Jesus spoke the following in John 8:42-47:

“Jesus said to them, “If God were your Father, you would love me, for I have come here from God. I have not come on my own; God sent me. Why is my language not clear to you? Because you are unable to hear what I say. You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies. Yet because I tell the truth, you do not believe me! Can any of you prove me guilty of sin? If I am telling the truth, why don’t you believe me? Whoever belongs to God hears what God says. The reason you do not hear is that you do not belong to God.” [Emphasis mine]

These are very strong words from Jesus. He clearly delineates between those who know and love God, and those who do not. Those who do not love God belong to Satan.  That is a startling truth for many people. 

Jesus’ words clearly reveal that there is an unseen spiritual realm. There is a battle between truth and lies. Those who belong to God can recognize the lies.

Through the ages people have believed Satan’s lies, and those who failed to look to God, by faith, as they looked forward to God’s chosen seed [Jesus](Genesis 3:14-15) were/are duped.

The Scholastic book sale at my friend’s kid’s elementary school is selling this book: “We’ve Got The Whole World In Our Hands”. Note the lies – “We’ve”… “our?” Inside the author writes that “the winds and waves are in our hands”. 

Really???  Clearly, any thinking person should know that we don’t hold anything in our hands. But Satan has blinded people to truth. It feels good to our human nature to think we have life under our own control. Truly, when we consider the events of each day, and the constant changes to our plans, we can conclude that we have little control over anything. Have you ever said anything, then regretted it? I have! It reveals to me that I don’t even have control over myself all the time.

If we have the world, wind, and rain in our hands, the inference is that we have control over events. 

If that is the case, why don’t we bring rain now, because we need it badly, in the Albany, New York area. 

Why don’t we stop hurricanes, and other “natural” disasters? 

Why don’t we bring peace in war torn countries?

If that is the case, why do people blame God for all the ills of this world?

Currently, Satan has the ability to influence people. His influence is always harmful, though it may not seem so at the moment. 2 Corinthians 11:14 “And no wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light.” As an angel of light Satan tells us that we are able to sin without consequences. I’ve tried that, it is a lie! Satan tells us that what God says He doesn’t mean. The nation of Israel tried that, it was a lie, and they ended up exiled from their homeland, and the Jewish people are still suffering because of imbedded sin.

Satan pretends to offer people hope, peace, and fulfillment in this life, if we follow the ways of this world, but that is a lie. The only true way to find fulfillment, hope, and peace is through a personal relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ.

He holds the whole world in His hands. We’ve messed that world up with our sin, but God has offered us forgiveness through His grace and mercy, through Jesus. 

God could fix this world now, but that is not His plan today, though it is His plan in the future. When that will take place is unknown, but the current depravity and chaos of our day are indicators that we are getting closer to Jesus’ return, and God’s final judgment before He ushers in the New Heaven and New Earth [Revelation 21-22]. 

This life is a precursor to our eternal future. If we are for Jesus, our eternal future is bliss! We will be spending all our time with Jesus. No more sin. No more tears. No more Satan. But God will send to hell those people who do not have a personal relationship with Jesus. There is no in between. There is no ability to make a different choice after we die. We must decide now if we are on Jesus’ side or Satan’s.

Do you belong to God through a personal relationship with Jesus? If not, why not? If you do not understand what that means, please contact me at ButGodCares@gmail.com.  I’m available to help you understand these truths.

Living for Jesus, Donna

P.S. If this has helped you, please feel free to share it with others!

Note: If the verses for Bible references do not appear when you hover over them, go directly to the website, and they should appear for you.

Copyright 2023 Donna Shappy   All rights reserved.  No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means – electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, or any other – without the prior permission of the author.

Often we are tempted to do something loving and kind for someone else because they can or have done something for us. 

It could be that we are invited to a friend’s for dinner, so then we might feel it necessary to have them over for dinner. Someone gives us a birthday gift, so we can feel obligated to reciprocate.

But God, through Jesus, sets the example of unreciprocal love and acts of kindness. 

Unreciprocal love and acts of kindness are evidence of God’s Holy Spirit’s work.

Jesus’ work on the cross is the greatest act of love. It is an act we can never repeat. We are not expected to repeat it. We are expected to accept His gift of forgiveness for our sins, and with a heart of love and gratitude we extend unreciprocal love to others. 

True love doesn’t demand something from others because of kindness extended to others. For example, if we give someone a gift, we should not have an expectation that we should receive one in return. 

The expectation of reciprocity puts a lot of pressure on people. 

Consider Christmas. Someone gives you a Christmas gift, and they were not originally on your Christmas shopping list, you are on a budget, but the nagging to reciprocate makes you feel it is necessary to buy the person a gift. 

But God wants us to be able to accept a gift, without feeling it necessary to reciprocate. God wants us to have a heart of gratitude to the person who gives us gifts, especially to Him, the Giver of the greatest gift of eternal life. 

Our response to God’s gift of salvation, and all other blessings, should not come from a heart of indebtedness or a feeling of reciprocity, but from a heart of gratitude.

Heart motivation matters.

There is nothing wrong with receiving and/or giving gifts to people, unless our heart motivation is out of sync with God’s Word.

“Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.” Proverbs 4:23

True love, love that Christ has worked into our hearts [when we are born again Christ followers], is expressed through generosity, because God has been generous to us, without expectation of reciprocity.

“And if you lend to those from whom you expect to receive, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, to get back the same amount. But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return, and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, for He is kind to the ungrateful and the evil.” Luke 6:34-35

When God’s people love and perform acts of kindness that are unreciprocal in nature, that is a testimony to people of His love.

That should be our goal in everything we say and do – to testify to the amazing love and kindness of our great God!

“Give to the one who begs from you, and do not refuse the one who would borrow from you.” Matthew 5:42

Consider this above verse. Is God telling us that we always give to people who beg and ask us for something? I believe the answer is no. As in all cases like this, we must balance it with all of Scripture.

I believe Jesus helps us to understand the truth of unreciprocal giving: “For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.’ Then the righteous will answer him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you? And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.” Matthew 25:35-40

God also doesn’t expect His people to enable others to be lazy: “For even when we were with you, we would give you this command: If anyone is not willing to work, let him not eat.” 2 Thessalonians 3:10.

God provided guidelines for His people to provide the opportunity for people to “glean” their own food from the fields of others. This was the way Ruth provided for herself and Naomi, as recorded in the book of Ruth.

