In the Matter of "Tomorrow"

 

Instead, you ought to say, “If it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that.”

—James 4:15

I spoke recently with a friend who loves to plan. This dear one lives by the calendar daybook she carries in her attaché case. Her daybook is somewhat unique in that it covers five years in advance. Remember, I said she likes to plan.

One time many years ago, when I was teaching a class on “Time Management,” she showed me her daybook. Every entry was neatly entered in very precise lettering. She had used eight different color codes to group her entries into the following categories:

• work appointments
• personal appointments
• work deadlines
• personal deadlines
• holidays
• vacation days
• family time, and
• work trips.
  
  

At a glance, she could look forward as many weeks, months, even years, and tell you exactly what she expected to do at any given moment. Now that’s serious planning!

But, for the follower of Jesus, we know that as much as we might desire to plan our lives—although some people hate planning and would rather live by “whim and fancy”—we really have little actual control over our lives. For example:

Just yesterday, I sat down at the computer keyboard to write an outline for a training class I’m leading. Before I could even begin, I had to answer three phone calls, one of which took twenty minutes to resolve the issue at hand. I then received four emails that required my immediate attention. By the time I got back to the outline I needed to write, several hours of time had passed.

The Apostle James offered the early Christians these wise words, as found in James 4:13-17:

Now listen, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money.” Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes.

Instead, you ought to say, “If it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that.” As it is, you boast in your arrogant schemes. All such boasting is evil. If anyone, then, knows the good they ought to do and doesn’t do it, it is sin for them.

That’s very good advice for us, as we launch into another new day. Let’s recognize that it is God who sets our pathway. He will open up the day for us.

Yes, we should still make good use of our time. And, part of that good effort is the stewardship of our time that we can achieve through thoughtful planning. But, when God sends an interruption our way, we should graciously stop what we are doing and cheerfully attend to whatever He wants us to do with the person interrupting us. That encounter may be just the opportunity that God has given us to say a word in His behalf.

 

_{Copyright © 2025 by Dean K. Wilson. All Rights Reserved.}

_{More info at www.DeanKWilson.com}

 

No Separation, Ever

 

Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? …

—from Romans 8:35

“Hold my hand! Please, hold my hand!”

Countless moms have spoken those words over the years, as they guide their dearly loved children along the pathway of life. In fact, that loving gesture of handholding has found a very secure place in our cultural norms. Holding hands is a signal of purposeful dependence, physical closeness, and deep love.

Often, one of the first acts of young people in love—and older people, too—is to hold hands. It signals the first bond-building experience between people who find joy in each other’s company. It is right and proper that we don’t want to be separated from the one who loves us and the one whom we love.

One of the best known and most respected college choirs in the United States is the choir from St. Olaf College in Minnesota. Quoting from the choir’s website:

The St. Olaf Choir, comprised of 75 mixed voices, is the premier a cappella choir in the United States. For over a century, the choir has set a standard of choral excellence and remained at the forefront of choral artistry. The ensemble’s annual tour brings its artistry and message to thousands of people across the nation and around the world.

Nearly twenty years ago, I had the privilege of attending a concert by this fabulous choir and of hosting two of the students in my home. One striking part of their performance was that, throughout the concert, the choir members held hands. They did this then, and continue to do this today, as a symbol of their unity as devoted performers, but also as a way of creating an intimate and highly collegial connection between choir members as they sing. Just seeing these 75 young people holding hands and singing to the glory of God was a breathtaking and deeply moving experience for me.

In our relationship with God, we can rest assured that He will never leave us. He will never let go of our hands. The Apostle Paul confirmed this great truth when he wrote these words found in Romans 8:35-37:

Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? As it is written: “For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.” No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.

As we begin a new day, let’s remember that we walk the road of this life with God holding us in His loving hands. We are never alone. We are never without His care. We are never without His overwhelming and never-failing love.

Let me help begin this new day with you by sharing a portion of a video featuring the St. Olaf College Choir and its Conductor, Anton Armstrong. Be sure to notice how they hold each other’s hands:

 

 

 

_{Copyright © 2025 by Dean K. Wilson. All Rights Reserved.}

_{More info at www.DeanKWilson.com}

 

Do All To God's Glory

 

“Do not offer the parts of your body to sin, as instruments of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God, as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer the parts of your body to him as instruments of righteousness.”

—Romans 6:13

Life is filled with choices. In fact, we make many hundreds of choices every day. We choose what we will wear, what we will eat, where we will go, with whom we will talk, and countless other such choices. We also choose the way we will relate to God.

In writing to the new “Christ’s-ones” gathered at Rome, the Apostle Paul carefully laid out the theology he had developed, as a chosen servant of God. This was particularly significant to those Roman Christians because Paul had never yet had the chance to visit with them at the time of his writing. This also makes Paul’s words significant for us, as well. Notice these words of the Apostle Paul, as recorded in Romans 6:13:

Do not offer the parts of your body to sin, as instruments of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God, as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer the parts of your body to him as instruments of righteousness.

Here Paul states a clear choice. It was common in Rome for the people to participate in all kinds of sexual sins. The practices of that day are detailed in many accounts by writers who lived contemporaneously with the Apostle Paul. The rankness of these sexual sins was very well known throughout the world. These sins were part of the downward slide of the Roman civilization that, over time and several generations, ultimately spelled its doom. The Apostle offers an alternative to that societal norm.

Paul urges the new Christians to set themselves apart from the society in which they lived by choosing to offer themselves wholly to God—to hold nothing back from Him. Not only were they to develop appropriate Christian spiritual formation, they were to declare the wholehearted love they had received from God by loving Him back with all four human modalities: heart, soul, mind, and strength, or emotional, spiritual, intellectual, and physical. Can we do otherwise?

As we begin another new day, let’s make the choice urged upon us by the Apostle Paul. Let’s choose to give every aspect of our humanity to God, including all four human modalities. Let’s not hold any part of us back from Him. In that way, we will declare our complete devotion to our God and our determination to serve Him fully.

 

_{Copyright © 2025 by Dean K. Wilson. All Rights Reserved.}

_{More info at www.DeanKWilson.com}

 

Far, Far Away

 

“As far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us.”

—Psalm 103:12

When someone does something to harm us, or to hurt our feelings, even when we respond to their request for us to forgive them and we do so, we will most likely remember what that person has done to us for a very long time. It seems as if we have an extensive memory for those things that cause us personal pain.

It is almost inconceivable to us that someone might forgive us and literally forget what we have done against them. I am more than a little embarrassed to admit that I still remember, in vivid detail from the days of my childhood, some of the things people did or said that caused me deep emotional pain. In fact, the image of what was done or said remains in my mind is as clear as a 1080p video image. But, God does not operate that way. Note these words from Psalm 103:12:

As far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us.

God not only forgives our sins—through the finished work on the cross by His one and only Son, Jesus—He casts those sins as far away from us as possible. In fact, Hebrews 8:12, quoting from Jeremiah 31:31-34, states:

For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more.

