Dare to believe that you are loveable, that God LOVES you right now, just the way you are.

Dare to believe that it’s not what you DO for God that makes you acceptable to Him. You just are!

Dare to believe that when you repented of your sins and you asked Jesus into your heart, that He REALLY DID forgive you AND He REALLY IS in your heart. (spirit man)

Dare to believe that when you fail and you fall back into your old ways, bad habits, that God hasn’t turned His back on you. He just keeps on loving you and drawing you to Himself.

Dare to believe that God is working on you inside, changing you and perfecting you even when you don’t see any visible signs of change.

Dare to believe that although God sees everything you do and think, He is NOT judging you nor is He planning to teach you a thing or two. He’s just holding you.

Dare to believe that you are “saved” by the marvelous grace of Jesus Christ, who took ALL of your sins on himself on the cross.

Dare to believe that His resurrection power is IN YOU and you have access to His power just by being His child.

Dare to believe that God is always going before you, ahead of you in every circumstance and situation and He is making a GOOD way for you.

Dare to believe that in Christ He will make ALL things work together for good for YOU and those you love.

Dare to believe that God sees your pain and He knows your struggles and you can have a hopeful, expected outcome to all that you are experiencing.

Dare to believe that God is FOR you and not against you and He is crazy about you.

Dare to believe!

When someone we know is hurting or going through a difficult time, we are likely to tell them, “God loves you, He knows best.” Yet, so many times those words aren’t really received by the hurting person. They may find it difficult to really believe that God loves them because they are still challenged by their situation and have more questions than answers. What is missing here?

Just after Jesus was taken by the soldiers to be tried, beaten and crucified, the disciples fled in fear. Peter’s fear was so great that he denied he knew His Lord three times. Soon after Jesus’ death and resurrection, He appeared to His Disciples. He asked Peter, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” It had been a little more than a week since Peter had abandoned Jesus at His greatest time of need. After telling Jesus he would die for Him, Peter’s fears had caught up to him. He proved that he loved his own life more than he loved his friend.

As Jesus engaged Peter with the question, Peter answered Him with a different word for love than Jesus had used. “I have great affection for you, as a brother.” Could it be that Peter’s failure might have been his reason for using a less intense word for love? Perhaps in the face of his denial of the Lord, Peter tried to find a word that would more honestly fit his actions.

Jesus asked Peter a second time, yet he still did not answer Jesus with the same word for love. When Jesus asked him the third time, Jesus switched to Peter’s word for brotherly affection. Peter answered in the affirmative. Yet Peter was hurt that Jesus had asked him three times.

What is so astonishing is that each time Peter answered Jesus’ questions, Jesus invited Peter to minister in His Kingdom. “Take care of my sheep.” Peter had failed Him, he hadn’t loved Jesus enough. His fears had ruled his decisions. Still, Jesus held out the invitation. Eventually, Peter got past his fears and failures and experienced God’s love so deeply that he walked in powerful ministry, literally changing the world.

Why would Jesus care about being loved? After all, He is Almighty God, Creator of the Universe, with countless angels who worship and adore Him. Why would He desire Peter’s love?

After Jesus’ work on the cross was finished, He went looking for love. He knew His followers didn’t understand why He had had to die. He would appear to them and they would see love in its greatest power. And because He loved them this much, they would at last understand the purpose of the cross and would embrace His love and therefore love Him in return. Love lies at the very core of God’s nature. The Disciple John summed up the essence of God this way: “…God is love.” (1 John 4:8)

Every idol or false god man has created seeks the submission of his or her subjects by fear, or terror. Not love! What false god or devil ever wanted to be loved? Feared? Yes! Obeyed? Yes! But never was love a component for worship.

I am not saying that fearing God is wrong, only that it is incomplete. “The fear of God is the beginning of wisdom” (Psalm 111:10, Proverbs 9:10), but it is only the beginning.

Love is the end product of wisdom. Many people today believe that fearing God keeps them from behaviors that will destroy them or others. But so many of these same people do not rest or abide safely in God’s love for them. I believe the lack of knowing and experiencing God’s love keeps many people distant from Him and unchanged in their character. It is not in focusing on our fears and performance that transforms us. It is only by being in the security of God’s affection that He is able to transform us. God knows that responding to His love will take us much further than fear ever could.

The disciple John tried to convince the church in Ephesus that God’s love had replaced the old order of fear. “There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment (torment), and whoever fears has not been perfected in love.” (1 John 4:18)

All along, mankind has been more comfortable fearing God than loving Him. But fear isn’t in God’s nature. He fears nothing. His own holiness is not produced by fear but by perfect love. John portrays love and fear as polar opposites.

Why would it be different now? Before Jesus came to earth, God allowed fear to hold people in check, but fear never made anyone holy. I believe through what Jesus came to do, God wanted to win our love with His own love.

People who serve God out of fear will forever try to please Him by doing their best and will always come up short. Then guilt will dominate and they will never really discover what it means to become God’s friend. The law of God (Old Covenant) tells us we are sinners. We’ll never measure up. But Jesus fulfilled the law and has brought a new order…LOVE. God wants us to know His love and He wants us to follow Him out of love for Him. “We love because He first loved us.” (John 4:19) If we can embrace His love, we can love Him back. When you are convinced of how much God loves you, this knowledge will drive out every fear you have. When you know His love you will be free to trust Him more and more.

