The Law

Posted on January 31, 2011 by Jody Neufeld

[Jesus said,] “Don’t suppose that I came to do away with the Law and the Prophets. I did not come to do away with them, but to give them their full meaning. Heaven and earth may disappear. But I promise you that not even a period or comma will ever disappear from the Law. Everything written in it must happen. If you reject even the least important command in the Law and teach others to do the same, you will be the least important person in the kingdom of heaven. But if you obey and teach others its commands, you will have an important place in the kingdom. You must obey God’s commands better than the Pharisees and the teachers of the Law obey them. If you don’t, I promise you that you will never get into the kingdom of heaven.”           Matthew 5:17-20 (CEV)

When reading a passage of Scripture, I have learned that it is important to first read it in the context of the time it was written. For that, a Bible dictionary, Bible encyclopedia, and concordance are helpful to give me the history and mores of the people. And, if you are blessed like me, you have someone who has spent their life studying Hebrew, Greek, and the ancient Near East and they are glad to share!

The second step in my study is to consider other passages of Scripture that may help me to understand the idea, or spirit, of what Jesus is trying to teach. What is the principle Jesus is teaching that transcends all time? I look at this Scripture about God’s Law and ask the Holy Spirit to teach me.

The Pharisees and Scribes were educated in the Law. That is, they were taught by other Pharisees and Scribes their interpretation of the Law. In another passage, Jesus says this,

He said, “Yes, and I can be even more explicit. You’re hopeless, you religion scholars! You load people down with rules and regulations, nearly breaking their backs, but never lift even a finger to help.”          Luke 11:46 (The Message)

Jesus is telling the people on that hillside and me that I need to obey God’s Law better than the so-called experts. I need to obey, not to glorify myself or condemn someone else, but because I love Him. Jesus came to earth as the perfect atonement for my sins and the perfect example of how to live my life. He tells me it isn’t about keeping the rules and regulations set down by the church leadership for their own gain, it is about helping people to grow in their relationship with God. God’s love and blessings are for all His children. No one child is loved more than another. God loves. Period. It is growing in a relationship with God that means more than rivers of oils or herds of sacrificed rams (Micah 6:6-8). The Pharisees and Scribes just didn’t “get it”.

Jesus expands in the verses to come as He takes some of the Laws and tells us about “their full meaning”. Jesus said that He came so we would have a “full life” (John 10:10). We grow into this God-desired full life as we learn the full meaning of God and His Laws.

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The Good News for my Family

Posted on January 28, 2011 by Jody Neufeld

My friends, I beg you to listen as I teach. I will give instruction and explain the mystery of what happened long ago. These things we learned from our ancestors, and we will tell them to the next generation. We won’t keep secret the glorious deeds and the mighty miracles of the LORD.      Psalm 78:1-4 (CEV)

I have two children and seven grandchildren. I also have four children “of my heart” and eight grandchildren there, too. I have a brother and in-laws, and nieces and nephews that are so important to me and I love them so much. I tell them about the miracles of God. I must tell them!

When I was growing up, I don’t remember my parents talking about their faith. There was never a discussion about whether we would be going to church. And I do remember getting into big trouble for faking an illness to get out of going to church one Sunday. I remember being angry at my mother one Easter, and refusing to go to communion. Now, Biblically that may not have been inappropriate (Jesus said you should be reconciled before coming) but it was still disobedience to my parents! I spent the rest of my day in my room that did not have TV or a computer. My parents’ faith could be seen in their actions and in their steadfastness. My mother was a prayer warrior although I doubt she saw herself like that. Whenever there was an illness or a problem, she would go to her knees and pray.

I am more verbal about my faith with my children. But the walk must also accompany the talk. As parents I believe our children want to know what we believe. And that means spending time daily with our Lord to find that out! I also believe that our children need to see that we don’t have all the answers. They need to know that faith is a journey not a destination. They need to know that the priority of our time each day includes spending some quiet with our Lord. Because it is a top priority that may mean that we will say “No” to an interruption.

They remembered God Most High, the mighty rock that kept them safe…
Yet God was kind. He kept forgiving their sins and didn’t destroy them. He often became angry, but never lost his temper. God remembered that they were made of flesh and were like a wind that blows once and then dies down.     Psalm 78:35, 38-39 (CEV)

Yes, my children need to know that I am not perfect and that I continue to ‘work out my faith’ including repentance for sins. If my children (both family and those who are ‘young’ in the Lord) do not see me in repentance then they are missing a key perspective of God’s unfailing love. God knows that I am weak and of the flesh. He provided a Savior for me and He continues to give me a path of reconciliation to Himself with the power of His Holy Spirit.

