“I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful. You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.” John 15:1–4 NIV

My dad is one of my heroes! He is a hard-working man who manages his own landscape business. A good gardener knows that in order for a plant to grow healthy, it must consistently have its branches pruned from the old, diseased and dead elements. Our heavenly Father is much like a gardener. He prunes the things in our lives that belong to our old diseased nature, in order that we would grow and bear more spiritual fruit.

The process can be painful as the old seems the so much more comfortable, yet the end result is gloriously breath-taking. In MacArthur’s commentary in this verse, he points out why we must not fret our beloved’s pruning, “The knowledge that the Father uses the pain that Christians endure for their ultimate good should eliminate all fear, self-pity, and complaining.” He goes on to say, “And suffering is merely the handle of the Father’s knife; the blade is the Word of God.” The motivating vision is one of our majestic Father, like in a garden, working on adorning us with the blade that will bring about fruit as we are nourished by Christ and His Word. It’s so encouraging to stop in the mists of the trials and busyness of life, and think about God’s uttered words to us from Scripture. We all know Romans 8:28, “And we know that God causes all things to work out for good to those who love God…” but do we remind ourselves of these words when all around nothing appears to be working out for any apparent ‘good.’ Moreover, do we read on to verse 29 which reveals what the ultimate good is — to radiate more of the splendor of Christ!

Any real beauty and fruit we may exhibit finds its source in our Vine — Christ Jesus, the Lord. When we try in our own efforts to muster up strength or good fruits, we fail miserably. See apart from Christ, our faith is self-centered, meaningless and burned up like waste when it comes down to it. At the end of our lives the only thing that will make a remarkable difference is who we are placing our trust in — Christ or our own hopeless efforts. Even in our best merger attempts, our deeply entrenched sin alienates from the life-giver and repulses him to the point that he cuts off anyone who would refuse to abide in Christs’ finished work on the cross. In stark contrast, we are abundantly blessed when we abandon our selves, love and truly abide in Christ whole-heartily. Thankfully, we need simply look to Jesus and remain steady after him. Then, we will be found abiding in the Vine, and pruned to bear the joyful and fruitful witness of possessing eternal life.

Our Majestic Father, God of all creation, our Rock, You alone are our well-spring and source of life. Please forgive us when we are tempted to disconnect from Christ and go astray from your Word. Thank you that you have given us every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ and that He is our high priest who sympathize with our weakness and intercedes for us. Thank you that through Jesus death, burial and resurrection we may be forgiven of our sins and grafted into your family tree! May we continually come to you, and be steadfast, unmovable and unshakable in our faith — that Christ may get all the glory and we be productive and joyfully fulfilling the kingdom work you’ve appointed to each of us. In Jesus name.

“And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:19 ESV

Shopping and spending has never been so easy than in the consumerist world we live in today. We can buy a new pair of shoes in an instant and have them delivered to our doorstep in less than 48 hours and charge it on credit to pay later. Wives, having a man to oversee our spending is a blessing in disguise. Often, we “feel” things are needs when they really are merely masked wants. We live in a culture that tells us that if we want something, we need to get it now at all costs. Yet, God’s wisdom teaches us otherwise.

Being full of thanks for what has been supplied for us is God’s revealed will for us. Paul sates this in 1 Thess5:18, and coming from a man who endured beatings, shipwrecks and persecution for the sake of spreading the gospel of Christ. “Paul knew how to rejoice in every circumstance and be free from anxiety and worry, because his heart was guarded by the peace of God, and the God of peace. His example is especially relevant to our utterly discontent culture.” (John MacArthur)

God promises to supply our every need, not necessarily our wants. Thus, if we do not have something right now, it’s because God in His wisdom knows we don’t need it now. In our humanity we tend to never be fully satisfied with what we have; but in reality we have all we need in Christ. God has been teaching me this week that when hit with a loss, it may feel like God took something essential to our well-being from us. However, if we say God took something we need so much, then He can’t be trusted as good. We must choose to trust that God will not take anything from us that he knows we don’t absolutely need, even when it doesn’t make sense to us. The truth is he sees the finished canvass. “Think of the self that God has given as an acorn. It is a marvelous little thing, a perfect shape, perfectly designed for its purpose, perfectly functional. Think of the grand glory of an oak tree. God’s intention when He made the acorn was the oak tree. His intention for us is, ‘…the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ.’ Many deaths must go into our reaching that measure, many letting goes. When you look at the oak tree, you don’t feel the ‘loss’ of the acorn is a very great loss. The more you perceive God’s purpose in your life, the less terrible will the losses seem.” Elisabeth Elliot

When we chose to look at our present circumstances with eyes of faith, we have peace — not because we believe God has given us or will give us with what we want, but because we know he is faithful to provide us what we need today. If we take a step back and take account of all the ways God has pulled through for us in the past, we will be reminded that God can be trusted. He provided the most costly and needful of all in salvation through Christ. We have been given so much through him in the immense debt we owed that He canceled out on our behalf through faith in Jesus’ finished work on the cross.

