A Word from the Apostle Paul - Part Two

 

… while we wait for the blessed hope …

—from Titus 2:13

As I mentioned at the beginning of yesterday’s blog post, nearly everyone likes to receive letters, or emails, or Facebook posts, or Tweets, or Instagram posts, or by whatever means one receives communications from his or her loved ones today. Certainly, the young minister, Titus, always looked forward to communications, just like we do today.

I also suggested yesterday that Titus particularly perked up when he received communication from his mentor, the Apostle Paul. In fact, the words that Paul wrote to Titus—along with the two letters we still have of Paul’s correspondence with Timothy—remain cherished today by God’s choice servants. We often refer to these three books in the New Testament as the “Pastoral Epistles.” Paul is teaching Titus and Timothy how to be the best possible pastors they can be.

Today’s blog post consists of the second part of a crucially important paragraph that Paul wrote to Titus. And, these are words that we should revere and welcome in our own lives this day. The passage is found in Titus 2:13-14, where Paul writes these words:

… while we wait for the blessed hope—the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good.

As Paul concludes this important paragraph in his letter to Titus, he points us to the ultimate victory that the birth, life, suffering, death, resurrection, and ascension of the Lord Jesus Christ have given to us: the forgiveness of our sins and our hope of eternal life with Him. As followers of Jesus, we are, in fact, in the process of being sanctified—or, “made holy.” And, God has planted within us the desire and ability to do good works in His name, as well as for the sake of His Kingdom. We do what we do as “Christ’s-ones” because of what God has done in us through Jesus. All that we are and all that we have has come to us as a precious gift from God.

As we begin a new day, let’s make certain we recognize how very fortunate we are that God has chosen to pour out His love on us and make us His dearly cherished children. And, let us also recognize what a wonderful privilege we have to take that God-breathed agape love and share it with everyone who crosses the pathway of our lives.

 

_{Copyright © 2026 by Dean K. Wilson. All Rights Reserved.}

_{More info at www.DeanKWilson.com}

 

A Word from the Apostle Paul - Part One

 

For the grace of God has appeared …

—from Titus 2:11

Everyone likes to receive letters, or emails, or Facebook posts, or Tweets, or Instagram posts, or by whatever means one receives communications from their loved ones today. Certainly, the young minister, Titus, always looked forward to such communications, just like we do today.

Titus particularly perked up when he received communication from his mentor, the Apostle Paul. In fact, the words that Paul wrote to Titus—along with the two letters we still have of Paul’s correspondence with Timothy—remain cherished today by God’s choice servants. We often refer to these three books in the New Testament as the “Pastoral Epistles.” Paul is teaching Titus and Timothy how to be the best possible pastors they can be.

Today’s blog post consists of the first part of a crucially important paragraph that Paul wrote to Titus. And, these are words that we should revere and welcome in our own lives this day. The passage is found in Titus 2:11-12, where Paul writes these words:

For the grace of God has appeared that offers salvation to all people. It teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age…

Here, Paul distills in these few words the very essence of the gospel—the good news—of the life-transforming power of the living Lord Jesus Christ. This is why we call ourselves “Christ’s-ones” or “Christians.” We do so because of the change that God has brought into our lives through His precious Son. Furthermore, God has given us His Holy Spirit to dwell in our hearts and minds, and to lead us along the pathway that God has laid out before us.

As we begin a new day, let’s celebrate the fact that God has given us the ability to bend our selfish human wills to His divine and perfect will. We can truly say: “No!”—to all ungodliness and choose to follow in the footsteps of Jesus.

 

_{Copyright © 2026 by Dean K. Wilson. All Rights Reserved.}

_{More info at www.DeanKWilson.com}

 

Kick Sin Off the Throne

 

… count yourselves dead to sin …

—from Romans 6:11

One of the great blessings of receiving God’s gift of salvation, through His precious Son, Jesus, is the fact that the Holy Spirit comes to live within the depths of our being. The Holy Spirit willingly grants us His guidance for all four of our human modalities: emotional, spiritual, intellectual, and physical. We only need to bend our selfish and flawed natural human wills to His divine, perfect, and loving will.

By consistently bending our wills to God’s will, we place God on the throne of our lives. When he occupies this critical place in us, there is no room for anything, or anyone else, to have that special place. Notice what the Apostle Paul wrote in Romans 6:11-12:

In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus. Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires.

By yielding to the leading of the Holy Spirit, and by obediently following God’s will for us, we can kick sin off the throne of our lives. We can live in such a way that we will consistently honor God’s love and His Presence in us, through us, with us, and around us.

