Being a follower of Jesus Christ is more than saying a prayer, attending church, or identifying ourselves as Christians. A true relationship with Christ should produce an ongoing transformation in our lives.

Paul tells us:

“Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day.”
— 2 Corinthians 4:16

Notice those words: day by day.

But how can we expect to be renewed day by day if we are not spending time with the One who renews us?

We cannot continually feed our minds with the world, neglect the Word of God, rarely pray, and then expect spiritual transformation to simply happen on its own.

Renewal requires relationship.

It requires spending time with God—reading and meditating on His Word, praying, worshiping, giving thanks, listening, surrendering, and allowing the Holy Spirit to work within us.

Paul writes:

“Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.”
— Romans 12:2

There is a battle taking place for our minds every single day. The world is constantly speaking to us through culture, entertainment, social media, relationships, circumstances, and countless other voices.

That is why our minds continually need to be brought back under the truth of God’s Word.

We cannot expect a renewed mind while continually filling it with everything except the Word of God.

Scripture also tells us:

“Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word about Christ.”
— Romans 10:17

If we want our faith to grow, we must continually expose ourselves to God’s truth.

But knowing Scripture is not enough.

There must also be obedience.

James warns us:

“Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.”
— James 1:22

We can attend Bible studies, listen to sermons, memorize Scripture, read Christian books, and know theology—but if the Word never changes the way we live, something is missing.

Biblical knowledge without biblical obedience is not spiritual maturity.

Jesus said:

“Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me.”
— Luke 9:23

Again, notice the word daily.

Jesus did not describe discipleship as a one-time decision. He described a life of continually following Him.

To take up our cross daily means denying ourselves—our selfish desires, pride, preferences, ambitions, and will—and surrendering them to Christ. It means choosing God’s will over our own, even when obedience costs us something.

Following Jesus requires sacrifice.

Following Jesus requires surrender.

Following Jesus requires obedience.

And following Jesus is daily.

As this transformation takes place internally, there should eventually be evidence externally.

Jesus said that a tree is recognized by its fruit. In the same way, the Holy Spirit working within a believer should increasingly produce visible fruit in that person’s character.

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.”
— Galatians 5:22–23

Notice that these are not merely spiritual gifts or abilities. They are character qualities produced by the Holy Spirit.

A maturing believer should increasingly become more loving.

More patient.

More kind.

More faithful.

More gentle.

More self-controlled.

This does not mean Christians become perfect. Sanctification is a lifelong process. We will stumble, struggle, repent, learn, and continue growing.

But there should be movement.

There should be growth.

There should be fruit.

There should be evidence that spending time with Jesus is changing us.

The question is not simply:

“Do I call myself a Christian?”

The deeper question is:

“Is following Christ transforming the way I live?”

Am I being renewed?

Is my mind being transformed?

Is my faith growing through His Word?

Am I obeying what God teaches me?

Is the fruit of the Spirit becoming increasingly visible in my character?

Am I denying myself, taking up my cross, and following Jesus—not occasionally, but daily?

Christianity was never intended to be merely a Sunday experience.

It is a daily walk with Jesus.

A life being renewed day by day.

A mind continually being transformed.

A heart increasingly surrendered.

A faith strengthened through the Word.

A life marked by obedience.

And character that increasingly looks like Jesus Christ.

Book Recommendation: “not a fan. BECOMING A COMPLETELY COMMITTED FOLLOWER OF JESUS” by Kyle Idleman

With Love & Light ❤️✨

Liza 🦋

Two of the scariest passages in the Bible to me are Revelation 3:15–16 and Matthew 7:19–23.

Why?

Because both contain warnings spoken by Jesus Himself to people who believed they were spiritually okay.

There are some words of Jesus that should cause every professing Christian to examine their heart. Revelation 3:15–16 contains some of them:

“I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth.”
— Revelation 3:15–16 NIV

Those are strong words.

Jesus was speaking to the church in Laodicea, but His warning should still make us examine our own walk with Him today.

Am I hot for Christ—or have I become lukewarm?

The Scariest Part Is That They Didn’t Know

What makes the condition of the Laodicean church especially dangerous is that they didn’t recognize their own spiritual condition.

Jesus continued:

“You say, ‘I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.’ But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked.”
— Revelation 3:17 NIV

They thought they were doing fine.

Jesus said they weren’t.

They had become comfortable. Self-sufficient. Spiritually complacent.

And that is something we need to pay very close attention to today.

Lukewarm Christianity doesn’t necessarily look like someone openly rejecting Jesus. It can look like someone who still calls themselves a Christian, still believes in God, still attends church, and still knows the right Christian language—but Jesus is no longer at the center of their everyday life.

We can become so comfortable with the idea of being Christian that we stop actively pursuing Christ.

Christianity Was Never Meant to Be a Sunday Relationship

You can attend church every Sunday and still neglect your relationship with Jesus Monday through Saturday.

You can know Scripture without allowing Scripture to change you.

You can sing worship songs while your heart is far from God.

You can call Jesus Lord while continually resisting His authority over areas of your life.

You can know about Jesus without spending time with Jesus.

That should make us examine ourselves.

Jesus does not want a small compartment of our lives. He wants our hearts.

He said:

“Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.”
— Matthew 22:37 NIV

Notice He didn’t say some of your heart.

He said all.

What Does Lukewarm Christianity Look Like Today?

It can happen gradually.

Prayer becomes something we do only when we need something.

Our Bible stays closed for days or weeks.

Conviction becomes easier to ignore.

We begin tolerating things we once knew were displeasing to God.

Church attendance replaces personal intimacy with Christ.

We become more concerned with what the world thinks than with what God thinks.

We have time for social media, television, work, entertainment, friends, hobbies, and everything else—but somehow continually have no time for God.

Eventually, we may still profess Christianity while living very little of our everyday lives in conscious dependence upon Christ.

That is a dangerous place to become comfortable.

There Is a Difference Between Struggling and Being Lukewarm

This is important.

Every believer goes through difficult seasons.

Sometimes prayer feels harder. Sometimes you open your Bible and struggle to concentrate. Sometimes you’re exhausted. Sometimes temptation is strong. Sometimes you may even feel spiritually dry.

Struggling does not automatically mean you’re lukewarm.

A person who recognizes that something is wrong and cries out, “Lord, I need You. Help me. Draw me closer to You,” is demonstrating something very different from the self-satisfied attitude of Laodicea:

“I…do not need a thing.”

The danger comes when we become comfortable without Him.

When we stop caring that we’re drifting.

When conviction comes and we continually ignore it.

When we convince ourselves that because we call ourselves Christians, everything must be fine.

Jesus Gives Them the Answer

Thankfully, Revelation 3 doesn’t end with Jesus identifying their condition.

He tells them what to do:

“Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest and repent.”
— Revelation 3:19 NIV

Repent.

Turn around.

Come back.

Jesus’ rebuke wasn’t given because He didn’t care about them. He specifically says, “Those whom I love I rebuke.”

Then comes one of the most beautiful invitations in Scripture:

“Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me.”
— Revelation 3:20 NIV

Think about that.

Jesus is speaking to a church—and yet He is pictured standing at the door knocking.

He wants fellowship.

He wants communion.

He wants our hearts.

Examine Yourself

Maybe the question isn’t simply:

“Am I a Christian?”

Maybe we should also be asking:

“What does my relationship with Christ actually look like?”

Do I hunger for His Word?

Do I talk to Him throughout my day?

When the Holy Spirit convicts me, do I repent?

Am I becoming more like Christ?

Is there fruit in my life?

Am I obeying what God has shown me?

Do I depend upon Him—or mostly upon myself?

Has Jesus become the center of my life, or merely someone I acknowledge as part of it?

These aren’t questions meant to produce religious performance or make us believe we can earn God’s love.

They are questions meant to help us examine our hearts.

Paul wrote:

“Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves.”
— 2 Corinthians 13:5 NIV

Jesus gave another sobering warning in Matthew 7:

“Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them. Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’”
— Matthew 7:19–23 NIV

Don’t Become Comfortable Without Jesus

We should never become satisfied with simply wearing the label Christian.

We should want Christ Himself.

Stay in the Word.

Stay in prayer.

Stay sensitive to conviction.

Stay in fellowship with other believers.

Repent quickly when you sin.

Ask God to reveal areas where you have become spiritually complacent.

Keep pursuing Him.

Not because you’re trying to earn salvation—but because when you love someone, you want to be near them.

Jesus gave the church in Laodicea a serious warning, but He also gave them an invitation.

“Be earnest and repent.”

And perhaps that is the message some of us need today.

If you’ve drifted, come back.

If you’ve become comfortable, wake up.

If you’ve stopped praying, start talking to Him again.

If the Bible has remained closed, open it.

If the Holy Spirit has been convicting you about something, stop ignoring Him.

Jesus is knocking.

The question is: Will you open the door?

With Love & Light ❤️✨

Liza

I was thinking this morning about when I broke my femur. The doctors put a four-inch metal plate and eleven screws in my leg. At the time, that hardware was necessary. It stabilized what was broken and allowed the healing process to begin.

But as the months went on, those screws began causing more and more pain.

