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Today we will read Isaiah 44:22 which says “I have swept away your transgressions like a cloud, and your sins like a mist. Return to Me, for I have redeemed you” and let’s parenthetically add the last part of Revelation 13:8 which says “…Christ slain from the foundation of the world”.

Have you ever avoided God? I have. What would cause us to do something like that?

Shame. A sense of shame and guilt. What if I did the same thing yesterday (or 2 seconds ago) that I’ve done a thousand times? Surely God must be done with me this time. Surely He doesn’t want me. Surely I need to clean myself a bit, or at least let a little time go by to let the dust settle before talking to Him again.

But doesn’t this knee-jerk feeling demonstrate that what you’re actually doing is depending on yourself for God’s acceptance?

And yet, look at those verses…God has ALREADY swept away your transgression and your sin. God has removed your gross rebellion (the worst of the worst) and even your rather mundane imperfections. Imagine that. He didn’t consult you. He didn’t get your consent. He simply did it. And when did He do it? Somehow, and I won’t pretend to understand…from the foundation of the world.

Your most disgusting rebellion and annoying imperfections were addressed by God long before you were ever born. It is simply not your responsibility to clean them up. You heard me right. It’s not your job - it’s God’s. Stop taking God’s job.

But you do have a responsibility. And that is to simply return to God. You’re actually doing that now. Go to God with your rebellion, imperfections and all. He has all the capacity to form you into the person you were made to be. Let Him do it. All you are required to do, is go to Him. Don’t ignore Him.

“God I believe You. You have accepted me. You’ve dealt with my guilt. I don’t have to bother with it. I return to You. Again and again. Unbelievable as it is, I believe You receive me as if I were perfect.”

Thank you for listening. Check out more at www.seekGodtogether.com

Today we will read John 11:50-52. In this passage Caiaphas (the high priest) is instructing his concerned underlings about the disturbance Jesus is causing and what should be done. Caiaphas says, “You’re not considering that it is to your advantage that one man should die for the people rather than the whole nation perish.” He did not say this on his own, but being high priest that year he prophesied that Jesus was going to die for the nation, and not for the nation only, but also to unite the scattered children of God.

What a strange passage. Let’s quickly point out something. Caiaphas was no friend of Jesus. And yet scripture claims he was speaking prophetically. Takeaway?: Even the enemies can be putty in God’s hands. He will get done what He wants done.

But more important than Caiaphas himself is what he said, “It’s better that one die than the whole.” As harsh as this seems, and as much as we want to look away from death as a whole, this seems to be the very heart of God.

We’ve seen that Jesus is the Resurrection and the Life. And yet there’s a problem. God’s creation has rebelled, abused the physical design, repeatedly inflicted injustice on one another and self-harm on themselves, and has suffered most grievously in a way not visible. Humans are spiritually dead and distanced from the God Who loves them. What to do?

God could do nothing and allow the death to spread until there’s nothing but death - death to all. God seems to have done the complete opposite. He didn’t just step in a little bit. He took the most thorough plunge into the heart of the problem. He ate every last bit of death, all harm, all rebellion, all injustice and all spiritual decay into Himself. How exactly? I don’t have a clue. Neither does anyone else. But it’s this fact alone that unites all Christians. Jesus is the One thoroughly dealing with the problem of death.

“God I don’t get it. I have no idea all that happened on the cross. But I believe it works and will accomplish all that You want it to accomplish. Let me walk in Your Life Power today. In Jesus’ Name.”

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Today we will read John 11:25-26. Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in Me, even if he dies, will live. Everyone who lives and believes in Me will never die - ever. Do you believe this?”

How do we even begin to probe the depths of Jesus’ words here or anywhere? We must do what we came here for, to receive His words. Here he tells a grieving Martha, whose brother Lazarus had recently died, that he, Jesus, IS the resurrection and the life. He doesn’t say He’s going to be resurrected. He says He IS the resurrection. In the same way He says He IS the life. He doesn’t have life. He isn’t just alive. He wasn’t given His life. He IS LIFE!

You and I have a bit of life. It’s temporary and it will end. We will die. We are currently alive. But He IS life. All life comes from Him. He doesn’t just get resurrected. He is resurrection. That is, He takes that which is dead and does what only He can do - gives it life again. Life is only His to give.

And those who believe in Him though they die, will live. And never die. He doubles down and says will never die - EVER!

He finishes by asking Martha…do you believe this? … Doesn’t that ring in your heart as well? Do you believe this? Believe what? A set of facts about Jesus? A doctrine, a creed? I refuse to add to Jesus’ words here. He simply says believe IN Him. I’ll take Him at His word. To believe that He IS resurrection - He IS life. I gladly entrust myself to Him.

“Jesus, how do I even start a conversation with You! It’s all from You, IN You, for You. Life and everything good is Yours by nature. And I believe You are generous and share with those who take You at Your word. You are Resurrection and Life and I am asking to receive it from You.”