As we begin another new day, we can rejoice that, with God’s help, we can significantly reduce the sin that naturally occurs in our lives. Will we ever be perfectly free from sin while we remain alive on this earth? Sadly, no. But, we can consistently overcome besetting sins by allowing God to give us His strength, His courage, and His persistence. After all, our obedience to God’s written Word, and thus our obedience to His will, is the only thing He asks of us to demonstrate our love for Him.

 

_{Copyright © 2026 by Dean K. Wilson. All Rights Reserved.}

_{More info at www.DeanKWilson.com}

 

Straight Ahead

 

The person of integrity walks securely …

—from Proverbs 10:9

No building in the United States has as complicated a pattern of corridors as does the Pentagon building in Arlington, Virginia, just across the Potomac River from Washington, D.C. If ever a person could become lost for hours, it would be when trying to navigate from one place in the Pentagon building to another. I’ve experienced that trauma first hand. According to that secular “fountain of knowledge,” Wikipedia:

The Pentagon is one of the world’s largest office buildings, with about 6,500,000 sq ft, of which 3,700,000 sq ft are used as offices. Approximately 23,000 military and civilian employees and about 3,000 non-defense support personnel work in the Pentagon. It has five sides, five floors above ground, two basement levels, and five ring corridors per floor with a total of 17.5 miles of corridors.

Of course, most people who work in this building get to know the general area within which they work. However, if they have to navigate to an unfamiliar portion of the building, they too, find themselves stopping frequently to study diagrams in order to find their way.

Sometimes, life reminds me of the Pentagon building. It’s easy, oh so easy, to get lost along the pathway of life. It’s important to find the right pathway and, then, to keep moving forward straight ahead. In that regard, King Solomon offered these wise words, as recorded in Proverbs 10:9:

The person of integrity walks securely, but the one who takes crooked paths will be found out.

Part of moving straight ahead involves an individual applying the personal integrity to choose the straight path. Every day we face choices. A few times, the “right” choice is completely obvious. Most other times, we need the help of the Holy Spirit to make certain we stay on the right path and keep moving straight ahead.

As we begin another new day, let’s pray and ask God to give us clear direction for this day. He will surely help us, by the power of the indwelling Holy Spirit, to make exactly the proper choices for each new day. How grateful we can feel, knowing that God’s love includes making certain we have the opportunity to make proper choices, day after day after day.

 

_{Copyright © 2026 by Dean K. Wilson. All Rights Reserved.}

_{More info at www.DeanKWilson.com}

 

In Close Proximity

 

Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous …

—from Joshua 1:9

When firefighters enter a burning building wearing self-contained breathing apparatus, we teach them to stay in close proximity to one another by keeping their hand on the shoulder of the firefighter walking ahead of them. They might also pull with them a rescue rope tied around the waist of each firefighter. Why do we take these steps? Because we know that keeping in close proximity is a key to safety when entering an unknown space. Often the smoke and hot gases in the building on fire have made it nearly impossible to see clearly what dangers might exist ahead.

The truth is that every day we “Christ’s-ones” walk into unknown, potentially dangerous spaces. We call these danger-filled spaces: “another new day.” We never know what lies just around the next corner of our lives. We truly need to step forward boldly and courageously. To do so, we need to feel the close proximity of the Holy Spirit. He holds the safety rope wrapped around our hearts. Please note these words from God, as recorded in Joshua 1:9:

“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.”

As we begin yet another new day, let us take these words of God, spoken to His servant, Joshua, and appropriate them for our own lives. For surely we know that God is the same today as He was in the days of Joshua. He will give us courage. He will give us strength. He will be with us wherever we go. We simply need to stay in close proximity to Him.

 

_{Copyright © 2026 by Dean K. Wilson. All Rights Reserved.}

_{More info at www.DeanKWilson.com}

 

The Living and Active Word

 

For the word of God is living and active. …

—from Hebrews 4:12

By now, most Christians should recognize the wisdom of taking time each day to read God’s written Word, the Bible, to meditate on what is read, and to also spend time speaking with God in prayer. These daily times of “devotions” can prepare us for whatever the day ahead may bring our way.

There is enormous power in God’s written Word. In the Old Testament, we find many times where someone discovered a scroll of Scripture, opened it, and ultimately gathered the people of Israel together to hear the reading of the written Word of God. Even today, in synagogues across the world, the time of reading from the Jewish Scriptures is a moment of great solemnity within the Sabbath worship.

So it is with many Evangelical Christian churches, too. In fact, some churches have the tradition of always standing when Scripture is read in a worship service. Yes, there is enormous power in God’s written Word. Notice what the correspondent with the Hebrew Christians wrote, as recorded in Hebrews 4:12:

For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.