Sharing the Lord with my loved ones is all about love and compassion. It is not about condemnation and guilt. It is about ‘righteousness’, a right-relationship with Jesus, not self-righteousness. When I ‘point a finger’ (whether in word or deed) to my loved ones then I bring condemnation, not reconciliation.

As we continue in this new year may out time with those we love be seasoned with the salt of Christ and everything in our lives point to the Light of Jesus.

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Salt and Light

Posted on January 27, 2011 by Jody Neufeld

[Jesus said,] “Let me tell you why you are here. You’re here to be salt-seasoning that brings out the God-flavors of this earth. If you lose your saltiness, how will people taste godliness? You’ve lost your usefulness and will end up in the garbage.

Here’s another way to put it: You’re here to be light, bringing out the God-colors in the world. God is not a secret to be kept. We’re going public with this, as public as a city on a hill. If I make you light-bearers, you don’t think I’m going to hide you under a bucket, do you? I’m putting you on a light stand. Now that I’ve put you there on a hilltop, on a light stand—shine! Keep open house; be generous with your lives. By opening up to others, you’ll prompt people to open up with God, this generous Father in heaven.”     Matthew 5:13-16 (The Message)

Theologians may grind their teeth as they read a paraphrase like The Message. But for me, it is a wonderful resource in my Bible study. While The Message and The New Living Translation may put a little extra wording in the white spaces of a translation, their contemporary style of language clears the path into understanding.

I am here on earth to follow Jesus’ example and serve. I am given gifts to be useful, not to hoard them for myself. Jesus said I am to be ‘salty’. One of the most disgusting things to eat is an egg or a tomato without salt. Am I salty with God? Is every part of my life seasoned with God? Do I begin my day with Him? Do I bring Him into my workplace? Is Jesus the head of my home? When someone becomes sick or I have a disagreement with my husband, or I have a crisis at work, do I first try to figure what’s next or a solution or do I turn to God first? Do I end my day with Jesus?

Jesus is the Light in the world. It is He in me that makes me a light in a world that is desperate for a glimmer of wisdom, hope, and love. I am the clear vessel of the Light. I cannot say, “My faith is personal.” and hide it from everyone I meet. If I walk into Wal-mart and see a child who is thin and pale, and he asks me for a dollar for a sandwich, am I going to clutch my purse and hurriedly walk away? People are starving because they think there is nothing to nourish them.

“ be generous with your lives” This is a tough concept to trade in for the world’s way. The world says that you get a college education (at least!) and go to work for the next 40+ years and then retire. What you do in those 40 years is all about what you can accumulate for yourself and your progeny. I must admit to you that there is a part of me that wants to believe that and live that. But Jesus doesn’t teach that. I know teachers and doctors and mechanics who give of themselves every day. They go the extra mile. They are always looking for an opportunity to help and encourage someone. Jesus says to be generous. That means ‘above and beyond’.

Paul said that I am to be an ambassador of Jesus (2 Corinthians 5:20). I represent Him. No one can out-give God! (Matthew 10:8, Luke 11:11) So if you think you have given enough because you have served for 40 years – think again. If you think you are too old or your body too weak – think again. There will be time to rest later for all eternity.

There are so many opportunities and options to serve. God gave me gifts. There are talents inside of me that are there for a reason. Using those gifts or talents, lifts my spirit. There is a reason when you enjoy doing something. It is because you are doing what your Heavenly Father planned for you to do. Take some time every day to talk about this with Jesus between now and February 14th. Find out what you and Jesus love to do together. What a great love-gift!

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The Price of Discipleship

Posted on January 26, 2011 by Jody Neufeld

[Jesus said,] “God blesses you when people mock you and persecute you and lie about you and say all sorts of evil things against you because you are my followers.”     Matthew 5:11 (NLT)

Here I am out on a limb today. Yesterday, I tried to be very clear that here in the United States, persecution does not exist. Today, I want to attempt to discuss what does exist for the Christian in our country and what does Jesus, by His example, tell us to do about it.

