“For there our captors
required of us songs,
and our tormentors, mirth, saying,
“Sing us one of the songs of Zion!”
How shall we sing the Lord’s song
in a foreign land?”
– Psalm 137:3-4

For the Jews living in exile, it was extraordinarily difficult to sing and praise God as they always had. They were no longer in the promised land. They had been taken to a harsh, pagan nation by a people who had destroyed everything with which they were familiar. Could God be praised from exile? How could they bring themselves to sing joyful songs about the Lord when they were suffering amongst those opposed to Him?

That’s when God sent prophets, like Ezekiel, Jeremiah, and Daniel, to help them understand that He was still with them. That He was still in control over the entire world. That nothing had happened that He didn’t expect or cause. And that He still had a special love and good plan for them. So they learned to praise, worship, and serve the Lord in exile.

This is an important thing for followers of Jesus to learn. The Bible is clear that we, too, are in exile. Heaven is our home and the earth will grow stranger, less comfortable, and more hostile as you more fully follow Jesus, thinking like Him, speaking like Him, and acting like Him. As the Holy Spirit transforms you, it can be difficult to process your feelings about the things you once loved on earth and considered to be tremendously urgent and important. It can become hard to worship when you see and feel how fully the world is in rebellion against its Creator. Worship anyway!

The same things that were true in ancient Babylon are true today, but even better for those who follow Jesus in our modern exile. The Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit are with you here as you represent them in a hostile world. God’s Spirit lives in you. You are in an eternal union with Jesus. And the Father calls you His beloved child. God is still in control and is moving the events of the world toward the glorious conclusion He has shared a glimpse of in Revelation. There’s nothing happening in this world that God is unaware of or not ultimately sovereign over. His love and plans for you are good and precious. And so, you can sing, praise, and worship God in the joy of Jesus Christ. Go ahead… sing the song that’s in your heart today! #FollowJesus

“He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high” – Hebrews 1:3

That’s Jesus! The radiance of God’s eternal and infinite glory. One with, and of the same eternal nature as, the Father. Upholding the entire universe and everything in it by His word and will. At this very moment! Sitting in authority at the right hand of God the Father, having dealt with sin once-and-for-all at the cross through His sacrificial, atoning death and physical resurrection from the dead.

Think on Jesus in all His glory! Go back over these words in your mind, perhaps several times. Picture King Jesus on His throne beside the Father. Picture Him upholding the atoms of your body, and the gravity keeping you from floating away, and the sun that shines by His will, every moment of every day. Rejoice in what Jesus did for you on the cross if you’ve entrusted your life to Him as your Lord and Savior.

Worship Him! Worship Lord Jesus with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength. Praise Him, thank Him, delight in Him. If He is your Lord, then He lives in union with you. Delight in that union. Jesus is always with you. Delight in this truth for He will never leave or forsake you. Rejoice that Jesus holds you in His hand and will never throw you away. #FollowJesus

“He trusted in the Lord, the God of Israel, so that there was none like him among all the kings of Judah after him, nor among those who were before him.” – 2 Kings 18:5

Spiritually, there was never a king of Judah as faithful and devoted to the Lord as Hezekiah. However, that doesn’t mean his time as king was easy or problem-free. Far from it! His faith was tested in the deepest way imaginable. The massive army of Assyria marched to Jerusalem and loudly pointed out Judah’s military weaknesses to everyone in the city. The people were terrified as Assyria’s king demanded Judah’s surrender and even claimed it was the will of the Lord! The only options available appeared to be slavery and forced relocation on the one hand or suffering and inevitable death on the other.

This was a test of faith like no other. Would the most godly of kings assess the situation the way everyone else did? Would he accept Assyria’s theological interpretation of its own power as an endoresement from the Lord? Should he surrender or fight? In the end, the answer was “None of the Above”. Hezekiah sought the Lord in prayer, was told to hold firm, and then God miraculously destroyed Assyria’s army. Assyrian lies about God’s will were punished with death and destruction, even for its king.

