Walk Boldly With Jesus

Come As You Are Series - Hagar 

Genesis 16:7-8 “Now the angel of the Lord found her by a spring of water in the wilderness, by the spring on the way to Shur. He said, “Hagar, Sarai’s slave woman, from where have you come, and where are you going?” And she said, “I am fleeing from the presence of my mistress Sarai.”

God promised Abraham that he would be the Father of nations. His descendants would be more numerous than the stars in the sky. Yet Abraham was 86 years old at this point in his life, and he still had no children. His wife was getting impatient. She was 75 years old and still had no children. One day, she told Abraham that she wanted him to sleep with her handmaid. She thought maybe that was the way she was going to get the children that God promised her.

We might think this is crazy, as we don’t really live in a culture where this is normal. Unfortunately, it was more normal back then. Even though we might not be able to identify with Sarai giving her handmaid, Hagar, to her husband so that she could have some children, we can definitely relate to being impatient waiting for God to fulfill His promises. We want everything in our time, and when it doesn’t happen, we try to make it happen.

Have you ever done this? Have you ever gotten tired of waiting for the Lord to do what He said he would do, so you took matters into your own hands? I know I have. I am sure we all have at one point or another. We are human. God’s ways are higher than our ways, which means we don’t understand them. We don’t know why God told Abraham he would be the father of nations 25 years before his only son would be born. We don’t know why God said He would be the father of nations and His descendants would outnumber the stars, yet He only had one child. We don’t always know what God is doing.

What we do know is that when we try to take over for God and do it our own way or in our own timing, then we create a mess. Sarai thought she could give her handmaid to her husband, and all would be fine. The handmaid would have children, but Saria and Abraham would raise them as their own. However, once the handmaid Hagar got pregnant and realized she was pregnant, she looked at her mistress with contempt. Sarai became upset and started mistreating her. Isn’t this just like us? We do something we think will fix the situation, and surprise, surprise, our idea wasn't actually better than the Lord’s idea, and it all just backfires. Now Sarai is mad at her Hagar because she is acting like she is better than Sarai. After all, she could get pregnant, and Sarai couldn’t. However, it was Sarai’s idea in the first place. This is exactly how this world operates. We take things into our own hands and then get upset when it doesn’t work out.

Hagar got tired of being mistreated and ran away. However, an angel appeared to her. Let’s stop right there. Hagar is a maidservant who married her mistress’s husband so that they could have a baby. Does that sound like someone an angel would visit? Do you see how God doesn’t choose the people we would choose? Hagar was put in a bad position and yet did what she was told to do. Everything worked out exactly like her mistress wanted, and then her mistress began to treat her badly.

God didn’t forget her or forsake her, though. He could have let her run away. The baby she was carrying was not the baby that God had promised them. However, he sent an angel to have her go back and have the baby with her husband. The angel told Hagar that she would have a boy and that he would be called Ishmael. The angel said to her that God had heard her affliction. Imagine what it would be like to have an angel appear to you and tell you that God has heard you? How many of your prayers right now do you wish you knew if God heard or not? Wouldn’t it be great if an angel came down and told us that God has listened to our affliction?

Sometimes it feels like we are talking to ourselves because we are waiting and waiting for an answer, and it doesn’t seem to come. God hears all our prayers. It says this in many places in the Bible. We know this, and yet it would still be nice if God sent an angel to reassure us. The angels would be pretty busy if they needed to come and reassure us every time we doubted that God heard our prayers. God did send an angel to visit Hagar another time, too. After Isaac was born and weaned, Sarah told Abraham to send Hagar away. Abraham was sad as Ismael was his son. However, God told him to do as Sarah wanted.

Here is another instance where we might not understand why God would want Abraham to send Hagar and his son away. We trust that God’s plan is better than our plan. Hagar sleeping with Abraham was never part of God’s plan. He told Abraham and Sarah that they would have a baby and that God would make Abraham the father of nations. Yet, when it didn’t happen soon enough for them, they took matters into their own hands. God wanted to fulfill his promise to Abraham through Isaac, not Ismael.

Hagar left, but she was not abandoned by God. She was in the wilderness with her son, and an angel spoke to her from heaven. Most people go their whole life never seeing an angel, and Hagar gets visited twice. God sent an angel to let her know that she was not alone. He wanted her to know that God had heard the cries of her son and that He would be taking care of both of them. God told her that He would make a great nation of him. God was with the boy as he grew up in the wilderness, and he became an expert with a bow.

God did not forget or forsake Hagar and Ismael even though they were not really part of His original plan. God won’t forget you either. God knows that we will try to take things into our own hands. He knows we might get impatient and do something we wish we hadn’t done. It’s ok. He still allowed Abraham and Sarah to have their child. He still blessed Hagar and Ismael. He won’t take away your dream either, just because you got tired of waiting and tried to do it on your own. God is looking out for you just as He was looking out for this maid servant who was doing what she was told to do, and then was sent away

God sees the injustice in your life, too. He sees the ways you have been treated by this world, and He has not abandoned you. He is with you in the wilderness the same way he was with Hagar and Ismael. He is protecting you and blessing you. God never leaves your side. He is making all things for your good. Not just for those special few, but for all of us.

Dear Heavenly Father, I ask you to bless all those listening. Lord, we love you, and we ask you to help us be patient and wait for your timing. Help us not to take matters into our own hands. Lord, have mercy on us when we do wrong and help us navigate the mess we often get ourselves into when we try to take matters into our own hands. We love you, Lord, and we know your plan is best. It can be challenging for us to be patient and wait at times. Please be patient with us as we do our best. We ask all of this in accordance with Your Will and in Jesus’s Holy Name, Amen!

Thank you so much for joining me on this journey to walk boldly with Jesus—just a few more days to register for the retreat. CLICK HERE FOR RETREAT INFO! I will give my numbers to the retreat house on Friday. I can't believe the retreat is next weekend already! Additionally, I have exciting news: my devotional book is almost ready to be published as well. I am so excited, and I ask for your prayers that all goes well and it gets printed in time to have it at the retreat. Additionally, if you could all join in prayer for the retreat and those attending, that would be greatly appreciated. I look forward to meeting you here again tomorrow. Remember, Jesus loves you just as you are, and so do I! Have a blessed day!

Today’s Word from the Lord was received in May 2025 by a member of my Catholic Charismatic Prayer Group. If you have any questions about the prayer group, these words, or how to join us for a meeting, please email [email protected]. Today’s Word from the Lord is, “Give me your hand so I can lead you. You will not fall astray if you hold on to my hand. You are not meant to walk alone. I am with you. There is no need to fear. I guide each step of your way.”

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Testing of Faith Produces Perseverance

James 1:2 -4 & 12 “Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance.  Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.  Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him.”

This is a pretty tall order.  This verse asks us to consider it pure joy whenever you face trials of many kinds because we know that testing of our faith produces perseverance.  I understand what the verse is saying.  I understand the concept.  I am just not sure I understand how to do this.   I’m not sure joy would be the word I would use when I am undergoing trials.  I would say words like sad, frustrated, mad, angry, annoyed, scared, lonely and defeated seem more like what I feel when I am going through trials.  So, why is this verse telling us to feel joy?  

