Know These Truths – Page 3 – Me From the Inside Out

Bible study, Devotion, From the Insideout, God is good, Journey Through The Word, Know These Truths, LGG Study, Prayer Starters, Quiet Time, Secure In Christ

Chosen in Christ

Posted on August 4, 2025August 5, 2025 by

Based on the LGG Study, Secure in Christ, w1d2

Read: Ephesians 1;3-6; SOAP: verse 4

All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ. ⁴Even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes. ⁵God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. This is what he wanted to do, and it gave him great pleasure. ⁶So we praise God for the glorious grace he has poured out on us who belong to his dear Son.
Ephesians 1:3-6

In yesterday’s journey, we learned that God radically transformed Paul’s life from a persecutor of Christians to an apostle of Jesus Christ. Today’s journey reveals how the transformation happens. Namely, all those who identify themselves as followers/disciples of Christ, which according to Luke 9:23 means that they have turned from their wicked ways and taken up their cross daily to follow Jesus, are gifted with “every spiritual blessing.”

Gifts of Redemption

According to gotquestions.org, these blessings are “gifts of redemption.” They are only available to those who identify themselves as followers/disciples of Christ. They include: “eternal life (Revelation 5:9-10), forgiveness of sins (Ephesians 1:7), righteousness (Romans 5:17), freedom from the law’s curse (Galatians 3:13), adoption into God’s family (Galatians 4:5), deliverance from sin’s bondage (Titus 2:14; 1 Peter 1:14-18), peace with God (Colossians 1:18-20), and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 6:19-20). To be redeemed, then, is to be forgiven, holy, justified, free, adopted, and reconciled. See also Psalm 130:7-8; Luke 2:38; and Acts 20:28.”

An Act of Love

Paul sums these gifts up in verses 4- 5, beginning with how and why God chose to adopt us as His children. Today’s LGG journal entry explains it this way: “He did this out of His great love for you and for all who would trust in Jesus as their Savior. And it doesn’t stop there. He not only chose us to be part of His family and adopted us, but He has chosen to make us holy (set apart), blameless (fully forgiven), and has given us countless blessings… In Christ, we have access, freedom, purpose, family, and so much more… If you have trusted in Jesus, this is true of you! And while the best is yet to come in heaven, God has a purpose for you in the here and now. He has chosen you to become like Him. He wants you to be His holy and blameless child, loving others as He loves you.”

Our Response

Friends, as the journal entry goes on to say: “If God has chosen us to live in such a way, we can expect Him to accomplish His mighty work in us. We should pray daily to grow in holiness and love. And when the devil wants to plague us with temptation, fear, and doubt, it is vital to remember that we have been loved and chosen by God from before the creation of the universe.”

To know that I have been loved and chosen by God, not because of anything I have done, but before the creation of the universe, is one of the most wonderful, life-changing, calming truths I have ever known. Singer/songwriter Matthew West put the truth into a song, one that is embedded in my head and heart and has rescued me from many wrestling matches with the enemy. My favorite line is: “I don’t have to answer to any name that the enemy tries to call me ~ I don’t have to answer to any name but chosen child of God.”

You changed my name
You changed my name
From too far gone to saved by grace
And now I am forever changed
All because You changed my name
It’s all because You changed my name
And I don’t have to answer to any name that the enemy tries to call me
I don’t have to answer to any name but chosen child of God
Oh, I don’t have to answer to any name that the enemy tries to call me
I don’t have to answer to any name but chosen child of God.
Chorus/Chosen Child of God/Matthew West

Want to hear the full song? Just click the video below –

The More We Know

Find all the Adoption Truths and Process Below …

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Bible study, From the Insideout, Journey Through The Word, Know These Truths, LGG Study, Prayer Starters, Quiet Time, Secure In Christ

A New Identity

Posted on August 3, 2025August 3, 2025 by

based on Secure in Christ, w1d1

Read: Eph 1:1-2; Acts 9:1-9, 17-18; SOAP: Eph 11

This letter is from Paul, chosen by the will of God to be an apostle of Christ Jesus.

From Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, to the saints [in Ephesus], the faithful in Christ Jesus. ²Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ!
Ephesians 1:1-2

Friends, have you ever found yourself making snide comments or turning away from someone with a scandalous or tainted past? Or, perhaps you’ve been on the receiving end of the sneers and brush-offs because of something from your past that others still judge you for. The example we see in today’s Scriptures should help us understand the wrongness of both.

Paul was cruel, a persecutor of Jesus’ followers – that is – until he was radically changed by God.
🦋

Paul was a persecutor of believers. Actually, when Jesus identifies Himself to Paul, He says, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting.” Paul was a wicked man, intent on ridding the world of Jesus and His followers who spouted His teachings. That is, until Paul, looking for more believers to capture, met Jesus on the road to Damascus, and his life was forever transformed. To quote from one of my favorite songs: “This is amazing grace! This is unfailing love ~ That You would take my place ~
That You would bear my cross, You laid down Your life ~ That I would be set free. Oh, Jesus, I sing for ~ All that You’ve done for me!”

Who breaks the power of sin and darkness?
Whose love is mighty and so much stronger?
The King of glory, the King above all kings
Who shakes the whole earth with holy thunder?
And leaves us breathless in awe and wonder?
The King of glory, the King above all kings
This is Amazing Grace

It isn’t only others who report Paul’s cruelness, but Paul himself shares his testimony with Timothy, in 1 Timothy 1:12-17, saying: “I thank him who has given me strength, Christ Jesus our Lord, because he judged me faithful, appointing me to his service, though formerly I was a blasphemer, persecutor, and insolent opponent. But I received mercy because I had acted ignorantly in unbelief, and the grace of our Lord overflowed for me with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost. But I received mercy for this reason, that in me, as the foremost, Jesus Christ might display his perfect patience as an example to those who were to believe in him for eternal life.To the King of the ages, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen.”

Amazing grace (how sweet the sound)
that saved a wretch like me!
I once was lost, but now am found,
was blind, but now I see.
Amazing Grace

It’s a beautiful testimony that I would dare say most of us can relate to in some way. After all, we are all sinners who have fallen short of God’s glory¹. None of us has been saved by our good works, but solely by God’s miraculous and radical gift of amazing grace, and this only through our faith in Jesus.² While we may not want to expose our old selves to others as Paul has done, just the words, amazing grace, bring tears as I remember the sin and shame that used to define my life. Yet joy flows with those tears as I remember “Calvary covers it all!” Friends, understanding this truth changes everything. It changes our relationship with God – the Father, Spirit, and Son; and it changes (or should change) the way we live and how we look at the sins of others. I mean, seriously – if God can love me after everything I’ve done, if He can invite me to boldly come into His presence (and He does), then who am I to turn away from or sneer at others for their sins? After all, Jesus explicitly gave us a new commandment to love others just as He has loved us³, and may we never forget that Scripture says that Jesus laid down His life for us while we were still sinners⁴.

If you followed along in our recent Abiding in Jesus journey, then you know that Jesus calls us His friends – a reminder that our old sin nature is gone and the new has come. Or as Paul said, “So we have stopped evaluating others from a human point of view. At one time, we thought of Christ merely from a human point of view. How differently we know him now! This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!³“

Perhaps you’ve lived a life with no “major sins” to regret, or maybe your life (like mine) holds sinful choices/actions that still taunt you or others still ‘remember’ against you today. Regardless of where you are on this spectrum, the truth is the blood of Jesus covers it all, His righteousness has been imputed to us, and the freedom He died to bring us is available to all who believe. This is made clear through Paul’s life and the words he wrote to the Church of Rome, “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus …⁴” When old sins and regrets haunt us or when we are tempted to judge another for their sin, may the Spirit be quick to remind us that, as this sweet old refrain says: “Calvary covers it all.” Jesus went to Calvary, taking on Himself all of our past, all of its sin and stain, all of our guilt and despair – and His blood poured out and covered it all! And now with Paul, we can declare that we are ^*“disciples of Christ Jesus by the will of God.“

The More We Know

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* emphasis added

Abide, Abiding in jesus, Bible study, Devotion, From the Insideout, Journey Through The Word, Know These Truths, LGG Study, Prayer Starters, Quiet Time

What a Friend!