Six months later doctors had to cut open the same wound, remove all of the metal, stitch me back up, and allow another healing process to begin.

And I started thinking about how often we do the same thing emotionally.

We pack up our pain.

Shame.
Betrayal.
Rejection.
Abandonment.
The loss of someone we loved.
Childhood wounds.
A broken marriage.
A mistake we cannot forgive ourselves for.
Something someone did to us that we still cannot understand.

It hurts so badly that we decide we don’t want to deal with it anymore.

We pack it into a box, close the lid, put it on a shelf somewhere deep inside of us, and tell ourselves, I’m done with that.

But putting something away isn’t the same thing as healing from it.

Sometimes years pass, and suddenly something happens—a conversation, a person, a place, a memory—and that box gets knocked off the shelf.

The pain comes rushing back.

Why?

Because the wound was closed, but it was never completely healed.

Sometimes You Have to Reopen the Wound

Going back hurts.

Believe me, I didn’t want another surgery. I didn’t want them cutting into the same place that had already caused me so much pain.

But sometimes what is causing the continued pain has to be exposed and removed before true healing can take place.

The outside can look fine—the scar may appear healed and everything may seem okay on the surface—but internally, the story can be very different. What looks resolved on the outside can still be causing ongoing damage on the inside, and that hidden pain is often what continues to create deeper issues over time.

That is how it was with my leg — on the outside the skin was healed, but on the inside the hardware was causing damage.

Emotional wounds can be the same way.

There are things we may need to unpack, talk through, grieve, forgive, surrender, and bring before God.

That doesn’t mean we live in the past.

We go back so we can finally move forward.

There is a difference between revisiting a wound for healing and continually reopening it just to suffer through it again. The goal isn’t to remain focused on what happened. The goal is to deal honestly with what happened so that it no longer controls what happens next.

Don’t Keep Everything Bottled Up

God created us for relationship and community. Sometimes we need another person to sit beside us while we unpack what we’ve been carrying.

That’s why it is so important to have trustworthy, godly people in your life—people who will listen, pray with you, speak truth to you, and point you toward Christ.

And sometimes we need professional help.

There is absolutely a place for a trained counselor or mental-health professional who can help someone work through trauma, grief, betrayal, or deeply rooted emotional wounds. There are Christian professionals who can help you process what happened while respecting your faith and continually encouraging you toward healthy, godly healing.

Seeking help does not mean Christ isn’t enough.

It means we recognize that God can use people as part of the healing process.

“Plans fail for lack of counsel, but with many advisers they succeed.”
— Proverbs 15:22

Pain that is continually buried can also affect other areas of our lives. Unresolved emotional distress can influence our relationships, our behavior, our sleep, our emotions, and even our physical well-being.

Sometimes what we think we have “moved on from” is still affecting the way we live today.

Bring the Wound to Jesus

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”
— Matthew 11:28–30

Jesus never asks us to pretend something didn’t hurt.

He invites us to bring our brokenness to Him.

“He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.”
— Psalm 147:3

I love the imagery in that verse.

He binds up their wounds.

But before a wound can be properly treated, it has to be acknowledged.

We have to be willing to say:

Lord, this still hurts.

Lord, I’m still angry.

Lord, I haven’t forgiven.

Lord, I’m ashamed.

Lord, I don’t understand why this happened.

Lord, I’ve been carrying this for years and I don’t know how to put it down.

Bring it into His presence.

Jesus told the Samaritan woman:

“Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst again.”
— John 4:13–14

People can help us. Counselors can give us tools. Godly friends can walk beside us. But ultimately, there are places within the human heart that only Christ can satisfy.

He is the Living Water.

Unpack It So You Don’t Have to Keep Carrying It

Maybe there is a box you’ve been carrying for years.

You’ve taped it shut.

You’ve pushed it into a corner.

You’ve told everyone—including yourself—that you’re fine.

But every once in a while, you still feel the pain of what’s inside.

Maybe it’s time to stop packing up your pain.

Open the box.

Not so you can live there again.

Not so you can become a victim of your past.

Not so you can continually relive what someone did to you.

Open it so you can finally heal from it.

Talk about it.

Pray about it.

Get godly counsel.

Seek professional help when you need it.

Forgive where forgiveness is needed.

Grieve what needs to be grieved.

And surrender to Christ what you were never meant to carry forever.

Sometimes healing requires us to go back to the place that hurts and allow God to deal with what we buried there.

It may hurt to reopen the wound.

But temporary discomfort in the healing process is better than carrying untreated pain for the rest of your life.

Stop packing up your pain.

Let God help you unpack it.

Let Him remove what doesn’t belong there anymore.

And let the healing finally begin.

Because after you unpack the burden, you don’t have to pick it back up. Give it to Jesus. He never asked you to carry it alone.

With Love & Light ❤️✨

Liza

We run to friends. We run to family. We ask other broken human beings to tell us what to do with our lives, our relationships, our pain, and our problems.

But broken people can give broken advice.

You wouldn’t go to someone who is physically unhealthy and ask them how to become healthy. So why would you take spiritual advice from someone who is spiritually unhealthy?

Be careful who you allow to counsel you.

Before you run to people, run to God.

Go to the Word.
Seek His face.
Ask for His wisdom.
Sit quietly in His presence.

God is the greatest Counselor. His wisdom isn’t clouded by emotion, personal agendas, wounds, pride, or limited understanding. His counsel is perfect, and it comes from a place of perfect love.

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to Him, and He will make your paths straight.”—Proverbs 3:5–6

There is nothing wrong with seeking wise, godly counsel. Scripture actually encourages it. But make sure the voices speaking into your life are pointing you back to God and back to His Word.

People can advise you.

But God should have the final word.

Before you ask, “What do you think I should do?”

Ask:

“Lord, what does Your Word say?”

I love this little reminder for the B.I.B.L.E.:

Basic
Instruction
Before
Leaving
Earth

And be real with God. He already knows your struggles. He knows your hurts. He knows the things you are wrestling with even before you say a word.

He wants you to seek His face for answers.

Sometimes our flesh is pulling us in one direction while the Holy Spirit is leading us in another. That is why we have to be careful about making decisions based solely on what we feel in the moment or what other people say.

Our emotions are real, but they aren’t always reliable guides.

If we allow our emotions, our flesh, or the opinions of other people to lead us, we can easily find ourselves walking down the wrong path—and away from God’s will.

So before you react, before you make the decision, before you ask everyone else what they think...

Be still with God.

“Be still, and know that I am God.”— Psalm 46:10

Open His Word. Seek His face. Listen for the Holy Spirit’s guidance.

Let God speak before you let the world speak for Him.

With Love & Light ❤️✨

Liza

Yesterday, the Lord gave me a picture that I can’t stop thinking about.

I saw myself exactly as I was in 2024.

I wasn’t standing on solid ground.

I was sinking.

It was as if I had stepped into quicksand. The harder I struggled in my own strength, the deeper I sank. Sin has a way of doing that. It promises freedom but slowly pulls us under until we begin to believe there is no way out.

Then, in the vision, I saw something incredible.

Reaching down toward me was the mighty hand of my Heavenly Father.

He reached into the very place where I was drowning and pulled me out.

At that moment, these Scriptures came flooding into my heart.

“I waited patiently for the Lord; he turned to me and heard my cry. He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; he set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand.”

— ‭‭Psalms‬ ‭40‬:‭1‬-‭2‬ ‭NIV‬‬

And Jesus’ words:

“My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand.”
— John 10:27–28

What struck me wasn’t just that God rescued me.

It was when He rescued me.

He came at exactly the right time.

Before I sank beyond hope.

Before sin completely destroyed me.

Before I continued down a road that led to death.

I didn't rescue myself.

I didn't suddenly become strong enough to climb out.

God came for me. His mercy reached me in the middle of my mess and pulled me onto solid ground.

But there is another part of this story that matters.

I asked Him to rescue me.

I remember praying, “God, I don’t care how You do it. Just get me out of this. I can’t take it anymore. I want my life back.”

God already knew exactly what I needed before I ever spoke those words, but He still wanted me to come to Him—to acknowledge that I couldn’t get myself out and ask Him for help.

So the Lord must wait for you to come to Him
so He can show you His love and compassion.
For the Lord is a faithful God.
Blessed are those who wait for His help. (Isaiah 30:18 NLT)

Scripture also reminds us, “You do not have because you do not ask God” (James 4:2 NIV). God knows our needs before we ask, yet He still invites us to come to Him, to ask, to seek, and to depend on Him.

“Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened” (Matthew 7:7-8 ESV).

And He certainly answered me.

He got me out.

But I also learned something about surrender: when you tell God, “I don’t care how You do it,” you have to be prepared for what His rescue may look like.

Mine was painful.

Things happened that I never would have chosen. People were hurt along the way, and there were consequences that I wish could have been different. I would never call the pain itself good or say that God desired the hurt.

But God used what happened to bring me back to Him.

What felt like everything falling apart became the very place where my relationship with my Heavenly Father began to be restored.

Looking back now, I realize that when I prayed, “I don’t care how you do it. Just get me out of this,” I wasn’t telling God how to rescue me.

I was surrendering.

And He did exactly what I asked.

He pulled me out of the miry clay.

