"Speak, for Your Servant is Listening"

In reading 1 Samuel 2 and 3 this morning about Eli’s sons, Hophni and Phinehas, I realized that much more was going on than just bad behavior. When seen alongside the thread of Samuel’s growing wisdom and trusting obedience to the Lord, their response to God reveals a dire heart condition. They had the same opportunity as Samuel to minister before the Lord and serve His people, but the Bible says they did not know the Lord (1 Samuel 2:12). As a result, their lives were cut off, and their ministry was removed.

It’s hard to comprehend that these were sons of the High Priest and the Judge over Israel. When God chose Eli and his family line, He set them apart for priestly service, which required that they walk in awe and reverence for the Lord. They were to love the Lord their God with all their heart, soul, mind, and strength, which in the Hebrew culture was a term of exclusive covenant loyalty to their God. They were to have no other gods before Him. But their ministry title did not change the inner condition of their heart. Though they went through the priestly ministry training, showed up for service each day, and were even robed in holy garments, this was no indication of spiritual life or flourishing because they did not know God.

They were not only blaspheming the Lord’s name in the way they handled sacrifices and treating those making them with contempt, but they committed sexual immorality with women who served at the tabernacle door. When their father rebuked them, warning them that they were not only sinning against man but against a holy God, they would not listen (2:25). The word listen here in Hebrew is shema. This means to go beyond the hearing of external words to responding in trusting obedience to their father’s divine authority as the High Priest of God and teacher of Israel. They heard what their father said, but did not shema him – truly heeding his words.

Reading this account is like reading a novel, where we see the villains going from one dark episode to another while the hero is rising and living in a way completely contrary to them. From the time Samuel was a small boy, we see he “ministered before the Lord under the priest Eli” (2:11). Clothed in his tunic, sewn each year by his mom, he stood before the Lord and learned to truly shema Him.

Eli’s sons rejected God’s Word, rebelled against authority, and trusted in themselves rather than trusting in God. Samuel’s life took a different trajectory as he listened to God’s Word, heeded Eli’s instructions, and was obedient to God. And God took note, bringing words of rebuke to Eli through a prophet and reminding him that “Those who honor me I will honor, but those who despise me will be disdained” (1 Samuel 2:31). He went on to pronounce judgment on Eli, his sons, and his offspring, declaring that not only would his sons die but that no one in their family line would reach old age (2:31).

He then promised to raise up a faithful priest whose work would be firmly established. From here, He begins further revealing Himself to Samuel, speaking to him in the night and calling out his name. When Eli discerns that this is, in fact, God speaking to Samuel, he encourages him to respond with six very important words that would change his life: “Speak, for your servant is listening.” These words were an instruction to do much more than hear God speaking, which Eli and his sons had done. They were a call to pay careful, trusting attention to God’s words and then do what God said.

Ironically, God pronounced further judgment on Eli and his family to Samuel, which he relayed to Eli. Rather than disciplining his sons and removing them from office, he acquiesced to the judgment. The text does not record repentance or a plea for mercy from Eli. Instead, he simply responds, “He is the Lord; let him do what is good in his eyes” (1 Samuel 3:18).

And then we see the contrast between Eli’s sons and Samuel become even clearer. “The LORD was with Samuel as he grew up,” and all Israel recognized that Samuel was established as a prophet of the Lord. He continued to appear at Shiloh and revealed Himself to Samuel through His Word (1 Samuel 3:19–21), because Samuel had learned not simply to hear the voice of God, but to listen to, trust, and respond.

Sadly, there are many in evangelical ministry today who, clothed in their robes or logoed ministry shirts, show up to serve at all the important events and even teach the Bible—who do not know God or bring Him glory. God wants much more than a ministry label, with pious words and religious benedictions. He wants our hearts to be submitted to and aligned with His will so that we are not just hearers of the Word but trusting doers.

The story of Eli’s sons and Samuel causes me to shift my focus from, “Am I daily reading and studying God’s Word?” to “Am I really listening to God speak to me through His Word by the Spirit so that I, in trust, do what he says?” Samuel’s words, “Speak, for your servant is listening,” challenge me to remain in a heart position to receive instruction from God – submitting to His full authority and turning away from sin when He reveals it.

Lord, give me ears to hear, a heart that is willing to obey, and the humility to say, like Samuel, “Speak, for your servant is listening.”

An Empty Jar, a Barren Womb, and an Open Tomb

If you were planning to feed someone, how likely is it you would have them travel about 100 miles on foot to a widow’s house you knew was about to run out of food? Or if you planned on raising up a great leader for a nation, would your likely choice be a barren woman to give birth to him? As rational humans, we would never make these decisions, because they defy human logic. But for God, whose thoughts and ways are beyond ours, these are exactly the kind of choices that display His wisdom and power.

The story of Elijah and the widow is a powerful example of how God chooses unlikely people to accomplish His purposes. Elijah had spent about two years at Kerith Ravine during the drought God brought on Israel because of their idolatry and rebellion. When the brook dried up, God told him to go to Zarephath in Sidon, where He would find a widow God had chosen to provide him with food. When Elijah arrived, he discovered that she was not in any position to feed him. She had a nearly empty jar of flour and no money to buy any more. In fact, she had only a handful of flour—just enough for her last meal with her son. And after that, she was expecting to die of starvation.

After being miraculously fed by God through ravens for years, he was likely not surprised at God’s choice of this near-destitute woman to supply his needs. Without hesitation, he told her to make the bread and first prepare his meal, and then she and her son could eat. When she acted by faith and did what he asked, the word of the Lord came to him that “The jar of flour will not be used up and the jug of oil will not run dry until the day the Lord sends rain on the land” (1 Kings 17:14). And that is exactly what happened. The flour and oil were refilled day after day, just as the Lord had promised (1 Kings 17:15–16).

Similarly, when Israel was experiencing deep spiritual thirst because of their sin and the oppression of the Philistines, the angel of the Lord came to the home of a barren woman to promise the coming of a son, Samson, who would help deliver Israel from their enemies (Judges 13:5). What appeared to be an impossible situation became the story of God’s miraculous intervention. The Lord opened her barren womb, and she gave birth to one of Israel’s most powerful judges.

We see this same pattern most clearly in the life and work of Jesus. If we were writing the story of salvation, we probably would not have chosen a humble woman, a manger or a cross as the way God would save the world. The cross looked like the ultimate place of weakness and death. But God chose that very place to reveal His greatest power and accomplish our salvation. And then, just when it seemed that death had won, God brought life out of the tomb. The empty tomb became the ultimate reminder that what looks barren or hopeless to us is never beyond God’s ability to redeem and transform.

God’s Power Revealed

If it were up to us, we’d likely choose people who were strong, influential, and wealthy to fulfill important tasks. But God repeatedly chooses those who are weak, insignificant, and poor so that all glory from the miracle would go to Him. These stories remind us that God brings life and salvation out of places where the human eye only sees emptiness, barrenness, and death.

An empty jar, a barren womb, and an empty tomb. They all remind us that God does His greatest work among people and in places that we least suspect. When I find myself in a similar storyline, I want to remember that what appears empty and hopeless to me is never beyond God's ability to fill and redeem. If I will look to Him and trust Him, I can have confidence that my emptiness can become a place where His supernatural power is revealed.

“Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us” (Ephesians 3:20)

Weeping and Praying

What do you do when you obey God, certain that you’ve done what He’s asked you to do, and the result is defeat? When this happens, the temptation is to think that God must not be in this, that we must have missed His leading, or this cannot be His will. As a result, we often quit and quickly change direction. But God reveals in Scripture that this is often not the case, and that instead of giving up or coming under condemnation, thinking that our disobedience caused the defeat, He wants us to come to Him with our weeping while at the same time calling out to Him for further wisdom about how to move forward.

Many of us believe that if God has called us to something, the path should be straightforward and easy. But Judges 20 provides a sobering reminder that it is often just the opposite. We can be right in the center of God’s will and still experience painful defeat. 

