Casandra Martin

“Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated, common men, they were astonished. And they recognized that they had been with Jesus.” – Acts 4:13

The question surprised me. Are you astonishing? If you are like me, you smile a little and quickly shake your head ‘no’.  Average – yes, amazing – no.

Here is the problem – average isn’t one of our options. You were meant to be astonishing. Your life in Christ is meant to capture the attention of others and pull it to Jesus. Amazing is supposed to be our norm. Why do we settle for blend in, fade away, and neutral?

The vibrant colors of God’s glory are the palette that He is using to paint the image of Jesus on your soul. The rich boldness of His grace embeds a startling Christ-infused aroma in your character. The intensity of His presence moves us from average to astonishing. If God is amazing, shouldn’t the people who live in His Spirit, walk by His power, and wear His name be something more than ordinary?

We push away the idea of being something other than average because we fear it means we are seeking the spotlight or glorying in our own pride. Being a Christian means something very different. Peter and John were astonishing because others could see they had been with Jesus. God wants us to be amazing in the same way.

My Jesus Resolution today is to surrender to the truth that God makes me astonishing. I am not ordinary, run-of-the-mill, average, or mediocre. I walk with Jesus. The Holy Spirit dwells within me. God’s presence, love, grace, and wisdom surround me and fill my spirit. This isn’t about me. I am meant to stand out, be amazing, and astonish others in order to draw their eyes to Jesus. “In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.” – Matthew 5:16

Today is the Fourth of July. Celebrating independence, Americans across the country will relax in back yards, fire up the grills, spend time with family and friends, ooh and aah over fireworks, and fly the flag that carries our nation’s colors and proclaims its ideals.

As you move through your neighborhood today, let the red, white, and blue remind you to pray for our country. Let each color of the flag trigger a cascade of praise, intercession, and thanksgiving for the blessings we enjoy as Americans.

Red – Every time you see the red stripes on the flag today, remember the blood that was shed for freedom. Pray for our soldiers who endure hardship, stand with courage, and serve with commitment. Pray for their families – spouses, children, parents, and friends who sacrifice, support, and strengthen those on the front lines. Pray for our leaders. Pray for peace.

White – Let the white stars and stripes on the flag today prompt you to pray for the soul of our nation. Pray for innocence and integrity to define who we are as a people. Plead for truth to be our banner. Holiness and righteousness have the power to be our greatest resource and deepest strength if we will prayerfully embed it into our national consciousness.

Blue – Allow the blue in our flag to remind you of the blessings and beauty of this land that stretches from “sea to shining sea.” Be thankful for the freedom, privileges, and responsibilities that flow from your citizenship. Take time to trace God’s fingerprints on our history. Notice the power of His presence in this moment. Pray for His grace to flood this land, His Word to echo in our ears, and His will to be our greatest desire.

My Jesus Resolution today is to pray for my country. Every time I see a flag today, I am going to let it lead my heart to intercede for the land that I love. “If my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land.” – 2 Chronicles 7:14

Waiting on God is hard. We struggle more with God’s timing than just about anything else. I tend to be in a hurry. I want things to move faster, go quicker, and resolve sooner. When I wait for God, I have to slow down. Waiting on His movement turns my heart towards trusting His goodness. It requires me to move out of the driver’s seat and take my proper place by His side. It acknowledges that He is pure love, and that every move He makes will be filled with deep grace – just for me.

As I wrestle with waiting instead of worrying, Isaiah brought a fresh truth to my heart. “Therefore the Lord waits to be gracious to you, and therefore he exalts himself to show mercy to you. For the Lord is a God of justice; blessed are all those who wait for him.” (Isaiah 30:18)

God waits for me! He longs to pour out grace and mercy into my tired, weary soul. In order to fill me with all of His goodness and love, He waits for me. He waits for me to wait for Him. He longs for me to long for Him more than I long for my own timing, my own solutions, my own agenda, and my own way.

In learning to wait for Him, I am mirroring the heart of the One who waits for me. His patience becomes my pattern. His desires redefine my delight. His perspective shapes my vision. His purpose transforms the way I walk through my days and order my priorities.

Waiting implies worth. We wait on God because He is worth waiting for. Today I learned that God says I am worth waiting for as well.

My Jesus Resolution today is to wait. I am going to still my heart and turn my face to Him. I am going to trust that God is in control and will do what is best in His time. Too many times, worry draws my heart away from worship and being frantic prevents me from seeing His face. The Lord is waiting to be gracious to me today. He has an immeasurable measure of joy, peace, mercy, and love in store for me. Instead of rushing ahead, I am going to wait on the One who is waiting for me to experience all of the abundance to be found in Christ.