That is the heart of our Father.

He is not standing on the shore watching His children drown while saying, “Figure it out.”

He pursues.

He calls.

He convicts.

He reaches.

He rescues.

There may be someone reading this today who feels like they’re sinking in guilt, addiction, shame, fear, bitterness, or a secret sin that nobody else knows about.

You may think you’ve gone too far.

You haven’t.

If the Holy Spirit is still convicting your heart, that is evidence of God’s mercy still reaching for you.

Ask for help.

Don’t ignore His hand.

Take it.

The enemy wants you to believe you’re trapped forever, and this is just who you are now.

Jesus says, “Come.”

The same hand that lifted Peter out of the storm...

The same hand that raised Lazarus from the grave...

The same hand that was pierced on the cross for our sins...

...is still reaching down today.

He specializes in pulling people out of pits.

He turns miry clay into solid ground.

He turns broken lives into testimonies.

And if He rescued me...

He can rescue you too.

Reflection

Is there an area of your life where you’ve been trying to pull yourself out instead of reaching for the hand of Christ?

Today, stop fighting in your own strength.

His hand is already reaching toward you.

Take it.

Prayer

Heavenly Father,

Thank You for not leaving me in the pit. Thank You for seeing me when I was sinking and reaching down with Your mighty hand to rescue me. Thank You that Your mercy pursued me before sin destroyed my life.

Lord, keep me close to You. Never let me become comfortable drifting away from Your presence. When I begin to wander, lovingly convict me and draw me back. Help me to keep my eyes fixed on Jesus, who alone is able to save, restore, and hold me securely in His hand.

Thank You for lifting me out of the miry clay and placing my feet upon the Rock that cannot be shaken.

May my life always point others to the One who rescues.

In Jesus’ mighty name,

Amen.

With Love & Light ❤️✨

Liza

Rarely do people wake up one morning and decide they no longer want to walk closely with Christ. More often, it happens gradually.

One missed prayer.
One skipped time in God’s Word.
One compromise.
One distraction.
One busy season.

Little by little, the current begins carrying us farther from the One who gives us

A boat doesn’t have to be under full power to move away from shore. Sometimes all it takes is neglecting the anchor and allowing the current to do its work.

Spiritually, the same is true.

The good news is that for those who belong to Christ, God has not left us to drift aimlessly.

The writer of Hebrews describes our hope in Jesus this way:

“We have this as a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul...”
— Hebrews 6:19 (ESV)

Jesus is the anchor of our souls.

But think about an anchored boat for a moment.

If the anchor is secured with a very long rope, the boat can drift quite a distance before the line becomes taut. It is still anchored, but it has wandered far from where it started.

If the rope is short, the boat may still move with the waves, but it never drifts very far before the anchor gently pulls it back toward its center.

Our relationship with Christ is much like that.

As we mature in our walk with Him, we become more sensitive to the Holy Spirit’s leading.

A careless word.
A wrong attitude.
A sinful thought.
A neglected prayer life.

What may have gone unnoticed years ago now produces a gentle conviction almost immediately.

The Spirit lovingly tugs at our hearts.

Not to condemn us.

Not to shame us.

But to draw us back to Jesus.

The closer we stay to Him, the quicker we recognize when we’ve begun to drift.

Jesus told us what should remain at the center of our lives:

“You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.”
— Matthew 22:37 (ESV)

When Christ is the center of our hearts, everything else finds its proper place.

The goal isn’t perfection.

The goal is remaining near the One who holds us steady.

When you feel that gentle tug in your spirit, don’t ignore it.

Respond.

Open His Word.

Pray.

Worship.

Repent if necessary.

Draw near to Him, because He is already drawing you back.

The safest place for any believer is not where the waters are calm.

It’s wherever the Anchor holds.

“We must, therefore, pay even more attention to what we have heard, so that we will not drift away.” — Hebrews‬ ‭2‬:‭1‬ ‭HCSB

Reflection

How long is the rope today?

Have you allowed yourself to drift farther than you realize, or are you staying so close to Jesus that even the slightest movement away from Him causes your heart to return?

Stay close to the Anchor. And when the storms of life begin to rage, keep these truths hidden in your heart:

• ⚓ Hebrews 6:19 — Christ is the Anchor of our souls.

• ❤️ Matthew 22:37 — Keep Him at the center of your heart.

• 🌊 Psalm 89:9 & Psalm 107:29 — The One who anchors us is also the One who rules the waves and stills the storms.

A Prayer

Heavenly Father,

Thank You for being the steadfast Anchor of my soul. Do not allow me to drift too far from You. When the currents of this world begin to pull me away, let me quickly feel the gentle conviction and loving tug of Your Holy Spirit calling me back to You.

Open my eyes to recognize when I have begun to drift. Give me a heart that responds immediately with repentance, humility, and a renewed desire to draw near to You.

Lord, help me remain in Your Word every day. As the psalmist declared, “I have stored up Your word in my heart, that I might not sin against You” (Psalm 119:11). Let Your truth be firmly planted within me, shaping my thoughts, my words, and my actions.

I know the enemy of my soul is constantly looking for opportunities to distract me, discourage me, and lead me away from You. But today I choose to stay anchored in Christ. Strengthen me to resist temptation, to recognize the enemy’s traps, and to keep my eyes fixed on Jesus rather than on the waves around me.

Keep the fire of my love for You burning brightly. May I never lose my desire to seek You, to spend time in Your presence, and to open Your Word each day. Draw me closer to You until my greatest joy is simply being with You.

Keep me near You, Lord, today and every day, until the day I see You face to face.

In the mighty name of Jesus, Amen.

With Love & Light ❤️✨

Liza

This weekend, I had a conversation with someone who said something along the lines of:

“You Christians can be a bit much sometimes. It’s always about Jesus.”

And I thought about that.

Why is talking passionately about Jesus considered “too much”?

I hear people obsessively talk about their favorite sports teams. They know every player’s name, every statistic, every trade, every win and every loss. They wear the jerseys. They paint their faces. They spend hundreds of dollars on tickets. They scream until they lose their voices.

And nobody tells them, “You talk about your team too much. Give it a break.” Why are you so loud?”

We simply call that passion.

So why is passion suddenly strange when the subject is Jesus?

I love the fire and passion of preachers like Philip Anthony Mitchell of 2819 Church. He’s loud. He’s direct. He’s passionate. He’s not your quiet, conservative teacher—and why does he have to be?

There is something powerful about hearing someone preach the Word of God with such conviction.

And then there are those who say:

“You Christians are so exaggerated about Jesus. You’re fanatics.”

Bro… 😂

You painted your face, bought a $150 jersey with another man’s name on the back, screamed until you lost your voice, and nearly cried because a dude you don’t even know scored a touchdown.

But I’m the fanatic because I’m excited about Jesus?

That player didn’t die for your sins.

That player didn’t conquer the grave.

That player can’t forgive you, save you, or give you eternal life.

Jesus can. Jesus did.

And one day, when Christ returns to judge the world, none of the things we celebrated so passionately here will matter. No athlete, celebrity, team, career, possession, or earthly obsession will be able to save us.

Only Jesus can.

So maybe the question isn’t why some of us are so passionate about Jesus.

Maybe the question is: Why isn’t everyone?

So yeah… I’m passionate about Jesus.

If I’m going to get excited about anyone, it’s going to be the King of Kings and Lord of Lords.

The Bible certainly isn’t embarrassed by passionate praise:

“Shout for joy to the LORD, all the earth; break forth into joyous song and sing praises!”
— Psalm 98:4 (ESV)

And David wasn’t worried about looking dignified when he celebrated before the Lord:

“And David danced before the LORD with all his might.”
— 2 Samuel 6:14 (ESV)

Of course, passion isn’t measured only by volume. A quiet person can love Jesus deeply, and loudness by itself isn’t evidence of spiritual maturity.

But neither should we treat passionate, expressive worship as something strange.

If we can shout for a touchdown, why can’t we shout about an empty tomb?

If we can celebrate a championship, why can’t we celebrate the King of Kings?

If we can be unashamed of our favorite team, how much more should we be unashamed of the One who laid down His life for us.

Get excited about Jesus.

Talk about Him.

Praise Him.

Worship Him.

Tell people what He has done.

WHY NOT?

And whether your worship comes through a quiet whisper or a joyful shout, don’t be ashamed of your passion for Christ.

Jesus is worthy of far more than the passion we give to anything this world has to offer.

And as Paul said:

“For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes.”
— Romans 1:16 (ESV)

“So if loving Jesus, talking about Jesus, worshiping Jesus, and getting excited about Jesus makes me ‘a bit much’... I’m okay with being a bit much.”

With Love & Light ❤️✨

Liza

#JesusisKing #TheHolySpirit #filled #setapart #convicted #saved #renewed #onfireforJesus #idontcarewhatyouthink #ambassadorforChrist #DiscipleofChrist #Jesusrules #thegreatestathletetoeverlive #iwillyellforJesus #praiseJesus #giveHimtheglory #ChristisKing #philipanthonymitchell #fireofTheSpirit

So many people are exhausted.

