“We are from God, and whoever knows God listens to us; but whoever is not from God does not listen to us. This is how we recognize the Spirit of truth and the spirit of falsehood.” 1 John 4:6

My mother gave me a great gift and that is sensitivity about giving gifts. She taught me giving a gift is an opportunity to show you’ve thought about the person, taking time to discover likes and needs.

What this translates into is you don’t use a birthday to give a household item you were going to purchase anyway: “Gee, honey, thanks for the vacuum cleaner.” Or, you don’t give your eighty-year-old aunt a power drill (unless that’s what she really wants!). The fact that there are so many returns after Christmas and so many gift cards purchased (okay, I buy them too) shows we’re not taking the time to make gifts personal.

Here’s the thing: just like gifts, love operates as personal. Jesus came in person. He didn’t come to us as a religion, a set of laws, or merely as an ideal; he came in person. Through his death and resurrection he brings us into the personal embrace of a passionate and loving relationship.

We live in an increasingly impersonal world where “don’t call us until you’ve read through all the frequently asked questions” is the norm, and when we finally do call, we get a recorded voice. We live as if better organization, perfect efficiency, and instant acquisition will somehow deliver us from our meaninglessness and hopelessness.

Yet, Jesus-one, we are from God, the Creator and Protector of all that is personal. Through our personalized expression of love for each other we proclaim: “Do you want to see who the person of God is and how he personally loves us? Watch how we love one another.”

Question: How will other people you meet know that you follow Jesus without having to ask?

Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke fits perfectly, and the burden I give you is light.” (Matthew 11:28-30, NLT)

Jesus might have asked: “Aren’t you tired and burned-out on all that religious stuff? Look, come walk with me, and I’ll help you recover your life – your real purpose – and even though it will require some hard, very hard work, you’ll be energized by it because you’ll be living life to its fullest. You’ll be doing exactly what my Father created you to do, and more importantly, you’ll be exactly who I want you to be.”

In taking on the Jesus-yoke, he is asking us to join the school of Christ. In ancient times, when a student studied under a specific teacher, it would be said that the student took on the teacher’s yoke; the student was yoked to the master.

Within that context, consider these words from Jesus: “Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke fits perfectly, and the burden I give you is light.” (Matthew 11:29-30, NLT)

Jesus says, by walking with him, we’ll learn how to walk with God. We don’t learn from afar; we learn from a caring and committed teacher-student relationship – caring and committed on both sides.

The Christian walk is not a lesson in how to run off doing things for Jesus while we ignore him. Our Christ-walk is a journey with Jesus, where he is very personal and specific about our growth and spiritual maturity.

What does this mean?

· Are you tired? – Jesus will teach you how to find rest in God, not a rest absent of stress, but the rest that results from believing in God’s faithfulness. Ask God to show you what blocks you from believing fully in his faithfulness, and then ask him to break those blockages down.

· Are you confused? – Join Jesus at his school of Christ, and watch him, listen to him, ask him to renew your purpose.

· Ask to be teachable – Tell Jesus you want to be yoked to him, and that you want to learn from him. Ask him to keep your heart teachable.

Question: The word “religion” originally meant re-connection with God. How does Jesus provide the ultimate reconnection with God?

About the Author:  Jon Walker

We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ. 2 Corinthians 10:5 (NIV)

Use today’s devotional as a prayer:

Father, teach me to wage spiritual war in your manner and not according to the world. Guide me to live—to fight, argue, and enter conflict—with weapons of the Spirit and not weapons of the flesh.

Be my strength, Lord, when I am up against the wall. Father, bring me to a point where I no longer have any confidence in the flesh, but my confidence is only in you. Lord, train me so that when I face conflict, discouragement, or temptation—when I collide with any obstacle—I rely on you and your way.

The truth says you’ve given me the power and authority to demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of you.

So, rather than getting into arguments, I can point to the truth and state it. Lord, make me ready to use the tools you provide and show me how to “demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against” you. Show me how to take every thought captive and make it obedient to Christ. Show me how to do that, and show me what to do. I commit to doing what you teach me to do.

May this be so, my Lord.

Question: Where do you have opportunities to do what this verse says in your own life and circumstances?

“While Peter was wondering about the meaning of the vision, the men sent by Cornelius found out where Simon’s house was and stopped at the gate.” Acts 10:17

Praying on a rooftop in Caesarea, Peter, the apostle of stomp and snort, is hungry, and while he waits for his daily bread to be prepared, he seeks the everlasting bread of life (John 6:48). Deeply submerged in the presence of God, Peter sees a vision of food forbidden.