Thank you for listening. Check out more at www.seekGodtogether.com

Today we will read Luke17:20-21 which says, “Being asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God will come, He answered them, “The kingdom of God is not coming with something observable: no one will say, ‘Look here!’ of ‘There!’ For you see, the kingdom of God is within you.”

The Pharisees were a sect of religious Jews known for their strict interpretation and adherence to scripture. They also lived out their faith quite pretentiously. Here they are asking when the Kingdom of God will arrive.

And Jesus answer is shocking! His kingdom will not be observable. Incredible! But every other kingdom is. They come with force and violence. They have a dictator and oppress the non-compliant. How could a kingdom be anything but?

But not Jesus’ Kingdom. If it’s invisible, is it just spiritually all around us? No. It’s “In” us. “Within” us - like liquid in a cup. We contain the kingdom. We carry the presence and power of God in us. We are kingdom builders. We have Godly authority to build a lasting kingdom of which Jesus is King.

Do you believe this? Or are you sitting on your hands waiting for a yet-to-be physical kingdom? You - right now - seeking God - have. this. power. It’s happening now. You are a part. What are you doing with such power?

“God I don’t know that I even believe Jesus’ words here. They are so counter to what I’ve believed about You. But if it’s true, and if the kingdom is advancing in people like me, then I want to be active in it! Give me wisdom and strengthen me to be a Kingdom builder.”

Thank you for listening. Check out more at www.seekGodtogether.com

Today we will read Matthew 23:37 - “Jerusalem, Jerusalem! She who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her. How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, yet you were not willing.”

What is God like? God is like Jesus. And here we see that Jesus is sad and therefore God is sad. What has Jesus so moved?

It’s the children. Jerusalem had a collective resistance. But resistance to what? To Jesus being…motherly. Jesus equates His affection to a nurturing hen gathering, protecting, loving… and this breaks His heart. The result of this resistance is a broken Jesus, and a broken Jerusalem. The resistance has real consequences.

Jesus could have expressed rage over their stubbornness. Threatened action against their ingratitude. But no. He’s like a hurt mom wishing her children would simply receive the love she offers and all the protection and benefits that accompany it. This is not a happy part of the story. But it is revealing of the heart of God.

Will you receive God this way? It may be very different than how you typically think of Him. But we’re not attempting to reinforce our view of God but to receive Him as He is.

“God, I can’t imagine the depth of feeling You have for Your children. I am Your child. I know that I too have resisted. And if I’m honest it’s because in some way I distrust You - even without realizing it. But I want to trust. I don’t want to resist. I want to know Your heart.”

Thank you for listening. Check out more at www.seekGodtogether.com

Today we read Matthew 5:3 which says “The poor in spirit are blessed, for the kingdom of heaven is theirs.”

This is the first of what are known as the beatitudes spoken by Jesus. “Beatitude” comes from the latin word for blessed. Jesus says “Blessed are…” hence the word beatitude. Oxford Languages defines it as “Supreme Blessedness”. That is quite beautiful.

When we ask what is God like, the answer is - Jesus. God is like Jesus. When we ask what God feels, it’s what Jesus feels. What’s important to God? We can have a good idea by examining that which is important to Jesus. And here He tells us...

Blessed are the poor - the poor in spirit. The Kingdom! The kingdom of Heaven is theirs.

In what society are the poor the blessed ones? None that I’m aware of. We value strength, riches, capacity, good looks, charisma, self-assurance. The violent, and the winsome win elections and get power. The king is the most fit to rule.

But then there’s Jesus. And He flips it on its head. It’s not the mightiest. It’s the poorest. More specifically, the spiritually poor that own and rule the mightiest of Kingdoms - the Kingdom of heaven - or rather - the Kingdom of God Himself.

How do you respond to this? You’d be forgiven if you roll your eyes a bit since the idea is so foreign. But how do you feel? How strong are you really? How rich are you really? Are you a raging success? Are you beautiful? Are you charming? Are you self assured? Are you violent?

Or are you none of these things? Are even the potential of these things rapidly slipping through your fingers? Are you poor? Do you feel poor? If so, you’re right where Jesus says you’re most blessed. You can’t move the heart of God in your strength. But He gives the whole kingdom to the weak - the poor.

“God - I don’t feel rich. I feel poor. But I believe that’s what You want from me. And I believe that You give me the Kingdom because of it. That’s shocking. I don’t know whether to believe or disbelieve. Therefore, please give me the ability to see and know what that Kingdom is like. Help me see the way You do.”

Thank you for listening. Check out more at www.seekGodtogether.com

Today we will read 2 Samuel 6:14. This verse simply says “David was dancing with all his might before the Lord wearing a linen ephod.”

This is a strange and fascinating story because of what is happening, what happened before, and what happens after.

King David’s men were bringing the Ark of the Covenant (the mystical presence of God among the people) back to Israel. A servant named Uzzah reached out and touched the Ark to steady it. Yet his gesture was not received well. God’s anger burned and killed Uzzah. And consequently David’s anger burned seemingly against God. The anger caused him to fear God more.