They rush to work.
Rush to appointments.
Rush to soccer practice.
Rush to answer another email.
Rush home to cook dinner.
Rush to pay bills.
Rush to do it all again tomorrow.

The world has conditioned us to believe that busyness equals productivity and that rest is something we earn after we’ve exhausted ourselves.

So we look for relief.

Maybe it’s dinner out.
A few drinks with friends.
A vacation.
Netflix.
Scrolling social media.
Shopping.
Another hobby.

None of those things are necessarily wrong.

But they only distract us from our weariness for a little while.

Jesus doesn’t offer a distraction.

He offers rest.

Not temporary relief.

Real peace.

The kind of peace that quiets an anxious heart, slows a racing mind, and reminds us that we’re not carrying life’s burdens alone.

In Matthew 11:28-30 He says:

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. ²⁹ Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. ³⁰ For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

Ironically, the One who can truly refresh our souls is often the One we leave for last though.

Somewhere along the way, spending time with God became another item on our to-do list instead of the very place where our souls are renewed.

Are you constantly running from one thing to the next?

When you’re exhausted, where do you turn first?

Are you reaching for temporary relief, or are you making time to rest in the presence of the One who says, “Come to Me”?

Perhaps you’re not running from God at all.

Maybe you’ve simply been running past Him.

The world’s relief is tied to a moment; God’s peace becomes a way of living.

The relief the world offers only lasts as long as the experience itself. The vacation ends. Dinner is over. The drinks wear off. The show ends. Monday comes, and the stress returns.

But what Jesus offers isn’t temporary relief. It’s lasting peace.

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:6-7 (NIV)

As we seek Him daily, the Holy Spirit continually renews our hearts, filling us with a peace and joy that aren’t dependent on our circumstances. That peace doesn’t disappear when life gets busy. It goes with us into the office, into traffic, into difficult conversations, into unexpected trials, and into every hurried moment of our day.

The world helps us escape our problems for a little while. Jesus gives us the strength and peace to walk through them.

Jesus isn’t just helping us survive life—He’s transforming us as we abide in Him. The more consistently we remain in His presence, the more His peace becomes something we carry with us rather than something we have to keep chasing.

Today, and every day, choose to rest in the peace that only God himself can give.

With Love & Light ❤️✨

Liza

The battle we face is spiritual, which is why we need to put on the whole armor of God every single day.

Think about a soldier on a battlefield. Would they put on their armor only occasionally? Would they lower their guard in the middle of a war? Of course not. They stay alert because they know the enemy is always looking for an opportunity to attack.

The same is true for us.

We cannot afford to let our guard down with the enemy of our souls. Scripture warns us:

“Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.” — 1 Peter 5:8 (ESV)

Just as an army waits for the right moment to strike, Satan is patient. He looks for moments when we’ve become complacent—when we’ve neglected prayer, drifted from God’s Word, isolated ourselves from other believers, or allowed compromise to creep into our lives.

That is why God has given us spiritual armor.

I remember when I first read about the armor of God, I didn’t fully understand what it meant to “put it on.” I knew the passage, but I didn’t know how to apply it to my daily life. At the time, I simply wasn’t spiritually mature enough to grasp it. It was almost like trying to learn a new language.

As I continued walking with Christ, spending time in His Word, praying, repenting, and allowing Him to transform me, something changed. One day I realized I wasn’t just reading about the armor anymore—I was actually living it. Without even realizing it, I had begun applying the very things Paul described.

Looking back, I can see that putting on the armor isn’t about performing a ritual every morning. It’s about walking in truth, resting in Christ’s righteousness, standing firm in faith, filling your mind with the assurance of your salvation, living out the gospel, and wielding the Word of God against the lies of the enemy. What once seemed confusing has, by God’s grace, become second nature.

The armor of God is not merely symbolic. It is our God-given protection for spiritual warfare. We are called to fasten on the belt of truth, put on the breastplate of righteousness, fit our feet with the readiness of the gospel of peace, take up the shield of faith, wear the helmet of salvation, and wield the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God (Ephesians 6:10–18)

Notice that Paul doesn’t tell us to put on the armor only when we feel under attack. He tells us to put on the whole armor of God so that we may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil.

The enemy doesn’t take days off.

Neither should our vigilance.

Stay close to Jesus. Stay in His Word. Stay in prayer. Keep your armor on, because the battle is real—but so is the victory that belongs to those who stand firm in Christ.

"Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm." — Ephesians 6:13 (ESV)

For further study on how to apply The Armor of God, I recommend these excellent resources from Billy Graham and from Got Questions.org.

With Love & Light ❤️✨

Liza

Most of us have heard the following statements:

Keeping up with the Joneses.
Champagne taste on a beer budget.
All hat, no cattle.

I’ve known people who drive an $80,000 luxury vehicle, yet struggle to pay for a meal or come up with the next month’s rent.

We live in a culture that rewards appearances—a culture that is obsessed with image.

The right car.
The right career.
The designer clothes.
The newest phone.
The biggest house.
The carefully curated social media feed.

We’ve become experts at looking successful—even when our hearts are empty.

Jesus warned us about this very thing:

“Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven... For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” — Matthew 6:19–21 (ESV)

Jesus never measured a person’s worth by what they owned. He measured the condition of their heart.

When the rich young ruler approached Jesus, he appeared to have everything. He was moral. Respected. Wealthy.

Yet Jesus exposed the one thing that had become his god.

“Go, sell all that you have... then come, follow Me.” — Mark 10:17-22 (NLT)

Jesus wasn’t against money.

He was against anything that competed for first place in our hearts.

That’s why He also said:

“No one can serve two masters... You cannot serve both God and money.” — Matthew 6:24 (NLT)

And later:

“It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God.” — Mark 10:25 (NLT)

The problem isn’t wealth.

The problem is when wealth possesses us.

Scripture never teaches that money itself is evil. In fact, Paul reminds us:

“Godliness with contentment is great gain...” — 1 Timothy 6:6

And just a few verses later, he explains that it is the love of money, not money itself, that is “a root of all kinds of evil.” (1 Timothy 6:10) Full chapter: 1 Timothy 6.

God isn’t impressed by luxury cars, designer labels, your career, or impressive homes.

He looks beyond the image and sees the heart.

As God told Samuel:

“People judge by outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” — 1 Samuel 16:7 (NLT)

The world teaches us to spend our lives trying to look important.

Jesus teaches us to spend our lives becoming faithful and sanctified.

One investment fades.

The other lasts forever.

We chase earthly treasures instead of heavenly ones.

We try to impress people instead of pleasing God.

We buy things we don’t need, with money we don’t have, to impress people we don’t even know.

The world tells us that more possessions will bring us peace and happiness.

God’s Word says otherwise:

“Better a little with the fear of the Lord than great treasure with turmoil.” — Proverbs 15:16 (NIV)

“Keep your life free from the love of money, and be content with what you have...” — Hebrews 13:5 (NIV)

Ask yourself:

If God removed every possession I own today, would He still be enough?

That’s the question Jesus was really asking the rich young ruler.

It’s not about outward appearances—it’s about a heart that is fully surrendered to Christ.

Scripture includes many faithful people who were wealthy, such as Abraham, Job (after his restoration), David, and Joseph of Arimathea. The issue is never the size of a person’s bank account; it’s what sits on the throne of their heart.

What are you putting before God?

What has become your god?

The first commandment says:

“You shall have no other gods before Me.” — Exodus 20:3 (ESV)

Anything we look to for our identity apart from Christ can quietly become an idol.

The Apostle Paul understood this better than anyone. After all of his accomplishments, status, and religious achievements, he wrote:

“Yes, everything else is worthless when compared with the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord.” — Philippians 3:8 (NLT)

I count the things of this world as pointless because nothing compares to the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord.

The greatest display of wealth isn’t what you drive or wear.

It’s walking in the peace that comes from knowing Christ.

A heart that is content in Jesus is richer than any bank account this world can offer. Wealth is a wonderful blessing when it is surrendered to God, but it was never meant to become the source of our identity, peace, or security. Only Christ can satisfy the deepest longing of the human heart.

“Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth.” — Colossians 3:2 (ESV)

“He then told them, “Watch out and be on guard against all greed because one’s life is not in the abundance of his possessions.” —Luke‬ ‭12‬:‭15‬ ‭HCSB‬‬

With Love & Light ❤️✨

Liza

This morning I was thinking about someone in my life who, back in 2007, repented and surrendered his life to Jesus. He experienced the presence of the Holy Spirit in powerful ways. He faithfully attended church, surrounded himself with godly friends, and genuinely desired to follow Christ.

But just a few months later, he said something that has stayed with me all these years:

“I can’t do this Jesus thing. It’s too hard. It’s much easier to sin.”

As I reflected on those words, I realized something.

He had unknowingly made the Christian life about his own ability instead of Christ’s finished work.

He was striving to be good enough, holy enough, and perfect enough to stand spotless before God. But the gospel has never been about what we can accomplish. It has always been about what Jesus accomplished.

If perfection and holiness depended on us, then why did Jesus have to die?

Galatians 2:21 (NIV) says “I do not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness could be gained through the law, Christ died for nothing!”