As we begin a new day, we should embrace the power of Scripture and do our best to apply it to our own lives. Reading, studying, and meditating on a passage of Scripture from the Bible will make our pathway straight and well-lighted. We will never wonder where we should go. And, we will never falter when we have God’s written truth on our side.

 

_{Copyright © 2026 by Dean K. Wilson. All Rights Reserved.}

_{More info at www.DeanKWilson.com}

 

The Goodness of God Revealed

 

For he satisfies the thirsty …

—from Psalm 107:9

Have you ever read Psalm 107? This Psalm is a song of praise to God for who He is. It is always a wise idea to recognize that the person of God, to the extent that He has revealed Himself to us, is worthy of praise simply because of who He is. In fact, you will find several Psalms that do just that—they offer praise to God because of who He is.

Yes, we most certainly should thank God for what He has done for us, what He is doing for us, and what He has promised that He will do for us. That kind of praise is certainly most worthy, as well. But, there is just something very special about taking time to praise God for who He is. Thus, Psalm 107 lists many reasons to praise God, including this one found in Psalm 107:9:

For he satisfies the thirsty and fills the hungry with good things.

God is the provider of whatever it is we need to sustain us. In all four modalities of human life—emotional, spiritual, intellectual, and physical—God provides everything that we need. And, He does so out of His great love for us.

As we begin a new day, it is appropriate for us to read through all the verses of Psalm 107. As we do so, let’s give praise to God for each of the reasons listed in this Psalm that celebrate His goodness.

 

_{Copyright © 2026 by Dean K. Wilson. All Rights Reserved.}

_{More info at www.DeanKWilson.com}

 

He Restores Us

 

He makes me lie down in green pastures …

—from Psalm 23:2

King David had known the power of God in his life from the time he was a relatively young teenager. He had experienced the overwhelming Presence of the Holy Spirit flood into his life at the time Samuel anointed him as the chosen King of Israel. While it would still be many years before David ascended the throne, in a way unique to the time in which he lived, David knew an intimacy with God that was almost unparalleled. No wonder David penned these familiar words found in Psalm 23:2-3:

He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, he restores my soul. He guides me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.

God insisted that David find time in his life to rest and recharge. And, God provided that rest and recharging. That is good advice for us, even as we begin a new day.

God longs for us to rely on Him as a source of rest, restoration, and recharging in our terribly busy lives. If we will bend our selfish human wills to His perfect will, God will lead us beside still waters and make us lie down in green pastures. Having experienced His restorative touch on our lives, we will better be able to go out and continue to serve God faithfully.

 

_{Copyright © 2026 by Dean K. Wilson. All Rights Reserved.}

_{More info at www.DeanKWilson.com}

 

Brightly Shining

 

Your word is a lamp to my feet …

—from Psalm 119:105

Did you ever think of an “Instruction Manual” as a bright light? If you think about it, a set of instructions on how to do something is a very bright light that shines on the darkness of our lack of knowledge. When we go about doing something that we’ve never done before, the “Instruction Manual” tells us what we need to do, how to do it, and it may even warn us about mistakes we might make. Let me illustrate my point with this narrative.

I have a dear friend who works for a company that manufactures sophisticated electronic equipment for television stations. Among his many tasks is the responsibility to write “Instruction Manuals” for new equipment that his employer has created. To do this, he must work with the new equipment until he learns as much as he can learn about the features of the equipment and how to properly install it. Then, he writes a set of clear instructions for others to follow. Because of the time he has invested in learning about the new equipment, the “Instruction Manual” he creates saves the customers who buy this equipment a great deal of time.

As Christians, God has given us a brightly shining light in His written Word, the Bible. Notice what the Psalmist wrote in Psalm 119:105:

Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path.

We have the written Word of God available to us, in order to shine a bright light on the pathway of our lives. If we follow the direction this precious written Word gives us, we will find the road of our lives a much more easily traveled one than if we just boldly took off on our own.

As we begin a new day, let’s allow God’s written Word to illuminate our pathway. And, let’s thank God for this gift He has given us: a gift that shines brightly on the path He has laid out before us.

 

_{Copyright © 2026 by Dean K. Wilson. All Rights Reserved.}

_{More info at www.DeanKWilson.com}

 

A Source of Gladness

 

For you make me glad by your deeds, O Lord …

—from Psalm 92:4

We have a wide range of words to express our emotions: happy, sad, disappointed, tearful, gloomy, joyful, glad—to name just a few. The word “glad” is a particularly interesting word. The dictionary offers these synonyms as definitions: “pleased, delighted.” We may think of glad as a somewhat reduced sense of happiness. But actually, glad is the sense that all is well, we are secure, our hearts are uplifted.