I know so many Christians who get angry at God when they are facing a difficult trial. This kind of response shows that they do not know how much God loves them and they do not understand His nature: “…that for those who love God all things work together for good….” (Romans 8:28) They don’t trust God to work for the good in their situation.

People fall “in love” or “out of love,” but this is self-centered love. God’s love is not based on selfishness but selflessness. Until we experience God’s love and grow to trust Him, we will not break free from the power of self. We must understand that Jesus’ death and resurrection were an act of love for us. The greatest love we will ever know!

This is the love that will allow you to feel perfectly safe and secure in the Father’s presence. Then you will discover that life in God comes out of your security in His love, not your insecurity that you don’t love Him enough. This is the lesson Jesus wanted to teach Peter that morning.

God has great things in mind for you. He wants you to know His love so completely that you will never walk in fear and you will love Him.

Are you ready to embrace His love right now? “You will know the truth and the truth will set you free.” (John 8:32) This is your time to be free. His love is enough!!!

Let’s pray!

Dear Father,
I have lived so much of my life in fear, yet you still embrace me. You still tell me to come to You. I want to know this love of Yours. I choose right now to reach out to You, to trust Your embrace. Please melt these fears away by Your love and fill me with Your love so that I can love You back. Thank You for being My Savior, My Deliverer and My friend. I’m excited to walk this new walk secure in Your love for me.

In Jesus’ Holy name I pray,

Amen

Except as noted, all scripture references are from the English Standard Version

I highly recommend you read “He Loves Me” by Wayne Jacobsen! It is awesome!

The Apostle Paul wrote to the believers, and to us, a wonderful truth in Romans 8:1-4: “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and of death. For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do. By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh, in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.” (ESV)

I have had my own struggles at times to walk consistently without condemnation. I know so many believers who struggle with condemnation, and who are not walking in true peace with God. Why is this? I believe, for myself and others, that we have not fully accepted that because Christ died for all of our sins, God is not “sin conscious” like we are. Many people believe that God can and will forgive them of their smaller sins, but they do not believe that He will ever forgive them of their BIG sins. This, my friend, is not the truth.

Where does this “sin consciousness” come from? Well, we know that the Law was written down for Moses and the Israelites to reveal to them their sin. The law brought judgment and death. But how did this change when Jesus came and was crucified, died and resurrected? Jesus fulfilled the law! Therefore, believers are no longer subject to the law. Yet, to this day, Christians continue to struggle to accept this grace and freedom from the law. Instead, we want to mix parts of the old law into our relationship with God, afraid that if we don’t do certain things or behave in certain ways, He will no longer love us. Could this be why the “Church” is struggling? Is powerless? Is not witnessing the miracles and “greater works” than those Jesus performed, which He promised we would see when He sent the precious Holy Spirit? (John 14:12)

Romans 5:20-21 offers another explanation of the difference between law and grace: “Moreover the law entered that the offense might abound. But where sin abounded, grace abounded much more, so that as sin reigned in death, even so grace might reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” Most believers who have accepted Jesus as their Lord and Savior grasp the “eternal life” part of this verse, but many do not grasp the significance of this promise: “…so grace might reign through righteousness…” It is a powerful and awesome thing to realize that Jesus came to fulfill the old law and to give us a new commandment. What is the new commandment? “And this is His commandment: that we should believe on the name of His Son Jesus Christ and love one another, as He gave us commandment.” (1 John 3:23) There is no higher law or commandment than this one: Believe in what Jesus Christ has done FOR YOU!

The law of the Old Testament was a standard of how mankind was required to live to be righteous before God. Jesus came to fulfill that standard of living, so that we can have His life as a free gift. If you have this in mind as you read the Bible–“I must do EVERYTHING Jesus did”–then you must do everything He did. Let me explain: you must go to the temple, you must wear the clothes that Jesus wore, if you were healed you must go to the temple and sacrifice as Moses commanded, you must keep the Sabbath laws, you must eat only “clean” foods, and the list of requirements goes on and on. Today, only the most devout Jews even attempt to live by the Law of Moses, yet there is a misguided form of law that people in the Church continue to feel bound to. This mixed form of law and grace does not bring life, peace or freedom, because we are “redeemed” from the law and are the recipients of grace through Jesus Christ. Isn’t this great news? Jesus kept all of the rules of the law while He was here on earth. Why? He had to in order to fulfill the law. In order to be the “perfect” sacrifice, He had to be without sin, and if He had not kept the whole law, He could not have been the perfect sacrifice for the sins of the whole world.

