An Ear and An Exhortation

Posted on August 27, 2026 by Pete

In the latter part of Hebrews 3, the writer of Hebrews breaks it down. He doesn’t mince words why those delivered from Egypt spent 40 years doing laps in the wilderness. They “heard and yet rebelled”, they “sinned” and “were disobedient” (3:16-18). And how come? They had hardened hearts (3:8,15), “hardened by the deceitfulness of sin” (3:13). But hardness was but the symptom. The root cause of callousness was something more fundamental. A hard heart was the result of an unbelieving heart.

Take care, brothers, lest there be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart, leading you to fall away from the living God. But exhort one another every day, as long as it is called “today,” that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin.

(Hebrews 3:12-13 ESV)

The going was getting tough for this first century Jewish-Christian congregation. Not only were they caught between the ancient faith of their fathers and being new creatures in Christ, they were also living in a pagan culture that was growing increasingly intolerant towards anyone who wouldn’t bow to Caesar as God. For many, life was just hard. Feeling the effects of no longer fitting in with family and the ethnic community they had grown up in, and refused by Rome, some just couldn’t see how “all things were working together for good” (Romans 8:28). And so, some were drifting away. Some were even falling away. And the root cause? An unbelieving heart. Or, as one commentator puts it, “a deep distrust of God and His promises.”

That life can be hard isn’t a surprise to the authors of Scripture. The “how long, O LORD” laments of David (Ps. 13:1-2, 35-17, 79:5,89:46, 119:84), the “you will have tribulation” assurance of Jesus (Jn. 16:33), the “thorn in the flesh” complaint of Paul (2Cor. 12:7-9), as well as the stories of countless others in our Bibles, tell us that the way of the cross (Matt. 16:24) is, well, the way of the cross.

And so, we get it when others are going through it. And we want to draw alongside and walk with them. And we want to be sympathetic and empathetic. We want to give an ear and lend a hand.

But when things being hard morphs into hearts being hardened, then there needs to be a word spoken. When processing the pain isn’t leading to pleading the promises (which is what lament does), there needs to be someone exhorting with words of faith. Though they are being battered, what that brother or sister needs more than anything else is to believe. They need to believe the gospel and the promise of the power of sustaining, enduring righteousness — a power which is “from faith for faith, as it is written, ‘The righteous shall live by faith.'” (Rom. 1:16-17).

We need to believe. We need to exhort our brothers and sisters to believe. Even when it’s hard. Even when it’s seemingly endless. Especially when everything within the heart of the old man is prone to listen to the serpent when he says, “God really can’t be trusted.”

So, as those who come along side, we need to have an ear to hear, but we should be ready with a word that needs to be heard . . . lest there be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart.

An ear and an exhortation.

By His grace. For His glory.

Posted in Hebrews | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

It’s a Mystery (2016 Remix)

Posted on August 25, 2026 by Pete

Oh, how I needed this today. Some thoughts from 10 years ago . . .

Double blessing . . . it brought to mind a video clip from the distant past which introduced the Martins to the Gaither-o-sphere . . . worth checking out I think. Click here.

Perspective. In addition to exhorting the pursuit of wisdom, in addition to providing gems of instruction in skillful living, sprinkled throughout Proverbs are sound bites of perspective. Sound bites concerned less about what I need to do and more about what I need to know. Reminders of the way things really work. And this morning I’m reminded that although I know what I have planned for today, I don’t really know what’s going to happen today. In actuality, it’s a mystery.


A man’s steps are from the LORD;
       how then can man understand his way?

(Proverbs 20:24 ESV)

I’ve got my plans, but God has His purposes. I have my schedule, but it’s subject to His sovereignty. I know how I want things to work out, He has determined how they will work out.

Flashback five years ago [15 years ago now]. We drove down to Santa Cruz to attend a wedding. Instead, God directed us to an ER where we got on a rollercoaster. Our plans had been months in the making, but our actual steps had been determined in eternity past. How then can man understand his way? When all is said and done, every day is a mystery.


I know, O LORD, that the way of man is not in himself,
       that it is not in man who walks to direct his steps.

(Jeremiah 20:23 ESV)

It’s kind of a humbling perspective for those who are planners. It can be somewhat unsettling for those who prefer predictability. And, it can be downright frightening for those who need to think they are in control. Yet, it is the way of the world.