Psalm 92 is a song written for the Sabbath Day. Speaking to God and about God, this Psalm contains many uplifting and joyful words, including these words found in Psalm 92:4:

For you make me glad by your deeds, O Lord; I sing for joy at the works of your hands.

When we look around us and see the hand of God at work in our lives, and in the lives of others, the very natural response we feel is gladness. So, as we begin a new day, let’s keep an eye out for the very things that show us God is at work. Then, we can make our response to God one of gladness. Certainly that will set our day on the right pathway.

 

_{Copyright © 2026 by Dean K. Wilson. All Rights Reserved.}

_{More info at www.DeanKWilson.com}

 

Our Shepherd

 

The Lord is my shepherd …

—from Psalm 23:1

Nothing delights us more than to have someone care for us in a loving and compassionate way. Please let me share this illustration.

When I was a small boy, probably six years old, I became very ill with what eventually became obvious was a severe stomach flu. At the height of my most intense distress, my mom happened to be uncharacteristically away from home attending a women’s retreat. I was home alone with my dad.

I remember laying on the davenport in the living room all bundled up in a comforter. My stomach hurt badly. I was shaking with a fever. I was very sick. And, I was very scared.

My dad came into the room and sat down next to me. I looked up at him and, with tears flowing down my cheeks, I asked:

“Daddy, am I going to die?”

Now my dad was never an outwardly affectionate man. He was a wonderful father, a devout Christian man, a hard-working provider for my mom and me. But, he was not given to many outward signs of affection. In this instance, however, my dad lovingly took my hand in his and, in his most soothing voice, told me that God loved me and God would care for me. He reminded me that, as my dad, he would be right there with me.

In that moment, I remember feeling a strangely warm sensation of comfort wash over me. God loved me. My dad loved me. I was loved. I was protected. I was cared for in a wonderful way. I can still, all these many years later, remember that feeling of tender love that enfolded me and comforted me. That’s what shepherding is all about.

When King David penned these familiar words from Psalm 23:1, he knew first-hand what it meant to be a shepherd:

The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not be in want.

As we begin a new day, we must remember that, this day and every day, God is our shepherd. His divine love invades every aspect of our lives. He holds us lovingly, and with amazing compassion, in the hollow of His mighty hand. We are shepherded by the greatest of all shepherds.

 

_{Copyright © 2026 by Dean K. Wilson. All Rights Reserved.}

_{More info at www.DeanKWilson.com}

 

The Least We Could Do

 

I will be glad and rejoice in you …

—from Psalm 9:2

Have you ever thanked someone for doing something for you only to have them respond:

“It was the least I could do.”

Many times this is an attempt on the part of your benefactor to show humility. But truthfully, we don’t really know how to actually be humble. It goes against many of the core tenets of our current society, where a more common claim is:

“Hey! Look at me! Look how wonderful I am!”

Sometimes, when we reach out to extend God’s love to others, that act of kindness truly is the very least that we could do. After all, if God has done so much for us, how can we withhold our love and concern from others? At the same time, in response to the overwhelming gifts that God has given us, the very least that we can do is to obey Him and to praise Him with our most sincere thanksgiving. As King David wrote in Psalm 9:2, speaking to God:

I will be glad and rejoice in you; I will sing praise to your name, O Most High.

Why did David want to praise God? Because David knew that all he was and all that he had came to him as a precious gift from God. And, that is exactly the same place we are: all that we are and all that we have has come to us as a precious gift from God.

As we begin a new day, let’s make certain we praise God for who He is and for what He has done. After all, it’s the very least that we could do. And, when we reach out to touch those who cross the pathway of our lives, let’s also remember that, based on what God has done for us, helping others and showing God-breathed agape love to them is truly the least that we could do.

 

_{Copyright © 2026 by Dean K. Wilson. All Rights Reserved.}

_{More info at www.DeanKWilson.com}

 

God Is My Safe Space

 

He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.

—from Psalm 91:1

We hear a lot about “safe spaces” today. Usually, these words are used to describe locations on college campuses where students can be protected against hearing things they don’t want to hear. Instead of teaching our children to listen carefully to everything that people may say and apply discernment in order to decide what speech is instructive, useful, and helpful, we have raised children that don’t want to hear anything that goes against their own set of presuppositions. This creates a situation that is the very opposite of the concept of “free speech.”

Because “free speech” is one of the foundational building blocks of a free society, anything that stands in the way of people’s ability to express themselves without fear of suppression also offers a threat to our liberty and our way of life. Instead of needing protection that will shield us from what people may say, we need to develop the ability to receive information from everyone and then, using discernment, make a decision as to what we will believe as individuals.

