Scriptures of the Day

Jeremiah‬ ‭1:7‬

“But the Lord said to me: “Do not say, ‘I am a youth,’ For you shall go to all to whom I send you, And whatever I command you, you shall speak.” – Jeremiah‬ ‭1:7‬ ‭

In my walk with Jesus, I have learned that His requirement for serving Him is not that we first become highly skilled, eloquent, capable, or highly experienced. What God desires is a heart that is willing to obey and follow Him. The work He begins and invites us to take part in is not based on our own ideas, preferences, or ideology. It is centered on His will. We are servants in His work, not the masters of it. Always remember this, the work we are doing is for Him. Serve faithfully with One audience in mind.

Why do I begin with this? Because it helps us understand this passage. Before this verse, God had already declared the calling and assignment He had for Jeremiah’s life here on earth. God appointed Jeremiah to be “a prophet to the nations” (Jeremiah 1:5). Looking back now, we can testify that God’s word came to pass. Jeremiah did become the prophet God said he would be.

Remember this: when God declares something about us, His declaration is not based on what we can do, but on what He can do through us. As it is written, God “calls those things which do not exist as though they did” (Romans 4:17). God’s calling is rooted in His purpose and His power to accomplish His will. The real question is not whether God can accomplish His purpose through us, but how we will respond to His call and our willingness to fulfill it. Will we refuse it because we are focused on our limitations, or will we embrace it by trusting God?

So when God says to Jeremiah, “But the Lord said to me: “Do not say, ‘I am a youth.” His response was gentle and encouraging, giving Jeremiah exactly what he needed. Jeremiah did not see himself as capable of carrying such a great responsibility. He simply felt inadequate. That is why God’s response was not a rebuke but an encouragement. We also know that Jeremiah was raised in a priestly household (Jeremiah 1:1). He grew up surrounded by the Scriptures and was familiar with the lives of prophets and priests who chose to serve God faithfully. Like many children who are raised in Christian homes today, Jeremiah knew the stories of God’s prophets. He knew their victories, but he also knew their suffering, rejection, persecution, and sacrifice. He understood God’s calling and its cost.

Our age, our condition, our circumstances, and even the season of life we are in do not limit God. He is omnipotent! That is why God said to Jeremiah, “Do not say, ‘I am a youth.” Jeremiah’s youth was not an obstacle to God’s purpose. God does not allow Jeremiah to dwell on his inadequacy. God knew that Jeremiah was familiar with the Scriptures. Jeremiah knew that God had called Samuel while he was still a boy (1 Samuel 3:1–10). He knew that David was anointed king while he was still young (1 Samuel 16:11–13) and that God gave him victory over Goliath in his youth (1 Samuel 17:32–50). Jeremiah was also living during the reign of King Josiah, who began seeking the LORD God while he was still young (2 Chronicles 34:3). Jeremiah understood that God had used young people throughout Israel’s history. Unlike Moses, who eventually asked God to send someone else (Exodus 4:13), Jeremiah did not continue arguing with God.

Then God said, “For you shall go to all to whom I send you.” Notice that God’s instruction was not based on Jeremiah’s age, abilities, skills, or experience. It was based on Jeremiah’s obedience. The Hebrew word translated “you shall go” is “yalak” which means to walk (literally or figuratively); to go, to come, and to carry. This is the calling of God: to everyone who believes in Him, it is to walk with God and to go wherever He sends us. God called Abraham to leave his homeland and go to a place he did not know (Genesis 12:1; Hebrews 11:8). Before God sends us, He first calls us to come to Him, to dwell in His presence, and then to carry out His will wherever He leads.

Remember, Jesus first called His disciples to Himself (John 15:4–5) before He sent them out. How can they, and how can we, declare God’s character and nature without first knowing Him? How can we make God known to others if we do not truly know Him ourselves? That is why it is so important we first cultivate an intimate fellowship with Jesus. Because it is in His presence that we learn His truth and experience His love, grace, and mercy. How can we share His love when our hearts are empty? How can we declare His will when we are uncertain of His will for our own lives? How can we testify of His goodness if we have never experienced it firsthand? How can we say that we know God if we do not read His Word and set aside time to meet with Him in prayer?

Before God sends us to people, He first calls us to Himself. We cannot faithfully represent our LORD Jesus Christ until we first know Him. We cannot give what we have not first received from Him. Neither can we go unless He sends us. We need His direction and His instruction about where to go and whom He wants us to serve. We must first become familiar with His voice, and that comes through an intimate relationship with Him and familiarity with His Words. As Jesus said, “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me” (John 10:27). If you want to become familiar with God’s voice and His leading, you must first become familiar with His Word. The Scriptures are the foundation for discerning His voice. Our minds are constantly filled with many voices—our own thoughts, the opinions of others, and even the enemy’s lies. How, then, can we discern God’s voice? By becoming deeply familiar with His Word. God’s voice will never contradict His Words. The more we know His Word, the more we will recognize His voice and follow His leading (2 Timothy 3:16–17).

God continues by saying, “And whatever I command you, you shall speak.” This is exactly why I started by explaining about the work of God, in which He allows us to participate, is not based on our own ideas, preferences, or ideology. It is centered on His will. We are His servants working in the field He has assigned to us. We do not choose our own assignment or redefine the work according to our preference. The Master determines the work, and the servant faithfully obeys. After all, the work we are doing is for Him, not for ourselves.

Although God specifically commanded Jeremiah to speak His Word, the principle applies to every one of us who believes. Whatever God commands us to do or to say, our response should be simple, “obey”. Delayed obedience, partial obedience, or selective obedience is still disobedience. This is where many of us have failed. Esau traded God’s promise of salvation to all mankind for a red stew (Genesis 25:29–34; Hebrews 12:16–17). King Saul lost his kingdom because he chose partial obedience instead of complete obedience to God’s command (1 Samuel 15:22–23). Obedience to God’s calling is highly important. When we refuse to fully carry out what God has entrusted to us because we prefer our own way, we risk missing the very purpose for which He called us. God is looking for faithful servants who will obey His voice and carry out His will, not our own.

God’s work will never stop because of one person’s disobedience. God chose Jacob despite his weaknesses. God raised up David despite his youth. God called Jeremiah despite his inexperience. In every generation, God has shown that His calling is not based on our strength or qualifications but on His sovereign purpose and grace. So if we refuse to faithfully carry out the assignment God has given to us, God can entrust that work to someone else who is willing to obey. How tragic it is for anyone to miss the privilege of serving God and participating in what He is doing because we chose our own way over His.

Take this to your heart: our calling is not to negotiate with God’s commands but to faithfully obey them.

Whatever He commands us to do, we should do!

Whatever He commands us to speak, we should speak!

I want to share with you this wisdom I have learned and gained. Anything that exalts us above what God has called us to be is pride, and anything that lowers us below what God says about us is false humility.

So, if you still feel inadequate because of your age, remember that age has never limited God. Jesus called John (the beloved), while he was still a young man, and Peter, who was one of the older apostles. God entrusted ministry to Timothy while he was still young (1 Timothy 4:12). God’s calling is not centered on our age, gender, experience, skills, or present circumstances. It is centered on His will and His purpose. God desires always partnership. He is inviting us to take part in what He is already doing.

Keep this truth in your mind and in your heart, it is our privilege to be chosen and appointed by God. What an honor that He would give each one of us the opportunity to participate in His wonderful work and witness His mighty works through our lives.

July 15, 2026
Jeremiah‬ ‭1:6‬

“Then said I: “Ah, Lord God! Behold, I cannot speak, for I am a youth.”” – Jeremiah‬ ‭1:6‬

The story of the prophet Jeremiah is very encouraging to me as a young maidservant of the LORD Jesus. He served God with perseverance and faithfulness despite the little visible from his ministry. He was called by God to warn the people of Judah about the coming judgment because of their idolatry. He also witnessed the destruction and siege of Jerusalem as he watched the people of Judah taken into exile in Babylon. Despite the great discouragement, opposition, and small results, Jeremiah remained faithful and obedient to God.

The prophet Jeremiah became a great encouragement to all of us. There are moments of discouragement when the results are not what we hoped to see, even after pouring out our heart, strength, and talents into the work God has given us. It can be discouraging when we see little or no visible fruit from our labor. Yet Jeremiah remained faithful and obedient to God until the end of his life.

Why did I begin with this? Because when God told Jeremiah that he would be a prophet to the nations, God was not speaking empty or vain words over his future. When God calls you to something, that is who He has called you to be. For God declares the end from the beginning (Isaiah 46:10). Before we took our first breath, God already knew the day we would take our last. When God called Jeremiah, He already saw the faithful and obedient prophet Jeremiah would become. He was the right person for the assignment God had given him. In the same way, when God calls us, He has already chosen us for the work He knew we are able to fulfilled.

The verse we are going to dive into is Jeremiah’s response when God called him. He did not respond with excitement by saying, “Yes, Lord! Let’s do it!” Instead, he said, “Ah, Lord God!” is an expression of deep emotion of reluctance or a sense of inadequacy to the role God will entrust Him with.

Have you ever been in a situation where the people around you encouraged you to step into a position or a role because they saw your ability to be able to fulfill the role, but your first response was, “Oh no! I am not that good …”? That expression is similar to Jeremiah’s response.

