Author: Anna

Matthew‬ ‭3:16-17‬ ‭

“When He had been baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened to Him, and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting upon Him. And suddenly a voice came from heaven, saying, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.”” Matthew‬ ‭3:16-17‬ ‭

Water baptism is not a newly imposed church tradition or a cultural practice created by modern Christianity. Its roots reach deep into the Old Testament. John the Baptist, a descendant of the priestly line, fully understood the importance of purification and sanctification. The priests were instructed on how to cleanse themselves before the the LORD Jesus, and John was divinely appointed as “the voice crying in the wilderness, preparing the way of the Lord.”

By immersing people in water, John was calling them to repentance. “In those days came John the Baptist, preaching in the wilderness of Judaea, and saying, Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand” (Matthew 3:1–2). The act of going down into the water symbolized acknowledging impurity and uncleanness and the need to be washed clean. As it is written, “John came baptizing in the wilderness and preaching a baptism of repentance for the remission of sins. Then all the land of Judea, and those from Jerusalem, went out to him and were all baptized by him in the Jordan River, confessing their sins” (Mark 1:4-5). Baptism was a public confession: I was unclean, and I needed cleansing. It was not merely about water but about a repentant heart turning back to God.

This practice was well understood by Israel. Before coming into the presence of God, the people were required to cleanse themselves. “And the LORD said unto Moses, Go unto the people, and sanctify them to day and to morrow, and let them wash their clothes” (Exodus 19:10). These outward washings reflected inward preparation to stand before a holy God. In the same way, John’s baptism prepared the people for the coming of the LORD Jesus Christ not through water alone, but through repentance and obedience.

Jesus came to John to be baptized at about thirty years of age, not as an infant, but as a man fully aware and absolutely knowing His actions. He understood right from wrong, and His baptism was a deliberate and conscious act of obedience. How can an infant, with no awareness of sin or uncleanness, recognize impurity, confess wrongdoing, or choose obedience on their own? Repentance is not automatic, and obedience is not inherited. Confession, repentance, and obedience all require understanding and a willing response of the heart something an infant is not yet able to do.

Yet Jesus, who knew no sin (2 Corinthians 5:21), and John were fully aware of this truth. Because of this understanding, John hesitated and tried to to prevent Him, saying, “I need to be baptized by You, and are You coming to me?”” (Matthew 3:14). John fully understood that Jesus had no need to repent or to be cleansed. Yet Jesus answered, “Suffer it to be so now: for thus it becometh us to fulfil all righteousness” (Matthew 3:15). Jesus was baptized not because He needed cleansing, but because obedience fulfills righteousness. Through this act, the LORD Jesus demonstrates to all of us what true obedience looks like. Even when obedience does not make sense to human understanding, we are still called to obey God (Proverbs 3:5).

Baptism does not offer salvation to everyone who believes, yet that does not mean it is optional for those who truly believe. Everyone who genuinely believes in the Lord Jesus Christ is commanded to be baptized. Salvation is by grace through faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, but obedience to His commandments is the evidence of true belief. Jesus Himself commanded it by saying, “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them…” (Matthew 28:19). He did not only call us to make disciples; He commanded that those disciples must be baptized.

When the Holy Ghost was poured out and the gospel was first preached, baptism was immediately preached alongside repentance. Peter declared, “Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins” (Acts 2:38). Baptism is an act of repentance and preparation. It shows a willing heart that desires cleansing and submission before the LORD Jesus.

Throughout Scripture, every person who believed was baptized. “Then they that gladly received his word were baptized” (Acts 2:41. “But when they believed Philip preaching the things concerning the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women” (Acts 8:12). “And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of the Lord” (Acts 10:48). The only recorded exception is the thief on the cross. His hands and feet were bound, and he had no opportunity to obey this command, yet he was saved by his faith. His situation cannot be used as an excuse to refuse baptism.

To reject baptism when one is able is disobedience to the word of God. Where is the willingness to obey God? If a person refuses to obey a simple command, how will they obey in greater matters? For those of us who are free, able, and alive, there is no excuse to delay obedience. Jesus said plainly, “He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved” (Mark 16:16). True belief produces obedience. If baptism were not important, Jesus Himself would not have been baptized. He submitted to baptism to fulfill all righteousness. And Jesus said, “If ye love me, keep my commandments” (John 14:15). If you desire to follow the LORD Jesus Christ and to fulfill all righteousness, you will not hesitate to be baptized.

Here we see in this passage the response of heaven to water baptism for every believer. When Jesus came up out of the water, the very first thing that happened was that the heavens were opened.

First, I want to be clear, because many people twist the Scriptures to fit personal preference, which is terrifying. Everything the LORD Jesus did was not random or symbolic only for Himself. He lived as an example for us to follow. His life was a pattern set before us who believe in Him. When Jesus washed the feet of the disciples, He said plainly, ““For I have given you an example, that you should do as I have done to you.” (John‬ ‭13:15‬). The LORD Jesus did not merely teach us with words. He showed us the steps we are called to walk in. This includes water baptism. Scripture tells us, “He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked” (1 John 2:6). We cannot claim to abide in the Lord Jesus Christ while refusing to follow His example.

Our love for the Lord Jesus is not proven by confession alone but by obedience. Our words may declare our devotion to Him, but it is our actions that reveal the truth. As the saying goes, actions speak louder than words. The apostle Peter makes this clear when he writes, “For to this you were called, because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that you should follow His steps:” (1 Peter 2:21). To say we love Jesus while rejecting His example is a contradiction. If He obeyed the Father in baptism, and if He commands His followers to walk as He walked, then water baptism is not optional for the believer who truly desires to follow Jesus Christ.

Here we can understand that after the LORD Jesus was baptized, the heavens were opened. This shows us that when we believe in Jesus, our sins are washed away, and our willingness to be immersed in water is a declaration to our Father God that we are not only confessing with our mouths, but also submitting our hearts to His will and choosing to follow His commands. The heavens do not open because of water itself, but because of a heart that is willing to turn away from sin, be cleansed, and walk in obedience to God.

Here we see clearly that obedience to God’s commandments opened the heavens. when Moses spoke to the Israelites before they entered the Promised Land and said, “Now it shall come to pass, if you diligently obey the voice of the Lord your God, to observe carefully all His commandments which I command you today, that the Lord your God will set you high above all nations of the earth. And all these blessings shall come upon you and overtake you, because you obey the voice of the Lord your God: …The Lord will open to you His good treasure, the heavens, …” (Deuteronomy‬ ‭28:1-2, 12)‬. Heaven did not open because of words alone, but because of obedience to the voice of the LORD.

If we truly consider this, Jesus did not need to be cleansed. He could have rightly said, I have no sin, I am clean, and I have no need of baptism. Scripture clearly testifies that He “knew no sin” (2 Corinthians 5:21). Yet Jesus chose submission over self-justification. He yielded Himself to the word of God and obeyed, declaring that it was necessary “to fulfil all righteousness” (Matthew 3:15). In this, the LORD Jesus shows to all of us who believe that heaven responds to humility and obedience. Heaven did not open to us because water had the power to cleanse us, but because we chose to humble ourselves and to obey the will of the Father. As it is written, “If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land” (2 Chronicles 7:14). This is the pattern set before us. If Jesus, who was without sin, submitted to God’s command, how much more are we called to do the same? If we desire the heavens to be opened, then obedience to God’s word is required.

After the heavens were opened, the Spirit of God descended upon Jesus. This order is important. First came obedience, then the heaven opened, and then the outpouring of the Spirit.

When we look back to the Old Testament, we see that only a few were given the Holy Spirit, and even then, the Spirit came upon them temporarily. God did not dwell permanently among the people because He is holy and cannot dwell in uncleanness. Scripture tells us that sin separates man from God (Isaiah 59:2). Because of this, the LORD God repeatedly removed His presence from Israel when they persisted in sin and rebellion.

However, under the new covenant, through the blood of Jesus, which remits our sins, everything changed. Scripture declares, “Without shedding of blood is no remission” (Hebrews 9:22). Through the blood of Jesus, we are cleansed from all sin, for it is written, “The blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin” (1 John 1:7).