So here it is: It is not by our obedience to laws that we can stand holy before God. We can only stand holy before God through the obedience of Jesus Christ on our behalf. Hallelujah!!! This is the manifestation of the love of God toward us: “In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him.” (1 John 4:9)

So, as a believer, what happens when you sin? Is God pleased with your sin? No, He is not pleased with your sin, but this doesn’t change His love for you. Every one of us has messed up, but here is God’s “mess–age”: He took care of our mess! Jesus gave Himself on the cross to atone for all of our sins, for all time. Our sins “died” with Christ on that cross, and because they are now covered by the atoning blood of Christ, God no longer holds our sins against us. That is His grace! So, does that mean we can go on sinning, since God has given us this grace? “By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it? Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin. For one who has died has been set free from sin.” (Romans 6:2-3, 6-7 ESV)

God wants to know that we love Him, and one of the key ways we show our love to Him is by choosing to receive what Jesus did for us. God gives us the choice, because He wants lovers, not robots. (“We love Him because He first loved us,” 1 John 4:19)

Jesus had the unshakeable knowledge of the Father’s love for Him. We can have this knowledge too, but we must realize that we cannot love Him until we know that He loves us first. His love is placed in us when we believe. The only thing we “do” is receive the free gift of salvation. We don’t have to do good things to earn his love so that He will approve. We must simply live in the work of Christ on the cross and rest in what He has already done for us, what we could never have accomplished for ourselves.

When we first believed on Jesus as our Lord and Savior, many of us were taught Ephesians 2:8-9: “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.” We began our walk of faith by receiving this great and precious promise of grace, which means “unmerited favor.” Yet, as we continued our walk with Christ, many of us fell into the bondage of believing that in order to become holy, we had to “do” holy things. We became focused on works and lost sight of His grace.

I want to reiterate the last half of 1 John 4:9, “. . .that we might live through him.” We can’t live by the law. We must live in and through Christ. God sees us through Jesus. He sees Jesus’ righteousness, Jesus’ shed blood covering us, and Jesus’ perfect, sinless life. It is not by our works of the flesh that we become righteous, not by our own hard work or power. Rather, it is God’s gift to us that Jesus’ life becomes our own, and we are judged, not according to our own failures and acts of selfishness, but according to Jesus’ perfection.

There are two ways God takes away sin: 1) He took upon Himself the punishment for our sin, and 2) For those who believe in the work of Jesus on the cross, He has removed the law. Forgiveness of sin is not just God saying, “I’m not angry with you.” Forgiveness of sin means to set free from the dominating power – the law. My friend, Christ as set you free from the curse of the law. (Galatians 3:13) Praise His name!!! It is easy for sinners to sin. It is easy for believers to do right because we now live in Christ and in the power of the Holy Spirit, not in our own willpower or belief in our own ability to do right.

The gospel of Jesus Christ is the only way that is free from the requirement of works, from having to do things by your own power in order to achieve righteousness. This is the REALLY, REALLY, REALLY good news. . .the GOSPEL! Oh, don’t you just want to praise Him for what He has done for you by taking your sin upon Himself so that you can live a wonderful, peace-filled, satisfying life?

Let’s pray together:
Dear Heavenly Father,
Thank you for sending Your Son Jesus to pay the penalty for all of my sins. I receive what you have done so I can walk in this newness of life. Please show me the areas in my mind where I have been caught up in “law-based thinking” and help me to allow You to replace this with a full acceptance of Your grace. Please help me to be free of “sin-consciousness” and the fear that I can never be “good enough” for You to love. I want to be ever aware of Your grace and love, and to live daily in this wonderful freedom you have given to me by Christ’s holy work on the cross.

In Jesus Mighty name I pray,
Amen

Except as noted, all scripture references are from the New King James Version.

WHAT IF … God really took the time to think about and plan for every detail about you before He created you?

For example, “I’m going to make your eyes a beautiful green, and not just because your Mom or Dad has green eyes.”

No, He decides He wants your eyes to be green!

WHAT IF … He thought out and He planned every detail of your being; your personality, your talents and abilities?

And then He looked at His creation and said, “I LOVE YOU! YOU ARE BEAUTIFUL!”

WHAT IF … God knew there was going to be trouble in your life, hardships, pain, sadness … and He was reaching down with His loving hand to lead you to the other side?

But You never looked up. You walked the other way. You were angry at Him and you refused His loving hand.

And yet, He spoke once again, “But I LOVE YOU. I CREATED YOU, and I have a GREAT and AWESOME plan for your life.”

WHAT IF … you embraced His love and decided to trust Him?

WHAT IF … God caught every tear you cried and saved them in a bottle…

And because He is God, He turned those tears into a sweet perfume of His presence that He pours over your wounded heart and turns it into joy!

WHAT IF … you embraced His presence to heal your heart?

WHAT IF … God can read your mind and He knows the intentions of your heart, and your mind is full of bad thoughts like FEAR, SELF-HATRED, JEALOUSY, ANGER, LUST…?

And God says, “That’s not what I created your mind for. Think on ME. I can give you peace and contentment if you dwell on what is good, pure and lovely…

WHAT IF … God is looking at you right now and He sees your sickness and He sees your pain and He says, “I LOVE YOU My child. I want you to be well. I am your healer. I created you to be whole.

WHAT IF … you choose to believe Him and you resist the lies, your old ways of thinking and your doubts? What if you change your perspective and you see and embrace His love tonight?

WHAT IF … you have worked and worked to do good things to win God’s approval or His love? But you don’t think you’ll ever measure up … you must keep working hard because you think it’s the only way God will save you and accept you.

WHAT IF … God is saying to you right now, “There is nothing you can do to make Me love you more or make Me love you less I love you. You are saved by accepting the GRACE of My Son Jesus and His shed blood to cover ALL of your sins.”