The Bible is clear that there is a war that continues to be waged in the spiritual realm (2 Corinthians 10). We live in a fallen world. We live in a world that does not look at situations and people with God’s eyes. It is eschewed, warped. And so the media has flooded the airways with information and shows that – lie. Some of the lies that are told (and there really isn’t enough space on my hard drive to list them all!):

– We human beings can not choose to live our lives celibate until marriage. We just can’t stop ourselves.

– Getting drunk is funny and cool. Alcohol and marijuana aren’t really dangerous.

– Parents are stupid and not worth a listen. Family and accountable friends are a drag on fun.

– Everybody lies so what is the big deal?

– Marriage is disposable. Living together is the same as marriage. Children will be “OK” with their mother and father changing partners every couple of years (or months).

Living my life in direct conflict with these lies will encourage those who believe the lies to respond with ridicule (mock) and more lies that pronounce that I am in some way evil in my stupidity and delusions. It is so important that I hear the truth about these people. And that is: I do not fight flesh and blood. And I fight, not with harsh words or eloquent debate, but instead with the example of Jesus Christ. It is so important that I take capture my thoughts and make them obedient to Jesus (2 Corinthians 10:5). It is so important that I follow Jesus in washing feet and feeding those who are hungry with whatever fish and bread that I have. It is so important that I be willing to touch those who are seen as unclean with the power of Jesus’ love.

Before I reach for the speck of sawdust in the eyes of a homosexual or an addict, let me open my own heart to the Holy Spirit’s surgical hand to removal that plank of criticism and condemnation. May God’s Spirit determine if I am humble and obedient or just a “white-washed tomb”.

In this world, I will be tripped and punched with hurtful words and rejection. Jesus said He came to heal my heart sickness and wounds. It is in our fellowship of Believers that we should find a place of healing and encouragement. It is there that we should find God’s divine care.

St. Francis of Assisi must have spent a lot of time with Jesus. I say this because he could not have offered this prayer in spite of the persecution and mocking in his life unless he was so filled with Jesus that he ‘leaked’ this prayer:

Lord, make me an instrument of your peace.
Where there is hatred, let me sow love.
Where there is injury, pardon.
Where there is doubt, faith.
Where there is despair, hope.
Where there is darkness, light.
Where there is sadness, joy.
O Divine Master,
grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled, as to console;
to be understood, as to understand;
to be loved, as to love.
For it is in giving that we receive.
It is in pardoning that we are pardoned,
and it is in dying that we are born to Eternal Life. Amen. (my emphasis)
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The Persecuted

Posted on January 25, 2011 by Jody Neufeld

[Jesus said,] “God’s divine care is on those who are persecuted for standing up for their relationship with God. They will surely have a place in His Kingdom.”      Matthew 5:10 (my paraphrase)

I want to say from the beginning that I, personally, have never been persecuted for my faith in Jesus Christ. Yes, people have made fun of me. I have been ignored and disliked but never anything close to persecution.

For me, persecution describes the Holocaust, Jews and Gentiles alike who stood for God and went through horrific suffering and death because they would not deny who they were and to Whom they belonged. Persecution describes those in parts of Africa and Asia and the Middle East who live where belief in Yahweh and His Son, Jesus, have evoked hatred dating back to Isaac and Ishmael. ‘They’ say, “Jihad” means holy war. ‘They’ said “Crusades” were holy wars. How can hatred be holy?

It is the insidious virus that slides under my door to woo me away from my conversation with God (prayer), study of His Word, and worship that is my identifiable persecution. I am drawn in ten different directions with plenty of excuses as to why God is not the #1 priority in my life. I ‘wimp’ on peer pressure so that I do not come across “too holy” or as a “Jesus fanatic”, smiling at suggestive jokes around the workplace and shrugging my shoulders when people ask about my faith. I do not want to offend so I stand for nothing.

I believe everyone should go on a mission trip. Whether it is in the hills of Appalachia or in a more distant land in Central America or eastern Europe or Africa. It is in leaving my comfort zone that I learned what others continue to sacrifice daily to stand for God. Traveling 1-4 hours to worship on the Sabbath is normal. Meeting in secret in a home church that, for safety reasons, changes every week is normal. When a teacher comes to share about Jesus from America and you volunteer to translate his words for your friends and family, do not be surprised to run for your life from the local police. You may even be asked to renounce what you believe … or die.