Thus, while we might plan, we should not presume. While we might take hold of the wheel, we should not forget who’s really driving. Instead, our steps are from the God who declares, “For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways and My thoughts than your thoughts” (Isa. 55:8-9). How then can man understand his way? When all is said and done, as I head into this day, it’s a mystery.

But this perspective is not intended to unsettle. It’s purpose is not to create paranoia concerning what a day might bring. Instead, such perspective, when recognized in the context of the love of God, is intended to remind us of the only thing we really know for sure about this day. Something I read in Isaiah this morning captured it:


Behold, God is my salvation;
       I will trust, and will not be afraid;
for the LORD GOD is my strength and my song,
       and He has become my salvation.

(Isaiah 12:2 ESV)

He who saved me will sustain me. Though I know not for sure my steps this day, “I know whom I have believed and am persuaded that He is able to keep what I have committed to Him until that Day” (2Tim. 1:12 NKJV). While I may not be able to, with full certainty, understand my way, I know without a shadow of a doubt who is my strength and my song. Who has promised never to leave me nor forsake me. Who has promised that His grace is sufficient for whatever this day holds.

Though I may not like realizing I’m not really in control, I will trust and will not be afraid, for God is my salvation. And I know that nothing will separate me from Him who gave His Son to redeem me. Whatever the steps are He has ordained for me, “If God is for us, who [or what] can be against us” (Rom. 8:31)?

The way of man. Not in himself. It’s a mystery.

The love of God. Manifest on the cross. Testified to by His Spirit. That’s another mystery.

That I am His and He is mine? That’s a reality! I will trust and will not be afraid.

By His grace, for His glory!

Posted in Proverbs | Tagged , | 1 Comment

Firm Faith, Firm Footing (2016 Remix)

Posted on August 24, 2026 by Pete

Only the fourth time this month I have had the space after my morning readings to type a few thoughts. It’s been a busy, busy month. And even this morning, after a sleepless night so far, there’s not much capacity for putting “pen to paper.”

This morning as I read in Isaiah, I paused to meditate for a moment over the last part of Isaiah 7:9. Then, in Isaiah 8, the words “my disciples” caught my eye. Isn’t that more of a New Testament term? Apparently, because this is the only time you’ll find those words in the Old Testament. But a learner is learner, a follower is a follower. And the Lord’s charge to His disciples in Isaiah 8, seemed to reinforce the Lord’s truth in Isaiah 7.

Bind up the testimony; seal the teaching among my disciples. I will wait for the LORD, who is hiding His face from the house of Jacob, and I will hope in Him.

(Isaiah 8:16-17 ESV)

I will wait . . . I will hope . . . If those aren’t words of firm faith, I’m not sure what are.

Here are some thoughts on firm faith from 10 years ago which were part of my morning meal today.

Insurmountable opposition is the great equalizer. Doesn’t matter if you are top of the food chain or bottom of the pile, when you are outnumbered, you are outnumbered. When “the 800-pound gorilla in the room” is actually IN the room, doesn’t matter if are you the CEO or just another CPA, everybody’s unsettled. Unless, of course, you know the One who is greater than any enemy force. If, instead, you trust in Someone who makes any King Kong seem like a chimp in comparison. Isaiah reminds me this morning that with a firm faith comes a firm footing.

Reading in Isaiah 7 this morning and the king of Syria joins forces with the son of the king of Israel to wage war against Jerusalem. And Ahaz king of Judah knows he has a problem. A really BIG problem.


When the house of David was told, “Syria is in league with Ephraim,” the heart of Ahaz and the heart of his people shook as the trees of the forest shake before the wind.

(Isaiah 7:2 ESV)

Their hearts trembled. Both king and servant. Both adult and child. When they heard of this unholy alliance set against them, they were compromised to their core. And it was into this situation that the LORD sent His prophet Isaiah.


And the LORD said to Isaiah, “Go out to meet Ahaz, . . . And say to him, ‘Be careful, be quiet, do not fear, and do not let your heart be faint because of these two smoldering stumps of firebrands . . . ‘”

(Isaiah 7:3-4 ESV)

Be on guard, Ahaz, don’t let your heart melt before these two conquering wannabe’s. Know peace. Refuse dread. No need to be timid before this two “smoldering stumps.”