We often ask why we have to struggle?  We ask why we have to face various kids of trials? I have learned from Father Mike that there isn’t just one reason why we find ourselves in trials.  Father Mike states several times in his Bible in a Year podcast that sometimes we do find ourselves in difficult trials because of something we have done.  Sometimes we go against what the Lord wants us to do and there are consequences for that.  Other times, the situation we are in is not of our own doing and does not mean that we did anything wrong.  For instance, Job, he was a righteous in the eyes of the Lord, yet he suffered terribly.  Not all suffering is a result of sin.  Another example, of this is found in John 9:1-3 “As he went along, he saw a man blind from birth.  His disciples asked him, "Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” "Neither this man nor his parents sinned," said Jesus, "but this happened so that the work of God might be displayed in his life.”

Do you see the reasons for your trials can vary.  I think a lot of us think if we are struggling, then we must have done something to deserve it.  God must be punishing us in some way.  I have heard that one a lot.  Jesus is telling us right here in the Bible, your trials are not always because of sin. Sometimes your trials are to show the work of God in your life.  It is rare that you know the reason for your struggle while you are in it.  However, even if you did, I am not sure it would make it easier.  Take this verse for instance.  It says that when our faith is tested we gain perseverance.  Perseverance is great.  It is often times the thing that gets us through our trials.  I find it interesting that in order for our perseverance to grow we need to go through trails, yet our perseverance is what helps us get through those trials.   I am glad that I have gained a lot of perseverance over the years.  Even though I know that I will gain perseverance when I go through a hard time, it doesn’t make that hard  time easier.  

The rest of the verse says to “Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.  Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him.”  That all sounds wonderful.  I definitely want to be mature and not lacking in anything.  I also definitely want to receive the crown of life.  The problem is, I don’t know how to remain steadfast under trial.  I don’t know how to consider it joy that I have trials.  I know what the Lord wants me to do, I am just not sure how to do it.  I love how the Lord always gives us answers.  I was just thinking that it would be nice if I could give you guys some tips on how to stay steadfast under trials and I did a quick internet search and found some.  The article I found is titled Six ways to remain steadfast during trials and it is written by Dan Panetti.  (CLICK HERE for article)  I will post a link to the article in the show notes, but I will list Dan’s six ideas here as well.

Focus on what you can control—not on what you can’t (Prov. 3:5–6 “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding.  In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.”)

Live in the moment—refuse to be anxious about tomorrow (Matt. 6:34 “Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.”)

Look for ways to break up the monotony—tackle a home improvement project or
learn to play a new card game. One of my sons proposed that I come up with a question for each family member to be researched and presented around the dinner table. It has sparked some of the best conversations we have ever had. 

Relax and take a walk—meditate on the ways that God has provided for you, delivered you from death, given you a purpose, and equipped you for his service (Psalm 116:7–9 “Return, O my soul, to your rest; for the Lord has dealt bountifully with you. For you have delivered my soul from death, my eyes from tears, my feet from stumbling; I will walk before the Lord in the land of the living.”)

Bathe in a book of the Bible—not just read through it, but sit and soak in it! Think of Naaman going down into the Jordan again and again. Read and re-read a passage, chapter, or book—dive deep(er) into the Word!

Memorize and meditate on Scripture—both of which are under appreciated spiritual disciplines. My oldest son and I are currently focusing on memorizing at least one verse from each book of the Bible.

Just knowing that we grow in perseverance anytime our faith is tested might not be enough to help us find joy in our trials.  However, maybe some of these ideas can help us to be steadfast in our trials.  I like how the author even provided a few scripture verses to back up some of his suggestions.  I have not done a lot of scripture memorizing in the past.  However, I did try scripture writing for awhile and I thought it was great.  If you want to give that a try, or even if you want to do the scripture memorizing and are not sure where to start, I started with an internet search of scripture writing plans.  When you type that in you will get a whole list of scriptures, usually with a certain them, such as “wisdom,” “freedom,” “being bold,” all sorts of themes, whatever you might be struggling with the most.  If you want to bathe in a book in the Bible, and you are not sure where to start, I have always been told a great place to start is in at the beginning of the new Testament, in the Gospel of Matthew, or the Psalms is another great place to start.  

I hope each of you will write these ideas down so that next time you are going through trials, they can help you remain steadfast.  Wouldn’t it be wonderful to be mature and not lacking in anything.  If so, we need to let perseverance finish it work in us.  In order to do this, we must make it through all the trials.  In order to do this we must figure out a way to remain steadfast in our trials.  I know it is difficult going through a difficult time and not understanding why you have to go through it.  However, this verse gives us a little hope.  One reason we are going through it is to test our faith.  Are you going to remain steadfast?  Do we want the crown of life?  The choice is ours.  

Dear Heavenly Father, I ask you to bless all those listening to this episode today.  Lord, we love you and we ask that you are with us in our times of trial.  We ask that you give us the grace to find joy in our trials and that you help us to stay steadfast also.  Lord, we want all you have to give us and that includes the crown of life.  Help us to not drown in our difficult time.  Sometimes it feels like we are drowning and we are asking that you save us before that happens.  Lord, even if it is not the right time while we are going through it for us to know why it is all happening, please give us the grace to understand that if its not the reason, we will grow in perseverance while we make it through to the other side.  Also, help us to feel your presence while in the trial and know that you are with us.  We love you Lord, you are truly amazing.  We are so very grateful for you.  We ask all of this in accordance with your will and in Jesus’ holy name, Amen.

Thank you so much for joining me on your journey to walk boldly with Jesus.  I look forward to spending time with you again tomorrow.  Have a blessed day!

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Come As You Are Series- Joseph

Genesis 37:3-4 “Now, Israel loved Joseph more than any other of his children, because he was the son of his old age; and he made him a long robe with sleeves. But when his brother saw that their father loved him more than all his brothers, they hated him and could not speak peaceably to him.”

When I was thinking about what to write about Joseph, I thought about how we all get stuck in family drama. I really don’t think there is any escaping it. If we have siblings, then we have either been the favorite child, been jealous of the favorite child, or both at different times in our lives. I remember when I was young, I thought my little brother was spoiled. I felt my mom did everything for him. In my eyes, she went to watch all his football games; she would even watch his practices when he was younger. She would go to all his plays. Yet there was at least one or two times when she didn’t pick me up from practice. She said she figured someone else would bring me home. Which they would have had I known she wasn’t coming.

What I can see now, that I couldn’t see then, is that it wasn’t because she didn’t want to be at my things too. It was that she had three little ones at home. Of course, she could go see my youngest brother's stuff because she didn’t have any other little ones at home to take care of. She did have to try to concentrate on watching him while three little ones ran around, making her crazy. I am sure we all have stories of how our parents treated our siblings differently from how they treated us. However, this family drama is documented in the Bible.

It was true that Israel loved Joseph more than his brothers. Israel had 12 sons, and he gave Joseph a special coat to let him know how special he was. I can’t fault the brothers for being angry; I would be angry, too. Joseph didn’t help himself out either because he had a dream, and when he told his brothers, it only fueled the flames of hatred. Here is what he told them, “Hear this dream which I have dreamed: behold, we were binding sheaves in the field, and behold, my sheaf arose and stood upright; and behold, your sheaves gathered round it and bowed down to my sheaf.”

His brothers were so angry that they decided that they were going to kill him. But one of his brothers decided they shouldn’t kill him; they should throw him in a pit in the wilderness. After they threw him in a pit, they saw a caravan of Ishmaelites coming and decided to sell him to them instead of having him die. That way, they get something out of the deal. Things were not looking good for Joseph.