Posted on July 13, 2025July 13, 2025 by

based on the LGG Study, Abiding in Jesus, w5d1

Read and SOAP: John 15:15

I no longer call you slaves, because a master doesn’t confide in his slaves. Now you are my friends, since I have told you everything the Father told me.
John 15:15

Jesus had just announced to His disciples that if they followed His commands, they were His friends, John 15:14. Now, He clarifies the friendship even further, telling them that He no longer considers their relationship to be one of master and slave but instead, one of friendship. His reasoning is both beautiful and an encouragingly exciting disclosure that everything He has been telling them has come from the Father. In other words, they are part of the inner circle. As His disciples of Jesus, we are on the inside as well. We do not have to wonder what God expects from us, because Jesus reveals it to us. We never have to worry about Him leaving us, and we can embrace and delight in His invitation to abide in ah.

If you know me very well, you most likely know that I have trust issues. So great were the issues at one point in my life that I laid aside or walked away from nearly all friendships, convinced that I was better off without them, and they without me. I maintained acquaintances but never or rarely allowed meaningful or deep relationships to develop. In some ways, I became an island to myself and embraced it. Please understand, I do not advocate this way of life, nor do I live it any longer. I believe God means for us to do life with one another, and I am blessed to say that while I walked away from some wonderful friendships, God, in His perfect timing, restored many of them and uses them to this day to teach me the value and blessing of friendship.

I have some pretty awesome besties. Friends from elementary and high school, my daughters, and a few others God has gifted me with through the decades of my life. Some I see or am in contact with others, others only on occasion, and some almost daily. I am blessed to share in their lives, the celebrated milestones, the needs, and sorrows. I treasure knowing I can confide in them and am honored when they confide in me. If I call or message them, I know they will be there for me – to pray, to talk, to cry, or just to listen. I am most blessed. However, today’s beautiful words of Jesus are a wonderful reminder that these gifts of friendship will never match my friendship with Jesus. His friendship has changed me from the inside out, or as today’s journal entry puts it: “Friendship with Jesus changes everything. As His friends, we have the privilege of coming to Him, talking with Him, and listening to His voice. He doesn’t keep us in the dark about what He’s doing; instead, He shares with us the very heart of God.”

Abiding in Christ is an invitation to know Him deeply and join Him in His purpose for our lives as friends. Imagine that—Jesus, the Son of God, calls us His friends! He isn’t distant or disconnected from our lives. Instead, He draws us close, sharing His heart and His mission with us and including us in the incredible work He is doing around us.
Abiding in Jesus/p145

Abide, Abiding in jesus, Bible study, Devotion, From the Insideout, Journey Through The Word, Know These Truths, LGG Study, Prayer Starters, Quiet Time

The Proof is in the Living

Posted on June 30, 2025June 30, 2025 by

based on the LGG Study, Abiding in Jesus, w4d2

Read James 1:22-25 and SOAP: James 1:22

But don’t just listen to God’s word. You must do what it says. Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves. ²³For if you listen to the word and don’t obey, it is like glancing at your face in a mirror. ²⁴You see yourself, walk away, and forget what you look like. ²⁵But if you look carefully into the perfect law that sets you free, and if you do what it says and don’t forget what you heard, then God will bless you for doing it.
James 1:22-25

Our works do not save us, but they do bear witness to our salvation through Jesus Christ and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit.

If you know me or have followed my posts, you most likely know that 2 Corinthians 5:17 is one of my key life verses.