As we begin a new day, how wonderful for us to realize that our sins are not only forgiven, but they are forgotten. Yes! God no longer remembers our sins. Those sins of ours are absolutely covered by the shed blood of our Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. Praise God for His unfailing love for us.

 

_{Copyright © 2019 by Dean K. Wilson. All Rights Reserved.}

_{More info at www.DeanKWilson.com}

 

Clothed With Salvation

 

“I delight greatly in the Lord …”

—from Isaiah 61:10

Do you spend time planning, thinking about, and carefully choosing your wardrobe each day? If you do, you are a far better person than I am. Please allow me to explain:

Back in 1975, John T. Molloy wrote a book titled Dress for Success. ¹ This book intended to help people in business choose a wardrobe that would greatly enhance their chances of rising upward in whatever company for which they worked. The book made a huge splash in the business community. I read it carefully from cover to cover. Then, I dropped the book into the trash can.

As a bit of a weird someone, with very few social skills, who kind people refer to as “chubby” and who my Personal Care Physician calls “morbidly obese,” I have long had difficulty finding clothes that fit. In fact, I seriously doubt that any wardrobe choice would make me appear thin, handsome, or socially acceptable. In addition, in regard to many things for which other people willingly spend money, I am a tightwad. So, the whole idea of spending a significant block of time and a significant amount of money designing a success-assuring wardrobe seems laughable to me.

As Christians, it’s quite common in the current church to disclaim any concern about what people wear to worship on Saturday night or Sunday. I understand that what someone wears really should not interfere with the way other believers receive that one into the fellowship of the church. But, we followers of Jesus do have a unique bit of clothing that shapes our lives. The Prophet Isaiah wrote about this special clothing in Isaiah 61:10:

I delight greatly in the Lord; my soul rejoices in my God. For he has clothed me with garments of salvation and arrayed me in a robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom adorns his head like a priest, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.

Through the birth, life, suffering, death, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus, and through the power of His shed blood on the cross, God has clothed you and me with salvation and righteousness. We wear unique spiritual “clothing” that signifies our membership in God’s eternal Kingdom.

As we move out into this new day, let’s live our lives worthy of the spiritual “clothing” in which we have been clothed. Let’s honor God’s choice to clothe us in salvation and righteousness by living in a way that honors Him and magnifies to others His great and powerful love.

 

______________________

1 Molloy, John T. Dress for Success. New York, NY: Warner Publishing Company, 1985. Citation of any Copyrighted material is made on this blog post strictly for Educational Fair Use illustration purposes only. All Rights Reserved by the original Copyright Holder.

 

_{Copyright © 2025 by Dean K. Wilson. All Rights Reserved.}

_{More info at www.DeanKWilson.com}

 

Transactional Cleansing

 

“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.”

—1 John 1:9

In many ways, as we move along the road of our lives, the interactions we have with other individuals comes about as a series of transactions. Please allow me to explain a bit further:

A few years after I entered the workforce, writer Thomas Anthony Harris wrote a book in 1969 that took the business world by storm. Titled I’m OK—You’re OK, ¹ this book provided an easy-to-understand introduction to a psychological tool called “Transactional Analysis” (TA).

Basically, TA asserts that the neurological research of Wilder Penfield could be merged with the psychotherapeutic work of Eric Berne to create a model for assessing and understanding human interaction within the framework of interpersonal relationships. Harris creates a model for this analysis that casts each participant in an instance of interpersonal relationship (transaction) as either a Parent, Adult, or Child.

In my role at the insurance company where I worked for most of my career, I taught the basics of TA for many years. It proved most helpful in giving employees a way of divorcing themselves from the emotions of an interpersonal transaction, so they could critically analyze what was taking place and how to bring agreement, or harmony, to a disharmonious relationship.

Our relationships take place as transactions. As Christians, we often lose sight of the fact that our relationship with God is transactional—in fact, it is a covenantal relationship. God created us that we might know Him and that He might enjoy a relationship with us for all eternity. But, our first parents, Adam and Eve, failed to obey His single command. As a result, sin entered the perfect world God had created. That sin became passed down to every successive generation, right to us in this the present time.

Early on, God set apart a people to be His ambassadors to the troubled and needy world. God formed a covenantal relationship—a transactional relationship—with these very special people. These chosen ones, the Jews, were given a means of temporarily covering their sins through the shedding of the blood of specific animals. God told them, through His spokesmen, that this act was a foreshadowing of a once-for-all atonement for sin that He would bring about in the future.

God’s relationship with His chosen people was a rocky one because they continually strayed from following close to Him and obeying His commands. But, out of the line of King David, God caused His one and only Son to take on human form. Born of a virgin, this God-man, Jesus, would eventually die on a cruel Roman cross of torture and shed His blood to cover the sins of all those God would call to Himself. God then grafted into the line of the Jews certain non-Jews, or Gentiles, thus extending redemption through His Son to people from every tribe and nation whom God would call to Himself.

The forgiveness of sins is transactional. And, we are a blessed part of that transaction. As the Apostle John wrote in 1 John 1:5-10:

This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all. If we claim to have fellowship with him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live out the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.

If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word is not in us.

Throughout this new day, let’s remember to confess our sins to God and receive His pardon. While the penalty for sin has truly been paid by the blood of Jesus, we must strive to overcome those sins that would still enslave us. Because we bear the sin nature of Adam, until we pass from this life to the next, we will always sin. But, we can learn through the transaction of confession to become more and more like Jesus.

 

______________________

1 Harris, Thomas Anthony. I’m OK—You’re OK. North Hollywood, CA: Galahad Publishing Company, 2004. In each case, the citation of any Copyrighted material is made on this blog post strictly for Educational Fair Use illustration purposes only. All Rights Reserved by the original Copyright Holder.

 

_{Copyright © 2025 by Dean K. Wilson. All Rights Reserved.}

_{More info at www.DeanKWilson.com}

 

We've Been Shown

 

“He has shown you, O man, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.”

—Micah 6:8

Here’s a scenario to which we all can likely relate:

It’s a person’s second day in his or her new job. Yesterday, this one spent the day filling out paperwork and taking a tour of the facility where he or she will now work. This person met key people. Sat at his or her new desk and did a bit of organizing of it. Now, it’s time to begin to do actual work.

Someone has placed a rather tall pile of file folders on this one’s desk. Obviously, he or she is supposed to do something with what’s inside those folders. But, this one has no clue. No one has shown him or her what to do.

This person sits there for a while. He or she even opens one of the folders and look at the contents. This one looks around to see what the other workers are doing. He or she sighs, and, to his or her self whispers:

“I wish someone would, very directly, tell me what I am supposed to do!”

The American Management Association declares, in several of its major research projects on improving worker productivity, that the number one thing workers want to happen is for someone—anyone—to tell them exactly what they’re supposed to do.

