What Really Matters

God designed our hearts and our brains—our emotions and our intellect—to work together.

For example, when we love someone, we’re compelled to know them on a deeper level. And as we uncover their passions and their heartaches and what makes them tick, we are often compelled into an even deeper kind of love. 

When the apostle Paul was writing to the believers in Philippi (a city in Greece) he gave them this charge: 

“I pray that your love will overflow more and more, and that you will keep on growing in knowledge and understanding. For I want you to understand what really matters, so that you may live pure and blameless lives until the day of Christ’s return.”
‭‭Philippians‬ ‭1:9-10‬ ‭NLT‬‬

No one wants to waste their time, their energy, or their one precious life. But when we understand what’s important—knowing and loving God, knowing and loving people—we can choose to spend our lives on what matters most.

So what did Paul want for the Philippians?

Paul longed for their love to be evident while their knowledge continued to grow; for a life of love to be cultivated while understanding continued to flourish.

The Bible teaches that knowledge of God is true understanding (Proverbs 9:10) and that the most important commandment is to love God and love people (Matthew 22:37-40). And we gain insights about God’s character by studying His Word, learning from His creation, and living with love.

As we love God with our hearts and minds, lean into knowledge and faith, and embrace truth and grace, we can experience a more complete picture of God’s beautiful plan.

We can shine light into an increasingly dark world. We can add vision, clarity, and meaning to whatever circles we frequent. We can be known for loving our Creator and loving the people around us. We can live God-honoring lives until the day we meet our Savior face to face.

God is Our Comfort

Have you ever looked around you and wondered, “why is there so much evil, wickedness, and pain in the world?” 

In Psalm 94, King David is extremely upset about the state of humanity. People are blaming God for the world’s rampant wickedness as though God did not see it and did not care (verses 1-7). So David reminds his audience that the Lord is Creator, and He knows, sees, and hears all that goes on (verses 8-11). 

Because of God, David could say, “When the cares of my heart are many, your consolations cheer my soul.” (Verse 19)

King David’s “cares of the heart” were because of the wickedness and evil he saw—and our world is not much different. But David’s consolation in all the evil he witnessed was his Creator and Savior. 

That’s why He could close his psalm by writing, “But the LORD has become my stronghold, and my God the rock of my refuge. He will bring back on them their iniquity and wipe them out for their wickedness, the LORD our God will wipe them out.” (Verses 22-23)

This isn’t the most pleasant psalm to read. It’s full of pain and anger, sorrow and injustice. But, it’s a prayer of hope and perspective which we can learn from.

There is wickedness, injustice, and war all around us. But in the midst of pain and brokenness, we can follow King David’s example and look to God for comfort and peace. God took care of our shame and sin through the death of Jesus Christ, and He will one day take care of all wickedness and evil. 

Until then, like David, we can say, “When the cares of my heart are many, your consolations cheer my soul.”

By trusting in God and knowing that He will one day wipe away all wickedness, we can bring Him our hopes, dreams, fears, and concerns and receive His comfort.

So right now, think about the cares you have that need to be given to God. How can knowing God cheer your soul?

God Speaks Today

Have you ever asked God to speak to you? It can be tempting to think that we could have more faith if God would simply speak to us. If God would just speak, then we would know that He is real and exists.

While at one time God spoke through prophets, He has spoken to us through the Bible which is His Word. Scripture is God’s means of communicating with His people. Every time we open up God’s Word, we are listening to the words of God Himself.

That’s why Scripture says the Word of God is alive and active. It is the primary way that God speaks to His people to guide our thoughts and direct our ways. God’s Word actively refreshes us and provides us with wisdom for living.

The author of Hebrews also tells us that Scripture is like a sword that can cut and divide our innermost places. God’s Word reveals our true heart. It exposes our emotions and thoughts, and then guides us toward what is right.

God’s Word is full of refreshment for our weariness. He speaks encouragement to those who follow Him and listen to His voice. Scripture is also full of God’s truth that guides us into right-living. It shapes our hearts and minds toward loving God and loving those around us.

