Hi Friends, We don’t often like to be “all in” for something. In fact, we are often cautioned against it. Don’t put all your eggs in one basket. Hedge your bets. Have a plan B. Except, when it comes to life in God, the only way forward is to give… everything. There’s no pseudo-form of Christianity where we write in our clauses and exemptions. No partial committing. No standing at the shore and dipping in our toes. It’s a head-first dive into the ocean of God. An all-in taking up of our cross. We sink all our life into Him. He is not in a rush, and He is in it for the long haul. He will take all the time it takes to help us out of layer upon layer of our self-centered living and thinking. Every moment of confession and realignment with His beautiful ways: He sees it as an offering of love. In fact, He surrounds us with His lovingkindness all the while. But as for us seeing some of our own sin and making peace with it? Not for a second. The Kingdom of Heaven is like a treasure hidden in a field. We give all we are to buy that field. We spend everything. And all the return routes — the paths that lead back to living for ourselves — we burn the bridges. We have seen Him, the true treasure. Where else could we go? We press on. The stunning thing is that love cost Him everything first. He’s the King who left the splendor of Heaven to become the servant of all. He’s the immortal God who has nail scars imbedded in His hands as He reaches for us. His mercy knows no end. In the end, we get the treasure in the field. We have emptied all our pockets just to find that we are fantastically rich. We get the Kingdom of Heaven, eternal life, peace in the inner man, full assurance of faith. We give all, and we get Him. — Anna |
I am a singer, songwriter, wife, mother, Jesus follower. I send out a 2-minute read every Tuesday about Jesus and life in God.
Hi Friends, One thing I’ve loved in sending these weekly devotional emails is the way we get real with one another. I’ve felt so honored by the way you have let me in on your struggles and your redemption moments. Something we’ve talked about over the years is anxiety. Let’s go there again today: No matter who you are or how strong you feel, there are seasons in life where the strain of anxiety can feel like too much to bear. The sleepless nights with a heightened heart-rate that no deep...
Hi Friends, I went on a tour of a church building this weekend. It was the 100 year anniversary of the building, and the congregation was celebrating by hosting an “Architectural Tour”. The guide was the architect who headed up the building’s restoration. We Evangelicals don’t typically put a lot of thought into our church spaces. Efficiency is the name of the game. A great coffee bar is often of greater importance than the beams in the ceiling (and when I’m late to church with my bunch of...
Hi Friends, One morning last week, I woke unusually early. It was still dark outside. I laced up my running shoes and stepped out the door to walk the block. Our neighborhood is one big rectangle, with a steep hill on one side. It takes effort to climb, but at the top you’re rewarded with a wide-open view of the horizon. That morning, I caught the sunrise one lap at a time. Each time I crested the hill, the sky had shifted. Orange, pink, purple, and blue stretched out in new patterns with...