Myron Speaks

“16 Jesus replied with this story: “A man prepared a great feast and sent out many invitations. 17 When the banquet was ready, he sent his servant to tell the guests, ‘Come, the banquet is ready.’ 18 But they all began making excuses. One said, ‘I have just bought a field and must inspect it. Please excuse me.’ 19 Another said, ‘I have just bought five pairs of oxen, and I want to try them out. Please excuse me.’ 20 Another said, ‘I just got married, so I can’t come.’

21 “The servant returned and told his master what they had said. His master was furious and said, ‘Go quickly into the streets and alleys of the town and invite the poor, the crippled, the blind, and the lame.’ 22 After the servant had done this, he reported, ‘There is still room for more.’ 23 So his master said, ‘Go out into the country lanes and behind the hedges and urge anyone you find to come, so that the house will be full. 24 For none of those I first invited will get even the smallest taste of my banquet.’” Luke 14:16-24 NLT

The prophecy has been fulfilled. The curtain has been torn. JESUS IS ALIVE FOREVERMORE. The New Covenant is established.

20 Now may the God of peace—

who brought up from the dead our Lord Jesus,

the great Shepherd of the sheep,

and ratified an eternal covenant with his blood—

21 may he equip you with all you need

for doing his will.

May he produce in you,

through the power of Jesus Christ,

every good thing that is pleasing to him.

All glory to him forever and ever! Amen.

22 I urge you, dear brothers and sisters, to pay attention to what I have written in this brief exhortation. – Hebrews 13:20-22

There has never been a day of greater promise than the 3rd day. The day that changed everything. The day that life and life’s purpose is clearly understood. The day that love is realized.

There is a beautiful Hymn written long ago (1880), based upon Matthew 11:28 “Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest” that rings so beautifully on this day of absolute assurance.

The lyrics go:

“Softly and tenderly Jesus is calling

Calling for you and for me

See on the portals He’s waiting and watching

Watching for you and for me

Come home, come home

Ye who are weary come home

Earnestly, tenderly Jesus is calling

Calling, “O sinner come home”

O for the wonderful love He has promised

Promised for you and for me

Though we have sinned He has mercy and pardon

Pardon for you and for me

Come home, come home

Ye who are weary come home

Earnestly, tenderly Jesus is calling

Calling, “O sinner come home”

Come home, come home (come home)

Ye who are weary come home

Earnestly, tenderly Jesus is calling

Calling, “O sinner come home”

Jesus death was not in vain because Jesus rose from the dead and with His resurrection, every prophecy, every statement, every word that he said were proven true. The eternal life that Jesus death and resurrected life offers is for you and me. It is a gift. It is love. It is unconditional. A true gift that cannot be earned, only accepted. Jesus is asking you right now, in this moment, “come home.” Come into relationship with me. He continued saying in Matthew 11:29-30 NLT “Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

Thank you, Lord God most High for the 3rd day. For Jesus. For His resurrection from the dead. For life. For joy. For eternity. For eternal love.

“And rising very early in the morning, while it was still dark, he departed and went out to a desolate place, and there he prayed.” Mark 1:35 ESV

You ever notice how quiet often causes our minds to race, our anxiety to take over, our insecurities to manifest themselves in ways that can become crippling for hours, days, weeks, then simply laughed off as ‘ridiculous’ or abruptly leave when Jesus shows up or the Holy Spirit speaks. I wonder, did the disciples and followers of Jesus learn from him and retreat to quiet places to pray, seek and expect upon his death, or did they hide and cower in fear for what was to come?

“But he would withdraw to desolate places and pray.” Luke 5:16 ESV

Today is Saturday. The day of silence. The Savior of the World has been killed. The small band of Believers has been scattered. They’re scared. Disillusioned. Are they being hunted? Was this all a dream…a nightmare? The man who Jesus said was the rock upon whom he would build his church had denied him 3 times in a matters of minutes. One of his chosen 12 had betrayed him for a few pieces of silver. The disciples ran and hid. Their human weakness and vulnerability has manifested itself in sin, doubt, guilt, questioning.

