Casandra Martin

My son was nervous and excited. He had applied for a special study program and this was the moment when he would find out whether he had made it or not. We walked into the office and asked about his application. The woman behind the desk checked the “official” book. There at the top of the list was his name. She let him look at the paperwork that announced his official placement in the program and told him that he could look at the list at any time. My son left the office beaming and more confident. He had seen his name on the list.

Knowing he was on the list changed the rest of his day. It affected the way he walked, what he talked about, how he viewed his choices, and the decisions he made about tomorrow. It shuffled his priorities and became the lens through which he made his plans. Being on the list is a powerful thing.

“And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Then another book was opened, which is the book of life. And the dead were judged by what was written in the books, according to what they had done.” – Revelation 20:12.

God has a list. It is a list of the redeemed. The book of life holds within it all the names of those who have chosen Jesus. It chronicles the hearts of all who have resolved to know nothing but Christ and Him crucified. It celebrates those who have committed themselves to living in His power, walking by His side, and depending on His grace.

Knowing that our names are on the list should change everything. We can walk confidently through our days. Struggles, hardships, heartache, and disappointment don’t change the truth that we are on the list. What should change is our perspective. Being on Jesus’ list should impact what we talk about, how we view our choices and our circumstances, and the decisions we make about where we will invest our hearts.

My Jesus Resolution today is to remember I am on the list. I am God’s chosen child. He picked me, saved me, wants me, and is transforming me. He loves to remind me that I am His, and constantly calls me to let the truth that my name is written in His book permeate every part of who I am. Are you on the list?

Tomorrow I have jury duty. Jury duty is one of those things that elicits groans and moans whenever it is mentioned. Advice about how to skip out, postpone, and avoid jury duty pours out as people of all ages and backgrounds talk about dreading the times that they are asked to serve.

Jury duty is one of the basic components of our democracy. It values the fact that ordinary citizens can be called together and trusted to step into each other’s lives and sort out truth and seek justice. While nobody likes to be interrupted, I am grateful to live in a country that puts a priority on safeguarding freedoms, and so I will go and look for the hand of God in the day.

Jury duty draws my eyes to the heart of God. We serve a God of justice. He always does the right thing. He sees the innermost corners of our souls, judging our actions with a unique combination of holiness, righteousness, and mercy. I can watch the judge in a courtroom and catch a glimpse of God. He is the perfect Judge. He sees everything, knows everything, and will handle every tear, wrong, injustice, hurt, and violation within the context of His goodness. I can listen to the oath taken by witnesses and hear Jesus proclaim that He is Truth and His truth will set us free. When I look at the prisoner, I will see myself – weighed down by bad choices, in chains, and very aware of my shame. I can look at the defense attorneys and see my Lord. He stands by my side as my Advocate before the Father. I catch sight of the prison cells, knowing that Jesus has taken my punishment, providing me with a second chance and a new life.

My Jesus Resolution today is celebrate God’s justice. I can depend on His faithfulness, rest in His goodness, and rejoice in His truth. All mof the evil in the world will be swallowed up in His justice. His righteousness will answer all the wrongs, heal all the hurts, and make whole everything that has been broken by sin. Looking like Jesus means embracing opportunities to do what is just. As I walk into jury duty, I am going to carry the words of Micah 6:8 with me – “He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly before your God?”

Summer means sunglasses. Even my early morning walks find me reaching for my sunglasses as the sun crests over the horizon and greets the dawn with brilliant light. It only takes a moment. The soft stillness of those quiet moments before the break of day suddenly give way to exuberant colors and dazzling illumination as the sun rises in the eastern sky. It is breath-taking and humbling to watch the daily miracle of a sunrise.

This morning my walk turned toward the east just as that moment when the sun took its place in the clear blue sky. Even with my sunglasses on, the sight was overwhelming. I had to look down, bowing my head in wonder and praise. As I averted my eyes, it dawned on me that the sun holds only a fraction of the brilliance of God’s glory. I can’t even look at the sun in our sky without bowing my head and covering my eyes. Imagine what it is going to be like to stand in the presence of the Lord.