WHAT IF … you accept this fact that God isn’t looking for your works to gain His approval but He is looking for you to surrender your heart; for you to allow His LOVE to fill you and cleanse you?

So you can know YOU ARE ACCEPTED and LOVED by Him!

His love is PERFECT
His love is PURE
His love is CONSTANT
His love is HERE for you RIGHT NOW

Scripture Verses to support these words:
Isaiah 44:2 “…the Lord who made you, who formed you from the womb…”
Psalm 139:13 “For You formed my inward parts…”
Genesis 1:31 “…God saw everything that He made…it was very good.”
John 16:33b “In the world you will have tribulation…”
Isaiah 54:17 “…no weapon that is fashioned against you shall succeed.”
Jeremiah 29:11 “…I have plans for you…for wholeness and not for evil.”
Proverbs 3:5-6 “Trust in the Lord with all your heart…He will make straight your paths…”
Psalm 56:8 “You number my wanderings; Put my tears into Your bottle.”
Psalm 30:11 “You have turned for my mourning into dancing…”
Psalm 3:3 “…You are a shield about me…the lifter of my head.”
Luke 4:18 “The Spirit of the Lord…has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted.”
Hebrews 4:12 “For the Word of God is living and active…and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.”
Matthew 9:4 “But Jesus, knowing their thoughts…”
Philippians 4:8 “…whatever is true…just..pure…lovely… commendable… think about these things.”
Matthew 9:35 “And Jesus went throughout all the cities…proclaiming the gospel of the Kingdom and healing every disease and every affliction.”
Isaiah 53:5 “…and by His (Jesus’) stripes (wounds) we are healed.”
James 4:7 “Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.”
Galatians 2:16 “Yet we know that a person is not justified by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ.”
Ephesians 2:8-9 “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.”
Ephesians 1:4-8 “…even as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world…He predestined us for adoption through Jesus Christ.”
Ephesians 2:4-10 “But God, being rich in mercy, because of the GREAT love with which He loved us…made us alive together with Christ…”

Dear Father,
I want to make my “what if” into “I will.” I can see by reading your Holy Word that You do love me and You do have so much for me, but I must give to you my heart. Thank You Lord Jesus for what You did for me in suffering and dying for my sins and for my sicknesses. I give You my whole heart right now. Take me and cleanse me and bring me into Your Kingdom. I want to live for You.
Amen

*Most Scripture references are from the English Standard Version; a few are from the New King James Version.

Well, it’s a new year and most people make a list of Resolutions, usually regarding personal behaviors they want to change. Webster’s Dictionary defines resolution as: “the act of resolving or determining, as upon an action or course of action, method, procedure, etc; Firm determination; a solution or explanation, as of a problem.” We make a Resolution to change some form of behavior or bad habit we’re really not happy about. How many of these behavioral changes have required our “firm determination” to overcome? And how many Resolutions have we failed to keep in the past, only to make the same Resolutions for the next year, hoping to finally “master and conquer” our problem. The cycle leaves us discouraged by the failure and defeat of it all.

But we who are believers and followers of Jesus Christ have a greater power than just our “firm determination” to help us succeed with necessary changes in our lives. We have His Holy Spirit, the Word of God, and our faith. I John 5:4-5 says, “For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world – our faith. Who is it that overcomes the world except the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?”

Below is a list of Resolutions to “proclaim and confess.” As you agree with God’s Word and submit to His lordship in your life, He will help you with the changes you desire. Resist and cast off the fear of failure, the fear that it’s “too hard,” and the fear that you will never change. Mark 11:24 says, “Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.”

Step 1: We ask God to help us and believe that He will!
Step 2: We step out in faith with our actions, for faith without works is dead. (James 2:26)

Through the Bible, God’s Word, we have access to the wisdom, knowledge and understanding which we need every day in this world. Change is not always instantaneous. Some changes take time, and in the process we learn patience and perseverance. Remember that every one of the eleven disciples (excluding Judas/the twelfth) were overcomers. You can be an overcomer too! God WANTS you to be an overcomer, and He is here to help you in every way to make it your new reality.

“Proclamations For This Year”

I ask for God’s help to be free from the habit of___________!
I realize this is not pleasing to God and nothing should have power over me but God.

I choose to not give in to negativity. Instead, I will recognize all that I have to be thankful for, and in my thoughts and words I will focus on the positive.

I will be a giver this year. I will not be stingy and hoard my money, for God loves a cheerful giver.

I will not allow myself to speak the words of the enemy. I will give him NO place in my life. Instead, I will speak words that are in line with God’s Word and what He will agree with.

I will not allow people in my life who bring me down and lead me away from God. I will trust God to bring good friends to me and I will make wise choices concerning friends and relationships.

I will read the Bible consistently and I will meditate on the Word of God every day. For this will help me to keep the right perspective and will help me break free from___________.

I will spend time in prayer every day, bringing my requests to God and giving Him my burdens and anxieties. I choose to not worry or be afraid, but instead I choose to trust in my Lord.

I will put others before myself in all circumstances, for this is pleasing to God.

I will be careful what I say and be mindful of others’ feelings.

I will ask God to show me kind things I can do for others just to bless them and to be a blessing.

I will plan my time wisely so I won’t be late to work, appointments, meetings, etc.