Joseph was taken down to Egypt and was sold to an officer of the Pharaoh, the captain of the guard. However, the Lord was with Joseph, and he became a successful man. His master saw that the Lord was with him and put him in charge of all that he had. Joseph was very handsome, and his master’s wife wanted to sleep with Joseph. Joseph refused day after day, and one day she trapped him, and when he still wouldn’t sleep with her, she lied and said he tried to take advantage of her, and Joseph was thrown in prison. Again, things were not looking good for Joseph.

However, the Lord was with Joseph in prison, and the prison keeper put Joseph in charge of all the prisoners, and whatever was done in prison, Joseph would do it. Whatever Joseph did prospered, even in prison. There were two prisoners who had dreams they didn’t understand. Joseph was able to interpret them, and the prisoners were grateful. One of those prisoners was released from prison, and Joseph said not to forget about him. However, he did forget for two whole years. Then the Pharaoh had a dream and no one in the land could interpret it, so the prisoner who was released remembered Joseph and told the Pharaoh about him, and the Pharaoh called on Joseph to interpret his dream, and Joseph did. Pharaoh was so impressed that he put Joseph in charge of all that he had. Joseph was second only to Pharaoh in Egypt.

While I was writing this, I kept asking the Lord, Why are we going into all of this when this is a series about come as you are. I believe the Lord wants us to see how Joseph did not try to change himself for others. He did not try to hide who he was from his brothers. He was honest with them. We might see this as bragging, and maybe it was. Joseph was just a kid. What if it wasn’t bragging, though? What if Joseph was just trying to talk to his brothers about his dream? Maybe he was looking for help interpreting it. We don’t know why Joseph told his brothers, but what we do know is that Joseph never tried to hide who he was from his brothers. If he had tried to pretend to be someone else, maybe they wouldn’t have hated him so much and sold him into slavery. Have you ever pretended to be someone else just so your family would like you more?

When the wife of his master approached Joseph, he could have slept with her. He might have been able to avoid prison if he had. However, that is not who he was. He appreciated all his master had done for him, and he didn’t want to betray him. The Lord was also with Joseph, and it would have been wrong in the eyes of the Lord, so Joseph said no and ended up in prison. Have you ever done the wrong thing to avoid a bad consequence? How did it turn out in the end? How did you feel about yourself afterwards?

Often, we think that if something bad happens to us, then God is not with us. We believe He has abandoned us and left us. God shows us in this story that it is not true. God was with Joseph always, even when he was sold into slavery and in prison. God didn’t save Joseph from slavery or prison, but He was with him in it and helped him to prosper in it. Did you know you could prosper in a bad situation? Did you know God sometimes lets us stay in those situations for a while because He is aligning the rest of our lives? He is moving pieces around the board of our lives and aligning circumstances for us to live into our destiny.

We think God won’t use us. We have a million excuses why God doesn’t want us. We are the least in our family. We are in prison. We don’t have a job. We don’t have a home. We aren’t liked by many. We aren’t enough. We are too much. There are so many reasons why we don’t come to the Lord. Why we think the Lord has abandoned us.  This story shows us that God doesn’t care about all of that. Joseph was the most loved in his family, and something bad still happened to him. Joseph was faithful to his master and to God, and something bad still happened.

God used those bad things for good, though. After all of that, Joseph became second only to Pharaoh over all of Egypt. He saved Egypt from 7 years of famine. He saved his family, the one who threw him away, from starving to death. God reunited him with his father and his brothers. God will use the evil that the enemy unleashes on your life for good. You just need to come to him and ask. Joseph did not wait until he was successful to come to the Lord. Joseph went to the Lord as a slave. He went to the Lord as a prisoner. He came to the Lord, just as he was, and the Lord was with him and helped him prosper.

Is that what is keeping you back from prospering? You are waiting until you figure it all out before you come to the Lord. This story tells us that the Lord helped Joseph prosper while he was a slave. The Lord helped him prosper while he was still in prison. The Lord wants to help you prosper while you are stuck in bed with an illness. He wants to help you prosper while you are looking for a job. He wants to help you prosper while you are stuck in this pit of despair. Don’t wait another minute! Come to the Lord, just as you are, and he will help you prosper.

Dear Heavenly Father, I ask you to bless each person listening to this episode today. Lord, we are so grateful you never leave our side. We are sorry we have to wait to come to you. Please help each person listening to this episode come to you today. Please help us to see that we can’t change without you, and you don’t want us to. Please help us to see that you love us and accept us just as we are. We love you, Lord, and we ask all of this in accordance with your will and in Jesus’s holy name, Amen!

Thank you so much for joining me on this journey to walk boldly with Jesus. There is just one more week to sign up for my retreat. It is two weeks from tomorrow! I look forward to seeing all of you who have signed up. I am going to be offering a virtual option for the retreat since some people live far away but would like to attend. If you would like more information on that, please email me at [email protected]. CLICK HERE for the retreat info and registration. Remember, Jesus loves you just as you are, and so do I! Have a blessed day!

Today’s Word from the Lord was received in May 2025 by a member of my Catholic Charismatic Prayer Group. If you have any questions about the prayer group, these words, or how to join us for a meeting, please email [email protected]. Today’s Word from the Lord is, “I am ready to fill you with all my graces, with everything that you need. It should not be that difficult to come. I invite you each day. Can you not hear my whispers? My whispers of love, my whispers of hope, my whispers of joy. I am full of love for you, so just drop in and come.”

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Good morning everyone! I am so sorry that I completely forgot yesterday was Wednesday and yet I didn’t want you to miss out on Witness Wednesday this week. Today I will be reading to you the story of Sophia. She is a 12 year old student  who was shot and nearly killed during Mass at the Annunciation Catholic School in August. First I will read the prayer request I recieved from several people and then the article a friend sent about her recovery.

A friend whose brother-in-law teaches at Annunciation is passing along an urgent prayer request from the dad of Sophia, who's still in intensive care...

Sophia's brain swelling needs to stop now and recede.🙏 Half her skull has been removed thus far to relieve pressure and the remaining will need to be removed unless the swelling stops. Sophia's dad asked to share this with as many people as possible for prayers.

Now here is the article

Sophia Forchas, who was shot and nearly killed during Mass at Annunciation Catholic School in August, has made significant progress in her recovery, said an update from her parents.

Sophia Forchas, the 12-year-old student from Annunciation Catholic School whose doctors feared could become the third victim of the mass shooting committed during her school's Mass in August, will soon be moving to inpatient rehabilitation to continue recovering.

"Sophia is winning! Your Prayers are working," said a September 22 statement from the Forchas family posted on a GoFundMe fundraiser page.

Sophia is the last Annunciation Catholic School student still hospitalized after the shooting that killed two of her classmates and injured nearly two dozen others.

The family thanked everyone for their "continued prayers, the outpouring of love, and the tremendous support for our precious Sophia. We are humbled by the countless individuals across the globe who have lifted her up in prayer, including His All-Holiness Orthodox Patriarch Bartholomew and His Holiness Pope Leo XIV."

The Forchas family attends a Greek Orthodox parish in the Minneapolis area.

"Your prayers have been powerful. Sophia surviving this horrific attack is a miracle. Her healing progress is nothing short of miraculous; an undeniable testament to the mercy and intervention of our Lord Jesus Christ," said the family's statement.