Jeremiah was raised in a priestly household (Jeremiah 1:1) just like some men and women who were raised in a Christian household. His family was familiar with the Scriptures, and conversations about the prophets and the lives of the priests who came before them were likely common at their table. Jeremiah knew that God’s calling came with a cost. He knew about Samuel, who anointed King David (1 Samuel 16:13). He knew about Elijah, who boldly confronted kings and declared that there would be no rain by God’s word and later he prayed for God to send the rain again (1 Kings 17–18; James 5:17–18). He also knew about Isaiah, whom God commanded to walk naked and barefoot as a sign of coming judgment (Isaiah 20:2–4). Jeremiah also knew that many of God’s prophets had been rejected, persecuted, and some were even killed by their own people. He fully understood that being God’s prophet was not an easy calling.

Jeremiah’s background helped him understand the cost of God’s calling. When he said, Behold, I cannot speak, for I am a youth.” His response was not a refusal. He was stating his present condition as a young and inexperienced man. When we desire to serve God, we become deeply aware of our shortcomings. Moses was called by God at the age of eighty, yet even at his age he felt hesitant, inadequate, and reluctant to accept God’s calling on his life (Exodus 3–4). Moses was so reluctant that he even asked God to send someone else instead of him. “He said, “O my Lord, please send by the hand of whomever else You may send” (Exodus 4:13). We often think that before we can serve God, we must first become highly intelligent, capable, eloquent, and fully prepared. After all, we are serving God, the King of kings and Lord of lords. Absolutely, we should serve Him with reverence and highest honor. But it is a worldly mindset to believe that we must first qualify ourselves before God can use us.

Remember this: anything that exalts us above what God has called us to be is pride, and anything that lowers us below what God says about us is false humility.

The first qualification for serving God is obedience. When God calls us to a specific assignment, it requires wholehearted obedience because He gives specific instructions for the work He wants us to do. Our responsibility is to carry out His will according to His purpose, not our own ideas. Have you noticed how detailed God’s instructions were to Noah when He commanded him to build the ark (Genesis 6:14–16)? Another example is the tabernacle, which God instructed Moses to build according to His exact pattern (Exodus 25:8–9, 40). God is God of order. God is intentional in everything He does. He gives precise instructions because every detail serves His perfect purpose. God’s work must be carried out according to His will, not our preferences. This is where King Saul failed. God did not reject Saul because he lacked ability or leadership skills. He rejected him because he chose to disobey God’s command (1 Samuel 15:22-29). God does not call only those who are qualified; He qualifies those whom He calls. Because they follow God wholeheartedly.

As a young minister myself, I am aware of my own incapability to accomplish the assignments God has entrusted to me. Due to my lack of experience, I have made many mistakes and have sometimes offended others. I truly understand Jeremiah’s hesitation as a young servant of God. Yet, his hesitation was not a refusal. Remember the parable of the LORD Jesus about the two sons. One son said, “I will not,” but afterward changed his mind and went to work in his father’s vineyard. The other said, “I go, sir,” but never went (Matthew 21:28–31). In the end, it was not the son’s first response that mattered most, but his obedience. Likewise, Jeremiah’s response was hesitation, but he obeyed God’s calling and faithfully fulfilled the assignment God had given him.

Reluctance to do the work and refusal to do the work are two different responses.

Reluctance is not the same as saying “no.” A reluctant person carefully considers the situation before stepping into it. They count the cost. They evaluate whether they have the strength, abilities, time, and commitment to carry out the responsibility before them. Refusal, on the other hand, is a decision not to obey. It comes from an unwillingness to do what God has asked. Jeremiah’s reluctance was not a sign of weakness but a reflection of how seriously he took God’s calling. He understood the weight of the task God was about to entrust to him. He knew that God’s calling would require faithfulness in the midst of discouragement, rejection, persecution, suffering, and even when there was little or no visible result despite years of faithful labor. Remember the teaching of the LORD Jesus about the importance of counting the cost before accepting the task without evaluating the situation (Luke 14:27–33).

When God calls you to do something, He already knows your shortcomings, limitations, and weaknesses. Nothing about you surprises Him. He calls you because He knows your heart. Abilities can be developed, skills can be learned, and experience can be gained. But a willing and obedient heart cannot be manufactured. God has given every one of us the gift of free will. He gives us the choice to believe in Him, to follow Him, and to submit to His will.

Remember this: skills can be taught, abilities can be developed, and experience can be gained, but no one can force a heart to willingly love and obey God. That choice is a gift given to each one of us. So our response should be like Mary, “Behold the maidservant of the Lord! Let it be to me according to your word” … (Luke 1:38). We may not understand everything, and that is okay. We may not feel qualified, and that is okay, because God equips those whom He calls. We may even struggle to trust Him at times, and that is okay. As we continue to dive into God’s response to Jeremiah’s response to His calling, we see that God encourages Jeremiah. Rather than dwelling on Jeremiah’s limitations, God reassures him of His presence with him at all times.

As I said earlier, God already knows everything about us. Nothing is hidden from Him. As it is written, “And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are naked and open to the eyes of Him to whom we must give account.” Hebrews‬ ‭4:13‬ ‭

If you are willing to give this world a chance, how much more should you give God a chance? If you are willing to trust people who can fail you, how much more should you trust the God who never fails?

July 9, 2026
Malachi‬ ‭1:7‬ ‭
“You offer defiled food on My altar, But say, ‘In what way have we defiled You?’ By saying, ‘The table of the Lord is contemptible.’” Malachi‬ ‭1:7‬ ‭

I would encourage you to read Malachi 1:6 first. The previous passage tells us whom God is addressing here. The book of Malachi is written as a dialogue between God and His people, Israel. God is speaking directly to the priests.

If you type the word “minister” into Bible apps you are familiar with, you will be directed to passages about priests. God’s message in Malachi is not only for the priests of Israel but for us as well because Jesus has made us also priests to God (Revelation 1:6).

God says, “You offer defiled food on My altar.” As you continue reading the rest of the chapter, you will see that the priests were offering blind, lame, and sick animals as sacrifices to God (Malachi 1:8, 13). This was directly against God’s commands, which required sacrifices to be without defect (Leviticus 22:20-22; Deuteronomy 15:21).

Today, we are no longer required to bring animals or grain offerings to an altar because the LORD Jesus Christ has already fulfilled what was needed for the forgiveness of our sins through His sacrifice on the cross (Hebrews 10:10-14). However, let us not forget that we are still priests before God (1 Peter 2:9, Revelation 1:6) As His priests, we have been entrusted and commanded to care for His people (Mathew 28:19-20). We are called to serve, care for, and build up the church that He purchased with His own blood (Acts 20:28).

So what does “defiled food” look like today?

We are God’s temple. The Holy Spirit dwells in us (1 Corinthians 3:16-17). Therefore, anything that corrupts or defiles His temple also defiles His altar.

Defiling sacrifices often begins with a lack of intimacy with God. We neglect prayer. We stop reading His Word daily. Little by little, we drift away from Him. Without the Word of God, we begin to lose sight of who He is, His character, His will, what He loves, what He hates, and what He commands. Defiled food begins when we no longer value the knowledge of God. As the LORD said:
- Hosea‬ ‭4:6‬ ‭– “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. Because you have rejected knowledge, I also will reject you from being priest for Me; Because you have forgotten the law of your God, I also will forget your children. ‭‭
- Malachi‬ ‭2:7‬ – “For the lips of a priest should keep knowledge, And people should seek the law from his mouth; For he is the messenger of the Lord of hosts.”
- Ephesians‬ ‭4:20‬ ‭ – “But you have not so learned Christ,” ‭‭
How can we faithfully execute the work God has commanded us to do if we do not know or have forgotten His instructions? We may be carrying out the task, but we could be doing it according to our own understanding and our standard rather than according to His will and His standard.

Another form of defiled food that we offer to God is serving Him with second-rate service and giving Him our leftovers instead of our best. We give our time, talents, and attention to everything else first and then offer God whatever remains. It can also look like serving God only when it fits our schedule, convenience, and comfort. We are willing to serve as long as it does not cost us too much.

Sometimes we treat ministry as a burden rather than a privilege. We serve out of obligation, complaining and grumbling about the very work God has entrusted to us. Instead of rejoicing that we have the opportunity to serve the great King, our LORD Jesus Christ, we see His work as an inconvenience.

Defiled food can also be serving with selfish motives. We pursue ministries that match our own preferences, talents, or ambitions rather than seeking what God is actually calling us to do. We ask, “What do I want?” instead of, “LORD Jesus, what do You want?”

Serve Him with an outward devotion while our hearts are far from Him. We may attend church, serve in ministry, sing worship songs, and appear faithful on the outside, while our hearts have grown cold toward God (Matthew 15:8, Revelation 3:15-16, Matthew 24:12).

It can also be pleasing people rather than pleasing God. We compromise God’s Word to avoid offending others or to make Christianity more comfortable and appealing. We shorten prayer meetings because people are not interested in prayer. We water down biblical teaching to keep people entertained. Little by little, the fear of man replaces the fear of God.

The forms may be different from the blind, lame, and sick sacrifices offered in Malachi’s day, but the principle remains the same.

Now, the altar is the place where we meet with God. It is where worship and fellowship with God take place. It is where the transaction happens between God and His people.

Remember the words of Jesus:

“Jesus answered and said to them, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.” … But He was speaking of the temple of His body.” John‬ ‭2:19, 21‬

Today, we can only encounter God through Jesus Christ. As Jesus said,

“Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” John‬ ‭14:6‬ ‭

We no longer have a physical altar as they did in the Old Testament, something we will discuss further as we continue through this passage.

Today, every transaction between God and man takes place through our LORD Jesus Christ. Jesus is our Mediator (1 Timothy 2:5). Through His death and resurrection. Jesus opened the way for us to come to the Father (Hebrews 10:19-22). No earthly priest, sacrifice, or altar can bring us into God’s presence. Only Jesus Christ can do that. Through His own blood, He made a way for sinners to approach a holy God (Hebrews 4:14-16; 9:11-15). You have probably heard the preaching that there is only one way to God and to His kingdom, and that is only through Jesus Christ!

