Casandra Martin

There is an old saying that states that most of our prayers involve asking God to make two plus two equal five. There is a lot of truth in that.

God certainly has the power to work outside of the laws of nature, the realities of our physical world, and the consequences of our decisions. He often does – the sick are healed and doctors can’t explain it, safety is miraculously granted, provision arrives unannounced, and hearts are touched in ways we couldn’t imagine if we tried.

There is, however, a deep truth that God has been writing on my heart. “Do not be deceived; God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap.” (Galatians 6:7). In mathematical terms, this verse says that, most of the time, two plus two is going to equal four.

This verse doesn’t showcase a harsh reality, but rather highlights a faithful promise. The fruit of our lives is a marker that shows where we chose to invest our hearts, energy, love, focus, time, and priorities. Whatever I am reaping today is in large part the product of what I have sown by my choices and places of surrender or stubbornness.

I may look at a piece of my life today and be discouraged by what I see. It speaks to the reality of my past decisions and submission. But don’t underestimate the good news contained in this verse. If you want to reap something different, start sowing different things.

My Jesus Resolution today is to apply the sow/reap principle. I get to choose today the kind of person I want to be tomorrow. The choices I make today will affect the harvest I see in the future. I can pull out the weeds, ask Him to break up the hard places, and start fresh. I want Him to plant grace, kindness, holiness, joy, and obedience deep into the soil of my heart. I know that I want to look like Jesus, so today, I am going to sow Jesus into everything I do.

“Most people are bothered by those passages of Scripture they do not understand, but the passages that bother me are those I do understand.”

– Mark Twain

The Bible is an amazing book. It is so much more than words on a page or ideas recorded through the centuries. It is the God-breathed revelation of His heart. It sets out to give us a dynamic picture of the One who longs for us to walk closely by His side. It woos us, pleads with us, invites us, encourages us, warns us, teaches us, illuminates us, comforts us, disciplines us, and draws us into a deep relationship with its Author.

The Bible is not a puzzle to be solved. It is an adventure to be experienced, a journey to be taken, and an invitation to be answered. The Spirit works within us as we open our eyes to the realities of His presence, the riches of His purpose, and the awesome nature of His power.

Some people dismiss the entirety of the Bible because there is a piece of His Word that they do not understand. This is where Mark Twain’s point becomes critical. Instead of worrying about what we do not understand, start with what we know to be true. Surrender to the truths that He has made clear and unmistakable to you. Let them work on your heart, change your vision, alter your attitudes, and drive you into His grace. Surrender is a bigger key than we often realize. Obeying the things we do understand often unlocks the mystery around things we do not yet understand. Many times, submitting to what we do understand opens the door to catching a deeper picture of God and His work in our lives.

My Jesus Resolution today is to pay attention to what God has made clear to me. It is hard to ask Him to teach me more when I won’t do what He has already given me. Today I am going to ask for a softer heart and a more humble spirit. I am going to embrace His Word and surrender to His call on my life. Where He calls me to give, I will give; serve, I will serve; pray, I will pray; rejoice, I will rejoice; repent, I will repent; and follow, I will follow. Every word in the Bible points to one place – Jesus. I want my life to do the same.

There is the neatest verse tucked into the end of the book of Ezekiel. Ezekiel is a prophet who was called by God to lay out the consequences of closing our hearts to God’s presence, and the dream the Lord has to dwell within a people defined by His nearness.

Ezekiel spends the last eight chapters of his prophecy describing a magnificent temple where praise, worship, sacrifice, and surrender will flow like rivers. God’s glory will be evident, the leaders will honor His name, and priests dedicated to His holiness will serve the people. In many ways, it is a picture of what God wants for you and me.

In describing the work of the priests among the people, Ezekiel 44:23 says this, “They shall teach my people the difference between the holy and the common, and show them how to distinguish between the unclean and the clean.” As Christians, we carry this responsibility into the everyday moments of our lives.

