“And the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’ But the father said to his servants, ‘Bring quickly the best robe, and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet.” – Luke 15:21-22

In His famous parable, Jesus contrasts how we imagine God’s forgiveness and how His forgiveness actually works. We’re like that prodigal son. Once we reach the end of ourselves and recognize our vile and destructive rebellion against God’s will, we reluctantly turn to God. In doing so, we focus on our failure. We dwell on our guilt and shame. We reason about what we deserve and we try to negotiate reasonable terms given our unreasonable behavior.

But God isn’t like that at all! He’s like the father in this parable. When we turn to Him in repentance and faith in Jesus, God is overjoyed, not guarded. He isn’t focused on negotiation or recrimination. He’s focused on full restoration. He’s focused on lavish celebration. He’s focus on showering us with love. At that time, the robe, ring, and shoes were all symbols of the restoration of the family relationship. The prodigal’s father delightedly welcomed his son back into the family, embracing him, and holding nothing back from him, despite his past rebellion and contempt toward him. He simply loved his son who had returned at last.

That’s what God offers everyone through faith in Jesus Christ. Every sin completely forgiven. The relationship each person was made to enjoy with their Creator restored in peace, joy, and love. Adoption in the divine family. No recrimination and no condemnation because Jesus already dealt with all that on the cross. Only a welcome and celebration that will never end. #FollowJesus

“The Lord is a stronghold for the oppressed,
a stronghold in times of trouble.”
– Psalm 9:9

A stronghold is a well-fortified place. A fort. A fortress. The keep of a castle. The strong tower at the heart of a system of defenses. That is the Lord for the oppressed. Those crushed by the world, its ways, and the wicked people who so often grab power. God is ready to hear the prayers of those in dire need and terrible danger. He is ready to protect their precious, eternal souls, guarding their inheritance that will never end. He is on their side, standing with them in the fire. He is not distant or uninvolved. He will intervene for His people and He will bring eternal justice on those who oppress them.

The psalmist doesn’t say that the Lord is a stronghold for the powerful, the comfortable, or the cruel. He is not a place of refuge and safety for them. His heart is for the meek, the humble, and those suffering for their devotion to Him. Jesus demonstrated that throughout His life on earth and by His sacrificial death on the cross. None of this has changed. None of this will ever change.

So, if you find yourself in a time of trouble, hurry to the Lord in prayer. Make it your first resort, not your last. Pour out your sorrows and your suffering to the Lord. Take shelter in Him, your rock and refuge. And should you find yourself in a time of peace, comfort, prosperity, or power, remember where the heart of God lies. Make His heart your heart. Love and protect those who are oppressed and in desperate need of refuge. #FollowJesus

“When one told me, ‘Behold, Saul is dead,’ and thought he was bringing good news, I seized him and killed him at Ziklag, which was the reward I gave him for his news. How much more, when wicked men have killed a righteous man in his own house on his bed, shall I not now require his blood at your hand and destroy you from the earth?” – 2 Samuel 4:10-11

One of the things that made David who he was – a man after God’s own heart – is that he didn’t take immoral, unethical, sinful shortcuts to power. Though he’d long been anointed the next king of Israel, he was content to wait for God’s will to unfold in God’s timing. He didn’t assassinate rivals, and he punished those who did. He didn’t grasp for power, but received it through patient, faithful, obedience to God. He didn’t view rivals as enemies to be destroyed, but as God’s people, to be waited out. He didn’t reward treachery or ungodly means of advancement. He operated with integrity.

That kind of godly integrity matters. Especially for leaders. God’s timing is perfect and He doesn’t need anyone to help Him by sinful means. The way we do things matters more to God than the outcome. While waiting can certainly feel far too slow to us here on earth, it isn’t. Leaders who are godly don’t rush things along by ungodly means. They certainly don’t celebrate those who do. They punish them. Even if what they did advances the leader’s preferred outcome. That’s what it means to operate with godly integrity.

God’s people, all who follow Jesus, must operate with that integrity. We are to encourage others to operate with it as well. With godly patience rather than impatience that bears ungodly fruit. We should correct and condemn those who don’t operate with integrity. We should never condone those who claim to be advancing God’s will in ungodly ways. Because in God’s Kingdom, the means always matters and the end NEVER justifies the means. #FollowJesus

“As the mountains surround Jerusalem,
so the Lord surrounds his people,
from this time forth and forevermore.”
– Psalm 125:2

The Bible uses so many figures of speech to communicate this glorious truth. God’s love for His people is steadfast, faithful, and loyal in ways we can’t even fully comprehend. He is our rock, our refuge, our strength, our shield, our protector. He shields, shelters, guards, and protects His people spiritually like immovable mountains, like a great bird hiding us in its wings, like a fortress, like a rock, like a strong tower.

All we have to do to enjoy God’s steadfast protection and presence is to not wander away. Not go chasing after other things that take the place of God in our hearts, minds, energy, and attention. Not reject God’s leadership, lordship, and good will for our lives.

It seems so simple. Such a gracious offer – follow Him, obey Him, enjoy Him. And yet, we often ignore or reject the offer outright to follow ourselves, obey ourselves, and enjoy ourselves. Until we, hopefully, wake up and realize that hasn’t worked out at all. It’s so much wiser just to accept the grace of God and let Him be all that He has promised to be in Scripture. #FollowJesus

“When David heard that Nabal was dead, he said, ‘Blessed be the Lord who has avenged the insult I received at the hand of Nabal, and has kept back his servant from wrongdoing. The Lord has returned the evil of Nabal on his own head.’” – 1 Samuel 25:39a

The foolish Nabal had viciously and publicly insulted David. In his flesh, David had been eager to deal with the man himself. He’d gathered his troops to bring death to the house of Nabal. Thankfully, the wise Abigail intervened and persuaded David not to sinfully repay Nabal’s insult with mass murder. God Himself later dealt with Nabal and his ungodly pride, greed, and selfishness. In doing this, the Lord reminded David of a fundamental biblical principle: God’s people must not be in the business of revenge. Vengeance belongs to the Lord, and only the Lord, because only He can handle it justly and without sin.

What was clear in the Old Testament was made even more explicit by Jesus. Followers of Jesus are to turn the other cheek. We are to repay evil with good. We are to make peace, not escalate conflict. We are to seek reconciliation and practice forgiveness rather than hold onto bitterness. We are not to indulge our sinful flesh by avenging ourselves. All those who trust Jesus with their life must also trust Him to act with perfect justice in His perfect timing rather than their flawed sense of justice and their preferred timing.

Christians must not be eager to deal in violence, death, and destruction. That is not the way of Jesus. Don’t follow the instincts of your flesh when it cries out for revenge. Don’t follow a culture that so often howls for blood. Follow Jesus to the cross every single day, trusting that God’s coming justice and timing will be perfect and everlasting. #FollowJesus