The truth is, He knew we could never save ourselves. He knew we could never live a perfectly sinless life. That is why He willingly went to the cross, bore the judgment our sins deserved, shed His blood for our forgiveness, died in our place, and rose again in victory.

Our righteousness is not something we earn. It is something we receive through faith in Christ.

Ephesians 2:8-9 says: For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast.

The apostle Paul makes this crystal clear in Galatians 2:16:

“...know that a person is not justified by the works of the law, but by faith in Jesus Christ. So we, too, have put our faith in Christ Jesus that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the law, because by the works of the law no one will be justified.”

We are not declared righteous because we have perfectly obeyed God’s law. We are declared righteous because we have placed our faith in the One who fulfilled it for us.

Scripture tells us:

“For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” — Romans 3:23

None of us measure up. Not one.

That is why our hope is not in our performance but in Jesus.

When we repent and place our faith in Him, He forgives us, cleanses us, and clothes us in His righteousness. We are justified before God because of Christ, not because of our own goodness.

Does that mean we don’t pursue holiness?

Of course not.

As we draw closer to Jesus, the Holy Spirit begins transforming us from the inside out. We begin to hate the sins we once loved and love the God we once ignored. Holiness becomes the evidence of a changed heart, not the requirement for earning God’s love.

As I was writing this, I couldn’t help but think about the messages at church over the last couple of weeks in a series called “Relentless Love.” The story of Jonah is often reduced to “Jonah and the whale,” but the deeper message is about God’s relentless pursuit—not only of Nineveh, but of Jonah himself.

Jonah ran.

God pursued.

Jonah resisted.

God remained faithful.

Jonah was angry.

God was patient.

The hero of the story isn’t Jonah’s obedience.

It’s God’s relentless mercy.

That doesn’t mean we become passive or treat sin lightly. We are called to repent, obey, and persevere. But our assurance rests in God’s faithfulness, not in our flawless performance.

When my friend said, “I can’t do this Jesus thing,” in one sense, he was right.

None of us can.

We cannot conquer sin by sheer willpower.

We cannot make ourselves righteous.

We cannot earn God’s favor.

The invitation of the gospel has never been, “Try harder.”

It has always been, “Abide in Me.”

Jesus said:

“I am the vine; you are the branches... apart from Me you can do nothing.” — John 15:5

The Christian life is not about gritting our teeth and trying to be holy. It’s about remaining close to Christ, and the Holy Spirit produces in us what we could never produce on our own.

The enemy wants you to believe the opposite.

He whispers:

“God is tired of forgiving you.”

“Just stay away.”

Those are lies.

The closer you stay to Jesus, the more He changes you.

Sanctification is a lifelong process, and He is faithfully transforming you into His image one step at a time.

Don’t run from Him because you’ve stumbled.

Run to Him because He is your Savior.

The One who calls you is also the One who cleanses you.

As John wrote:

“If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” — 1 John 1:9

Maybe today you feel like Jonah.

Maybe you’ve run farther than you ever thought you would.

Maybe shame tells you that God is finished with you.

But the story of Jonah—and the story of the gospel—is that God is relentless in His love.

He pursued Jonah.

He pursued Peter after his denial.

He pursued Paul while he was persecuting Christians.

And if you have wandered, He still calls you to return to Him.

Stop running.

Turn around.

The Father you are running from is the very One whose arms are open to receive you.

So stop striving to become spotless on your own.

Stay close to the only One who can make you white as snow.

Keep your eyes fixed on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith (Hebrews 12:2). He who began a good work in you will be faithful to complete it (Philippians 1:6).

The Christian life is not sustained by our grip on Christ, but by Christ’s grip on us.

Pastor Jonny said it this way “There’s nothing we can do but cling to the grace of God because the story of Jonah—and our story too—is not about how tightly we cling to Him, but about how God fiercely, fiercely, and always clings to us.”

That doesn’t diminish our call to obedience—it gives us the confidence to keep getting back up when we fall, because His grace is greater than our failures.

Your confidence is not in your ability to hold on to Him.

Your confidence is that He is holding on to you.

With Love & Light ❤️✨

Liza

One thing I’ve discovered through writing is that it has become part of my healing. I have binders and spiral notebooks dating back to 2007, when I first gave my life to Christ. Looking back through those pages, I can see God's faithfulness written all over them.

When I’m frustrated, I write.

When my heart feels broken, I write.

When I’m discouraged, I write.

When I’m growing weary in the waiting, I write.

I’ve learned to process my emotions through prayer, through conversations with trusted friends, and through writing. Each has been a gift from God. But there is something unique about writing. When I am writing no one interrupts my thoughts or my words, so I get to pour out my heart without distractions.

When painful thoughts stay trapped inside, they tend to circle around over and over. We overthink. We become frustrated and impatient. But when we write those thoughts down, we’re no longer just carrying them—we begin observing them.

Writing forces us to slow down. We begin to process instead of simply reacting. Sometimes we even discover what we truly believe while we’re in the middle of writing. More often than not, I find that God meets me there, gently reminding me of His truth and drawing my heart closer to Him.

The paper—or, these days, my laptop—has become the place where I pour out my heart before the Lord.

As I write, something begins to happen.

The weight on my heart becomes lighter.

My thoughts become clearer.

My emotions settle.

And somewhere between the first sentence and the last, I often find that God has given me peace, fresh perspective, and a renewed sense of hope. Those moments often end with gratitude as I pray, “Lord, please forgive me for becoming frustrated, impatient, or angry. You are a good God, and I thank You for everything.”

Writing doesn’t erase the pain, but it helps me process it. It slows me down long enough to hear God’s voice above the noise of my emotions.

When I think about it, this isn’t a new idea at all. We see it throughout Scripture.

The book of Psalms is, in many ways, David’s journal. He poured out his fear, anger, grief, confusion, loneliness, repentance, and joy before the Lord. Psalm after psalm begins with cries like, “Lord, where are You?” or “Why are my enemies prospering?” Yet so often, by the end, his heart has shifted to, “But I will trust You.”

The writing didn’t change God.

The writing changed David.

The beautiful part is that what begins as something deeply personal often becomes something that encourages someone else.

I’ve had people tell me, “Thank you. Your words helped me realize that I am not alone.”

Those words remind me that God rarely wastes our pain. Sometimes He allows us to walk through difficult seasons so that one day we can help someone else navigate theirs.

As we write honestly about our own journey, God begins turning our wounds into words that become a source of hope and healing for someone else.

The Bible says:

“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God.” — 2 Corinthians 1:3–4

What a beautiful reminder that our healing is never just for us. God often uses the very places where He has comforted us to become a source of comfort for someone else.

So if you’ve been carrying something heavy, don’t keep it bottled up inside.

Write it down.

You don’t have to be an author.

You don’t have to publish a book.

You don’t even have to let anyone else read it.

Just be honest.

Pour out your heart before God.

You may discover that the page becomes a place of healing, where your burdens become lighter, your faith grows stronger, and your hope is renewed.

And if one day God leads you to share what you’ve written, don’t be afraid.

The words that helped heal you may become the very words that help heal someone else.

“Trust in Him at all times, you people; pour out your hearts before Him. God is our refuge.” — Psalm 62:8

With Love & Light ❤️✨

Liza

Sin separates us from God, and the enemy knows it. That is why he works so hard to keep us bound in sin.

When believers begin to backslide and drift back into the ways of the world, the enemy immediately begins whispering lies:

“You’re too sinful to go to church.”

“You’re too dirty to pray.”

“God doesn’t want to hear from you anymore.”

Shame begins to settle in.

You feel embarrassed to stand before God. You avoid church. You hide because you start to feel like a hypocrite. You distance yourself from the godly friends who once sharpened your faith. You stop reading your Bible. Prayer becomes less frequent until, eventually, it almost disappears altogether.

Before long, you’ve become the person you thought you had left behind.

The enemy knows your weaknesses. He knows exactly where to place the bait.

It rarely starts with something dramatic.

It begins with a small compromise.

A little lie that seemed harmless.

One night out with old friends.

A conversation you shouldn’t have entertained.

A temptation you convinced yourself you could handle.

One compromise leads to another until, before you know it, you’re caught in a cycle you never intended to enter.

Now the enemy has exactly what he wanted.

Not because God has abandoned you—but because the enemy has convinced you to distance yourself from the very things that bring life: God’s presence, His Word, His people, and His church.

As believers, the Holy Spirit still dwells within us. He has not abandoned us, nor has God withdrawn His love from us. Instead, the Holy Spirit lovingly convicts us, calling us back to repentance. However, when we continually choose sin over obedience, we grieve the Holy Spirit.

“And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.” — Ephesians 4:30

We can also quench His work in our lives.

“Do not quench the Spirit.” — 1 Thessalonians 5:19

Our fellowship with God becomes hindered—not because He has moved away from us, but because we have moved away from Him.

The enemy wants us to believe that because we have failed, God no longer wants us. He whispers,

“Don’t pray.”

“Don’t go to church.”

“God is disappointed in you.”

But those are lies.

Remember that the battle is spiritual and whatever we feed will grow.

If we continually feed our flesh, the desires of the flesh become stronger.

I think of sinful desires like weeds.