When we repent from our wickedness, believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, and willingly submit ourselves to God, the promise of the Father follows. The LORD Jesus Himself said, And, behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you: but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high” (Luke 24:49). In obedience to His word, the disciples gathered together in the upper room, and there they received the Holy Ghost (Acts 2:1–4). After this outpouring of the Holy Spirit, Peter stood and preached the gospel for the first time. His message was clear and direct “Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost” (Acts 2:38). This shows us the same pattern that repentance comes first. A humble heart must acknowledge sin and turn away from wickedness. Then comes water baptism, which is the public confession of faith in the LORD Jesus Christ. In baptism, we are identified with the LORD Jesus Christ, for we are buried with Him. As it is written, “Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death” (Romans 6:4).

God knew that without His Spirit we could not be able to overcome over our fleshly desires. The Word of God makes this clear: “Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the LORD of hosts” (Zechariah 4:6). Only through the Holy Spirit are we given power to overcome fleshly desires, for “If ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live” (Romans 8:13).

Only through the Holy Spirit brings us into real intimate fellowship with God and understanding His Word. Jesus said, “But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost… he shall teach you all things” (John 14:26,). And again, “Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth” (John 16:13). The Holy Spirit reveals to us God’s nature, His character, His ways, and what He loves and hates. Scripture says, “The Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God” (1 Corinthians 2:10).

Finally, it is only through the Holy Spirit that we are transformed into the image of God’s Son. As it is written, “For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son” (Romans 8:29).

Then the Father spoke: “And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” This declaration of restored identity came immediately after Jesus was baptized. At that moment, the LORD Jesus had not yet preached to the crowds, He had not yet won souls, He had not yet fasted in the wilderness, and He had not yet begun His public ministry. The Father’s affirmation came before the works. This is important, because many who believe hesitate at the very first step of obedience, which is baptism. Yet Jesus willingly submitted Himself to get baptized, even though He did not need cleansing. He chose obedience to God’s command. After His obedience, the heavens were opened, and the Spirit of God descended upon Him.

Through this the LORD Jesus reveals God’s pattern that every believer is called to follow. Obedience comes before public ministry. Submission comes before empowerment. Identity is declared before assignment. Jesus walked through every step humbly and willingly, without murmuring, complaining, or justifying Himself. In doing so, He revealed what God intends for all who believe. What the Father spoke over the LORD Jesus shows what God desires to speak over every believer who humbly obeys His word.

Above all, the most significant truth is that it is not water baptism itself that brings heaven’s opening. Water cleansing existed even in the Old Testament, yet the heavens were not opened, the Holy Spirit was not poured out upon all, and there was no full restoration of status and identity. All of this became possible only because our LORD Jesus Christ came down from heaven, took on flesh, and willingly died on the cross on our behalf. Jesus paid for our sins, which once separated us from the Father. As it is written, “But your iniquities have separated between you and your God” (Isaiah 59:2). Yet through Jesus, that separation was removed. “But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ” (Ephesians 2:13). His blood speaks better things for us, “the blood of sprinkling, that speaketh better things than that of Abel” (Hebrews 12:24). Through His death, burial, and resurrection, heaven was opened, the Spirit was given, and our identity as children of God was restored. Everything we receive flows from what Jesus accomplished, not from the act itself, but from His finished work.

The blood of Jesus destroyed the enmity that stood between us and God and reconciled us back to the Father. As Scripture says, “Having slain the enmity thereby” (Ephesians 2:16). Because of this reconciliation, Jesus gives us a new identity. “But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name” (John 1:12). This is why it was necessary for Jesus to be openly declared the Son of God. The Bible never says that God is three separate persons. Instead, Scripture reveals that God manifested Himself as Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. There is one God. As it is written, “And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit” (1 Timothy 3:16).

Jesus was declared the Son of God in order to restore what was lost through Adam. In the genealogy recorded in the Gospel of Luke, Adam is called “the son of God” (Luke 3:38). Through Adam’s fall, that identity was lost because of sin. But through Jesus Christ, God has restored what was lost. We are now begotten again through Him. As Scripture declares, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead” (1 Peter 1:3).

God put on human flesh and was declared as the Son so that He could redeem humanity and restore us to our true identity as His children. As Scripture declares, “And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us” (John 1:14), and again, “God was manifest in the flesh” (1 Timothy 3:16). Through His incarnation, God entered humanity in order to redeem it, for “the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost” (Luke 19:10). Through what the LORD Jesus Christ accomplished on the cross, our true status and identity are restored. “In whom we have redemption through his blood” (Ephesians 1:7), and “Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law” (Galatians 3:13). Because of His finished work, we are no longer strangers, but restored into God’s family. As it is written, “Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God” (Ephesians 2:19).

That is why we are given the Holy Spirit. The Spirit is God’s witness within us, confirming our restored identity. Scripture says, “Because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts” (Galatians 4:6). And again, “The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God” (Romans 8:16).

Therefore, everyone who believes in the LORD Jesus Christ and walks in the pattern He set is a son or a daughter, well pleasing to the Father. As Scripture declares, “For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus” (Galatians 3:26). And again, “This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased” a declaration that now echoes over all who are found in the LORD Jesus Christ.

January 20, 2026
Psalms‬ ‭62:8‬ ‭

“Trust in Him at all times, you people; Pour out your heart before Him; God is a refuge for us. Selah” – Psalms‬ ‭62:8‬ ‭

What distinguishes the Word of God from every other book in the world is that it speaks truth with absolute precision, revealing what is happening within us in a way no other book can. This alone proves to us that the Bible is not written by man, but by God. The Word of God exposes the hidden issues of the heart, the very things that shape our decisions, influence the condition of our lives, and affect the people around us. The Word of God does not merely inform us. It confronts us, convicts us, searches us, corrects us, and comforts us, securing our hearts not in the things of this world, but in God Himself.

Have you ever been aware that our life here on earth is filled with uncertainty? One moment everything feels stable, and the next moment it all changes. You were talking in the morning about the person you love the most, and by evening you received a message that they are gone. A business you poured your heart into was thriving and seemed unstoppable, then suddenly it collapsed. You ate healthy, lived carefully, did everything right, and still you are told you have an incurable disease. You raised a child with love, prayer, and discipline, yet they choose a path you never imagined. You gave everything to someone you loved, only to be replaced by another. You are living what looks like your best life, yet deep inside it still feels like it is not enough.

In moments like these, the Word of God has already spoken. As it is written, “To everything there is a season, A time for every purpose under heaven:

A time to be born, And a time to die;

A time to plant, And a time to pluck what is planted;

A time to kill, And a time to heal;

A time to break down, And a time to build up;

A time to weep, And a time to laugh;

A time to mourn, And a time to dance;

A time to cast away stones, And a time to gather stones;

A time to embrace, And a time to refrain from embracing;

A time to gain, And a time to lose;

A time to keep, And a time to throw away;

A time to tear, And a time to sew;

A time to keep silence, And a time to speak;

A time to love, And a time to hate;

A time of war, And a time of peace.” – Ecclesiastes‬ ‭3:1-8‬ ‭

The Word of God reminds us that our life here on Earth is marked by changing seasons. Nothing in this world is steady enough to hold on to, and nothing here is guaranteed. Seasons change, and so do we.

That is why the psalmist calls out to all people and declares, “Trust in God at all times, ye people” (Psalm 62:8). Our lives are like a vapor, here today and gone tomorrow, as Scripture says, “For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away” (James 4:14). There is no certainty that everything will go well every single day of our lives. The LORD Jesus Himself made this clear when He said, “In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world” (John 16:33). Peter echoes this truth, saying, “Beloved, do not think it strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened to you” (1 Peter 4:12).

David understood this reality, and with that understanding, he encouraged all of us. He did not call us to a seasonal or situational faith. He called us to a continuous and consistent trust in God, regardless of circumstances, whether good or bad. We trust God because He alone is unchanging. As the LORD declares, “For I am the LORD, I do not change” (Malachi 3:6). He is not bound by time, seasons, or death. God is present in every circumstance we walk through, and His presence in our lives is our absolute certainty. We can rest in Him because God is good, faithful, and merciful, and He has promised those who place their confidence in Him, “I will never leave you nor forsake you” (Hebrews 13:5).

As Christians, we are not exempt from trouble. The apostle Paul testified to this plainly as a man who gave his life fully to the LORD Jesus Christ. He wrote, “Are they ministers of Christ?—I speak as a fool—I am more: in labors more abundant, in stripes above measure, in prisons more frequently, in deaths often. From the Jews five times I received forty stripes minus one. Three times I was beaten with rods; once I was stoned; three times I was shipwrecked; a night and a day I have been in the deep; in journeys often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils of my own countrymen, in perils of the Gentiles, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren; in weariness and toil, in sleeplessness often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness— besides the other things, what comes upon me daily: my deep concern for all the churches.” (II Corinthians‬ ‭11:23-28‬) Paul’s life makes it clear that suffering is not evidence of weak faith, nor is it proof that God has abandoned us.