One of the best things you can do for your life is to engage in Scripture daily. If we rarely read God’s Word, then we will rarely hear His voice speaking to us. The more that we develop regular habits of engaging with God, the easier it will be to hear and follow His guidance.

Today, take some time to consider how you can create a daily habit of engaging in God’s Word. God wants to speak to us, but we must come to Him ready to listen.

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The Best Word

One of the most powerful verses in Scripture is found in John’s gospel:

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.”
‭‭John‬ ‭1‬:‭1‬ ‭ESV‬‬

As you keep reading, it becomes abundantly clear that the author, inspired by the Holy Spirit, identifies Jesus Christ as the “Word.”

From the first sentence in the Bible, we learn that, “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” (Genesis 1:1) Now, John explains, “In the beginning was the Word…” And not only was Jesus there in the beginning, but “the Word was with God…” And not only was the Word with God, but “the Word was God.”

So if Jesus has existed from the beginning, if He was with God, and if He was God, then that makes Him much more than a good person, a moral teacher, or even a prophet. 

John claims that Jesus is fully man and fully God. This seems ridiculous—unless, of course, it’s true.

The truth is, God loved the world so much that He gave up His divine privileges, was born into human skin, and died a criminal’s death—so that the people He loves could have eternal life. He loves you.

Remember: He’s not just another name from history, He’s the very Creator of life.

Have you heard my heart? Have you seen it cry? Have you listened to it say hello and goodbye? Have you felt the sorrow it feels? Have you heard it say when will I heal? Have you heard it screaming, or did it fall on deaf ears? Do you know how it has suffered for so many years?

Where were you when I experienced the hurt of death? Where were you when they were laid to rest? Where were you when my tears needed to be wiped away? Where were you when I needed to hear everything will be okay?

Have you heard my heart? Have you held it in your hands? Have you taken it on a vacation to a foreign land? Have you kissed my heart with the love that’s within your soul? Are you brave enough to be so bold?

Have you felt the sweet sorrow of love deep down in your soul?

Love and sweet sorrow flow like rivers running through a dry stream. See my heart, feel my heart, caress my heart because it only knows love sweet sorrow.

Give it good memories to hold on to. Give it laughter and fill it with sweet dreams. Sing to it sweet love songs that it may have something to hold on to. But most of all I give it to you. Loves Sweet Sorrow.❤️

The wind, like liquid, flows through the trees leaving behind traces of the day as night falls over the skyline bringing out the stars in the distance like footprints walking by.

The sound of the night is still and quiet, but the wind, like liquid flows silently cooling off the night until morning. What a refreshing smell the liquid wind brings? It is the smell of a new day glistening in the morning rays of the sun as it continues to peek over the horizon.

The water claps her hands as the waves crash against the lonely rocks that awaits them. The sand listens to the sound of the critters that lives inside of it. The mountains melt like wax burning from a candle under the sun rays wishing they were under a cool waterfall.

The wind, like liquid, flows over to them to give them a fresh breeze to cool them off, but the clouds look as if they want to give rain to everything under the vast blue sky. In the far distance, ships pass on by going to their destinations while the sailboats wait for the liquid wind to blow them in the direction they should go.

Can you hear the ocean rising? Would you like to see it turned over? The wind, like liquid, passes through the trees, but how I wish it would pass over me.

Rain began to fall like sheets from the sky. The thunder rolled, and the lightning flashed leaving electricity all over the sky, but the wind, like liquid, kept on blowing. The trees waved their arms, the waves crashed against the rocks, and the sand soaked up the water that landed on it. The little critters burrowed deeper into the sand for shelter, but the mountains stood rugged and still as they always did.

After the rain, everything was quiet, nothing could be heard. Moment by moment the day turned again to night. The stars came out, and the moon gave her light. The wind, like a liquid, kept on passing by.

Liquid Wind.

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