When the tribes of Israel heard the report of the evil done among the Benjaminites to a fellow Levite and his concubine, who were traveling through their town, they were greatly disturbed. They first appealed to their brothers to release the men who had committed the crime of rape and murder, but the Benjaminites refused. As a result, Israel gathered four hundred thousand soldiers and then went before the Lord to ask who was to first go and fight their enemy. The Lord responded that Judah was to take the lead, so they followed His command and went to battle the next morning expecting victory. But to their surprise, they lost 22,000 men. In shock and despair, they “wept before the Lord until evening” and then prayed again, this time asking Him if they were to go back into battle. Again, God responded positively: “Go up against them” (Judges 20:23).

The Lord’s “yes” seemed again to be His promise that they would succeed. But instead, they experienced another huge loss of 18,000 men on the second day, leaving them more perplexed and discouraged than before. So once again, they went before the Lord, weeping and praying, but this time also offering sacrifices to Him -- which was according to the instructions of God's Word. When they asked if they should keep fighting, the Lord gave them an even more hopeful promise: “Go, for tomorrow I will give them into your hands” (Judges 20:28).

The missing assurance from the Lord the first two times they inquired of Him became significant when it was present the third time, when He said, “I will give them into your hands.” His additional words of comfort could have been in response to their deeper questions, which initially did not include asking if God wanted them to go to battle, but rather who they should send. God also was trying to teach them that they should approach Him for victory only through the blood of a lamb -- ultimately the Lamb (Revelation 12:11). As they continued to inquire of God and surrendered their hearts to do His will, His counsel moved from the general to the very specific assurance that He was going to fight this battle for them. Yet they never would have heard this message if they had assumed He was not with them or for them and had given up praying and seeking the Lord. It’s possible He was testing their faith to see if they would listen to, trust, and obey Him.

In His sovereign wisdom, God determined that the loss of Israel’s 40,000 soldiers was necessary before they could defeat the Benjaminites. By allowing them to face such a significant loss, they likely saw their own sinfulness, their inability to fight in their own strength, and their great need for the Lord’s gracious help, which comes through the blood of the Lamb. God wanted them to know that He was the righteous judge and that this battle, along with all others, was His. In fact, in Judges 20:35, we read that it was “the Lord [who] defeated Benjamin before Israel.” He gave them wisdom to devise an ambush, and when they counterattacked, He caused the Benjaminites to become terrified and flee.

Israel could have easily assumed after the first and second losses that they were completely out of God’s will. They could have stopped praying, and given up on the battle, or they could have determined to do it in their own strength without Lord’s help. Either way, they would have missed God’s blessings and His best—which can only be experienced through a life of dependence on Him and His presence. Instead, they poured out their hearts, weeping and lamenting over their losses, while looking up to fix their gaze on the Lord, who they knew could lead and comfort them.

Their story reminds me of the importance of seeking God’s will and also staying the path He has called me to until He shows me to move in a different direction. This means refusing to give in to despair when my circumstances do not go as I have planned. At the same time, it involves humbling myself before Him to be willing to grow in my understanding of what He desires. Recently, God has used defeat to teach me greater dependence on Him, allowing losses and suffering to press me into more intense times of prayer and lament—not to win his favor, but to realign my heart to better understand, desire, and obey His will.

“We do not know what to do, but our eyes are on you” (2 Chronicles 20:12).

A Planting of the Lord for the Display of His Splendor

God chose an interesting metaphor in Isaiah 61:3 to describe redeemed and restored Israel. He refers to them as “oaks of righteousness, planted by the Lord for the display of his splendor.” Like a mighty oak, they will become strong as they’re rooted in his covenantal love. This beautiful word picture greatly contrasts with the earlier description of Israel as a fruitless vine and a bruised reed, which is swayed and broken by the winds of suffering (Isaiah 5:1–7; 42:3). Through this promise, God points Israel and us forward to the redeeming work of Jesus Christ, who by his Spirit transforms his people for his glory.

As I’ve been meditating on this passage, I’ve been reminded of God’s supreme wisdom and power in fulfilling this once-mysterious promise through the person and work of Jesus Christ, the God-Man. At the beginning of his ministry, Jesus stood in the synagogue and read Isaiah 61:1–2:

“The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.” (Luke 4:18–19; Isaiah 61:1–2)

And after reading this passage, he asserted his identity, saying, “Today this Scripture is fulfilled in your hearing” (Luke 4:21). Jesus revealed that he was the long-awaited Messiah who fulfilled Isaiah’s promise.

Planting of the Lord

By declaring himself to be the fulfillment of Isaiah 61, Christ gives a clearer picture of the lives we are created to live as his beloved, redeemed children, made in his image. In 61:1, we see the state of humanity before the heralding of the Gospel—we are poor, brokenhearted, and captive to sin and shame. But the message the Anointed One brings is one of hope and liberation, announcing the Lord’s favor and comfort for all who grieve. The prognosis is dire, but the healing reveals the sovereign work of God, who has begun to build his kingdom and reverse the curse.

Then in verse 3, we see that this change God promises not only brings blessings but involves the removal of the curse of sin and death. In place of the ashes, God promises through Christ and his Gospel to “bestow on them a crown of beauty” (Isaiah 61:3). Mourning is exchanged for the “oil of joy,” and despair for a “garment of praise” (Isaiah 61:3). Finally, those who receive the Messiah’s message of salvation are given a new identity: “They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the Lord for the display of his splendor” (Isaiah 61:3).

Like a tree that cannot plant itself or cause its own growth, our planting and flourishing is all of God. He makes “righteousness and praise spring up before all the nations” (Isaiah 61:11) by clothing us with his salvation and giving us his “robe of righteousness” (Isaiah 61:10). As a result, everyone who sees us recognizes that we are people blessed by the Lord (Isaiah 61:9). 

A New Testament passage that beautifully summarizes this divine exchange outlined in Isaiah 61:3, declares, “He who knew no sin became sin so that we might become the righteousness of God in Christ” (2 Corinthians 5:21). Through Christ’s redeeming work on the cross and his resurrection, he takes our sin, guilt, and shame, and in their place gives his own glorious righteousness, crediting it to our account as we put our trust in him.

This work of whole-life transformation is done by the same Spirit that anointed Christ and raised him from the dead (Isaiah 61:1). His supernatural power and presence in our lives bring about radical regeneration from darkness and prison to light and freedom, and he then begins the work of strengthening and growing us as his very own oaks of righteousness.

For the Display of His Splendor

Because we’ve been regenerated and established by God, we’re made to flourish for his glory and not our own. When looking at a massive oak, its beauty and splendor reveal God’s wisdom and power and point us to worship the Creator and not the creation itself. In the same way, as our lives are transformed by the Good News, the glory we reveal is meant to point to the One who has made and established us in his image so that we worship him.

The oak tree imagery of Isaiah, which follows the description of the divine exchange, reveals God’s design to not only renew us but to give us a new identity in union with Christ. He begins by restoring what sin has broken and then transforms our identity, remaking us into “oaks of righteousness for the display of his splendor.” As Paul proclaims, we become a new creation in Christ—the old is gone, and the new has come (2 Corinthians 5:17). In Christ, we become beloved children of God (1 John 3:2).

When it seems God’s kindness toward us has reached its climax, he commissions us to join in the work of our Master. Just as he came to bind up the brokenhearted, heal those crushed in spirit, and proclaim freedom for the captives (Isaiah 61:1; Luke 4:18), so he now sends us out as priests and ministers—a people set apart to declare his goodness and participate in his work of restoration (Isaiah 61:5–6). 

Like the Lord, we’re now equipped to rebuild and restore what has been ruined and “devastated for generations” (Isaiah 61:4). We come with a message of Gospel hope and transformation, fulfilling the age-old prophecy of Isaiah and echoing the words and ministry of Jesus, so that through us the world may see the splendor of the Lord and turn to worship him. 