And then later, David is dancing, mightily. He’s not holding back. Wearing a linen ephod. Who knows what that looked like, and why it matters. But it’s there.

Later in the day the king meets up with his wife Michael. She chastises him for his lack of dignity. For his extravagant worship that seemed beneath a king. David doubled down and promised to give it even more energy next time. For Michael’s part, she was unable to conceive and reproduce because of this.

This story is strange, and there are many others like it. Remember we don’t approach scripture to answer every question, but rather we receive it from God. God is different than you think or I think. He is more energetic, more involved, more strange, more holy, better…yes far better than we could imagine. King David was far from perfect, as we are. And yet He was a man after God’s heart.

We like him, would do well to consider the harsh realities we see, the strangeness we perceive, and respond with true feeling, and extravagant response in our spirits and our bodies. Perhaps this isn’t how we’d naturally assume God to be, or our response. But it may be more true to His essence, and ours.

“God, sometimes You scare me. You always thrill me. But You are worth the pursuit. I’ll give even more to celebrate You and to know You. Reveal Yourself.”

Thank you for listening. Check out more at www.seekGodtogether.com

Today we will read Romans 1:20. “For His invisible attributes, that is, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen since the creation of the world, being understood through what He has made. As a result people are without excuse.”

We are not the first to ponder the glory of the heavens and we won’t be the last. Since humans first looked to the stars and asked, “How did this happen?” we have been asking the same questions.

There are some things we can know about God because the heavens are revelation in their own right. They reveal His power, capacity, divine nature. These attributes are invisible. While we don’t see Him, we see His art. In fact we are part of His artistic expression. And we have a mind to contemplate it.

You would wonder why everyone isn’t contemplating God all the time. After all, there isn’t anything we experience or interact with that isn’t His creation. And yet many ignore Him. And because His art is so apparent, they are without excuse.

But for a worshipper, the prevalence of creative beauty compels us forward to pursue Him more and more. To at least ask this invisible God to reveal Himself more. It shouldn’t surprise us then that He reveals Himself in invisible ways. The visible plane is saturated. It’s the invisible, the spiritual where we most need Him now.

“God I look around. Anywhere, and I see You. Your power is on full display. That is obvious. And if Your artwork is this splendid, what does that say about You? I wish I could know You more. Come meet with me.”

Thank you for listening. Check out more at www.seekGodtogether.com

Today we will read John 3:16 again. We looked at this verse yesterday. But it’s okay to meditate on a verse or idea for days on end. We are not the first. John 3:16 says “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son, that whosoever believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life.”

We focused yesterday on God. God is a lover. God loves You. God loves the world. Far from a distant, uninvolved, disinterested force, God is a passionate and intentional lover.

And it is because of His love that He gives what the world actually needs - His One-of-a-kind, special Son.

In all the pain and loss you’ve experienced, and the heartache those you love experience, you might be tempted to think that God is distant. But He’s not. He’s actually given everything He has to give. A creative universe, life itself, and His Son through Whom He is reconciling all things.

Does this surprise you? Would you do it differently? You wouldn’t be the first to question God. It would be easy to prefer that God went around putting bandaids on every hurt. Or every death. But He doesn’t.

Instead, God gave Himself. And what all happened in Jesus in His life, and on the cross is impossible to know. What we do know is that it is, and will ultimately be effective at bringing everything together under God in a good way.

So where does that leave us then? This verse tells us - “…everyone who BELIEVES in Him…”. Believes? Yes. It’s as simple as that. Hardly earth-shattering. Just the simple acknowledgement that God has it under control. God will work it out. This is why we worship.

“God I don’t get it. But I receive Your love. I receive Your Son. I receive You. I believe Jesus - that He is life everlasting and in Him You will fix everything - in Your way. In the meantime, in my unknowing, I choose to believe and to worship.”

Thank you for listening. Check out more at www.seekGodtogether.com

Today we will read John 3:16. You’ve most likely read it. It says,

“For God so loved the world,

that He gave His only Son,

that whosoever believes in Him

will not perish but have eternal life.”

No doubt you’ve seen this verse on signs at games or on a T-Shirt. It’s arguably the most famous verse in the Bible. It’s most often used as a succinct gospel presentation - as well is it should.

But often the first part of the verse gets overlooked. We know what Jesus is doing. But what is God doing? God is loving.

In fact God loves so much, everyone, everywhere…you - that He gave something so precious that it’s a one-of-a-kind. He gave the most valuable thing. God loves you so passionately that He gave what He most treasures in order to get you back. He loves!!! What is God like? He’s a lover.

And You are the object of His love. Do you feel that way? Do you believe yourself to be the target of His passion? Well you are. Does that humble you? Does it challenge your assumptions about God? It should.

“God I don’t feel loved. I don’t feel lovable. But this isn’t about how I feel. You are a lover. You give Your very best and most wonderful to win back those You love - the whole world!”