If you allow weeds to grow unchecked, their roots become deeper and stronger until they begin to choke everything healthy around them. Sin works the same way. Left unconfessed and unrepented, it becomes more difficult to pull out because its roots have spread deep into our hearts.

Eventually, we can become so accustomed to sin that we barely notice the conviction we once felt.

One of the enemy’s greatest deceptions is convincing people that they are “good enough.”

People often say,

“Well, I’m not hurting anyone.”

But you are.

You’re hurting yourself.

You’re robbing yourself of God’s best.

God’s plans for your life far exceed anything this world could ever offer.

We also tend to define evil by comparing ourselves to the worst crimes imaginable—murder, rape, abuse, or violence.

But Scripture defines sin differently.

Sin is anything that goes against God’s holy character and His design for our lives.

“For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” — Romans 3:23

None of us are exempt.

Days, months, and sometimes even years may pass.

Yet through it all, the Holy Spirit continues to lovingly call us back to the Father, drawing us to repentance and reminding us of His grace.

Then one day your eyes begin to open again.

You realize where you’ve been.

You recognize what sin has stolen from you.

You begin asking God to help you and to restore the relationship you once had with Him.

Jesus said,

“Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.” — Matthew 7:7

And here’s the beautiful part...

God is still there.

He never left.

He promised,

“I will never leave you nor forsake you.” — Hebrews 13:5

We are the ones who wander.

He is the One who remains faithful.

From the very beginning, this has been the enemy’s strategy.

Sin → Shame → Isolation

He wants you to sin, then convince you to hide from God because of your shame.

It’s exactly what happened in the Garden of Eden.

After Adam and Eve sinned, they hid themselves from God.

But God came looking for them.

Not because He didn’t know where they were, but because He desired to restore the relationship that sin had broken.

God’s pattern is completely different.

Conviction → Repentance → Restoration

The Holy Spirit convicts us—not to condemn us—but to lovingly lead us back into fellowship with our Father.

The enemy wants to drive you farther away from God.

The Holy Spirit is always calling you home.

The beautiful thing is that God doesn’t simply point out that we’ve wandered—He lovingly shows us the way back.

As David wrote:

“The Lord is good and does what is right; He shows the proper path to those who go astray.” — Psalm 25:8 (NLT)

What a comforting promise. Our Good Shepherd doesn’t abandon His sheep when they wander. He pursues them, calls them, and faithfully leads them home.

Every one of us can see ourselves in the story of the prodigal son at some point in our lives. We all have a tendency to wander. We look for fulfillment, acceptance, purpose, or happiness in things that were never meant to satisfy the deepest needs of our hearts. Sometimes it’s relationships. Sometimes it’s success, money, approval, or the pleasures of this world. Yet no matter where we run, we eventually discover that nothing can fill the place that was created for God alone.

Jesus tells us this beautiful story in Luke 15 to remind us of an incredible truth: no matter how far we have wandered, our Heavenly Father is always waiting for us to come home.

Luke describes one of the most moving scenes in all of Scripture:

“But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and felt compassion, and ran and embraced him and kissed him.” — Luke 15:20

The son didn’t return home proud or confident.

He came home humbled.

He came home ashamed.

He came home with nothing to offer except a repentant heart and a rehearsed apology.

But before he could finish speaking, his father ran to him, embraced him, and welcomed him home. He clothed him with the best robe, placed a ring on his finger, and celebrated his return.

What a beautiful picture of God’s grace.

When we genuinely repent and return to Him, He doesn’t meet us with condemnation.

He meets us with compassion.

He doesn’t remind us of every failure.

He reminds us that we are His.

That is the heart of the gospel.

We come to God broken, empty, and undeserving.

He welcomes us with forgiveness, restoration, and the unfailing love of a perfect Father.

I can’t help but think of that emotional scene in Titanic after the ship has sunk. Jack has died, and Rose is floating in the freezing water. Through tears she says,

“I’ll never let go. I promise.”

Whenever I think of that scene, I’m reminded of something even greater.

He says,

“I will never leave you nor forsake you.” — Hebrews 13:5

Unlike people, God never breaks His promises.

Even when we wander, He remains faithful.

Even when we fall into sin, He continues calling us back.

He is a good Father.

His arms remain open.

He is waiting to forgive.

Waiting to restore.

Waiting to cleanse.

Isaiah gives us this beautiful invitation from the Lord:

“Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow.” — Isaiah 1:18

Never run from God.

Run to Him.

Never allow shame to convince you that you don’t belong in His presence.

Jesus never said you had to clean yourself up before coming to Him.

In fact, He said,

“Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” — Matthew 11:28

He invites broken people.

He restores repentant hearts.

He heals wounded souls.

Church is not a museum for perfect people.

It is a hospital for spiritually sick people.

If you’ve wandered...

Come home.

The Father is waiting.

The doors of the church are open.

More importantly...

The arms of Jesus are open even wider.

With Love & Light ❤️✨

Liza

The word fear makes people want to run in the opposite direction. When people hear the phrase “fear the Lord,” many immediately picture a harsh, angry God who wants people to live in constant terror of Him.

Nothing could be further from the truth.

Yes, God is holy. He is just. He is righteous, and one day every person will stand before Him. But for those who have placed their faith in Jesus Christ, the fear of the Lord is not about living in terror—it is about living in reverence.

The fear of the Lord is a deep respect, awe, love, and honor for who God is. It is recognizing His greatness, His holiness, His authority, and His incredible love for us. When we truly begin to understand who God is, our hearts naturally desire to honor Him with the way we live.

Think of a child who has a loving father.

That child isn’t afraid that his father is going to harm him. Instead, he loves and respects his father so much that he doesn’t want to disappoint him. He wants to honor him because of the relationship they share.

That is much closer to what Scripture means by the fear of the Lord.

It is recognizing that God is our Creator, our King, and our Savior. It is standing in awe of His majesty while resting in the security of His love.

The fear of the Lord changes the questions we ask.

Instead of asking,

“How close can I get to sin without crossing the line?”

We begin asking,

“How can I honor the One who gave His life for me?”

That is why Proverbs (the great book of Wisdom) says:

“The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.”— Proverbs 9:10

“The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline.”— Proverbs 1:7

“The fear of the LORD is to hate evil; I hate pride, arrogance, evil behavior and perverse speech.”— Proverbs 8:13

“The fear of the LORD is a fountain of life, turning a person from the snares of death.”— Proverbs 14:27

Notice how every one of these verses describes the fear of the Lord as something good. It brings wisdom, knowledge, holiness, life, and ultimately a closer walk with God.

Wisdom begins when we stop making ourselves the highest authority and recognize that God alone is worthy of our trust, obedience, and worship.

The more we know God, the more we fear Him. And the more we fear Him, the less we fear everything else. We begin to walk with confidence—not because life is free from trials, but because we know the One who walks with us through them. We rest in His sovereign care, trust His promises, and find peace in His presence.

When we understand His holiness, His justice, His power, and His incredible love displayed through Jesus Christ, our lives begin to change. We no longer obey out of obligation—we obey out of reverence.

We turn from sin not because we’re terrified of punishment, but because we love the One who saved us and we honor the sacrifice He made and the punishment He willingly endured in our place. “God made Him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God.”— 2 Corinthians 5:21

The Bible even gives us this beautiful promise:

“The angel of the LORD encamps around those who fear Him, and delivers them.”
— Psalm 34:7

What a comforting reminder that those who reverence God are never alone. His presence surrounds His children, giving us peace in the midst of uncertainty and strength in the middle of life’s trials.

The fear of the Lord is not being afraid that God will hurt you; it is being so overwhelmed by His holiness, His love, and His majesty that you never want to live in a way that dishonors Him.

Far from pushing us away from God, the fear of the Lord draws us closer to Him. It produces humility instead of pride, obedience instead of rebellion, wisdom instead of foolishness, and confidence instead of fear.

So today, ask yourself:

Do I simply know about God?

Or do I know Him, like a father, so deeply that my love and reverence for Him shape every decision I make?

Because when we truly fear the Lord, we discover there is nothing else in this world we need to fear.

“Now all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep His commandments, for this is the duty of all mankind.”— Ecclesiastes 12:13

With Love & Light ❤️✨

Liza

Every Christian experiences an internal battle. One part of us desires to obey God. The other part still struggles with our sinful flesh.

Have you ever found yourself saying, “Why did I do that? I knew it was wrong.” Or perhaps you’ve wanted to respond with patience and grace, but instead became frustrated or angry. Maybe you’ve promised yourself you would spend more time with God, yet allowed the busyness of life to crowd Him out once again.

If you’ve ever experienced that struggle, you’re not alone.

The apostle Paul described this very battle in Romans 7. He explains that although he genuinely desired to obey God, he found himself wrestling with his sinful nature. He wanted to do what was right, yet often found himself doing the very things he hated. This wasn’t because Paul didn’t love God—it was because the flesh and the Spirit are in constant conflict.

“I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do.” (Romans 7:15)

Can you relate?

How many times have we determined in our hearts that we will be more patient, more forgiving, more loving, or more self-controlled, only to find ourselves falling short? Paul reminds us that this struggle is not unique to us. Even as an apostle, he understood the ongoing battle between the desires of the flesh and the desire to obey God.

