“All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made.” – John 1:3

This is Jesus! When we picture Jesus in our mind, we mostly picture Him walking the earth after the incarnation. After He took on a human body and nature to walk among us preaching, teaching, healing, blessing, cleansing, creating, and going to the cross for our sins. Occasionally we picture Jesus as He is today: resurrected, radiant, and reigning in Heaven, though still both fully God and fully human.

We almost never think of Him BEFORE He was born into this world. Nonetheless, He has eternally existed. He is eternally the Son of God and Second Person of the Triune Godhead. There was never a time when Jesus didn’t exist. He was never created. He is eternally existent. His existence depends on nothing. Meanwhile, the existence of everything depends on Him!

All of creation was made through Christ. Everything… Every atom and molecule came into being through Christ. Every star and galaxy. All through Christ! Take time today to meditate on the glory of Christ before time began and before He stepped down out of that glory and into our world. Praise Him for He is. #FollowJesus

“Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the great and awesome day of the Lord comes. And he will turn the hearts of fathers to their children and the hearts of children to their fathers, lest I come and strike the land with a decree of utter destruction.” – Malachi 4:4-5

God’s final promise in the Old Testament was to send a prophet like Elijah to prepare the way for the coming of the Lord. His task would be to turn the nation’s attention back to spiritual matters, toward healthy relationships and repentance for sins. After that promise came… silence from God for nearly 400 years!

Not a prophet. Not a word. Silence. God was still active, but He sent no prophets. Until we turn the page in our Bibles to the book of Matthew and meet John the Baptist. Dressed like Elijah. Confronting the people’s sins like Elijah. Operating in the spirit of Elijah. Calling out the sins of the people. Sparking them to repent. Moving Israel to once again think about spiritual matters. All to prepare the way for the Lord Jesus, the Messiah, the Christ.

God is faithful. All His promises are yes and amen in Christ Jesus. But remember that what’s as quick and easy to see as turning the page in your Bible from Malachi to Matthew meant waiting through four centuries of silence. God is faithful but His timing is both perfect and His own. That means we too must be faithful. We must be faithful to live as Jesus commanded until that glorious day when He returns. Faithful to take up our cross daily. Faithful to love God wholeheartedly. Faithful to love all our neighbors as we love ourself. Faithful to make disciples of all nations. #FollowJesus

“Those who sow in tears
shall reap with shouts of joy!
He who goes out weeping,
bearing the seed for sowing,
shall come home with shouts of joy,
bringing his sheaves with him.”
– Psalm 126:5-6

Have faith in God. He is always with you and will never forsake you. Trust in the promise of Jesus, that as you make disciples, “Surely I am with you always”. Be faithful, even in tears. Trust in the Lord and serve Him, even when there seems to be no fruit. Even when it hurts. Even when it feels like you simply can’t.

There may be many times in your earthly life when you feel that way. Serve Him anyway because God’s promises are sure and certain. In Christ, they are “yes and amen”. The day will come when you see the fruit of your labor on His behalf, though it may be after you enter His presence forever.

In Christ, God loves you and will sustain and empower you. He is steadfastly faithful. As you continue in faith, He will bring forth fruit, even when you sow in tears. His Word will not return void – He will produce the fruit. It may not be visible to you on this side of eternity. It may not happen on your timetable. But God will produce a harvest of righteousness. He will be glorified in your faithfulness, especially when it’s most difficult. In that, you will ultimately discover joy and satisfaction that never ends. #FollowJesus

“And they stood up in their place and read from the Book of the Law of the Lord their God for a quarter of the day; for another quarter of it they made confession and worshiped the Lord their God.” – Nehemiah 9:3

Times of great spiritual revival and renewal typically feature deep devotion to reading and hearing God’s Word, zeal for worship, and total honesty in confessing sins. These things are the opposite of the more casual and shallow attitude God’s people often have toward these sacred privileges.

Does deep devotion to the Word, worship, prayer, and confession drive revival and renewal? Or does revival and renewal spark such devotion? The answer is probably yes to both as the Holy Spirit moves powerfully amongst God’s people.

What would happen if God’s people made time in their schedules, checked their impatience at the door, and prioritized these things the way Israel did in the time of Nehemiah? Could you imagine a gathering (large or small) committed to standing and reading Scripture for a quarter of the day? Committed to prayer and worship for another quarter of the day after that? That was serious about confessing sins, both individual and collective?

These things are so out of the typical patterns and routines for Christians today. But what if…. What might God do with that? #FollowJesus

“Then I proclaimed a fast there, at the river Ahava, that we might humble ourselves before our God, to seek from him a safe journey for ourselves, our children, and all our goods.” – Ezra 8:21

Throughout history, God’s people have used fasting to humble themselves and seek the Lord in prayer. Fasting sharpens and focuses our prayers as we submit our flesh with all its rumbling, incessant demands to the Lord’s purposes. Is fasting in your spiritual toolbox?

Fasting was expected by Jesus (He said, “When you fast…”) though not commanded for any particular time or duration. If you aren’t currently in the habit of fasting, consider trying a fast one day soon. Skip a meal or a day of meals and let your hunger pangs remind you to pray every time they strike. Pray when you would have been preparing food or eating. Stay hydrated and stay focused on God.

Can’t fast completely for medical reasons? Consider reducing portions or limiting the kinds of food you eat to meet your medical needs whiling leaving your body wanting more or different. Let those demands and complaints remind you to pray each and every time.

When you fast, be sure to have a spiritual purpose. Have a focus for your prayer as Ezra did in this verse. He was about to lead a group of returning exiles on a long, dangerous journey from Babylon to Jerusalem. He didn’t want to ask for military protection because that would demonstrate a lack of faith. So, his group fasted and earnestly sought the Lord’s protection.

Your purpose could be to pray about a particular topic. To seek God’s guidance with respect to an important decision in your life. To confess the sins of the church or the nation. To pray for God’s Spirit to bring revival. You could pray for those in your life who are far from God or for boldness in evangelism. You could pray for the success of a mission team or an upcoming church activity. There’s no limit to what you could choose to focus your fasting and prayer on. But determine a purpose and then giving fasting and prayer a chance! #FollowJesus