And through the prophet, the LORD, seeks to assure the king of Judah that what these two aggressors had in mind would never come to pass. That rather than conquer, they would be conquered. That within 65 years Ephraim, the northern kingdom, would “be shattered from being a people” (7:8). And to punctuate His assurance, the LORD through Isaiah exhorts Ahaz,

“If you are not firm in faith,
       you will not be firm at all.”

(Isaiah 7:9b ESV)

The eternal pillar of fire from heaven was ready to stand strong against these “two burned-out embers” (NLT) of earth. The King of glory who commands legions of mighty angels — He who Isaiah had seen seated on His throne, high and lifted, before whom the angels declare “Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts; the whole earth is filled with His glory” (Isa. 6:1-5) — this mighty King of heaven was ready to defend His people against the big-talking, though just smoke-blowing, kings of earth. But, says Isaiah, without faith there could be no footing.

God is ready to enter the fray on behalf of His people. His grace is sufficient (2Cor. 12:9). He is for us, so who can be against us (Rom. 8:31)? The work He has begun in us, He will complete (Php. 1:6). . . and even the gates of hell will not prevail (Matt. 16:18). That’s the truth. But will we believe it? Will we trust in it? Will we, by grace, stand firm in it? If we are not firm in faith, we will not be firm at all.

Know the word of God . . . know the God of the word . . . and trust in the Lord with all your heart (Prov. 3:5-6).

Firm faith, firm footing.

By His grace. For His glory.

Posted in Isaiah | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Rubbing Shoulders with Wisdom (2016 Rerun)

Posted on August 14, 2026 by Pete

Sharing some thoughts from 10 years ago on this day in my reading plan . . .

They’re not rocket science, but they can be life changing. So many of them are just common sense but, for those who are mindful of them, their impact is anything but run-of-the-mill. I’m talking about Solomon’s proverbs. His quick snappers giving instruction for skillful living. His pithy maxims which, if heeded, have a lifelong effect.

The Hebrew root for the word “proverb” apparently has the idea of ruling, reigning, or having dominion. Proverbs then are words fit for directing our lives. Exhortations which are valuable for influencing our walk and our talk. Counsel worth submitting to.

And this morning I’m chewing on one of Solomon’s simple, yet far-reaching sayings. And I’m realizing how important it is to rub shoulders with Wisdom.


Whoever walks with the wise becomes wise,
       but the companion of fools will suffer harm.

(Proverbs 13:20 ESV)

Walk with the wise and become wise. Associate with wisdom and you’ll pickup up wisdom. Hang out with people who know a thing or two about a life well lived and don’t be surprised if you start picking up a thing or two. Rub shoulders with those who fear the LORD and watch what rubs off on you.

That’s why “doing coffee” is such an important part of my routine (and the routines of many I call friends). Finding a place to talk about life . . . the life here and now and the one to come . . . the life full of trials and hardships and the abundant life. To engage in spiritual discussion. To share what we’ve been seeing in the Word. To talk of matters too lofty for our full comprehension. To encourage one another to keep on keepin’ on. Hanging out with godly people has a way of their godliness rubbing off on me.

Not rocket science . . . but potentially life changing. Common sense? Yup. But integral to shaping a supernatural reality.

But here’s what I’ve really been chewing on this morning . . .

Especially in the early chapters of Proverbs, I see so often wisdom as a type of Christ. I hear Jesus crying aloud in the streets and raising His voice in the market. The Son of God saying, “Blessed is the one who finds Me.” The Christ claiming that to have Him is better than silver and of far more profit than gold. The Lord of creation who beckons people to Himself as “a tree of life for those who lay hold of her.”

And so, if Christ is Wisdom, then whoever walks with the Wise becomes wise. Whoever hangs with Jesus eventually becomes like Jesus. Whoever engages the living Christ, through His revealed Word and through Spirit-mediated prayer, will have the mind of Christ. To have Christ rub off on me, I must rub shoulders with Christ.

That’s what Paul labored for concerning his children in the faith, that Christ would be formed in them (Gal. 4:19). That’s why he would say, “Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ” (1Cor. 11:1). In essence he too is saying, Rub shoulders with Wisdom so that Wisdom might rub off on you.