I will say “I love you” to my spouse, children and family every day.

I am trusting God for healing of____________. For Jesus bore all of my sicknesses and diseases. By His stripes I am healed. It is His desire that I be healthy.

I seek more of the Holy Spirit and the fullness of God, that I may be empowered to be all that God wants me to be.

I proclaim and declare that this is my time for a breakthrough, to become what God wants me to become. I will not give in to discouragement, for some changes take time. Instead, I will persevere, trusting the Lord for the strength I need.

Scriptures to Read for Encouragement:

I John 5:13-15 Ask according to His will…

I John 4:4 Greater is He who is in you…

I John 3:16-20 How we know love…

I Peter 5:7-9 Cast all anxieties on Him…

2 Peter 1:5-9 Goodness, knowledge, self-control…

2 Corinthians 6:14 Unequally yoked…

2 Corinthians 9:6-7 God loves a cheerful giver…

Philippians 4:4-9 Rejoice; Think on these things…

Galatians 3:13 Expect God’s blessings…

2 Thessalonians 3:2-3 He guards you against the evil one…

Galatians 2:20 Christ living in me…

Galatians 5:13 Called to freedom…

Isaiah 53:4-5 By His stripes we are healed (The Greek says “sicknesses and diseases” rather than “infirmities and sorrows”)

Let’s pray:

Dear Heavenly Father,

I realize my weaknesses and that I am helpless to change on my own. But You are with me and in me. I look to You for strength and power to change. I want to please You in all that I say and do. I believe You have SO much more for me and I don’t want to miss any of it. My obedience matters. I choose to obey Your Word, and as I do, my confidence will grow. Forgive me for giving up in the past; for taking the easier way. I realize that continuing my poor behaviors and bad habits falls short of the good plans you have for me. Thank you for those good plans! I am now stepping into those plans with Your grace and help. I look forward to this journey with You, my journey for change.

In Jesus Mighty Name I pray,

Amen

P.S. If the prospect of sudden change seems overwhelming to you, try focusing on just a couple of these proclamations at a time. When you see progress in those areas, add additional proclamations to your efforts.

When you were a child, as Christmas approached, your parents may have said something like this to you: “You had better be GOOD, or Santa isn’t going to bring you any presents!” I know mine did. Even though our parents knew they would still give us gifts, the myth of Santa gave them a kind of leverage they used to influence us to be extra good, in case our bad behavior, like fighting with our siblings, might ruin the happiness Christmas was supposed to bring.

A young child’s mind is very impressionable. Even at ages 4, 5 and 6 we have already begun forming mindsets based on our experiences and what we have heard from adults. Much of our belief system is built upon those early experiences; both good and bad.

How many of us have grown up to believe that God must be like Santa Claus? You may have never put the two together as I am suggesting, but I hope you will consider the following observations and examine your own belief system for possible misconceptions about God.

Here is a song almost every child in America has sung many times, not to mention the countless times they’ve heard it on T.V. and radio. Let’s consider this song line by line and then ask some questions:

“Santa Claus Is Coming To Town”

You better watch out, you better not cry,
You better not pout, I’m telling you why,
Santa Claus is coming to town!

Do you believe that God is someone you’d better “watch out for?” You know, in case you haven’t behaved yourself very well? And what about crying and pouting? Do you think God is angry if you cry or pout? Even adults cry and pout sometimes and feel sorry for themselves. Does God turn away and tell us, “Grow up! Get over it?” Is God really that harsh and insensitive? I say He’s not, and so does the Bible! “See what kind of love the Father has given to us that we should be called children of God; and so we are!” (I John 3:1a) “I have loved you with an everlasting love.” (Jeremiah 31:3)

He’s making a list and checking it twice,
Gonna find out who’s naughty or nice,
Santa Claus is coming to town!

Wow! Does God keep a list of all we’ve done? And if we’ve been bad does He use it against us and keep good things from us? Well, yes He knows everything about us: our past, present and future. Most people believe God is capable of this. But God’s reason for keeping track of everything isn’t to see if we’re being good or bad and to knock us over the head if we mess up. If we are in Christ, if He is the Lord of our life, He has cleansed us and we are in His righteousness. Yes, we still mess up and fall short most every day, but His grace is greater! “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by His grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus” (Romans 3:23). And if that wasn’t enough, consider Psalms 103:12: “as far as the east is from the west, so far does he remove our transgressions from us.”

Now what about the line, “Gonna find out who’s naughty or nice?” By this the child is convinced that he or she must be good enough (perfect?) in order to receive gifts for Christmas. The great news about being a believer in Christ and living for Him is that God shows His love for us in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us (Romans 5:8). He first loved us, so that is why we are able to love Him (I John 4:19).

But what about this: If we have been a believer for quite some time, we know we are to please God and not sin. But when we do sin, is God mad at us? Will He not forgive us? Will He turn away and not give anything good to us if we’re not perfect? I John 1:9 assures us, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” If we have hurt another person or have sinned against them we need to follow James 5:16, “Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed.”