What’s the significance of all this today? First and foremost, trust and serve the Lord! As you do, don’t assume you won’t face difficult times. You almost certainly will. Times of difficulty, deprivation, disaster, weakness, or suffering that make you question everything. Don’t fear those times – as a follower of Jesus, you never face them alone. When the hard times come, lean into your relationship with God and earnestly seek His path forward rather than the one or two options that seem obvious to everyone. Perhaps God will work or a miracle like He did for Hezekiah. Or perhaps, He’ll simply strengthen and guide you through hardship by wrapping you in His peace and love. Seek the Lord in every trial and He will make your way through it. #FollowJesus

“Sow for yourselves righteousness;
reap steadfast love;
break up your fallow ground,
for it is the time to seek the Lord,
that he may come and rain righteousness upon you.”
– Hosea 10:12

What God promised so long ago is still true today. It’s always the right time for followers of Jesus to plant seeds of righteousness in their lives, their families, their workplaces, their communities, and the world. Sowing righteousness implies being intentional about living and practicing God’s holy righteousness in everything you do. That you’re doing your best, in the power of the Holy Spirit, to act like Jesus, talk like Jesus, and think like Jesus. As you do, you will more clearly and fully abide in Christ and experience His infinite love and joy. Those who’ve been made righteous by the grace of God through faith in Jesus Christ must practice righteousness in private and in public. When people are watching and when they aren’t. Live a life of humble, holy, obedience to the example and commands of Jesus Christ. In doing so, you will enjoy the abundant harvest of God’s steadfast, unfailing love no matter how the world responds.

In the same way, it’s always the right time to examine your life and ask God to reveal areas of it which “lie fallow”. This describes areas that aren’t yet committed or fruitful for the Lord. Most of us have parts of ourselves that are like that. Are there aspects of your life that you’re still holding onto control over rather than turning over to Jesus? It could be your ambitions, your finances, your relationships, or your career that you aren’t willing to let Jesus transform. Or, are there areas of sin or selfishness that you aren’t willing to let Jesus remove? If so, break that fallow soil up, turning it over to the Lordship of Jesus. Seek His transformation for those areas. Let His Spirit fill you and bring new life and fruitfulness to that part of your life.

God isn’t far. He isn’t holding back. He isn’t keeping His distance. He’s near at hand and will bless and transform you whenever you’re ready to turn control over each and every part of your life to His righteous, holy, empowering Spirit. #FollowJesus

“It is in vain that you rise up early
and go late to rest,
eating the bread of anxious toil;
for he gives to his beloved sleep.”
– Psalm 127:2

When you work, who is doing the hard work? Is it you, yourself, and you? Or are you inviting and permitting the Lord to work through you? Do you work – in the office or in your field of ministry – relying on your abilities, knowledge, talents, and strengths? Or do you work in the Lord, filled with His Spirit, and letting Him shine through? Are you stressed about all the work you think you need to do? Are you work, work, working to the exclusion of spending time with loved ones, worshipping God, and serving the Lord? That isn’t the life God wants for you!

The first verse of this psalm explains that unless you’re letting God work through you, you’re wasting your time. As Jesus explained in John 15, apart from Him, you can’t do anything that ultimately matters or lasts for God’s Kingdom. Nothing. Of course, you can be very busy, impressing many people, and definitely building some things. But if God wasn’t ultimately the One working through you, those projects simply won’t have the impact you imagine. They won’t last the way you expect. And you’ll have worked much, much harder than you needed to, to the detriment of your health, happiness, spiritual life, and relationships.

God has infinitely more power and ability than you do. Invite Him to work through you. Devote meaningful time every day to fellowshipping with God as you read and meditate on Scripture and talk to Him in prayer. This isn’t wasted time that keeps you from working, this is the most important time of the day! Talk and listen for God’s quiet promptings and clear directions. Let God direct your priorities. Let Him give you clarity about how long to work on a particular task vs. devoting time to the needs of others vs. enjoying rest in Him vs. fellowshipping and worshipping with other believers.

Work hard, but work for God’s glory when you do. Pray when you work and about your work. Rest when God tells you to rest. Ask God to reveal His strength through your weakness rather than trying to hide your weakness. If you’re willing to truly submit your life, and your work, to God, He’ll give you the time and strength to do everything that truly needs to be done. He’ll give you peace about what you simply can’t do. He’ll work in ways you can’t and produce fruit beyond your abilities. #FollowJesus