Christians are meant to showcase the holiness of God. As we walk in our jobs, families, stores, and churches, we are called to teach those around us the difference between what is sacred and what is selfish, what is contaminated and what is pure. We do that with every choice we make, every conversation we speak, and every attitude we demonstrate.

The way you vote, shop, walk around your neighborhood, use your time, what you choose for entertainment, and type on Facebook or Twitter all have the power to teach others about God’s holiness. People in your workplace, school, neighborhood, grocery store, and house are watching to see if you will consistently choose kindness or apathy, self-control or self-indulgence, purity or compromise, the way of Jesus or the way of the world.

My Jesus Resolution today is to remember that I am a teacher. Somebody will see me today. It may be someone close to my heart or a stranger whose name is known only to God. Whoever it is, I want them to see Jesus in everything I do. I want them to walk away from their encounter with me having a clearer vision of who He is, what He is about, and how close He is in this moment.

Gratitude is an interesting word. It marks the attitude of a heart that recognizes its blessings. It opens our eyes to see the way the hand of God touches our lives. It realigns our perspective, readjusts our priorities, and renews His purpose in our souls.

Gratitude is a response to the grace God pours into our lives. Grace speaks to the lavish gifts God extends to us through His love. The cross frames the most spectacular demonstration of grace. If that were the only marker of His grace that we ever notice, it would be more than enough.

But God causes grace to overflow into every part of our day. Where have you experienced God’s grace today? Probably in more ways than you even realize. Grace speaks to every part of who we are. Our eyes witness grace every time we see a rainbow, watch a sunset, or exchange a smile. Our noses breathe in grace with every whiff of a sweet aroma or the fragrant scent of the night air. Our tongues tingle with grace as we taste the flavors He provides us each day. Our ears take in the symphony of grace in the sound of children laughing, hymns being lifted in praise, and prayers being offered up in faith. Our sense of touch provides a grand measure of grace as we hold hands, give hugs, and experience the comfort and delight of family and friends.

We experience grace through His creation, His Word, His people, His provision, and His unending pursuit of our hearts. Grace will infuse everything you see today. The question is will we respond with gratitude?

My Jesus Resolution today is to experience grace and be grateful. I want gratitude to define the position of my heart. I want my eyes to drink in His grace, my senses to explode with the overwhelming reality that He is near, and my soul to respond to His presence with thanksgiving. Each moment of every day gives me the opportunity to look a little bit deeper into His heart and for Him to change my heart to look a little bit more like Jesus. Now that is something to be grateful for. Thank you, God.

“Now in the place where he was crucified there was a garden, and in the
garden a new tomb in which no one had yet been laid.” – John 19:41

The tomb of Jesus doesn’t get very much attention. We focus on the power of the cross and the victory of the resurrection, celebrating the grace that overflows into our lives because of what Jesus did for us. Often the tomb just gets mentioned in passing. It is a waiting place. A time of pause marked by grief and, for those who know the rest of the story, anticipation.

However, the tomb in which Jesus was buried holds special meaning for us as well. Jesus did more than wait for three days in the tomb. In those shadows, Jesus buried our guilt, shame, regret, doubts, and worries. Jesus confined the heavy clouds that overshadow our hearts to the darkness of the tomb. In its recesses, He dug a grave for our sins.

Dying to self means allowing God to bury the mistakes, sins, and failures that plague us. Being crucified with Him means following Jesus into the tomb and leaving behind the shame, guilt, and worthlessness that haunt our hearts. We can’t live in the power of the resurrection until we enter the tomb and lay to rest the burdens for which Jesus died on the cross.

My Jesus Resolution today is to spend some time at the tomb. Jesus is not in the tomb. It is empty because He is alive. It is in its shadows that my sins are buried, my guilt
lies in a grave, and my rebellion is laid to rest. I am going to leave those things in the shadows of the tomb and walk out into the light of the resurrection. I don’t have to carry them anymore. Jesus left them in the tomb. I can too.