“For as the soil makes the sprout come up and a garden causes seeds to grow, so the Sovereign LORD will make righteousness and praise spring up before all nations" (Isaiah 61:11)

The Warrior King and the Spiritual Battle

We are engaged in a real war—a spiritual battle for our souls and for the souls of all of humanity. Yet the comforting news is that this epic battle is not ours but the Lord's. Our victory is certain as we stand in the armor He has given us, fully persuaded that He has already defeated our enemy at the cross and continues to fight for us until the war is over.

To stand strong in this battle, we need to look back to where it all started to witness how the Warrior King has been fighting for His people from the very beginning. Battle and spiritual warfare imagery find their origin in the Old Testament, beginning with the first Gospel in Genesis 3:15. 

After the Fall, God promises that the Serpent will strike the heel of the Seed of the Woman, Jesus Christ, but that Christ will ultimately prevail by crushing the Serpent's head. From that first promise, Scripture unfolds the conflict between the kingdom of God and the kingdom of darkness throughout the history of Israel. 

As we walk through the Old Testament, from the Law through the Prophets, we see God revealing Himself not only as the Lord of all creation but also as the Commander of the armies of Israel and of heaven, who goes before them to fight their battles. The visible battles Israel fought revealed the invisible conflict that had been raging since the Garden of Eden.

One of the clearest demonstrations of God's role as Warrior King comes in His deliverance of Israel from Egypt as He sends the plagues and repeatedly commands Pharaoh to let His people go. This shows He is the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, and that every knee must bow before Him and confess Him as Lord. At the waters of the Red Sea just before splitting them apart, He makes a declaration of His role as the sovereign Commander declaring: "The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still" (Exodus 14:14). 

In the book of Deuteronomy (1:30, 3:22, 20:4), we witness Him telling Israel not to fear because He is fighting for them. We not only see passages testifying that "the Lord fought for Israel" (Joshua 10:14), but also that He always won the battle: "Not one of all their enemies had withstood them, for the LORD had given all their enemies into their hands" (Joshua 21:44).

In the book of Isaiah, we get a prophetic glimpse of the Divine Warrior Himself suiting up for battle. The veil is pulled back, and we see the preincarnate Christ clothing Himself in armor before going to judge His enemies. "The Lord goes out like a mighty man, like a man of war He stirs up His zeal; He cries out, He shouts aloud, He shows Himself mighty against His foes" (Isaiah 42:13). 

Again, Isaiah declares, "He put on righteousness as a breastplate, and a helmet of salvation on His head; He put on garments of vengeance for clothing, and wrapped Himself in zeal as a cloak" (Isaiah 59:17). In Isaiah 11:4–5, we find another example that echoes the warfare imagery of Ephesians 6: "Righteousness shall be the belt of His waist, and faithfulness the belt of His loins."

As we transition to the New Testament, we witness Paul intentionally repeating this  imagery when he commands believers to "put on the whole armor of God," the armor of light, and calls believers soldiers who are to be prepared for battle (Ephesians 6:10–18; 2 Timothy 2:3–4). 

We are given spiritual weapons that are not of this world (2 Corinthians 10:3–5) and are shown that, like Israel, this is primarily a fight of faith—a battle to remain fully persuaded in our trust that the Lord will save and deliver us from the enemy. Paul is not creating a new metaphor but reminding believers that the armor we are to wear is God's own armor. In fact, Jesus now clothes us with the same armor that He used against His enemies when He won the victory.

When we read Scripture as a collective whole, we realize that the physical battles of the Old Testament pointed to the greater spiritual war Christ would ultimately win through His life, death, and resurrection. In the New Testament, Paul reminds us that our fight, regardless of how physical it may appear, "is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places" (Ephesians 6:12). 

Israel’s battles were written by the Lord Himself to teach us where victory is truly found (Isaiah 6:1–3). Every one reminds us that He fights for us, keeps every promise, and never loses a war. As we witness Him commanding the armies and winning against all enemies, our faith is strengthened so that we, too, can declare with confidence that "the battle is not [ours], but God's" (2 Chronicles 20:15). The same Warrior King who fought for Israel now fights for us, clothing us in His own armor until the final victory is won.

"Give us aid against the enemy, for human help is worthless. With God we will gain the victory, and He will trample down our enemies." (Psalm 108:12–13)

Flourishing Through Resurrection Hope

I remember first clearly hearing the Gospel from a Campus Crusade intern when I was in college. She explained God’s good work of creation, the fall of humanity into sin, and the coming of the God-Man, Jesus Christ, the promised Messiah, who is the atoning sacrifice for our sins. She made it clear that if I repented and turned from trusting in my own works and myself, and instead placed my trust in Christ, I could receive His gift of eternal life and the hope of the resurrection.

For decades, this resurrection hope carried me through lean seasons in ministry, hardships in my marriage, challenges in parenting, battles in daily life, and health issues. But somewhere along the way, over the past eight years, it began to take second seat in my life to a cultural emphasis in America—the gospel of human flourishing.

Cultural Emphasis on Human Flourishing

What is the gospel of human flourishing? In reading on the topic recently, I’ve seen that there has been a shift in many denominations over the past several decades from a focus on the gift of Christianity as eternal life to a focus on life here and now and the blessings we can receive as we put our hope and trust in Christ. The purpose behind this teaching is logical, as it reminds believers of the essential truth that new life in Christ is much more than just waiting for eternity. I believe it has been developed to help Christians embrace the Gospel reality that when we receive the Holy Spirit and are brought into God’s family, we are called to work together in the Spirit’s power to build His kingdom on earth as it is in heaven (Matthew 6:10).

This emphasis was much-needed. Previously, theological imbalances caused many believers to embrace an overly spiritualized focus on the eternal to the neglect of the practical. With this imbalance came an abandoning of practical wisdom for flourishing in marriage, work, finances, parenting, and even the stewardship of our bodies. Leaders developed Bible studies and seminars to help believers learn to apply Biblical truths and concepts to all areas of life.

This brought great blessings to the church and spoke volumes to the watching world about the redeeming power of the Gospel. However, by spotlighting the call to flourish in this life, the light on the hope of the resurrection was dimmed. Instead of holding these Biblical truths in balance, which is crucial, the pendulum swung to the opposite extreme. Flourishing, which is evidence of the Gospel at work, is not the whole Gospel message, and when separated from the hope of Christ’s resurrection diminishes the finished work of Christ.

Paul explains the essential role of the resurrection hope of the Gospel clearly in Colossians 1:5. In this passage, he shows that Christ’s resurrection and our resurrection with and in Him are foundational to flourishing in faith and love—which includes all that we do in this life. He also highlights that our Father is the very “God of hope” who fills us “with joy and peace as we trust in Him” (Romans 15:13). Paul continues to echo this reality when he says that our hope is in the resurrection, and that if our hope is in this life only, we are to be pitied above all people (1 Corinthians 15:19–20).

Flourishing Anchored in the Resurrection

The blessing of flourishing in the Christian life, then, is not found in focusing on how we can thrive more in this life. Instead, as Paul reminds us, true flourishing—true blessedness—comes as we set our hope on the resurrected King, anchoring our hope in His resurrection, and setting our minds on things above, not on earthly things (Colossians 3:1–2).

As I’ve been reading Colossians 1, the Lord is reminding me of this essential truth. One practical step that I’m taking—and that may help you—is taking time to daily meditate on the resurrection, along with Christ's ascension: “Keep seeking the things above not the things of earth, because you have died and your life is now hidden with Christ in God” (Colossians 3:3). Not only is the ascension essential, but His second coming and our coming back with Him in glory is vital to the Gospel (Colossians 3:4).

