contrast His anger with His deep love for them when He told Isaiah to tell them, when you go through deep waters, I will be with you. When you go through rivers of difficulty, you will not drown. When you walk through the fire of oppression, you will not be burned up; the flames will not consume you. For I am the LORD, your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior. I gave Egypt as a ransom for your freedom… I traded their lives for yours because you are precious to me. You are honored, and I love you. Isaiah 43:2-4 (NLT2). Incredible! He goes on, do not be afraid, for I am with you. I will gather you and your children from east and west…north and south… Bring all who claim me as their God, for I have made them for my glory. It was I who created them (Isaiah 43:5-7, NLT2). The thought of returning the former rebels leaves me stunned. What does that tell us about the awesome ability of God’s love for you and me? This is beyond my comprehension.

If I earnestly seek God with all my heart, this tells me absolutely nothing can hold back such a formidable God from fulfilling His loving purpose in and through my life. What might that say about His heartbeat for you?

I sometimes wish I were a child again—but only until I consider being pulled through the knothole of life to become an adult all over again!! A child is oblivious to our world’s drama or national political condition, not to mention the messy financial turmoil we are facing. Interestingly, Jesus said truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven (Matthew 18:3, ESV). Jesus didn’t say that to make us feel guilty! He said it to help us avoid the anxiety that plagues so many of us. Paul wrote, do not be anxious about anything… Philippians 4:6a (ESV). Look at it this way. Consider anxiety as being a like red light on a car dashboard that alerts us that something is wrong. It alerts us when we are in a danger zone because we are lacking faith in God. Has your red light started flashing?

I have guided countless individuals through mourning the loss of a spouse or child. I expected that when Connie graduated. But I did not expect the profound feeling of losing my most trusted confidant to share a new revelation of scripture, a life-changing observation, an achievement, or the sting of being hurt by a friend. When she left earth, my feeling of being lost was indescribable.

In the above scripture, Jesus was telling adults to stop thinking like an adult when facing the perils of life. The Greek word translated turn means to have a radical 180-degree change in direction. Simply put, He was saying unless you unlearn your adult, independence or controlling ways, and become as trusting as a child is upon their parent(s), you cannot enter His heaven. That is serious!!

Through the years, I had become very accustomed to managing decisions at home, pastoral work and state-wide superintendency of churches. I had my ladder leaning heavily against my anointing, accumulated skill set, and on Connie, who God gave me to as a helpmeet. When she left, my ‘ladder’ came crashing down. My emotions virtually froze my spirit, so I could only know the feeling of being lost. I had not developed a close mentor to whom I would first go to, so the term ‘lost’ best describes the ‘wave’ that suddenly crashed over me.

I wrote all that to say why Jesus’ words have become so meaningful to me. With her gone, I was being forced to become like a child, trusting solely on God! I know I trusted Him before, just not at this level. Hopefully, with the word picture I have tried to paint, you can better relate to what Jesus was saying to each of us. In that context, who have you had your ‘ladder’ leaning on for support? In my case, I now have been learning a new way of leaning heavily on His gentle nudge or soft whisper for even my minor decisions.

Looking back, I would like to have positioned my “ladder” in a way that depended more on God’s gentle guidance, sparing Connie from carrying such a heavy weight. I’m unsure about the strategy to make that shift, but by knowing what I now know, I would have been more proactive in achieving that mindset. Learn from my mistakes. Take initiative now to establish unwavering trust in God, rather than treating it as a religious cliché. Jesus said all other ground is like sinking sand. Acting now will reduce your stress and anxiety plus allow you to more fully embrace the abundant life Jesus intended for you.

Have you been disappointed in spiritual leaders you have held in high esteem? I’m sure each of us has done so. I know I have and, like you, I don’t like the way it makes me feel and its long-term effect. I repeatedly hear the sad disappointment in the voice of those who share the hurt they have experienced when that happens.