They stick up out of the tops of the houses, looking like rusty straws poking out of white milk cartons. On my recent trip to Israel and Jordan, one of the most interesting sights was the pieces of rebar jutting out of the tops of houses all over the countryside. Rebar is a piece a steel reinforcing rod that is inserted into concrete. It makes concrete stronger and more stable.

Everywhere you turned, rebar stuck up in the sky. Whether it was a small house by the side of the road or a villa surrounded by olive orchards on the hill, rebar was part of the design. It made the houses appear unfinished, and gave the entire landscape the look of an overgrown construction site.

Finally, we asked our guide about the rebar. He explained that the rebar was left in place in case the family decided that they want to add on to their house. The rebar is there because they are planning to grow. When the son takes a wife, the family will add a floor to the house to create space for the new family. If they need extra room because they have been blessed with many children, they are ready to expand. When the family, for whatever the reason, takes a new shape, they are prepared to adjust and grow accordingly.

What a neat picture for us. They are willing to live with “incomplete” today because they want to be prepared to grow for tomorrow. We are in such a hurry to be done. We hate the idea of anyone thinking that we don’t have it all together. In reality, we are under construction. Our lives are testaments to the truth that God is at work within us. It is a building process that will take a lifetime. Being willing and prepared to grow into the next stage is essential.

My Jesus Resolution today is to embrace the rebar in my life – the places where God is still working. They are the construction points that are visible for everyone to see. There are rough patches God is still smoothing, broken places He is still mending, and places for growth that He is still stretching. I am not going to be embarrassed that I am not “done.” What God is building in my life will last into eternity. Letting my rebar show can make me feel a little vulnerable and exposed, but it also tells the world that I am willing to let His dreams take shape in me.

Whew! It has been quite a week. An exciting few days filled with joy, busyness, work, traveling, and general chaos. Fall always brings the beauty of God’s wonderful creation and somehow, an extra measure of activities that call for my time and attention.

This is one of those weeks when the description of the disciples and the beauty of Jesus’ words in Mark 6:31 speak deeply to my heart. “And he said to them, ‘Come away by yourselves to a desolate place and rest a while.’ For many were coming and going, and they had no leisure even to eat.”

I am thankful that Jesus calls us to times of quiet and rest. He knows our hearts. He sees their deep needs and answers our desperate longings. The fast pace of our lives leaves little time for stillness. My heart gets banged up and my spirit gets bruised by the whirlwind I try to live in. He knows how much we need the healing balm of His presence, the peace of His nearness, and the fresh perspective that flows from being renewed by His heart.

God knows that there is laundry to fold, dishes to wash, deadlines to be met, and responsibilities to be handled. He also knows that we can become so caught up in the doing that we lose sight of the value of being with Him.

My Jesus Resolution today is accept Jesus’ invitation to come away with Him to a quiet place. I don’t want to miss a single opportunity to move closer to His heart. I am grateful that He wants me to come and be with Him. I am looking forward to seeing God today and finding joy in the quiet moment I spend with Him.

Do you have a best friend? Best friends are special people. They inhabit a unique place in our hearts as we share our lives together. Best friendships are developed over time. Trust, transparency, and tenderness are hallmarks of friendships that have a deep impact on our hearts.

There is an Old Testament pair who helps us understand the power of friendship. David and Jonathan are about as different as two men could be. David is a shepherd. Jonathan is the son of the king. They become friends after David kills Goliath. First Samuel 18:1 tells us that “As soon as he had finished speaking to Saul, the soul of Jonathan was knit to the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as his own soul.”

What a neat picture. Their souls were knit together. They wove their lives together, deliberately committing themselves to each other. Friends are intentional about their relationship. Best friends don’t grow without the determination to intertwine your lives. Weaving our stories together requires transparency, openness, and vulnerability. It can only grow in the soil of trust and demands an investment of both time and the heart.