“Afterward Joseph of Arimathea, who had been a secret disciple of Jesus (because he feared the Jewish leaders), asked Pilate for permission to take down Jesus’ body. When Pilate gave permission, Joseph came and took the body away. With him came Nicodemus, the man who had come to Jesus at night. He brought about seventy-five pounds[a] of perfumed ointment made from myrrh and aloes. Following Jewish burial custom, they wrapped Jesus’ body with the spices in long sheets of linen cloth. The place of crucifixion was near a garden, where there was a new tomb, never used before. And so, because it was the day of preparation for the Jewish Passover and since the tomb was close at hand, they laid Jesus there.” John 19:38-42 NLT

So a rich man, member of the Jewish council and a “secret disciple” along with a Pharisee, member of the Sanhedrin and Believer who only met with Jesus at nighttime took the bold step to ask for, prepare and lay Jesus body in a tomb. The typical process for discarding the dead who had been crucified was to throw the bodies on a pile of existing corpses. Probably one last action of disdain and disrespect for those ruled vile enough by the leaders of the day to be killed in what was considered the most painful and degrading way possible. (As an aside, the body of thief on the cross who was now walking in paradise with his Savior, was most certainly thrown into this pile,) Joe and Nick stepped up. They loved the Son of God too much to live with the thought of his body being discarded, desecrated and abandoned,

“But everyone who denies me here on earth, I will also deny before my Father in heaven.” Matthew 10:33

We don’t know what happened in that tomb where Jesus was laid. We don’t know his thoughts. Did the angels come and minister to him as they did after his 40 days in the wilderness? Did Satan come and bow low and admit defeat, having the date outlined to him when his rule over the Earth finally ends Did a royal celebration occur that celebrated sin’s defeat for those who believed in what had and was to occur? We don’t know.

We do know that Sunday is coming. That the pathway to eternal life has been paved in blood. That everything the King of King’s’ Son said had come true. Sunday is coming. Jesus words will become manifest.

“Without question, this is the great mystery of our faith: Christ was revealed in a human body and vindicated by the Spirit. He was seen by angels and announced to the nations. He was believed in throughout the world and taken to heaven in glory.” Matthew 10:33 NLT

Here’s what I know because He has told and shown me through His history and life Book. His disciples would become apostles and take the Hope, Grace and Mercy that is Jesus, to the World. Rejected by many, embraced by some, truth to all. The Church’s rock would be Peter. Young Stephen, an early deacon of the Church would boldly lay his life down for his King. That the 11 who fled and hid, would do miraculous things because the of the example of Jesus and a faith tested and proven through Jesus death, resurrection and instructions. That these 11 and so many others would lay their lives down for the greatest good. That light beat darkness. That Grace and Mercy are freely given. That Hope came, died, rose again and surrounds each of us. That our choice is simple: acceptance or rejection of the One from whom all life flows.

Sunday is coming. Que up the celebration. It’s going to be eternal.

“Many of life’s failures are people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up.” “I have not failed. I’ve just found ten thousand ways that won’t work.” Thomas Edison

I had the privilege to begin teaching a new Fight Club Men group in Maryville, TN this past week. This group of men came from a wide array of backgrounds, upbringing, geographic locations, career paths, etc. They all had a common bond that brought them together. Addiction. Lives paused by addiction. Lives defined by addiction. Lives gaining because of addiction. Lives being prepared through the experience of addiction for purpose. Hearts humbled, joy emerging, hungering for impact through the freedom being gained in new identities. Identities in Christ.

In 1986 the Boston Red Sox were on the verge of winning the World Series when their All Star first baseman allowed a simple gounder to go through his legs, giving the Mets “new life” that resulted in the Mets winning the World Series. When asked about the play, the Red Sox player said “one play, one error does not define me or my career.” The error he committed was on one of the most basic plays in baseball and an action, feet apart, eyes on the ball, glove on the ground, taught to players from the very beginning as they learn the art of playing baseball. His feet were apart, his eyes were on the ball, he glove in position and then raised in expectation of a bounce that never happened. An error. A simple error that only would define him if he chose to stop there and not show up again, to play the game, use the skills and pursue the goals that he had been gifted with ability to perform.

How are you defined? Who defines you? As God has been appointing me to bring the message of hope and freedom from pornography’s influence in the local church and in too many good men and women’s lives, I have been blessed with great counsel from the men He has put around me. One good man and fellow Christ warrior generously poured into me with this statement and beautiful thought. “Man, first and foremost, remind them who they are. Remind them whose they are. Confirm in them that they are God’s son and that He loves them exactly where they are.” Transformative thinking. Beautiful. Thank you, my brother Tim, for these words of wisdom and empowerment.