Child of God, He who foreknew you also predestined you to “be conformed to the image of His Son” (Rom. 8:29). “He decided from the outset to shape the lives of those who love Him along the same lines as the life of His Son” (MSG). From the beginning God determined to form His Son in you as you, by His grace and power, determined to walk with His Son. So, it’s kind of important that we engage with the risen Christ on a daily basis. It needs to be a priority to walk with Him if we want to be like Him.

Not rocket science, but life changing!

O that Wisdom might rub off on us as we rub shoulders with Wisdom.

By His grace. For His glory.

Posted in Proverbs | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Obligation

Posted on August 12, 2026 by Pete

Maybe it’s because I know how short-lived it’s going to be. Maybe it’s because I’ve read these chapters before and I know that eventually Nehemiah is going to resort to literally trying to beat people into obedience (Neh. 13:25). Maybe it’s because, as I read the people’s promises, the old adage seems to ring true that the road to H-E-Double-Hockey-Sticks is paved with good intentions. Whatever the reason, I find myself cringing a bit as I read Nehemiah 10 this morning. And the word that particularly sounds like fingernails on a chalkboard? Obligation.

The walls of Jerusalem have been rebuilt (Neh. 1-7). The word of God has been rediscovered (Neh. 8). And among the people there seems to be a great revival as evidenced by a time of great confession (Neh. 9). And so Nehemiah leads the people into formalizing a great response by signing “a firm covenant in writing” (Neh. 9:38-10-27).

And then, it’s the people’s turn. And with “knowledge and understanding”, they “enter into a curse and an oath to walk in God’s law” (Neh. 10:28-29). They vow not to intermarry with “the peoples of the land” (Neh. 10:30). They promise not to do business on the Sabbath and to leave the land fallow and forgive all debts every seven years (Neh. 10:31). And then – like the screech of a record player needle being dragged across the vinyl – they speak the “o”-word. Twice!

“We also take on ourselves the obligation to give yearly a third part of a shekel for the service of the house of our God . . . We obligate ourselves to bring the firstfruits of our ground and the firstfruits of all fruit of every tree, year by year, to the house of the LORD . . .

(Nehemiah 10:32, 35 ESV)

We take on ourselves this obligation . . .

As I chew on these words that put such a sour taste in my mouth, I can’t help but ask myself, “Self, why such a reaction?”

After all, they are promising to do what they should do. They are covenanting to obey what they should obey. They are taking an oath to observe what they should observe. Even in our current “age of grace” the people of God are to be an obedient people.

For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome.

(1John 5:3 ESV)

A saved people should be a sanctified people. A redeemed people should be a responsive people. A graced people should be a people holy determined for good works. So, shouldn’t I be cheering on these returned, revived, and responsive saints of old as they determine with holy determination to be a holy people? Yeah, I should.

So, maybe it really isn’t the “o”-word that’s getting stuck in my throat. Maybe it’s the “we take on ourselves” part that causes me to cringe. While their desire to get their act together and walk in the way they should walk is the right desire, to rely on themselves is a recipe for failure. Or as Jesus put it, even where the spirit is willing, “the flesh is weak” (Mt. 26:41). So, we can’t take obedience on ourselves.

Or can we?

The grace of the gospel is not just that our sins are forgiven through the finished work of the cross of Christ, but that obedience is also possible through our union with Christ as “in Him” His perfect obedience becomes the source and the power for our obedience. That it’s not “me” who guts it out to do what I should, but that it’s “we” – for “I have been crucified with Christ, and it is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me” (Gal. 2:20).

In that sense, then, these words can be our words. We — me and Jesus — take on ourselves the obligation.

By His grace. For His glory.

Posted in Nehemiah | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

The Joy of the Lord is Your Strength

Posted on August 10, 2026 by Pete

The book of Ecclesiastes says there’s a time for everything, including “a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance” (Eccl. 3:4). For ancient Israel, the first day of the seventh month was a time for dancing. A day not for grief but for joy, not for mourning, but a day for great rejoicing. And so, the people are told, “Go . . . eat . . . drink . . . and share with others. For the joy of the LORD is your strength.”

And Nehemiah, who was the governor, and Ezra the priest and scribe, and the Levites who taught the people said to all the people, “This day is holy to the LORD your God; do not mourn or weep.” For all the people wept as they heard the words of the Law. Then he said to them, “Go your way. Eat the fat and drink sweet wine and send portions to anyone who has nothing ready, for this day is holy to our Lord. And do not be grieved, for the joy of the LORD is your strength.” So the Levites calmed all the people, saying, “Be quiet, for this day is holy; do not be grieved.” And all the people went their way to eat and drink and to send portions and to make great rejoicing, because they had understood the words that were declared to them.