This was the response of the priests when God confronted their halfhearted worship: But say, ‘In what way have we defiled You?’ Their response is terrifying! Instead of humbling themselves before God, they questioned Him. Do you think God would call us out if we were doing everything right? You may also be wondering, “In what way did they defile God?” This is getting more interesting.

When God corrects us, rebukes us, or exposes sin in our lives, our response should not be to argue with Him or defend ourselves. We should respond as David did when confronted by the prophet Nathan:

“I have sinned against the LORD …” (2 Samuel 12:13).

Sadly, many Christians today respond differently. Have you ever heard someone excuse their complacency, negligence, or lack of devotion by saying, “Well, I’m not perfect”? I want to challenge that way of thinking. Can you find a servant of God in Scripture who used that same excuse when confronted with sin or failure?

The men and women of God did not make excuses. We repented. We confessed our shortcomings and sought God’s mercy. We do not give God excuses. We ask Him for forgiveness. We acknowledge where we have fallen short and ask Him to change us.

These priests had become so accustomed to their disobedience that they no longer recognized it. They become reprobates (Romans 1:28, 2 Timothy 3:8)! Their hearts had grown dull to God’s correction. Many of us associate a reprobate mind only with obvious sins of the flesh. But there is also a danger in willfully neglecting what God has entrusted to us. When we repeatedly ignore God’s standards, the holy things of God can become common in our eyes. When we knowingly give God less than our best, when we continue in complacency without repentance, and when we treat sacred things as ordinary, our hearts become hardened.

This is the danger of overfamiliarity with God. We become so used to His grace, His Word, His presence, and His work that we stop treating them with reverence.

Their response did not stop there. They also said, By saying, ‘The table of the Lord is contemptible.’” What is interesting about us as human beings is that we often forget that we are completely naked before God (Hebrews 4:13). In His sight, nothing is hidden. He sees our hearts, our thoughts, our motives, and our intentions. The Israelites in the days of Moses learned this lesson many times. When the people complained in the wilderness, God heard it and they all get punished (Numbers 11:1). We may be able to fool people, but we cannot fool God. That is why it is pointless to make excuses or deny God’s accusations when He corrects us.

The “table of the LORD” was the place where sacrifices and offerings were presented before God. For the priests, it represented the sacred work God had entrusted to them. In a similar way, we all have a “table of the LORD” today. It may be the ministry God has given us, whether as a pastor, teacher, evangelist, elder, or servant in the church. It can also include our daily work, career, being a parent, and other responsibilities because these are places where we serve God and offer our lives to Him. Even caring for the poor, feeding the hungry, visiting sick people in the hospital, rescuing abducted women and children, serving in the church, or helping those in need can become acts of worship offered to the LORD.

Yet the priests looked at the table of the LORD and called it “contemptible”. The word “contemptible” means something treated as worthless, disgraceful, shameful, or of little value. They continued performing their duties, but they no longer valued the privilege of serving God. What was once sacred had become routine. What was once an honor had become a burden or worthless. They had lost the joy of serving the LORD God. The real problem was not the table itself. The problem was their attitude toward it. They no longer saw God’s work as a privilege. They saw it as something common, something tiresome, and something of little value.

Can the same thing happen to us today?

Absolutely! As I always say, if a preacher is preaching for a long time or someone is praying for a long time and you become bored and start complaining that it should be shortened, the problem is not with the preacher or the person praying. The problem is us!

Our boredom reveals that we have lost our hunger and thirst for the presence of God and the things of God.

Serving God is not something common, something tiresome, and something of little value. It is a privilege. The King of kings and LORD of lords has chosen us and appointed us to participate in His work, and it is an honor to serve Him!

If you see yourself in these priests, do not make excuses. Humble yourself before God. Ask Him for forgiveness and ask Him to redirect your path. Run the race, beloved. Do not grow weary, and do not harden your heart when God corrects you. As long as God is speaking to you, there is still an opportunity to change. Seek His face while He may be found. Draw near to Him, and He will draw near to you (James 4:8). Today, if you hear His voice, do not harden your heart (Hebrews 3:15). Instead, respond like David: “I have sinned against the LORD” (2 Samuel 12:13), and allow God to restore your heart, renew your passion, and lead you back into wholehearted devotion to Him!
June 14, 2026
Malachi‬ ‭1:6

““A son honors his father, And a servant his master. If then I am the Father, Where is My honor? And if I am a Master, Where is My reverence? Says the Lord of hosts. To you priests who despise My name. Yet you say, ‘In what way have we despised Your name?’” Malachi‬ ‭1:6‬ ‭

How is your relationship with your father? Do you have a healthy and respectful relationship with your parents? How about your relationship with your boss or those in authority over you? Are you faithfully carrying out the responsibilities and duties entrusted to you?

Why am I asking this? Because if we cannot build a good relationship with our parents or with those in authority over us, and if we are lacking in the duties entrusted to us, then how can we truly love and serve God with fear, honor, and high reverence?

When the LORD says, “A son honors his father, And a servant his master,” the LORD is speaking about the expectation within family and societal relationships. We know that one of the greatest commandments after loving God is to honor our father and mother, and this command comes with a promise (Exodus 20:12; Ephesians 6:2–3). This commandment is so serious that in the Old Testament, anyone who cursed or struck their parents faced severe judgment (Exodus 21:15, 17). That shows how heavy this command is before God. If we cannot honor our earthly parent, how much more should we honor God, our Heavenly Father?

In the same way, as servants honor their masters, we are also called to respect those in authority over us and to carry out our work diligently and faithfully (Colossians 3:22–23). If we cannot faithfully do the work entrusted to us here on earth, how much more can we be faithful in the work God has entrusted to us for His kingdom?

Then the LORD says, If then I am the Father, Where is My honor?” When I first read this, it broke my heart because I am so convicted. The LORD proclaimed that He is the Father of Israel and also our Father. Because when we believe in the LORD Jesus Christ, we become children of God, and God becomes our Heavenly Father (John 1:12). Is not the Holy Spirit also bearing witness with our spirit, crying, “Abba, Father”? (Romans 8:15–16). Let me give you a simple yet crucial example of how many of us dishonor God. The root cause is our lack of intimate fellowship with our Father. Many of our brethren nowadays neglect spending time in God’s Word. They are illiterate! We know that only through His words did we come to understand His heart, His will, and His character. How can we truly know our Father if we do not spend time listening to Him through His Word?

What is even more unfortunate is that many of us boldly proclaim Jesus as their LORD and Savior while unknowingly bringing shame instead of honor to His name because they neglect spending time in His Word. A child who truly loves and reveres their father listens carefully to his words and values what he says. Yet look how many Christians support and tolerate things that clearly go against their Father’s word, such as supporting same-sex marriage and abortion?

I am not speaking this to condemn anyone. I am speaking truth with boldness because great and holy is the name of our LORD Jesus Christ. His name deserves reverence, honor, and glory. Yet many of us, through our ignorance, compromise, and negligence, bring shame instead of honor to His name. Just like the Israelites, God declared that wherever they went, they profaned His name among the nations (Ezekiel 36:20–23).

Then the LORD continues and says, “And if I am a Master, Where is My reverence?” The Hebrew word for “reverence” here is môrā’, which carries the meaning of fear, reverence, and something awe-inspiring. But the word “reverence” used here is not as strong compared to the word Moses used when he gave his final charge to Israel before they entered the Promised Land, yet these two prophets strongly emphasize the importance of giving God the highest reverence and fear. Why? Because our God is the LORD of lords and the King of kings. He is the Almighty God, the Most High above all. The day will come when every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is LORD (Philippians 2:10–11). As it is written,

“And now, Israel, what does the Lord your God require of you, but to fear the Lord your God, to walk in all His ways and to love Him, to serve the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, and to keep the commandments of the Lord and His statutes which I command you today for your good?” Deuteronomy‬ ‭10:12-13‬ ‭

Did you notice that the very first thing God required from them was to fear Him? The Hebrew word used here is “yārē’,” which means to fear, to stand in awe, to tremble, to be fearful, to be dreadful, to be astonished, and to deeply revere. This is a very strong word because God is holy!

Throughout the Bible, when prophets such as Daniel, Ezekiel, and John encountered the glory and presence of God, they fell facedown before Him. Daniel said that no strength remained in him (Daniel 10:8–9). Ezekiel fell on his face when he saw the likeness of the glory of the LORD (Ezekiel 1:28). John also fell at His feet as though dead when he saw the glorified Christ (Revelation 1:17). Their bodies responded to the overwhelming holiness, majesty, and power of God. This helps us understand the seriousness and the great importance of giving our highest reverence to God, because we are standing before the absolute and sovereign Being, the living Almighty God.

As our LORD Jesus Christ said,

And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. But rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.” — Matthew 10:28

Even Hebrews declares:

“It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.” — Hebrews 10:31

So just as the priests and the Israelites failed to give God the reverence due to His name, many of us today are doing the same. Why do so many professing believers no longer walk in the fear and reverence of God? Why do many continue bringing shame to His holy name and crucify Him again through continual rebellion and willful sin (Hebrews 6:6), choosing sin over God again and again? We know that sin separates us from fellowship with Him (Isaiah 59:2), yet many still cling to the very things that grieve His heart.

Isn’t that what the LORD Jesus said:

“But why do you call Me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do the things which I say?” Luke‬ ‭6:46‬ ‭

If we genuinely love and reverence Jesus as our LORD, then we would hate the very things He hates and flees from the sins that dishonor Him.