So then, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; what is old has passed away—look, what is new has come!
2 Corinthians 5:17

The truth of Paul’s words rocked my world many years ago and continues to push me to live as a new creation and not the old. For, as Paul wrote to the Church at Ephesus, we have been created in God’s image–in righteousness and holiness that comes from truth. What a beautiful reminder of the need and reason for believers to abide in Jesus (the Way, Truth, and Life) – for how can we be like one we do not know or spend time with?

Today’s journal entry in Abiding in Jesus, by Love God Greatly, explains it like this: “When we become Christians, we are given a new nature, a new birth. The Holy Spirit comes to live in us. He is the sap flowing from the vine into the branches, producing a godly character. That is why when we abide in Christ, we will bear fruit.”

James reminds us that becoming a Christian is only the beginning. The real proof of a person having been born again is that he or she will now ‘live out the message.'”

Living for Jesus a life that is true,
Striving to please Him in all that I do;
Yielding allegiance, glad-hearted and free,
This is the pathway of blessing for me.

O Jesus, Lord and Savior,
I give myself to Thee,
For Thou, in Thy redemption,
Didst give Thyself for me;
I own no other Master,
My heart shall be Thy throne,
My life I give, henceforth to live,
O Christ, for Thee alone.

Living for Jesus who died in my place,
Bearing on Calv’ry my sin and disgrace;
Such love constrains me to answer His call,
Follow His leading and give Him my all.
Living for Jesus, Author: Thomas O. Chisholm (1917)

Of course, “Living for Jesus” comes with challenges that we all struggle with. As the Love God Greatly entry points out, “The walk of a Christian is not an uninterrupted series of victories over sin. We often stumble and fail. Sometimes it looks like we are going two steps forward and three steps backward. But if we belong to Jesus, we will have victories over sin again and again. We will be different from the way we used to be. We will steadily grow in holiness and godly character. We have a living faith, not a dead, fake one. We are a living branch, abiding in the Vine and producing good fruit. The Father will make sure His children walk in His ways, to prove that we really belong to Him. We know these works do not justify us, but they are the proof of our having been made new in Jesus.”

Friends, my prayer is that God will help us to be more than spectators or listeners of His Word. May we have the courage and faithful commitment to abide in Jesus, the Living Word, and to live it out every day. May we be always mindful that while our works do not save us, they glorify God in Heaven and give evidence that we have been made new through Jesus Christ. To God be all the glory, praise, and honor. Amen and Amen!

The More We Know

If you do not know Jesus, I invite you to read the truths about who He is and what He has done for you.

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Abide, Abiding in jesus, Bible study, Devotion, From the Insideout, Journey Through The Word, Know These Truths, LGG Study, Prayer Starters, Quiet Time

Abide in Me

Posted on June 15, 2025June 14, 2025 by

based on the LGG Study, Abiding in Jesus,w2d1

Read: John 15:3-4; SOAP: John 15:4

(note: clicking the link for the above verse will allow you to read from whatever version you prefer)

³You have already been pruned and purified by the message I have given you. ⁴Remain in me, and I will remain in you. For a branch cannot produce fruit if it is severed from the vine, and you cannot be fruitful unless you remain in me.
John 15:3-4 NLT

Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you.⁴Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me.
John 15:3-4 KJV

Last week’s journey centered largely on the teaching of Jesus, that He is the vine, God is the gardener, and His disciples are the branches. He told the disciples that, as the Gardener, God will prune the branches that bear fruit so that they will produce even more fruit. Picking up today in verses three and four, we find Jesus encouraging His disciples that they are already clean because of the Word, or the Gospel message, he has spoken to them.

However, our focus is on the command that follows, what it means, what it doesn’t mean, and why it is important. Read it out loud: “Remain in me, and I will remain in you. For a branch cannot produce fruit if it is severed from the vine, and you cannot be fruitful unless you remain in me.”