As a long-term management consultant, I can’t for the life of me imagine why this necessary direction isn’t given automatically. Don’t managers realize they must always clearly tell their employees what tasks they are to perform, and that they must train their employees exactly how to perform the tasks that make up their jobs?

As followers of Jesus, we do not have to ask God what He wants us to do. He has clearly told us in His written Word, the Bible. In fact, notice what the Prophet Micah has shared, as found in Micah 6:8:

He has shown you, O man, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.

Wow! Here’s just one of many places in Scripture where God speaks to us through His choice servant and tells us what we need to do. Can we ask any more than that? No, we can’t. So, as this new day begins, let’s get to work. Okay?

 

_{Copyright © 2025 by Dean K. Wilson. All Rights Reserved.}

_{More info at www.DeanKWilson.com}

 

Everyone Who Asks, Receives

 

“Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. …”

—from Matthew 7:7

Did you ever ask for something and the person you were asking said, “No!” As children, that seems to happen more than it does for us as adults. Although, I am sad to report that I know a woman who is married to a man who seems to delight in saying “No!” to almost every request she makes. I always feel sad when I hear about such people. I guess I’m someone who prefers, even delights, in saying “Yes!”

I also know Someone who really, really delights in saying “Yes!” to the children He dearly loves. And that, of course, is God. Jesus explained this quality of His Father in Matthew 7:7-8:

Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.

As we begin a new day, let’s not hesitate to ask of God whatever we wish. We can do so knowing that He will give us all that we truly need, whenever our request matches His divine and perfect will for us. He will reach into His storehouse and give us an abundant outpouring of His richest blessings. He does this because He loves us.

And, maybe that’s a lesson we need to learn. Maybe we need to learn to say “Yes!” whenever we hear of someone who needs our help. What a joy it is whenever we can share with others what God has so graciously given to us.

 

_{Copyright © 2025 by Dean K. Wilson. All Rights Reserved.}

_{More info at www.DeanKWilson.com}

 

A Life of Trusting in God

 

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart …”

—from Proverbs 3:5

When I was growing up in the 1950s and 1960s, it was very popular for Evangelical Christian teenagers to become part of Youth For Christ International (YFC). This nationally significant organization had arisen in the early 1940s out of rallies held across the United States and overseas. The Rev. Dr. Billy Graham became the first full-time staff member of Youth For Christ International. Please allow me to share a bit of my personal history:

Youth For Christ had a number of key elements that those of us who participated in the twice-monthly rallies adopted, to name a few:

• The red-covered YFC Bible, which we were encouraged to carry on top of our books at school
  
  
• A commitment to spend time each day in Bible reading and in prayer
  
  
• Choosing a “life’s verse” from Scripture that would both mark and guide our lives
  
  
• Familiarity with somewhat simple songs with happy melodies that celebrated our relationship with Jesus Christ
  
  
• A determination to sexual purity, partularly in light of the all too rapidly changing behaviors that came to the front of society in the mid-1960s.
  
  

We were very serious about our devotion to Christ and His Kingdom. We participated in Bible Study groups, as well as faithfully attending the rallies. We devoured each issue of YFC Magazine when it arrived in our mailbox. We followed the travels of Billy Graham, Jack Wyrtzen, Dave Breese, Sam Wolgemuth, Torrey Johnson, and other key YFC leaders.

I can remember the evening that I sat in the control room at radio station WESB in my hometown of Bradford, Pennsylvania, when the telephone rang and the local YFC leader, Ted Hess, asked if he could stop by the radio station on his way home from work. Naturally, I agreed and soon he sat next to me as I monitored the broadcast of a New York Yankees baseball game.

“Have you been praying about your life’s verse?” Ted asked me.

“Yes, I have,” I replied. “And, I’ve been thinking quite a lot about it, too. I have no idea what God has in store for me. In some ways, I feel drawn in three very different directions: radio broadcasting, fire protection, and the ministry. I really don’t know which of those God wants me to pursue. But, I know He will reveal His plan to me in His time. So, I think I know the Scripture passage that I will choose as my life’s verses. They’re Proverbs 3:5-6.”

“Oh!” Ted exclaimed. “I think that’s a perfect choice for you.”

And so, I took the words of King Solomon, as recorded in Proverbs 3:5-6, and made them my own:

Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.

While I have failed in my quest to be obedient to God many times over the years of my life, I have never lost sight of the truth of these two verses. Time and again, God has proven faithful to these golden words. The more that I have learned to lean on Him, to trust Him, to give Him the whole of my heart, the more He has directed my path. And, the more I have made certain to acknowledge Him and the key role He has in my life, the more I have the confidence of knowing that He is keeping my pathway straight.

This new day, I commend these verses to all who may read this blog post. Let us do what these verses instruct. Let us trust God with all of our hearts. Let’s specifically determine to not lean on our own understanding. Let’s acknowledge God’s critically important role in our lives. And, let us enjoy, with great peace, the reality that God will make our paths straight.

 

_{Copyright © 2025 by Dean K. Wilson. All Rights Reserved.}

_{More info at www.DeanKWilson.com}

 

Worthy of Praise

 

“Praise the Lord, my soul; all my inmost being, praise his holy name.”

—Psalm 103:1

God is worthy of our praise for so very many reasons. Here are just a few of them, as written by King David and found in Psalm 103:1-5:

Praise the Lord, my soul; all my inmost being, praise his holy name. Praise the Lord, my soul, and forget not all his benefits—who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion, who satisfies your desires with good things so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.

Praising God offers us a means of spiritual renewal. When we focus on who God has revealed Himself to be, and when we focus on what God has done, we begin to experience within our own selves a sense of His goodness permeating our lives. God desires to renew us each day. Praising Him grants us the ability to focus on the God who loves us with His unending love. As our humble praises rise to God, He provides a spirit of joy that lifts us up above the mundane problems of our earthly lives.

As we begin another day of life, we would do well to start our day with praise to God. His everlasting love fills us full to overflowing. Every good thing comes from Him. Our salvation and eternal life give us meaning beyond our ability to comprehend. He guards us and guides us. This day, let’s not allow anything to diminish our praise for the God who is our All-in-All.

 

_{Copyright © 2025 by Dean K. Wilson. All Rights Reserved.}

_{More info at www.DeanKWilson.com}

 

Baptized Into New Life

 

“Or don’t you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death?”

—from Romans 6:3

The Sacrament of Baptism holds great significance for the follower of Jesus. In the Reformed tradition, we baptize the children of believing parents in the expectation that God’s covenant reaches down through the lines of families. Unlike some Christian traditions, whether baptizing children or adults, we require the baptism to take place as a part of a worship service. We do this because, in addition to promises the parents make regarding the raising of their child, the members of the church in the congregation also promise to do their part to nurture the Christian spiritual formation of this young child.

Of course, other traditions require the person being baptized to have made a conscious and willful profession of faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, as their Savior and Lord. I understand their reasoning for doing this and, in fact, worshipped for many years in just such a tradition.