And when the Scripture says, “Says the LORD of hosts,” God is emphasizing His absolute sovereignty, authority, and dominion over every power, kingdom, force, and realm. The title LORD of hosts means that God is the LORD of heaven’s armies. He is the chief commander! He is in charge! These angels are mighty and powerful servants of God. Scripture tells us that just one angel struck down 185,000 Assyrians in one night by the command of God (2 Kings 19:35). Yet this same God is the One whom many of us continue to dishonor and rebel against.

Then the LORD directly addresses the ones who committed this impudent act against Him. He says, “To you priests who despise My name.” The book of Leviticus can give you detailed instructions concerning the duties and responsibilities of the priests. They were appointed by God to minister before Him, maintain the holiness of the Temple, offer sacrifices according to His commandments, discern between what is holy and unholy, and teach Israel the commandments and statutes of God. Yet God declared that these very priests failed to give Him the honor and reverence due to Him, which eventually led them into despising His name.

A little context here: Malachi prophesied during the period when the Temple in Jerusalem had already been rebuilt under Zerubbabel (Malachi likely ministered around the same era as Ezra and Nehemiah). The Temple in Jerusalem had already been rebuilt after the exile. The priestly service was restored, sacrifices resumed, and temple activities continued. But the hearts of the priests and the people were not right before God. The priests failed to consecrate themselves and neglected the sacred responsibilities entrusted to them (Ezra 9:1–2; Nehemiah 13:28–29). As Malachi later reveals, they were offering polluted sacrifices to God such as lame, sick, and blind animals upon the altar (Malachi 1:7–8). They were never supposed to offer such corrupted sacrifices because the God they served is holy. God had already given clear instructions in the Law that offerings presented to Him must be without blemish (Leviticus 22). Yet the priests profaned the very sacrifices that were meant to sanctify themselves, the Temple, and the people of Israel before the LORD.

They no longer placed value on the holy things God entrusted to them. What was sacred became common in their eyes. Is this not also happening today among us? Scripture says that our bodies are the temple of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 6:19) and that we are a royal priesthood before God (1 Peter 2:9). Yet many of us continue to corrupt and defile the very temple where God chooses to dwell, treating our bodies casually instead of honoring them as the dwelling place of the Holy Spirit. Just like this priest, no longer treat holy things with reverence and fear before God. Instead of presenting our bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God (Romans 12:1), many have become contemptuous toward the sacred calling entrusted to us. We no longer place high value upon what the LORD Jesus Christ has done for us through the cross.

That is why Scripture commands us:

“For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s.” — 1 Corinthians 6:20

This is truly terrifying. What makes it even more fearful is that the priests seemed completely unaware of the seriousness of what they had done.

When God rebuked them, they responded by saying, Yet you say, ‘In what way have we despised Your name?’ They were unable to recognize their own sin and dishonor before Him. This is frightening because it reveals how hardened and spiritually blind a heart can become. Their consciences had become dull, and what was holy no longer convicted them. Their minds become corrupted and reprobate because of the deceitfulness of their sins and as they continually reject the truth (Romans 1:28). Is this not also happening to many of our brethren today? As they all continue living in sin, compromise, and rebellion against God while justifying themselves, unable to see their own transgressions before a holy God. Their minds become reprobate!

A reprobate or hardened heart is terrifying because a person can reach a point where they no longer feel conviction over sin. What once grieved the heart now feels normal. What God calls evil, people begin to justify. Instead of trembling before the Word of God and repenting before God. Many now use Scripture itself to justify their wrongdoing while still claiming they belong to Jesus, yet their actions do not reflect the character of God. We must remember that we are called children of God (1 John 3:1). If God is truly our Father, then our lives should reflect the character of our Heavenly Father. We are called to walk in holiness, righteousness, love, truth, and obedience just as Christ walked (1 Peter 1:15–16; 1 John 2:6).

To remain in this spiritual condition is a terrifying thing because a hardened heart can reach the point where a person no longer even feels the need to repent and ask God for forgiveness of sins. Remember that the LORD Jesus commanded the church in Thyatira to repent because they were tolerating sin and corruption among them (Revelation 2:20–22). A hardened heart slowly loses sensitivity to conviction, repentance, and reverence before God (Ephesians 4:18–19). This is the dangerous point where a person can unknowingly begin drifting away and turning away from the salvation Jesus freely offered through His sacrifice (Hebrews 2:1–3).

Remember, no one can take away the salvation God freely gives to us because it is a gift of grace (Ephesians 2:8–9; John 10:28–29). Yet Scripture also warns believers not to depart from the living God through unbelief and the deceitfulness of sin (Hebrews 3:12–13). We still have the choice to reject, abandon, or turn away from that gift through continual rebellion, unbelief, and refusal to repent before God (2 Peter 2:20–22; Hebrews 10:26–29).

But here is the good news: God spoke these rebukes not to condemn the priests but to reach their hearts and call them back to Him. He is also doing the same for us today. God’s correction is an act of His mercy and love, because He desires repentance rather than destruction. As it is written, Return, you backsliding children, and I will heal your backslidings …” (Jeremiah 3:22) and “Repent therefore and return, that your sins may be blotted out …” (Acts 3:19)

Therefore, repent and return to the LORD while your heart is still sensitive to His voice!

Ask God to create in you a new heart of flesh, a heart that truly seeks after Him (Psalm 51:10 & Ezekiel 36:26).

May 26, 2026
Ephesians‬ ‭2:14

“For He Himself is our peace, who has made both one, and has broken down the middle wall of separation,” Ephesians‬ ‭2:14‬ ‭

When you hear about the Gospel of Jesus Christ, what is the first word that comes to your mind?

If you say “salvation,” and you are either an unbeliever or still a baby in the LORD, that is understandable. However, if you have been walking with the LORD for more than five years, your understanding of the Gospel should have grown beyond that. Why? Because by now, after reading the Scriptures from cover to cover, you should realize that the Gospel of Jesus Christ does not only offer salvation.

Salvation deals with the problem of sin, the wall that separated us from God. But Jesus already dealt with sin through His death on the cross. He conquered sin once and for all. Yet the greater purpose of His sacrifice was reconciliation with the Father. As it is written, “For Christ also suffered once for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God” (1 Peter 3:18). Through our LORD Jesus Christ, we have now been given access to the presence of God. As the Scriptures declare, “But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ” (Ephesians 2:13). That means you are not far from God anymore. Jesus took your sins away and buried them through His death. His sacrifice was complete and sufficient once and for all.

That is why the Scripture says:

“But this Man, after He had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down at the right hand of God” (Hebrews 10:12).

And again:

“Now where there is remission of these, there is no longer an offering for sin” (Hebrews 10:18).

Now, He wants you and I to walk in the access He endured and purchased for all of us, which is genuine intimacy and fellowship with the Father (1 John 1:3). Because when we remain in the presence of God, we are slowly transformed into His image. As it is written:

“But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.” II Corinthians‬ ‭3:18‬ ‭

Sadly, many Christians, just like the church of Ephesus, remain stuck in the mindset of “salvation” alone. Many are still trying to earn salvation by their own efforts, and the moment they sin or fall short according to the standard they have in their minds, they immediately think they have lost their salvation. But the moment you received Jesus Christ, you became a new creation.

As it is written,

“Therefore, 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).

Our relationship with the Father was not established by our works but by the finished work of our LORD Jesus Christ.

You will never have an issue living a life well pleasing to the Father when you truly begin to walk with Him daily. Many of us have this anxiety about losing our salvation because we know more about our mistakes than what God has already spoken concerning us through Jesus Christ. Instead of being rooted in the truth of God’s Word. That is why the Scriptures say, “But you have not so learned Christ” (Ephesians 4:20). Sadly, many Christians today are illiterate concerning the Word of God. They know church culture, opinions, and their favorite social influencer, yet they do not truly know what God has spoken through the Scriptures. The Bible says, “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge” (Hosea 4:6). No wonder many Christians live defeated lives, not because God has failed them, but because of their lack of knowledge concerning the Word of God. It is similar to someone being deceived or taken advantage of in certain areas of life simply because they are unfamiliar with their legal rights. The rights may already belong to them, yet they live as though they do not have them because they do not know what has been given to them. In the same way, many believers do not know what Jesus Christ has already accomplished for them through the cross.

Yet God said to Israel, who was constantly rebelling against Him, “Return to Me, and I will return to you” (Malachi 3:7). The God desire has always been restoration and fellowship. Abiding in Jesus is what truly matters!

Remember the parable of the vine. Jesus said, “He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing” (John 15:5).

Fruit is not produced by striving in the flesh but by abiding in the LORD Jesus Christ.

So why do many lives remain unchanged? Because many have never pressed into genuine intimacy and fellowship with Jesus Christ.

That is why Hebrews 6 exhorts us, saying:

“Therefore, leaving the discussion of the elementary principles of Christ, let us go on to perfection, not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God, of the doctrine of baptisms, of laying on of hands, of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment.” Hebrews‬ ‭6:1-2‬ ‭

All of this listed here is centered on the teaching of salvation. But when you begin to understand reconciliation, you move forward beyond only seeing the wall that once separated you from God. You no longer see division through skin color, ethnicity, or background, because that is exactly what Paul was teaching before this verse. The Gentiles, who were once far from the presence of God, have now become fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God because of what Jesus Christ did for all of us.

We now begin to give God thanks, praise, and worship because through our LORD Jesus Christ, we now have access into our heavenly Father’s presence.