The more we set our minds on the hope of the resurrection, the more we will realize we are created for a relationship with the eternal, triune God. Just as light reflects off an object, the light of Gospel hope will shine into our lives, guiding us to live in a way that pleases the Lord and leads to genuine flourishing. Simultaneously, we will also see that all blessings in this life are preparing us to reign and rule with Him and will soon pass away. Both our trials and triumphs are momentary compared to the eternal weight of glory waiting for us in the resurrection, where we will live with the Lord forever (2 Corinthians 4:17–18). This helps us focus our minds on Christ and Christ alone as our very life: “And when Christ who is our life is revealed, we will be revealed with Him in glory” (Colossians 3:4).

In essence, the hope of our eternal life in Christ is the crown jewel of our Christian life, with Jesus being the crown itself. True spiritual flourishing flows out of a deep and growing hope in His resurrection, not the other way around (Romans 5:2b-5). When we fix our eyes on Christ and the life He promises, we will be able to walk in faith and love in a way that bears fruit for His glory. 

“We rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. Not only [in this] so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love for us has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us” (Romans 5:2b-5).

"The Immeasurable Greatness of His Power Toward Us"

I wanted to share a link to a sermon by John Piper titled “The Immeasurable Greatness of His Power Toward Us,” because it so beautifully captures the heart of our new life in Christ and God’s desire for us to truly know the riches of our union with Him.

Over the past year, as I’ve been reading and meditating on Ephesians 1 at night, I’ve become increasingly aware of my own need to grow in the very knowledge Paul prayed for the Ephesians—to have “the eyes of my heart enlightened” so that I may know the hope of my calling, the riches I have in Christ, and the incomparable power of God at work in me—the same power that raised Christ from the dead and seated Him at His right hand (Ephesians 1:17–21). Many nights I close my Bible with a sense of both awe and disappointment. I'm amazed that God has promised such incredible blessings for everyone who is in Christ, but also disappointed, asking why I do not have a deeper degree of this spiritual understanding in my own life.

If you’ve ever felt the same and are longing for a greater awareness and experience of God’s supernatural work through your union with Christ in His death and resurrection, I hope this sermon will be a great encouragement. It has been for me! Piper clearly explains why we often struggle to grasp these truths and provides much-needed insight into how we can grow in our ability to apprehend the riches of our new life in Christ.

https://www.desiringgod.org/messages/the-immeasurable-greatness-of-his-power-toward-us

Living in Our True Identity in Christ

Imagine waking up one morning to discover your entire identity has been remade. You receive instructions that you are being reimagined and redefined by different realities than before. Now imagine agreeing to this, saying goodbye to your previous identity, and taking on a whole new way of life.

This sounds like a Jason Bourne movie, but in a sense, it is what happens when we come to know Jesus Christ as both Savior and Lord. In that instant, we are regenerated and receive from God’s Spirit a new identity, as those who are now in union with Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17; Ephesians 2:10). The Bible says we are literally transferred from an old kingdom—Adam-land—to the new kingdom of Christ and given new desires and desires to live for our new King (Colossians 1:13; Romans 6:4). The Bible assures us that this new identity cannot be removed, and that we are secure as newly adopted daughters and sons of the King (Romans 8:15-17).

But what if the ruler of the previous kingdom—the kingdom of darkness—sends messages contrary to God’s messages about our new identity? What happens if we choose to believe those lies? In the same way that we begin to live out Gospel truth, we can, in a lesser and temporary sense, begin to live out a false identity if we choose to listen to and believe false information about God, ourselves, and others.

Here’s how it works: maybe we go through a series of difficult trials, hurts, and disappointments. Through this, we are asking God for answers and help, but not seeing definite results. Thoughts begin to emerge and we wonder if things will improve, if God is really with us, and if He will come through. We begin to doubt if we are really that different than we were before, and if we can handle the stress of these trials if they continue. Slowly, we start to believe small lies like “I need more than I have to get through this,” “God doesn’t care,” and "I've got to figure this out on my own." With these lies come the foundations of a new, alternate identity. We’ve shifted from a position of trust in what God says about us and Himself to believing what our feelings and circumstances say (Proverbs 3:5-6; Jeremiah 17:9).

The Greater Reality

We look at the things around us—our homes, nature, and the world—and conclude that what we see and experience is the greatest form of reality and constitutes our real identity. In addition, our flesh, the world system and Satan are constantly trying to tell us that God and His invisible truths are illusory. But the Bible says this is not true (2 Corinthians 4:18). In an instant, everything we consider reliable in the world can shift and be destroyed, including health, finances, and relationships. It is an illusion to believe these things are more stable or can sustain us better than the reality that God tells us is true in His Word. Thus, two definitions of what is true and what is illusory are at battle, because there are two kingdoms at war—the domain of darkness and the kingdom of our Father’s beloved Son.

The flesh and Satan’s demons continually tell us that God’s truth and the new identity we have in Christ are an illusion. On the other hand, the Lord describes all the riches we have in Christ. The two are antithetical. For example, God says our life is now hidden with Christ in God, and Christ is our life. Yet the whole culture surrounding us screams that this description of our identity and riches in Christ is false, and that true identity is found in that which we handle, see, and hear. 

We may not feel it, but God’s description of our identity is more real than anything in this universe that our senses perceive and our emotions feel. We walk by faith, not by sight. Since this is true, it’s vital to know God’s truth so that we can discern the lies we are tempted to believe. Here are a few that impact our lives, along with God’s promises, which we can stand on.

Three Key Lies

“I am not complete.”

This is the serpent’s lie in the Garden, tempting Adam and Eve to seek transcendence through special wisdom and knowledge that would make them whole (Genesis 3:1–6). Yet they were already complete in their relationship with God. As those who are now in Christ, the Bible says we are complete in Him (Colossians 2:10). That means that though we are sinful, broken, and lacking perfection in our flesh—in everything from our intellect to physical strength and ability—Christ has given us His righteousness (2 Corinthians 5:21) and made us spiritually alive and whole through union with Him. Now, we live as those who fully measure up in Christ because of His sufficiency, not our own.

As we trust this, we can go out each day from a place of fullness so that His living waters flow from us (John 7:38), rather than going out seeking validation, acceptance, and completion through what we do, know, or accomplish. If we believe the lie that we are incomplete, we will live in an entirely different identity than what Christ has given us, and instead of bearing good fruit, we will bear the bitter fruit of the flesh (Galatians 5:22–23).

“I am alone.”

Another lie is that we are alone—that God is not with us on a practical level. Adam and Eve likely gave in to this deception, forgetting about God’s nearness and His faithfulness. If they had trusted that the Lord was with them and was not withholding any good, in their moment of temptation, they would have called out to Him as their ever-present help and protector (Psalm 46:1). In response, the Lord Himself would have driven out the wicked one.

The wonderful reality is that He has given believers His Holy Spirit, our Helper and Advocate, to dwell within us, sealing us to Himself eternally (John 14:26; Ephesians 1:14). We are never alone and never will be! He promises, “I am with you always even to the end i of the world” (Matthew 28:20).

If we truly trust that God is with us and helping us, we will live at peace, walk in his wisdom and wait for Him, rather than turning to idols for support when life doesn’t work out the way we want (Isaiah 41:10; Philippians 4:6-7).

“I must protect and defend myself.”

When we believe the lie that we’re not complete in Christ and that we are alone, we will inevitably think that we have to protect and defend ourselves to flourish and remain safe. This puts us in both an offensive and defensive position that eventually exhausts us—leaving us to discern all danger, form strategies to evade it, fight the enemy, and protect ourselves (Ephesians 6:12).

In a sense, we become our own god, trying to validate our worth through striving and contending, then seeking to protect ourselves from danger by either fight or flight. Adam and Eve did this after eating from the forbidden tree, as they hid from God to defend themselves and put together fig leaves to cover their shame. The same is true for us. All our strategies to guard ourselves from shame, pain, and evil are like flimsy fig leaf coverings that cannot protect us. But if we trust in the Lord’s protection and actively put ourselves under His care, He will fulfill His promises.