And that is why the psalmist goes on to say, “Pour out your heart before Him” (Psalm 62:8). God invites us to bring our deepest emotions, burdens, and questions before Him, holding nothing back. To pour out the heart is to pray with vulnerability and sincerity. We see this lived out in the life of Hannah. She was grieving deeply because she could not bear a child. Her husband took another wife, and that woman continually mocked and provoked her. In her pain, Hannah came before the LORD so broken and so intense in prayer that Eli thought she was drunk. But she answered him, saying, “I have poured out my soul before the LORD” (1 Samuel 1:15).

Hannah’s prayer shows us that God is not offended by genuine sorrow, nor does He reject a heart that comes before Him broken and empty. When Hannah stood before the LORD in her grief, Scripture says she was “in bitterness of soul, and prayed to the LORD and wept in anguish.” (1 Samuel 1:10). Yet instead of turning her away, God heard her cry. Her prayer teaches us that the LORD welcomes the desperate and the sincere pleas. He does not ask us to hide our pain but to bring it sincerely before Him. This same invitation is spoken by our LORD Jesus Christ saying, “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28). When we pour out our hearts before Him, we are not speaking to a god who does not hear. We are crying out to a God who hears, who cares, and who remains faithful to those weighed down by sorrow, burden, and weariness. Scripture also exhorts us, “Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you” (1 Peter 5:7). The LORD Jesus is mindful of everything we go through. In every season of life. He is not distant from our suffering. He is closest when we are most broken. As it is written, “The LORD is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit” (Psalm 34:18).

Then the psalmist ends by declaring, “God is a refuge for us.” The Hebrew word for refuge is maḥăsê, which means a shelter, a place of safety, or a covering from danger. We see this heart of God in the Old Testament, when He commanded the Israelites to build cities of refuge for those who had accidentally caused the death of another person. This shows how deeply God cares for His people. He made a way of protection for those who were weary, afraid, and facing consequences they never intended. God understood that life is filled with uncertainty and that one mistake could change everything.

A refuge is a place you can run to when the weight of life becomes too heavy to carry. It is like coming home after a long and exhausting day, when everything outside has drained you. You step into a place where you are loved, where you are known, and where you are cared for. In that place, your heart begins to rest, your fears slowly ease, and your worries lose their grip because you know you are safe. And that refuge is God. There is no other place and no other human being where our souls can truly be at ease. Only God can give rest to our weary souls, and when the world overwhelms us, He is the place we run to. As Jesus said, “Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you” (John 14:27). In Him, our restless hearts find peace, and our weary spirits find security. And as it is written, “From the end of the earth will I cry unto thee, when my heart is overwhelmed: lead me to the rock that is higher than I” (Psalm 61:2).

January 18, 2026
‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭59:2‬

“But your iniquities have separated you from your God; And your sins have hidden His face from you, So that He will not hear.” – Isaiah‬ ‭59:2‬ ‭

Have you ever felt that every time you commit a sin, you grow farther away from God? As if each sin creates an even greater distance between you and Him. Then we begin to wonder whether God still wants to hear our prayers, because we feel undeserving of His grace and unworthy of His love. And in that place, we feel so ashamed to come into His presence.

When Isaiah spoke to the people of Israel, he declared, “But your iniquities have separated you from your God.” The Word of God is very clear that God did not separate Himself from us, rather, our iniquity caused us to withdraw from His presence. As it is written, “For my iniquities have gone over my head; Like a heavy burden they are too heavy for me” (Psalms‬ ‭38:4)‬. Our iniquity overwhelms us with shame and guilt. That is why Adam and Eve were naked and felt no shame before sin entered the world. Once sin came, shame and guilt followed. These heavy feelings hinder us from drawing near to God and from reconciliation, and they make us feel unworthy to stand in His presence.

Their iniquity did not remove God from the garden, for the LORD was still present and seeking them, saying, “Where are you?” (Genesis 3:9). Rather, iniquity brought forth a heavy burden of shame and guilt within Adam and Eve, and because of it they hid themselves from the presence of the LORD instead of walking with Him (Genesis 3:7–10).

The same is true for all of us. When we are overwhelmed by guilt and shame, we also hide from God. We begin to make excuses, and some even say they no longer believe, not because God has left, but because they want to escape the heavy burden they feel inside. Over time, these feelings harden their hearts and turn them away, not because God has departed, but because sin has deceived them (Hebrews 3:13).

When we choose our iniquity rather than God, we choose to separate ourselves from the very source of life. God Himself says, “For My people have committed two evils: They have forsaken Me, the fountain of living waters, And hewn themselves cisterns—broken cisterns that can hold no water.” (Jeremiah 2:13). God is very clear. To live in iniquity is to forsake Him, and to turn away from God is to turn away from the only source that can truly satisfy the soul. When we are separated from Him, we become like those broken cisterns that are unable to hold water that makes our souls grow dry and thirsty.

In that dryness and thirst, we attempt to cover the emptiness with the pleasures of sin. We are reminded of the woman at the well, who had five husbands, and the man she was living with was not her husband (John 4:18). She searched for satisfaction in relationships, yet remained empty. Jesus revealed to her that He is the living water, saying that whoever drinks of the water He gives will never thirst (John 4:14).

In our brokenness, we also reach for what feels good for a moment, hoping it will quiet the pain within us. Many turn to vices such as drugs, alcohol, pornography, and even food to fill what only God can heal. Yet the Word of God is clear that the pleasures of sin are only for a season (Hebrews 11:25). What begins as comfort ends in bondage, for Jesus answered them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, whoever commits sin is a slave of sin.” (John 8:34).

Isaiah did not only make it clear that our iniquities separate us from God, but he also declared, “And your sins have hidden His face from you, so that He will not hear.” It is important to understand this truth. God hides His face not from us, but from our sin. Again, not from us, but from our sin.

God does not reject the sinner who seeks Him, but He cannot have fellowship with iniquity. As it is written, “For You are not a God who takes pleasure in wickedness, Nor shall evil dwell with You” (Psalms‬ ‭5:4). But throughout the Bible, whenever a man humbles himself before God, the LORD hears. Each time Israel repented and confessed their sins, God heard their prayers. Even Manasseh, who committed grievous sins and led God’s people into evil, was not rejected when he humbled himself greatly before the God of his fathers. When he prayed, the LORD heard his prayer and restored him (2 Chronicles 33:12–13). For God Himself declares, “If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land” (2 Chronicles 7:14). Now, it is very clear that iniquity separates us from God, who is the source of all life and all that we need. God did not hide His face from us as people, but from our sin. That is why the Word of God assures us that when we confess our sins, He is faithful to forgive us and to hear our prayers. As it is written, “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).

I want you to understand how serious God is about sin. If sin were not serious to God, He would not have humbled Himself and taken on human form. Scripture tells us that our LORD Jesus Christ, “being in the form of God… made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men” (Philippians 2:6–7). He borrowed a virgin womb to live among us, taught us, suffered, bled, and was crucified, for “without shedding of blood is no remission” (Hebrews 9:22). He then rose again, having defeated sin and death (1 Corinthians 15:3–4). All of this was done to deal fully with the sin that separated us from God and caused His face to be hidden from us. The cross stands as the greatest evidence of how seriously God takes sin and how deeply He desires to restore us to Himself.

Jesus paid for our sins not so that we might continue living in them, but to deliver us from them. Scripture says, “He gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity” (Titus 2:14), and again, “How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?” (Romans 6:2). Jesus did not only forgive and deliver us from our sins. He also gives us the power to walk away from them and live a new life.

This is why many of us struggle to understand the Word of God. We read the Bible again and again, yet it still feels difficult to grasp. Even when someone explains it to us clearly, it can seem confusing or hard to take in. We may try harder, listen longer, and still feel like something is missing.

Sin separated us from God, and because of that separation, we became strangers to Him. We did not truly know God, not because we were incapable of understanding, but because sin had cut us off from Him and from His Word, which alone reveals who God is. As it is written, “You, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works” (Colossians 1:21) Our sin made us fully alienated from God, leaving us without true knowledge of Him.