The best snapshots of their friendship are captured in the moments that find David fleeing Jonathan’s father Saul. Having warned David of Saul’s wrath, Jonathan reassures David of their continuing friendship, telling him, “The LORD shall be between me and you…forever.” – I Samuel 20:42. Here is the secret to their amazing friendship. God stands in the middle. Their relationship is defined by the Lord. Their friendship is cemented in God.

My Jesus Resolution today is to imitate Jonathan. I want my friendships to be grounded in God. I want to be willing to open my life up to deep friendship. I am going to commit to being more transparent, sharing my heart with those God has brought into my life. I am going to resolve to point my friends to Jesus with every word and action. I am going to be thankful that God knits us together. With Him at the center, we won’t unravel.

Saturated is an interesting word. It brings with it pictures of being soaked, overwhelmed, and drippy. I picture a sponge. Used to clean up a mess, a sponge soaks in the liquid spilled all over the counter. It draws the liquid in, making it a part of its own substance. It becomes so full of the liquid it is picking up that it becomes saturated.

God wants us to be saturated with Jesus. Our hearts are like sponges. They are meant to soak up His presence, draw His love deep into our cores, and move in such a way that we are filling ourselves with Him. Too often, we soak up things that aren’t good for us. We allow the world to soak into the pores of who we are and our hearts become heavy with the things of this world.

If we want to be saturated with Jesus, we will have to wring out the other things that have become embedded within us. We will have to empty our sponges of the attitudes that misdirect our hearts, the motives that turn our focus away from God, and the behaviors that cause us to take a shape other than Jesus. Getting rid of that isn’t easy. Sponges have to be rung dry. They have to be twisted and squeezed in order to get rid of liquid stored in its pores. Colossians 3:5 puts it this way, “Put to death therefore what is earthly in you.”

In order to become saturated with Jesus, we then need to fill ourselves with Him. We need to put on His character, letting holiness, grace, faithfulness, and patience soak deeply into our souls. We must give our hearts to letting Him penetrate our hearts with His love, piercing our souls with His presence, and plant His wisdom deep in our minds. The more time we spend with Him, the more saturated with Him we become.

My Jesus Resolution today is to be saturated with Jesus. I want to fill every corner of my life. I long to be so full of Him that it pours out of my soul in praise. I want to overflow with His presence. I am going to wring out everything that prevents Him from penetrating every piece of my heart. I want to be so saturated with Jesus that He is all you can see in me.

“Worry is interest paid by those who borrow trouble” – George Washington

Worry is a difficult companion. It sticks inside our heads, takes up residence in our hearts, and crawls inside our stomachs. Worry changes our vision. It effects how we see our world, pulling clouds onto the horizon of a sunny day. Worry expects the worst to happen. It folds our thoughts into an endless game of “what if.” It constantly measures our personal resources against the scenarios of what might happen.

Sometimes we don’t see worrying as a big problem. It is just something we do. It is a reaction to circumstance. The truth is that worry is a habit, and like all habits it impacts us in more profound ways than we might realize.

Worry robs us of joy.

Worry steals our peace.

Worry undermines contentment.

I like President Washington’s insight into worry. Worry flows from borrowing trouble. His words remind us of Jesus’ teaching in the Sermon on the Mount. “Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.” – Matthew 6:34.

Jesus’ words teach us how to change our worry habit. Do not be anxious. For many of us, worry is almost an automatic reaction to what happens around us. Jesus tells us that worry is a choice, and that we can choose differently. Habits can be changed, even the worry habit. It takes diligence, discipline, and deliberate action. It requires deliberately choosing to set our minds on things above. It challenges us to counteract worry with thanksgiving and praise. It demands that we search for the fingerprints of God and trust that His hand will be on tomorrow as clearly as it is today.

My Jesus Resolution today is to set worry down. I am going to make today a worry-free zone. I am going to set up a parameter of peace around my heart and bury my soul in the faithfulness of God. I am going to plant myself in the richness of God’s provision and grace rather than borrow trouble from the world. I am going to choose delight over doubt, satisfaction over second-guessing, and worship over worry.