He recoils, saying, “Surely not, Lord! . . . I have never eaten anything impure or unclean” (Acts 10:14). A heavenly voice says, “Do not call anything impure that God has made clean” (Acts 10:15).

Peter’s perplexed, but at the same time, God is working his plan. Across town is a centurion seeking the one true God. He is a Gentile; he is, in a figurative sense, food forbidden. But God says to look for a man named Peter; and Peter, still wondering what the vision meant, sees three men from Cornelius approaching on the street below.

The Holy Spirit says to Peter, “Simon, three men are looking for you. So get up and go downstairs. Do not hesitate to go with them, for I have sent them” (Acts 10:19-20). Peter follows the men to Cornelius’ house and finds a crowd already waiting to hear the good news of Jesus, the Christ.

Cornelius tells Peter that, four days before, God promised to send a messenger. In that instant, Peter knew he was the messenger and that the vision meant the gospel is for all people, even Gentiles.

And as Peter began to tell Cornelius’ crowd how to make peace with God, the Holy Spirit descended upon them all, even those who were Gentile.

Oswald Chambers described God as the Great Engineer, creating circumstances to bring about moments in our lives of divine importance, leading us to such divine appointments.

You’ve seen how God did this in the lives of Peter and Cornelius; will you watch now for how God engineers divine encounters in the life you can no longer call your own?

Question: Do you expect God to be at work in your own life?

About the Author:  Jon Walker

“Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.” Psalms 51:10

God creates my pure heart, not me. It is his spirit within me that cleanses and “re-creates” my heart. It is his power, his grace, his hand, his works, his abilities, his strength that creates this pure heart. My heart becomes pure not because of what I can do, but because of what God has done through the blood of Jesus Christ – and what God can do in transforming my heart into what he wants it to be.

God speaks my pure heart into existence; this is a Genesis moment, where God speaks into the chaos, the darkness, the void, and from this creates a pure heart within me (Psalm 51 MSG).

God can create something from nothing; he can take a heart that is broken, impure, failed and create in its place a heart that is whole, pure, and purposeful.

God loves me and wants to pour his grace into my heart. He wants to see me pure, and he wants to see me succeed – so much so, that he takes an active role in creating my new, cleansed heart. My role – my job – is to submit, humble myself before him, ask for his help.

Think like this: God is the one who purifies my heart. My heart is not purified by me, by my noble efforts, by my good thoughts, by my ability to follow the rules. Rather –

· My heart is purified by God creating a pure heart within me.

· My heart is cleansed by the living water flowing through me.

· My heart is cleansed by the blood of Christ scrubbing away the stains of my sin.

· My heart is cleansed by God breathing his spirit into me.

· My heart is purified solely, and wholly, by the power of God – and not by anything extra that I can do.

That is why the only path to a pure heart is to confess my sin and acknowledge my need.

The heart God creates, then, is no longer cynical or distrustful. It is no longer damaged or broken. It is a pure heart.

So what?

· A pure heart produces faith – “I tell you the truth, if anyone says to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart but believes that what he says will happen, it will be done for him.’” (Mark 11:23)

· A pure heart matches God’s heart – Syncing with God’s heartbeat means you focus your heart on those things that matter most to God (Colossians 3:1-2) and you let go of anything that hinders your ability to align with God’s heart (Hebrews 12:1). Jesus matched his heart with the Father’s heart (John 5:23; 6:38; 16:17-18).

· A pure heart is undivided – God wants your whole heart committed wholly to him: “To love him with all your heart, with all your understanding, and with all your strength, and to love your neighbor as yourself is more important than all burnt offerings and sacrifices.” (Mark 12:33)

· A pure heart is a fresh start – Ask God to create in you a fresh start. (Psalm 51:10).

Question: What does it mean to have a “pure heart”?

About this Author: Jon Walker

“Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.” Psalms 51:10

God creates my pure heart, not me. It is his spirit within me that cleanses and “re-creates” my heart. It is his power, his grace, his hand, his works, his abilities, his strength that creates this pure heart. My heart becomes pure not because of what I can do, but because of what God has done through the blood of Jesus Christ – and what God can do in transforming my heart into what he wants it to be.

God speaks my pure heart into existence; this is a Genesis moment, where God speaks into the chaos, the darkness, the void, and from this creates a pure heart within me (Psalm 51 MSG).

God can create something from nothing; he can take a heart that is broken, impure, failed and create in its place a heart that is whole, pure, and purposeful.

God loves me and wants to pour his grace into my heart. He wants to see me pure, and he wants to see me succeed – so much so, that he takes an active role in creating my new, cleansed heart. My role – my job – is to submit, humble myself before him, ask for his help.