That is why, when we first come to Him, everything feels new and unfamiliar. God’s ways feel different, His Word feels new, and walking with Him can feel strange at first. It is not because something is wrong, but because we are beginning a restored relationship that was once broken by sin.

But now that sin has been dealt with through our LORD Jesus Christ, that separation has been removed. We are reconciled to the Father. As it is written, “Now all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ” (2 Corinthians 5:18).

What then are you waiting for? Repent from your sins. Turn away from them. Believe in the LORD Jesus Christ, and be baptized for the remission of sins (Acts 2:38). And you shall Received the gift of the holy Spirit

Our reconciliation with God comes only through the blood of Jesus Christ. His blood has opened the way for us to come to God. As Scripture declares, “Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus” (Hebrews 10:19). His blood removes shame and guilt that once kept us from God’s presence. Now we are invited to come boldly to the throne of grace, where we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need (Hebrews 4:16). Most importantly, Jesus did not only remove the sin that separated us from the Father, but He also brought us near to Him. As it is written, “But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ” (Ephesians 2:13).

January 17, 2026
Colossians‬ ‭2:6‬ ‭

“As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him,” – Colossians‬ ‭2:6‬ ‭

Paul admonishes the Christians living in Colossae to walk in the LORD Jesus Christ just as they had received Him. What’s interesting is that these Colossian believers had never met Paul in person. They had heard the gospel and were likely taught by a man named Epaphras, who later spoke to Paul about the concerns within the church at Colossae.

For us to understand Paul’s words, “As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord,” we must be honest, transparent, and take a moment for reflection. Whether you have been with the Lord for many years, for a short time, or even since yesterday—did you fully understand the gospel when you first received the Lord Jesus? Did we truly understand the depth of the gospel of Jesus Christ at the beginning? We don’t! because receiving the LORD Jesus Christ is only the beginning.

Before I was baptized, someone sat with me and explained the gospel and what the LORD Jesus had done. But because this was my first time hearing and learning about the Kingdom of God and His goodnews through our LORD Jesus Christ, much of it was hard for me to understand. The Word of God tells us that sin separates us from God, and that separation made us strangers to Him and unfamiliar with His ways.

When we first respond to God’s call, we do not understand everything, and that is normal. There is nothing wrong with not knowing, because the truth is that we have been separated from God for generations. Darkness was all we knew. That is why sin came naturally to us. All we knew was how to sin, and we could not stop ourselves from doing it. Sin was our way of life. Then, when we received the LORD Jesus, everything felt unfamiliar and new. Because we did not yet have the Word of God to teach us who God is—His nature, His ways, what He loves, and what He does not love.

In our condition of being separated from God, we could not truly understand the things of God. At the beginning of our faith, what we most needed was the truth that Jesus loves us, He died for our sins, and through Him we can enter heaven. This foundational understanding is not shallow; it is exactly what we need at that stage of our faith. Only the love of God gives us the courage and strength to step out of darkness. The first step for all of us is to leave that darkness and receive the LORD Jesus Christ.

The believers in Colossae were not mature Christians; they were new believers. Even Paul himself was once a new believer, though he was ahead of them in learning, teaching, and walking with the LORD Jesus. Also, God had a greater purpose for Paul’s life, as He gave him wisdom, understanding, and knowledge to preach the gospel and to care for the churches.

Consider Paul’s background. He was raised in Israel and was a Pharisee. This means he grew up learning about God and studying the Scriptures. Yet even with all that knowledge, Paul could not truly discern who God was until the LORD Jesus encountered him on the road to Damascus. His life shows us that even they who think they have knowledge about the Word of God are all alienated from God unless God Himself reveals the truth to us.

This is why Paul prayed for the Colossians: saying, “For this reason we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding (Colossians 1:9). Paul was asking God to give the Colossians understanding, because that is exactly what God did for him. Only God can reveal Himself to us. As Jesus said, “I will love him and manifest myself to him” (John 14:21). When God gives us understanding of who He is and of His Word, then we are able to ... walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; strengthened with all might, according to His glorious power, for all patience and longsuffering with joy;” (Colossians‬ ‭1:9-11‬)

Paul understood that what a new believer needs most is God Himself. He also knew that no one can truly understand spiritual things unless God gives them an understanding. As it is written, “These things we also speak, not in words which man’s wisdom teaches but which the Holy Spirit teaches, comparing spiritual things with spiritual. But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned” (1 Corinthians 2:13–14). Anything about God and His truth can only be taught by the Holy Spirit. That is why we need to receive the Holy Spirit. Only He can give us true understanding about God, not human wisdom. A natural person cannot understand the things of God, because spiritual things must be spiritually discerned. This helps us understand why walking with Jesus is so important. If we want to know God more deeply and understand His Word, we must walk with Jesus.

After Jesus’ resurrection, He walked with His disciples who were struggling to believe that He had risen from the dead. As they walked together, He explained the Scriptures to them, beginning with Moses and the Prophets, and showed how all the Scriptures pointed to Him (Luke 24:27). As Jesus was teaching them while walking, their hearts were stirred. As it is written, “Did not our heart burn within us while He talked with us on the road, and while He opened the Scriptures to us?” (Luke 24:32). Salvation begins when we receive Christ, but transformation happens when we walk in Him. This is why walking with Jesus matters. This is where our knowledge increases, because He is the One who opens the Scriptures to us. He is the One who stirs our hearts, because His words are life, and His words that produce life begin to work in us. Transformation does not happen instantly at one moment but gradually, little by little.

The Word of God teaches us that we are not only called to believe in Jesus but also to follow Him. As it is written, “He who says he abides in Him ought himself also to walk just as He walked.” Many Christians have believed for a long time, yet their lives remain the same because they do not walk with Jesus. As Scripture says, “You have not so learned Christ, if indeed you have heard Him and have been taught by Him, as the truth is in Jesus” (Ephesians 4:20–21). This is the reason many Christians have been believers for a long time, yet their lives remain the same because they do not walk with Jesus.

Only through walking with Jesus do transformation and true life begin. Walking with Jesus brings us closer and deeper into fellowship with Him. As we walk with Him, He shares with us His heart, His thoughts, His will, His ways, and His nature. He teaches us what He loves and what He does not love. He reveals His Kingdom and His future plans. This close fellowship with Jesus is a beautiful and life-changing relationship. As our fellowship with Him deepens, our lives begin to change, and our purpose becomes clearer. Scripture says, “If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new” (2 Corinthians 5:17). We begin to talk like Jesus, think like Jesus, and love like Jesus. Through this walk, we become children of light. The Bible says, “For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light” (Ephesians 5:8).

January 14, 2026
2 Chronicles 6:7

“Now it was in the heart of my father David to build a temple for the name of the LORD God of Israel.” – 2 Chronicles 6:7

Have you ever wondered why King David was so consumed with the desire to build the temple of God? It was because David’s heart longed to abide with God. In every season of his life, David continually pursued the presence of the LORD. Even in his moments of falling short, there was one thing that terrified him above all else, and that was being separated from the presence of God.

When David was in the peaks of battle, battles that God Himself appointed him to fight in order to protect His people, David never relied on his own strength. Before he ever stepped onto the battlefield, he always inquired of the LORD. He did not move without first seeking God’s will. Out of those moments came the psalms, songs written from caves, from conflict, from fear, and from victory. Yet in every word, David revealed his dependence and reliance upon God.

Even when David entered a season of rest and comfort, his heart did not drift. Though his circumstances changed, his devotion remained the same. When life became easy, David did not forget his God, nor did he lift himself up as many others had done. Instead, David spoke to Nathan the prophet and said, “Now it came to pass when the king was dwelling in his house, and the Lord had given him rest from all his enemies all around, that the king said to Nathan the prophet, “See now, I dwell in a house of cedar, but the ark of God dwells inside tent curtains.”” (‭‭II Samuel‬ ‭7:1-2)‬ ‭How many of us can recognize how blessed we are, yet never stop to consider that we may be neglecting the house of God, the very place where we first encountered Him and learned His ways?

The temple of God is the place where we gather to be built up by the Word of God and where we are first drawn into deeper and more intimate fellowship with Him. There is no other place on earth where we hear the Word of God taught and are given the opportunity to practice the love and mercy He has commanded us to walk in. Yet too often, when we enter seasons of rest and comfort, we forget. But David teaches us that a heart that truly longs for God does not grow careless in times of ease. Instead, it grows closer to Him.