God does expect us to help our family members: “But if anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for members of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.” 1 Timothy 5:8.

Sometimes it can be a challenge to know who to help and when. But God guides us as we seek Him. It is always best to err on the side of mercy. Our acts of love and kindness (reciprocal or unreciprocal) need to be guided and directed by the hand of God, so that they are not emotional responses. 

Additionally, we often expect people to be appreciative in return for anything kind we do, but that is not always the way it works. Therefore, if we do what God instructs, then no matter the response we receive from the recipients of our kindness, we are satisfied because we did what God directed.

The Lord does not always receive gratitude and appreciation for what He has done in providing salvation through Jesus, nor for many of His other acts of kindness for us. He doesn’t stop extending His love and acts of kindness for all.

Given God’s enabling power, we can share God’s love, without expectation of reciprocity or gratitude. This shows the world that we belong to Jesus, and that His love is in us. “This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters. If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but has no pity on them, how can the love of God be in that person? Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth.” 1 John 3:16-18

Want to talk? Please contact me at: ButGodCares@gmail.com

Living for Jesus, Donna

P.S. If this has helped you, please feel free to share it with others!

Note: If the verses for Bible references do not appear when you hover over them, go directly to the website, and they should appear for you.

Copyright 2023 Donna Shappy   All rights reserved.  No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means – electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, or any other – without the prior permission of the author.

Have you ever read the story of Naaman? It is a beautiful story of God’s work through a faithful Israelite servant girl who was captured by foreigners, but cared about the well-being of those she served in her captivity. She had the heart of a servant.

We don’t know her name – God didn’t deem that necessary information for us to have. But God preserved the account of her involvement in the life of a foreigner for our edification.

What we do know is that she was a faithful servant to God. She held the key to people’s earthly and eternal well-being. Though she was held captive, she didn’t fail to do good for others. This servant girl was humble and meek. She cared about people, as should all of us who have a relationship with Jesus.

We only know how she impacted the life of one man, whose fate was forever changed because of her boldness. But God may have also used her in the lives of many others, especially when Naaman returned home a changed man.

Everyone who has a relationship with God, through Jesus, holds the key to eternal life.  As God’s servants, we should also be bold to share the message of Jesus and His gift of love with others. Our circumstances should not hold us back from doing this, just as the servant girl did not allow her captivity to keep her from pointing Naaman toward God.

This is the story from 2 Kings 1:1-16:

“Now Naaman was commander of the army of the king of Aram. He was a great man in the sight of his master and highly regarded, because through him the Lord had given victory to Aram. He was a valiant soldier, but he had leprosy.” Leprosy was an incurable skin disorder, that often caused people to be segregated from everyone. It usually meant isolation. It is a picture of what sin does to a person. 

Leviticus 13 details God’s instructions regarding a leper. Leprosy is a picture of sin. 

Sin defiles us. Sin is deadly. Sin creates loneliness and isolation. Sin is destructive. Sin makes us unclean in God’s perspective. The “cure” only comes once a person has accepted Jesus as Lord and Savior. Sin separates us from God, and only God can heal that separation, which He did through Jesus’ work on the cross. 

“Now bands of raiders from Aram had gone out and had taken captive a young girl from Israel, and she served Naaman’s wife. She said to her mistress, “If only my master would see the prophet who is in Samaria! He would cure him of his leprosy.” This young girl cared, and provided the key to the path of Naaman’s healing.

“Naaman went to his master and told him what the girl from Israel had said. “By all means, go,” the king of Aram replied. “I will send a letter to the king of Israel.” So Naaman left, taking with him ten talents of silver, six thousand shekels of gold and ten sets of clothing. The letter that he took to the king of Israel read: “With this letter I am sending my servant Naaman to you so that you may cure him of his leprosy.” As soon as the king of Israel read the letter, he tore his robes and said, “Am I God? Can I kill and bring back to life? Why does this fellow send someone to me to be cured of his leprosy?” We cannot heal anyone, but we hold the key to the One who can – the Sovereign God! 

“See how he is trying to pick a quarrel with me!” When Elisha the man of God heard that the king of Israel had torn his robes, he sent him this message: “Why have you torn your robes? Have the man come to me and he will know that there is a prophet in Israel.” So Naaman went with his horses and chariots and stopped at the door of Elisha’s house.” Naaman had to follow the guidance provided in order to be given the way to be cleansed. In the same way, God’s people need to share the Gospel with others so that they can know the way to healing. There is only one name under heaven by which people can be cleansed of their unrighteousness, of their sin, and that is through Jesus [“And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.” Acts 4:12]

“Elisha sent a messenger to say to him, “Go, wash yourself seven times in the Jordan, and your flesh will be restored and you will be cleansed.” There is no formula for a physical healing. Jesus healed people in different ways. There is only one way to be spiritually healed, and that comes through the confession of one’s sinful state, humbly acknowledging the absolute need for Jesus to atone for our sins. 

“But Naaman went away angry and said, “I thought that he would surely come out to me and stand and call on the name of the Lord his God, wave his hand over the spot and cure me of my leprosy. Are not Abana and Pharpar, the rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? Couldn’t I wash in them and be cleansed?” So he turned and went off in a rage.” In the same way that people reject the opportunity to know Jesus today, Naaman went off spitting and sputtering, and rejected the message that would lead to his healing.

But God, through Naaman’s servants, drew him back to what needed to be done for his healing: “Naaman’s servants went to him and said, “My father, if the prophet had told you to do some great thing, would you not have done it? How much more, then, when he tells you, ‘Wash and be cleansed’!” So he went down and dipped himself in the Jordan seven times, as the man of God had told him, and his flesh was restored and became clean like that of a young boy.” God’s physical healings point us to our need for spiritual healing. When we receive Jesus as Lord and Savior, we are thoroughly cleansed of our unrighteousness. 

Naaman’s physical cleansing wasn’t the end of the story. It was only the beginning of his story: “Then Naaman and all his attendants went back to the man of God. He stood before him and said, “Now I know that there is no God in all the world except in Israel.” The truth prevailed. The girl with a servant’s heart led a man to the knowledge of God. That is our same goal as God’s people. We, as His faithful servants, should take every opportunity God presents to share the knowledge of God, and His great work of redemption through Jesus. Our hearts should be tender toward others, in the same way Jesus’ heart is tender toward us.