Later he cries out:

“What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body that is subject to death?” (Romans 7:24)

His words remind us that the struggle against sin is part of the Christian life. The difference is that believers are no longer fighting for victory—we are fighting from the victory Christ has already won.

If you’ve never read this passage carefully, I encourage you to take a few moments to do so. It provides one of the clearest pictures in all of Scripture of the internal battle every believer experiences.

Read Romans 7:14–25 here

Paul then continues this thought in Galatians 5 by explaining that the flesh and the Spirit are opposed to one another. The Christian life is not about trying harder in our own strength—it is about learning to surrender more fully to the Holy Spirit each day.

“For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other...” (Galatians 5:17)

The Christian life is not about trying harder in our own strength.

It is about learning to surrender more fully to the Holy Spirit each day.

Walking by the Spirit does not mean we will never struggle with sin again. It means we no longer fight that battle alone. The Holy Spirit empowers us to say “no” to the flesh and “yes” to God’s will. Sanctification is a lifelong process of becoming more like Christ, one surrendered day at a time.

“Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.” — Galatians 5:25

When we repent of our sins and place our faith in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, something incredible happens.

We are forgiven.

We are made new.

And God places His Holy Spirit within us.

The Holy Spirit is not merely a force, an emotion, or a temporary experience. He is the third Person of the Trinity who comes to dwell permanently within every believer.

Jesus promised His disciples:

“And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, to be with you forever.” (John 14:16)

Notice that last word…Forever.

The Holy Spirit doesn’t come and go based on our emotions. He faithfully remains with every true believer. Yet although He permanently resides within us, we still have a daily choice to make.

Will we walk according to the Spirit...

or according to our flesh?

The Works of the Flesh

Paul gives us a sobering list of what naturally flows from a life controlled by the flesh (Galatians 5:19–21).

Among them are:

• Sexual immorality

• Impurity

• Idolatry

• Hatred

• Jealousy

• Fits of anger

• Selfish ambition

• Envy

• Drunkenness

• And many other sinful behaviors

These attitudes divide people, destroy relationships, rob us of peace, and pull us away from intimacy with God.

The flesh always points us toward self.

The Spirit always points us toward Christ.

The Fruit of the Spirit

Unlike spiritual gifts, which vary from believer to believer, every Christian is called to bear the fruit of the Spirit.

Paul writes:

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.” (Galatians 5:22–23)

Let’s briefly look at each one.

Love — choosing God’s sacrificial love even when it’s difficult.

Joy — an inner delight rooted in Christ rather than circumstances.

Peace — confidence and rest that comes from trusting God’s sovereignty.

Patience — remaining steadfast with people and circumstances instead of reacting impulsively.

Kindness — reflecting God’s compassion in our words and actions.

Goodness — living with integrity and moral excellence.

Faithfulness — remaining dependable and loyal to God.

Gentleness — strength under control; responding with humility rather than harshness.

Self-control — allowing the Holy Spirit to govern our desires, emotions, words, and actions.

This fruit is not manufactured through human effort.

It grows naturally as we remain connected to Christ and submit to the Holy Spirit.

One of the greatest habits we can develop is beginning each day by intentionally surrendering ourselves to God’s leadership.

Before checking our phones.

Before beginning work.

Before making decisions.

Pause.

Pray.

Invite the Holy Spirit to lead.

Imagine how differently our days would unfold if every morning we sincerely asked:

“Lord, guide every thought I think today.”

“Guide every conversation.”

“Guide every decision.”

“Help me respond with Your character instead of my emotions.”

Walking by the Spirit is not complicated.

It is daily surrender.

Moment by moment dependence.

Learning to recognize His gentle leading and choosing obedience.

Practical Ways to Walk by the Spirit Daily

• Begin every morning in prayer before the distractions of the day.

• Spend time reading God’s Word so your mind is renewed.

• Ask the Holy Spirit for wisdom before making decisions.

• Pause before reacting when conflict arises.

• Keep short accounts with God by confessing sin quickly.

• Stay connected to other believers for encouragement and accountability.

• End each day by asking God to reveal areas where you followed the flesh and areas where you followed His Spirit.

Every day becomes another opportunity to grow into the likeness of Christ.

A Daily Prayer

Holy Spirit,

Thank You for making Your home within me. Thank You for never leaving me and for faithfully guiding me each day.

Today I surrender every part of my life to You.

Guide my thoughts so they are pleasing to God.

Guard my words so they bring life rather than harm.

Direct my decisions according to Your wisdom instead of my own understanding.

Help me love people the way Jesus loves them.

Produce in me love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.

Reveal areas where my flesh is trying to take control, and give me the strength to choose obedience instead.

Keep my heart sensitive to Your voice.

Help me glorify Christ in everything I do today.

May my life reflect Jesus more clearly with each passing day.

In His precious name,

Amen.

Final Thoughts

Every day presents a choice.

Will we follow our old nature or will we keep in step with the Spirit?

May we choose, each day, to walk where He leads.

With Love & Light ❤️✨

Liza

This morning during my time with the Lord, I found myself thinking about how The Holy Spirit is the fuel in my life. That simple thought led me to consider something we can all relate to.

Have you ever tried to start a car with an empty gas tank?

It may be a beautiful car. The paint may shine, the engine may be powerful, and everything under the hood may be in perfect working order. But without fuel, it simply cannot function the way it was designed to.

I couldn’t help but think that many people are living their lives the same way.

They chase success, careers, relationships, money, experiences, and recognition, hoping that the next achievement will finally satisfy the emptiness they feel inside. From the outside, everything may appear to be in order. Yet something is still missing.

Why?

Because we were never designed to live apart from God.

The Bible tells us that before Christ, we were spiritually dead in our sins.

“As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins.”
— Ephesians 2:1

No amount of worldly success can fill a void that was created to be filled by the presence of God.

When we repent of our sins and place our faith in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, something miraculous happens. God doesn’t simply improve our lives—He gives us new life. The Holy Spirit comes to dwell within us, transforming us from the inside out. Paul describes this transformation in Romans 12:2.

The Holy Spirit becomes our Comforter, our Teacher, our Guide, and the One who empowers us to live the life God intended.

But Scripture gives us an even greater picture than that of a car needing fuel.

Jesus said:

“I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in Me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing.”
— John 15:5 (ESV)

A branch may still look healthy for a little while after it has been cut from the vine, but it is already dying because it has been separated from its source of life.

The same is true spiritually.

We may look successful. We may look like we have everything together. But apart from Christ, we cannot bear lasting spiritual fruit because we have been disconnected from the One who is Life itself.

The Holy Spirit is not merely an “upgrade” to an already complete life. He is the very presence of God living within those who belong to Christ, empowering them to walk in obedience, producing the fruit of the Spirit, renewing their minds, and transforming their hearts.

Jesus didn’t come simply to make bad people good.

He came to make dead people alive.

Paul writes:

“And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you.”
— Romans 8:11

Are you running on empty today?

Perhaps you’ve spent years trying to fill your life with things that can never satisfy. Maybe you’ve been trying to produce fruit in your own strength.

Jesus offers something infinitely better.

He invites you to repent, place your faith in Him, abide in Him, and receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. Only then will you discover the life you were created to live.

The world offers temporary fuel that quickly runs out.

Christ offers living water that never runs dry, and His Spirit gives life that lasts forever.

Remain connected to the Vine. Be filled with His Spirit. That is where true life begins—and where abundant life is found.

With Love & Light ❤️✨

Liza

Many times we have a hard time surrendering to God. We want things our way—and we want them fast. We want immediate results. We become so accustomed to making things happen on our own that we forget to seek the One who always has our best interests in mind.

Our way often seems easier and faster, which is why surrender can be so difficult. Yet God will not always give us what we think we want, and most of the time that is a good thing. What He has planned for us is far better than anything we could arrange for ourselves. Still, fully surrendering everything to Him is not easy, especially when we are not accustomed to trusting Him completely.

At first, our way may appear easier, but many times it leads to chaos, confusion, disappointment, and pain. God’s way may seem slower, but in the end it produces something beautiful—His perfect will. And there is no better place to be than in the center of God's will. Let us pray as Jesus did in the Garden of Gethsemane, submitting Himself to the Father's will. (Luke 22:41-44)

Let us go to God in prayer and ask for His will, not our own. After all, in the model prayer Jesus gave us, He taught us to pray:

“Your kingdom come, Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.” (Matthew 6:10)

PRAYER:

Heavenly Father,

Thank You for loving us enough to guide our steps, even when we do not understand the path You have chosen for us. Forgive us for the times we have relied on our own wisdom, rushed ahead of You, or insisted on having things our way.

Today, we choose to trust You. We know that Your plans are better than our plans and that Your ways are higher than our ways. Even when the road seems long or the answers do not come as quickly as we would like, help us to remember that You are working all things together for our good and for Your glory.

Teach us to surrender every area of our lives into Your hands—our dreams, our desires, our relationships, our fears, and our future. Give us the faith to let go of control and the courage to follow wherever You lead.

Lord, let Your will be done in our lives, not ours. Shape our hearts so that we desire what You desire and seek what You seek. May we find peace in knowing that You are a good Father who always has our best interests in mind.