Just like the martyrs of the first century Church, these followers of Jesus Christ are assured by Him that He has prepared a place for them. If I stand as a disciple of Jesus Christ, He will stand for me through all eternity. If I am ashamed of Him, He will be ashamed of me (Luke 9:25-27). It was that point that brought me to my knees 15+ years ago. That night I said that I would face a firing squad and still kneel before Jesus in repentance. I haven’t changed my mind or lost my resolve. May Jesus find me faithful through plenty and persecution, just as He is faithful.

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Peace, Peace, Perfect Peace

Posted on January 24, 2011 by Jody Neufeld

[Jesus said,]“Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.”     Matthew 5:9 (KJV)

[Jesus said,]“Don’t think that I came to bring peace to the earth! I came to bring trouble, not peace. I came to turn sons against their fathers, daughters against their mothers, and daughters-in-law against their mothers-in-law. Your worst enemies will be in your own family.”     Matthew 10:34-36 (CEV)

Mark Twain is credited for saying, “It’s the Scripture that I do know that bothers me.” I do not know if he actually said that, but I agree with him. It is Scripture like these that appear to contradict each other that makes me roll my eyes and look to heaven wondering why God didn’t make this all tidy and as one-dimensional as my brain would like to understand. God is multi-faceted and infinite so I need to step back and get a broader view than just one passage.

Jesus spoke often that it was about what was in the heart that mattered. He answered the questions that people needed to have answered, not the one they actually asked. So when I ask myself, “Is Jesus advocating that I be about peace or not?” I need to look at the true agenda behind the act of peace or not-peace. Am I speaking up in my church to proclaim myself or my own agenda or am I speaking God’s truth? Am I living my life and making decisions to prove to my parents or my boss that I am me and I do not need their approval to do what I know is right or I am doing what I truly should do?

Since my ego is on the line when answering these questions, it is so important that I look to accountability to keep me honest. (I recently blogged about accountability.) I need God to help me through the example of Christ, the wisdom of His Spirit and Word, and those He has brought into my life to speak His truth.

Jesus promised us His peace (John 14:27) but He said He wouldn’t be giving it like the world gives. And Jesus said we were not to be afraid or to worry. Jesus’ peace would be all we would need no matter what was happening in the world. No war, no hurricane, nothing would be able to shake the peace that Jesus gives.

God has called us to live in peace (1 Corinthians 7:15). It’s not about the peace that is produced in my flesh or homogenized in the world’s compromises. It comes from the extravagant love of Jesus in the hearts of those who speak and act according to His will.


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Slippery Slopes

Posted on January 21, 2011 by Jody Neufeld

“You’re blessed when you get your inside world—your mind and heart—put right. Then you can see God in the outside world.”         Matthew 5:8 (The Message)

The KJV and many versions state this verse as “blessed are the pure in heart”. Jesus is exhorting us to cleanse our hearts so that we are not “whitewashed tombs” (Matthew 23:27); clean on the outside and stinking on the inside. It is living on that slippery slope of trying to look like something different than I really am.

A friend and teacher, Dr. Alden Thompson, was the first one to introduce me to the concept of a “slippery slope”. One of the examples that he gave was when you hold your religious beliefs so tightly and in such a tiny “box” that when God acts outside that box, our faith takes a severe blow and we are in crisis.

One night (maybe a dozen years ago) during a sharing time at a Sunday evening worship, a young man stood up and spoke straight in my heart. He told us his story of how God had brought him out of alcohol and his life was changed. He read the Bible and prayed. He was happy. He thought he had “arrived”. And so he missed a Bible study or worship time when he had to work late the night before. No big deal. Then it was 2-3 misses. Then a month. He said it seemed like “no time at all” and he was back drinking more than he ever had before. He almost died. He told us that he had reached a “spiritual plateau” where he thought he couldn’t fall. He was wrong. With tears, he said he felt he now how a glimpse of how precious was his relationship with God. If his body and mind needed daily “exercise” to stay healthy and grow then so did his spirit. I have never forgotten Teddy’s words.

Each of us have potential slippery slopes in our lives. We have areas that temptation finds weakness to plant its sly, insidious fungus that will infect and destroy. Alcohol is a weakness for me. I have no spiritual (Biblical) problem with drinking in moderation. If wine was good enough for Jesus, then drinking wine (or whatever alcohol) with dinner, in moderation, is not a sin. (Drunkenness is. Romans 13, Galatians 5, 1 Peter 4) One drink is for me, however. The day after my divorce was final I heard God’s voice speak to me as clearly as any human voice. “Jody, you do not need to drink alcohol. It is a slippery slope for you.” Now I have always been a independent and stubborn all my life. (Ask my older brother!) But since I had drank a six-pack of beer the day before after I came home from court, I decided maybe God had some wisdom! I don’t drink just one drink. So I will listen to God and not drink alcohol.