How does God define you?

FREE

2 Corinthians 5:18-19 “All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation.”

CHILD OF GOD

John 1:12 “But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.”

Romans 8:16-17 “The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him.”

Galatians 3:26-28 “… for in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith. For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.”

1 Thessalonians 5:5 “For you are all children of light, children of the day. We are not of the night or of the darkness.”

CHOSEN

1 Peter 2:9 “But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.”

John 15:16 “You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you.”

OLD SELF IS DEAD

Galatians 2:20 “I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.”

Colossians 3:3 “For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.”

NEW CREATION

John 3:3-6 “Jesus answered him, ‘Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.’ Nicodemus said to him, ‘How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born?’ Jesus answered, ‘Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.’”

2 Corinthians 5:17 “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.”

NO LONGER CONDEMNED

Romans 8:1 “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.”

TEMPLE OF THE HOLY SPIRIT

1 Corinthians 3:16 “Do you not know that you are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in you?”

1 Corinthians 6:19-20 “Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.”

WARRIORS

1 John 5:4 “For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith.”

A VICTOR

Romans 8:37 “No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.”

So, another long post and if you have read this long go forward with the understanding that you are God’s beautiful daughter or son that is not defined by your failures. You are defined as a child of the King, created for marvelous purpose, destined to fail and try, try again. Walking forward into another day in the knowledge that your life and your life experiences exist to help another person coming in your path to find freedom, joy, purpose, relationship and eternal life with and through Jesus. You’ve got this.

Then Jesus asked them, “Would anyone light a lamp and then put it under a basket or under a bed? Of course not! A lamp is placed on a stand, where its light will shine. For everything that is hidden will eventually be brought into the open, and every secret will be brought to light. Anyone with ears to hear should listen and understand.” Mark 4:21-23 (NLT)

Probably the greatest victory that the Father is delivering through Fight Club Men is the victory over guilt and shame, He is doing this through communities of men understanding that addiction or dependence does not define them. Christ does. That transparency and vulnerability delivers gain and growth while removing the chains of secrecy and isolation. That God’s purpose in our lives is greater than Satan’s attacks and attempts to keep us imprisoned in the past.

There is a reason why a windshield is larger than a rear window. Focus on the future that God has planned for you. It is marvelous.

“Now he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness.” 2 Corinthians 9:10

The greatest of trees, the boldest of leaders, the strongest of buildings started with humble beginnings, methodically built on the foundation of time, food, energy, knowledge and patience.

God’s timing is never our timing. His timing is perfect. Ask yourself, “what am I willing to do, how long will I wait, how much will I invest to positively impact the lives of those that I love and those that He loves?”

While we are infants in life, in ability, in Christ, the evil one will work hardest to make us believe we are insignificant and of little to no value. Know without any doubt that God only creates majestic things. You are His majestic child. You are His beloved creation. His plans and purpose for you are too marvelous to understand. That your simply taking another step today puts you that much closer to the reason for your creation. You exist to spread His love and to deliver His hope.

You are the much needed shade in the lives coming in your path. Be the source of comfort to someone this day. You are valued and immeasurably loved by the Creator of all things…and that quite simply is more than enough.

I thought, ‘Those who are older should speak, for wisdom comes with age.’ Job 32:7 (NLT)

First, thank you sincerely to all of you who took the time to wish me a happy birthday. I am so thankful for each of you and grateful for the part that you play in the tapestry of my life. It’s really hard to get my arms around the fact that I am 58 years old. Not too long ago, 58 year-old people were really old people. Someone asked me what it was like to be in my 50’s and I joked that “growing old isn’t for wimps” and that the absolute best thing I am finding is that life experience and hopefully resulting experiential wisdom cannot be learned in a classroom, a textbook, a Tweet, a social media post or in the Insta-World that permeates our lives. Experience is a process. Life experience is a gift. Growing older is a reward. Older people in our lives is a window into what is coming and a mirror into our hearts.