(Nehemiah 8:9-12 ESV)

The joy of the LORD is your strength . . . That’s what I’m chewing on this morning.

The people had heard and understood the word of God like they had never heard or understood it before (Neh. 8:1-8). And God’s “living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword” had pierced deeply “to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart” (Heb. 4:12). They had been splayed, their hearts spread wide open, and what they saw wasn’t a pretty sight. Thus, to mourn, to weep, to grieve, were the appropriate responses to such an awareness of unfaithfulness. But not this day. Not on the first day of the seventh month. This day was to be a day of great rejoicing. Because the day was a holy day.

According to the Law of Moses, the first day of the seventh month was to be “a holy convocation” (Num. 29:1), a sacred assembly, a gathering set apart to the LORD. It was to be a day when trumpets were blown. A day when the goodness of God was remembered. A day when the soon-coming celebration of atonement was anticipated. A day to feast and share with others. A day to rejoice. For the joy of the LORD is your strength.

A day set aside so that power would be refueled through praise. Weakness dispelled through worship. Renewal restored through remembrance. A day to be jacked up by joy. (Okay, maybe that’s taking it too far).

Thinking about it, yesterday was kind of that day too. A day when I was invited, as I am every week, to eat and drink and to do so in remembrance of Him. A day when I was called to come and feast by faith, though the table was set with but a small cup of the vine and small portion of bread. A day when, even though the word preached may have pierced my heart and the kindness of God led me to sorrowful repentance, I was called to the table, partook of the elements, remembered the price paid for my salvation, and wondered afresh at the goodness and grace and love of God. And . . . I rejoiced! And in that moment, I knew again what it means that the joy of the LORD is your strength.

Oh, how sweet the sacred assembly. How uplifting the gathering of the saints around the word and around the table. Because it is “a day holy to the LORD your God.” And when we observe what is holy to Him, we leave a little more whole inside. Renewed. Revived. Recalibrated. Ready for another week.

Oh, the joy of the Lord found afresh in remembrance. Oh, the strength that comes from celebrating with the saints His goodness and faithfulness.

Thank God for the church! Thank God for Sunday mornings! Thank God that the joy of the LORD is your strength.

Joy by His grace. Strength for His glory.

Amen?

Posted in Nehemiah | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

A Prudent Son

Posted on August 5, 2026 by Pete

Started in on the proverbs of Proverbs, this morning — those snappy sayings that start up in chapter 10. And for me, these one-liners have sometimes been difficult to digest. And that, I think, for a couple of reasons.

First, often these seemingly black-and-white dynamics describing the way things should work (and will work in the kingdom of God) just don’t play out in this fallen world and its many shades of grey. Sometimes, the disconnect between the described “should be” and what “actually is” gets in the way.

The other thing that can sometimes mute the impact of the proverbs for me is their “to do” nature in the context of my “It is finished” faith. The temptation to take Solomon’s asserted acts of righteousness and think that as I long as I do them then I will be righteous. Yet, my righteousness is found in Christ alone. Get what I’m saying?

But as I chew on the opening verses of Proverbs 10, there may be something here that resolves some of the tension I often feel with the proverbs, a key that unlocks a door. It’s thinking about the difference between being wise and being prudent.

The proverbs of Solomon.

A wise son makes a glad father,
       but a foolish son is a sorrow to his mother.
Treasures gained by wickedness do not profit,
       but righteousness delivers from death.
The LORD does not let the righteous go hungry,
       but he thwarts the craving of the wicked.
A slack hand causes poverty,
       but the hand of the diligent makes rich.
He who gathers in summer is a prudent son,
       but he who sleeps in harvest is a son who brings shame.

(Proverbs 10:1-5 ESV)

These one-liners seem to be a section talking about two types of sons. A wise son and a foolish son – aka a prudent son and a son who brings shame. And within the bookends of verses 1 and 5, there are some kingdom principles. Principles as to the impact of the two sons on their parents; the impact on their approach to making a living; the impact of how the LORD looks upon how they make a living; and the different kingdom outcomes one should expect from the hand of the diligent vs. a slack hand.