What it means: We (the branches)are dependent on Christ (the life-giving vine).
What it doesn’t mean: The concept here is not about losing your salvation. Salvation is the free and eternal gift of God’s grace earned not by works but through faith in Jesus Christ. If you doubt this or have any questions, I urge you to visit https://www.gotquestions.org/vine-and-branches.html
Why it’s important to abide (remain) in Jesus: Jesus makes it clear to the disciples that they are to bear fruit, but that they cannot do that apart from Him. His emphasis here is that we need to stay intimately (closely, daily, nothing between us and Him) connected to Him in order to be spiritually healthy and bear fruit.

Friends, if we want to be healthy, fruit-bearing followers of Christ who spread light in/to the world around us, we must stay close to Jesus, our life-giving vine. In Him we find our strength, we find peace, and we bear fruit. Apart from Him, we will surely wither and fade.

Do you want to be a light for Him? Read His Word and pray daily. The more time you spend with Him, the more you will reflect Him.

Do you want your conversations to be encouraging and full of grace and truth rather than spewing hate, gossip, or lies? Spend time with Him in His Word. It truly has the power to change the way we think and speak, not to mention how we love others.

Do you want to love Him more and follow Him faithfully? Find the passages of His love poured out for you, His boundless grace, and His mercies that are new every morning are game changers.

James wrote it like this: Come close to God, and God will come close to you (James 5:8). I have both tested and tasted the truth of this statement, and I assure you it is a blessing beyond compare to experience the nearness of our God, and the relationship which blossoms from it.

Reflection: What are some areas in your life that may need “cleaning” or renewal through God’s Word?

The More We Know

“When new branches start to grow, they often droop low to the ground. As they touch the soil, dirt and mud begin to cling to them, which can stop them from growing strong and bearing good fruit. To help them thrive, a gardener has to gently lift the branches, carefully washing away the dirt, so they can reach their full potential and produce good fruit.

For us, we experience a similar “cleaning,” through God’s Word. As we read and renew our minds with Scripture, God shows us areas in our lives where things need to change. It may be areas where sin has muddled our lives and hindered us from receiving the nourishment we need to grow. But hope is not lost. Through God’s Word, it’s as if He lovingly lifts, cleanses, and restores us, allowing us to grow and bear the good fruit we were created to produce.”
Abiding in Jesus/p67

Abide, Abiding in jesus, Bible study, Devotion, From the Insideout, Journey Through The Word, Know These Truths, LGG Study, Prayer Starters, Quiet Time

Fellowship with God

Posted on June 14, 2025June 14, 2025 by

based on the LGG Study, Abiding in Jesus/w1d5

Read and SOAP: 1 John 1:6

If we say we have fellowship with Him and yet keep on walking in the darkness, we are lying and not practicing the truth.
1 John 1:6

The following post is from the LGG Journal, Abiding in Jesus, p. 57, and can also be found on the Love God Greatly app/w1d5. If you are not familiar with Love God Greatly, visit https://lovegodgreatly.com/about/ . The ministry is filled with women who love the Lord and are working hard “to help EVERY WOMAN in EVERY NATION have access to God’s Word in THEIR LANGUAGE.” God is using the ministry to change the lives of women here and around the world, and He has used it to change me from the insideout. 🦋

Walking in the light through confession

“Abiding in Christ means choosing to walk in His light, live transparently before Him, and allow His truth to shape every part of our lives. But sin disrupts this fellowship and creates a distance between us and God.

That is why we need to make confessing our sins to God a regular habit in our lives. Confession is a powerful, freeing practice that keeps our hearts free and aligned with God. It isn’t simply about listing our wrongs and moving forward without any change. It’s about bringing all our sins before Him because we are truly sorry, surrendering fully to His grace, and walking in humility and obedience.

As we confess, Jesus steps into our brokenness and heals us. He reminds us that His love and grace are greater than our failures.