“Rise in the presence of the aged and honor the elderly face-to-face. Fear your God. I am the LORD.” Leviticus 19:32

To be clear, I am not claiming to be elderly nor do I mean to dishonor the elderly ahead of me and among us. They are deserving of their place of honor and my/our gratitude for what they have done to contribute to the blessed life that I live and the life-enhancing inventions that were created by their generation and generations before mine. Thank you to every Kerr, Malcolm, Cooke, Smith, Purvis, Mason, Mullins, West, Cowherd, Mahanes, Carlock, Williams, Rotterman, Baker, Adams, Barrett, Kline, Stephens, Whitehead, Carringer, Shanks and on and on and on names that have impacted my life and who so selflessly and lovingly poured into me as a child, prayed for me as a prodigal and lovingly welcomed me home when I allowed Jesus to resume his rightful place as the King of all of my life.

“A heart at peace gives life to the body, but envy rots the bones.” Proverbs 14:30 (NIV)

Oh and before I forget, to the Jones’ in my life. I release you because I cannot keep up with you. I wasted too much of the precious few minutes that I have been allocated on this Earth pursuing all the fleeting things that the Jones’ had and have and that the World convinced me I needed and “deserved.” Deserved, what a term of the Devil so subtly and not so subtly used by this broken World to draw us away from relationship with our Father in Heaven. As I grow older, I understand that we are all wonderfully and marvelously made, each with our own gifts, talents and purpose in life, given to us in the DNA that is only our own. God uniquely made me and each of us and the impact that abides in each of us, awaiting release that can and will cause cataclysmic and positive impact to those in our path if we will allow Christ to assume his rightful place in our lives. So Jones’, my sinful eyes love the newest cars, the finest clothes, the most magnificent homes, the trendiest vacations and my insecure heart longs for the fleeting accolades of my fellow humans, but after 58 years I acknowledge, accept and gratefully, humbly, longingly say that I accept exactly who my Heavenly Dad has created me to be…and that is so much more than enough.

“But those who keep waiting for the LORD will renew their strength. Then they’ll soar on wings like eagles; they’ll run and not grow weary; they’ll walk and not grow tired.” Isaiah 40:31

So, apparently growing older means I have much to say about what the Father has put on my heart. I have lived long enough to see the World go from beautiful colors to darkness. To see humans achieve the moon and grow more distant than ever before. To see an Internet connect us as never experienced, resulting in suicide, murder, hopelessness and isolation spiral out of control. I see communities of amazing McMansions proclaiming success, filled with brokenness and desperation. I see a Country emboldened by more and more creative financing tools claiming to liberate and reward, while in fact creating a society of slavery to lenders committed to enhancing the market-value of the company they work for at the expense of the community they are designed to serve. I see a World in horror as 6-million people (estimated) have died of a man-created pandemic while remaining largely silent as 73 million God-created humans are killed through abortion each year because they were defined as “unintended.”

“I pray that God, the source of hope, will fill you completely with joy and peace because you trust in him. Then you will overflow with confident hope through the power of the Holy Spirit.” Romans 15:13

More than anything, I see and believe in hope. The hope of the Savior. The hope in the humanity that was placed in each of us by the Creator of all things. I see generations rising up whose impact can and will be marvelous. I stand ready to encourage, to guide, to love, to encourage, to mentor, to embolden, to accept this season of life as a responsibility, not a retirement.

“And now, in my old age, don’t set me aside. Don’t forsake me now when my strength is failing.” Psalm 71:9

Thank you to Jesus, my Lord and Savior, to Megan West Mullins, my children, my family, the Church and my church family and my amazing network of friends for making the first 58 years of my life a journey worth living. I love each of you and gratefully acknowledge your contribution to who I am becoming.

When I was going through a season of drought 3 years ago and feeling exiled from all that my identity was falsely dependent upon, I prayed and prayed and prayed, read my Bible continuously and sought answers and ‘noise’ from friends, spiritual mentors, the Holy Spirit…it was quiet.

While I was going through this season, I continually wondered why was Paul, a Roman citizen and the new Christian Church’s most fierce advocate, allowed to be wrongly imprisoned and in chains, seemingly forgotten by those who so desperately depended upon him. Seemingly sidelined by the God who had been so effectively using him.