Each day, the Forchas family has received "new revelations of moments and circumstances that kept her alive and made her recovery possible."

"There are simply too many to be dismissed as coincidence. God has heard our prayers and wrapped Sophia in His healing embrace," said the family.

Inspiring hope

Since the shooting, Sophia has continued to make "steady progress" and has shown "promising signs of neurological recovery."

Her doctors, who once thought she was not going to survive, are now "cautiously optimistic," and she is set to move this week from an acute care setting to an inpatient rehabilitation program, said the family.

"Though she still has a long journey ahead, filled with extensive therapy, her resilience continues to inspire hope at every step," said the Forchas family. The family asked that people "continue to pray for her as she walks this road to recovery."

"It is by God’s will that she has come this far. We are eternally grateful to our loving Father, who hears and answers prayers. We also extend our heartfelt thanks to the extraordinary staff of Hennepin Healthcare at HCMC for their tireless dedication and world-class care."

Echoing the words of Annunciation Catholic School's Principal Matt DeBoer, the Forchas family asked that people keep praying for their daughter and for the world.

"Please continue to pray. Pray for peace and when you pray, move your feet," said the family.

"Let us worship God together and walk forward in Faith, Hope, and Love. Together we can create a better tomorrow."

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Looking Foolish For Jesus

Numbers 11:23 “The LORD answered Moses: Is this beyond the LORD’s reach? You shall see now whether or not what I have said to you takes place.”

I have been reading two books lately that have really got me thinking about how I pray.  One is called The Circle Maker by Mark Batterson, and the other is called The Cross and the Switch Blade by David Wilkerson.  Both books have similar themes.  One central theme seems to be praying boldly and specifically.  They both talk about how if we want to see extraordinary things, we need to be willing to look foolish sometimes.  Here is a short excerpt from the book The Circle Maker.  

“Faith is the willingness to look foolish.  Noah looked foolish building a boat in a desert.  The Israelite army looked foolish, marching around Jericho, blowing trumpets.  A shepherd boy named David looked foolish charging a giant with a sling shot.  The Magi looked foolish tracking a star to Timbuktu.  Peter looked foolish getting out of the boat in the sea of Galilee, and Jesus looked foolish wearing a crown of thorns.  But the results speak for themselves.  Noah was saved from the flood, the walls of Jericho came tumbling down, David defeated Goliath, the magi discovered the Messiah, Peter walked on water, and Jesus was crowned king of kings. Foolishness is a feeling that Moses was very familiar with. He had to feel foolish going before the pharaoh and demanding that he let God's people go. He felt foolish raising his staff over the Red Sea, and he most certainly felt foolish promising meat to eat for the entire nation of Israel in the middle of the wilderness, but his willingness to look foolish resulted in epic miracles: the exodus of Israel out of Egypt, the parting of the Red Sea, and the quail miracle.”  

The quail miracle is what I want to talk to you about today.  God had saved the Israelites from Egypt; he was providing a miracle for them every single day by providing manna, and yet they were not happy.  They were complaining about not having meat to eat. They were talking about all the good things they had to eat when they were in Egypt and reminiscing as if those were good times because they had so much free food and fish. But they're forgetting that the food was free because they were not; they were slaves.  In Numbers 11:10-15, Moses hears the people complaining and asks God why he treats him so badly as to give him the responsibility of all these people.  Then in Numbers 11:18-21 God says, “To the people, however, you shall say: 'Sanctify yourselves for tomorrow, when you shall have meat to eat. For in the hearing of the LORD you have cried, ‘If only we had meat for food! Oh, how well off we were in Egypt! Therefore, the LORD will give you meat to eat, and you will eat it, not for one day, or two days, or five, or ten, or twenty days, but for a whole month—until it comes out of your very nostrils and becomes loathsome to you. For you have rejected the LORD who is in your midst, and in his presence you have cried, ‘Why did we ever leave Egypt?’” 

This is one of those times I talked about earlier when sometimes faith requires you to look a little foolish.  Moses did not understand how there could be enough meat to feed all these people for a whole month.  He even questioned God about this.  In Numbers 11:22, Moses asks, “The people around me include six hundred thousand soldiers; yet you say, ‘I will give them meat to eat for a whole month.’ Can enough sheep and cattle be slaughtered for them? If all the fish of the sea were caught for them, would they have enough?” I find this remarkable and comforting.  After all the truly extraordinary miracles Moses has seen, he still questions the Lord when he tells him something.  I find it remarkable because I would think by now, he would know to just trust God.  I find it comforting because if someone who is as close to the Lord as Moses was can question or doubt the Lord, then I don’t have to be so hard on myself when I do it.  Moses could not see how this could happen; the math did not add up.  


Then the next verse is one that we should ask ourselves often, especially when we are facing a situation that seems impossible.  Numbers 11:23 says, “The LORD answered Moses: Is this beyond the LORD’s reach? You shall see now whether or not what I have said to you takes place.”  Wow, is this beyond the Lord’s reach?  What a great question!  And I hope we all know the answer is No, nothing is beyond the Lord’s reach.  I wonder what Moses was thinking in that moment when God said that to him.  He was probably feeling the same way we feel when our parents ask us a question that we ought to know the answer to.  


After this talk with God, Moses had a decision to make.  Was he going to trust God and go out in front of his 600,000 soldiers and tell them that God would provide them with meat for a month?  Would he put his reputation on the line to say something that he himself had trouble believing?   I think a lot of us find ourselves in this situation more often than we would like to admit.  We all know the power of the Holy Spirit and of God, and yet, we are hesitant to voice our prayers loud enough for others to hear.  Or we are afraid to go out on a limb and pray a specific prayer out loud because what if God doesn’t come through?  What if we look foolish?  What will people think?  Luckily, Moses did go out and tell the people what God had said.  And you know what, God showed up.  He always does.   

In Numbers 11:31-32, it talks about this miracle, “There arose a wind from the LORD that drove in quail from the sea and left them all around the camp site, to a distance of a day’s journey and at a depth of two cubits upon the ground.  So all that day, all night, and all the next day, the people set about to gather in the quail. Even the one who got the least gathered ten homers* of them. Then they spread them out all around the camp.” Not knowing what a cubit is, or how much a homer is, I had trouble picturing how magnificent this miracle actually was.  I did not understand how much of a miracle this was until I heard it explained in the Circle Maker book.  I thought I would explain it as the author Mark Batterson explained it. The area which was filled with quail was 10 times larger than Washington D.C., and the quail were piled 3 feet high.  Each person collected at least 10 homers.  If you multiply 10 homers by the 600,000 soldiers, you get 6 million homers of quail.  Which means that the day it rained quail, it rained down at least 105 million quail.  I had no idea it was so many.  That seems so crazy to me.  Can you even imagine what that must have looked like?  

God provided this miracle for Moses and the people; however, he did not provide the miracle until after Moses went out and told the people what God had promised to them.  What if Moses had decided not to stand up and tell the people what God had said?  Would they still have gotten the miracle?  Oftentimes, if we want to experience a miracle, we need to be willing to do something first.  Take some action in faith.  Oftentimes, that action on our part may make us look foolish or feel uncomfortable. Faith definitely asks us to step outside of our comfort zone at times.  If we aren’t willing to risk looking foolish, we may not get our miracles. You may be nervous to pray to God for certain things because you are worried that your prayers won’t get answered. But remember this, 100% of the prayers never prayed don’t get answered.  If we don’t ask for it, then we don’t give God the chance to answer it. We don’t give him the chance to show off his power and glory.  The next time you are unsure how God could answer your prayers, remember these words from God: “Is this beyond the Lord’s reach?”