We trust You. We surrender to You. And we ask that Your kingdom come and Your will be done in our lives, just as it is in heaven.

In Jesus’ name,

Amen!

With Love & Light ❤️✨

Liza

You’ve heard it said, “Actions speak louder than words.”

When you spend daily, intimate time in the presence of the Lord, He awakens you and gives you discernment. You begin to see things through a different lens. You start seeing with spiritual eyes and listening with a sensitive ear that picks up on things you might otherwise have missed. You begin to see beyond a person’s outward appearance and into their heart.

Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. Jesus said it this way:

“Don’t you see that whatever enters the mouth goes into the stomach and then out of the body? But the things that come out of a person’s mouth come from the heart, and these defile them.” (Matthew 15:17-18)

What comes out of a person reveals what is in their heart.

Jesus had a pure heart, and He welcomed everyone who came to Him. He showed love, compassion, mercy, and grace to people from every walk of life. If we call ourselves Christians—followers of Christ—then we should strive to reflect His character.

We are one Church, united in Him. There should be no division among us. The Apostle Paul wrote:

“I appeal to you, brothers and sisters, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with one another in what you say and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly united in mind and thought.” (1 Corinthians 1:10)

We should work together in love and grace to fulfill the mission He has entrusted to us; all of us serving the Lord side by side.

Each of us has been given different gifts to strengthen the body of Christ. Some are gifted at inviting and connecting with people. Others are gifted teachers. Others serve behind the scenes through hospitality, encouragement, administration, cooking, or countless other acts of love.

When we lay aside pride, competition, and division, and instead embrace unity, we become far more effective for the Kingdom of God. We are stronger together because we serve one Lord, one Savior, and one mission. Jesus didn’t say “these are my disciples, go find your own.” He called all believers to make disciples and build His Kingdom together. He never told them to compete with one another. He called them to work together to advance the Kingdom of God. The Great Commission was never about building our own following; it was about making disciples of Jesus Christ.

As believers, we should make every effort to walk in unity:

“Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.” (Ephesians 4:3)

The beauty of God’s people is found in their unity:

“How good and pleasant it is when God’s people live together in unity!” (Psalm 133:1)

Even Jesus Himself prayed for this unity before going to the cross:

“That all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you.” (John 17:21)

May we put aside personal agendas, pride, competition, and division, and instead come together as one body in Christ, working side by side to advance His Kingdom and make disciples of all nations. (Matthew 28:19)

After all, the world will not know us by the size of our ministries, our titles, or our accomplishments. It will know us by our love for one another. Love reflects the character of Christ.

The Christian walk begins in the heart. From the heart comes character. Character produces unity. Unity advances the mission. And the mission is carried out through love.

Heart → Character → Unity → Mission → Love

With Love & Light ❤️✨

Liza

Yesterday morning, the Lord woke me up just before 2:00 a.m., and one thought kept playing over and over in my mind: our calling.

The morning before, on Saturday, I was scrolling through Substack and noticed something new. For the first time, I saw reels showing up in my Substack feed. The first one that caught my attention was from Ben Fuller. I didn’t click on it because I knew it was him. I simply saw a man holding a Bible, and his body language told me he was speaking very passionately, so I thought, “Let’s see what he has to say.”

Little did I know that God would use that simple reel to stir something in my spirit that would keep me awake in the early hours of the morning.

As I spent time with the Lord, He began showing me how many Christians are living spiritually dead lives. They go to church on Sunday, listen to praise and worship music in the car, maybe read a devotional here and there, but never develop a true relationship with the Holy Spirit. They know about God, but they are not walking with Him.

I am not criticizing or judging. I have been there myself. What I want is to show you that Jesus calls us to more. He wants to use us for His glory in His Kingdom.

Proverbs 3:5-6 tells us:

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will direct your paths.”

We are called to rely fully on God and trust Him completely. When we acknowledge Him in all our ways—not just on Sunday mornings, not just when we need something, but in every area of our lives, including our work, home, and ministry—He directs our steps.

If you need clarity about where to live, what career path to pursue, how to serve, or what decision to make, ask Him. He cares about every detail of our lives and delights in leading His children.

The most important area He desires to direct is our spiritual walk and our work in His Kingdom.

Many believers are searching for their calling while spending very little time with the One who created them and called them in the first place. We cannot expect God to direct our paths if we are not spending time listening for His voice.

Church attendance alone will not transform you the way an intimate relationship with Jesus will.

Church is important. Fellowship is important. Worshiping together is important. But Jesus never commanded us to simply fill a seat in a church building. He called us to follow Him.

When Jesus called His disciples, He said, “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men.”

Notice He didn’t say, “Follow Me and sit comfortably.” He gave them a purpose.

Jesus said He would make us fishers of men. That is evangelism.

Then, before ascending into heaven, He gave us what we now call the Great Commission: to go and make disciples of all nations. That is discipleship.

This is why evangelism and discipleship are so dear to my heart. They were dear to the heart of Jesus.

The Christian life was never meant to stop with receiving salvation. We are called to grow, serve, share the gospel, encourage others, and help others grow in their faith.

At the center of it all are the greatest commandments Jesus gave us:

“Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.”

And:

“Love your neighbor as yourself.”

These two commandments summarize the very heart of Jesus’ teachings.

When we truly love God, we will desire to spend time with Him. We will seek Him, listen to Him, and obey Him.

When we truly love our neighbors, we will care about their souls. We will share the hope we have found in Christ. We will encourage them, disciple them, and point them toward the One who can transform their lives.

The Christian life is not about checking a religious box once a week. It is about walking daily with the Holy Spirit and allowing Him to guide our steps.

Before I close, I want to leave you with one final thought. While God has given each of us different gifts and may call us to different ministries, there is one calling that belongs to every believer: sharing the message of the Gospel with those who do not know Him.

We may not all be pastors, teachers, evangelists, or missionaries, but we have all been commissioned by Jesus to go and make disciples. The Great Commission was not given to a select few; it was given to all who follow Him.

I want to leave you with this song that beautifully captures this message. It’s called The Commission. Now go... go and tell the world about Him.

And if you feel unqualified, unequipped, or unsure where to begin, ask Him. He will equip you.

After all, Scripture reminds us: “You have not because you ask not.”

With Love & Light ❤️🙏🏻📖

Liza

In this season of my life, God keeps talking to me about waiting. I feel like I have been teaching a sermon series on the subject. My last article was about Habakkuk 2:3, and yesterday, as I was spending time with Him, He kept bringing to mind a vision I often have: God allowing me to get to the edge, but never letting me fall.

There have been many moments in my life when I have wondered, “Where is God?” Yet every single time, He has been there, lifting me up out of my darkest moments.

One of the hardest lessons in the Christian walk is learning that God’s timing is rarely our timing. We want immediate answers, immediate breakthroughs, immediate healing, and immediate provision. But God often allows us to come right to the edge—not to abandon us, but to teach us to trust Him.

Here are some instances when God’s children had to learn to trust Him:

• The Israelites standing at the Red Sea before God made a way.

• Daniel spending a night in the lions’ den before deliverance came.

• Abraham waiting years for the promised son.

In every one of these situations, God seemed late from a human perspective, but He was perfectly on time.

In the case of Abraham, talk about trust and timing. I think about how he was taken to the very edge—how close he came to sacrificing the son God had promised and blessed him with. We read about this in Genesis 22:1-14. Let Abraham’s story encourage you to trust God fully and to know that He is always on time.

There is a song many of you are probably familiar with that talks about how He is Always On Time. Those words have encouraged me more times than I can count.

Throughout my life, I have often said, “God may allow you to get to the edge, but He will never let you fall.” He is truly always on time.

Sometimes He waits until what feels like the very last moment, as He did with Abraham—not because He is absent, but because He is teaching us that He alone is our source, our provider, and our rescuer. He is teaching us to trust Him fully and surrender everything into His hands because there are some things we simply cannot carry on our own.

“Though he may stumble, he will not fall, for the Lord upholds him with his hand.” Psalm 37:24

“Let us hold tightly without wavering to the hope we affirm, for God can be trusted to keep his promise.” Hebrews 10:23

“The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness.” 2 Peter 3:9

So while it may seem as though God has forgotten you or left you to walk alone, He is with you every step of the way. He is teaching you to trust Him. He is strengthening your faith. But for that to happen, you must release control and surrender it all to Him.

With Love & Light,

Liza

Here is a prayer that will help you to release control, thank Him, and trust Him…

Heavenly Father,

Today I choose to release control of my life, the situation I am facing, and the outcome I desire. I choose to trust that You have the best plan for my life and that You will never fail me.

Thank You for the lessons You have taught me through both my victories and my mistakes. Thank You for walking with me through every season, even when I could not see what You were doing.

Help me to trust Your timing when I am tempted to grow impatient. Strengthen my faith when I feel weary. Remind me that You are always working behind the scenes, even when I cannot see it.

Teach me to surrender every worry, every fear, and every burden into Your hands. Thank You for being my source, my provider, my rescuer, and my faithful Father.

I trust You because You are always on time.

In Jesus’ name,

Amen.