Casandra Martin

This week, as part of an ongoing commitment to being like Jesus, I have been asked to fast. Fasting makes people nervous. In a society geared toward instant gratification, fasting seems strange and outside of the box. And that is exactly the point.

Fasting is a spiritual discipline, just like Bible reading, prayer, and service. It is a tool God gives us that opens doors of opportunity for Him to come in and work in deeper ways in our hearts. Fasting is an emptying discipline. Its purpose is to train our souls to let go of the world. When we fast, we blunt the impact the world has on our hearts. We limit the world’s access to our inner selves, and invite God to fill space that we usually fill with something else. In denying ourselves, we learn how to more fully embrace the purpose of God.

There are many different kinds of fasts. We can fast from dessert, coffee or soda, a particular meal, or food all together. We can fast from television, Facebook, texting, video games, the internet, music, a hobby, busyness, shopping, or a sport. The idea behind a fast is to step away from our regular routines and step deeper into the rhythm of God. He uses fasting to reset our sensitivity to His presence, pry the stickiness of sin loose from our hearts, and refocus our eyes and our hearts. It makes the cross bigger and the world smaller.

When we fast, we commit the time, energy, and resources that we would normally spend in one place toward an investment in worship and surrender.  In other words, you can’t fast from donuts by eating cookies instead. Fasting is the deliberate move to fill space that is normally given to the physical with things that are spiritual. Giving up what satisfies self with a heart drawn toward being satisfied with God.

My Jesus Resolution today is to fast. I am going to choose something and set it aside for a day. I am going to make the intentional move to deny myself in order to more closely take on His nature. I want fasting to remind me not to tie my heart too tightly to this world, to help me be more aware of His presence, and to impress on my soul the truth that my deepest joy is found in surrender.

Mr. Bible made an appearance tonight. Vacation Bible School is in full swing, and Mr. Bible is the star of the show. Every evening, children anxiously watch for Mr. Bible to come in and teach them about the Word of God. He tells them about Jesus, teaches them how to respect and love God’s Word, and gives them a powerful picture of the way the Lord wants to reach into their hearts.

The neat thing about Mr. Bible is that he gives kids a glimpse into the truth that the Bible is alive and active. It isn’t a book that sits on a shelf. It is more than words on a page or a collection of wise sayings. The Bible is the voice of God calling you and me deeper into His will. The Bible is holy ground. It is one place where we can take off our shoes, confident that we are stepping into the holy presence of God. It is a place to listen, to learn, to ask questions, and to be silent. The Bible gives voice to our deepest thoughts as we watch God interact with His people. It opens doors of opportunity as it invites us to walk more closely by His side. It touches our fears, answers our hurts, celebrates our joys, and speaks to our deepest need. The Bible is so much more than paper filled with ink. It is a doorway straight into the heart of God Himself.

Understanding the message Mr. Bible brings is a blessing, but watching the children’s faces as they fall in love with the truth that God is speaking to them is compelling. Their eyes grow wide with the possibility that they can hear the voice of God. Their hearts grow softer as they respond to the love of God. Their ears grow more attentive as they become accustomed to hearing His whisper. Their feet walk more confidently in the footsteps of God. Meeting Mr. Bible leaves them changed because time in the Bible is an encounter with God.

My Jesus Resolution today is to spend time in my Bible. I want to open it up and hear His voice. I want to feel His blessing, experience His presence, and be wrapped in His love. I long to know His plans for me, learn to see His hands on my days, and understand the life He calls me to live. Today as I open my Bible, I am going to be very deliberate about opening my heart at the same time. God wants to speak, and I want to listen. Thanks, Mr. Bible.

He is just a little guy. He joined the bigger kids and began singing with all his heart. The words to “I’ve got the joy, joy, joy, joy down in my heart” echoed across the room. Shouts of “Where?” collided with smiles as the crowd encouraged the children to sing about Jesus.

It wasn’t long until his little feet were flying as fast as his hands to the beat of the song. Joy wasn’t just heard in the music. Joy was the expression on his face. They finished singing the song, but he wasn’t done. “Jesus isn’t just in my heart,” he said. “Jesus is in my shoes.”