She stood on the hillside overlooking the cold water below. The teens were taking turns jumping off the embankment into the deep waters of the river. Screams of delight and shouts of encouragement filled the air.

Having swum across the river, climbed up the tree roots, and hiked the trail to the top, she now stood at the edge. What had looked like so much fun from the bottom now had a different feel.

She stood frozen for a minute contemplating her options. Possibilities meandered their way through her mind like the river water far below. Fear pulsed through her veins. For just a moment, her world was reduced to one simple question – jump or not jump?

She jumped.

Arms in the air, a thrilled scream of terror echoed in the trees. She plunged below the surface and came up with a grin. She then scrambled to do it again.

Later, she swam back over to where the less courageous were sitting. One lady asked her how she did it. She answered, “I said, ‘One, two, three, prayed to God, and jumped.” The woman sitting in the shallows shook her head in disbelief. “No really. That is what I did. One, two, three, pray.” In her words, I heard a formula for facing my fears.

My Jesus Resolution today is to jump. There is a fear that is holding me back. It keeps me from being and having all that God wants for me. It is a fear of the unknown, of looking foolish, of being transparent, of being rejected, of being accepted, of messing it up, or getting it right. Today I am going to take a leap of faith. I am going to trust God and jump – into His arms. I am going to take a deep breath, ready my heart, and shout – one, two, three, pray, and then soar.

The sign made me smile, and set me to thinking. The front of a local tire company asked passersby the question of the day. “Attitudes are contagious. Is yours worth catching?”

The sign is right. Attitudes are contagious. Being around someone who is grumpy makes me grumpy too. Laughter is infectious. Worry likes to find company. Joy flies best when it can spread its wings. Anger tends to crawl through the cracks, while a sunny disposition lights up the whole room.

The Bible bears witness to this particular truth. The fear of the ten spies spread through the camp like wildfire. David’s confidence in God gave Israel courage to face the giant. Hezekiah’s dependence, Joshua’s courage, Elijah’s boldness, and Daniel’s integrity all “infected” those around them and pointed them to God.

Attitudes are the focus that we bring into a moment. They have the ability to point us in the right direction or spin us around until we have lost our bearings. Attitudes won’t change our circumstances, but they are powerful tools that allow us to see God’s hand, live in His purpose, and lean on His love.

My Jesus Resolution is to examine my attitude. Is it worth catching? Would seeing my eyes, hearing my words, and listening to my tone of voice in another cause me to cringe or be thankful? Encouragers are people who are deliberate about sharing their Christ-infused attitudes with others. Today I am going to remember that my attitude is contagious. I want to spread Jesus everywhere I go.

He is six years old, with a head full of curls and dark brown eyes. He brought his paper to the preacher with wide eyes, anxious to see how his masterpiece was going to be received.

Each week the young children in our congregation are challenged to listen to the sermon and draw a picture of the Bible lesson we share. This week, our minister began a new series on growing deep roots. Walking through Jeremiah 17:5-8, we dug deeply into the prophet’s holy horticulture lesson, and committed ourselves to planting everything we are firmly in the person and presence of Jesus.

What picture would you draw? A small plant barely sticking its head out of the ground is the first thing you see when you look at the little boy’s picture. Three-fourths of the page is sky, room to grow, thrive, and flourish in this bright world. It is, however, what is below the surface that causes you to stop and reflect. Below the brown line that serves as the ground, there are a myriad of roots. Each one stretching out to hold the plant in place, giving it the anchor and nourishment it needs to grow. But he didn’t stop there. He named the roots. Each one was identified with someone who is helping him grow to look like Jesus – mom, dad, brother, sister, preacher, friend. It was a humbling, “aha” moment.

The little boy caught the most important lesson of the day. Roots are not intangible threads we throw out and hope they catch. Roots are the people who have a hold of our hearts. The friends that listen, encourage, and open doors into His presence. Family members who show us what it means to look like Jesus day in and day out. Brothers and sisters in Christ who model Him so that we can glimpse who He calls us to be.

My Jesus Resolution today is to name my roots. Who are the people who have helped to anchor me in Christ? I am going to stop and give thanks for each one by name. Who nourishes my relationship with Jesus? Who encourages me to be more like Him? I am going to pause and praise Him for the people He uses as blessings in my life. In what way can I be a root for someone else? Who can I help today take in more of Jesus?