Dear heavenly father, I ask that you bless everyone listening to this episode today. Lord, we ask that you give us the courage and boldness we need to do as you ask. Lord Jesus, we ask that you give us a holy boldness to look foolish or step outside of our comfort zone if that's what you're asking us to do. We ask that you help us take a chance on you, Lord. We know you always show up, and we know you always come through. Lord, we believe, please help our unbelief. Lord, give us the faith of Moses and Noah and Joshua and all those who came before us.  Lord help us to have unwavering faith in you, help us to ask you for whatever it is we need without hesitation. Lord Jesus, you are amazing, and we're so thankful for all you do for us.  We love you so very much, and we ask all of this in accordance with your will and in Jesus' holy name, amen.

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Come As You Are Series - Elijah

1 Kings 19:3-4 “And he was afraid, and got up and ran for his life and came to Beersheba, which belongs to Judah; and he left his servant there.  But he himself went a day’s journey into the wilderness, and came and sat down under a broom tree; and he asked for himself to die, and said, “Enough! Now, Lord, take my life, for I am no better than my fathers.”

Elijah is someone we can relate to. He is so real and down to earth. He is a good example to us of real faith. In 1 Kings 18, Elijah gets word from the Lord that he is to go show himself to King Ahab. At this time, God’s people were worshiping Baals, the false Gods, and the Lord was not happy. God sent Elijah to show His people He was the one true God. Elijah asked the priest to call all the prophets of the false Gods to the top of Mount Carmel. He called all the people of Israel as well.

Once they were all gathered, Elijah told them to build an altar to their God, and he would build an altar to his God. They would take two bulls and each sacrifice one. They would get the sacrifice ready, but would not light it on fire. They would call upon their gods to consume the sacrifice with fire. The false prophets did as they were told, and they called upon Baal all day, but he did not answer them. There was no fire.

Then Elijah called the Israelites closer to him, and he rebuilt the altar that used to be there. He also built a trench around the altar. He told the people to get four buckets of water and dump them on the offering and the wood. He had them do this three times. There was so much water that the wood was drenched, and it filled the trench. Then Elijah said, “Lord, God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, today let it be known that You are God in Israel and that I am Your servant, and that I have done all these things at Your word. Answer me, Lord, answer me, so that this people may know that You, Lord, are God, and that You have turned their heart back.” (1Kings 18:36-37) The Lord sent fire so hot that it consumed the offering, the stones, and even all the water in the trench.

The people of Israel immediately fell to their faces and said, “The Lord, He is God.” Elijah had them gather all the false prophets, and he killed them. When Jezebel, Ahab’s wife, heard this, she vowed to kill Elijah. This is where today’s verse comes in. It says, “And he was afraid, and got up and ran for his life and came to Beersheba, which belongs to Judah; and he left his servant there.  But he himself went a day’s journey into the wilderness, and came and sat down under a broom tree; and he asked for himself to die, and said, “Enough! Now, Lord, take my life, for I am no better than my fathers.”

The reason I said earlier that Elijah was someone we can all relate to is that even though he was just able to call down the fire of the Lord, he is still scared when he finds out his life is in danger. Sometimes we think that if we get scared of something, it must mean that we don’t trust God. This story is a great example to show us that it is not true. Elijah called all the people of Israel up on the mountain to see God show His power. He also called 450 false prophets there to tell them to call on their God to consume their sacrifice. This requires a great deal of trust in the Lord. He had to trust that he was really hearing from the Lord. He had to trust that God would show up and consume the sacrifice. He also had to trust that the false God would not show up.

God was speaking directly to Elijah. Elijah heard God, did what God told him to do, and then saw God show up in a powerful way. Elijah knows how powerful God is. He knows there is nothing God can’t do. Yet, right after this amazing demonstration of his faith and God’s power, someone threatens his life, and he is afraid and runs for his life. He not only runs for his life, but he also asks to die. It is crazy how quickly our emotions and feelings can change. I would say that the experience on Mt. Carmel would have had Elijah on a high for days or weeks. He literally called down fire from the Lord. How cool is that? However, almost immediately after that he is running for his life and asking to die.

This is how it can be with us as well. Some days we see God do incredible things and know without a doubt He is our Lord and Savior. We trust Him completely. Then something awful happens, and we don’t know what to do. We forget to turn to the Lord. We forget how powerful He is. We just get so stuck in the moment and the fear of the situation. Being afraid doesn’t mean we don’t trust God. We all have weak moments; we are all human. Elijah knew God in a special way. They had a relationship, and Elijah could hear the Lord when He talked to Him.

Elijah had just called down fire from heaven. I would think if Jezebel was threatening his life, he could call on the Lord to protect him. Reading this, you wouldn’t think that he had any reason to be scared. The Lord is for him, and the Lord is powerful. However, that is not what happened. Instead of turning to the Lord and asking him for protection, Elijah ran for his life. We tend to think when we do this, when we forget to turn to the Lord, or when it looks like we don’t trust the Lord, that the Lord is angry with us. We think He turns away from us when we turn away from Him.

That is not what this story shows us. Elijah ran for his life. It doesn't say he asked the Lord for help; it just says he got scared and fled for his life. He also asked to die. Many of us have been there before. Things in life felt so scary that we thought that if we died, everything would be better. If we died, our loved ones would be better off, or we would be better off. We think God is mad at us when we have those thoughts. Here is what it says that God did for Elijah when he asked to die. 1 Kings 19:5-8 "Then he lay down and fell asleep under a broom tree; but behold, there was an angel touching him, and he said to him, “Arise, eat!” And he looked, and behold, there was at his head a round loaf of bread baked on hot coals, and a pitcher of water. So he ate and drank, and lay down again. But the angel of the Lord came back a second time and touched him, and said, “Arise, eat,  because the journey is too long for you.” So he arose and ate and drank, and he journeyed in the strength of that food for forty days and forty nights to Horeb, the mountain of God.”

Was God angry because Elijah ran instead of coming to Him? No. Did he punish him for not having faith that He could protect him and take care of Jezebel? No. God let him take a nap and then sent an angel to wake him up for a snack. Then he let him go back to sleep for a bit longer and then gave him another snack. Does this fit with the idea of what you think God is? If it doesn't, I invite you to take another look at all that God has done for His people in the Bible.

God doesn’t need you to be perfect all the time. Having fear, worry, or anxiety doesn’t mean you have lost your faith or that you don’t trust God. We are all human. We are often influenced by this world. We can see a miracle one minute and then wonder if God will come through for us in the next minute. It is important to know that you are not alone when this happens to you. It happens to all of us. Elijah was an amazing prophet, and yet he struggled with feeling like he wanted to die. He knew the Lord, they had a relationship, and often talked, and yet he was not shielded from those emotions. Following God and trusting God does not mean that we will never encounter difficulties again. It means that when we do, He will be there for us even if we don’t know that He is.

My prayer for you is that by the time we are done this series you would have seen yourself in at least one, but likely several, of these stories and you can see that you are not alone and that no matter what you think you have done, or how bad you think you are, God still wants you to come to Him just as you are. You are never too far gone for the Lord. He can always bring you back. He can always use you. He ALWAYS  loves you!