The Law given to Moses and the Israelites, as recorded in the book of Leviticus, was meant to reveal to the people just how far short they had fallen from the Lord’s standards. The law required the sacrifice of goats, sheep and bulls, so that the shed blood would atone for the people’s sins. Yet, because of their selfish natures, the people were still unable to keep God’s commandments. So God sent His only Son, Jesus Christ, to be the perfect atoning sacrifice for all of mankind, that whoever would believe in Christ as Savior would not die eternal death, but would be saved and have eternal life (John 3:16). God doesn’t force anyone to believe in Jesus. He leaves it up to each of us, individually, to choose to believe and follow Him, and to accept the shed blood of Christ as the atonement for our sins. “All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned—every one—to his own way; and the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all” (Isaiah 53:6). “Behold the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” (John 1:29).

The next few lines of the song read:

He sees you when you’re sleeping,
He knows when you’re awake,
He knows if you’ve been bad or good,
So be good for goodness sake!

Yes it is true that God sees us when we’re sleeping and He knows when we’re awake. No human person is capable of doing this, only God is. He is omnipresent (always present) and omniscient (all-knowing). “The eyes of the Lord are in every place, keeping watch on the evil and the good” (Psalm 15:3). The message of the Santa Claus song is that you had better be good so you can get good things from a man who comes to your house once a year! But when we have repented of our sins and accepted Christ as our Savior, we can rest assured that as God sees us and knows us, we can feel protected and safe in His presence. Not judged and condemned or in fear that we’ll not receive good things from Him because He’s angry at our behavior. “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life has set us free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death” (Romans 8:1-2). If we decide to sin and behave in rebellion toward God, we leave ourselves open to the influence of the devil. God sees all of this too, but He leaves us with the choice to follow Him or our own selfish desires.

It is so wonderful how His Holy Spirit reveals truth to us. As we seek Him, He is faithful to transform our hearts, so our desires become His desires, and we find ourselves wanting to do good and to be like Him. And with the help of the Holy Spirit we can become all that God desires for us to be. He longs to help us; not to criticize and judge us.

Have you seen any similarities between your faith walk and “Santa Claus is Coming to Town”? Deep down inside, do you really trust God to be for you and to be there to help you? If not, pray that the Lord will help you replace your wrong beliefs with His truth: “What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?” (Romans 8:31).

The Christian life is a journey. It is a mountain climbing, valley walking, river crossing journey in which we must learn to depend on God and not ourselves. When we mess up we must turn to God and not away from Him, because He loves us and wants to help us get back on His path. And He wants us to experience His love. Why? So we can know His love is always there and will never fail us, and so we can love others as He loves us. “. . .God sent His only Son into the world, so that we might live through Him. In this is love, not that we have loved God but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another” (I John 4:9-11).

The song ends by repeating the first verse again, “You better watch out.” Do we need to watch out for God? Yes, but not because He wants to punish us. We should watch out for Christ’s return, when He will come to receive his Bride, that is, those who accept Him as Savior and truly follow Him. The Bible says that He will return in the clouds and take us to be with Him forever. “And then they will see the Son of Man coming in the clouds with great power and glory. And then He will send out the angels and gather His elect from the four winds, from the ends of the earth to the ends of the heavens” (Mark 13:26-27).  We are to watch and be ready! “Therefore you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect” (Matthew 24:44).

Let’s Pray:
Dear God,

I know that I haven’t been perfect, but your Word says that You love me anyway. Forgive me for relying on my own efforts and going my own way. I ask that you help me to step down from the throne of my life and to give You complete control. Please come into my heart and make me new. Help me to see You as the loving Father that You are and help me to then love others as You love me. Thank You that I now see that You are not to be compared to Santa Claus, or to any other man. You are God and You are always with me, guiding me, revealing truth to me and helping me to be transformed into your very likeness. Thank You for being My Lord and Savior!

Amen

All scripture references are from the English Standard Version

At the October CityPrayz event I performed a skit titled, “The Great Exchange: Exchanging your baggage for God’s luggage.” We received a lot of positive comments about the skit, and as I was praying concerning this devotional, I sensed God leading me to reiterate its message:

Most everyone I know can name something about themselves that they would like to change but have felt powerless to do so. In my own life, I have discovered that changing something that has been part of me for a significant length of time takes a process: a series of steps required to move from where I am now to where I want to be, or more importantly, to where God wants me to be. I am amazed every day, as I walk this journey with the Lord, at how great His love is for me, for all of us. He loves us the way we are, and He loves us so much He wants to transform us into what He knows we can be. And He has some pretty good ideas for each one of us!

Is it true that we all have baggage? Can this baggage be keeping us from the best God has for us? Can it hinder us from truly changing for the better? I say, most emphatically, YES!

God wants to take us from a mindset of unbelief to a mindset of total faith: that is, fully trusting who He is and trusting Him for our lives and for our future. He says to you, “I know the plans I have for you and they are GOOD.” (Jeremiah 29:11) You have a future and a hope in Christ. He works from your present to your future, not your past to your present. If you choose to live from your present to your past, you’re going to miss so much of who God is. All of us come into a relationship with God carrying baggage from our past. What is this baggage?