Have you ever been given something so amazing or valuable that you knew you could never pay it back? That is what Christ did for us and is continuing to do for us in every aspect of our lives. In the past year, many of you have lovingly poured out an abundance of financial resources, meals, gifts, cards, time and support to our family. God has used the Church to meet our needs and beyond in tangible ways. While, I may never be able to pay everyone back, I can confidently say with Paul that God will repay your every need richly in Christ.

Heavenly Abba, our good good Father, you are worthy of our all our trust. You have given us everything we need — you have mercifully not withheld your only son. Please forgive us for so many times we fall short of seeing you for who you truly are. Move in our hearts to experience you as enough in the mist of the trials you graciously grants for our growth and reliance on you alone. May we come continually come to Christ — the fountain in which is found the living water that alone can satisfy a thirst and weary soul. In Jesus’ name.

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“For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 6:23

As soon as I turned 15, I was eager to go out and work. The desire for independence surged. I was anxious to get behind the wheel and drive myself places, like work I argued. I wanted to work for freedom. We learn to work to receive something — most often wages. Although, often work is done not to get any monetary value. Some work for the mere experience, others freely work to promote an organization or advance a cause. Many of us moms labor at home seeking to earn strong grounding for our children.

The Bible says that the wages of sin is death. If anyone could ‘brag’ about their sins…it is me. I’ve earned enough wages to throw me deep into the bottomless pit. If we are all honest, we all have a rap sheet that is shameful to even speak of. I’m ashamed of the thought of my former life before Christ. Yet I’m thankful it magnifies the grace that God demonstrated in saving the worst of sinners. Every one of us has earned wages deserving of eternal death. Sin doesn’t have to be overt. It is basically crossing the line of what God expects from us. In James chapter two, God says that in breaking one point of the law, we are guilty for breaking all of it. Unlike, our feeble human judgments or justice system; God is the perfect judge. He renders the just penalty for the treason we have committed against Him.

Working our way to eternal destruction is the path we are on, unless God, the creator of the universe, intervenes. God out of His rich love sent a Savior to die on the cross to win our souls back to His presence unashamed. Jesus took our shameful rap sheet, suffered the due penalty we had earned; and when we look to Christ, he exchanges it for His perfect righteousness and life as a free gift. In this way, God alone is worthy of all the glory! There is nothing we do to earn free gifts. On the same token, there is nothing we can do to revoke them either.

With saving faith, God also freely gives us all kinds of other gifts — spiritual gifts, friendships, marriage, children, ect. “He who did not spare His own Son but gave Him up for us all, how will He not also, along with Him, freely give us all things?” (Romans 8:32) In the same way that we are freely given salvation; God freely gives us all things. This is profound when thinking about the possibility of losing our salvation or any of the other gifts we enjoy. Salvation is a wonderful gift we can be assured will never be taken from us if we are found in Christ. Any gift God grants in this life, he has the right to take it away. We don’t own rights to anything given to us on earth. Nor can we ‘earn’ the right to hold on to them. They are freely given to us as gifts. Can we praise God and bask in His loving-kindness in that the greatest gift of salvation along with every other gift, is not dependent on us? Can we trust that as a loving Father, He graciously gives only the best to His children, and has eternally bestowed upon us the most precious gift in Christ?

Heavenly Father, we praise you for your unfathomable love for us when we have thoroughly transgressed your perfect law. You alone are worthy of glory and worship. You are perfectly holy and pure in light and your mercy shines into the dark crevasses of our hearts of stone. Forgive us for our the ways our wicked hearts wage war against You. Thank you for Jesus, the only Savior, who lived a perfect life atoned for our devastated one, and gifts us with new life. Fill us & our children with a fresh awe, worship, thankfulness and love for all your wonderful gifts. May we cease working in our own effort to accomplish what only the power of your Spirit can do. Work mightily in our new hearts of flesh — to be eager to respond with sincere appreciation and whole surrender for all you have done and given to us. In Jesus’ name.

“For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” Ephesians 2:8–10

At the end of our life what will we have to boast in? May our boast be in the amazing saving work of Christ from the moment of our birth to till our last breath. Coming up on 33 years ago, my mother celebrated her 20th birthday in a hospital room receiving a gift that at that moment may not have seemed like something very pleasant as she labored in pain and birthed me into this world. As I contemplated the celebrations we will enjoy together now and the receiving of gifts on this occasion. I think to myself, “I didn’t do anything to earn birthday gifts, I get them simply for being alive.” I was struck my how we are celebrated for something that really is not of our own doing. God is the one who deserves all the praise for bringing us into this world. Every year that we are granted to live, we can celebrate and thank God for allowing us more time on this earth. The truth is that none of us is guaranteed another day. God has all our days numbered before we are even given one (Ps 139:16.) Our life and health are a stewardship; but, what’s more, they are gifts from God. This reality may help us live each day with a sense of wanting to make each day count in light of eternity.