Is Jesus in your shoes? I love the fact that this little guy understands the importance of letting Christ inhabit every part and piece of his life. Too often, we want to confine Jesus to the comfortable, convenient places in our lives. We limit Him to the spaces that are cleaned up and under control, or the places where His presence won’t require too much surrender. We let Jesus into our Sundays, but what about Tuesdays? We invite Him into our struggles, but leave Him out of our play times. We call on Him when we have a need, but figure that we can handle the ordinary, regular stuff on our own. We ask Him to sit with us when we read our Bibles, but would rather watch television by ourselves. We give Him a place in our hearts, but don’t want Him walking in our shoes.

My Jesus Resolution today is to look at my shoes. I want Jesus to walk in my shoes. I want Him to direct my steps, guide my path, and teach me to follow His footprints. I want to be able to look at every part of my life and see Jesus. I long for Him to inhabit my heart, fill my soul, govern my mind, and control my strength. Joy isn’t just a word in a song. It is the evidence of His presence in my life. Every time you look at your feet today, ask yourself – Is Jesus in my shoes?

My daughter is in Africa. She is part of a medical mission team dedicated to serving people in areas without sufficient health care. Internet service is hit or miss, but we have been able to hear from her a little bit as she makes this journey of faith.

There are heartbreaking stories of disease, death, and deprivation. There are stories of joy as she experiences the universal power of a smile. The stories that have most deeply touched my heart have been her stories about worship. She is seeing God in Africa and those glimpses are shaping her soul.

This week she traveled with missionaries to a remote village. The congregation is small and desperately poor. Concrete blocks serve as pews. Together they raised their voices and their hearts to God in praise. When the time came to worship the Lord in giving, she watched several of the people place a single ear of corn in a basket. Quiet awe stole over her heart as she recognized the deep sacrifice each ear of corn represented. Their generosity honored God and imprinted a message about surrender and trust deeply on an American girl’s soul.

Never has the story of the widow and her mite been more real for me. “For they all contributed out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty put in all she had to live on.” – Luke 21:4. An ear of corn has become a mirror for my heart.

My Jesus Resolution today is to examine my giving. Giving is not a command given because God needs my stuff. Giving is a tool offered to help me step more deeply into His transformation. Giving cuts my ties to this world, releases the hold things have on my soul, and realigns my priorities with the desires of God. It teaches me who is in control, where I need to invest my heart, and how God wants to work in the core of who I am. In sacrifice, we most closely resemble Jesus. It may be time, resources, talent, money, or even an ear of corn. Whatever it is, when we give sacrificially, we pull off a layer of ourselves so that the world can see Jesus in us.

I got to witness a miracle last week. A young mother came to be baptized. She and her friend had spent time talking about Jesus, the power of forgiveness, the call to surrender, and the amazing offer of grace, and she made the decision to become a child of God. She went down into the water a sinner – drowning in guilt, weighted down by humiliation, and haunted by regrets and what ifs. She rose up out of the water a new creation – pure, clean, renewed, and free to live in the fullness of God’s grace and power. It is a miracle that makes my heart beat faster every time I am blessed to see it.

The neatest part of the moment was the conversation between this young mother and her five-year old daughter. Long dark hair framed big brown eyes that watched with fascination and awe as mom answered the invitation to die to self and live for Christ. It was clear that they had talked about mom’s decision. The little girl knew that mom was going to be baptized in the water and she was overflowing with questions and curiosity. It was beautiful to listen to mom gently explain that someday the little girl would be able to choose to live for Jesus as well.

Just then a friend came over to give the woman a hug. “Do you feel fresh and clean?” the friend asked. Beaming, the woman agreed that she did. With that, the little girl got the strangest look on her face. She grabbed her mom’s hand and pulled it right up to her nose. She sniffed and smelled her mom’s skin, and then proudly pronounced, “Yep, you smell like Jesus!”

I love that. Leave it to a five-year old to go straight to the heart of transformation. This isn’t just a cute comment by an adorable kid. It is the deep truth of grace. “For we are the aroma of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing,” – 2 Corinthians 2:15. When we commit ourselves to His salvation, He changes us into the fragrance of Christ. Gone is the stink of sin, the smell of shame, and the stench of guilt and fear. Instead, we smell like Jesus.