As Christians, we sometimes need a “safe space” of an entirely different kind. We need a place of refuge from the darkness that surrounds us in our sin-infested world. Fortunately, God lovingly provides such a place. Notice what the Psalmist writes in Psalm 91:1-2:

He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.”

As we place ourselves in the shelter of God’s loving arms, we will find ourselves shielded from the darkness that surrounds us. There, we will be able to rest and recharge, so that we can go out from that place of refuge and, once again, enter the spiritual fray. As we begin another day, let’s rejoice that God has given us exactly the kind of “safe space” that we need.

 

_{Copyright © 2026 by Dean K. Wilson. All Rights Reserved.}

_{More info at www.DeanKWilson.com}

 

Never Envy a Violent Person

 

Do not envy a violent man or choose any of his ways …

—from Proverbs 3:31

Did you ever see someone who seemed really tough and wish you could become more like that person? Maybe that kind of feeling is just a “boy thing.” Most young boys look up to real people, or comic book heroes, who are big, strong, and tough. Almost no one identifies with a powder-puff weakling. It’s always the superhero who gains the attention.

But in life, the tough guys are also often the bad guys. Of course, there are exceptions. United States Marines are tough guys and not bad guys. So, are Navy Seals and Army Rangers. But, for the most part, the toughest guys are gangsters, or bullies, or otherwise bad dudes.

Women are not exempt either. There are tough women, who also fit into the “bad person” category. Their toughness is usually magnified by deviousness and treachery. Naturally, some very strong women are truly kind and fair. But, for the most part, when we think of “tough” women, we think of violent ones, or nasty females who would just as soon stab someone as look at them.

In sharp contrast are those who follow Jesus. There’s nothing wrong with God-given strength. But, violence and toughness of the basest kind has no part among Kingdom warriors. Notice what King Solomon wrote, as recorded in Proverbs 3:31-32:

Do not envy a violent man or choose any of his ways, for the Lord detests a perverse man but takes the upright into his confidence.

There is no room for violence in the Kingdom of God.

“Wait a minute,” you say. “Didn’t God send the Israelites to destroy their enemies? Wasn’t that violent?” Yes, of course it was. But, it wasn’t violence simply for violence sake.

The God of justice was “rewarding” the sinfulness and godlessness of the people who had rejected His overtures of love, joy, and peace. Their rampant sinfulness caused Him to send His chosen people to destroy them. The just reward of those people whom God destroyed serves as a cautionary tale for all those who choose to reject God, His holiness, His righteousness, and His judgment. That God-directed punishment is something quite different from the kind of violence that springs forth for no good reason and wreaks havoc.

As we begin a new day, we need to guard our minds and hearts against violence of all kinds. We need to put off any prospect of physical violence. And, even more so, we need to put aside any form of mental, emotional, or intellectual violence, as well. Our words can hurt someone as deeply as the wound of a sword. Even in our zeal for what we deeply believe, we need to make certain we are not using hurtful, sharp, condemning words.

God celebrates strength under control. That’s one of the many reasons He has given us His Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit will help us remain strong, without any tendency toward violence—in the things we do and the words we say. We do so much better when we lay aside every attempt of our enemy to drag us into violence.

 

_{Copyright © 2026 by Dean K. Wilson. All Rights Reserved.}

_{More info at www.DeanKWilson.com}

 

A Special Kind of Love

 

Love the Lord your God with all your heart …

—from Mark 12:30

“Love makes the world go ’round,” the motivational speaker stated forcefully.

“No!” shouted someone in the back of the room. “Change makes the world go ’round. Love only keeps it populated.”

The 2,000 people in the audience roared with laughter.

No matter how you may feel about that exchange, love does play a very important role in the life of a follower of the Lord Jesus Christ. Here are Jesus’ own words, as recorded in Mark 12:30-31:

“‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.”

God breathes His love into us—into all four of our human modalities: heart, soul, mind, and strength. In return, we must first breathe that love back to God. And, we must do so with all four of our human modalities: emotional (heart), spiritual (soul), intellectual (mind), and physical (strength). Then, we must breathe that love outwardly, so that it touches the lives of the people who cross the pathway of our lives.

As we begin a new year of life here on earth, let’s ask God to fill us full with His God-breathed agape love. Then, let’s ask the Holy Spirit to help us breathe that God-breathed agape love back out into a world that desperately needs God’s love.

 

_{Copyright © 2026 by Dean K. Wilson. All Rights Reserved.}

_{More info at www.DeanKWilson.com}