What is your slippery slope? What is it in your life that you know God is trying to cleanse out of your heart and mind? Is it gossip or a critical tongue? Is it the literature you read or the movies you watch? And hear me clearly: Let me pay attention to God speaking about cleaning me and not try to place this ‘word’ on others in a critical, judgmental way! Didn’t Jesus say something about the plank in my eye vs. the sawdust in someone else’s (Luke 6:41)?

I want to be pure in heart and mind. I want to stay away from the edges of slippery cliffs. I want to see God. I need to see God. I want my life to be like “Windex glass”. Crystal clear. No shadowy, smokey glass. Clear eyes being the lamp that gives light in my cleansed mind and spirit (Matthew 6:22-23). Help me, LORD!

Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.            Psalm 51:10 (KJV)

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Mercy

Posted on January 20, 2011 by Jody Neufeld

“God blesses those who are merciful, for they will be shown mercy.”    Matthew 5:7 (NLT)

Most times when I read about mercy, God speaks to me about forgiveness. Today He is taking me to a different place.

But remember, dear friends, that the apostles of our Master, Jesus Christ, told us this would happen: “In the last days there will be people who don’t take these things seriously anymore. They’ll treat them like a joke, and make a religion of their own whims and lusts.” These are the ones who split churches, thinking only of themselves. There’s nothing to them, no sign of the Spirit!

But you, dear friends, carefully build yourselves up in this most holy faith by praying in the Holy Spirit, staying right at the center of God’s love, keeping your arms open and outstretched, ready for the mercy of our Master, Jesus Christ. This is the unending life, the real life!

Go easy on those who hesitate in the faith. Go after those who take the wrong way. Be tender with sinners, but not soft on sin. The sin itself stinks to high heaven.     Jude 17-23 (The Message)

I am a teacher. James has already warned me that what I teach is held to Jesus’ standard and I will be held to His strict standard (James 3:1). Jude speaks what has happened. Many do not want to hear the truth of Jesus and Him crucified. They want to hear self-help speeches. They do not want to hear about the Creator. They want to hear about the creation. I am saddened and angry that most who call themselves Christians are not part of a Bible study. They are not involved in service. They do not love God or others more than themselves and would not consider washing anyone’s feet. Their faith hasn’t grown in the last 10 – 20 – 50 years. There is “no sign of the Spirit”.

And here is where God sends His arrow into my heart. “Have mercy on those who hesitate, Jody. Go after those who are wandering off My path. Have mercy on sinners but not on their sin.” I hear Him tell me not to compromise the message/teaching He gives me but make sure it is always taught with His love. My job is to bring His Good News, not condemn His children. Mercy is about compassion. It is about keeping entangled with the One whose heart is tender so that my heart remains tender.

I was reminded today also of Esther’s story. Esther went from no one to queen. The king’s edict to kill all Jews probably would never have ‘caught’ her. She could have lived out her life safe from the wrath. But Esther was reminded by her uncle, Mordecai, that her life was always to be entangled with others and she now had an opportunity to serve them. And so Esther risked her life to save others. God honored that.

God has shown great mercy to me. My sins were great. The wall around my heart was high and solid. God did not give up on me. He pursued me for 40 years. He did not give up. And just as Jesus told Simon the Pharisee about the sinful woman who washed his feet, “she has been forgiven much because she has loved much” (Luke 7:47). I have been forgiven much – I want to continue to pay that forward. I need God’s Spirit to pour that compassion and mercy through me like an overflowing river.

Thank You, LORD, for Your great mercy.

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Our Relationship

Posted on January 19, 2011 by Jody Neufeld

[Jesus said,] “You’re blessed when you’ve worked up a good appetite for God. He’s food and drink in the best meal you’ll ever eat.”        Matthew 5:6 (The Message)

This is probably not a familiar translation for this passage. We are more familiar with words like “righteousness”. But righteousness is a characteristic that describes someone who has a great relationship with God. In Genesis 15, Abram believed what God told him and scripture says that God credited him with righteousness. God said, “You and I, Abram, are on the same page!” In 2 Samuel 22, David sings a song to God and in verses 21-25 he talks about their relationship and how God rewards according to that relationship.