Hurts and wounds
Low self-esteem
Sins that have scarred your mind and heart
Abuses
Anger you feel justified in harboring (grudges)
Bitterness
Jealousy
Rejection
Hatred
Negative pronouncements about what life has taught you
Condemnation
Guilt
Shame

You can be locked into a present-past lifestyle and a present-past perception that says, “Nothing’s going to change, nothing’s going to work for me.” You will notice that many of your current experiences come from your past in constant replays. If you live with this mindset, you are almost guaranteed your past will repeat itself again and again. Why is this? Because what you focus on keeps coming back again and again. If your expectations come from your history, then you are locked into that history. What is it that you doubt about God that keeps you focused on the negative and trapped in your old ways? What is it that you do not understand about God because your vision of yourself is distorted by your past? Many people have lived for too long in this mindset. The enemy, Satan, wants to keep us trapped in defeat, negativity and fear. But God doesn’t!

When we are “in Christ,” old things will pass away and all things become new. (II Corinthians 5:17) This doesn’t happen instantly, but the transformation can begin when we come to understand that, regarding anything we cling to that keeps us in bondage, God is constantly saying, “LET IT GO!” Let it go and let Him replace it with something wonderful that He has always intended for you to have.

A beautiful thing about the cross is that it represents our deliverance from the bondage of present-past thinking. Part of dying to “self” is the crucifixion of the thought patterns and behaviors that we really don’t like but can’t seem to escape. Allow those parts of you that are governed by your past to be crucified with Christ. God is our present and our future. The Lord wants to take us from our current life with Him to the future He desires for us. Walking with the Spirit means letting go of your “baggage,” the things that keep you from the best He has for you.

How much of your daily time is spent brooding over your past, dreading your future, and as a result, failing to enjoy the present? When I was first asked to contemplate this question, I realized that most of my life was spent dwelling on my past (the negative things) and worrying about my future because I was sure my past would keep repeating itself. But I can honestly tell you that I have gone through the processes of getting out of that mindset and I now walk in the freedom of trusting God, enjoying my life and living with a hopeful expectation of my future. I know this change is possible and it is crucial for God’s people to be set free.

Too often, we carry the hurtful words of others in our memories; words that make us feel worthless, useless, with no value, or ridden with fear. Our memories are full of pain or abuse, guilt or humiliation. God says to you, “I don’t want those things in your head. I don’t want them in your life. I don’t want them to rule you. It is time to let them go.” Realize that Jesus came to give you newness of life and freedom from your past. Yes, our past happened, and we can’t actually erase it from our memory, but we can let it go and give it to God. And when we do, it loses its power over us as we walk in the grace and love our heavenly Father is bestowing upon us.

Be comforted by these words: “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” (Hebrews 13:5) Those are His words of promise to us! When you are in the midst of crisis and turmoil, when your life has been turned upside down, that is the very best time to turn to God, because it is when we have come to the end of ourselves that we are most willing to fully trust in Him. At those times, when He truly has our attention, He may be able to bless us in ways that we might ordinarily not allow when things are going well. Too often, it is only in those times of great pain and misery that we are desperate enough to look beyond ourselves, to ask “What is really going on here? What can I do to change my terrible circumstances?” God wants to help you see those things that hold you in bondage and are not pleasing to Him. He will gladly take them from you. He is always there, always present, and always able to help you “let these things go.”

Unless your identity comes from the Lord, you’ve got a false identity. You are not living from the place of truth. For God is truth and He will restore your true identity. All that baggage we carry becomes our identity, and the devil does everything he can to keep us trapped in that false identity. But as we give our baggage to God, we find that we now have room for His luggage. He is saying, “You won’t need this baggage for where we are going, so can I have it? I have plans for you, I have places to take you, but in order for you to be that person you have to give me your baggage. I can then enable you to become the person I created you to be.” The Holy Spirit will point to those things that He wants you to let go of, to exchange for the gifts He has for you in return. What are these gifts He gives in exchange? Let’s call them “God’s luggage:”

Peace
Joy
Love
Faith
Patience
Confidence
Assurance
A joyful, confident expectation of good
Enjoyment of life
Hope
Restoration

It is about “The Great Exchange,” where God will love you through the process of change, taking your earthly baggage and giving you his heavenly luggage. God loves it when we see Him for who He is and walk daily in the relationship He has always longed to have with us. As we follow in His footsteps, we walk boldly into the future with hope, faith and confidence.

Dear Jesus, my Lord and Savior,

Thank you for giving me the knowledge of “The Great Exchange.” I am so tired of carrying this baggage. I have been afraid to let these things go, but I am willing to give these things to You because You know what is best for me. I long for the new luggage you give for my journey with You. Please help me to submit daily to your transforming power. Thank you for Your unfailing love and for the good future You have in store for me.

In Jesus Holy name, Amen.

*You may find it helpful to write a list of the things you need to surrender to God and the things He will give you in exchange, and then meditate on those good things He wants to give you.

More Scripture Verses:

Galatians 2:20 “I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.”

Philippians 1:6 “And I am sure of this, that He who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.”

I John 3:1 “See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are.”

Matthew 11:28 “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.”

I John 5:4-5 “For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world – our faith. Who is it that overcomes the world except the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?”

All scripture references are from the English Standard Version.

Whether or not we are aware of it, our childhood has a powerful impact on who we are and how we view life. Childhood wounds can affect us in both positive and negative ways, and can be a significant influence in our choices, decisions, goals and aspirations. Wounds that are left unhealed can cause a person to become excessively controlling or passive. For some of us, the struggles with our past have driven us to God: to the realization that we desperately need Him and want His help. Yet even after giving our lives to Christ, many of us struggle to fully trust Him and yield control of our lives to Him.