My Jesus Resolution today is to wear the fragrance of faith. I want to smell like Jesus. I want Jesus to be so much a part of who I am that He comes out of my pores. I want to live so deeply in His grace that others are aware of His nearness. I want to move so deliberately in His presence that He fills every part of who I am with Himself. I want others to be able to listen to my words, watch my actions, feel my touch, and hold my hand and say, “Yep, you smell like Jesus!”

“For the body does not consist of one member but of many.” – I Corinthians 12:14

Last week, I caught another glimpse of the wonderful way God pulls us together to help the world see Him. My son plays in the orchestra at school. He plays the double bass – the big, tall instrument in the back. It was concert time and we enjoyed hearing how all the hours of practicing and rehearsals came together in what was literally a symphony.

After the concert, I told my son which song was my favorite piece. It was a beautiful number that captured my imagination. He got a bit of a frown on his face when I named the song. “But mom,” he said. “All I do in that song is play one note over and over.”

His comment provides an interesting lesson. In many ways, the body of Christ is like an orchestra. Each Christian plays a part. Our individual notes, combined with the harmonies and melodies of everyone else, create a beautiful song that gives the rest of the world an opportunity to hear the heart of God. Alone, my son’s bass note would sound one dimensional. Combined with the rest of the instruments, his note adds depth, intensity, and counterpoint to the whole, creating a thing of beauty and wonder.

Being a part of an orchestra requires learning to keep our eyes on the Conductor, following His lead and paying attention to His direction. He alone knows how to bring harmony out of the chaos of individual voices. Playing together means training our ears to listen to each other, respecting each other’s contribution to the whole, and learning the music God gives us as our part.

My Jesus Resolution is to play my note. God gave me my talents, my voice, my gifts, and my passions as notes to be combined with the whole of His orchestra. They are not meant to be played in isolation, where they would fall flat. I am created to live, dream, and work in the context of a larger community designed to play His song for the world.

“But concerning that day or that hour, no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.” – Mark 13:32 

May 21^st was being advertised as a momentous day. Howard Camping, an eighty-nine year old California preacher, adamantly proclaimed that Jesus was going to return at six p.m. on Saturday, May 21^st. He spent millions of dollars advertising his interpretation of end times events, encouraging people to prepare for judgment.

Four days later, most of the world is laughing or shaking their heads. After the missed deadline, Mr. Camping released a press statement adjusting his interpretation to now reveal that the end will come on October 21^st. He seems determined to pin God down. The world seems willing to give him his fifteen minutes. How should Christians view these happenings?

Scripture very clearly tells us that no one knows the day or the hour marked in God’s heart as the last day of the earth. That mystery is a source of hope. God alone holds the keys to the future. No man can twist God’s eternal purpose to meet his own needs or desires. God’s timing is perfect. He will move at exactly the right time and in exactly the right way to bring His own home. God can’t be pushed, bullied, manipulated, or coerced to leave even one stone unturned in His great desire to bring all men to Himself.

I think that Mr. Camping missed the point. Our hearts are not to be set on a specific date for Christ’s appearing. We are to search today for His presence. One day, Jesus will come in a magnificent, glorious, awesome way. We will get to see Him face to face, and spend every moment from that day forward living, worshipping, praising, and joyously experiencing all of the wonders He has stored up for those whose names are in the Book of Life.

But we prepare for the last day by looking for Him today. We are to keep our eyes open, our hearts ready, our spirits willing, and our ears attentive for His presence. When He moves, we go. When He calls, we listen. When He gives direction, we obey. When He draws us close to His heart, we rest in the truth that He is here. When we recognize His presence, we bow in surrender.

My Jesus Resolution today is to look for Jesus. I am going to set my heart to searching for His presence, responding to His nearness, and listening to His voice. How I respond to Him today prepares my heart for how I will respond to Him whenever the last day comes. Jesus will appear today. Perhaps in the fullness of His glory. Perhaps in the whisper on the wind. Either way, I want to be ready.

Have you ever received a special letter? Letters are rare these days. It is easier to send a text message or an email than to sit down with pen and paper. Writing a letter is a gift that requires an investment of time and the heart.