Then one night at my usual Holy Spirit wake-up time of 2:00 am, I was awakened and went out into our living room. The Holy Spirit said to me, “do you want to know why I placed Paul in chains for all that time?” To which I quickly replied, ‘yes’ because this had troubled and perplexed me for several years. Before I go further, the epiphany that God had placed Paul in chains was a real smack in the face. Of course, my limited mind not recognizing that God allows all things to happen, well because He is the God of all things. I digress. Then the Spirit explained something to me that has changed the trajectory of my life. The answer why Paul was placed in chains was: “because Paul was such a man of action, I placed him in chains so that he would write the letters to my churches that would become 2/3rds of the New Testament, be read by billions of people and cause untold millions/billions to come into relationship with Me, God.”

When the Savior knew that my wandering exile had brought me to a place of desperation, submission and needing, He knew that I would hear His small voice directing me in the plans He had for me and the people He had coming into my path. He asked me: “Do you think Paul felt it was worth being in chains when I had him there? He didn’t.” “Myron, do you recognize the value of the time you have been exiled and removed from the things in which you falsely placed value and gained your identity?” I didn’t. But slowly, systematically, methodically things began to be revealed to me as the plans of the Savior, my purpose through the Savior, my identity in the Savior, the love of my Heavenly Daddy. His desires for my life that deliver joy and fulfillment unlike anything life had ever brought me before. I was home in Him.

Now, I am not going to argue theology and frankly if this revelation from the Father to me about Paul doesn’t align with your theological understanding, that’s okay. If you know me, then you know the limitations of the author of this post.

I write this to that one friend out there, struggling with their identity and purpose. I write this as encouragement to you that the season(s) of silence that God allows and even places us in are for us, not Him. I write this to encourage you that God is doing marvelous things in and through you, even as you feel alone and unheard, You are heard and loved by the Almighty God of all things. Trust in Him during this season of drought. He is watering and growing deep, deep roots within you that will not be swayed and whose purpose through you will have impact on so many that he is preparing and aligning in your future path. He has not forgotten you. He has chosen you and He is elevating you to the high honor of the purpose and plan that he has for your life.

God loves you more than you can possibly imagine. That’s enough.

“…I have come to call not those who think they are righteous, but those who know they are sinners.” Mark 2:17 (NLT)

In case you need encouragement today. There may have never been greater words of hope uttered in the history of mankind than these words by Jesus. Recognizing and accepting who God says you are and the unconditional, repeat unconditional love of Jesus on the cross offers hope, assurance, validation and future to each of us who acknowledges and accepts that Jesus died for our sins, Then surrendering our sin-filled lives for the Grace-given, Mercy-extended, immeasurable love of Jesus and the joy that comes every morning.

So the greatest news we have is the unearned love given us by the Father. The pursuit of restoring health begins with identifying and acknowledging the sickness. Our pursuit of righteousness begins with acknowledging the sickness of our sin. Whatever lies that Satan has you mired in, they are lies. They do not define you. Guilt and shame are not of or from Christ. They are the seeds of the devil designed to grow within in us as weeds that will choke out the healthy beauty and purpose that God placed within in us as He formed us so long ago. He created you and me to express Him though our lives during our life on Earth and then to add to the harmony of Heaven in our own unique way.

So be joyful today in the knowledge that Jesus, the greatest physician, came and died for you and me to heal our bodies and minds and release us into the joy-full lives He has always desired for us.

“They took the thirty pieces of silver the price at which he was valued by the people of Israel, and purchased the potter’s field, as the Lord directed.” Matthew 27:9-10

This scripture was the prophecy of Jeremiah given 600 years before Jesus lived and walked the Earth. An immeasurable blip of time in the realm of the eternity we are promised awaits after our short time in this life is over. Eternity in Heaven or in Hell, our choice.

The words within this scripture that struck me this morning were “…the price at which he was valued by the people of Israel…” These words spoken about God’s chosen people and their treatment of His son. How much do we value the Savior?

I tell our kids often that you can tell a lot about a person by the way they treat others and how they take care of what they have. In this World of want and pursuit of all things shiny, glittery, impressive, Jones-beating, our appreciation and value of things entrusted to us seem to have a shorter and shorter shelf-life. A new car, new phone, new job, new location is awesome for about 6-months and then it’s something that no longer meets the need for gratification and position and is just lacking. I lived on this hamster wheel for close to 50 years of my life…and somehow never got anywhere but needing more ‘new.’ Who knew?