This ongoing process of confession and cleansing is essential to bearing fruit. Just as a vine requires clean, unhindered pathways to deliver nutrients to its branches, we need to keep the pathway to Christ open. When we confess, we allow the Holy Spirit to flush out all the accumulated dirt. This is where true fruit is born, not from our own efforts but from a heart fully surrendered to Him.

Abiding in Christ is an act of trust. Even when we fall short, He is faithful to restore us. Confession isn’t a burden but an invitation to have our guilt removed, to walk more intimately with Jesus, and let His love work deeply in our hearts.

Dear Jesus, thank You for Your mercy. Help me to stay close to You by confessing my sins to You and allowing Your grace to cleanse and restore me. Amen.”

The More We Know

If you don’t know Jesus as your personal Savior, or if you have questions about how to know Him and receive His free gift, please click on “Know These Truths.”

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Abide, Abiding in jesus, Bible study, Devotion, From the Insideout, Journey Through The Word, Know These Truths, LGG Study

Work It Out

Posted on June 10, 2025June 10, 2025 by

based on the LGG Study, Abiding in Jesus/w1d3

Read and SOAP: Philippians 2:12-13

So then, my dear friends, just as you have always obeyed, not only in my presence but even more in my absence, continue working out your salvation with awe and reverence, ¹³for the one bringing forth in you both the desire and the effort—for the sake of his good pleasure—is God.
Philiipians 2:12-13

I remember the first time I really read this verse, and trust me when I say that to fully understand it, you need to know what came before the “so then.” Without a clear understanding, I fell prey to questioning the statement and meaning of “working out your salvation.” I am a firm believer that salvation is not by works but is a free gift from God to all who believe in the Lord Jesus Christ. So I quickly read it again and checked various translations and eventually sought the help from my Pastor at the time to understand what Paul meant by “working out your salvation.” Thus was born my understanding that phrases like “so then” serve as a cue for the reader or listener to look back for the broader context and a better understanding of what is to follow.

In this case, what came before was a beautifully written character description of Christ, preceded by clear instructions of “how not to behave.”

Don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves. ⁴Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too. ⁵You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had. ⁶Though He was God, he did not think of equality with God as something to cling to. ⁷Instead, He gave up his divine privileges; He took the humble position of a slave and was born as a human being. When He appeared in human form, ⁸He humbled Himself in obedience to God and died a criminal’s death on a cross.

You see, friends, Paul wasn’t teaching us to work for our salvation but to live out our salvation, or as the NLT translates it: “To show the results of our salvation.” In other words to exercise the salvation we have received through Christ. This means to practice loving others as Christ loves us. It means doing good works that God has given us to do, sharing the Gospel, being kind and patient, humble, and not selfish but selfless, It means loving God and others more than we love ourselves. It means not looking out just for “our own interests but for the interests of others, too.” Ultimately, it means laying down everything for the will of the Father. Why? Because when we do – we reflect Jesus to the world around us and God receives the glory!

While we are called to work out (live out) our salvation, it doesn’t mean it will come easy. As today’s LGG journal entry points out: “the Bible makes it clear that the only reason we are able to do so is because God makes it possible. ~ God is both the source and sustainer of our faith. As we remain in Him, He works through us, producing fruit that will last, bringing glory to Him and blessings to others.”

Staying connected to Jesus, the Vine, and allowing God to transform you is what it means to abide.
Abiding in Jesus/p49

The More We Know

For more insight see the LGG Blog Post

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A Healthy and Beautiful Garden

Posted on June 8, 2025June 8, 2025 by

based on the LGG Study, Abiding In Jesus, Bearing Fruit that Lasts, w1d1

Read and SOAP: John 15:1

“I am the true vine and my Father is the gardener.”
John 15:1

I love this verse and the lesson that follows, from Jesus to His disciples! Jesus declares that He is the vine¹ and that His Father, God, is the gardener². What better sources and hope for life could we have?