I learned the phrase many years ago, “Let go and let God.” It’s so simple to say, but why is it so hard for us to do? To truly let go and let God? “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding,” Proverbs 3:5 (ESV) reminds us. Most of us have experienced a violation of our trust by another person, and the pain of such an experience can make it very difficult to ever trust again. If we can’t trust people how can we trust God? Does God want us to trust Him? Absolutely! Does God understand the hurts from our past? Absolutely! He wants to heal our hearts so we can be all that He has created us to be. But how do we get there?

Part of this struggle is our own personal battle with our “human nature” which is actually our “sin nature.” We can all relate to what the Apostle Paul wrote in Romans chapter seven: “For I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate.” (verse 15) Now if I do what I do not want, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me. (verse 20) Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself serve the law of God with my mind, but with my flesh I serve the law of sin.” (verses 24-25).

So, is Paul saying we can simply blame our sinfulness on our human nature and give up on ever being different? No! He is reminding us of the power of our new life in Christ to conquer our old sinful lives. “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and death.” (Romans 8:1-2) (ESV)

The Holy Spirit was sent as our helper, comforter and counselor. As we face our wounds, we can rely on God’s precious Holy Spirit to help us know the truth, to accept the truth, and to allow Him to replace the pain with His truth and love. After all, Jesus taught us, “the truth will set you free.” (John 8:32b)(ESV)

The Holy Spirit is also the “voice” that we hear saying, “Look over here: this has to go, this has to change.” We are always left with a choice to surrender to Him or to resist and turn away. God doesn’t force us to accept His ways. He wants us to choose His ways over our own. His ways are higher and His thoughts are higher than ours. Higher means better; higher means greater.

Wounds can leave us crippled, can leave us guarded, fearful and untrusting. If we are to move forward in God’s call on our lives, then we need to get free from whatever holds us back so we can allow Him to make us productive in His Kingdom and to produce good fruit in His name. When we have to be “in control,” we are preventing God from having control. We are living in fear rather than faith. “Whatever is not from faith is sin,” Paul teaches us. (Romans 14:23) So we must recognize the areas in our lives where we have not yet given God control. If we will ask the Holy Spirit to help us understand why we feel the need to control and not let God have His way, He will show us. Sometimes it is just a matter of humbling ourselves before Him and admitting we have been wrong. 1 Peter 5:6-7 is a good reminder for us, “Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.” It isn’t a weak thing to humble yourself, it’s a good and right thing in God’s eyes. Great joy will come when you fully submit to His ways and are able to “cast all your cares” on Him. That means trusting Him with your finances, trusting Him to heal relationships, even trusting Him for peace of mind in this crazy world.

We can also count on God’s wonderful grace. And what is grace? It is Undeserved, unmerited favor. We can cry out to Him for favor and grace as we face difficult and uncomfortable seasons when we are facing our wounds and fears.

No, it is not always easy, and God often asks us to be patient. James 5:11 says, “Indeed we count them blessed who endure. You have heard of the perseverance of Job and seen the end intended by the Lord – that the Lord is very compassionate and merciful.” Don’t give up! Don’t think that it’s too difficult to be free, that it’s easier just to quit. No! You will not come into freedom by giving up or quitting.

I recently heard a woman testify that although she was over 70 and has known the Lord from a young age, for most of her life she has been a “worry wart.” Every time she would try to cast her cares upon the Lord, she would hang onto some of that care and not really give it all over to Him. She testified that for the past year she has been able to “cast her cares” upon Him and NOT hold any of it back, and for the first time in her life she is living in true peace. I was deeply blessed by her testimony and by her honesty. I was also sad that for all of these years she lived in worry, fear and doubt, missing out on the joy and peace God meant for her to have all of her life. Praise God that she has it now, but how long are we going to wait to fully release our wounds and trust God so we can have that joy and peace as well? Let’s do it now.

Below are some other scriptures to look up and study, meditate on or memorize. These will help you in your quest to “Let go and let God” and live a control-free life, fully abandoned to our Savior and Lord.

James 4:7-8 Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded.

James 4:10 Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord and He will lift you up.

Psalm 91:1-2 He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress; My God, in Him I will trust.

Psalm 51:6 Behold, You desire truth in the inward parts, and in the hidden part You will make me to know wisdom.

John 16:33 These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.

Matthew 10:39 He who finds his life will lose it, and he who loses his life for My sake will find it.

Dear Heavenly Father,

I realize, Lord, that there are many ways that I have felt that I need to be in control. I now see that this is sin and faithlessness. Trusting in You is the better way. I surrender to You right now. I ask You to take control of these areas I’ve held onto, and I submit to Your loving hand to lead and direct me. I ask that You will help me to experience your healing, healing of past experiences that have left me wounded . May I experience the joy and peace that You long to give me. Thank you, Lord that Your ways are higher than my ways and are better than my best thought-out plans. I submit my life to You now and I thank You for your gentle, loving discipline as You reveal to me the areas where I need to change.

In Your precious holy name I pray,

Amen

All scriptures are quoted from New King James Version unless otherwise noted.