No matter what specific tradition your church may follow, the Sacrament of Baptism mirrors the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus. It is both a sacramental act and an act with deep symbolism. As the one being baptized rises from the baptismal waters, he or she experiences, in sacrament and symbol, the newness of life that the Apostle Paul was writing about in Romans 6:3-4:

Or don’t you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.

As we begin a new day, let’s remember that we who belong to God through His Son have experienced the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus through the Sacrament of Baptism. We now live in a new life. We need to let go of the “old things” and cling to the new life we have been given through the Lord Jesus Christ. In our “newness of life,” we represent Jesus to a world that desperately needs His salvation. We become light in the darkness and salt for the unpreserved. Let’s go forth this day and truly be salt and light, so that all who cross our pathway will sense God’s mercy, grace, and amazing love.

 

_{Copyright © 2025 by Dean K. Wilson. All Rights Reserved.}

_{More info at www.DeanKWilson.com}

 

The Key to Success

 

“Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and your plans will succeed.”

—Proverbs 16:3

Most ambitious individuals look for some almost magical key to success. Some motivational books will insist such a key consists of a carefully crafted, frequently reviewed, and modified-as-necessary strategic plan. Other motivational sources insist that success comes from determined hard work. Still other such books will claim that it’s who you know and the alliances you form that will guarantee a person’s success.

This is not at all the way that a follower of Jesus should look at success. First and foremost, the very definition of the word “success” takes on a new meaning for a child of God. Success, in terms of God’s ambassadors, must become defined in the terms that relate to our role of stewards.

I’ve shared many times on this blog that a steward is a slave elevated to a position of responsibility in his or her Master’s Kingdom. Still a bond slave (see Deuteronomy 15), such a person invests all of himself or herself into actions that will benefit the Master’s hopes, dreams, desires, and wishes. It is a calling to absolute obedience and total commitment. King Solomon expressed this sentiment well, when he wrote these words found in Proverbs 16:3:

Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and your plans will succeed.

This instruction does not mean:

“When you begin a task, pause for a moment, pray, and ask God’s blessing on your self-appointed task.”

Quite to the contrary, this wise saying indicates that we must, first of all, know exactly what our Master desires. We learn this by reading, studying, and meditating on His written Word, the Bible. Next, we must clearly recognize our part and His part. We cannot serve Him alone. That’s why He gave us the in-dwelling power of the Holy Spirit. Working under the leadership and guidance of the Holy Spirit, we can proceed to obediently follow the pathway laid out before us and accomplish for God what He intends.

As we begin a new day, let’s not lose sight of the fact that God wants us to achieve success—as He defines that word. He wants us to reap the benefit of our obedient service to Him and to His Kingdom. So, let’s rejoice that He has loved us enough to make us a part of His effort to free the world from sin, death, and Satan.

 

_{Copyright © 2025 by Dean K. Wilson. All Rights Reserved.}

_{More info at www.DeanKWilson.com}

 

Let Us Help

 

“Carry each other's burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.”

—Galatians 6:2

One of the great joys of belonging to God through His Son, Jesus, is the opportunities He gives us to help other people. Nothing makes us smile quite as much as seeing one of our brothers or sisters in Christ helping someone in need. The Apostle Paul wrote these words of instruction, found in Galatians 6:2:

Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.

The road of life is just too difficult to travel it alone. That’s why God created His church—to bring believers together, so they could worship Him, while they encourage and help each other. We need to keep this reality in the forefront of our minds.

As we begin a new day, let’s look for opportunities where we can be of assistance to our fellow “Christ’s-ones.” And, let’s also be aware of people around us who have needs that we can help them meet. Giving a hand-up is certainly a fitting way to honor the God who loves us with His everlasting love. By so doing, we represent Him well to a world that needs to learn of Him.

 

_{Copyright © 2025 by Dean K. Wilson. All Rights Reserved.}

_{More info at www.DeanKWilson.com}

 

Dead to Sin

 

“What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? By no means! We died to sin; how can we live in it any longer?”

—Romans 6:1

I have a dear friend who, by God’s grace and his own determined discipline, has freed himself from addiction to alcohol. It wasn’t that he was a falling down drunk. But, more and more, he found his life controlled by the desire to “take the edge off” with a drink of some alcoholic beverage. Soon, almost every waking thought was directed toward when he would be able to have his next drink. And, once he began to drink, he had a very hard time reigning in the desire for more and more booze.

But then, one day he realized he had completely lost control of his life. He fell to his knees and poured his heart out to God. He sought help through Alcoholics Anonymous. Soon, he began to sense that, with God’s help, he had regained control of his own life. Today, he has not had a drink for nearly 45 years. His life has taken on new meaning and purpose. He has accomplished a great deal, not only in his personal and professional lives, but he has accomplished much on behalf of Christ and His Kingdom.

We may not feel enslaved to alcohol or drugs, but in many ways we humans have become enslaved to sin. The ironic part of this, for those of us who believe in the life-transforming power of the living Lord Jesus Christ, is that Christ has freed us from the bondage of sin. Why, then, do we keep re-enslaving ourselves to destructive behaviors? The Apostle Paul wrote these words of admonition, as recorded in Romans 6:1:

What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? By no means! We died to sin; how can we live in it any longer?

Through the birth, life, suffering, death, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus, we have been given the power from the Holy Spirit that allows us to put sin to death. Our bondage to sin is over. As we begin this new day, isn’t it high time we started to live like sin has no hold over us? Should we not call a halt to continuing to repeat the same sins over and over and over again?

Let me be so bold as to suggest that this new day gives us an opportunity to make a conscious decision to stop ourselves from repeatedly sinning. We can ask for God’s help, through the Holy Spirit. We can fill our minds and hearts with positive spiritual thoughts that will steer us away from those worldly negative thoughts that drag us into sin. After all, don’t we owe our very lives to Jesus? It’s time we took a stand against the sin that we allow to plague our lives.

 

_{Copyright © 2025 by Dean K. Wilson. All Rights Reserved.}

_{More info at www.DeanKWilson.com}

 

Soaring

 

“They will soar on wings like eagles …”

—from Isaiah 40:31

The Australian ministry, Hillsong, has a praise song, “Lift You Higher,” ¹ that can really hype up a contemporary worship service. Here are some of the words:

You came to save the world:
To rescue me; To rescue me.
You came to give us hope:
You’re all I need; You’re all I need.

You set our hearts on fire:
It burns in me; It burns in me.
Now You awaken us:
For all to see; For all to see.

Because Your love has set me free;
Because Your love will never leave;
Because You live and die for me;
I live for You alone.

We lift You higher, Our God!
Your name be lifted higher
In everything.

The heights always have an allure for us. As human beings, we look to the high places and long to soar high above everything. We envy the birds. That’s why the invention of flight has become so important to us. We want to rise above on wings that fly. The Prophet Isaiah understood this desire and penned these words found in Isaiah 40:30-31:

Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.