Think like this: God is the one who purifies my heart. My heart is not purified by me, by my noble efforts, by my good thoughts, by my ability to follow the rules. Rather –

· My heart is purified by God creating a pure heart within me.

· My heart is cleansed by the living water flowing through me.

· My heart is cleansed by the blood of Christ scrubbing away the stains of my sin.

· My heart is cleansed by God breathing his spirit into me.

· My heart is purified solely, and wholly, by the power of God – and not by anything extra that I can do.

That is why the only path to a pure heart is to confess my sin and acknowledge my need.

The heart God creates, then, is no longer cynical or distrustful. It is no longer damaged or broken. It is a pure heart.

So what?

· A pure heart produces faith – “I tell you the truth, if anyone says to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart but believes that what he says will happen, it will be done for him.’” (Mark 11:23)

· A pure heart matches God’s heart – Syncing with God’s heartbeat means you focus your heart on those things that matter most to God (Colossians 3:1-2) and you let go of anything that hinders your ability to align with God’s heart (Hebrews 12:1). Jesus matched his heart with the Father’s heart (John 5:23; 6:38; 16:17-18).

· A pure heart is undivided – God wants your whole heart committed wholly to him: “To love him with all your heart, with all your understanding, and with all your strength, and to love your neighbor as yourself is more important than all burnt offerings and sacrifices.” (Mark 12:33)

· A pure heart is a fresh start – Ask God to create in you a fresh start. (Psalm 51:10).

Question: What does it mean to have a “pure heart”?

May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all. 2 Corinthians 13:14 (NIV)

Read this as a prayer today:

In faith, I know this to be true:

Jesus, you are full of truth and grace, and you fill me with your truth and grace (John 1:14).

You are working within me to clear a channel so that your love flows through me into the lives of everyone I meet. When I find it difficult to love someone, I can be confident that you will love that person through me (Galatians 2:20-21).

I may not be where you need to be yet, but I am “confident of this, that he who began a good work in [me] will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus” (Philippians 1:6).

And I know “God is able to make all grace abound [in me], so that in all things at all times, having all that [I] need, [I] will abound in every good work” (2 Corinthians 9:8).

Thank you, Jesus – You have filled me with your grace and truth, brought me deep and permanently into the love of God, and given me the fellowship of the Holy Spirit. I am, at all times, filled with grace, mercy, and peace (2 Corinthians 13:14).

Question: Which part of this prayer connected most strongly to your life circumstances right now?

“If you love me, you will keep my commandments.” (John 14:15, HCSB)

Worship — When Jesus speaks of love, he allows no room for sentimental fantasy or momentary emotion. He sees love through the eyes of the Father, and from this point of view, he deeply understands that true, eternal, godly love is bold and strong, but also painful, messy and sacrificial.

A love of this strength and magnitude can only take root in the soil of abandonment. We abandon our rights, our thoughts, and our schemes. It was this total and uncompromising abandonment to God that led Jesus to say and do only what the Father told him to do (John 14:10). And it was this uncompromising abandonment that led him to the Cross.

If we are to become just like Christ, then we too must be abandoned to the Father. We must line up with the thoughts and plans of God so closely that we appear to be ‘at one’ with him, just as a married couple, deeply abandoned to each other, appear to live as one. Through abandonment, we walk so closely with God that, when people see us, they see the Father at work.

It’s this abandonment that Jesus is teaching when he says, “If you love me, you will keep my commandments.” In other words, He’s not demanding that you be obedient; rather, he’s telling you that love for him should compel you to embrace his purposes.

The Jesus way is that you obey God’s commands because you love God, not because you must obey God. By actively pursuing the purposes of God, you worship your Creator.

This also gives you a Christ-like perspective on the daily details of your life, turning every decision into a moment of adoration for God. When you let someone else take the parking space, when you stand behind a promise that proves more costly than you imagined, when you extend hospitality to the cranky neighbor next door, these are moments of worship to God because you are choosing to be obedient to his purposes, rather than doing things your own way. Even choosing not to sin becomes an act of worship as it brings you into closer alignment with God’s commands.

As you face decisions today, ask God to show you which path will be an act of worship to him. Then, and I know this is easier said than done, move where he tells you to move.
As you take this step, keep your eyes sensitive to God’s Grace and presence in the moment. Do this throughout the day, keeping a log so you can track your movement toward oneness with God and his purposes.

Question: Which difficult decisions that you face every day could be helped by praying about them first?