Through His blood, Jesus removed the separation and gave all of us access to the Father. No matter who we are or where we come from, through Him we have become children of God. As it is written, “Behold, what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God!” (1 John 3:1).

So when Paul says who has made both one, and has broken down the middle wall of separation. He is showing us that in Christ it no longer matters whether you are Jew or Gentile, male or female, because all of us were separated from God by sin regardless of our ethnicity or background. That is why, through Jesus Christ, both Jew and Gentile now have access to the Father. The wall has been removed. As Paul also says,

“There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.” Galatians‬ ‭3:28-29‬ ‭

We are all one in Christ Jesus.

Have you studied the woman who bled for twelve years? According to the Levitical law, the moment she entered the crowd and touched people, she would have made everyone around her ceremonially unclean. Yet in the sight of God, everyone in that crowd was already unclean because of sin. There was only One who was truly clean there, and that was the LORD Jesus Christ.

Some would say, “Then did that make Jesus unclean?” Absolutely not! Instead, Jesus took upon Himself our uncleanness, our sins, and our transgressions so that we might receive His righteousness.

As it is written,

“who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness—by whose stripes you were healed.” 1 Peter ‭2:24‬ ‭

And again,

“For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him” (2 Corinthians 5:21).

The woman’s uncleanness did not corrupt Jesus. Rather, His righteousness overcame her condition. The power of God flowed from Him and made her whole. That is why the woman touched Jesus’ hem, because she knew what the hem represented. Jews knew the hem represented identity and righteousness. She said within herself by faith, not by works, “If only I may touch His clothes, I shall be made well” (Mark 5:28). In other words, she believed that if she could touch His righteousness, she would be made whole. As it is written, “And by His stripes we are healed” (Isaiah 53:5). In Him we are complete because His righteousness is enough to make us whole (Colossians 2:10).

The moment that woman believed in Jesus, everything changed instantly. She was healed and made whole. Jesus took away the uncleanness that separated her from the people and from God. For twelve years she lived rejected and unclean, but one touch by faith changed her identity completely. Again, “Therefore, 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).

What is beautiful in her story is that after Jesus delivered her from the infirmity that separated her, He restored her identity. That infirmity is a picture of our sins. Sin is like an infirmity within us. It slowly destroys us, and in the end it leads to death (James 1:15) because we are separated from the Source of life, which is God Himself.

Yet after Jesus healed her, He called her “daughter” (Mark 5:34). “Daughter” is a title of relationship, acceptance, and restoration. The moment she believed in Him, she was no longer identified by her infirmity, but she was restored to relationship and acceptance. Jesus restored her identity immediately after healing her. As it is written, “But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name:” (John‬ ‭1:12). ‭

Through faith in Jesus, she became a member of the household of God. Then lastly Jesus said to her, “Go in peace” (Mark 5:34). Just as Paul says, “For He Himself is our peace” (Ephesians 2:14).

That is why our walk with God should not be filled with constant fear and anxiety about salvation. Jesus already finished the work! He said, “It is finished!”

Our background no longer matters. Whether Jew or Gentile, male or female, all have sinned before God. But through Jesus Christ, all who believe are brought near and become members of the household of God.

What matters now is this: do you believe in Jesus Christ? Do you walk with Him? Do you abide in Him?

And if you truly abide in Jesus, the Prince of Peace, His peace will begin to rule your heart. As He said, “Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you…” (John 14:27). The world cannot give this peace because the world itself is filled with fear, uncertainty, and division.

But anyone who truly receives Jesus as LORD and Savior becomes like this woman: restored, made whole, accepted, and at peace with God.

“For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life. And not only that, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received the reconciliation.” Romans‬ ‭5:10-11‬ ‭

I wanna end to this verse.

Do not try to earn your salvation, because you never could!

That is exactly why Jesus came and died for all of us, to freely give what we could never obtain by our own works.

Now be at peace, because Jesus has already “broken down the middle wall of separation. ” The separation between you and the Father has been removed through His blood. So enter the presence of God not with shame, fear, or condemnation but with boldness!

Have fellowship with God, your heavenly Father! For you are no longer a stranger or a foreigner but now His child!

May 16, 2026
Matthew‬ ‭6:20‬

“but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal.” — Matthew‬ ‭6:20‬

From verse 19, we come to understand that the LORD Jesus made it clear that we were not created to be ruled by earthly things, but rather to have dominion over them. The things of this world were never meant to master us. As He says, “No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.” (Matthew 6:24). We are created to be ruled by God, not to be ruled by the things of this world.

We also understand that building wealth is not an easy task. It requires our strength, our time, our talents, and even our resources. Because of this, whatever costs us the most often becomes what we value the most. Instead of us ruling over these things, these things begin to rule over us. We become servants to what we have built, instead of being ruled by God in righteousness. Look at a man who is ruled by money. We can see it in how he lives. Their mind is set on gaining more. They will do whatever it takes. Even if it means walking in something crooked and wicked. What they own begins to own them.

That is why the LORD Jesus commanded us His disciples, saying, “but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven.” For the Greek word for “treasures” is “thēsauros,” which speaks of a place where good and precious things are gathered and stored. It is like a treasury, a storehouse, a repository where valuables are laid up and kept. The LORD Jesus desires us to store all the good and precious things we gathered in His Kingdom in a place where we are meant to live forever.

The LORD Jesus is not saying that we should have no possessions or money at all. We need a place to live, a roof over our heads, and money for the things we need. Jesus said, “And do not seek what you should eat or what you should drink, nor have an anxious mind. For all these things the nations of the world seek after, and your Father knows that you need these things” (Luke 12:29–30). No one in this entire universe wants what is good for us more than our Father in heaven. It was He who made Abraham very rich in livestock, in silver, and in gold (Genesis 13:2). Isaac sowed and reaped a hundredfold, and the Lord blessed him (Genesis 26:12–13). Job also had his latter days blessed more than his beginning (Job 42:12). Our Father in heaven knows that we all need things here on earth. That is why He created the trees, so we can build our houses. He created gold and silver and many other things for our provision. The Father already knew our needs before we even thought of them.

And above all, Jesus died for us. If He did not come, everything we have accumulated would be destined for destruction. We were all on our way to perish in the lake of fire. As it is written, ““For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.” (John‬ ‭3:17‬)‭ Yet the LORD Jesus came and said, “… I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly” (John 10:10). Because He desires that all of us would live, not just have life, but live with abundant life. He does not want all our hard labor to be destroyed, “where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal.” Even the treasures we work for, He wants to preserve. He wants them to be laid up where they cannot be destroyed not taken away from us.

Have you understood that everything we build here is going to be wasted? All the ornaments of your house are appointed to be burned. All your wealth, all your accomplishments, can pass away. As it is written, “But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up.” (2 Peter 3:10).

Have you ever wondered why the Apostle Paul said, ““Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ” (Philippians‬ ‭3:8)‬? For how can we gain Christ if we are caught up in the things of this world? We can’t walk with Jesus if our hearts and minds are on worldly things. As it is written, “Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth” (Colossians 3:2). If our mind and heart are set on the things of this world, then Jesus is no longer at the center of our lives. He is pushed aside while other things take His place. If you use your time, talents, strength, and resources for God, your treasures are stored in His eternal Kingdom. As it is written, “…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). The LORD Jesus cannot fill us with Himself if we are still full of ourselves.

I hope you begin to notice this as you begin to do the will of God. When the things of this world no longer have a hold on you, you are no longer bound by them but free, walking with God, and ruling over the things that once tried to rule over you. Nothing in this world can threaten you anymore, because your treasures are not found here but in heaven. Even your life is in Him.

Doing the work for God is not always something great in the eyes of men. Many think it must be something big and grand. Yet Jesus said, “And whoever gives one of these little ones only a cup of cold water in the name of a disciple, assuredly, I say to you, he shall by no means lose his reward.” (Matthew 10:42). Even in the smallest act we do, we are already laying up treasures in heaven. For God sees what men often overlook. And what is done for Him, no matter how small, is never wasted but stored up in His Kingdom.

You are here on earth not to accumulate wealth, but to do the work God has given you. And after that assignment is finished, you return home to your Father in heaven, where your true home is and where your treasures are stored. As it is written, “Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the world. And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever.” (I John‬ ‭2:15-17‬) ‭

So you must know your priority. Put God first. As it is written, “But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.” (Matthew‬ ‭6:33)‬ ‭

April 10, 2026
Matthew‬ ‭6:19

““Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal;” – Matthew‬ ‭6:19

The sermon of the LORD Jesus on the mount, when we look at it carefully. He exposes all the issues that are dwelling within our hearts. It is very opposite to the ways and teachings of the Pharisees of His time and even to the ways of the world today.

The LORD Jesus speaks of the blessings of those who are poor in spirit, are pure in heart, and are meek. He teaches that murder and adultery begin in the heart. He also teaches that giving to others should be done in secret, not to be seen by men. Praying to God should be done in secret, not for display. Fasting should not be outward and for attention but inward before God.

Then the LORD Jesus turns to the matter of money. He says, “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth” Laying up treasures or building wealth is not careless work. It requires focus and careful planning. It requires vision and wisdom to carry out that vision. It demands strategy, patience, strength, and determination. A person must devote much of their time and talent in order to gather and build wealth.

Wealthy people often appear to live easy and comfortable lives now. As it is written, “The rich man’s wealth is his strong city, And like a high wall in his own esteem.” (Proverbs‬ ‭18:11‬) What we see today is the fruit of their labor. But in the beginning of their journey for many years, they walked through a difficult and uncomfortable path. They labored with focus, gave up comfort, and endured much in order to build what they now have. Even after the business is established, they do not cease from their efforts. They set their minds to expand it and to increase it further. Their time and their talent remain centered on it. Because of this, they guard what they have built. They protect their treasures by securing them and insuring them. That’s why wealthy people are obsessed with all kinds of insurance, for they fear losing what they have been pouring out their time and talent for.