And verse 5 gives a specific example of what Solomon is generally describing. And it comes down to what the sons do in summer, the way they behave in harvest. It’s whether they gather or sleep which defines whether they are a prudent son or a son who brings shame.

So, am I stretching things too far to say that prudence is the application of wisdom? That if wisdom begins with the fear of the Lord and is the knowledge of the ways and means and dynamics of the kingdom to come, then prudence is the application of those principles. That it’s one thing to know that it’s important to gain treasures in the right way so that one does not go hungry, to be diligent in work in order to know gain, but it’s another thing to actually decide to go be someone who gathers in summer rather than sleeps in harvest. Still making sense?

So, if in Christ — by grace alone through faith alone — I am declared righteous, and, if because of my union with Christ, I have access to the mind of Christ (1Cor. 2:16), the mind of the One who is wisdom in and of Himself, then, in Him, I am a wise son who makes my Father glad. But when, because of who I am — beloved of God — I have a holy desire to wholly live as a wise son, I actually purpose to gather in summer, then I am a prudent son as well. I’m living out who I really am.

So, as I weigh my way through these proverbs, rather than get tripped up by a “works” mindset, I’m to embrace the desire to be a prudent son, putting the way of wisdom, the way of following Jesus, into practice. Not to earn His favor, but because of already having known His favor. I’m to live out these kingdom principles, because I have already been “transferred” (Col. 1:13) into these kingdom realities.

A prudent son. A prudent daughter.

By His grace. For His glory.

Posted in Proverbs | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Maintaining My Saltiness

Posted on July 30, 2026 by Pete

Jesus really wasn’t about “attractional ministry.” He didn’t seem overly concerned with “removing barriers” and making the curious comfortable. In fact, when the crowds “accompanied Him” (Lk. 14:25), Jesus talked about the cost of following Him.

Any one of you who does not renounce all that he has cannot be My disciple.

(Luke 14:33 ESV)

Renounce all . . . That’s a crowd killer. A momentum masher. A revival repressor.

But when it comes to following Jesus, He must be all in all. Number 1. The center of our universe. The priority above all priorities. The love over every love. And how come? It seems to come down to our saltiness.

“Salt is good, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is of no use either for the soil or for the manure pile. It is thrown away. He who has ears to hear, let him hear.”

(Luke 14:34-35 ESV)

I don’t use the salt shaker a lot (’cause I tend to buy foods that are prepared with more sodium than I probably need). But when I do use it, it’s because it’s needed. It’s the final touch to perfect the flavor. It’s the add-on that makes my food right on. So, whaddya’ do when the salt has lost its saltiness? What are you going to salt salt with?

A question worth asking? Seems to be. Because, brother and sister, according to Jesus “You are the salt of the earth” (Matt. 5:13). And our saltiness seems integrally linked to our faithfulness — to following Jesus.

So, says Jesus, “Sit down and count the cost . . . sit down first and deliberate” (Lk. 14:28, 31). Be careful of starting what you’re not prepared to finish. Don’t leave behind the embarrassment of half-built towers (Lk. 14:28-30), or the defeat of half-fought wars (Lk. 14:31-32), or the uselessness of salt that’s no longer salty. Rather, count the cost. Run the race. Fight the fight. Renounce all. Be the salt of the earth. Don’t let your saltiness lose its taste.

Feel like a lot of pressure? I’m thinkin’ . . .

And it would be, if it were up to me alone. But . . .

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.

(Galatians 2:20 ESV)

Because of my union with Christ my desire to renounce all is fully realized in Him who “though He was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself” (Php. 2:6-7a). Because of my union with Christ, I can count the cost because He has already finished paying the price (Jn. 19:30). Because of my union with Christ, I can be the salt of the earth, the light of the world (Mt. 5:14), for He is the light of the world (Jn. 8:12).

The pressure is lost in the promise — the promise that in Him I can do all things (Php. 4:13). Even the hard things like counting the cost, renouncing it all, and maintaining my saltiness.

All according to His limitless grace. All for His everlasting glory.