Returning to our True Identity

The way back to living in our true identity is often easier to trace once we’ve recognized the lies we’re believing. Dissatisfied with the chaotic static of our misplaced identity, we begin to hear God clearly beckoning us to return to Him and the truth to find freedom and flourishing (John 8:32). This begins by actively turning our eyes and ears back to His unchanging Word, acknowledging that despite how we feel or what we sense in this ever-changing physical world, His Word is true, and every creature is a liar (Hebrews 4:12; Romans 3:4). Because of His gift of faith in Christ (1 Timothy 1:14; 2 Timothy 1:13; 2 Peter 1:1), we can renounce the lies of our flesh, the world, and Satan, and embrace God’s inerrant, infallible Word with complete trust that we are complete and qualified in Christ (Colossians 2:10). He will never leave or forsake us and is fighting on our behalf.

By putting our complete confidence in Him, we can rest in the assurance that He is in charge, upholding us with His powerful right hand and that the battle belongs to the Lord – not us (Exodus 14:14; Isaiah 41:10). As we do this, we begin to live from a place of rest, just as God promised in Hebrews: “for anyone who enters God’s rest also rests from their works, just as God did from his” (Hebrews 4:10). We no longer need to strive to prove, defend, or complete ourselves, because the one who is our very life has already made us whole (Colossians 3:3–4). We don’t have to live as those who are orphans, since we rest in our Father’s care. And we do not need to be hyper-alert, with an adrenaline surge and cortisol explosion, because our Father is the sovereign ruler over all the details of life—just as Jesus said in Matthew 6:25-34.

The battle for our identity is essentially a battle for our fully persuaded trust. Will we trust the voice of our loving Lord or the lies of th world, the flesh and the deceiver? Every day, we are free to live as those who are secure in Christ. The more we learn to stand on this reality, the more the illusions of our flesh and the world begin to fade. The truth becomes clear—we are his chosen, adopted, beloved, holy children who are not only complete but secure in Christ (Ephesians 1:3-5; Colossians 3:12).

“Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when Christ appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is” (1 John 3:1-2)

God's Promises for Tomorrow's "What-Ifs"

What if?... Fear often comes with “what ifs” and vain speculation about the future. One example from the Bible that comes to mind when I think of this is when Jesus told Peter about his certain death. On hearing this, Peter began wondering about how John would also die. Rather than join him in this future speculation, Jesus told him not to be concerned about John. Instead, He wanted Peter to focus on counting the cost of his service to Christ and trusting Him.

Jesus rarely foretold personal details, but when He did, it was always to prepare His followers for trials or to point them to the sovereignty of God. When Jesus predicted the hardships His disciples would go through for the sake of the Gospel as He was sending them out in Matthew 10, He exhorted them not to be afraid because He would be with them—to rescue, deliver, embolden, and give them the words they needed when they stood before rulers and councils. He explained that as the sovereign Lord He was in charge of even a sparrow falling to the ground and had numbered their very hairs, saying, “So don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows” (Matthew 10:30–31).

The pattern of Jesus’ life and teaching was consistent with Scripture’s command not to look anxiously into tomorrow. He told the disciples, “Do not worry about tomorrow, what you will eat or drink, or what you will wear. Tomorrow has enough worries of its own” (Matthew 6:34). In a similar way, Paul in Philippians commands us: “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:6–7).

So why worry?

We are often lured into the “what ifs” by the desire to have a better understanding of what will happen. From the time we are young, we are taught problem-solving skills that help us plan for the future and avoid danger. We learn consequential thinking—“if this, then that”—to determine outcomes. We’re also taught to plan ahead, which requires some speculation about what might happen. In addition to this, we are wired in the flesh to seek to be in control, rather than to surrender our future to the Lord. By trying to predict what will happen, we fool ourselves into thinking that we are able, through reasoning, planning, and strategizing, to gain the wisdom and knowledge needed to shape our future. Instead, we often end up gripped by fear if our view of tomorrow looks bleak -- or clothed in pride if it looks promising.

While God commands us to be wise in planning for the future and exhorts us that a “wise man sees the danger and hides himself from it" (Proverbs 22:3), He never gives us license to either worry about or put our hope in our future circumstances. As we make diligent plans, we’re called to surrender them to Him and keep our hope in Christ, who alone knows our future.

How do we live in the tension of tomorrow without allowing “what ifs” to destroy our peace?

The apostle Paul leaves an example for us to follow when he acknowledges the brevity and uncertainty of his own future, declaring, “If I live, I live for Christ; if I die, I die for Christ. Whether I live or die, I belong to Christ.” Paul starts with the greatest point of anxiety—losing his very life—and makes a faith declaration that even in death, he is confident and at peace because he belongs to Christ. He recognizes that God alone has numbered his days.

Like Paul, once we settle the greatest “what if,” death itself, then we can move to the lesser “what ifs.” What if I have financial hardship? What if my health fails? What if my marriage doesn’t make it? What if my children aren’t healthy? Like Paul with life and death, we need to have a settled response for each of these based on our trust and confidence in the Father’s good plans for us and His promises.

The Bible makes it clear that “the secret things belong to the Lord” (Deuteronomy 29:29). When these questions come, we can answer: “I don’t know what will happen tomorrow, but God knows. He has gone before me, numbered my days, and promised that every hardship must first pass through His loving hands. He’s guaranteed that He’ll be with me, take care of me, give me wisdom, and strengthen me for every trial I face, giving me all that I need to flourish and live for His glory.”

We can take these “what ifs” and lay them at the foot of the cross under the promises of God, which is where they belong. As we see them in their rightful place under the kind jurisdiction of our loving Father, who tenderly cares for us, we are free to set our gaze on Christ and all of His promises.

Our Father has said that He’s come to give us an abundant life, overflowing with thankfulness and the fruit of the Spirit—among which are joy and peace. As Paul reminds us in Romans, they flow out of our lives as we trust in Christ—that He is who He says He is and will do all that He promises to do. When we trust Him and do this, we will find that every “what if” has its answer in Christ. As we rest in Him and His sovereign care, tomorrow’s uncertainties lose their power, and we are freed to live in His peace. “And the peace of God which passes all understanding will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:7).

“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid” (John 14:27).

A Gravestone and an Empty Tomb

Something radical, life-transforming, and supernatural happened to me in April 1988. The Spirit of the living God—the same Spirit who raised Jesus from the dead—came upon me and sealed me eternally to God in Christ. As Paul writes in Ephesians 1, the Spirit is given “as a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance.” That day brought new life, forgiveness, adoption, redemption, hope, and the fruit of the Spirit. But it also brought a gravestone – the death of slavery to sin, Satan, and the rule of my flesh. Like a gravestone marking a burial, this marked the death of my old self and the beginning of my new life in Christ.

When we come to Christ through repentant faith in His finished work on the cross, death and new life occur simultaneously: “We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death so that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life” (Romans 6:4). Paul echoes this reality in Colossians 3:3: “For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God.” In Galatians 2:20 he explains, “I have been crucified with Christ, and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me.”

As those who have died to sin (Romans 6:2), we are released from its power and are free to live and walk in the Spirit. For 24 years, my sinful nature ruled me, but through the atoning blood of Christ and His resurrection it was rendered powerless (Romans 6:6). As a result, my allegiance is no longer to Satan or the flesh but to the Father, the Lord Jesus and the Spirit of God: “For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God” (Romans 8:14). The Spirit assures us daily of our adoption (Romans 8:15–16) and that we are “co-heirs with Christ” as we share in His sufferings (Romans 8:17).

Paul emphasizes this doctrine because it is integral to the Christian faith. We must know and trust that our death to sin and resurrection with Christ are both present and future realities. Why? Because trusting Christ’s finished work and our new identity in Him is the foundation that prepares us to begin putting off the works of the flesh and putting on His righteousness, so that we can bear fruit for His glory. 

If we try to produce righteousness in our own strength, we will always fail. But when we learn to live by faith in His promises in union with Him, we are enabled to walk in newness of life. Paul exhorts us in Romans 6:13: “Do not offer any part of yourself to sin as an instrument of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life.” In Colossians 3:5–18, he provides details of the sin we are to put off, in the Spirit’s power, along with the righteousness we are now called to live in. He uses strong language like “put to death” and “rid yourselves of” to describe how actively we are to resist the desires of the flesh. He then instructs us in the Spirit’s power to “clothe ourselves” and to “put on” the very character and nature of Christ—compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience (Colossians 3:12).

Is it that simple?

If you’re anything like me, you’re wondering, “Is it really that simple?” The answer is both yes and no. Paul is not implying that understanding our union with Christ solves all spiritual struggles or negates the need to daily “put to death the misdeeds of the body”(Romans 8:13), which he shows is essential for eternal life. Instead, he’s showing that the resurrection power to live righteously is closely connected to understanding and trusting our new identity in Christ (Romans 6:11). As theologian Sinclair Ferguson writes, Paul knows that, “Our who determines our do.” He is clear that while we’re still tempted to sin and struggle, sin no longer has the right to reign over our lives. About this he declares, “For sin shall no longer be your master, because you are not under the law, but under grace” (Romans 6:14). 

We have died with Christ to the law through His perfect obedience on our behalf. He now calls us to fulfill the law of love, not by our human works, but by grace, as we trust in His righteousness imputed to us. The indwelling Spirit enables us to do this – to live and walk in righteousness, holiness and truth like Jesus did (Romans 8:11; 1 John 2:6). “If we walk in the Spirit, we will not fulfill the lusts of the flesh” (Galatians 5:16). In Romans 8:4, Paul shows that “the righteousness the law describes is fully met in us, who do not live according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.”

After wrestling to embrace and understand these truths for many years, I’ve come to realize that they are not abstract doctrines but essential for spiritual growth and flourishing in the Christian life. The patterns of the flesh still daily seek to control us (Romans 7:21), but by faith in Christ’s finished work, we can learn to walk in the Spirit and increasingly put to death the misdeeds of the body (Romans 8:13). 

This gravestone over my sinful flesh is much more than a metaphor. It is a daily reminder of the transforming power of the crucified and resurrected Lord Jesus Christ in me. The death to sin I experienced in 1988 was not a one-time event but an ongoing reality I embrace each day. By faith, I am empowered to live more and more in the freedom of the Spirit, bearing fruit and walking in victory over sin—not by my strength, but by the Spirit who raised Christ from the dead and now lives in me: “And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies because of His Spirit who lives in you” (Romans 8:11).

“His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by His own glory and goodness. Through these he has given us His very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature, having escaped the corruption in the world caused by evil desires. For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love. For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ” (2 Peter 1:3-8).

You Can Always Tell (Every Single Time): God's Faithfulness in Every Season

The Father’s wisdom and knowledge are so far beyond our comprehension that we rarely truly understand what is happening behind the scenes in our lives. He often leads us down paths we never expected, to places we were not looking for, through unsuspecting circumstances. At the same time, there is a rock-solid predictability to His character. We can remain steadfastly confident that regardless of the what, where, when and how of His mysterious ways, the “Who” remains the same. Regarding our Father’s character, we can always remain certain – every single time – that He is faithful and we can trust Him!

A strange tension exists between the absolute certainty of His character and our changing circumstances. Without the guarantee of His faithfulness, we’d be left to wring our hands in wonder if everything could possibly work out. We may have to wait long seasons like Abraham and Sarah for a promised blessing, or we might be taken aback by the seeming insignificance of God’s choice for us – like Samuel was when God revealed Israel’s future king, who was just a shepherd. But we can be sure that the One who sculpted us with His loving hands, hears our prayers, sees our tears and has a heart that is steadfastly faithful and devoted to our ultimate good (Psalm 139; 2 Kings 20:5). 

Life may appear on the surface non-sensical rather than ordered and good, like a tangle of loose strings instead of a tapestry. We at times may feel alone in our wilderness, but God assures us he will never leave us or forsake us (Hebrews 13:5). He also promises that he will bring eternal good and purpose from even our most difficult circumstances and seasons of waiting (Romans 8:28). Like Joseph, we may discover that one disappointment leads to another and then possibly another, only to wake up one day and find all the broken pieces have been artfully formed into a mosaic displaying God’s glory in perfect pattern. 

Those of great faith throughout Scripture could never have predicted all of God’s incredible answers to their prayers, but they could stand with confidence on the character of the One they were depending on to lead and care for them. We can have this same confidence as we start and finish every day, in spite of the perplexing difficulties and long seasons of waiting we experience. Though our paths often take us through valleys of waiting and wilderness, we can always trust—every single time—that His character remains unchanging and His mercies are new each morning. Great is His faithfulness, now and forever!

"Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable his judgments, and his paths beyond tracing out!" (Romans 11:33).

Thriving in the Wilderness

God reminded the people of Israel through Moses and Joshua that they must choose who they were going to serve—whether the gods of the nations or the one true God (Joshua 24:14-15). He provided them with a clear picture of the blessings they would experience if they chose to trust Him and the curses they would receive if they turned their backs on Him to worship idols (Deuteronomy 28:1-68). These outcomes served to remind all of Israel that Yahweh was Lord over all and that, to flourish, they must keep Him at the center of their lives.

Jesus taught a similar concept in John 15 to His disciples by using the analogy of a vine and branches. He reminded them that He was the True Vine and that His people were the branches. To bear fruit in our relationship with Him, we must remain in Him by remaining in His Word through trust. He promised that those who do this will bring God glory by bearing much fruit and showing that they are his true disciples (John 15:8).

Since God is the author of life and is life Himself, it’s logical that to experience flourishing, we need to remain in His presence. The Lord helped me understand this better on a trip to the Grand Canyon several years ago. As we walked around the rim, I noticed three sights that initially seemed unrelated. 

The first was a single, small wildflower growing among weeds on the dry and dusty trail. This flower was unique in that it survived the hot, desert climate, revealing that it had just the right amount of light, water, and shade to flourish. 

As we stood at the south rim of the canyon, I looked out and saw a patch of deep green surrounded by an ocean of brown right in the middle of the canyon. I knew there had to be a spring keeping the plants and grass nourished so they could grow in this sun-scorched spot. 

When I turned to look further at the canyon’s north and south rims, I noticed another stark contrast. The north rim was covered in lush, green pines, while the south was filled with dried, dead plants. The shade on the north rim provided not only a higher altitude but much-needed protection from the harsh afternoon sunlight, allowing the trees to remain green.

As I thought about these three seemingly unrelated  sights, I realized they all had a common theme, serving as a metaphor for abiding in the vine of the Father’s love. To survive and thrive in a harsh climate, they required the right amount of water, air and sunlight. 

Like these plants, we must have the right spiritual elements in our lives to survive and thrive. We need to drink from and be nourished by the water of Father’s Word, strengthened by the air of the indwelling Holy Spirit, and find life and shade in the presence of the Son of Righteousness.

The Lord promises that when we rely on Him and His resources, we will be like a fruitful vine that bears much fruit and does not wither in the heat, much like the plants in the canyon (Psalm 1, John 15). As we consistently, day by day and minute by minute, draw life from God, we not only survive but begin to thrive – despite the harsh conditions of life. 

The promise of God is certain – when we remain in Him, we will receive his abundant spiritual blessings and the strength we need to flourish in an often dry and weary land. 

“You, God, are my God, earnestly I seek you; I thirst for you, my whole being longs for you, in a dry and parched land where there is no water” (Psalm 63:1). 

A Tale of Two Hearts: Eli's Silence and Josiah's Repentance

The Lord declared a sobering prophecy over Eli’s life, after years of unfaithfulness and choosing to honor his sons over the Lord: “Those who honor me I will honor, but those who despise me will be disdained” (1 Samuel 2:30).  He assured Eli that because he refused to repent and worship the Lord rightly, the priesthood would be forever removed from his family. Instead of the blessing that was originally promised, all his male offspring would live short lives and would be cut off from serving him (1 Samuel 2:30-33).  

Later, God gave Samuel a similar message concerning the judgment that was coming upon Eli and his sons. When Eli heard the message, his only response was, “He is the LORD; let him do what is good in his eyes” (1 Samuel 3:18). On the surface, this seemed to reflect humble submission to God’s decision. But there was a noticeable absence of evidence that Eli had a contrite heart that was responsive to the Lord’s rebuke -- something we see clearly in King Josiah when he was confronted with a prophecy of the Lord’s impending judgment for Israel’s sin and rebellion. 

In contrast, when King Josiah received God's warning of destruction, he responded with humility and true repentance—and, as a result, God honored him. Josiah, who had become king when he was 8, was in his 20’s when Hilkiah the high priest discovered the Book of the Law as they were repairing the temple (2 Kings 22:8). It had been neglected and possibly hidden within the temple complex for about 57 years during the reign of King Manasseh, who the Bible says was the most wicked of all kings. 

When the priest read God’s Word in the presence of Josiah, he was so convicted, he wept and tore his robe and asked Hilkiah to inquire of the Lord about what they should do. He knew they had been disobedient to God and that “great is the Lord’s wrath that burns against us because our fathers have not listened to the words of this book” (2 Kings 22:13). 

God responded to his heart attitude of grief and humility by sending the prophet Huldah with a two-fold message – one of both judgment and blessing.  He warned that while disaster was certainly coming on the people of Israel because they had forsaken God and his Word, Josiah would be spared. 

Because his heart was “responsive and [he] humbled [himself] before the Lord” when he heard of the impending judgment, God determined to pour out his blessings on him (2 Kings 22:19). What should have been judgment for Josiah, as it was for Eli, became a blessing because he turned back to trust the Lord. Just as God declared, he honors those who honor him and is willing to relent when we repent. 

A responsive vs a non-responsive heart

In looking at Eli’s and Josiah’s different reactions to God’s rebuke, we see evidence of different heart conditions. Josiah's response reflects a tender heart that God delights in, as described in Isaiah 66:2 – one that is “humble, contrite, and trembles at God’s Word.” This heart honors God and his instruction, acknowledging him as sovereign Lord. It grieves over sins, not just with emotions, but with actions, as seen in the reforms Josiah enacted to bring the people to repentance and restoration with the Lord. 

On the other hand, an unresponsive heart – as seen in Eli’s life and the lives of most of the kings of Israel – is hardened and insensitive to the Lord’s correction, rejecting his guidance and warning.  Rather than honoring God, previous kings like Manasseh and Amon encouraged idolatry, shed innocent blood, and reversed many of God’s Laws. Like Eli, they failed to uphold God’s holiness and chose to fear and honor man over God. And though for a season they appeared to get away with this hard-hearted response, God’s judgment burned against them. Since they chose to despise him, God declared that they, too, would be disdained. 

How can we get this kind of heart?

Because God favors and honors those who respond humbly to him, it’s important to consider how we can attain this kind of heart. Josiah’s heart was transformed by trust in God and his promises, as he looked forward to the coming Messiah. As those in the New Covenant, our hearts are transformed as we look back at the finished work of Christ on the cross, trusting him to save us from our sins and make our hearts new. 

We see in Romans 8 that all who are in Christ Jesus, who have repented of their sins and trusted in Christ’s redeeming blood, are given a new, responsive heart by the indwelling Holy Spirit.  As Paul writes, if we are in Christ we are a new creation – “the old is gone and the new has come” (2 Corinthians 5:17). Once we are in Christ, we are no longer in the flesh with a heart of stone but are now in the Spirit with a soft heart that longs to please God (Romans 8:5–9). This is a gift of God’s grace (Ephesians 2:8-9).

Daily turning back to trust

Yet even those who have been eternally joined to Christ through faith in his atoning blood can begin practicing sin in areas that bring God’s severe discipline, though never judgment, into their lives. Paul gives an example of this in 1 Corinthians 11:27-30, warning that if someone takes of the Lord’s supper in an unworthy way, they are not only practicing sin but will experience the Lord’s discipline. He goes on to explain that this is the reason many are “weak and sick, and a number of you have fallen asleep.” 

In 1 Thessalonians 4:6, he warned the church about practicing sexual immorality and wronging others, saying that the Lord will chastise those who commit these sins.  The implication was if they were sinning in these areas, they needed to turn back to trust the Lord that he might relent from sending his severe discipline. 

To guard against an unbelieving heart, God wants us to moment-by-moment present ourselves to him as a living sacrifice as those who are alive from the dead (Romans 6:12-13; 12:1-2), remembering we have been adopted, forgiven, raised up and seated with him in the heavenly places (Colossians 3:1-4). As we stand in our new identity in union with Christ, knowing that we have been given a new heart that longs to please him, we’re able to trust and obey his promises, living for him in a way that brings him glory.

Two different hearts, two different outcomes

At the end of his life, Eli received all the judgment God said would come upon him and his descendants (1 Samuel 4:12-22). He and his sons died tragic deaths, and the priesthood was transferred to the line of Zadok after Ahimelech’s murder by Saul. Josiah’s life, on the other hand, was filled with peace as he trusted the Lord and implemented the reforms he promised, leading Israel back to worship the one true God. Both men sinned against the Lord, and yet both experienced different outcomes. 

Josiah humbled himself before the Lord, while Eli refused to honor the Lord higher than his sons. He could have turned and repented, weeping and tearing his tunic, and ended his days at peace with the sovereign Lord. Perhaps God would have refrained from sending such a terrible judgment. But even if he didn’t, Eli’s story could have ended with worship, bringing glory to God.

I don’t know about you, but I greatly desire to live daily with a responsive heart that’s been given to me by the Lord, turning back to repent when he reveals my sins and humbly submitting to his rightful Lordship over my life. God has promised that he desires to honor and bless those who honor him – not only in this life but in the one to come. 

"If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land" (2 Chronicles 7:14).

When Everything and Nothing Changes

One of my favorite stories in the Bible is found in John 21, when Jesus returns in His resurrected body to where Peter and the disciples have been fishing all night in the Sea of Galilee, and have caught nothing. He’s come to call them to discipleship and to reveal that He’s the living, miracle working God – just as He promised. A few years earlier, something similar happened. After fishing all night with no results, Peter and the disciples followed Jesus’ instruction to cast the nets again—and caught an abundance of fish along with an understanding of Jesus’ identity as Lord and God. It was also here that Jesus first called Peter to discipleship.

These two stories form an inclusio over Peter’s life and are connected by the truth that our position and calling in Christ are based on His righteousness and sovereign plans – not our own. Though Peter’s sin threatened to block him from a relationship with the sinless Savior and his failure in denying Christ seemed to disqualify him from his new identity in union with the Lord, he remained who God declared him to be – His forgiven, beloved, chosen son who was called to be much more than a fisherman.

The first catch

Fresh on the boat and in a new relationship with the disciples, Jesus encouraged them in Luke 5 to cast their nets even lower after a very long night of catching nothing. They respond that they’ve already tried everything, but that because it’s Him asking they will do it. As they trust and obey His command that goes against human reason, they not only catch a few fish, but the catch is so enormous that both boats almost sink.

While they were all amazed at the power God displayed in this miracle, we get a glimpse of Peter’s awestruck vision in seeing Jesus as Lord. He realizes that Jesus is completely different from himself, even though they both have human bodies and look very similar on the outside. And his response is one of shame and the need for separation as he says, “Get away from me. I’m an unclean man.”

Interestingly, Jesus does not respond in agreement, which He could have justifiably done since what Peter said was completely right — he was an unclean man, a sinner who deserved to die. But Jesus wanted him to see beyond his identity in union with Adam to his new identity in union with Christ that would come with regeneration. Peter, He said, “You’re going to be a fisher of men.” He calls that which is not yet as if it were, exactly like God did with Abraham, calling him the Father of many nations when he had not yet had a son. Jesus was pointing his gaze to the greater reality of redemption, where Peter would be transformed from a man who was dead in his sins and made alive in the very righteousness of Christ -- to live for the glory of God and the advancement of His kingdom (2 Corinthians 5:15).