“So please accept a gift from your servant.” The prophet answered, “As surely as the Lord lives, whom I serve, I will not accept a thing.” And even though Naaman urged him, he refused.” Elisha knew that taking money was not acceptable. Salvation cannot be purchased. Our cleansing from our sin is a gift from God. A gift is not something we pay for. A gift is free. 

Eternal life is God’s free gift to all who will accept the work of Jesus. The results of a true experience with Jesus is a servant heart.

Naaman’s servant girl held the key to healing, not just physical healing but the greater gift of spiritual healing.  We hold that key to people’s healing also, to their eternal life. 

What is the condition of your heart toward others? How faithful are we as God’s servants in sharing the Gospel? If your heart is not in the proclamation of the Gospel, perhaps you need to start fresh with Jesus. I praise God for those of you who have a servant’s heart!

If you do not know Jesus as your Lord and Savior, please reach out to me at: ButGodCares@gmail.com

In the same way that Naaman’s life, after his healing, would never be the same, neither will yours when you accept Jesus as Lord and Savior. You cannot even begin to understand the amazing future that awaits you when you choose to surrender your life to Jesus.

Living for Jesus, Donna

P.S. If this has helped you, please feel free to share it with others!

Note: If the verses for Bible references do not appear when you hover over them, go directly to the website, and they should appear for you.

Copyright 2023 Donna Shappy   All rights reserved.  No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means – electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, or any other – without the prior permission of the author.

Have you ever been torn about overcoming evil with good, but yet being tempted to get revenge, and also not wanting to send the message that you are condoning sin?

Overcoming with good does not mean we brush sin under the carpet. It doesn’t mean that we submit to somebody else’s sinful request. It doesn’t mean that we plot revenge.

Overcoming with good requires that we seek God, and do what he directs in each instance. There’s no formula, it is always God leading us one step at a time.

Overcoming good without plotting revenge or condoning sin requires a lot of prayer.

Often, we do not even know how to pray in these situations. But God does! “Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words.” Romans 8:26

We need to “Pray without ceasing,” 1 Thessalonians 5:17

Romans 12:9-11 also guide us in handling these challenging situations: “Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves. Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.” 

Our hope should always be that in overcoming evil with good that we help the person to know Jesus and to walk with Him.  Please note that this requires patience while we are afflicted. 

NOTE: This does not mean physical affliction is something that a person should remain in. There are ways to overcome evil with good in these situations, without remaining in physical harm.

Romans 12:14 tells us to “Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse.”, and Romans 12:16 tells us to “Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position. Do not be conceited.” Romans 12:17-21 give us further admonitions to follow: “Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everyone. If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” says the Lord. On the contrary: “If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head.” Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.”

God would not provide all this detail if it were not possible for us, by abiding and leaning into Him, to accomplish these behaviors.

It is not easy. It requires determination to rise to God’s standard.

God is listening, and having a grateful heart as we pray matters – grateful for His mercy to us, and that His forgiveness is for everyone who comes to Him through Jesus, so we must “Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving.” Colossians 4:2

As we bathe the entire situation in prayer, God will direct our steps, one moment at a time.  Our next step is to obey what He tells us to do. That is often the most difficult part of overcoming evil with good, because we have been hurt, and often our feelings interfere with what God is asking us to do.

Consider the prophet Jonah, he knew God’s character:

In Jonah 4:2: “He prayed to the Lord, “Isn’t this what I said, Lord, when I was still at home?” Jonah was not happy that God was sending him to the ruthless Assyrians to proclaim their demise, because Jonah knew if they repented God would forgive them, and he wanted them judged, not forgiven. “That is what I tried to forestall by fleeing to Tarshish. I knew that you are a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger and abounding in love, a God who relents from sending calamity.” That is why Jonah ran away from God. He wanted vengeance, not forgiveness. 

Before we judge Jonah too quickly and harshly, it is not always easy to want forgiveness for the person who has hurt you deeply – perhaps raped you, perhaps killed or kidnapped your child, or some other abuse. 

But God wants us to forgive. He won’t ask us to do something that He is not prepared to enable us to do. He wants to enable us to forgive. It is for our own welfare that we forgive, and do what we can to overcome evil with good.

When we have a heart of forgiveness toward those who have hurt us deeply, it is a true work of God, because on our own it is unhumanable! Unhumanable means that we cannot produce the outcome without the empowerment of God.

We can be ready to forgive when we truly acknowledge how much forgiveness God has extended to us. 

We can quickly condemn someone who has committed murder. However, we need to remember that hating someone is seen by God as murder: “Everyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him.”  1 John 3:15

We are obligated to forgive, and overcome evil with good because we are forgiven:

Colossians 3:13: “Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.”

Matthew 6:14-15: “For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.”

Forgiveness does not mean we condone someone’s sin. Forgiveness means we won’t take steps to avenge ourselves. It doesn’t mean that people do not have to bear consequences for their sinful acts. Forgiveness, and overcoming evil with good, reveals the heart of God growing in us. God certainly has forgiven us, and bestowed His goodness to us, through the blood of the Lord Jesus. 

Jesus paid the price for our sin. It is an amazing gift! We are not indebted to Him, or it wouldn’t be a free gift, but we reveal our gratitude by forgiving others, not seeking our own vengeance, and overcoming evil with good.

This is only possible when we abide in Jesus (John 15). It is the work of God’s Holy Spirit in us. It is the evidence of a true relationship with the Lord, instead of having religious experiences.

Religion, a system of rules and regulations, is not the same as a personal relationship with God, through His one and only Son, Jesus. “For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.” John 3:16

When we say “I could not forgive that person for _____”, and then we find that we are able to, after seeking and abiding in God, we know the Holy Spirit has been at work in our hearts and minds! He is producing what is unhumanable. But God wants us to seek Him for His help.

We need to be honest with the Lord. He knows our heart condition. He knew our heart condition before we were even born! We need to ask Him to help us to overcome evil with good, and to show us how to still hold people accountable for their evil acts, while being merciful. It can be like walking on a tightrope, but God has the perfect plan for it all to work out for His glory, and our benefit.

You can reach me at: ButGodCares@gmail.com if you have questions or need prayer to overcome evil with good.

Living for Jesus, Donna

P.S. If this has helped you, please feel free to share it with others!