The greatest gift of all is the one of salvation. We can do nothing to earn it — that is why it’s a gift. It is available to all for free. Our creator God made us in His image and gave us everything in the Garden of Eden. When Adam & Eve sinned, the entire human race fell into the cruse of sin and death. Thus, we are born with a sinful and selfish bent. However, God being rich in love and mercy made a way for us to be forgiven and made anew. He sent His only son into this world of suffering and pain to pour on him the wrath that was reserved for us. Jesus being God all-power overcame the grave and rose on the third day; so all who place their faith on him could be saved. Faith is a gift yet it asks to be reciprocated. “Faith is simply breathing the breath that God’s grace supplies. Yet, the paradox is that we must exercise it and bear the responsibility if we do not.” (MacArthur) If we place our faith in Christ, turn away from our sin and live for him, this life will no longer be lived for ourselves nor by our own strength. With God though, we will accomplish more with a short life consecrated to him than a thousand years without him.

What do we want to be remembered for on the day of our death? Memorial services are sobering, because they remind us of the frailty of our lives. Yet, they also impress upon us the need to live this life for a purpose higher than ourselves as we see what will be our end sooner or later. In Ecclesiastes 7:1, God says that the day of our death is better than the day of our birth. When we are born we don’t have many experiences, or life lived yet; we have no story to tell. The day of our death is bright if we anticipate an eternal future with God and have a story to tell about Christ’s redemption that proclaims His glory. Our name and legacy should live on to tell of God’s wonderful faithfulness and His saving and perfecting work. We Hope to have left an imprint on this world and gone on to live for eternity with a sense of awe at what our amazing Savior has done!

Love is not simply a word we utter or a dictionary definition. Characteristics of love can be seen in actions and known through experiences. Early one we learn facets of love when we are tiny and our mother sacrifices to nurture us and in our father’s arms we are securely protected and provided for. As we grow we may learn about love through friendships, marriage, church, family and children. But what in essence is love? The Bible tells us that God is love. Ever since God gave Moses the ten commandments, it has been His desire to see humanity flourish by giving us instruction on how to love Him and others. However, time has shown our inability to love by the masses of broken families, wars and rivalries between peoples. When Jesus came into this dark world as a little baby, with his sole purpose to lay his life down for his friends, love was fashioned into wonderful new heights.

The new commandment the Lord gave us was not entirely a new one, yet one based on the principle of the old, with a manifestation made of flesh and bone. God came down to earth in the most loving and selfless act of history — to suffer pain and death undeservingly to win us over from the eternal death sentence of sin. He lived out love in its purest and highest forms as he died in our place when it was we that deserved divine punishment. He majestically loved us that we’d follow in his steps by dying to ourselves, to sin and live for Him. He is the Light in this dark and painful world. Although he died, he also rose and defeated sin & death. He also didn’t leave us to follow in his lofty footsteps without aide. He left us with the power of His Holy Spirit. “the love of God has been poured within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us” Romans 5:5

Not only is the new commandment shown to us through Christ, but it also radiates from Christian’s hearts toward one another. It is then stunningly arrayed for all the world to see! This love is not a moral achievement of duties but an irresistible overflow oozing from the Spirit that indwells believers. This super-natural love gets other’s attention because it is hard to replicate in its authenticity. The testimony of genuine love speaks louder than words. In my darkest hour of losing my husband; the love of God has shone so bright through the out-pouring of love and financial support from our church family — some of whom I’ve never personally met. It is a glimpse to us in our dark valley of God’s affectionate light. “Right now light coexists with the darkness, but the Light and the divine love He bears will increasingly dispel the darkness, shone even brighter during Christ’s millennial reign, and eventually rule supremely through all eternity.” (John MacArthur) One-day love will be fully known as we see Christ face-to face.

It’s now been four months and the Lord has graciously gifted the boys and I with much comfort, love, peace and even joy. Yet, we are still learning a new life with residual pain, fear and sorrow. I have to carry tissue in my purse now, because I’ll unexpectedly find tears escape my eyes at times. I started taking a biblical grief class in hopes to grow my understanding of my own grief as well as others’ — mainly the boys but also so I may help others. Although I don’t usually cry unless I’m alone with the Lord, my leader observed how I teared up at someone else’s sharing of their pain. It’s truly heart breaking to hear others hurt, especially when able to identify with the weight of the pain. Please pray for this course to be healing and helpful as I seek to honor God with our earthly loss, and to shepherd the boys through it.

Heavenly Father, you have shown us love — not that we loved you but that you first loved us and died for us. Thank you for your gift of love through faith in Christ. All praise is owed to you for the amazing and awesome love that would even sacrifice of your beloved Lamb slain for us! The beauty of heaven will be ours to behold soon, just as our departed loved ones now enjoy your unfiltered glorious light. We confess that we love so poorly… Please fill us with a real and exclamatory love for you our Lord, for those whom Jesus died for, and for those that are lost in darkness still. May we shine your love graciously wherever you take us and not matter what you have us walk through, according to your perfect will and foreknowledge. May we reach your throne unashamed but full of confidence in Christ’s finished work and ready to receive joyful commendation for a life lived to your glory and love. In Jesus’ name.