As another new day begins, do we intend to soar with the eagles? It’s a choice we can make right now. If we put all of our hope in the Lord, He will renew our strength. He will enable us to run and not grow weary, to walk and not faint. Let’s choose to soar!

 

______________________

1 Hillsong Worship. “Life You Higher.” Castle Hill, Australia: Hillsong Church T/A Hillsong Music Australia, 2013. In each case, citation of Copyrighted material is made on this blog post strictly for Educational Fair Use illustration purposes only. All Rights Reserved by the original Copyright Holder.

 

_{Copyright © 2025 by Dean K. Wilson. All Rights Reserved.}

_{More info at www.DeanKWilson.com}

 

We Live By Faith

 

“I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.”

—Galatians 2:20

We who follow the Lord Jesus Christ recognize that no matter how diligently we may plan out each new day, the direction of our lives rests in God’s loving hands. At any time, God may change our course along the pathway He has laid out before us. The only genuine way to live as a Christian is to recognize that we are servants of God and must remain at His disposal at all times. This is what prompted the Apostle Paul to write these words found in Galatians 2:20:

I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

As we begin this new day, let’s recognize that the life we live, we live by faith. We have been crucified with our Savior. Our life is in His hands and every aspect of who we are is at His disposal at all times. This may sound like an enormous challenge. But actually, it is an enormous privilege. It’s a privilege that should produce in us great joy and great comfort.

 

_{Copyright © 2025 by Dean K. Wilson. All Rights Reserved.}

_{More info at www.DeanKWilson.com}

 

Keep In Step

 

“Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.”

—Galatians 5:25

Nothing stirs my patriotic heart quite as much as seeing United States Marines on parade. The precision of their formations, the synchronicity of their march, the brilliance of their uniforms, the ruggedness of their countenance—all remind me of a photo of my dad, who served in the U. S. Marine Corps during World War II. One thing about Marines: they are always in step with one another. Whether on the parade ground, or on the battle field, Marines work together as one. That is exactly the instruction that the Apostle Paul gave to the Christians gathered in the church at Galatia, when he wrote these words found in Galatians 5:25:

Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.

We who follow Jesus need to acknowledge, with great joy, that we are not alone in our quest to serve the King of Kings. God has given us His Holy Spirit to lead us, guide us, protect us, and enable us in our service to Christ and His Kingdom. Therefore, we need to keep in step with the Holy Spirit, as He leads us along the pathway that He has laid out before us.

This new day, let’s determine to do everything within our frail human power to keep in step with the Holy Spirit. This is the road to victory. Let’s stay on this road.

 

_{Copyright © 2025 by Dean K. Wilson. All Rights Reserved.}

_{More info at www.DeanKWilson.com}

 

Speak Up! Or, Stay Silent!

 

“Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute.”

—Proverbs 31:8

In life, there is a time to be silent and a time to speak. Sometimes, it’s hard to know which is which. I know that I especially have a great deal of difficulty remaining silent, especially when I hear someone state something that I know is not fully accurate, or completely true. Please let me offer this illustation:

Some time ago, I read a public statement from a security official regarding the automatic fire sprinkler protection in the hotel buildings that he oversaw. He stated that whenever an automatic sprinkler actuated in a fire, it would discharge more than 80 to 100 gallons of water per minute. As a fire protection engineer, who has the honor of having been awarded the designation of Fellow with the Society of Fire Protection Engineers, I was startled by his assertion.

Over the course of my career, I have designed many automatic fire sprinkler systems, and reviewed the plans for many hundreds more. I know that the mathematical formula for determining the discharge from an automatic fire sprinkler head specifies that the flow of water from a sprinkler head measured in gallons per minute is equal to the discharge coefficient of the sprinkler head (nominally 5.6) multiplied by the square root of the pressure. Even if the pressure at a sprinkler head was as high as 100 psi—a most unlikely situation in the vast majority of buildings, except those equipped with an automatic fire pump—the maximum flow of water from a single sprinkler head would normally equal no more than 56 gallons per minute. With each sprinkler head covering between 100 to 120 square feet, that gives a discharge density per square foot of between 0.56 gallons-per-minute to 0.46 gallons-per-minute—that is about one-half a gallon of water each minute.

Since the vast majority of the public water systems have far less pressure available than 100 psi, including the water system serving the particular buildings to which the individual was referring, I knew that the security official’s statement was significantly in error. And, I just couldn’t keep this information to myself. So, I told someone in the management of the complex about this mistatement.

Should I have done that? Probably not. What difference did it really make? Most people wouldn’t have known or cared about this mistaken information. I most likely should have kept my analysis to myself.

On the other hand, there are definitely times when we should speak up with no hesitation. King Solomon addresses one of those situations, as recorded in Proverbs 31:8:

Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute.

When we see someone being abused, mistreated, or greatly in need, we must speak up. All the more so, we must do this because we belong to the Lord Jesus Christ. We cannot turn a blind eye to the genuine needs of the people around us.

Is someone hurting? Then we must speak up for that one and offer comfort. Is someone hungry? We must speak up for him or her and offer food. Is someone in fear? We must speak up for such a person and offer protection. Whatever genuine needs we observe, we must speak up and act as instruments of God’s mercy, grace, and love.

As Christ’s ambassadors, let’s keep an eye out, this new day, for people who need help. Then, let’s lovingly and joyfully speak up for them and offer aid to them, in the name of Jesus. After all, God knew we needed salvation from our sins and He willingly sent His one and only Son to die in our place. Speaking up and helping others in genuine need is the very least that we can do to honor this magnificent God who loves us so very much.

 

_{Copyright © 2025 by Dean K. Wilson. All Rights Reserved.}

_{More info at www.DeanKWilson.com}

 

Do You Not Know?

 

“Do you not know? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom. He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak.”

—Isaiah 40:28-29

Some say that rumors have wings like a butterfly. They flit from one possible landing source to another, blown ever onward by people’s insatiable curiosity for inside information. “Have you heard about …” is the starting point of far too many conversations. Illustrating the foolishness of trafficing in gossip, Patrick Rothfuss in his book, The Wise Man’s Fears, records this conversation: ¹

“I’d heard you were dead,” he declared.

“I heard you wear a red lace corset,” I said matter-of-factly. “But I don’t believe every bit of nonsense that gets rumored about.”

The Prophet Isaiah startled the people of Judah by responding with the following words to their criticisms that God seemed far away and did not hear their cries for help. Note what Isaiah said, as recorded in Isaiah 40:28-29:

Do you not know? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom. He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak.

As opposed to a rumor, here is a word of truth that is totally worth sharing: the Lord is the everlasting God. He will not grow tired or weary. No one can understand what He understands. Most of all, He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak.

Those words should cheer us onward, as we begin a new day. And, they are not a rumor, or a bit of gossip. They represent truth that we should gladly share with someone today.