The second catch

As we fast forward to John 21, it looks like everything has changed, since Peter has denied Christ three times. This fulfilled another solemn word the Lord had spoken over him, reminding him even more of his need for the cleansing, healing blood of his Savior. After his denial and Christ’s crucifixion, a great silence loomed over his life — one that left him feeling shamed and disgraced. After all, he had done the very thing he swore he would never do, opening his mind to the accusation that he was destined to be the man of unclean lips and hands who was unworthy of any service to the Lord.

Again, Jesus responded with hope -- though not denying his sin and failure. He saw Peter as one who now had a new identity, just as He had prophesied in John 5. He looked past the sinful patterns and the tendency to make impulsive decisions, past the unstable sin nature that had characterized this fisherman all his life and instead saw a shepherd -- one he entrusted to care for his flock.

In beautiful parallelism, Jesus arrives once again on the fishing scene — this time some distance from the boat where Peter and the disciples were fishing. Like before, they had fished all night and caught nothing. And just as He had done before, Jesus called out with instructions for them to try catching the fish on the other side. Once again, they listened, trusted and obeyed, which resulted in an overflow of catch from the net (John 21:6). And like before, but perhaps in the most climactic way imaginable, Peter’s spiritual eyes were opened to see that this was the same living Christ he had encountered on the boat years before. In a bold demonstration of hope, he threw himself into the water and rushed to meet the Lord – running toward His grace.

Restored to his true identity

In my opinion, this is one of the most beautiful illustrations of our unshakable new identity in Christ in the New Testament. Though everything in Peter’s life was shifting, he learned that he was eternally joined to the living Lord so that nothing – even his worst failures – could tear him out of His love (Romans 8:28).

Like Peter, every believer in Christ heard His call to discipleship and has heeded the call to follow Him. At this moment of surrender and trust, our lives were transformed, and we were transferred from our union with Adam to union with Christ-- eternally joined to the Lord in His death and resurrection. We became a new creation by His life-giving, indwelling Holy Spirit. Then sadly, along the way, like Peter and all believers, we also sinned and experienced failures and disappointments. Some of us lost important battles that began to redefine us – not as victors in union with the Lord but as those who had failed and done the very things we said we would never do.

Thankfully, the Lord beckons us to remember who we truly are and to return to Him – running toward His grace. He reminds us through Peter’s life to leave behind defeat, disappointment, and the lies that we’ve been disqualified—and return to the One who promised: “Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name; you are mine” (Isaiah 43:1). He assures us when we doubt this could be true: “You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to bear much fruit...” (John 15:16). And He guarantees: “I will never leave you nor forsake you” (Hebrews 13:5). When Jesus declared us His sons and daughters, that promise was sealed by His blood (Hebrews 10:19–22), through His Spirit (Ephesians 1:13–14). Not only so, He vowed to finish the good work of redemption He began in us (Philippians 1:6), so that “those He…called, He also justified; those He justified, He also glorified” (Romans 8:30).

Even now, the risen Christ is making intercession for us and sustaining us by His power (Hebrews 7:25). Through every tangled thread of sin, discouragement and failure, He declares the greater reality that we are now, at this very moment, His beloved children who have been made fishers of men (1 John 3:2). And because of our vital, unmovable union with Christ He assures us that “Nothing will ever separate [us] from [His] love.” (Romans 8:38–39).

God Heals Through His Promises

Whether you believe miracles have ceased or that God continues to do them, whether you’ve been sick for a day or 10,000 days, and whether healing has come or you have not been healed, these three truths remain unmovable. They stand firm even when our prayers seem unanswered:

1. God is the ultimate source of our healing (Psalm 103:3)—not doctors, medicine, diet, or exercise—though God uses these ordinary means to accomplish his purposes for healing and requires that we walk in wisdom to experience true healing.

2. God heals through prayers of faith (James 5:15) and warns us that to receive we must ask him in humility, trusting that he’s our good Father who both hears and answers our prayers (Matthew 7:7; Psalm 34:15). If we’ve prayed and not received healing, we trust in his timing and sovereign will. But his timing and will never negate his promise that he is the only One with power to heal and that he heals through our prayers of faith. We keep trusting, submitting, asking, and seeking.

3. God sends his Word to heal us (Psalm 107:20). His Word is “living and active, sharper than a double-edged sword” (Hebrews 4:12). It “will not return to him void but will accomplish the purpose for which he sent it” (Isaiah 55:11).

There are two erroneous approaches to seeking the Lord’s healing. Some have moved God’s power, authority, and ability—along with his desire to heal us—to the lowest common denominator. Instead of seeking healing by standing on God’s promises through prayers of faith, they simply pray, “Your will be done.” While they get this aspect of their prayer right, they leave out all of Jesus’ other commands to ask for help, to pray for healing, and to rely on him to do what seems impossible.

On the other hand, some have taken these promises and used them as a formula to declare that God desires for every person to be healed almost immediately as the prayers of faith are offered. While they grasp this part of God’s command to pray expectantly in faith, they leave out all of Scripture’s teaching that God’s ways are higher than our ways and his thoughts are higher than our thoughts (Isaiah 55:8–9).

The solution is not to abandon God’s promises or distort them but to allow them to direct our gaze to Christ, who beckons us to come confidently and humbly “before his throne of grace to receive mercy and grace in our time of need” (Hebrews 4:16). We are to daily present our requests to him in expectation that he is “able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine” (Ephesians 3:20), trusting that his timing is perfect and submitting to his sovereign wisdom and will—that he ultimately knows what is best and will do what is excellent, good, true, and right!

This position of expectation and submission allows us to stand confidently on his promises as we offer up prayers of faith asking for healing, all the while acknowledging that he is the one in charge and will do what he’s going to do, when he’s going to do it, and how he’s going to do it—because he’s God and we’re not!

Testimony

When a myriad of doctors were left perplexed over my health situation and acknowledged they didn’t know what was wrong, they issued a kind of life sentence over me that I would have to stay in this pain and suffering and take medicine to manage it. This didn’t bring the kind of hope God brings into difficult situations, so my family and I decided we would keep asking the Lord for healing, along with asking him daily to show me if there was anything I needed to do—any steps I needed to take—to walk in greater wisdom so that I could experience greater healing. God’s promises began to overshadow the hopeless prognosis of the medical field, reminding me that he is the God of hope who “acts on behalf of those who wait for him” (Isaiah 64:4).

His promises speak to all of life and are powerful weapons—more powerful than anything else in this world. These are some of the promises he gave me and helped me to stand on each day. I spoke them out in the morning, throughout the day, and before bed. I put them on my bedroom and bathroom walls and prayed them over and over, trusting the Lord to bring to fruition what only he could do—to fulfill his Word for my life (2 Corinthians 1:20). While he did use supplements, treatments, and medicine, ultimately it is God who was, is, and will heal me until the day appointed for me to be with him for eternity (Psalm 139:16). He alone is our true healer.

What does God promise?

“He forgives all my sins and heals all my diseases” (Psalm 103:3)

“The prayer of faith will heal the sick” (James 5:15)

“He sent his word and it healed them” (Psalm 107:20)

“Beloved, I pray that you may prosper and be in health, as your soul prospers” (3 John 1:2)

“I am the Lord, who heals you” (Exodus 15:26)

“By his wounds I have been healed” (1 Peter 2:24)

“But for you who revere my name, the sun of righteousness (Jesus Christ) will rise with healing in his wings. And you will go out and frolic like well-fed calves” (Malachi 4:2)

“I will not die but live and declare what the Lord has done” (Psalm 118:17)

“I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living” (Psalm 27:13)