Dear Heavenly Father, I ask you to bless each person listening today. Lord, you are amazing, and we are so grateful. Lord, thank you for looking out for Elijah and giving him rest and a snack. Lord, we ask that you help remind us to take a rest and a snack when we are upset and feel as though we want to die. Lord, we ask that you send an angel to the side of each and every person who asks to die. Lord, we ask that your angel protect them and help them make it through that moment to the next. Help them see that things will get better if they can just hang on. Help them to see that you love them and are right next to them. Help someone in their lives see them and help them. Lord, I ask that you help each person listening to this realize that you want them to come to you just as they are. Lord, help us see through the enemy's lies that no one cares about us, and let us see and feel how much you care about us. We love you, Lord. You are King of Kings and Lord of Lords. You are the almighty one, and we ask all of this in accordance with your will and in Jesus’s holy name, Amen!

Thank you so much for joining me on this journey to walk boldly with Jesus. If you have a person in the Bible that you turn to in certain trials because of all they have been through, I would love it if you would reach out on social media and let me know, or email me at [email protected]. Who do you relate most to in the Bible? I would love to know. Remember, Jesus loves you just as you are, and so do I! Have a blessed day!

Today’s Word from the Lord was received in May 2025 by a member of my Catholic Charismatic Prayer Group. If you have any questions about the prayer group, these words, or how to join us for a meeting, please email [email protected]. Today’s Word from the Lord is, “Are you the same as you were 10 years ago? 50 years ago? No. You are always new. You are always living. You are always growing. And because you open yourself to my grace, you grow in my way. You grow in likeness to me. And it pleases me.”

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Come As You Are Series - David

1 Samuel 16:12-13 “So he sent word and brought him in. Now he was reddish, with beautiful eyes and a handsome appearance. And the Lord said, “Arise, anoint him; for this is he.” So Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the midst of his brothers; and the Spirit of the Lord rushed upon David from that day forward. And Samuel set out and went to Ramah.”

We have been talking a lot about how God doesn’t always choose the people we think He would choose. If we were in charge, we would probably choose other people as the ones God chooses are flawed, and they make mistakes.They are not the people who get it all right. They are not the people who have it all figured out. They are not the people who look like they fit the part. This is David. He is not the one who looks like he would fit the part. Although this verse does say that he had beautiful eyes and he had a handsome appearance, his brothers looked like they would fit the role of king better. This is not my opinion; this is what it says in the Bible.

In 1 Samuel 16, God sent Samuel to the house of Jesse to anoint the next king, as the Lord had rejected Saul. Listen to what happened when Samuel arrived at Jesse’s house. 1 Samuel 16:6-11 “When they entered, he looked at Eliab and thought, 'Surely the Lord’s anointed is standing before Him.” But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not look at his appearance or at the height of his stature, because I have rejected him; for God does not see as man sees, since man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” Then Jesse called Abinadab and had him pass before Samuel. But he said, “The Lord has not chosen this one, either.” Next Jesse had Shammah pass by. And he said, “The Lord has not chosen this one, either.” So Jesse had seven of his sons pass before Samuel. But Samuel said to Jesse, “The Lord has not chosen these.” Then Samuel said to Jesse, “Are these all the boys?” And he said, “The youngest is still left, but behold, he is tending the sheep.” So Samuel said to Jesse, “Send word and bring him, for we will not take our places at the table until he comes here.”

Samuel thought he knew who God had chosen because when he saw Eliab, he thought he looked kingly. He had the stature of a king. One thing that I think is so telling is that God says, “Do not look at his appearance or at the height of his stature, because I have rejected him; for God does not see as man sees, since man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” David lived 3000 years before Jesus, who lived 2000 years before now, and people were still judging by the outward appearance, while God is looking at our hearts. You would think after 5,000 years, we might learn to look at people’s hearts instead of their outside appearance, and yet, we haven’t learned that yet.

God chose David to be king even though he had seven other brothers who could have been chosen. David was chosen even though his brothers looked like they fit the part better. His brothers, at least some of them, were soldiers in the military. David didn’t have that training. When Samuel asked Jesse to present his sons to him, he didn’t even invite David. That is how sure his family was that he would not be chosen. Does this sound familiar? Has your family counted you out so many times you can’t even count? Have they just assumed you couldn’t do it or that you weren’t the right person for the job?

I am sure the reasons for each one of us are different, but I think we all have a story of a time when others decided we couldn’t do something. Don’t let others tell you what you can and can’t do. Don’t count yourself out, or let others count you out, because you don’t think you look the part. If God chose you, it is because you are the best person for that job. Don’t let others talk you out of it.

Sometimes it is not others that count us out, but we count ourselves out. We didn’t think we could do it, and yet someone asked us to do it anyway. Someone saw something in you that you didn’t see in yourself. I doubt David thought he was qualified to be anointed as king. I doubt he felt ready and yet he was anointed anyway.  He wasn’t called to be king right then. David was anointed when he was around 15 years old. He was out in the fields tending to his dad’s sheep. He became king over Israel around the age of 30. God saw something in David that even his family didn’t see. The same is true for all of us. God sees something in us that no one else can see.

God called David to do extraordinary things that no one would have seen coming. David was asked to bring his brother's lunch on the battlefield one day. When he got there, he saw everyone very scared, and no one was fighting. He saw a giant soldier from the other side, whom everyone was afraid of. David didn’t understand why they were afraid, as they were God’s army. They were God’s chosen people; why would they be scared if they knew God would save them? David offered to fight this giant. The king said no at first, but David persuaded him. The king wanted him to use armor and fight like the soldiers did. However, he was too small for the armor. He needed to do it with his weapons, a sling shot, and a few rocks. Do you see how this is an unlikely pairing? A small shepherd boy going against a giant soldier in full armor? It is an unlikely pairing and yet one ordained by the Lord. David had been anointed, he had the Holy Spirit, and he knew the Lord was all-powerful. He knew the Lord would fight for him and that all he needed to do was show up. He showed up, he said yes to the Lord, and he defeated the giant.

The same is true for you. You may find yourself in some uncomfortable situations. You may find yourself paired up with a giant, a bully, someone, or something that you don’t see any way you can defeat. That’s ok, you don’t have to know a way, you can trust that the Lord is there fighting this for you. He will help you win, he will help you defeat your giant, whatever that may be. You don’t have to fight your battles the way others do. You don’t have to take the advice of every person who wants to “help” you. Be brave like David. Do things your way with the confidence that God is on your side, and if He is for you, who could be against you? (Romans 8:31)

Dear Heavenly Father, I ask you to bless all those who are listening to this episode right now. Lord, you are amazing. We are so grateful you look at our heart and not our outside appearance. Lord, help us to be more like you. Please help us look inward and try to see other people’s hearts instead of judging them based on their outward appearance. Lord, please give us the courage to stand up and do what you are calling us to do, even if those around us don’t think we are qualified. Help us to say yes, even if we don’t feel we are qualified. Help us to be brave and not to count ourselves out of anything that you are calling us to, Lord. Help us have the courage David had when he faced Goliath and all the other times in his life where he did really brave things. We love you, Lord, and we ask all of this in accordance with your will and in Jesus’s holy name, Amen!