This kind of life is not only for the wealthy but for us also. How many of us are consumed with work just to pay for our house, our cars, and our many bills? Even we give our time and strength to maintain what we have built. And like them, we also seek to protect it. We insure what we have, and we try to secure our lives against loss. Because the more a person treasures something that can be lost, the more their heart will be troubled by the thought of losing it. And without knowing it, our hearts become tied to these things.

When something costs us years of our life and strength, it becomes very precious to us, and it begins to bind us. That is why it is so hard to let go of the things we have gathered. We become servants of what we have created and stored up. We become servants of things where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal.

In the time of the LORD Jesus, wealth was measured differently than it is today. Abraham and Job were considered very wealthy because they had many flocks and herds (Genesis 13:2; Job 1:3). People stored garments or produce that could be eaten by moths, and the currency they used, such as silver and gold, could also corrode. They can also be stolen. Even the places we trust to protect it are not without risk.

How many of us trust in banks, yet those same banks use the money we entrusted to them to lend to others. Sadly, throughout history, there have been times when banks have failed, and people have not been able to recover what they had stored.

The message of the LORD Jesus for us is very simple. Do not spend our lives building something that is subject to decay, loss and that binds us. I want to remind you of God’s purpose for mankind when He decided to create us. As it is written, “Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion… (Genesis 1:26). We were created to have dominion over possessions, not for possessions to have dominion over us. For when possessions rule over us, we have lost the very purpose for which we were created.

Let us build something that abides forever. For all these things of the world are temporary and passing away. As it is written,

“Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the world. And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever.” (I John‬ ‭2:15-17)‬ ‭

And it’s appointed to be burned. As it is written,

“But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up.” (2 Peter 3:10)

Neither can these things help us in the day of judgment. For it is written,

“Riches do not profit in the day of wrath, But righteousness delivers from death.” – Proverbs‬ ‭11:4‬ ‭

“Neither their silver nor their gold Shall be able to deliver them In the day of the Lord’s wrath; But the whole land shall be devoured By the fire of His jealousy, For He will make speedy riddance Of all those who dwell in the land.” – Zephaniah‬ ‭1:18‬ ‭

The LORD Jesus says, “Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.” (Matthew 6:33) So the call of the LORD Jesus fos us is not to chase after possessions but to seek God first. For when God is first, everything else finds its proper place.

So why should we spend our lives on what will not remain and trust in what cannot save?

April 1, 2026
Mark‬ ‭5:26

“And had suffered many things from many physicians. She had spent all that she had and was no better, but rather grew worse.” Mark‬ ‭5:26‬ ‭

To fully understand this passage, I encourage you to first read Matthew 9:20,21–22. I have taken time to explain each verse because it is important that when we read and study the Scriptures, we go word by word so that we may truly internalize the Word of God.

We know that this woman had been suffering from bleeding for twelve years. Just imagining it makes me feel exhausted already. For more than a decade she endured this condition without relief. If you understand how distressing a few days of menstruation can be, you can only imagine how unbearable this period was for her. Day after day, she lived with the continual flow of blood. She did not have the conveniences we have today. She had to wash her garments again and again, carrying both the physical burden and the constant reminder of her condition. Also, according to the law, she was considered unclean. Because of this, she was separated from her family and her community. Anything she touched became unclean, and anyone who came near her would also be made unclean. So she lived in isolation. She was avoided, cut off, and likely rejected by many.

Her condition made her desperate to find healing. As the scriptures say, had suffered many things from many physicians. This passage reminds us of how desperation can lead a person to places that do not bring healing. Desperation can make us vulnerable to those who take advantage of us, causing more harm than good. In her desperation, she endured many painful and perhaps unusual treatments, yet none could restore her.

Desperation can lead us into even more terrifying situations, as many of us have seen in our own lives. When desperation leads us, we often end up suffering instead of finding relief. In that vulnerable condition, we lose clarity and become driven by our circumstances, which leads to us suffering even more. As it is written, “the heart is deceitful above all things” (Jeremiah 17:9), and “there is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death” (Proverbs 14:12). In this state, we are blinded by our circumstances, so it is easy for us to reach for anything that promises help yet only brings more harm. But desperation can become beneficial when it leads us to God. For the LORD God does not take advantage of our weakness or our condition. As it is written, “The Lord is near to those who have a broken heart, And saves such as have a contrite spirit.” (Psalms‬ ‭34:18‬). ‭The moment we place our desperation into the hands of God, it is no longer a place of danger but a place where restoration begins. As it is written, “The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, A broken and a contrite heart— These, O God, You will not despise.” (Psalms‬ ‭51:17)‬. The reality is that many will choose to run to worldly sources but hesitate to come to the LORD Jesus. Yet He invites us, saying, “Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28).

So here we see how the Scripture gives us a deeper picture of her desperation that reflects many of our own lives: “She had spent all that she had and was no better, but rather grew worse.” How many of us have followed the same path?

How many have given everything, yet instead of getting better, only became worse?

How many have poured out their love on someone, only to receive pain and heartbreak in return? (Micah 7:5–7)

How many have spent their lives building wealth, pouring out their strength and years, only to reach the end and realize that all must be left behind, and they must face death alone? As it is written, “He who loves silver will not be satisfied with silver; Nor he who loves abundance, with increase. This also is vanity.” (Ecclesiastes 5:10)

How many of us have traded our God-given identity for the identity of this world, believing it would make us better, yet finding ourselves becoming worse? As it is written, “Therefore God also gave them up to uncleanness, in the lusts of their hearts, to dishonor their bodies among themselves” (‭‭Romans‬ ‭1:24). ‭

How many have spent their lives pursuing pleasures, only to find themselves
only to end up worn down in their bodies and sell their souls to the devil. For it is written, “For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul?” (Mark 8:36).

I could go on and on with these things. But God speaks of our true condition, saying, “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). We are all broken cisterns, and nothing in this world can restore, repair, or fill what is broken within us. Nothing in this world can satisfy the longing within us. For the soul was made for God. As it is written, “Behold, all souls are Mine; The soul of the father As well as the soul of the son is Mine; The soul who sins shall die” (Ezekiel‬ ‭18:4)‬ ‭and apart from Him, it will always thirst. As it is written, “My soul thirsts for You” (Psalm 63:1). And also Jesus said, “but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life.” (John‬ ‭4:14)‬ ‭

Have you ever considered that when this woman encountered Jesus, He did not accuse her of making others unclean? Instead, He received her. The deeper truth of our condition is that it was not she who made the crowd unclean; the whole crowd was already unclean. For all were under sin (Romans 5:12). And in the midst of them all, only One was clean. As it is written, Jesus is “holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners” (Hebrews 7:26). He alone is without sin. He alone is pure. He alone can make us all clean. As it is written, “… By His knowledge My righteous Servant shall justify many, For He shall bear their iniquities. … And He bore the sin of many, …” (Isaiah‬ ‭53:11-12)‬ ‭ and “… the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin” (1 John 1:7). Jesus restored what this woman had lost: her identity, her health, and her freedom. Only Jesus could restore her and heal her brokenness, and this is the same for all of us.

The wisest decision this woman made was to believe in Jesus and come into His presence. She turned to the One who could restore her and heal her brokenness. For it is written, “when she heard about Jesus, she came…” (Mark 5:27). And this is the same call for you. Do not let your desperation lead you to things that only make your condition worse. Instead, come to Jesus. For He says, “The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly” (‭‭John‬ ‭10:10‬). Jesus came so that you might have life, and not just life, but life in abundance.

This woman did not receive her healing the moment she first came into the presence of Jesus. Her healing had already begun when she first heard about Him and chose to step out of her darkness, believing that only Jesus could bring her out of her situation. The action of her faith was seen when she pressed through the crowd to come to Him. In this, we see why Jesus calls us to believe and then to follow, as these two actions are interconnected. How can we show or demonstrate our faith? By our actions. For faith is not only something we say but also something we live. As it is written, “For we walk by faith, not by sight.” (II Corinthians‬ ‭5:7‬) ‭Did you notice the word “walk”? “Walk” is an action word, not a passive one. It speaks of movement, progress, and stepping forward. Faith is not something that remains still. It moves. It acts. It follows. That is why it is also written, “Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead” (James 2:17).

When a person chooses to step out of the darkness or bondage they were in, that step is evidence of their faith. Faith is shown by action (James 2:17-18). And it is in that step that healing, restoration, transformation, and deliverance begin. As Jesus said, “Daughter, be of good cheer; your faith has made you well” (Matthew 9:22). So we understand that the moment any person chooses to step out of darkness and draw near to God, As it is written, “Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. …” (James‬ ‭4:8)‬. When you are in the presence of God, that is where healing, restoration, transformation, and deliverance begin. For in His presence is the fullness of life (Psalm 16:11).

March 23, 2026
Matthew‬ ‭9:22‬

“But Jesus turned around, and when He saw her He said, “Be of good cheer, daughter; your faith has made you well.” And the woman was made well from that hour.” – Matthew‬ ‭9:22‬ ‭

To understand this passage, read Matthew 9:20–21 first. In the previous scriptures, I shared why this woman approached Jesus from behind and when her healing truly began. Did it begin when she physically met Jesus, or did it begin when she first heard about Him?

Have you heard people often claim the Bible is against or suppresses women? This woman’s story shuts down that claim. There is no man in history who honored, protected, and restored women the way the LORD Jesus did.