Note: If the verses for Bible references do not appear when you hover over them, go directly to the website, and they should appear for you.

Copyright 2023 Donna Shappy   All rights reserved.  No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means – electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, or any other – without the prior permission of the author.

Recently, when I read this verse, God encouraged my heart! It was the opening verse in a “Girlfriends In God” devotional by Jill Savage [dated April 28, 2023]. She tells the story of finding out her husband was having an affair, and her journey to love him, at God’s very direct guidance. God brought victory in their marriage as she overcame evil with good.

This is an excerpt from her writing:

“One day after a conversation we had during our separation, my husband said to me, “I don’t get why you have treated me so kindly when I have treated you so horribly?” I thought for a moment, prayed, and then responded, “I don’t know, Mark. It’s unhumanable.” 

“Unhumanable?” He responded. “What does that even mean?” We both kind of chuckled at the word.

“I guess it means that it’s love that can only come from God. It’s beyond human capacity but not beyond God working in and through us.” I replied.

I love that word! “Unhumanable”!! But God loves us so much that He, through His Holy Spirit’s power and strength, enables us to love one another, even when the hurt is immense. It is power and strength we can never create on our own.

However, this requires a personal, living and active relationship with God through the Lord Jesus. If you have not made that step of faith, then that is the first step in your journey to healing from whatever hurt you are experiencing. You will then be able to experience His empowering to overcome evil with good.

Overcoming evil with good is our daily journey, as we live with our own sin, and the sin of others. Daily, we need to love, forgive, offer mercy and grace that is unhumanable. That is what God has done for us – to love us while we were [and are] still sinners. Through Jesus, God overcame evil, and one day the ungodly powers and principalities of the unseen realm will be locked away permanently. However, today, they still work diligently to attempt to destroy our lives. But God can change that for those who have a personal relationship with Jesus. If you do not know Jesus as Lord and Savior, please contact me at the email address below.

Romans 5:8 states: “but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Notice the tense of the word “shows”. It indicates it wasn’t simply a past event, but it is an everyday, moment by moment act of God’s will. This verse reveals the truth about love. Love is not an emotional feeling, love is an act of our will. It reveals itself when we determine to lean upon the awesome power of God to love those we would rather hate, despise, and remove from our lives. It is His power that enables us to overcome evil with good.

Anger, hatred, frustration, and unforgiveness are not worth the time we spend on those feelings. 

Instead of allowing those feelings to wind up our emotions, we need to allow God’s Spirit to work in our thoughts and hearts so that we focus on “whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.” Philippians 4:8.

To change our focus and bring our charged and often sinful emotions under God’s control is unhumanable! But God makes it possible! 

How does this happen? How do we stop ourselves from reeling out of control, which usually brings further disaster into our lives? How do we turn hate into love? How do we turn anger into love? How do we turn resentment into love? How can we resist the pull of evil, and live in the realm of God’s goodness?

We run, not walk, not meander, but RUN to God believing that He has the power to help us in our distress. Philippians 4:6-7: “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

We run to God in prayer. We give Him our tears. He uses them, as our Potter, to comfort us, to shape us into the likeness of Jesus. Isaiah 64:8: “Yet you, Lord, are our Father. We are the clay, you are the potter; we are all the work of your hand.” He is our good Father. He is our Father who knows every detail of what is happening. He is our Father who is working to conform us into His image.

Please notice in Philippians 4:6-7, above, that giving thanks is included in how we are to respond in our times of anxiousness. God would not command us to do something He wouldn’t help us to do. 

You may wonder, how can I give thanks in _____________ [whatever your situation is]. You can begin by thanking God that He is your Father. You can continue to thank God that He has an eternal future with Jesus in place for you. You can thank Him that one day our sin will no longer exist in our lives!!! 

There is so much to be thankful for, if we want to be thankful…it is a choice. Will you make the choice to be thankful, or will you remain in your sinful anger, hatred, etc.? 

Remember God does understand, and is waiting for you to fall into His loving arms: Matthew 11:28: “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.”

We run to His Word, believing it is powerful and active, and that reading it by the power of His Holy Spirit we are changed for good. Isaiah 41:10: “Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”

Consider, ponder, and take to heart those “I will” promises of God! 

I will strengthen you

I will help you

I will uphold you with my righteous right hand

We run to God singing praise music, turning off the TV, etc. because we are in a spiritual battle and praise is one tool to cause the enemy to run away.

We stay away from those who encourage us to allow our sinful emotions to rule us, and instead we seek out God-fearing people to pray and guide us with God’s Word.

The choice to overcome evil rests with each of us. God has provided Jesus for us to be overcomers. He wants us to repay someone who has been unkind, uncaring, even destructive toward us with the His goodness. Afterall, that is what I experience from Him each day.

You can read Jill’s whole story at: https://girlfriendsingod.com/loving-the-unlovable/

I’m available if you want to talk. You can reach me at: ButGodCares@gmail.com.

Living for Jesus, Donna

P.S. If this has helped you, please feel free to share it with others!

Note: If the verses for Bible references do not appear when you hover over them, go directly to the website, and they should appear for you.

Copyright 2023 Donna Shappy   All rights reserved.  No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means – electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, or any other – without the prior permission of the author.

As we look around us today, and experience decisions our society is making, along with the behavior of people, we are inclined to think that our world is falling apart, for example, young children changing their sex, advocating for the death of unborn babies, callings miscarriages abortions, biological men identifying as women to participate in women’s sports, drag queen story hour but not approving a Christian author reading his book, changing the race of historical figures, etc.

But God gives us a different perspective in His Word.

As I’ve spent the last several years studying the major and minor prophetic writings, I understand more of the context of what God is doing today.

In those writings, God gives us insight into the condition of the world in those days (and our days). 

People were corrupt.

Politics were corrupt.

Priests were corrupt.

Prophets were liars (false prophets, not God’s faithful prophets).

Here are a few of God’s words regarding the character of people in Israel’s past:

Micah 2:1-2: “Woe to those who plan iniquity, to those who plot evil on their beds! At morning’s light they carry it out because it is in their power to do it. They covet fields and seize them, and houses, and take them. They defraud people of their homes, they rob them of their inheritance.”