 

______________________

1 Rothfuss, Patrick. The Wise Man’s Fears.. New York, NY: DAW Books/Astra Publishing House, Ltd, 2013. In each case, the citation of Copyrighted material is made on this blog post strictly for Educational Fair Use illustration purposes only. All Rights Reserved by the original Copyright Holder.

 

_{Copyright © 2025 by Dean K. Wilson. All Rights Reserved.}

_{More info at www.DeanKWilson.com}

 

Unsearchable Things

 

“Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know.”

—Jeremiah 33:3

Have you ever embarked on a database search and received a “File not found” message? In my early personal computer days, I worked using a software called dBase II. The most dreaded message any dBase II programmer could ever receive was “End of file found unexpectedly.” This message indicated that the database has become corrupted, and whatever the user was searching for could not now be found.

In our spiritual lives, we will never receive a “File not found” message from God. In fact, quite the opposite is true. The Prophet Jeremiah records these words of God in Jeremiah 33:3:

“Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know.”

When we call on God in prayer, He promises to tell us “great and unsearchable things” that we do not know. No matter what prompts our prayer of searching, God has all the answers—even for those things that others may consider “unsearchable.”

Yes, there are times when we ask something of God in prayer and we don’t receive an immediate answer that we can discern. In those times, God is asking us to remain patient while He works out the situation for our benefit. No matter what may happen, we have the confidence to know that, in God’s great plan for us, He will never allow something to happen that is not somehow for our benefit. This is especially true when we cannot conceive of how what is happening could possibly benefit us.

God is the One who reveals the “unsearchable.” Let’s keep that in mind, as we begin a new day. Knowing that God’s magnificent power is always pointed at making our lives better and more in tune with the people He wants us to become should quell our fears and doubts and give us freedom to follow His leading wherever it might take us.

 

_{Copyright © 2025 by Dean K. Wilson. All Rights Reserved.}

_{More info at www.DeanKWilson.com}

 

All-Heart Seeking

 

“You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.”

—Jeremiah 29:13

How much energy and persistence we put into meeting a goal often determines whether or not we achieve that goal. That’s why motivational speakers often emphasize the importance of “full engagement” in any worthwhile activity.

If we want to devote ourselves to exercise and fitness, in order to overcome obesity or other physical issues that might threaten our health, we must exercise with energy and persistence. It will not do to simply stop by the gym once or twice a month. If we want to improve our understanding of some new concept or idea, we must make every effort to read and study about that subject. We must do much more than simply scanning an article or two in the waiting room of the barbershop or hair salon.

Likewise, in pursuing, with significant devotion, our relationship with God, we must make a heartfelt effort to seek to understand, as much as we possibly can, who God is and what He expects of us. That’s what motivated the Prophet Jeremiah to record these words of God Himself, as found in Jeremiah 29:13:

You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.

The term “all-heart seeking” smacks of a devotion, determination, persistence, and energy that drives us forward in our walk with God. It means we take time to read, study, and meditate on His written Word, the Bible. It means we will take time to talk with Him in prayer—not only presenting our needs, but praising Him for who He is and thanking Him for what He has done for us.

As a new day begins, let’s make a conscious choice to seek God with all of our heart, mind, soul, and strength. As we apply our four human modalities to the task of following the pathway God lays out before us, we will discover that He lovingly waits to be found by us.

 

_{Copyright © 2025 by Dean K. Wilson. All Rights Reserved.}

_{More info at www.DeanKWilson.com}

 

What Should We Do?

 

“About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them.”

—Acts 16:25

Have you ever found yourself in a situation where you turned to a friend and said:

“What should we do? What in the world should we do?”

Whenever we’re faced with a difficult and trying situation, we all tend to wonder what we should do. This wonderment can produce significant stress.

The Apostle Paul and his companion, Silas, had been thrown into a Roman prison because they prayed and brought healing to a slave woman who was possessed by a spirit of divination. In other words, this evil spirit that had occupied the woman gave the woman power to predict the future. When Paul and Silas prayed and cast the demon out of the woman, her owners became angry that she could no longer make money for them. So, they had Paul and Silas arrested.

Sitting in the dark, dank cell of this Roman prison, Paul and Silas likely asked themselves:

“What should we do? What in the world should we do?”

Then, Paul and Silas did something most unexpected. Dr. Luke picks up this story, as recorded in Acts 16:25:

About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them.

Yes, that’s what Paul and Silas decided to do. In a moment of great inconvenience and difficulty, they prayed and sang hymns of praise to God, most likely songs from the Psalms. I wonder if we would have made such a wise choice?

As we begin a new day, let’s determine to do the divine unexpected when we face difficult circumstances. Let’s not waste our time worrying or complaining. Instead, let’s turn to God in prayer and sing songs of praise to Him. Those seem like much better things to do. Okay?

 

_{Copyright © 2025 by Dean K. Wilson. All Rights Reserved.}

_{More info at www.DeanKWilson.com}

 

Glory to the Able-One

 

“To him who is able to keep you from falling and to present you before his glorious presence without fault and with great joy—to the only od our Savior be glory, majesty, power and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all ages, now and forevermore! Amen.”

—Jude 1:24-25

I wonder how often we consider the fact that, in every situation of life, God is supremely able. Nothing is daunting to Him. He has all power, all authority, all wisdom, all knowledge, all understanding—nothing confuses Him or causes Him to wonder if He can accomplish what is needed.

When you think about these qualities of God that proceed from the holiness at the very core of His divine being, they can easily boggle our minds. Apart from Him, there is no one in our experience that is totally able under every circumstance. No doubt, this prompted the Apostle Jude to write these words, found in Jude 1:24-25:

To him who is able to keep you from falling and to present you before his glorious presence without fault and with great joy—to the only God our Savior be glory, majesty, power and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all ages, now and forevermore! Amen.

No matter what we may face in our lives, God is able. He is able to protect us. He is able to save us. He is able to deliver us. He is able to work out circumstances to our benefit. He is able. Yes, He is able! As we begin a new day, let’s draw comfort from the fact that the very God who loves us with His never-failing love is also able in every circumstance of life.

 

_{Copyright © 2025 by Dean K. Wilson. All Rights Reserved.}

_{More info at www.DeanKWilson.com}

 

His Masterpiece

 

“For we are God’s workmanship [masterpiece], created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”

—Ephesians 2:10

Whatever medium in which we work—art, crafts, calligraphy, mechanics, woodwork, database management, website development, or any other endeavor that requires creativity and hard work—from time to time we often experience a sense of deep satisfaction from what we’ve accomplished. Please allow me to share a personal example to illustrate my point.

I can remember many years ago, back in the very early 1980s, when IBM created the first personal computer to become adopted by many businesses, I purchased a Compaq Portable Computer. It was about the size of a professional-grade portable sewing machine. I soon bought a hard drive card for this computer that held a whopping 20 megabytes of storage. I also had equipped my pride-and-joy compuyer with a modem that operated at such a slow speed—compared to data transmission speeds today—that it would hardly be able to display a webpage at today’s data rates.