Jesus, all for Jesus
All I am and have and ever hope to be
Jesus, all for Jesus
All I am and have and ever hope to be

All of my ambitions, hopes and plans
I surrender these into Your hands
All of my ambitions, hopes and plans
I surrender these into Your hands

For it’s only in Your will that I am free
For it’s only in Your will that I am free
Jesus, all for Jesus
All I am and have and ever hope to be

~ Robin Mark ~

Posted in Luke | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

The Good Hand of God

Posted on July 29, 2026 by Pete

Ezra had the right lineage — a descendent of “Aaron the chief priest” (7:1-5). He had the right learning — a scribe “skilled in the Law of Moses” (7:6a). And, he had the right leaning — to “study the Law of the LORD, and to do it, and to teach it” (7:10). Surely, that’s why he was so successful. That’s why a pagan king “granted him all he asked” (7:6b). That’s why he was able to make the trek from Babylon to Jerusalem without incident in just 5 months (7:9). The right lineage, the right learning, the right leaning . . . that’s why. Right?

Uh, maybe not.

. . . and the king granted him all that he asked, for the hand of the LORD his God was on him.

. . . and on the first day of the fifth month he came to Jerusalem, for the good hand of his God was on him.

Blessed be the LORD, the God of our fathers, who put such a thing as this into the heart of the king, to beautify the house of the LORD that is in Jerusalem . . . for the hand of the LORD my God was on me.

(Ezra 7:6b, 9b, 27-28 ESV)

Wanna guess what I’m chewing on? Wanna take a stab at why?

For the hand of the LORD his God was on him . . . Thrice repeated. Duly noted.

Not to say that Ezra wasn’t capable. Not to say Ezra wasn’t courageous. Not to say Ezra wasn’t motivated. But at the end of the day, Ezra’s success was by the grace of God. For the good hand of his God was on him.

And when Ezra entered Jerusalem, when he had crossed the finish line, when he had delivered the goods (literally), what was his boast? Blessed be the LORD . . . for the hand of the LORD my God was on me.

“Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.” (2Corinthians 10:17 ESV)

I’m far from being an Ezra, but I have known a win or two along this pilgrim journey. Only by the good hand of God upon me. By the Father’s purposes for me. By the Son who goes with me. By the Spirit who lives in me.

Only by His grace. Only for His glory.

Posted in Ezra | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Have This Mind

Posted on July 28, 2026 by Pete

Got back this weekend from a week away with the whole family. What a blessing. But what a hit my morning routine takes. Good to be back at my desk . . .

Give me the choice, and I’ll take reserved seating over general admission any day of the week. I’ll pay the premium to pick my own seat. And, based on what I can afford, I’ll pick the best seat. But if I’m picking up on what Jesus’ is laying down this morning, when it comes to the kingdom of heaven, I may have to rethink that a bit.

Now [Jesus] told a parable to those who were invited [to dine at the house of a ruler of the Pharisees (v.1)], when He noticed how they chose the places of honor, saying to them, “When you are invited by someone to a wedding feast, do not sit down in a place of honor . . . But when you are invited, go and sit in the lowest place, . . . For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.”

(Luke 14:7-11 ESV)

Invited to a feast. Every seat’s available when you arrive — from front row center, to back row behind the post. Your pick. Where ya’ gonna sit?

Kingdom thinking says, “Humble yourself. Take the worst seat in the house and leave the better seats for others.” Oh man, how much re-wiring I still need to default to kingdom thinking!

Abase yourself. Make yourself low. Reduce your stature. Embrace a lower rank. If I’m honest, not my natural inclination. But, praise God, it can be more of how I’m supernaturally inclined. Not through great determination and discipline, but through abiding (John 15:5). It can be my inclination because of the reality that “it is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me” (Gal. 2:20). It is the fruit of my union with Christ – humbling myself because Jesus humbled Himself.

Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though He was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.

(Philippians 2:5-8 ESV)

Jesus emptied Himself. Taking the form of a servant. He humbled Himself. And this mind, is yours in Christ Jesus.

It’s the mind that, when it walks into the feast, is content to move to the back row. When it has the pick of the litter, chooses the least. When it’s drawn to the spotlight, defers to another. When it can afford reserved seating, is content for general admission. It’s the mind of the One who humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. And the humble mind can be mine mind – if I’ll have this mind – through my union with Christ.

Oh, to have this mind more and more.

“He must increase, but I must decrease.” (John 3:30 ESV)

Only by His grace. Always for His glory.

Posted in Luke, Philippians | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment