THANKFUL

Chatting with Jesus
Wednesday, July 23, 2025

Lord, thank you for giving your Holy Spirit to live within each believer who guides believers on their faith’s journey through this broken world. We’d be in big trouble without your Spirit since our journeys are not always sunshine and blue skies.

Your earthly brother, James, wrote, If anyone lacks wisdom, ask you for wisdom, and you will be given the wisdom needed for any situation (James 1:5). Your Word states your faithfulness of your godly wisdom, that when followed, leads believers into a peaceful and spiritually prosperous life. Solomon wrote:

“Her ways [wisdom] are ways of pleasantness, and all her paths are peace” (Proverbs 3:17).

Living for you, Jesus, is meant to bring the believer meaning, purpose, and happiness. How can we be sullen and grumble when our future is secure in your hands, not only in this life, but in the life to come.

Believers must live in this fallen world. We love basking in your sunlight, but the good we enjoy often is obscured by the storms you allow that rain on our picnic. We know these dark times and hardships are meant to refine our faith, yet our humanity reacts in ways that might hinder the spiritual growth you want to establish in us. “Wait! I’m a believer,” we might gripe. “These trials aren’t supposed to happen to me.” We might grumble this is the wilderness, not the promised land.

Lord, does my lack of faith leave you shaking your head? Forgive me. Help me align with you during these trials, which are meant to make me more like you, Jesus. Give me understanding that I need winds and tempests to bolster my faith. And Lord, help me eliminate spiritually unhealthy habits or actions that hinder my relationship with you.

Amen, Jesus.

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Chatting with Jesus

Monday, May 12, 2025

Lord, what was I thinking? When I reflect on my failures, I often speak harshly about myself. I say things that I would never say to others, no matter how foolishly they may have acted. I’ve learned various ways to put myself down when the devil, the prince of darkness, reminds me of my shortcomings. What I must remember is that everything the devil tells me is a lie. Your Word describes him as a liar and the “Father of lies” (John 8:44). If we listen to his lies long enough, we begin to repeat them to ourselves. I’ve been guilty of this. I’m so fed up with the devil’s nonsense.

But, Lord, what do you think of us? You valued us enough to create humankind in your image. The Genesis story details how you made us to be like you (Genesis 1:27). Despite all our failings, you still desired a personal relationship with us, even when we broke your heart (Genesis 3). Although our sins created a chasm between Heaven and Earth, separating us from you, your steadfast love for us has never changed.

What do you think of us, Lord?

Because we are unable to bridge that chasm between Earth and Heaven, you sent your only Son, Jesus, as a mediator for our salvation. Through Jesus, we have a bridge over that chasm. We can have the personal relationship with you that you always wanted. The psalmist declared that your thoughts toward us outnumber the sands of the sea (Psalm 139:17-18). The Apostle John expresses your thoughts about us in a way that is clear for all to understand: “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have everlasting life” (John 3:16).  Amen, Jesus.

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Chatting with Jesus

Monday, March 31, 2025

Lord, she startled me when I heard her voice. I didn’t know she was in the room and had been listening to me the entire time. My bride and I were relaxing, watching TV, and reading eBooks on our Kindles. A commercial came on demonstrating Alexa starting a car, and I commented on how Alexa had become people’s “man Friday.” That’s when she spoke from my Kindle: “I couldn’t understand your request. Try again.”

My wife snickered, saying that she thought I disabled Alexa years ago, just like she did.

For years, I had read my Kindle, unaware that Alexa was quietly listening to every word hidden within my digital device. Did Alexa hear me complain about the Cowboys? Of course, she did. She probably will never understand my excitement over A&M football. Maybe she rolled her eyes at my outrageous rantings about politics. I wouldn’t be surprised if she even spat out her digital coffee at my Dad jokes.

Your Spirit spoke pointedly to my inner man. If Alexa listens to my every word, how often does she hear me talking to you, Jesus? Does Alexa join me in prayer as I meditate on the Scriptures? Lord, I pray that Alexa hears more words of faith than words from my carnal nature. Are her digital hands raised as we praise and worship you?

Lord, help me be ever cognizant that you know my heart, my thoughts. You know my love for you is sincere. Might I be as confident in my faith as the psalmist when he wrote Psalm 139:1, “You have searched me, Lord, and you know me” (NLT).

Alexa may serve as our “Man Friday,” but Lord, only you strengthen and lead us as none other. Amen, Jesus.

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Chatting with Jesus

Wednesday, March 19, 2025

Lord, I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve heard, “Are you listening to me?” With good intentions, my parents always warned me about the life lessons I would eventually face. Foolishly, there were times when my rebellious nature emerged, and I would respond with a snarky, “Yeah, I hear you!” Not listening had its consequences, and I’ve been a slow learner. This attitude often led me straight to the woodshed.

Coming from a family of pastors and biblical teachers, a favorite passage they used to “reprimand” me came from Matthew 7:24–27. This story is about two homebuilders who constructed their houses on different foundations:

“Anyone who listens to my teaching and follows it is wise, just like a person who builds a house on solid rock. Though the rain falls in torrents, and the floodwaters rise, and the winds beat against that house, it won’t collapse because it is built on bedrock. However, anyone who hears my teaching and doesn’t obey it is foolish, like a person who builds a house on sand. When the rains and floods come, and the winds beat against that house, it will come crashing down with a mighty crash.”

Lord, you didn’t warn us “if” the storms of life would come, but “when” the storms come. We have two options: we can put our faith in you and trust that you will see us through if we follow your teachings and apply your principles. Despite the storms, we will survive and come out even stronger. However, if we hear Your teachings but dismiss them as irrelevant, we will face the consequences of our choices. Lord, even if we might suffer for a while, in your sovereignty, you always orchestrate our circumstances for our good.

Help me always to listen to you, Jesus. Amen.

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Chatting with Jesus

Friday, January 17, 2025

Lord, I guess the psalmist king heard it all. Being the leader of his kingdom, his advisors could have given him the most ridiculous ideas how to run the kingdom. Their motives may have been virtuous, but the psalmist needed discernment as to what ideas were valid and what were folly. He wrote how he mulled over his advisor’s advice, deciding what to accept or dismiss. He knew each of his decisions would have either positive or negative consequences.

“I will reject perverse ideas and stay away from every evil” (Psalm 101:4)

People still face the same challenges of making the right decisions when weighing ideas. A good decision should result in good consequences, whereas the consequences of a bad decision could be disastrous. We should question some of these unreasonable ideas modern man has contrived:

Why be trapped in the wrong body? People are gender-fluid. If your gender “assigned at birth” was male, no problem, just claim to be female. Or if you are a male, just claim to be female. Label those who disagree as “haters.” It’s that easy.

The more money I send to the government, the better our chances to eliminate man-made climate change.

People with college degrees are smarter than those without a degree.

Many believe God doesn’t exist. And if there is a God, all religions lead to him/her. No matter how bad you are, everyone goes to Heaven. How could a loving God send anyone to Hell just for not believing in him/her? Doing good works builds up heavenly brownie points, making you a shoo-in for the Pearly Gates.

Doing good things may be noble, but it’s only by faith in Jesus Christ are we made righteous with God (John 3:16). It’s that easy.

Amen, Jesus.

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