The descriptions of heaven that we find in the Bible are filled with images that speak to our senses. Choruses of praise fill the air as people from every nation, tongue, and tribe worship the Lamb. The sweet aroma of the incense of prayer draws our hearts toward the throne. The wedding feast offers a tantalizing array of exquisite flavors and tastes as heaven celebrates the coming of Christ’s bride. Living water quenches the deepest thirsts of our souls. Feet walk on gold streets while hands hold fruit that brings life and healing. But it is what we will see that will bring the grandest thrill of all.

“They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads. And night will be no more. They will need no light of lamp or sun, for the Lord God will be their light, and they will reign forever and ever.” – Revelation 22:4-5

Looking into His face will make the sun seem like a mere shadow on a cloudy day. His eyes will shine with love, invitation, grace, and acceptance. Basking in the brilliance of His glory will chase away the last remnants of darkness as we take our place in the Son. No more tears. No more sorrow. No more pain. No more death. Sonshine, twenty-four, seven.

My Jesus Resolution today is to wear my sunglasses. Every time I put my sunglasses on today, I am going to let them remind me of the glory of God. I want Him to shine brightly in my life. I want His radiance to be evident in my heart. I am going to remember that whatever shines here on earth is merely a glimpse into the glory of heaven.

I made a new dish last week. Seeing the recipe in a magazine, I decided that it was worth a try. I followed the directions, measured all the ingredients, and waited anxiously for it to finish baking in the oven. It turned out great, even looking like the picture.

My son is not big on trying new things. He eyed the new dish suspiciously, asking questions worthy of someone conducting a deep background investigation. “What’s in it? Why do we have to try something new? Is it supposed to look like that? What is that smell? Do I have to eat it?”

He gamely gave it a try and liked it. Sort of. He then began to offer a list of suggestions for “minor” changes that would make the dish more to his liking. Less eggs. More flour. Fewer strawberries. A bigger variety of fruit, but not blueberries.

I tried to explain that you can’t tinker with the recipe too much. Leaving out eggs and adding extra flour would throw off the chemistry of the dish and it wouldn’t turn out. It wouldn’t look like the picture or taste very good.

Recipes have rules. The measurements are there to help you create the food that you want to eat. Someone has taken the time to weigh, measure, study temperatures, and baking times in order to give guidance on how to take raw ingredients and combine them into something delicious. The rules aren’t there to be restrictive. They just show you what is necessary to get the yummy dish you want at the end.

Following God’s commandments is a lot like following a recipe. God knows how to combine the elements of discipleship in our lives in just the right way to bring out the image of Jesus. Sometimes we look at the commandments and want to tinker. A little more of this one, a little less of this. But tinkering with the combination of commands and laws God has given us will throw off the transformation God wants to work within us. We won’t turn out like the picture He has in His heart.

My Jesus Resolution today is to follow the recipe. I am going to follow God’s commands with the same attention that I pay to the directions in a recipe. I am not going to wing it or tinker with the instructions. I am going to trust that the Master has weighed every action, measured every intention, walked through every instruction in order to outline the perfect path to looking like Jesus.

We all have questions. I don’t mean the “what will the weather be like today?” questions. I mean the quiet questions. The ones we ask in the middle of the night. The ones that tug at our hearts. The ones that make us wonder if it is worth it. The ones that stick with us even when we try to shake them off. The ones that God loves to answer.

You know your questions. Here are God’s answers.

            1. Yes, I still love you.

            2. Yes, I am listening.

            3. Yes, I am right here.

            4. Yes, I want you.

            5. Yes, I am strong enough.

            6. Yes, I will provide everything you need.

            7. Yes, I see every tear.

            8. Yes, I can forgive that.

            9. Yes, I am coming back.

            10. Yes, always and forever.

“For the Son of God, Jesus Christ, whom we proclaimed among you, Silvanus and Timothy and I, was not Yes and No, but in him it is always Yes.” – 2 Corinthians 1:19.

My Jesus Resolution today is to remember that Jesus is the answer. No matter my question, no matter my sin, no matter my doubt – Jesus is God’s “Yes!” to me. He is big enough, strong enough, powerful enough, loving enough, faithful enough, and gracious enough to answer all of my questions with Himself. Everything God wants for me is found in Jesus. Every purpose is fulfilled in Him. Every obstacle is torn down by His blood. Every one of the world’s “no’s” shrinks in the face of the overwhelming power of the “YES!” proclaimed from the cross.

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!”