When we receive a letter, we hold more in our hands than just a piece of paper covered with ink. We hold the voice and thoughts of another speaking just to us. In the midst of the words, we find connection. In the flow of paragraphs, we discover the rhythm of relationship. In its pages, we can hear the voice of someone reaching out to us. Letters do more than communicate. They are invitations to walk together, spend time in each other’s presence, and invest in the bond that connects us to each other’s hearts.

Did you know that your life is a letter? Second Corinthians 3:3 says, “And you show that you are a letter from Christ delivered by us, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts.”

Every day you walk through your life as a letter written by God to the world. The transformation God is working in your heart testifies to His provision and power. The grace that covers your soul invites others to the cross. The joy that radiates from you provides a lesson in light and hope for a dark world. The way that you face tomorrow points to the presence of I AM in you today.

My Jesus Resolution today is to read my letter. God is writing on my heart today. It is a story about His dreams for me, a catalog of His wonders, and an invitation to walk more closely by His side. As He engraves His words in me, they work to transform me more deeply into the image of His Son. I want to pay attention to what He is saying in me and through me. I want to notice the love that is written between the lines. It is a personal letter meant to be shared with everyone we meet. I want my life to be an open book that proclaims His grace, sings His praises, and announces His arrival.

“For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.” – Jeremiah 29:11 

Does it ever get easier? My daughter left for Africa yesterday. She is joining a team for five weeks committed to going into eastern Africa to bring medical care, basic hygiene and health education, and the word of God to the people in that part of the world. We put her on a plane with her trunk of medical supplies, committing her into the hands of God. Again.

I remember the first time she spent the night away from home. I sat in the parking lot and cried. The first day of school when I was overwhelmed by the knowledge that different voices would now be speaking into her heart. The first afternoon I handed her the car keys, telling her to be careful. The evening we came home to an empty bedroom after leaving her at college. Each moment was an opportunity to expand my trust, open my heart, and acknowledge that her life has always been in the hands of God.

I am so excited for all the ways that she is going to grow, the things she is going to experience, the ways that she will see God, and the light that she is going to share. This experience will stretch her faith. It will stretch mine too. Africa is on the other side of the world, but the same God who walks with me through my neighborhood will travel with her across the plains of the Serengeti. He will be there through the new sights, strange flavors, different rhythms, and exciting experiences – holding her, teaching her, watching over her, and loving her. He knows what it means for a child to leave home to walk in a different land. His presence with her is my assurance and the foundation of my hope.

My Jesus Resolution today is to trust the Father. My children are a gift given to me to cherish, teach, enjoy, and love. They expand my heart, open my eyes, lift my soul, and energize my steps. I have learned more about the heart of God from them than could be written in a thousand books. Today, He uses my daughter to teach me a new lesson. It is the lesson of Abraham, Hannah, Mary, and Eunice. Let go. Surrender even this precious piece of your heart into My hands and watch me work My wonders.

“Then Jacob awoke from his sleep and said, ‘Surely the Lord is in this place, and I did not know it.’” – Genesis 28:16 

My little guy was almost five. He was having a difficult time in preschool and facing major surgery on his eye. One afternoon, I picked him up from school and he bounced into the car with a giant smile on his face. Passionately, he began to tell me a story about his day.

“Jesus came to school today. It was the real Jesus – He came down from heaven!”

Confused and a little bewildered by his story, I asked him if someone had dressed in a costume for a Bible story. Perhaps a teacher had pretended to be a character in his class and he was confusing fiction with fact. He continued to be insistent that it was the real Jesus from heaven.

With continued doubt, I asked what Jesus had said to him. “He didn’t say anything,” my son said. “He just patted my head.”

I honestly don’t know what to make of his story. He was absolutely certain that Jesus had stood with him during that day at school. He would not be dissuaded or doubt or deny the reality of the moment. I was relating his story to someone who gently reminded me not to discount his encounter too quickly. He had received reassurance and blessing somehow that day. Children often have eyes of faith that see far more than our hearts are willing to believe. We should all be so aware of His presence.

My Jesus Resolution today is to keep my eyes and my heart open. He is here. He has promised that. He is closer than our next breath and more certain than our next heartbeat. Perhaps instead of wondering if He is here, I need to ask if my eyes are open to seeing Him or if my heart is prepared to meet Him. I am going to look for Him today. Let me know where you see Him.