I am always impressed with people that I meet who have a deep, profound and lasting appreciation for what they have. They seem to live lives of joy that scripture continually points us to. Lives that are grounded in others before self and gratitude in what is present and had, as opposed to what is new, glittering and perpetually growing stale. I drive a 6 year-old pickup truck that I love to the point that I have named her Henrietta (she chose to identify as a lady; don’t blame me if she has gender confusion.), and every year I appreciate her more and truth be told, I care for her more each year. Trying to make sure all things mechanical are dealt with, tires replaced as needed (much to Megan West Mullins dismay) and that I clean and maintain her. I appreciate what a great truck I have and all the hard work she has done for me. I owe her my gratitude, care and maintenance in appreciation for the 120,000+ miles she has taken me and the hundreds of thousands of pounds of materials and hay she has hauled. I have never felt this was about the many cars and vehicles that were way more cool, stylish, trendy and attention grabbing that I owned prior to this truck. Ironically, they all were just vehicles within 6 months of ownership.

Jeremiah’s prophesy 600 years before Jesus came to Earth and then written in Matthew causes me to ask myself, “what value do I place on God, His Son and the Holy Spirit?” Do they invade and permeate every thought and pursuit of my life? Has the new become old or am I perpetually seeking and ravenously ingesting Christ through His word and is the pursuit of righteousness the overwhelming desire of my heart? God tells me that it is okay to answer these questions honestly. That it is okay to have failed, yet again to live a day in this short life with wrong yet seeking perspective. That He loves me despite, not because. That He waits patiently to tell me in person, “I love you and know your heart.”

Our time, energy, focus and actions reflect the value we place on the Father. My prayer today is that I reflect an increase in His value a little more today than I did yesterday and yet again, more tomorrow.

“You must worship no other gods, for the Lord, whose very name is Jealous, is a God who is jealous about his relationship with you.” Exodus 34:14 (NLT)

Did you ever have a friend, a girlfriend, a boyfriend, a best friend who wanted you solely for themselves and would get upset, jealous, even angry when you turned your attention to someone else? This type of immature, insecure and self-serving jealousy is unhealthy and almost always leads to breakups that leave the relationship in tatters and those in the relationship more guarded about the next relationship. The beginning of building that wall that creates barriers, impenetrable emotions and in many minds, “healthy, aka ‘unhealthy’ distance” in friendships and relationships.

So then, why did God come down to Moses on Mount Sinai and tell him specifically that ‘His very name is Jealous and He is jealous about His relationship with you?’ Let’s clear up any misconception that God is insecure. When You are the Creator of all things, including time, you’re secure in Who You are. So good news, we have THE God who is jealous for us. He surrounds us. He is our protector. He mourns when we suffer through life experiences and relationships that are not of Him. He loves us enough that He gives us free will and choice because he wants a genuine relationship chosen by both of us, Him for us and us for Him.

If you have ever witnesses a momma bear with her cubs, literally and figuratively (a mother with her children), who feels their children are being threatened in any way, the fury that they will unleash is amazing and frankly, frightening. Megan West Mullins will come out of her skin on anyone or anything she senses is threatening her family. We call this “Ohio Megan” and it is fierce, fast and complete. We understand the depth and breadth of her love in these moments. You do not want to be on the receiving end! This is a healthy human jealousy ingrained in her by the Father above and is woven into the fabric of her DNA. Never wavering, never ending, never conceding. Absolute.

How much more our Father in Heaven. God proclaimed His jealousy to Moses to confirm to His son, His leader, His torch bearer, His children’s human protector, His jealousy as affirmation that “I have your back, your front, your side to side, your forever.” Trust Me. Our jealously and zealously loving Father is absolute in His protection and love for us. He desires our one-on-one relationship with Him above all else. He tells us, “have no other gods other than me” because they are fake and they dilute our relationship with Him. Don’t think you have other gods before Him? Take inventory of how and where you spend your time and what invades your thought and energy. Remove anything that stands between you and the Father who always and only desires what is best and least limiting to our relationship with Him and our purpose by Him. The best news you will hear today is that God loves you. The better news is this is a truism every day of our lives in this time-blip of human life on Earth and in the eternity that God has created for His children…us.

“Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is worthy of respect, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if something is excellent or praiseworthy, think about these things.” Philippians 4:8 (NLT)