About this Author: Jon Walker

“My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.” (Psalm 139:15-16)

God spoke my son, Jeremy, into my wife’s womb, just as God spoke you into your mother’s womb. Jeremy was “fearfully and wonderfully made,” and God ordained his days, just as he’s ordained yours. (Psalm 139:14, 16 NIV)

Jeremy was one of God’s great ideas. Like you, Jeremy was an expression of God’s blue-ribbon brilliance. He was a Matisse-like masterpiece, lovingly, deliberately, and carefully created by the One True God, the creative Creator of the universe.

My son, Jeremy, died at birth because of a destructive DNA disorder called Trisomy 18, but that didn’t diminish the value of his life, his legacy, or his significance to God. Jeremy’s every chromosome fit intricately – and for now, unexplainably to us – into God’s flawless planning.

If you grasp this – “how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge” (Ephesians 3:18-19a) – then you’re on your way to understanding the extraordinary value of every human life, how each individual is a masterpiece created by God.

You, too, are a masterpiece created by God.

Oswald Chambers wrote, “Individual lives are the expression of a pre-existing idea in the mind of God.” In other words, every human being is a unique, one-of-a-kind, never-to-be-repeated expression of God’s incredible creativity, and as a Christian you become a unique reflection of Jesus Christ as he works through you to serve others.

The point is, God thought you up (Jeremiah 1:5), and now he lovingly thinks of you.

You are of immeasurable worth to God, and your value is not determined by your appearance or performance, or how much time or money you can contribute, or how well you sing or teach – or how long you live. The value of any container is determined by its contents, and you are a one and only, custom-made container of Uncommon Stuff – as a believer, you contain the very life of God.

Rejoice in this truth, and be set free.

What does this mean?

· God’s love transforms – When you understand your value to God, you will be less likely to sin. His love will compel you to walk in the light. If you deeply and truly understood how much God loved you, how would your behavior change?

· We devalue others – When we think in such terms as “You’re valuable to me as long as you’re useful” or “You’re valuable to me as long as I enjoy your company.” This reduces people to mere tools or objects of pleasure.

· God’s masterpiece is on the couch – If you are God’s masterpiece, so is the couch potato in your house, or the person at church who you diplomatically describe as “contrary.” (That’s the Southerner (U.S.) in me coming out – ha!)

Question: How can the fact that you are God’s valued creation encourage you when it seems like everything is going wrong?

About this Author: Jon Walker

“My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.” (Psalm 139:15-16)

God spoke my son, Jeremy, into my wife’s womb, just as God spoke you into your mother’s womb. Jeremy was “fearfully and wonderfully made,” and God ordained his days, just as he’s ordained yours. (Psalm 139:14, 16 NIV)

Jeremy was one of God’s great ideas. Like you, Jeremy was an expression of God’s blue-ribbon brilliance. He was a Matisse-like masterpiece, lovingly, deliberately, and carefully created by the One True God, the creative Creator of the universe.

My son, Jeremy, died at birth because of a destructive DNA disorder called Trisomy 18, but that didn’t diminish the value of his life, his legacy, or his significance to God. Jeremy’s every chromosome fit intricately – and for now, unexplainably to us – into God’s flawless planning.

If you grasp this – “how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge” (Ephesians 3:18-19a) – then you’re on your way to understanding the extraordinary value of every human life, how each individual is a masterpiece created by God.

You, too, are a masterpiece created by God.

Oswald Chambers wrote, “Individual lives are the expression of a pre-existing idea in the mind of God.” In other words, every human being is a unique, one-of-a-kind, never-to-be-repeated expression of God’s incredible creativity, and as a Christian you become a unique reflection of Jesus Christ as he works through you to serve others.

The point is, God thought you up (Jeremiah 1:5), and now he lovingly thinks of you.

You are of immeasurable worth to God, and your value is not determined by your appearance or performance, or how much time or money you can contribute, or how well you sing or teach – or how long you live. The value of any container is determined by its contents, and you are a one and only, custom-made container of Uncommon Stuff – as a believer, you contain the very life of God.

Rejoice in this truth, and be set free.

What does this mean?

· God’s love transforms – When you understand your value to God, you will be less likely to sin. His love will compel you to walk in the light. If you deeply and truly understood how much God loved you, how would your behavior change?

· We devalue others – When we think in such terms as “You’re valuable to me as long as you’re useful” or “You’re valuable to me as long as I enjoy your company.” This reduces people to mere tools or objects of pleasure.

· God’s masterpiece is on the couch – If you are God’s masterpiece, so is the couch potato in your house, or the person at church who you diplomatically describe as “contrary.” (That’s the Southerner (U.S.) in me coming out – ha!)

Question: How can the fact that you are God’s valued creation encourage you when it seems like everything is going wrong?