Thank you so much for joining me on this journey to walk boldly with Jesus. Just another week or so to sign up for the retreat. I hope you can join us. CLICK HERE to get all the details. If you are wondering who you are in this world, come and listen to who God says you are. I guarantee you will be amazed at the amazing things God says about you. He loves you and thinks you are so much more special than you know. Remember, Jesus loves you, just as you are, and so do I! Have a blessed day!

Today’s Word from the Lord was received in May 2025 by a member of my Catholic Charismatic Prayer Group. If you have any questions about the prayer group, these words, or how to join us for a meeting, please email [email protected]. Today’s Word from the Lord is, “My children, I pour living waters upon you today. Waters that have never penetrated you before. I have new gifts for you. I have new life for you.”

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Come As You Are Series - Saul (Old Testament)

1 Samuel 9:18-21 & 1 Samuel 10:1 “Saul approached Samuel in the gateway and asked, “Would you please tell me where the seer’s house is?” “I am the seer,” Samuel replied. “Go up ahead of me to the high place, for today you are to eat with me, and in the morning I will send you on your way and will tell you all that is in your heart.  As for the donkeys you lost three days ago, do not worry about them; they have been found. And to whom is all the desire of Israel turned, if not to you and your whole family line?”  Saul answered, “But am I not a Benjamite, from the smallest tribe of Israel, and is not my clan the least of all the clans of the tribe of Benjamin? Why do you say such a thing to me?” Then Samuel took a flask of olive oil and poured it on Saul’s head and kissed him, saying, “Has not the Lord anointed you ruler over his inheritance?”

When I was reading over the scriptures for the week, this one caught my eye because Saul says something I can picture each one of us saying.  Saul has set out in search of these 3 donkeys that are missing.  This interaction picks up when he gets to Samuel’s house.  He is looking for Samuel because he is a seer.  A seer is a perceiver of hidden truth, according to one site I found online.  Samuel says Saul is to eat with him and then will go on his way in the morning.  Samuel then drops this crazy idea on Saul that Israel's future lies in his hands.  Saul answered, “But am I not a Benjamite, from the smallest tribe of Israel, and is not my clan the least of all the clans of the tribe of Benjamin? Why do you say such a thing to me?” This is where I think we can all relate.  

Saul has just been told, “And to whom is all the desire of Israel turned, if not to you and your whole family line?”  Basically, the future of Israel lies in Saul’s hands, and he instantly questions his worthiness.  Have you ever done this?  Have you ever wanted to go for a promotion at work and yet worried you weren’t good enough for it?  Have you ever had someone tell you that you would be perfect for some position, whether paid or volunteer, and you wonder what they see in you that made them think that?  I know I have.  I went to a retreat once, and they were looking for people to be on the executive board for the European region.  It was my first retreat with the group.  I had been a part of the local groups for a few years.  The women I had met at the retreat were saying that if no one else wanted the positions, maybe we should help out.  

I instantly wondered if I could do it.  Didn’t you have to be pretty holy to be on the executive board of a large Catholic organization?  What if they knew how flawed I am?  What if they realized I don’t know nearly as much as anyone else does about our faith?  What if’s kept running through my head.  When we were talking about it at dinner, we were discussing what experience we had either in a job setting or in a volunteer setting.  I mentioned I had several years of experience volunteering on the executive boards of several spouses' groups.  I had pretty much done all the various roles.  I will never forget one of the women said, I could have guessed that.  I wondered what about me made her think that.  To me, I just saw myself as a mom of three boys.  Someone who helps out wherever needed.  I didn’t think I did anything too important.  I mean, I know mothering is important. It's just that sometimes in the grand scheme of things, when mothering is your full-time job, it can start to feel like you aren’t important. I am not sure if that makes sense to everyone, but I know some of you have probably felt that way before.  It was nice to have someone else affirm that she knew I could do it.  

I had only spent two days or so with this woman, and she could see things in me that I couldn’t see.  Why is it that others can see things in us that we can’t see?  Why do others see the best in us, and we not only can’t see it, but we often struggle to believe it when they call it out in us?  Saul was struggling to believe he was worthy of this amazing thing Samuel called out in him.  He answered, “But am I not a Benjamite, from the smallest tribe of Israel, and is not my clan the least of all the clans of the tribe of Benjamin? Why do you say such a thing to me?” All Saul could see was where he came from.  He saw his family status, he saw his place in the clan, he saw all he lacked.  He didn’t come from the best family, he didn’t have the status, and he didn’t see what Samuel saw in him.  However, Samuel was a seer; he could see the hidden truths.  Samuel was able to see what God had in store for Saul.  He was able to look to the future and see all Saul was capable of doing.  

I know Saul didn’t have the benefit of the Bible.  I am sure some of the stories of God had been passed down through the generations, but he didn’t have the benefit of the complete Old and New Testaments.  If he did, he would have been able to realize that God rarely, if ever, uses those with perfect family bloodlines.  He rarely, if ever, uses the person you or I would pick for Him to use.  God tends to choose the broken to do His work.  God chooses people not based on how we see them, but on how He sees them.  God chooses people for a particular purpose, and your status, your family, your job, your reputation, none of that will exclude you if God wants you.  I was mentioning to Tony yesterday about how Saul was on his way to capture and put in jail anyone who believed in Jesus Christ, and God gave him a vision, and he was baptized just a few days later.  Saul consented to the stoning of Stephen, a beloved follower of Jesus, and he was not excluded from God’s glory.  He was not excluded from helping to build up the kingdom of God here on earth.  Saul is just one example, but there are so many.  Even within the 12 apostles, there was Matthew, who was a tax collector, Simon, who was a zealot, and Judas, who was a thief.  

I know you don’t think you are worthy of the call God is placing on your life, but answer that call anyway.  God will be there every step of the way to give you all you need.  I know you don’t feel comfortable believing the great things people call out in you, but believe them anyway.  I know it can be uncomfortable to call out the wonderful things you see in others, but call them out anyway.  You never know how much it could mean to that person.  You never know if that thought that you had about that person is something God put in your mind for you to share with Him.  We need to build people up.  This world does a great job of tearing people down.  What if we did a great job of building people up?  What if we called out the good we see in others, even if we think they already see it?  What if God is using us to tell that person something that He has been telling them, and yet they just couldn’t hear it?  God loves you. He is choosing you for something right now. Can you say yes?  I asked God one time, Why me, and he said Why not you.  He sees incredible things in each one of us.  He is choosing you, and He has His reasons. Trust that the One True God, the God Almighty, the Maker of Heaven and Earth, did not get it wrong.  Trust He knows what He is doing and say “Yes Lord, Yes, Lord, Yes, Yes, Lord.”

Dear Heavenly Father, I ask you to bless those listening to this episode today.  Lord, we love you, and we are sorry to question you.  We are sorry, we struggle to believe you would really use us.  We are sorry we struggle to see how wonderfully you made us.  We say yes, Lord, even if we don’t understand why you chose us, we say yes.  We say yes even if we don’t think we are worthy because we know if you call us for something, you will also equip us for it.  Lord, please help us to call out the wonderful things we see in others.  Please give us the boldness to follow your promptings and share them with others.  We love you, Lord. You are amazing.  We ask all of this in accordance with your will and in Jesus’ holy name, Amen!

Thank you so much for joining me on this journey to walk boldly with Jesus.  I look forward to spending time with you tomorrow.  Remember, Jesus loves you, and so do I! Have a blessed day!