The world often tells women that we are an afterthought of God because we were created second, after Adam, and for Adam. But when we read the scriptures carefully, we see something profound and deeper. After God created Adam, He did not say creation was complete and very good. It was only after the woman was created that God looked at everything He had made and said it was very good (Genesis 1:31). Creation was not perfectly completed without the woman. The creation of man and woman made God creation complete and very good.

Now watch how we will see what God thinks about us compared to what we think about ourselves by how Jesus moves for this woman with the issue of blood. Because of her condition and the society she lived in, she believed she did not have the right to approach Jesus from the front. For some reason she kept her distance. According to the law, she was not supposed to touch anyone, because anyone she touched would become unclean. I discussed this more in the previous passage. So she came from behind. Yet the scripture says, “But Jesus turned around.” In just a few words reveals the depth of God’s love towards us, a love so overwhelming and poweful. He turned around not to address the crowd, but to search for her. Mark says,

“And Jesus, immediately knowing in Himself that power had gone out of Him, turned around in the crowd and said, “Who touched My clothes?” – Mark‬ ‭5:30‬

and Luke tell us,

“And Jesus said, “Who touched Me?” When all denied it, Peter and those with him said, “Master, the multitudes throng and press You, and You say, ‘Who touched Me?’ ” But Jesus said, “Somebody touched Me, for I perceived power going out from Me.”” Luke‬ ‭8:45-46‬ ‭

The accounts in Mark and Luke give us additional details about what was happening. They show how this woman, who felt unworthy to approach Jesus openly, was the very one who made Jesus pause and stop the great crowd. At that moment, Jesus was on His way to Jairus’ house because his daughter was dying. The situation was urgent. Yet, even in the middle of that urgency and with a crowd pressing all around Him, Jesus stopped and asked His disciples, “Who touched Me?”.

Think deeper about this moment. Jesus is surrounded by a crowd pressing all around Him. That means everyone is touching Him, brushing against Him, and pushing through. Yet in the middle of all that contact, no one is truly touching Him. That is why Peter and the other disciples were surprised by His question. With the crowd pressing all around Him, Peter said, “Master, the multitudes throng and press You, and You say, ‘Who touched Me?’” (Luke 8:45). If we think about it, the question of Jesus did not making sense at all. Everyone was touching Jesus. But Jesus was not talking about the crowd brushing against Him.

Pause and think about that for a moment.

A touch happened that the crowd did not notice. It came from a woman hidden in the crowd, someone who felt unworthy, someone who quietly snuck in from behind and reached out to touch Him. Yet that very touch made Jesus turn around and search for that person.

Why? Because that touch was different. He was talking about the one touch that reached Him in faith. And in that moment, Jesus felt that power had gone out from Him. Here God is showing us something profound about how His power moves. It is not activated by gender. It is not controlled by circumstances. It is not impressed by status or wealth. The world often moves according to those things, but God does not. As it is written, “For there is no partiality with God” (Romans 2:11). God’s power responds to faith.

If you want to see the power of God move, then believe in Him. Faith is what moves God. What Jesus said to Martha before Lazarus was raised from the dead after four days. “Jesus said to her, “Did I not say to you that if you would believe you would see the glory of God?’” (John 11:40).

Side note: Jesus knew that this woman had touched Him. What is amazing about God is that, even though He is all knowing and not bound by time, space, or circumstances, He still encourages us to step forward. God often does this. He invites us to come out of hiding, to speak, and to encounter Him personally.

Just reflect on this moment. The woman may have thought she had successfully snuck away after receiving her healing. She touched Jesus, and the bleeding stopped. Perhaps she hoped to disappear quietly into the crowd because she was not supposed to be there, and anyone she touched or who touched her would become unclean. Slipping away unnoticed may have seemed like the safest thing to do. But Jesus kept asking. He persistently searched for the one who touched Him. How many of us are like that?

Most of the time, we want the power of God more than God himself. We are satisfied with receiving something from Him, but we do not necessarily seek God to know Him and be known by Him. We settle for less when God is offering us everything. Scripture says, “He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?” (Romans 8:32).

Mark provides us more detail about this moment:

“And He looked around to see her who had done this thing. But the woman, fearing and trembling, knowing what had happened to her, came and fell down before Him and told Him the whole truth.” – Mark‬ ‭5:32-33‬ ‭

This moment is like a child who has been caught doing something she was not supposed to do. When the child is discovered, they come forward fearing and trembling, expecting punishment or to be scolded. That is how this woman came to Jesus—fearful and trembling.

But watch what Jesus said to her. Be of good cheer.” The Greek word used here is tharseō, which means ‘take good courage’ or ‘be comforted’ or be of good cheer.’ Jesus did not look at her with condemnation. He looked at her with grace and love, giving her comfort. Why? Despite the fact that the law said she was not supposed to touch anyone, because whoever she touched would become unclean—which I discussed in more detail in the previous passage

Jesus responded differently to those who believe in Him. Instead of condemning her, He welcomed her. The Scripture says,

“But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name” (John 1:12).

Jesus did not come to condemn those who believe in Him. He came to save them and give them life.

As it is written:

“For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. (‭‭John‬ ‭3:17)‬ ‭

Instead of rebuking her, He called her “Daughter.” Do you see how powerful that is? In all the Gospel accounts, this is the only time Jesus directly calls someone “Daughter.” Reflect on that for a moment.

A woman who had been labeled unclean for twelve years…

A woman who felt unworthy and sneak from behind…

A woman who tried to remain hidden in the crowd…

A woman who had been isolated for twelve years…

A woman who suffered under many physicians and only grew worse (Mark 5:26)…

A woman who lost everything she had trying to be healed…

A woman with no title, no status, no wealth…

Just a woman who represented everyone who feels forgotten and unseen…

A woman who society expected to stay silent and suffer alone…

A woman many believed had no right to approach God because of her condition or cirumtances…

And yet, this was the very woman whose touch alone reached Jesus, even though everyone around Him was pressing against Him. Her faith activates the power of God. In the middle of a pressing crowd, Jesus paused for her and even caused a man of status, wealth, and importance to wait.

Be the judge for yourself, knowing all of this about how Jesus responded to this woman. What Jesus said was, “Most assuredly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, but what He sees the Father do” (John 5:19). He also said, “He who has seen Me has seen the Father” (John 14:9). And He declared, “Before Abraham was, I AM” (John 8:58).

Who first said “I AM”? It was God Himself speaking to Moses: “I AM WHO I AM” (Exodus 3:14). So if Jesus reveals the Father…

If we see Jesus, we are seeing the Father. Then what is this telling us?

If God weren’t concerned about women at all, as many claim, Jesus would have ignored her. He could have kept walking. He could have focused only on Jairus, the ruler of the synagogue, whose daughter was dying.

But He did not.

He stopped the entire large crowd for her.

He turned around and searched for her.

And He called her “Daughter.”

In that moment, Jesus declared a powerful statement—even though it was just one word. This woman represents all of us who have been lied to that God is not concerned about us, that we are meant to suffer alone, to stay silent, and to have no voice. But look at what Jesus called her “Daughter.” What does that mean?

It means we belong!

Remember the story of Mary and Martha. Martha expected Mary to stay busy serving, as if her role was only to work while the men sat and learned. But Mary knew she have the same rights as men does as she sat at Jesus’ feet and listened to His teaching. When Martha questioned it, Jesus defended Mary and said, “Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her” (Luke 10:42). Because she is a daughter of God!

In they’re culture, sitting at the feet of a rabbi meant being a disciple. Jesus allowed Mary to learn His word alongside the men. She was not excluded. She was welcomed. Because she is a daughter of God!

Mary was sitting at Jesus’ feet in the presence of God—her Father. That moment is a radical and profound affirmation not only for women but also to the discples how they should treated women. Just like the woman who touched Jesus was not an outsider, neither are we. Women are also part of the work of God’s kingdom. Scripture shows that we are fellow heirs with Christ (Romans 8:16–17) and fellow workers in the gospel (Philippians 4:3; Romans 16:3).

We belong in the family of God and in the work of His kingdom. This is not a validation but an absolute truth!

It means we also have the same access to our Father. Peter understood and witnessed this absolute truth. That is why he instructed the husbands to honor their wives, ““Husbands, likewise, dwell with them with understanding, giving honor to the wife, as to the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life, that your prayers may not be hindered.” (1 Peter 3:7). If a man mistreats his wife, even his prayers can be hindered. This shows how seriously God cares for His daughters, whom He has entrusted to her husband to love, protect, and lead with honor.

The moment Jesus declared her “Daughter,” He secured her identity. In that moment, He disarmed the work of satan and the lies spoken over her by people and society. By Jesus declaring her as His Daughter, He made it clear that she had the same access to the Father that any man has—the same access that every child has to a loving Father, regardless of gender or circumstances. That is why Jesus said to her next, “Your faith has made you well” Not the law. Not her works. Not her gender. Not her status. That made her well, It was her faith.

Again, what made her catch Jesus’ attention? It was her faith!

And again, what activated the power of God? It was her faith!

After living in darkness, being lied to, isolated, condemned, oppressed, and taken advantage of by men, Jesus did not send her away empty handed or leave her to continue living in isolation and separation from others. Jesus set her free, not only before the crowd but also within herself. He sent her away restored, saying, “Go in peace.” Jesus set her free from the uncleanness that had separated her from God and from her community. He set her free from darkness and isolation. He restored the identity that had been stolen from her. He declared God’s truth over her life: she belongs to God, and she has access to the Father as His child. Her portion was no longer just the hem of His garment. Now she could stand her Father openly as His daughter who belongs to Him. Jesus transformed Her life!