Now Solomon, David’s own son, testified before all Israel when the temple was finally completed, saying, Now it was in the heart of my father David to build a temple for the name of the LORD God of Israel.” Solomon and all the people of Israel knew how deeply David desired to build a house for the LORD. That even at the time of his departure, David’s final words were not centered on his family, his inheritance, or his own legacy, saying,

“Now David said, “Solomon my son is young and inexperienced, and the house to be built for the Lord must be exceedingly magnificent, famous and glorious throughout all countries. I will now make preparation for it.” So David made abundant preparations before his death. Then he called for his son Solomon, and charged him to build a house for the Lord God of Israel. And David said to Solomon: “My son, as for me, it was in my mind to build a house to the name of the Lord my God; (I Chronicles‬ ‭22:5-7)

Indeed I have taken much trouble to prepare for the house of the Lord one hundred thousand talents of gold and one million talents of silver, and bronze and iron beyond measure, for it is so abundant. I have prepared timber and stone also, and you may add to them. Moreover there are workmen with you in abundance: woodsmen and stonecutters, and all types of skillful men for every kind of work. Of gold and silver and bronze and iron there is no limit. Arise and begin working, and the Lord be with you.”

David also commanded all the leaders of Israel to help Solomon his son, saying, “Is not the Lord your God with you? And has He not given you rest on every side? For He has given the inhabitants of the land into my hand, and the land is subdued before the Lord and before His people. Now set your heart and your soul to seek the Lord your God. Therefore arise and build the sanctuary of the Lord God, to bring the ark of the covenant of the Lord and the holy articles of God into the house that is to be built for the name of the Lord.”” (I Chronicles‬ ‭22: 14-19‬)

Here we clearly see what truly mattered to King David. In his final charge to Solomon and to the leaders of Israel, David was not focused on making the nation stronger, wealthier, or more successful. His greatest concern was that a temple would be built for the name of the LORD. David wanted his people to live close to God, and he desired for the presence of God to dwell among them.

Solomon’s words reveal what his father valued most. David was not consumed with the things he achieved in this world, because he knew that everything he accomplished came from the LORD. What David wanted to leave behind for his family and for his nation was not riches or power, but the house of God, a place that would bear the name of the LORD. David understood that a nation becomes truly strong, rich, and secure when God Himself dwells in the midst of His people.

David understood that nothing is greater for a nation or for a family than to seek the presence of God every day. He knew that God lives among His people and that God Himself is the greatest treasure we could ever have. David wanted his nation to be known by the name of the LORD, because there is no greater honor than to belong to the one true God and to live as a people who serve and worship Him.

So the question remains for us. Where do we want our families to be identified? With the things of this world, or with the name of the LORD Jesus Christ? We are called Christians, which means we belong to Christ. We bear the name of the LORD Jesus Christ, and that name is found only in Him. Our identity is not rooted in this world, but in the LORD Jesus Christ, who has called us by His name. As the LORD Jesus said, “Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” (Matthew 6:21) What we treasure will always show where our hearts truly belong.

Consider this question: where are we investing our time, our talents, and our treasures? King David spent his strength preparing for the building of God’s temple. His priorities were always centered on the LORD. David’s treasure was not found on earth, but in heaven. This is why he could say, “O LORD, You are the portion of my inheritance and my cup; You maintain my lot.” (Psalm 16:5) David understood that God Himself was his greatest possession. He also declared, “Whom have I in heaven but You? And there is none upon earth that I desire besides You.” (Psalm 73:25,) For David, the LORD was his inheritance and his portion forever.

How about you? What does your heart truly desire? Is it God or the things of this world? King David had only one true desire, and that desire was God. He said, “One thing I have desired of the Lord, That will I seek: That I may dwell in the house of the Lord All the days of my life, To behold the beauty of the Lord, And to inquire in His temple.” David understood that when we live for God, His goodness follows us. He also declared, “Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me All the days of my life; And I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.” (Psalm 23:6) David lived with this hope and this desire. Do you have the same desire?

So again, we must ask ourselves: what are we building here on earth? Are we investing in what will pass away or in what will stand before God? Are we giving our best years, our strongest efforts, and our deepest devotion to temporary things or to the eternal kingdom of God? Where is your heart truly set? Is it the LORD Jesus Christ, or is it the world?

For Scripture reminds us, “And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever.” (1 John 2:17,)

What is happening to us as modern Christians? Many of us say we love God, yet we have quietly replaced the house of God with our own understanding of faith. We often say, “I can worship God anywhere,” and while that is true in our personal walk with Him, we were not created to live our faith alone. We were created for community. Scripture never uses personal devotion as an excuse to neglect fellowship. Instead, the Word of God warns us, “Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another.” (Hebrews 10:25)

Many Christians today have shaped their faith around convenience rather than obedience. We want God on our terms, in our timing, and in our own way. But Scripture reminds us, “There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death.” (Proverbs 14:12) Now consider King David. David spent the strength of his life preparing for the temple of God, even though he knew he would never build it himself. The Bible tells us, “So David prepared abundantly before his death.” (1 Chronicles 22:5) Yet today, many of us struggle to give even one hour to the house of God.

Yet today, many believers treat church as optional rather than essential. The church is not just a building. It is the place where we are taught, corrected, strengthened, and formed. Scripture tells us, “And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints.” (Ephesians 4:11–12) When we separate ourselves from fellowship, we become vulnerable. The Bible warns us, “Woe to him who is alone when he falls, for he has no one to help him up.” (Ecclesiastes 4:10) Isolation often leads to pride, and pride opens the door to spiritual weakness. Scripture also warns us to stay alert: “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.” (1 Peter 5:8) When believers stand alone, distracted and disconnected, they become easy targets for deception. This is why God designed the church as a body, not as individuals living in isolation. As Scripture says, “But now God has set the members, each one of them, in the body just as He pleased.” (1 Corinthians 12:18) Strength, growth, and protection are found when we remain connected to the body of Christ.

January 12, 2026
Luke‬ ‭9:62‬

“But Jesus said to him, “No one, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.”” – Luke‬ ‭9:62‬

Jesus often used the things around us to help us understand what He was teaching. He spoke through simple images that we could easily recognize, especially when He was teaching about the cost of discipleship. Jesus knew that following Him would not be easy, and He wanted us to clearly understand what we were accepting. By His blood, we enter into a covenant with Him, just as He said, “This cup is the new testament in my blood, which is shed for you” (Luke 22:20). This is something many of us as Christians do not always take the time to explain clearly to new believers, yet it is central to what it means to follow the LORD Jesus Christ.

Many of us struggle to grasp, both in our hearts and in our minds, that following the Lord Jesus and joining in His mission was never meant to be easy. When we are called to follow Him, we are called to follow God in the flesh. Jesus Christ is the eternal Word, through whom all things were made. As the Word of God declares,

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. In Him was life, and the life was the light of men.” John‬ ‭1:1-4‬ ‭

Jesus is the Creator and Sustainer of all things. saying,

“He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him. And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist.” Colossians‬ ‭1:15-17‬

Yet this same LORD humbled Himself. He took upon Himself human flesh, was born of a woman, lived among us, taught the truth of God, suffered, died for our sins, and rose again from the dead. Through His death and resurrection, we are delivered from sin, reconciled to God, and given the hope of eternal life in His kingdom. And to all of us who believe, He has entrusted the calling to bear witness to this gospel and to proclaim His good news to the world. This gospel of Jesus Christ, which brings salvation, is freely offered to all. Yet it was not obtained without cost. For our salvation to be given, it cost the Lord Jesus His very life.

For this reason, we come to understand His suffering and the importance of His mission to save all people as He died for them while still honoring the free will He has given to them. We are called to to be part of this mission. Yet because we have an enemy, this mission was never going to be easy.

The LORD Jesus made this very clear to us. He taught about following Him and sharing in His mission by using examples that were familiar to His hearers, so that we could fully understand what He was saying. He spoke of building a house, saying, “For which of you, intending to build a tower, sitteth not down first, and counteth the cost, whether he have sufficient to finish it?” (Luke 14:28). He also spoke of a king preparing for battle, asking, “Or what king, going to make war against another king, sitteth not down first, and consulteth whether he be able with ten thousand to meet him that cometh against him with twenty thousand?” (Luke 14:31). None of these works are entered into lightly, and none can be completed without first counting the cost.