Today’s Word from the Lord was received in May 2025 by a member of my Catholic Charismatic Prayer Group. If you have any questions about the prayer group, these words, or how to join us for a meeting, please email [email protected]. Today’s Word from the Lord is, “Raise your hands high, little one. Raise your hands high and I, your God, will unmute you. I will unmute you in ways that you have never experienced before. I pour down upon you this morning the grace of an unmuted heart, a heart open to me, a heart open to my life living within you. A heart full of grace and mercy and forgiveness.”

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Come As You Are Series - Matthew

Matthew 9:9 “As Jesus went on from there, He saw a man called Matthew sitting in the tax collector’s office; and He said to him, “Follow Me!” And he got up and followed Him.”

Before watching the chosen series, I didn't understand why it was so unusual for Jesus to choose Matthew. I knew the Jewish people did not like tax collectors, but I didn't realize just how much the Jewish people hated them. I also didn't realize how hard it was for a Jewish person to take that job. I didn't know that their entire family would disown them, and all the Jewish people would dislike them.

When you watch The Chosen, a series about the life of Jesus, you can see how hard it was for Matthew and how hard it was for his family. In this series, Matthew didn’t really seem to understand why his family was so upset. To him, it was a job and one he was very well suited for. He was very good with numbers and someone needed to collect the taxes. It paid very well and he was able to afford nice things. He wanted to share those things with his family and to help his family out.

However, his family wanted nothing to do with that money and nothing to do with him. There were several reasons why the Jewish people hated the tax collectors. Here are five of them.

1. They Worked for the Romans. Israel was under Roman occupation, which many Jews saw as a constant reminder that they were not free. Tax collectors were Jewish people who collaborated with the Roman government to collect taxes from their own people. Many Jews saw this as betrayal — essentially siding with the oppressor.

2. They Collected More Than Required. Tax collectors often used a system called tax farming: they paid Rome a set amount upfront for the right to collect taxes, and then charged people more than what Rome required in order to profit. This meant they were often greedy and corrupt, getting rich at the expense of their fellow Jews.

3. They Were Considered Ritually Unclean. Because they worked closely with Gentiles (Romans) and handled money with images of Caesar on it (which some Jews considered idolatrous), they were considered ceremonially unclean and unable to fully participate in religious life. They were lumped in with “sinners” in society — seen as spiritually dirty and morally compromised.

4. They Contributed to Oppression. Paying Roman taxes meant funding Rome’s army and empire — which included pagan temples and the oppression of Jewish people. Tax collectors were seen as helping the enemy, adding to the suffering of their own nation.

5. They Represented Injustice. Many people were already living in poverty, and tax burdens could be crushing. Tax collectors were the face of that injustice, the ones knocking on doors, demanding payment, and sometimes taking people’s property.

As you can see, this opinion of tax collectors went a lot deeper than just the fact that they were upset they had to pay taxes to a ruler they didn’t believe in, and they didn’t really have that money. There were a lot of reasons why the tax collectors were mistrusted, disliked, and in many cases, hated.

This is why it is so shocking that Jesus chose Matthew to be one of His 12 chosen apostles. In the show, you can see that the other apostles don’t understand Jesus’s choice and don’t really want to spend time with Matthew. However, they all come around in the end. They all learn to trust that Jesus has a plan, and they get to know Matthew, not for what he does, but for who he is.

The same is true for you. You might have a job that people don’t understand, or you might be doing things that go against God and all He wants for us, and yet God decides He is going to choose you to follow Him. Other people might not understand this. They might think you are the last person who should be doing this, and they may tell you that. It’s ok. It doesn’t matter what others think. What matters is that God has told you. God is calling each one of us. He is calling us to follow Him, and He is calling us to something greater as well. He is not calling us each to the same thing, but I promise God has placed a calling on your life, and He is just waiting for you to come to Him and ask Him what this calling is.

It may be something He is putting on your heart to do immediately, and it may be something that He is calling you to in the future. Either way, ask Him to tell you all about it. Ask Him to prepare you for it. Ask Him to equip you for it. This series is called Come As You Are because that is precisely what God wants from us. Just say yes, right where we are. He doesn’t want us to change first. He wants us to come to Him just as we are, and then He will change us in the most beautiful way!

God didn’t tell Matthew to find a new job, repent of all his sins, and then come and follow Him. He saw him at work and said Follow Me! and Matthew did. Imagine the courage and trust it must have taken Matthew to walk away from everything he knew to follow Jesus. Imagine how hard it must have been to not give two weeks' notice, not give his boss a heads up, just to stand up and leave all he knew for a life full of unknowns.

One thing that amazes me about all those to whom Jesus said, “Follow Me.” They never asked any questions. It doesn’t say that Matthew stopped and asked Jesus a bunch of questions. It just says that He said Follow Me, and Matthew got up and followed Him. Matthew 4:18-22 says, “Now as Jesus was walking by the Sea of Galilee, He saw two brothers, Simon, who was called Peter, and his brother Andrew, casting a net into the sea; for they were fishermen. And He said to them, “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of people.” Immediately, they left their nets and followed Him. Going on from there, He saw two other brothers, James, the son of Zebedee, and his brotherJohn, in the boat with their father Zebedee, mending their nets; and He called them. Immediately, they left the boat and their father and followed Him.”

Do you see how, at least in these two instances, Jesus said Follow Me and they just followed Him. There were no questions like, For how long? How much will we be paid? What about our families? What about our bills? What should we take with us? I feel like I would have a ton of questions, and they immediately left their nets and followed Him.”

God did not ask any of these people to change before they followed Him. Were they all perfect men? No, I am sure they were not. Did they have their own issues and problems? Yes, I am sure they did. Yet Jesus didn’t care. He knew everything about them, and He still called them. He knew all of their flaws, all of their sins. He knew what was in their hearts, and He still called them. He is calling you, too!

He is calling you with all of your sins. He is calling you with all of your imperfections. He is calling you with your addictions and with your hangups. He is calling you even though you aren’t sure what He is calling you to. He is calling you even though you have a thousand questions. He is calling you just as you are. So, go ahead and say yes. Say yes, you will follow Him wherever He leads you. Say yes, you will follow Him and allow Him to change you. Say yes, now, not after you change, because let's be honest, without Him, there is no changing.

Dear Heavenly Father, I ask that you bless all those listening to this episode today. Lord, you are amazing. You call us even though we are not perfect, and we are so grateful. Lord, please help us to hear that call. Help us to believe you want us just as we are and that you will help us to be the person you created us to be. Help us to say yes to the call you are placing on our lives, even if we don’t know what that call is or everything it entails. Helps us trust, Lord. We love you, and we ask all of this in accordance with your will and in Jesus's holy name, Amen!

Thank you so much for joining me on this journey to walk boldly with Jesus. Two more weeks to sign up for the retreat. CLICK HERE for all the details. I hope to see you there. Remember, Jesus loves you just as you are, and so do I! Have a blessed day.

Today’s Word from the Lord was received in May 2025 by a member of my Catholic Charismatic Prayer Group. If you have any questions about the prayer group, these words, or how to join us for a meeting, please email [email protected]. Today’s Word from the Lord is, “a vision of a little child who's just learning to walk, raising their hands up, and the parents grab those hands. That's the Lord grabbing our hands as we praise him with lifted hands. And walking us through.”

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