I have seen how scores of people have quoted or otherwise referred to Paul’s recorded experiences or responses as though he was as infallible as Jesus was. Yet, they passively acknowledge he was human, yet subconsciously think if he said or did it, it must be pure and righteous. He even acknowledged some uncertainty about some things he wrote. (1 Cor. 7:6) He for certain is a spiritual hero, but to make him infallible in all cases would be a grave mistake. Just considering that, how might that make you feel to think he made mistakes that are recorded in the Bible? I suspect you would want to push back. I get that. But that is precisely what I’m wanting to put on the table to reflect on. We don’t want to think one of our spiritual leaders being human enough to make mistakes, even though we will say they are human.

My aspirations to be faultless lead me to creating false expectations about myself AND leaders I hold in high esteem. Satan uses those very expectations to discourage, if not defeat, me and crush my respect for those I fantasize are faultless. This happens to all of us. Subsequently, we tend to gradually relax our ambitions and endeavors to become more Christlike. Plus, we go on to rationalize that God is unfair to expect us to become perfect. You see, when we allow ourselves to create false expectations, we only defeat ourselves. A common trap Satan sets for us.

It is recorded that Jesus understood this trap and prepared his humanity to be able to respond properly to it. John records “because of the miraculous signs Jesus did in Jerusalem at the Passover celebration, many began to trust in him. But Jesus didn’t trust them, because he knew human nature. No one needed to tell him what mankind is really like (John 2:23-25, NLT2). Did you notice that Jesus refused to allow false expectations of people to discourage or defeat Him? Did His humanity experience frustration with people? Certainly! Following His transfiguration, at the bottom of the mountain, his remaining nine disciples had failed to cast out a demon from a boy and out of exasperation He said, O faithless and twisted generation, how long am I to be with you? How long am I to bear with you? Bring him here to me (Matthew 17:17, ESV). Remember, Jesus was divine but also fully human, just like the rest of us!

How might you eliminate your defeat and minimize your discouragement by focusing on reality rather than allowing your fantasies to create false expectations of others? It helps me, as it will you, if I remind myself my spiritual maturity is not yet complete. The shift from my thoughts and reactions being driven by my mind, emotions and independent volition (soul) to being driven primarily by my spirit deep within is not yet complete. This is true for all of us. Therefore, we will vary in how often our soul responds to situations before our spirit does. Therefore, we can say or do things that may sound spiritual, but flow more out of our fallen soul. If that happens to us, how can we honestly expect any human alive to never default to their humanity in what they say or do? Being a spiritual authority figure does aid and empower us but does NOT end our fallen soul/humanity. This is why Jesus said, Judge not, and you will not be judged; condemn not, and you will not be condemned; forgive, and you will be forgiven… (Luke 6:37, ESV). Judging others has a way of coming back to bite you.

What I am about to embark on will be a challenge to your thinking, so please try to think with me as I try to expose you to a sobering thought. Realizing how much more can be written about this issue, I will risk oversimplifying it so you can use it to shape your spiritual journey.

As a child, I believed in God because my parents believed in Him. I believed in many ideas I later found were not consistent with what the whole Bible teaches. This didn’t become clear until years later when I came to know Him intimately enough to become His apprentice. There is a time in life when you begin to question your beliefs and so you can know the truth for yourself.

On the other hand, a person can know many facts about God from what they have heard or read, yet not personally believe in Him. However, if they don’t truly believe in Him, they cannot fully trust Him. Not until they have a personal encounter with Him, can they experientially know Him and therefore fully trust Him. Keep in mind, the same Judas that was a disciple of Jesus, intellectually and socially, knew a lot about Jesus. He even went out and worked miracles, as Jesus had done. Nevertheless, he came to betray Him and later committed suicide, having never fully believed Him as the Son of God. Had he more fully known Him, he would have had to repent of his sin to Jesus and been forgiven.

If one fails to confront and resolve their veiled doubts about God, they will be unable to fully trust in Him for their everyday choices. Settling silent suspicions about God is a major achievement in the journey to enjoying a most intimate relationship with Him. Don’t worry about doubts about God if they are honest questions. Asking honest questions is crucial for uncovering sustainable truth. Simply ask Him to help you understand Him more fully.