Then He spoke the verse we will focus on, using the picture of a farmer at work plowing his field, saying, “No one, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.

So, if we want to understand what Jesus meant when He said that a person who looks back is not fit for the kingdom of God, we must first understand the purpose of plowing and why looking back matters so much. Plowing happens before the seed is sown and long before the harvest ever comes, yet it determines whether there will be a good harvest at all.

Plowing is not the harvest. Many of us are eager for the harvest because harvesting feels easier and more rewarding than plowing or planting. Yet plowing is the first and most crucial step if there is ever going to be a good harvest. Without plowing, nothing that follows can succeed.

Plowing a field requires undivided attention. As Jesus said, a man who puts his hand to the plow cannot look back. Jesus also tells us to remember Lot’s wife. God had already brought her out to save her, yet she looked back and became a pillar of salt. Looking back does not simply mean remembering the past. It means longing for it. It reveals hesitation and a divided heart. It shows that part of us still desires the life we once lived, just as Lot’s wife longed for what she left behind.

We cannot move forward into the kingdom of God while our hearts remain anchored to what is behind us. The apostle Paul understood this when he said, “Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 3:13–14). When Paul speaks of what is behind him, he is speaking of his former life before he encountered the LORD Jesus, whether it was status, achievements, comfort, sinful desires, or worldly ambitions. These things must be laid aside and not returned to, for no man can press forward into what God has called him to while still bearing the weight of what once held him back.

These were the apostles who wholly followed the LORD Jesus. They understand what it means not to look back, and they understand the consequences of a divided heart. James warns us of this danger, saying, But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind. For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.” (James‬ ‭1:6-8‬) When we are not fully focused on the LORD Jesus, our hearts become divided. We begin trying to serve two masters, ourselves and the LORD. But a divided heart cannot stand firm, and it cannot move forward. This is why Jesus said that such a person is not fit for the kingdom of God.

Plowing a field also requires endurance. It means pushing against the weight of the soil, often under the heat of the sun, for long hours. This reflects the reality of our lives as disciples of the LORD Jesus. As we follow Him, we will face resistance and opposition that can make us feel uncomfortable, discouraged, and weary. Yet the Word of God encourages us, saying, “And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not” (Galatians 6:9). Jesus Himself also said, “But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved” (Matthew 24:13). Endurance is essential for every Christian. Endurance does not mean that when things become hard, we quit. We may need to rest for a moment, but we must not give up or turn back. We must learn to continue to persevere by praying and asking God to strengthen us so that we may overcome every difficulty we face. And we must remember that even when the work is difficult, we are not alone. God has given us His Holy Spirit, who strengthens us from within, as it is written, “That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man” (Ephesians 3:16).

Lastly, plowing requireth absolute commitment. When the work grows hard, the farmer does not turn back, but sets his heart to finish what he began. Even so, the task God assign unto us demands a heart that is established and determined. Jesus finished the work the Father gave Him to do. Paul finished his course, and so did the rest of the apostles. Even men like Samson and David, who fell short many times, were restored and finished the task God assigned to them. Their lives remind us that following God demands more than enduring hardship. It requires a heart that has already decided not to turn back. No matter what comes against us, we must be resolved to finish what God has entrusted to us. Paul expressed this heart when he spoke to the elders of the church in Ephesus, saying, “But none of these things move me, neither count I my life dear unto myself, so that I might finish my course with joy, and the ministry, which I have received of the Lord Jesus, to testify the gospel of the grace of God” (Acts 20:24). Paul was not moved by hardship, suffering, or danger because his heart was fixed on completing the work God gave him.

We are called to live with the same resolve. We are more than conquerors through Christ, and we are called to complete the task God has assigned to us. This is the purpose of our lives here on earth, that one day we may stand before our Lord in heaven and hear Him say, “Well done, thou good and faithful servant.”

I want to end with the primary purpose of plowing, which is to turn over the top layer of soil. By doing this, fresh nutrients are brought to the surface, while weeds and leftover crop remains are buried beneath the ground, where they can break down and decay. What once hindered growth is covered, broken, and put away so that new life can come forth. This sounds familiar because it is exactly what Jesus calls all of us to do. He said, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it produces much grain. He who loves his life will lose it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. If anyone serves Me, let him follow Me; and where I am, there My servant will be also. If anyone serves Me, him My Father will honor.” ‭‭(John‬ ‭12:24-26)‬ The Lord Jesus calls us to follow Him with a whole heart. Not a divided heart. Not a heart that keeps looking back. He calls us to a heart that is fully submitted to Him. This is the kind of death Jesus is talking about. It is the death of our own will, our desires, and our plans to live for this world so that we can truly live for Him.

When the LORD Jesus alone is God in our hearts and in our minds, He begins to work in us in ways we could never do on our own. He worketh in us that which is beyond our strength, for it is God who bringeth the increase. This is why the apostle Paul speaks so clearly about putting off the old life. He says, “Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds; And have put on the new man” (Colossians 3:9–10). When we believe in the Lord Jesus, we no longer belong to ourselves. We belong to Him, and our lives are now lived in submission to His lordship. As it is written, “Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life” (Romans 6:4). What God buries, He does not discard. He buries the old so that something new may rise.

So this is now true for us all who believe, “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new” (2 Corinthians 5:17). Thus, we are no longer what we once were. The old ground has been broken, the former things buried, and a new work begun. Just as plowing prepares the soil for fruit, God prepares our hearts through submission so that our lives may bring forth fruit that honors Him.

January 11, 2026
Psalm 28:5

“Because they do not regard the works of the Lord, Nor the operation of His hands, He shall destroy them And not build them up.” – Psalms‬ ‭28:5‬ ‭

I watched a Christian movie during the rise of atheism in Russia. I cannot remember the name of the movie, but it was a time when Christians suffered severe persecution for their faith. In the story, a husband and wife are torn apart by this oppression simply because they chose to hold on to their faith in God. Many years later, they are reunited, and the film retells their lives as a testimony of God’s goodness and faithfulness over their lives, even in the darkest and most difficult times. This scene from the movie has remained with me to this day. During a harsh winter, the woman falls into freezing water. I do not remember whether she was pushed by a soldier or if it was an accident. What I do remember is her strong faith in God despite her difficult situation. As the cold overtakes her body, she believes she is about to die. Suddenly, a soldier reaches down, pulls her out of the water, and mocks her faith, saying, “Where is your God, the God you said would save you? I am the one who saved you.” Her response was so powerful it still remains in my heart to this day: “My God is alive, and He used your hands to save me.”

This helps us understand what King David meant when he said, “Because they do not regard the works of the Lord, Nor the operation of His hands…” This is the struggle for many people, like the soldier in the movie, and even for some Christians. Many live their daily lives without recognizing how God’s hand is moving in their lives, providing for them, protecting them, and sustaining them. They see the outcome, but they fail to acknowledge the source. The Word of God reveals to us the condition of their heart. It says, “… although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened. Professing to be wise, they became fools.” The issue is not always a lack of knowledge about God. Often, it is a failure to see, acknowledge, and honor the hand of God at work in one’s life.

Failure to see the work of God is ultimately a failure to acknowledge the existence of God, because the works of the Lord and the operation of His hands reveal His glory among men. God makes Himself known through what He does. As it is written, “The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handywork” (Psalm 19:1). The presence of God is not hidden. It is displayed openly through His creation and His mighty acts.

When John the Baptist sent his disciples to ask Jesus if He was truly the Messiah who was to come, Jesus did not answer with argument or reasoning alone. He directed them to the works that were being done before their eyes. Jesus said, “… the blind see, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, the poor have the gospel preached to them.” (Luke‬ ‭7:22)‬ These works testified that God was present and active. They were clear evidence that the power and presence of God were at work. Likewise, the apostle Paul teaches that God’s presence has been clearly revealed since the creation of the world. As it is written,“because what may be known of God is manifest in them, for God has shown it to them. For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse,” (Romans‬ ‭1:19-20)‬ ‭Creation itself declares the truth of God’s existence and leaves no room for denial.

Jesus clearly taught that His works were the greatest witness of who He is. He said, “But I have greater witness than that of John: for the works which the Father hath given me to finish, the same works that I do, bear witness of me, that the Father hath sent me.” (John 5:36) The works of the LORD Jesus were not random miracles. They were the manifestation of His presence and evidence that God’s promise to Israel concerning His visitation was being fulfilled right before their eyes. Yet many could not see it. Their hearts had become futile, and their eyes were darkened. Although the truth was standing in front of them, they failed to recognize it.