Micah 3:1-3: “Then I said, “Listen, you leaders of Jacob, you rulers of Israel. Should you not embrace justice, you who hate good and love evil; who tear the skin from my people and the flesh from their bones; who eat my people’s flesh, strip off their skin and break their bones in pieces; who chop them up like meat for the pan, like flesh for the pot?”

Judges 17:6 sums it up well: “In those days there was no king in Israel. Everyone did what was right in his own eyes.”

But God also reveals in those prophetic writings, where He was leading them, and also where He is leading us – toward repentance and restoration in relationship with Him.

I came across this statement in a study I’m doing: “The world is not falling apart, but rather falling into place.”

That perspective gives us hope! Hope because God is leading us on His path to the New Heaven and New Earth.

The part we aren’t fond of is what we are experiencing until that takes place.

I realized that I can look at everything I experience through the lens of “everything falling into place”.

As I do that, faith replaces fear, nervous anxiousness diminishes, and hope rises up in my heart and mind!

Then I can be a better servant of the Lord. 

Everyone wants to feel hopeful. But God is the only One who gives us hope backed by His unlimited power and abilities to make happen what He states will take place.

History proves that truth! History proves that when God makes a promise, He will keep it. The Bible is filled with those promises, and prophecies, that God backs and brings about in His way, in His timing, for His glory, and for our benefit!

Below are some of God’s promises for future blessings for those who love Jesus as Lord and Savior:

Micah 4:6-7: “In that day,” declares the Lord, “I will gather the lame; I will assemble the exiles and those I have brought to grief. I will make the lame my remnant, those driven away a strong nation. The Lord will rule over them in Mount Zion from that day and forever.”

Revelation 21:1-5: “Then I saw “a new heaven and a new earth,” for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God.  He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.” He who was seated on the throne said, “I am making everything new!” Then he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.”

Revelation 22:1-5: “Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, as clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb down the middle of the great street of the city. On each side of the river stood the tree of life, bearing twelve crops of fruit, yielding its fruit every month. And the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations. No longer will there be any curse. The throne of God and of the Lamb will be in the city, and his servants will serve him. They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads. There will be no more night. They will not need the light of a lamp or the light of the sun, for the Lord God will give them light. And they will reign forever and ever.”

These are amazing promises! In God they are more than promises – they are fact. We haven’t realized them yet, but soon, we will.

Please remember, if Jesus is not your Lord and Savior, you do not have these blessings in your future. But God is giving you this moment to change that. At this very moment you can confess your sinful state, your need for Jesus to rectify that, and for you to enter God’s eternal kingdom as His child. 

Following God is a commitment. It’s not always an easy commitment because our world and our enemy, Satan, are leading us in the opposite direction from God. But God, through His Holy Spirit, indwells every person who makes a life commitment to Jesus. It is through the Spirit’s power that we are able to keep our commitment to the Lord. It is through the Spirit’s power that we are able to make that commitment to the Lord. 

Have you made that commitment to Jesus? If so, then you are waiting with me as we experience God leading everything into its right place! If you have not made this commitment, I’d be glad to talk with you about what is holding you back from making Jesus your Lord and Savior.

I’m available if you want to talk. You can reach me at: ButGodCares@gmail.com.

Living for Jesus, Donna

P.S. If this has helped you, please feel free to share it with others!

Note: If the verses for Bible references do not appear when you hover over them, go directly to the website, and they should appear for you.

Copyright 2023 Donna Shappy   All rights reserved.  No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means – electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, or any other – without the prior permission of the author.

Have you ever felt like you wanted to run away?

Perhaps it was because God wanted you to do something you didn’t want to do, or maybe your running away is in the form of a sinful activity you want to do – like live with someone outside of God’s will, repaying evil with evil, etc.?

Perhaps it dealt with having to love someone who treated you unkindly, or maybe you felt what God was asking of you was unfair. You may want to run away because of suffering, and you feel life would be better if you could escape by leaving a challenging situation. 

We might not be looking at it as running away, but that is what it is when we want to do something God does not approve.

You are not alone in wanting to run away. The prophet Jonah attempted to run away from God.  He was not happy about God sending him to preach judgment against the Ninevites. These Assyrian people were brutal to the Israelites. 

Jonah 1:1-16: “The word of the Lord came to Jonah son of Amittai: “Go to the great city of Nineveh and preach against it, because its wickedness has come up before me.” But Jonah ran away from the Lord and headed for Tarshish. He went down to Joppa, where he found a ship bound for that port. After paying the fare, he went aboard and sailed for Tarshish to flee from the Lord. Then the Lord sent a great wind on the sea, and such a violent storm arose that the ship threatened to break up. All the sailors were afraid and each cried out to his own god. And they threw the cargo into the sea to lighten the ship. But Jonah had gone below deck, where he lay down and fell into a deep sleep. The captain went to him and said, “How can you sleep? Get up and call on your god! Maybe he will take notice of us so that we will not perish.” Then the sailors said to each other, “Come, let us cast lots to find out who is responsible for this calamity.” They cast lots and the lot fell on Jonah. So they asked him, “Tell us, who is responsible for making all this trouble for us? What kind of work do you do? Where do you come from? What is your country? From what people are you?” He answered, “I am a Hebrew and I worship the Lord, the God of heaven, who made the sea and the dry land.” This terrified them and they asked, “What have you done?” (They knew he was running away from the Lord, because he had already told them so.) The sea was getting rougher and rougher. So they asked him, “What should we do to you to make the sea calm down for us?” “Pick me up and throw me into the sea,” he replied, “and it will become calm. I know that it is my fault that this great storm has come upon you.” Instead, the men did their best to row back to land. But they could not, for the sea grew even wilder than before. Then they cried out to the Lord, “Please, Lord, do not let us die for taking this man’s life. Do not hold us accountable for killing an innocent man, for you, Lord, have done as you pleased.” Then they took Jonah and threw him overboard, and the raging sea grew calm.  At this the men greatly feared the Lord, and they offered a sacrifice to the Lord and made vows to him.”

We would think that Jonah would want to preach their judgment to them, to be the one who got to say to them that God was going to bring His wrath upon them. 

But Jonah knew God well. He knew that if the Ninevites repented of their sins that God might relent, show them mercy, and give them the opportunity to prove their repentance was real. 

Jonah couldn’t stand the thought of the Ninevites having a second chance with God. His emotions blurred his thinking, and led him to attempt to “run away” from God.

But God was prepared for Jonah’s escapade. 

God allowed Jonah to get on a boat that was heading in the opposite direction of Nineveh.

God allowed Jonah to think he had out run Him.

God allowed Jonah’s behavior to cause loss to those whose cargo was thrown overboard.

God allowed Jonah’s behavior to cause fear in the sailors managing the boat he boarded.

God allowed the sailors to think they sent Jonah to his demise when they tossed him overboard.

But God had plans to deal with Jonah, because He loved him, and wanted Jonah to experience His mercy and grace.

It is easy to judge and condemn Jonah for his sinful behavior, but are we any better? 

We want justice when we’ve been wronged, or our loved ones have been wronged. Consider the murder of so many students in schools these days. I don’t believe the first thought in most people’s hearts is for mercy for those murderers. But God wants that to be how we respond to such atrocities. 

Luke 6:27-28: “But I say to you who hear, Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you.”

Proverbs 24:17: “Do not rejoice when your enemy falls, and let not your heart be glad when he stumbles,”

Romans 12:19: “Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.”

I know I don’t like to suffer, and can attempt to avoid suffering. We don’t want to go to jobs that we don’t like. We don’t want to show kindness to people who treat us wrongly. We don’t want to show mercy to people who falsely accuse us. 

We want everything pretty and tied up in a nice little package with beautiful wrapping and a gorgeous bow. 

But God has more in store for us when He either sends or allows trials in our lives. When we walk through suffering and trials trusting and obeying God, we will experience something more beautiful than a life without tribulation. It is so hard to explain how this works, but God has done this in my life on multiple occasions, and I’ve learned to not resist the trials, but to walk through them with my great God and Savior.

What should Jonah have done when he initially felt the desire to flee?  

Jonah should have talked to God about it. He should have allowed the Lord to comfort and to encourage him. 

Psalm 145:18-19: “The Lord is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth. He fulfills the desire of those who fear him; he also hears their cry and saves them.”

1 Peter 5:7: “Casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.”

Hebrews 4:16: “Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.”

But Jonah didn’t stop to talk with God about his distress. He reacted and set out in opposition to God. That only brought harm to himself and to those he came into contact with.

But God, patiently and with love, “caught” Jonah in His large fish! That act of mercy brought Jonah around to confess his sin, and to seek God. God gave Jonah a chance to obey, and he did.

The story ends with Jonah considering God’s question in Jonah 4 regarding concern for the welfare of the Ninevites. Jonah was still struggling with God’s kindness to them. But God gave him time to repent. 

Running away is never profitable. God is available to help you, no matter how deeply you have sinned, as we see in the story of Jonah.

What question regarding your attempt to flee from God might He be asking you? Will you repent, allowing God to comfort and calm your anxious heart? If not, why not? If so, what do you think God will do for you once your heart is aligned with His?

I’m available if you want to talk about what is troubling you. You can reach me at: ButGodCares@gmail.com.

Living for Jesus, Donna

P.S. If this has helped you, please feel free to share it with others!

Note: If the verses for Bible references do not appear when you hover over them, go directly to the website, and they should appear for you.

“When you least expect it, you’re elected, you’re the star today. Smile, you’re on Candid Camera!” That was a show that aired from 1960-1967. They would set people up in odd and awkward situations, and after the person was dealing with the awkward situation, then they would spring the truth on them.

I thought about this after my recent study in Acts 9. Saul aka the Apostle Paul, was out doing what he felt God wanted him to do, as described in the Scriptures below. One day, when he least expected it, God elected Him to salvation. His life was forever changed….for the better! He never looked back, but continued serving God in truth for the rest of his life.

Acts 9:1-8: “Meanwhile, Saul was still breathing out murderous threats against the Lord’s disciples. He went to the high priest and asked him for letters to the synagogues in Damascus, so that if he found any there who belonged to the Way, whether men or women, he might take them as prisoners to Jerusalem. As he neared Damascus on his journey, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him. He fell to the ground and heard a voice say to him, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?” “Who are you, Lord?” Saul asked. “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting,” he replied. “Now get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.” The men traveling with Saul stood there speechless; they heard the sound but did not see anyone. Saul got up from the ground, but when he opened his eyes he could see nothing. So they led him by the hand into Damascus. For three days he was blind, and did not eat or drink anything.

The account doesn’t end there. Another man, who was going about his daily business, was elected by God to go to Paul, and with the laying on of his hands, God would restore Paul’s sight:

Acts 9:9-19: “In Damascus there was a disciple named Ananias. The Lord called to him in a vision, “Ananias!” “Yes, Lord,” he answered. The Lord told him, “Go to the house of Judas on Straight Street and ask for a man from Tarsus named Saul, for he is praying. In a vision he has seen a man named Ananias come and place his hands on him to restore his sight.” “Lord,” Ananias answered, “I have heard many reports about this man and all the harm he has done to your holy people in Jerusalem.  And he has come here with authority from the chief priests to arrest all who call on your name.” But the Lord said to Ananias, “Go! This man is my chosen instrument to proclaim my name to the Gentiles and their kings and to the people of Israel. I will show him how much he must suffer for my name.” Then Ananias went to the house and entered it. Placing his hands on Saul, he said, “Brother Saul, the Lord—Jesus, who appeared to you on the road as you were coming here—has sent me so that you may see again and be filled with the Holy Spirit.” Immediately, something like scales fell from Saul’s eyes, and he could see again. He got up and was baptized, and after taking some food, he regained his strength.”

How about you? Are you one of God’s elect, one of His chosen people? Have you responded to His invitation to eternal life? 

Your invitation may not be dramatic like the Apostle Paul’s, but God wants you to have an eternal relationship with Him.  He wants you to walk with Him in truth and integrity. He wants you to obey Him, no matter the challenging situation, such as Ananias above had. 

The Bible is filled with accounts of people who have accepted God’s call to eternal life. There are also numerous accounts of those who have died without accepting Jesus as Lord and Savior.

Election. Choice. These are very difficult Biblical truths to fully understand. But God wants us to accept them by faith. He wants us to trust Him with our lives, and the lives of our loved ones. 

God doesn’t want us to get hung up on what our finite minds cannot fully comprehend. He wants us to walk humbly with Him. He wants us to walk united with our brothers and sisters in Christ, not divided over what no one can fully explain [though many have and continue to try].

God wants us to be grateful that we can have a true, abiding [John 15] relationship with Him. We cannot fully abide if we are divided. 

How can we possibly represent God well to the world if those of us who belong to Jesus are not of one heart and mind over the tenets of our faith? 

What matters is that we believe that Jesus is God’s one and only Son [John 3:16: “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.”.]

What matters is that we believe that He is the only way to salvation [John 4:12: “Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved.”].

What matters is that we believe in God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit [Matthew 28:19: “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,”].

What matters is that we believe Jesus is coming again! This is the source of our hope. Matthew 24:44 tells us that Jesus will return unexpectedly: [“Therefore you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.”]

What matters is that we believe we are sinners, and without Jesus, we would all be headed into eternity completely separated from our great God [Romans 3:23: “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,”].

What matters is that we believe we are responsible to share the Great News of the Gospel with others. This is what we are elected to do. We are called to be responsible members of God’s kingdom. [Mark 16:15: “And he said to them, “Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation.”]

What is God asking you to do for His kingdom? What will Jesus find you doing when He returns suddenly, will He find you doing what He elected you to do? 

We are not only called to be a star for a day, as in Candid Camera, but to be a shining light every day for His glory.  

Please contact me at: ButGodCares@gmail.com if you want to talk about eternal life, and God’s call to walk with Him.

Living for Jesus, Donna

P.S. If this has helped you, please feel free to share it with others!

Note: If the verses for Bible references do not appear when you hover over them, go directly to the website, and they should appear for you.

Copyright 2023 Donna Shappy   All rights reserved.  No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means – electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, or any other – without the prior permission of the author.

People whose love and focus is on themselves and worldly things want to have their name in a “hall of fame”, but those who love the Lord, want their name in God’s “hall of faith”!

For generations, some of the people who chose to follow God, rather than walk in the ways of the world, have their names and a synopsis of their stories memorialized in the Bible.

That is an amazing honor. However, I don’t believe that any of them would be proud of that, because they walked humbly with God. Their goal was to glorify Him, even if it was only in their last act on this earth, as is the case with Samson.

Hebrews 11 provides us with an accounting of people who followed God, by faith, often at the risk of death. These men and women walked in obedience to God. 

What is faith? Hebrews 11:1 gives us an understanding of what faith is: “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.”

Saving faith is grounded in the one true God, who manifests Himself as our Father, our Savior, Jesus, His only Son, and our Counselor, the Holy Spirit. 

The men and women who are recognized by name in Hebrews 11 never saw Jesus, but believed in Him as God’s promised Messiah. They believed in eternal life, of which we have greater detail than they did [see Revelation 21-22 and other New Testament verses]. They didn’t doubt God, but leaned upon Him and His promises.

God commended them for their faith: Hebrews 11:2: “For by it the people of old received their commendation.”

Hebrews 11:3 reveals they believed the truths of creation detailed in Genesis 1-3: “By faith we understand that the universe was created by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things that are visible.”

Due to their faith in God, each person did something that revealed his or her faith. Faith in Jesus is more than head knowledge. Saving faith is revealed in our actions. 

In Hebrews 11:4, Abel offered a sacrifice which was commended by God. In Hebrews 11:5, Enoch’s faith was revealed in ways that pleased God. 

Hebrews 11:6 states: “And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who seek him.” People whose names are in the hall of faith, want to believe God and seek Him. We often fail, but we confess our sins, and God gives us a second chance, as He did with Jonah: “Then the word of the Lord came to Jonah a second time: “Go to the great city of Nineveh and proclaim to it the message I give you.” Jonah 3:1-2.

Noah constructed the ark.  Abraham left home to settle wherever God led him, and was willing to offer his son because he believed God could raise him from the dead. By faith Sarah herself received power to conceive, even when she was past the age, since she considered Him faithful who had promised. [Hebrews 11:10-12, 17-19]

Hebrews 11:13-16 reminds us that: “These all died in faith, not having received the things promised, but having seen them and greeted them from afar, and having acknowledged that they were strangers and exiles on the earth. For people who speak thus make it clear that they are seeking a homeland. If they had been thinking of that land from which they had gone out, they would have had opportunity to return. But as it is, they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for He has prepared for them a city.”

Notice what so many others did “by faith”[emphasis mine]: in Hebrews 11:20-31: “By faith Isaac invoked future blessings on Jacob and Esau. By faith Jacob, when dying, blessed each of the sons of Joseph, bowing in worship over the head of his staff. By faith Joseph, at the end of his life, made mention of the exodus of the Israelites and gave directions concerning his bones. By faith Moses, when he was born, was hidden for three months by his parents, because they saw that the child was beautiful, and they were not afraid of the king’s edict. By faith Moses, when he was grown up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter, choosing rather to be mistreated with the people of God than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin. He considered the reproach of Christ greater wealth than the treasures of Egypt, for he was looking to the reward. By faith he left Egypt, not being afraid of the anger of the king, for he endured as seeing him who is invisible. By faith he kept the Passover and sprinkled the blood, so that the Destroyer of the firstborn might not touch them. By faith the people crossed the Red Sea as on dry land, but the Egyptians, when they attempted to do the same, were drowned. By faith the walls of Jericho fell down after they had been encircled for seven days. By faith Rahab the prostitute did not perish with those who were disobedient, because she had given a friendly welcome to the spies.

The author of Hebrews continues in Hebrews 11:32-40: “And what more shall I say? For time would fail me to tell of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, of David and Samuel and the prophets— who through faith conquered kingdoms, enforced justice, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, quenched the power of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, were made strong out of weakness, became mighty in war, put foreign armies to flight. Women received back their dead by resurrection. Some were tortured, refusing to accept release, so that they might rise again to a better life. Others suffered mocking and flogging, and even chains and imprisonment. They were stoned, they were sawn in two, they were killed with the sword. They went about in skins of sheep and goats, destitute, afflicted, mistreated— of whom the world was not worthy—wandering about in deserts and mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth. And all these, though commended through their faith, did not receive what was promised, since God had provided something better for us, that apart from us they should not be made perfect.”

These people did all these acts of faith without having the 66 books of the Bible that we have available to us today. They did not have the knowledge of Jesus that we understand today. 

They did not allow fear to interfere with their faith. 

They weren’t whiners and complainers. 

They were men and women who focused on God, who believed His promises, and entrusted their eternal future to Him.