I laughed when I read Matthew 5:20 because Jesus says to the people that their righteousness must be better than their leaders and teachers otherwise they won’t enter heaven. Jesus shocks everyone there. The people who are reeling from their new elevated status as not being 3rd class citizens and the Pharisees who have just been slapped down that their relationship with God isn’t enough! Now that is funny! But it is also a warning. Be careful that I do not get too full of myself instead of God!

Jesus says in this Beatitude that when I hunger and thirst, like a person in a desert or someone coming off a three-day fast, for more of a relationship with God – I will have it! For every step toward God that I take, He will take two – or three steps – or four – or … you get the idea. I can never outdo God. Think of the most thirsty you have ever been after hiking or playing basketball. Remember how hungry you are when you sit down to Thanksgiving dinner at 2 p.m. after not eating all day? Have you ever felt that kind of hunger and thirst for God? The night I gave my commitment to Jesus. I’ve often said that there could have been a whole military division with automatic weapons and I still would have walked forward and fell to my knees that night. I was hungry and thirsty and nothing else in my life had ever filled that hole. Jesus did. Jesus does.

There was a time that I thought that the closer Jesus and I would grow in our relationship the less chance that something “bad” would happen to me and those I love. Like my life is played out on a roulette table and the more I “played the game” the better percentage I would have to win. No, the closer I walk with Jesus the closer I walk with Jesus. We may walk through mine fields, rocky ground, and beautiful fields. When I walk with Jesus down all the different paths, I have Him to supply all that I need to go through with courage, wisdom, whatever I need. Difficult times are the greatest teaching times. They refine me.

As you endure this divine discipline, remember that God is treating you as his own children. Who ever heard of a child who is never disciplined by its father? If God doesn’t discipline you as he does all of his children, it means that you are illegitimate and are not really his children at all…

No discipline is enjoyable while it is happening—it’s painful! But afterward there will be a peaceful harvest of right living for those who are trained in this way.     Hebrews 12:7-8, 12 (NLT)

As my son once said to me, “Mom, this isn’t a sprint. It’s a marathon.” He’s right. My life with Jesus produces a harvest that is more than I can imagine but I am not going to see that harvest like a batch of instant potatoes. But the relationship will last forever. It will have no end.

But we are looking forward to the new heavens and new earth he has promised, a world filled with God’s righteousness.      2 Peter 3:13 (NLT)

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Humble and Blessed

Posted on January 18, 2011 by Jody Neufeld

“God blesses those people who are humble. The earth will belong to them!”        Matthew 5:5 (CEV)

Of all the Beatitudes, this is the one that is difficult to “see” and understand. Jesus says that if I walk in humility that the earth will be mine. I cannot see with my natural eyes that this is true. In this world humility is an oxymoron to great wealth. Since Jesus does not lie, what promise is Jesus speaking?

My husband, Henry, says this is where the word “Eschatology “ comes in. This may be where Jesus is speaking of His Kingdom and what blessings will come to those who have acted justly, loved mercy, and humbly walked with God (Micah 6:8). Is Jesus promising that those of us who have not walked on the backs of others to get ahead, and been a servant who follows His example will receive the “all”?

And that is when I stop and “get it”. I may not know the when and what of my blessing but I have now reached an understanding of where my focus is supposed to be. It is being a servant. That is my focus. How can I serve in Jesus’ Kingdom and do it without anyone noticing? Just be who God has grown and gifted me to be and do it with any recognition. Rejoicing in that. Quietly ecstatic.

Matthew tells us in his gospel about a woman who came and anointed Jesus as He is going to begin His final walk to Gethsemane. Her name is never given. We have no idea what happened to her. Is she one of the disciples mentioned in Acts? Was she martyred for her faith in Jesus Christ?. We don’t know. But Jesus said she had done a “beautiful thing”. He also said,

“I tell you the truth, wherever the Good News is preached throughout the world, this woman’s deed will be remembered and discussed.”               Matthew 26:13 (NLT)

It doesn’t matter what her name is. God knows who she is. It doesn’t matter if anyone knows what I am doing or if I am successful by their standards. God knows where I am and what I am doing. It is His eyes that I want to see me. It is His heart that I want to bless.

So today’s devotion may be short. It may seem filled with “I don’t know”. That doesn’t matter because today Jesus said that I will be blessed in true humility. I receive that today. I am going to spend the rest of my time reading Proverbs 3.

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