Even the disciples, who walked closely with Jesus, struggled to recognize God in the flesh. When Philip asked Jesus to show them the Father, Jesus replied, Believe me that I am in the Father, and the Father in me: or else believe me for the very works’ sake.” Jesus was telling Philip that He was the Father revealed in the flesh, yet they still struggled to understand. At that time, they had not yet received the Spirit of God, who would later teach them and help them understand these truths. They could not yet see that Jesus is the Word of God and that the Word is not separated from the Father, just as a person’s word is not separated from who they are. The Word was with God, and the Word was God.

When Jesus said, “The Father is in me,” He was declaring that God was manifested in the flesh before their very eyes. This was a hard saying and not easily understood unless God Himself reveals it. In His mercy, Jesus pointed them to evidence they could see. The works He did were works that only God could do. If they could not fully grasp the mystery of who He was, they were called to believe through what was visible before them.

This is why failing to acknowledge the hand of God over our lives is such a serious matter. When we fail to recognize the hand of God over our lives, whether in small things or great things, we slowly lose awareness of His presence. This helps us understand what David meant when he said, “He shall destroy them, and not build them up,” because they did not believe in God or regard His works. Jesus Himself said that those who believe in Him will be saved, but those who do not will be condemned. To reject God’s work is to reject God Himself.

The cross stands as clear evidence of God’s work. Jesus died for our sins, and this is not just a spiritual claim but a historical reality supported by history. Even the resurrection of the LORD Jesus is backed by evidence, through the eyewitness testimony of the disciples and the records preserved by historians. God has not left us without witness. His works, both in history and in our lives, testify to the truth of who He is and what He has done.

Moses gave a serious warning to the people of Israel before they entered the Promised Land. He reminded them not to forget the LORD who delivered them from slavery, fed them in the wilderness, and sustained them through every trial. He warned that when they became comfortable, prosperous, and secure, the greatest danger would not be enemies from outside, but forgetting God within their own hearts. Moses told them that when they enjoyed good homes, full fields, and abundant blessings, they must not say in their hearts that their own strength had gained these things. Instead, they were to remember the Lord, for it was God who gave them the power to prosper. Forgetting the Lord would lead them away from His ways and into destruction. (Deuteronomy 8:11–14, 17–18)

This warning is not only for Israel but for us as well. When we fail to remember what God has done, we begin to lose sight of His presence, and that is the beginning of our downfall.

January 10, 2026
Matthew‬ ‭10:39‬ ‭

“He who finds his life will lose it, and he who loses his life for My sake will find it.” – Matthew‬ ‭10:39‬ ‭

Jesus teaches that following Him begins when we choose Him over ourselves, over our desires, and even over our closest relationships. He calls us to place Him first above our family, above personal dreams, and above our own understanding. He invites us to take up our cross and follow Him. This is where true discipleship begins. Then Jesus goes deeper. He says, “He who finds his life will lose it.” These words confront the way many of us live, and His words challenge us to reflect on the way many of us live, the way we plan, and the way we decide what matters most.

How many of us decide to get married and build a family before building an intimate relationship with God and seeking His will for that marriage?

How many of us enter university and choose a career before asking God which path He has prepared for us?

How many of us start a business without ever asking whether it is truly God’s will?

How many of us decide how many children we want without asking God how many children He desires to entrust to us?

How many of us place family above what God has called us to do?

How many of us assume that because we are gifted or successful in a ministry, it must be the ministry God has chosen for us, without ever asking Him?

And then we wonder why life feels dull. Why we feel lost. Why we feel it unfulfilled. Why the fire is gone.

Why there is no direction, no passion, and no real sense of purpose.

We keep moving, but deep down something feels off, empty, and heavy. It feels like we are breathing but have no life at all.

The truth is God was never sought first. His will was never valued first or made the priority.

This helps us understand what the Lord Jesus is teaching to all of us when He says, “He who finds his life will lose it.” The LORD Jesus answered why so much chaos exists in our lives. It comes down to one root issue, “self-seeking instead of God-seeking.” The danger is that self-seeking does not always look wrong. It often disguises itself as wisdom, self-care, or even maturity. And many of us don’t even notice it.

Pay close attention to the messages that surround you, especially in our generation. Many of them sound normal, but they stand in direct opposition to the Word of God.

“Find yourself.”

“What do you get out of this?”

“How does this serve you?”

“What are you gaining from this?”

“Will this fulfill you?”

“Will this satisfy you?”

“Will this benefit you?”

We hear them in movies, in music, on social media, and even from the people we care aboutmost. These voices are loud. But they are not the voice of our LORD Jesus. And if we are not careful, they will slowly shape our decisions, our priorities, and the way we define life itself.

The LORD Jesus does not ask us what we gain; He asks us what we are willing to lay down.

Now that we understand there is no life to be found in the life this world offers unless God is sought first and His counsel is set above our own.

When the Lord Jesus says, “Whoever loses his life for My sake will find it,” He is not speaking only of physical death but of a life willingly laid down in honor and submission to God.

This truth is clearly seen in the lives of the apostles.

Apostle Paul declares, “For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain” (Philippians 1:21). Paul did not live for himself, nor for his own ambition. He laid down his life for the Lord Jesus, counting everything else as loss for the sake of knowing Christ.

Apostle Peter also testifies to this same calling when he writes, “Since therefore Christ suffered in the flesh, arm yourselves also with the same mind… so as to live for the rest of the time in the flesh no longer for human passions but for the will of God” (1 Peter 4:1–2). Though Peter had many shortcomings, he learned to deny himself and to choose the life appointed for him by the Lord Jesus.

These men of God did not die to fulfill themselves; they died to fulfill the calling of God upon their lives. This is the death the LORD Jesus calls us to, the death of our own will, our own desires, and our own ambitions. Because whatever governs our life becomes our master.

If our own will leads us, then we are not living for God but for ourselves. The Lord Jesus set the perfect example for all who belong to God. He said, “I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me” (John 6:38). He also testified, “The words that I speak to you I do not speak on My own authority… and the works that I do are not My own, but the Father who dwells in Me” (John 14:10). In this, the LORD Jesus shows us how a child of God is meant to live not according to our own will, but according to the will of the Father. Even the Holy Spirit, whom the Father sends, does not speak on His own authority but speaks what He hears and glorifies God (John 16:13–14).

Setting aside our will before the will of God is the fulfillment of the first and greatest commandment: to love the Lord our God with all our heart, with all our soul, with all our mind, and with all our strength (Mark 12:30). Yet this is the commandment many of us overlook. To love God in this way means that He must be above what our heart desires and above what our mind reasons. It means that the will of God must come before our own will, before our emotions, before our thoughts, and before our understanding. For love for God is not proven by words alone, but by obedience and submission to His will.

When we place God’s will above ourselves, we do not lose life, but we find it. Not because God seeks to control us, but because He calls us to trust Him and to depend on Him. The Lord invites us to acknowledge Him in all our ways and to seek His counsel before we take our steps. God desires to walk with us in every part of our lives, for apart from Him we can do nothing.

This truth remains certain: the Lord knows us better than we know ourselves. He formed us and understands the thoughts and intentions of our hearts. He knows what will bring us true joy and the desires He has placed within us, free from the noise of the world and the desires of the flesh. When we commit our way to the Lord, we do not lose ourselves. We are led into the life for which we were created. As it is written, “Those who live should no longer live for themselves but for Him who died for them.”

January 8, 2026
Psalms‬ ‭63:3‬ ‭

“Because Your lovingkindness is better than life, My lips shall praise You.” Psalms‬ ‭63:3‬ ‭

Have you ever felt the love of God penetrate so deeply into your heart that tears begin to fall without you even realizing it?

For us to understand what David meant when he said, “Because Your lovingkindness is better than life,” we must first understand that the love of God is so deep that it cannot be taught. Words alone are not enough to express the love of God. No one can fully explain how to feel God’s love unless that love has been personally encountered. As it is written, “to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge” (Ephesians 3:19). This tells us that the love of God cannot be learned from letters alone. It is not something the mind grasps first, but something the heart encounters. To feel the love of God is something we must experience for ourselves. This is why David could say that life itself cannot compare to the lovingkindness of God. He had encountered a love so deep that even life on this earth could not surpass it.