They deserve to be in the hall of faith. But God is the reason they have that faith. Their faith was not something they worked up on their own. Their faith was a gift from God, that they accepted and acted upon.

Ephesians 2:8-9 supports this: “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.”

The truth is, anyone who finds themselves in either God’s hall of faith or in the world’s hall of fame, owes all the credit to God. No one is capable of anything, unless God equips and enables the faith, gifts and/or talents required for such achievement.

How often do you give God the praise and glory for the saving faith you have? How often do you give God the praise and glory for the ways you manifest that faith in action?

If you do not have saving faith – faith that believes Jesus is your Lord and Savior – faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the Word of God [Romans 10], will you please seek someone who does, or contact me. This is not a decision to take lightly. 

I am available to talk with you about Jesus, and what it means to have a personal relationship with Him.  Please contact me at: ButGodCares@gmail.com.

Living for Jesus, Donna

P.S. If this has helped you, please feel free to share it with others!

Note: If the verses for Bible references do not appear when you hover over them, go directly to the website, and they should appear for you.

Copyright 2023 Donna Shappy   All rights reserved.  No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means – electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, or any other – without the prior permission of the author.

As I consider my words and actions, and those of people I interact with, I realize that we are very willing to take responsibility for something that is beneficial, but far too often we back away from taking responsibility for our sins.

Consider the online dictionary’s definition of responsibility: “the state or fact of being accountable or to blame for something”.

We don’t like to be accountable to others. We want others to be held accountable, but our natural self does not want to be held responsible. 

Why don’t we want to be held accountable? 

The problem is our sin nature, and without Jesus, our sin nature rules our hearts and minds.

But God offers us Jesus, who, through the Holy Spirit, regenerates people who accept Him as Lord and Savior. When we are regenerated, we have a new nature. That new nature now needs to be “trained” to love and obey our great God. This is a lifelong endeavor, but one that requires our obstinate determination to submit to the living God.

Even as Jesus’ true follower, my natural inclination is not always to jump up and take responsibility for my words and actions that displease God. It is what I want to do, and with God’s enabling, it is what I do more often, but God and His Holy Spirit are working this integrity into me.

I can say with all honesty that if it had been me in the garden instead of Eve, I would have done exactly what she did…play the blame game, and attempt to rationalize my sin away.

But God sees right through that. He held Adam and Eve accountable for their sin, and holds each of us accountable for our sin.

But God had a plan, and before final judgment was completed, Jesus came and took responsibility for all of our sins. 

Praise God! Praise Jesus! Praise the Holy Spirit!

It is amazing to consider the truth that Jesus, who was absolutely sinless and blameless, willingly took upon Himself the penalty for our sin.

I should be the one taking responsibility for my sin, and bearing its proper penalty. You should be the one taking the responsibility for your sin, and bearing its proper penalty. But God, in His extravagant mercy and grace, chose to place the responsibility for our sin upon His Son. 

God put all of that on Jesus, when Jesus willingly went to the cross to pay the debt for our sins. Jesus, as God’s Son, didn’t resist His Father’s plan. 

This is the greatest gift of love that we could ever be offered. 1 John 3:16a: “This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us.”  John 10:11: “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.”

Please consider how much God loves you. It doesn’t matter how many challenges we may have in our lives, the truth is, God loves us more than we can fully comprehend.

We deserve to be held responsible for our sins. But God’s love intervened.

We deserve the penalty of being eternally separated from God. But God’s love intervened.

We deserve God’s condemnation and righteous judgment. But God’s love intervened.

God’s love isn’t a feeling. God’s love is active, and on display through the life of Jesus.

God’s love is so great that we can come forward, confess our sin, whatever it is we have done, and be held accountable for our words and actions that dishonor God. We do not need to be afraid of God. As we humble ourselves before God in confessing our sin, we receive His forgiveness.

We cannot hide from God: Proverbs 28:13: “Whoever conceals his transgressions will not prosper, but he who confesses and forsakes them will obtain mercy.”

God will hold us accountable for our sins, and call us before Himself to give an account for ourselves: 2 Corinthians 5:10: “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil.” and Romans 14:12: “So then each of us will give an account of himself to God.”  

However, since Jesus stepped in and took responsibility for all we did that dishonors God, and paid the penalty for our sins, we are set free, when we accept God’s provision for our salvation through Jesus.

Many people have religion, but few people have an active relationship with Jesus.

Where do you stand with Jesus? Are you willing to tell God that you are a sinner and accept responsibility for your sins, rather than attempt to excuse them? 

Are you willing to tell God that you are helpless in your sinful state to do anything to make it right with God? 

Are you willing to ask Jesus to be your Lord and Savior?

Are you willing to obey God from this point forward? 

If you are truly ready to walk with God, once you have this sincere conversation with Him, His Holy Spirit will seal you and lead you in repentance. He will then facilitate your spiritual growth, as you read His Word each day, continue to talk with Him (aka prayer), and obey Him. 

Once we take these steps of entering into a relationship with Jesus, we are still going to sin. The goal is to sin less, and when we sin, to take responsibility by confessing our sin and repenting.

One day we will all stand before God, and it will be as if He sees a big “Sin debt paid in full” stamp across our chests.

All to the glory of God! Jesus is the reason we are set free. We owe our freedom to Jesus, and His blood, which washes and cleanses us from all our unrighteousness. 

Matthew 26:28: “ For this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.”

Ephesians 1:7: “In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace”.

Revelation 1:5: “And from Jesus Christ the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of kings on earth. To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood”.

There is no other name under heaven by which we can be saved (Acts 4:12). Our good deeds can never outweigh our sinful rejection of God. We are told in 1 John 1:9 that “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” If we refuse to take responsibility for our sins, then we will not be cleansed, and we will come under the wrath of God.

Where are you with regard to a true relationship with Jesus? 

You can tell by examining your lifestyle with the Bible. Selflessness, humility, and the desire to share the Gospel will be evident, increasingly, if you truly have a relationship with Jesus.

I would like to talk with you about a relationship with Jesus.  Please contact me at: ButGodCares@gmail.com.

Living for Jesus, Donna

P.S. If this has helped you, please feel free to share it with others!

Note: If the verses for Bible references do not appear when you hover over them, go directly to the website, and they should appear for you.

Copyright 2023 Donna Shappy   All rights reserved.  No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means – electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, or any other – without the prior permission of the author.