John, the disciple of Jesus scripture suggests was closest in relationship to Jesus, went on to write this profound statement. So, we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him (1 John 4:16, ESV). To know here focuses on the mind or understanding. This is the type of knowing that comes from reading, hearing indoctrination, or logic. To believe here focuses on the heart, to be convinced of, or to trust and rely on. It results in taking more risks to please Him. Such belief comes out of a divine encounter, revelation, or a spiritual traumatic experience and results in boldness and greater risk taking on kingdom principles. Both are critical factors in our spiritual journey.

Unfortunately, I’ve observed the knowing component is the dominating factor in ‘second generation’ Christians. Although, a good percentage of those growing up in the church do move beyond the knowing to the experiential believing, but not all. Ezekiel 36:25-27 describes the tale-tell sign of the experientially believing. It says there will occur a strong God-given desire to be careful to obey His rules. Paul confirms that by writing for God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him. (Philippians 2:13, NLT2).

It’s sobering when you consider how easily you can confuse knowledge and belief and end up wrongly assuming knowledge with some belief is sufficient. Here is a clue that might help you discern your condition. If you lack a compelling to carefully do His good pleasure, it’s a serious issue that needs attention. Taking time to reflect prayerfully on that will definitely be worth it.

In the past, the frequently used gravel roads I drove on often had rough and bumpy areas, resembling washboards. When you speak, your teeth vibrate, causing your voice to have an involuntary vibrato. If you did not reduce the speed of the car, it would start to slide sideways, making it impossible to control. It was scary if you were in a hurry. To be candid, my last few weeks have felt like I was driving on gravel, washboard roads. While the bumps weren’t as tightly spaced as on gravel roads, they certainly gave me moments I felt like I might be skidding off course. I did some grocery shopping one of those times and made a fool of myself because I couldn’t keep my thoughts focused. It felt like I was bouncing off the rails.

In the midst of those uncertain, jaw-shaking times, when I would slow down long enough, the Holy Spirit would move me into what I call ‘holy moments’. These are when His presence would become so felt, so healing, so soothing and delightful. Perhaps they might be compared to a warm embrace by God that lifts one’s sense of worth, joy, hope, and confidence. Each occurrence was slightly different in intensity, but all transformed my lostness, instability, and uncertainty into an awareness of closeness, security, confidence, and hope. Just remembering them as I type these words brings tears to my eyes because they have been so sacred to me. Each encounter left me with a healthy sense of well-being.

When Connie was still alive, we enjoyed an exceptional sense of mutual interdependency. We shared such trust that made us feel stronger and more assured, especially when going through a rough patch in circumstances surrounding us. She was my most valued earthly treasure. I told her that many times and I meant it with all my heart. The only one I treasured more was God. It was in that context, as Abraham did with his son Issac, I frequently surrendered my most valued treasure to Him. Now that she has entered her reward, I do not feel lonely, yet I most certainly miss my most valued treasure. I only have gratitude for our years together. To be very candid, I have the foggy sense that God received her, in part, so I could more explicitly excel in treasuring Him in my remaining years. My holy moments are clear expressions of our embrace.

Having written that, I often wonder how God’s heart longs to share that same relationship with you and so many other of His children. I cannot help but believe that is precisely what David had in mind when he wrote May my meditation be pleasing to him, for I rejoice in the LORD (Psalm 104:34, ESV). If you search the book of Psalm for how David used some form of the word ‘meditate’, you will find it was almost a holy, awe-inspiring moment for him, one describing an intimate experience with God. I honestly believe that those experiences can be so energized with His presence that our inner beings are transformed more into Christ’s likeness. There is absolutely NOTHING that compares with these divine encounters. The fruit of them is life-giving and life changing. Oh, the joys of those who do not follow the advice of the wicked, or stand around with sinners, or join in with mockers. But they delight in the law of the LORD, meditating on it day and night (Psalm 1:1-2, NLT2). Believe me, you will be able to more easily manage the washboard roads in your life when they lead you to extended holy moments in your life. If I can even begin to stimulate a stronger desire within you to seek such recurring encounters with God, I will have served you well. These are the times that have sustained me through the years, but even more so in these days since Connie went to be face to face with Him. I can only pray that you will take time to savor the holy moments you have with Him.