I also purchased some software:

• Wordstar for word processing,
  
  
• Multiplan for spreadsheets, and
  
  
• dBase II for database creation.
  
  

Of these three, dBase II was the most fascinating and most challenging to me. When the dBase II program launched, all that appeared on the screen was a single dot, or period, that the software developer called the “dot prompt.” It was a truly powerful database program. But, to make it work effectively, the user had to learn a unique dBase II programming language.

I well remember the sense of satisfaction I received when I began to develop some fairly simple, but later very sophisticated, dBase II application programs. In fact, for a while, I worked at night doing dBase II programming for a computer consulting company. During this time period, I created several multi-layer dBase II applications for businesses, who paid handsomely for my work.

After working for two or three months developing a particular application, I felt a deep satisfaction about the “masterpiece” that I had created. It was the result of hundreds of hours of programming and re-programming thousands of lines of dBase II application programming code.

Imagine now how God must feel when He looks at His dearly loved children and sees the spiritual formation that is pushing each of us forward along the pathway that He has laid out before us. This is what prompted the Apostle Paul to write these words, found in Ephesians 2:10:

For we are God’s workmanship [masterpiece], created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

Every opportunity that we take to respond with loving obedience to God’s direction in our lives truly brings Him great joy, for such devoted behavior on our part is exactly what God created us to do. So, as we begin a new day, let’s take time to set a course for the day that will please God through our obedience. As we show forth His love to a needy world, we validate the work of the Holy Spirit within us. We are on display in the gallery of life. Let’s determine to learn how to be the “masterpieces” that God created us to be.

 

_{Copyright © 2025 by Dean K. Wilson. All Rights Reserved.}

_{More info at www.DeanKWilson.com}

 

He Cares For Us

 

“Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.”

—1 Peter 5:7

When someone says these words to us: “He (or she) really cares for you!”—doesn’t that create a warm and tender feeling deep inside our hearts? Of course it does. We all want to know that someone cares for us.

Love fuels all that’s good in our world. No matter how discouraged we may feel at some point in time, when we are reminded that someone cares for us, it makes our burden just a bit lighter. Knowing that we are in the forefront of someone’s thoughts and prayers, that someone has turned his or her heart toward ours, can give us strength to carry on, in spite of the trials we may be facing. That’s why the Apostle Peter wrote these words to the early Christians scattered across the then-known world, as recorded in 1 Peter 5:7:

Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.

Just a few days ago in a blog post, I mentioned this verse in concert with 1 Peter 5:6. I have returned to it today because the power of these few words gripped me in a special way.

To think that the God, who created all things, cares enough about us to cause one of His choice servants to pen these words is startling. God wants us to know that He cares for us. Not only does He care for us, but He willingly welcomes us to give Him all the anxiety we may feel.

As we begin a new day, let’s not hesitate to respond to this magnificent offer from the God who loves us with His everlasting love. Let’s joyfully give Him all our anxiety, knowing that He truly does care for us.

Perhaps this delightful rendition of the hymn written by Edward H. Joy will serve as a gentle reminder throughout this day: ¹

 

 

 

______________________

1 The London Fox Singers. “All Your Anxiety.” from the album: What a Friend We Have in Jesus - 50 Acapella Hymns. East Sussex, UK: Classic Fox Records/Martingale Music, 2013. Please note that whenever a citation of Copyrighted material is made on this blog post strictly for Educational Fair Use illustration purposes only. All Rights Reserved by the original Copyright Holder.

 

_{Copyright © 2025 by Dean K. Wilson. All Rights Reserved.}

_{More info at www.DeanKWilson.com}

 

Whether in Life or Whether in Death

 

“For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.”

—Philippians 1:21

We tend to evaluate the significance of the events that occur throughout the course of our lives by some type of rating scale. Seeing the Grand Canyon, flying in an airplane for the first time, graduating from high school or college, completing basic training in the military, starting our first job, achieving a promotion at work—whatever the event, we think about it in terms of where it might reside on a list of significant things that have happened to us. Such events, we think, help define who we are.

The Apostle Paul whittled down the scale of his life’s definition into two distinct components. Notice these words of Paul’s, recorded in Philippians 1:21:

For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.

“As long as I am on this earth,” Paul insists, “I am determined to put Christ first in every aspect of my life. And, when I pass from this life to the next, I know this will be a genuine gain for me.”

Paul was not trying to accelerate his departure, nor was he resisting that “graduation” day. He recognized that his role as Christ’s ambassador held the supreme position in his life. And, Paul also knew for certain that “Heaven is better than this!” as an unattributed gospel songwriter once declared: ¹

Heaven is better than this.
Praise God, what joy and bliss.
Walking on streets of solid gold,
   in that Land where we’ll never grow old.
Heaven is better than this.
Praise God, what joy and bliss.
I love walking with Jesus down here.
But, heaven is better than …
Heaven is better than …
Heaven is better than this.

As we begin this new day, let’s find ourselves in exactly the place that Paul described: that place in our lives where we live each day fully committed to Christ and His Kingdom and, at the same time, recognizing that when we graduate to heaven it will be to our great gain.

 

______________________

1 Name of Author is not known. “Heaven Is Better Than This!” Public Domain. This gospel song is sometimes included in various Hymnals or Songbooks that may be copyrighted by the publisher of the Hymnal or Songbook. Though this citation is noted to be in the Public Domain, in the case of anyone claiming Copyright protection of this material, please note that citation of any Copyrighted material is made on this blog post strictly for Educational Fair Use illustration purposes only. All Rights Reserved by the original Copyright Holder, if any.

 

_{Copyright © 2025 by Dean K. Wilson. All Rights Reserved.}

_{More info at www.DeanKWilson.com}

 

Humbly Pray

 

“Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.”

—1 Peter 5:6-7

One of the most powerful blessings that God has given those of us He has chosen to belong to Himself is our ability to come to Him humbly in prayer. He welcomes us to enter into His divine Presence at His throne of grace and present Him with the needs of our hearts.

In commenting on the Lord’s Prayer found in Matthew 6:5-13, I once wrote these words:

“Prayer is a fundamental, cohesive, and powerful component of our relationship with God. He is not only willing to have us talk with Him, He welcomes it. He expects it. He longs for it. He waits for it. He waits for us. He wants us to come and sit with Him a while and talk with Him. We have the authority of no one less than the Son of God, Himself, telling us to come into the Father’s Presence and sit a while.”

When we come to God in prayer, we must do so with all humility. Why? Well, we must come to God humbly because He is holy. His holiness exceeds our ability to comprehend how great His holiness really is. The Apostle Peter summed it up this way, as found in 1 Peter 5:6-7:

Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.

As we begin another new day, let’s remember to start our day by coming before our loving Father in humble prayer. He welcomes us to speak to Him. He longs for us to share the needs of our hearts, even though He already knows them. He wants us to speak the words that describe our needs to Him, so that we will recognize how needy we are and how very able He is to meet our needs.

 

_{Copyright © 2025 by Dean K. Wilson. All Rights Reserved.}

_{More info at www.DeanKWilson.com}

 

But, What Does It Matter?

 

“The important thing is that in every way, whether from false motives or true, Christ is preached.”

—Philippians 1:18

Some things in life are very important—other things, not so much. Sometimes it’s a bit of a challenge to try to decide which is which.

For example: I have many dear friends who do not fully embrace my Reformed perspective on theology. In fact, I was raised in Arminianism. But, I was moved during college—albeit at an Arminian-Holiness institution—to embrace the Reformed theology of John Calvin. The theological differences between these dear ones and me matter very little, in the broadest scheme of things.

I’m not suggesting that nuances of theology aren’t important. They are important. But, when it comes to friendship and the fellowship of the Gospel, I am willing to lovingly embrace those dear to me, who hold beliefs different from my own.

Another example of whether differences matter or not comes when I consider certain high-profile preachers. I have mentioned in this blog before that, at a time in my life when I was being attacked within the walls of my own dearly loved church, I found comfort and healing from the words of Joel Osteen. His positive take on the power of Christ was just what my wounded spirit needed at that time in my life. And, when I would listen to the entire worship service on-line, I found that the teaching portion of the service conducted by Joel’s wife, Victoria, was theologically rich and very instructive. This does not mean that I wholeheartedly agree with or endorse everything that the Osteens may say, or even believe.

Sadly, I have many Christian friends who seem to disdain, even despise, the Osteens. They do so with an outcry of “Prosperity Gospel,” as they dismiss any value the Osteens might have to Christ and His Kingdom. While the Pentecostalism background of the Osteens is very different from my own, I have come to appreciate what their positive message has done in the lives of thousands of people, who might not otherwise have sought help from God through His Son, Jesus.

The Apostle Paul had something to say about such matters. Please take note of these words found in Philippians 1:15-19:

It is true that some preach Christ out of envy and rivalry, but others out of goodwill. The latter do so out of love, knowing that I am put here for the defense of the gospel. The former preach Christ out of selfish ambition, not sincerely, supposing that they can stir up trouble for me while I am in chains. But what does it matter? The important thing is that in every way, whether from false motives or true, Christ is preached. And because of this I rejoice.

Yes, and I will continue to rejoice, for I know that through your prayers and God’s provision of the Spirit of Jesus Christ what has happened to me will turn out for my deliverance.

Paul is in prison for the sake of the Gospel. He is persecuted because he has taken a strong stand for Jesus. Word reaches him in prison that some preachers are preaching in an unworthy manner—that reminds me of the way some of my friends speak of the Osteens and other such preachers. But, Paul’s response is very practical. He recognizes that people might not all agree on the style or substance of some particular preacher. But, Paul quickly reminds his readers that whenever Christ is preached, it’s a good thing.

I am certainly not an apologist for the Osteens. But, I think we do well when we remember that criticizing the preaching of one who has dedicated his or her life to serving Christ places us on dangerous ground. There is a fine line between careful analysis and outright criticism. I believe it’s better to stay away from possibly crossing that line.

As we begin a new day, in all of our reactions to what we hear in church, on the radio, on the internet, or from other sources, we need to prayerfully receive the message of God’s servants. We should be quick to affirm and slow to criticize. That, I think, is a better way.

 

_{Copyright © 2025 by Dean K. Wilson. All Rights Reserved.}

_{More info at www.DeanKWilson.com}

 

No Two Ways About It

 

“The way of the Lord is a refuge for the righteous, but it is the ruin of those who do evil.”

—Proverbs 10:29

We like lots of choices in our lives. At least most of us do. When we go to a restaurant, we like to see a menu that offers a wide variety of different foods. This is especially true if we host a number of friends for a meal. We like to make certain that everyone will find something that he or she will enjoy eating.

The fact that so many different manufacturers of cars and trucks have such a wide variety of models gives testimony to the fact that we like lots of choices. Brand loyalty becomes a coveted item among the marketing community. If those responsible for attracting customers can keep them loyal to a particular brand, in the face of many choices, then they have met the goal set before them.

In the matter of following Jesus, there really are only two choices. Either a person will follow Jesus, or utterly reject Him. You see, Jesus demands such single-minded loyalty and devotion from those who follow Him that only those enabled by the Holy Spirit can achieve success over the length of their lives. The salvation from sin that Jesus offers has nothing to do with the intent of the sinners. They can’t earn that salvation. It is absolutely a free gift from God to all those He has called to Himself.

But, once a person recognizes this gift from God, the pathway of obedience is a moment-by-moment choice that the “Christ’s-ones” must make. There is only one pathway for them. King Solomon understood this bi-directional choice when he wrote these words found in Proverbs 10:29:

The way of the Lord is a refuge for the righteous, but it is the ruin of those who do evil.

At the beginning of this new day, let’s remember that the pathway set out before us by the Holy Spirit leads to holiness and righteousness. But, let’s also remember that among all the people who cross our pathway each day, there will be those who completely reject even the idea that God loves them and desires to have a relationship with them. We must treat such ones with kindness, compassion, and God-breathed love. And, we must also not become discouraged because of the choice they have made. It’s just the way it is.

 

_{Copyright © 2025 by Dean K. Wilson. All Rights Reserved.}

_{More info at www.DeanKWilson.com}

 

Extending Our Lives

 

“My son, do not forget my teaching, but keep my commands in your heart, for they will prolong your life many years and bring you prosperity.”

—Proverbs 3:1-2

If we want to know how to live longer, we should just watch television for a day. We will see numerous advertisements that proclaim they will help us live longer, fuller, richer lives—mostly through pharmaceutical drugs. But, the truth is that none of those products can actually extend our lives one moment longer than God has already credited to our account. He, and He alone, is the One who determines the days of our lives.

However, there is something that we can do that will most certainly improve the time we have here on earth. King Solomon explained this when he wrote the words recorded in Proverbs 3:1-2:

My son, do not forget my teaching, but keep my commands in your heart, for they will prolong your life many years and bring you prosperity.

Good advice from a father to a son or daughter—or even more importantly from our heavenly Father to us dearly loved children—can truly make our lives more successful. Such advice will help assure that we will live long and fruitful lives of service to Christ and His Kingdom.

As we begin another day, let’s remember that obedience to God’s written Word and to the leading of His Holy Spirit is all that God asks of us. That obedience will make certain we do not forget God’s teaching, and help us keep His commands in our hearts and minds. And that, dear ones, is a major accomplishment toward which we should all strive this day and every day.

 

_{Copyright © 2025 by Dean K. Wilson. All Rights Reserved.}

_{More info at www.DeanKWilson.com}