Jesus, the source of eternal life, a vine that will never die or wither away, is the One who gives us life. We have been made new through Him (2 Cor 5:17). Through faith in Jesus Christ, we are connected to the Father, filled with the Holy Spirit, and interconnected to other believers through Him. It is through Christ that we grow and mature spiritually, becoming more like Him and less like the world around us.

I grew up in a family of gardeners, but trust me when I say – I did not inherit their gift for producing the fresh corn, beans, and other vegetables that we enjoyed throughout the year. I did, however, learn to appreciate their gift of gardening, as well as their love and willingness to invest so much time and effort into their gardens throughout the years. While I didn’t realize it until much later in life, from planting to harvesting and everything in between, it was a labor of time, accompanied by body aches, and I’m certain tears and fears in the times of drought or damaging storms.

These thoughts came rushing through my mind this morning as I read Jesus’ declaration, “My Father is the gardener.” The love and labor of time that God, the Gardener, has spent on me boggles my mind. The grief and concerns I have caused Him through the years make my heart ache. And when I consider the fruit that His tender hand and patient heart have been able to yield from this branch, it leaves me in awe and wonder at His grace and compassion. The fact and evidence that He allows me to stay attached to Jesus, the true vine, is a testament to God’s truth and faithfulness, and something for which I will forever be grateful.

The role of a gardener ranges from creating, cultivating, and maintaining the garden. This includes, but is not limited to, planting, weeding, pruning, and pest control, while also ensuring the attractiveness and health of the plants.

Friends, there are many things and people that vie for our attention and allegiance in this life. They promise everything from a better life, greater wealth, happiness, and more. Don’t be fooled! Only Jesus, the “True Vine,” (and there is only one), can give you life. Only through Him is there true and abundant life, a life of rich joy, a life where all of your needs are supplied from His glorious riches. Only Jesus can take away all your sins and deliver you from death into eternal life. – I encourage to cling to the true and living vine, Jesus, and to let your Father, our Gardener, shield you from the “pests” of this world vying for your attention. In doing so we will be a healthy, beautiful garden filled with light that attracts the world to Him.

The More We Know

The necessity of a good/true vine includes: Healthy growth, life, and renewal. Its ability to grow and spread is a powerful metaphor for spiritual development, and the continual process of becoming represents the vine’s potential for a rich and fruitful life. Specifically, in this context, it is used to symbolize the relationship between believers and God. Staying connected to the Vine (Jesus) is essential for bearing fruit and experiencing spiritual abundance.³

For more insight into today’s journey, click the button below

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Bible study, Devotion, For Such A Time As This, From the Insideout, Journey Through The Word, Know These Truths, LGG Study, Prayer Starters, Quiet Time

Delivered by Grace

Posted on May 26, 2025May 25, 2025 by

From the journal of the LGG Study, For Such A Time As This, p177/w6d2

Read: Esther 8:1-17 and SOAP: Proverbs 28:20

A faithful person will have an abundance of blessings,
but the one who hastens to gain riches will not go unpunished.

Proverbs 28:20

What an appropriate picture Proverbs 28:20 gives us of Esther’s story. Esther and Mordecai acted faithfully even in the face of certain death and the annihilation of their people. Haman, however, sought the riches of fame and fortune at all costs. I can’t help but pray this prayer found on page 174 of this session’s journal: “Give me the courage to live for You and invest my life for Your glory not mine.”

Let’s recap our story thus far and trace the fingerprints of God: Queen Vashti was dethroned in a fit of the King’s anger … A search was set in motion throughout all the kingdom’s provinces for a new queen … Esther. a Jew lived within the radius of the search and fit all of the specifications, and won the favor of the King … Mordecai, Esther’s relative who raised her, sat in the King’s gate and overheard not only a threat against the King’s life but word of the edict to annihilate the Jews … Mordecai sent word through Esther of the threat against the King. The King’s life was spared and Mordecai was eventually honored for this … Mordecai also made Esther aware of the edict which led to a time of prayer and fasting by the Jews and courage for Esther to approach the King and seek his help for her people … Esther’s courage and wisdom are testimonies to God’s guidance, and clearly answers to the prayer and fasting.