But she would not have attained any of this if she had not first believed in Jesus. Take note of that.

That is the gospel of Jesus Christ.

He forgives us from all our uncleanness (1 John 1:7).

He removes and disarmed all the power of darkness that once held us captive.

He restores what the enemy has stolen (John 10:10).

He gives us eternal life (John 3:16).

He reconciles us to the Father and gives us bold access to Him (Ephesians 2:13–18).

And He gives us the Holy Spirit, who testifies that we are children of God (Romans 8:16).

Before we receive all the benefits of the gospel, we must first believe in the LORD Jesus Christ. As the Scripture says, “No one comes to the Father except through Me” (John 14:6). And again, “If you confess with your mouth the LORD Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved… for with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation” (Romans 10:9–10). It is by faith that we receive salvation. “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.” (Ephesians‬ ‭2:8-9)‬

Amen!

March 14, 2026
Matthew‬ ‭9:21‬ ‭

“For she said to herself, “If only I may touch His garment, I shall be made well.”” – Matthew‬ ‭9:21‬ ‭

To understand this passage, read Matthew 9:20 first. In that verse, we learned that the woman who had a flow of blood for twelve years approached Jesus from behind and not from the front and touched the hem of His garment. I also explained what the Levitical law says about someone with this condition because those laws help us understand why she acted the way she did. They provide us the background that explains her hesitation, her isolation, and the weight she carried before she reached out to Jesus.

If you are a woman or a man who feels unimportant, look closely at how the LORD Jesus moved in this woman’s life. Jesus stopped the crowd for her. Before this moment, He was on His way to Jairus’ house. Jairus was a ruler of the synagogue, a respected and important man. He was pleading with Jesus because his little daughter was dying (Mark 5:22–23). Everything about that moment says time is running out. Hurry. Do not delay.

But Jesus stopped the crowd in the middle of urgency, in the middle of a crowd, and in the middle of an important request. For a woman who had been isolated for twelve years because she was considered unclean. A woman who lost everything. A woman who had no title. No position. No influence. A woman who came from behind and tried to remain unnoticed.

Here we also see that God was not bound by time or circumstances. He was not pressured by status. He was not moved by titles or position. He was moved by faith.

How did this woman make Jesus stop the crowd for her? That is what we are about to learn in this passage. For she said to herself, “If only I may touch His garment, I shall be made well.” Now before we go deeper into that moment, let us look at the Gospel of Mark, because it gives us more detail about her situation.

Mark tells us that,

“Now a certain woman had a flow of blood for twelve years, and had suffered many things from many physicians. She had spent all that she had and was no better, but rather grew worse. When she heard about Jesus, she came behind Him in the crowd and touched His garment. For she said, “If only I may touch His clothes, I shall be made well.” – Mark‬ ‭5:25-28‬ ‭

Mark gives us important details about what she went through. She sought help everywhere she could. She tried different doctors. She spent all her money. She endured treatment after treatment. Some historical writings suggest that certain ancient remedies for this kind of condition were harsh, strange, and even humiliating, often leading to further suffering rather than relief for the patients who underwent them. Whether every detail is certain or not, one thing Scripture makes clear is this: she suffered under their care. Instead of getting better, she grew worse.

I want you to contemplate this: her uncleanness, which separated her from God and from the people she loved is a clear picture of how sin works in our lives. Sin separates us from God. Scripture says, “Your iniquities have separated you from your God” (Isaiah 59:2). Also, sin does not only create distance. It brings death. “For the wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23). We were “dead in trespasses and sins” (Ephesians 2:1). Just as her condition kept her from full fellowship, sin keeps us from fellowship with God.

God is the very source of life. Jesus said, “I am the bread of life” (John 6:35). He also said, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink” (John 7:37). He is our life (John 14:6). When we are disconnected from Him, we grow weary, dry and become spiritually lifeless (John 3:3). That is how serious sin is. God hates sin not because He hates us, but because sin separates us from Him and destroys us. That is why Jesus came to deal with sin. As it is written, “For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil” (1 John 3:8).

The moment this woman heard about Jesus, light began to shine into her dark world. Hope began to rise in her despair. Her healing did not begin when the bleeding stopped. It began when she stepped out of her isolation and followed the crowd that followed Jesus. She risked being noticed. She risked crossing the distance the law required (Leviticus 15:27). Some may say she violated the law. Some may say she made everyone unclean by pressing through the crowd. But let me tell you the truth. We are all unclean!

Sin entered through Adam, and death spread to all men (Romans 5:12). Before the Law was even given, sin was already in the world (Romans 5:13). The Law did not create sin. It revealed it. The Law could declare her unclean, but it could not justify her or make her clean. “By the deeds of the law no flesh will be justified in His sight” (Romans 3:20). The Law exposes our sin. It shows us our condition. It condemns our sinful nature. But here is its limitation. The law cannot cleanse! As it is written, “For what the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh, God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, on account of sin: He condemned sin in the flesh” (Romans 8:3). The Law can diagnose, but it cannot heal.

That is why she needed more than the law. She needed Jesus!

Believing in Jesus is what saves her. But here is what I really want you to see in this passage. “When she said within herself…” Before anyone else heard it, she first declared it to herself. Before the miracle was visible, it was already alive inside her. Before it was broadcast in the open, it was born in the hidden place.
The light did not begin to shine when she physically saw Jesus. It began when she heard about Him in the darkness of her isolation. When she began to speak within, something shifted. Her confession of faith started in the secret place of her heart before her miracle appeared on the outside. That is how God works. He begins inside. What is formed in the heart is later manifested in life.

From her life, we learned that the miracle of God did not begin from the outside. It began within when she believed in Jesus. Before her body was healed, faith was awakened in her heart. So let me ask you, how do you speak to yourself? Do you speak life over yourself, or do you speak death? Scripture says, “Death and life are in the power of the tongue” (Proverbs 18:21). What you say within will reflect your life.

Rahab saved herself and her family because she believed what she heard about the God of Israel, even while she was hidden in the massive walls of Jericho (Joshua 2:9–13; Hebrews 11:31). Ruth was restored despite her misfortune because she chose to believe in the God of Naomi (Ruth 1:16). The woman at the well, despite her past and broken relationships, began to be transformed when she met Jesus (John 4:28–29). What do all these women have in common? They all believed!

Now the question turns to us. How convinced are you, like this woman when she said, “If only I may touch His garment, I shall be made well. How convinced are you that God can move your mountains?

Paul writes about the faith of Abraham and how his faith was counted to him as righteousness. He says,

“Therefore it is of faith that it might be according to grace, so that the promise might be sure to all the seed, not only to those who are of the law, but also to those who are of the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all (as it is written, “I have made you a father of many nations”) in the presence of Him whom he believed—God, who gives life to the dead and calls those things which do not exist as though they did; who, contrary to hope, in hope believed, so that he became the father of many nations, according to what was spoken, “So shall your descendants be.” And not being weak in faith, he did not consider his own body, already dead (since he was about a hundred years old), and the deadness of Sarah’s womb. He did not waver at the promise of God through unbelief, but was strengthened in faith, giving glory to God, and being fully convinced that what He had promised He was also able to perform. And therefore “it was accounted to him for righteousness.”” Romans‬ ‭4:16-22‬ ‭

Many people question whether Jesus was defiled when the leper touched Him or when this woman touched Him. According to the Law, touching the unclean would normally make someone unclean (Leviticus 15:27 & 13:46). But they miss that we are all unclean no matter what. Abraham was counted righteous because he believed, not because of works or the Law. His righteousness came through faith. The faith of the lepers and this woman reached Him before their bodies were healed. Jesus Himself said, “Therefore, I said to you that you will die in your sins; for if you do not believe that I am He, you will die in your sins.” (John 8:24). Just as Abraham was counted righteous by believing, those who believe in Jesus are also counted righteous but those who refuse to believe they’re sins remain in them.

Here you see the power of faith. Faith made us righteous and move mountains. Isnt Jesus said, “Did I not say to you that if you would believe you would see the glory of God?” (John 11:40). You do not call on Jesus while doubting Him. When you come to Him, you must come believing. Scripture says,

“So Jesus answered and said to them, “Have faith in God. For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be removed and be cast into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says. Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them.” (Mark‬ ‭11:22-24‬)

And again,

“Without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him” (Hebrews 11:6).

Faith does not come empty. Faith comes expecting. Faith is believing that God is able. The woman expected healing when she touched Him. And she received more than healing. She received restoration and identity.

Also, just this short and simple passage, We learned that repentance and healing do not begin in a church building. They do not begin in performance, rituals, or trying to look spiritual. They begin within!

As it is written,

“If you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.” (Romans‬ ‭10:9-10‬).

Her life did not begin to change when she stood in front of Jesus. Jairus stood before Jesus publicly and still struggling to believe that He is able to heal his daughter. The crowd pressed around Him. Yet not everyone in that crowd was transformed because there is a difference between brushing against Jesus and believing in Him. The LORD Jesus power was not activated by distance. It was activated by belief!

That is how salvation works. We recognize we are sinners (Romans 3:23). We recognize sin has separated us (Isaiah 59:2). And sin does not only separate us from God; it brings death (Romans 6:23). We come to the realization that we are hopeless in our condition. We cannot fix ourselves. We cannot cleanse ourselves. We are in need of a Savior. That is why Jesus came. He came to rescue us from this predicament. He bled and died on the cross to pay for our sins. And He rose again so that we might walk in newness of life.

And what does He ask of us? To believe! (John 3:16)

March 12, 2026