God speaks of this love when He says in Jeremiah, “I have loved you with an everlasting love.” His words tell us that His love is everlasting. It never ends. It does not change with time, failure, or circumstance. Unlike our shallow and conditional love, the love of God is deep, deeper than the oceans, and it lasts forever. This helps us understand the Hebrew word David uses for lovingkindness, “ḥeseḏ.” It means steadfast love, mercy, goodness, kindness, and faithfulness. God’s love is constant and unchanging. It is unconditional, not based on our performance or our faithfulness, but rooted in who God is. As it is written, “God demonstrates His love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8). Even when we are unfaithful, God remains faithful.

If you have ever been deeply betrayed by someone you truly loved and gave everything to, then you understand how painful that road is. You know how difficult it is to trust again and how hard it is to give that person another chance. That experience gives us a bit of understanding of what God feels.

We have all betrayed God; not just once, but generation after generation has turned away from Him, often without any desire to know Him. Yet God does not turn away from us. Instead, He continually pursues us with His love. As He declares, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life” (John 3:16). God’s love is always giving, even when we do not deserve His goodness. His love is willing to give chances, to forgive, to reconcile, to restore, and to offer salvation, even though many still neglect it today.

This kind of love goes beyond our goodness and beyond our understanding, not even close. As it is written, “For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 8:38–39). This is why the love of God is better than life. Life can easily be taken. Everything we have in this world can be lost. But nothing in this life or in the life to come, not even death itself, can separate us from the love of God.

Do you understand how deeply God loves us? His love for us was so great that He was willing to take on the form of a man, come down, teach us His truth, live among us, suffer as we suffer, and die on the cross, paying a debt we could never pay. The salvation we have received was not without cost. It is offered to us freely, yet it cost the life of Jesus, who is God manifested in the flesh. He rose again, conquering death by His death, so that we might live with Him forever in His everlasting kingdom. This is the greatest expression of the love of God. He chose to die for us rather than be separated from us forever. He gave His life so that we could have life.

The love of God brings such deep peace in our heart and in our mind that it becomes our greatest assurance. It completes us in a way nothing in this world ever could. When that love fills the void in our heart, we no longer chase the things of this life to replace it. We no longer need validation for what we feel or think, because we know deep inside that the love of God is greater than anything this world can offer.

If you pay close attention to the lyrics of secular music, the stories in novels, the messages in movies, and even the lives of the people around you, you will notice a common longing. They are all searching for a love that goes beyond conditions, a love that reaches deeper, a love that completes the person, a love that is better than this life, a love that cannot be priced, and a love that lasts forever. Yet this kind of love cannot be found in the world. It is found only in the LORD Jesus Christ, and only His love can fill the longing they are searching for.

The lovingkindness of God is better than life because breathing does not always mean truly living when the love of God feels absent. This is why many wealthy people are still depressed. If the riches of this world were truly satisfying, why do some still feel that life is not worth living? Nothing in this world can fully fill the void within us.

If we seek the love of God in the things of this world, we will never find it there. The love we are truly longing for is found only in our Creator and His name is Jesus Christ. Truly, His lovingkindness alone can make us whole and enable us to truly live with peace in our minds and hearts and with joy that sustains our lives.

When we truly encounter the great love of God, something begins to change deep within our hearts. That inner transformation soon becomes visible in our lives, and all we can offer to Him in return is praise and thanksgiving.

January 5, 2026
Psalms‬ ‭28:1‬

“To You I will cry, O Lord my Rock: Do not be silent to me, Lest, if You are silent to me, I become like those who go down to the pit.” – ‭‭Psalms‬ ‭28:1‬ ‭

I have been deeply enjoying reading the life of King David and his journey of faith toward God’s purpose over his life. After reading his story, I find myself turning to the book of Psalms, and the Psalms become easier to understand when we know why God called David “a man after His own heart.” If we do not understand this, we will never fully go deeper into the book of Psalms.

The Psalms are filled with David’s adoration and devotion to God. They are his love letters to the LORD. How could a man so imperfect have a heart and a mind that constantly ran back to the LORD? It is because David did not live for perfection. He lived for God, and his entire life revolved around Him.

David understood that being called king was not about position or power. It was about a God-given purpose over his life. God did not raise David to a higher position to glorify David. He called David for His own purpose, and David was fully aware of it. David ruled not for himself, but to lead God’s people back to God, to protect them, guide them, and point them to the LORD God. This is why we must be careful and examine our hearts. Are we chasing a higher position, or are we walking in a position that brings us closer to God? How do we know if we are in the place God has assigned to us? It will always draw us nearer to Him.

King David was given a high position and experienced many victories, yet none of these things lifted his heart above God. We know this because when David sinned, his greatest fear was not losing the throne, the crown, or his victories, but being separated from the presence of God (Psalm 51:11). For David, God mattered more than anything else. That is why his life and ministry continually pointed him back to God in every situation. And when his life became heavy and the weight pressed in on him, he did not turn to people. He did not run to comfort or escape. He cried out to God, saying, “To You I will cry, O LORD my Rock.”

When David called God “my Rock,” he was declaring that God was the One who upheld him, the One who made him unmovable. No one could shake him because God was his foundation. As it is written, Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock: And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock (Matthew 7:24–25). ” A wise man who lives for God and relies upon Him builds his house upon the rock. When the storms come and calamity strikes, that house will not be moved. This is exactly what David meant. No matter the situation, the circumstances, the hardship, or the difficulty that came upon his life, God remained his Rock. God was the One who sustained him, protected him, defended him, and delivered him.

Then David continues in his prayer and cries out, Do not be silent to me, Lest, if You are silent to me, I become like those who go down to the pit.” Do you understand that God voice is the expression of the Word of God? All that exists was created because God spoke.

Scripture declares,

In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters. And God said… – Genesis 1

By the word of the LORD were the heavens made; and all the host of them by the breath of his mouth. – Psalm 33:6

… even God, who quickeneth the dead, and calleth those things which be not as though they were. – Romans 4:17

“By faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that the things which are seen were not made of things which are visible.” – Hebrews‬ ‭11:3‬

This is why the silence of God is so serious. If God were silent with no intention of helping us, if He were to shut Himself off from us, we would all be in danger. When God is silent, the pit is already opening, because the very Word that gives life to all things would no longer be heard.

David knew that the Word of God is light for our path ahead. As he says, “Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.” (Psalm 119:105) God’s Word gives us direction, discernment, and wisdom for every step. Without it, we begin to lose our way. We do not stand still. Our steps drift toward darkness, and the path begins to lead toward the pit.

This is why David said that if God were silent, he would become like those who go down to the pit, like those who are dying. Apart from the Word of God, there is only death. Jesus Himself said, …the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.” (John 6:63) When many disciples turned away from Jesus and followed Him no more, He asked the twelve if they would also leave. Peter answered, “Lord, to whom shall we go? Thou hast the words of eternal life.” (John 6:68) Life was found only in the Word of God.

David knew that the silence of God’s Word was more dangerous than any enemy he would ever face. Saul could not destroy him. Goliath could not defeat him. Armies could not overthrow him. But separation from the presence and the voice of God would lead him straight to the pit, because it was the Word of God that guided him in every step of his life.

But God is not silent now. God is crying out to the world through His Word and through His people, “and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel.”” (Mark‬ ‭1:15‬)

God is calling us to repent and believe in Jesus! Because life is only found in Jesus [The Word of God who become flesh]

“He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.” — (John 3:36)

God is speaking through our mouths as His Church to preach the gospel so that all may live and not die.

“For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.” (John 3:17)

Yet Scripture also warns us that a time of God’s silence is coming. The Word tells us that there will be days when people will seek to hear from God, but His voice will no longer be heard. God Himself says,

““Behold, the days are coming,” says the Lord God, “That I will send a famine on the land, Not a famine of bread, Nor a thirst for water, But of hearing the words of the Lord. They shall wander from sea to sea, And from north to east; They shall run to and fro, seeking the word of the Lord, But shall not find it.” – Amos‬ ‭8:11-12‬ ‭

That is why now matters! This is why today matters! While God’s Word is still being preached and His voice is still calling, we are invited to respond. The Word of God says, “Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.” (2 Corinthians 6:2)

Do not ignore His voice today, because the silence that comes later will not lead to life. Choose the Word that gives life now. Choose Jesus while His voice can still be heard. Open the door to Him while He is still knocking. If God does not answer, there is nowhere else to turn.

January 3, 2026