The deliverance we read about in today’s portion of the story could only come from the hand of God! The wicked Haman, who sought wealth and fame through his conniving ways with the King and a treacherous plot against Mordecai and the Jews, was rightfully put to death; and now his estate was handed over to Esther, and the King’s signet ring, once given to Haman for the edict against the Jews, was now given to Mordecai. So while the edict could not be rescinded, the King pointed out that they could write a decree according to what they believed to be right for the Jews. Oh, the creative plans and power of our God. While His name is not on the pages we’ve read, surely His fingerprints are everywhere in Esther’s story.

I was caught up in the miraculous deliverance of the Jews, and in the story of their rejoicing and celebrations, I couldn’t help but think of our own cause for rejoicing and celebration. From the beginning of time, in the garden, the cost of our sin has been death.¹ This decree was not rescinded, for Paul wrote in Romans 6:23 that “wages of sin is death…²” Yet, just as God did for the Jews in Esther’s story, He made a way for us where there seemed to be no way. John’s declaration that God loved the world so much that He gave His only begotten Son so that whoever believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life is a testament of that Way³. For, as John went on to explain, “God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world but in order that the world might be saved through Him.” (John 3:16-17). Paul later attests to this in his letter to the Church in Rome, when he wrote, “There is now no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus” (Romans 8:1). – To which my heart resounds with the chorus … “Grace, grace, God’s grace, Grace that will pardon and cleanse within; Grace, grace, God’s grace, Grace that is greater than all our sin!“

Father, thank You – that as Your people rejoiced in the day of Esther for Your miraculous deliverance from death to life, we, too, can rejoice. For Your marvelous, matchless grace has been poured upon our lives! We celebrate Your loving kindness that has come to us because of Jesus Christ! Oh, what a joy to know Your grace! – May we demonstrate this in all we do and say. In the name of Jesus – Amen!

The More We Know

From today’s journal entry by LGG, p177

Mordecai’s story is a beautiful example of faithfulness. He didn’t seek honor or wealth for himself. Yet, God raised him to a position of great influence and entrusted him with the responsibility to save his people. .. In contrast, Haman’s pursuit of wealth, status, and honor led to his downfall. …Proverbs 28:20 reminds us that while society often praises the rich and powerful, God values faithfulness above all. The rewards of faithfulness may not always be immediate or visible. Still, they are eternal and far greater than any earthly wealth.

In a world that often pushes us to chase after success, recognition, and material wealth, we are called to something different. Instead of striving for more, let’s strive to be faithful – faithful to God, faithful to the calling He has placed on our lives, and faithful to the people He has placed around us.

Sweet friend, are you feeling overlooked or tempted to measure your worth by the world’s standards? Take heart – God sees your faithfulness, even in the small, unseen moments. And in His perfect time, He will bless you in ways that far exceed anything this world can offer.

Then the Lord God commanded the man, “You may freely eat fruit from every tree of the orchard, ¹⁷but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat from it you will surely die.” Genesis 2:16-17 ↩︎
For the wages of sin is death but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 6:23 ↩︎
Jesus replied, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. John 14:6 ↩︎

Bible study, Devotion, For Such A Time As This, From the Insideout, God is good, Journey Through The Word, Know These Truths, LGG Study, Quiet Time

Blessing of Promise and Hope

Posted on May 20, 2025May 20, 2025 by

From the LGG Journal, For Such A Time As This, p148

Read: Esther 6:12-14 and SOAP: Genesis 12:3.

I Will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.
Genesis 12:3

What joy and encouragement it is to know that we share in God’s blessing of promise and hope that He spoke to Abram so long ago. In all the chaos, pain, and suffering of this world may we never lose sight of the One to whom we belong. May we rest in the truth that He is faithful and trustworthy, and that His love never fails. And may we live lives that make these truths known to others – that they may also share in the blessing God spoke to Abraham.