thoughts by Jon Walker Archives - Daily Devotionals by Thoughts about God

Published August 15, 2023

God Teaches Through You

“Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts.” Colossians 3:16 (NIV)

God wants you to teach someone who can then teach someone else.

He wants you to teach others about the spiritual insights he’s deposited in you
He wants you to teach others about the practical steps you’ve taken to become more and more like Jesus
He wants you to teach others about the ways he’s stretched your faith.
He wants you to teach others how they can discover life in Christ.
He wants you to teach them the skills necessary to go on mission.

God’s plan calls for us to tell others about Jesus and then to disciple them so they can disciple others.

You may be wondering if you’re capable of doing this, but the apostle Paul says you can make a choice to “let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom . . .” (Colossians 3:16 NIV) It is God who teaches through you, giving you a supernatural wisdom and confidence to tell others about Jesus.

Frankly, you have more knowledge, training, and resources at your disposal than believers did in the first century Church, and yet they were able to be a witness to the world (2 Timothy 2:4). More importantly, God is with us in the same way that he was with them.

Trust the indwelling of the Holy Spirit to flow from you and give you the words and the wisdom you need to tell others about Jesus.

By Jon Walker
Used by Permission

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Aim for Jesus

Published August 2, 2023

Aim for Jesus

“And so we shall all come together to that oneness in our faith and in our knowledge of the Son of God; we shall become mature people, reaching to the very height of Christ’s full stature.” Ephesians 4:13 (TEV)

When I played golf, I thought I was doing pretty well just to get the ball somewhere on the putting green.

The truth be told, my main goal was to reach the green without majorly embarrassing myself, so I was satisfied even when my ball made it somewhere near the fringes.

One day a local golf pro told me that the key difference between an average golfer and one who is excellent is this: The truly great players shoot for the hole, not somewhere near the hole or somewhere on the green. They aim directly for the hole.

He told me, “You should make the hole your goal.” My intelligent, thoughtful response was, “Yeah, right! That’ll be the day.”

I didn’t think I’d ever be able to hit the hole, so I didn’t even try. The reason so many of us get stuck, unable to move deeper into intimacy with God is because we don’t think it’s truly possible, at least for us. And so we don’t even try.

But it is possible to mature, “reaching to the very height of Christ’s full stature.” We need to practice at it, and that’s called discipleship. We need to help each other grow, and that’s why we have small support groups.

But the good news is this: God himself is working within us, bringing us into alignment with the very image of Jesus. Aim for Jesus and not just the fringes of faith.

By Jon Walker
Used by Permission

Nurturing a Quiet Soul

Please open your Bible and read Psalm 131.

My older sister, Lori Hensley, a very serious prayer warrior, once taught me to meditate on Psalm 131 to help me move toward God’s peace that passes all understanding:

We keep our hearts humble. This doesn’t mean we have a low opinion of ourselves. A humble heart means we know our position in Christ, and so we stop being responsible for the things of which we were never responsible. This frees us to live like God intended and allows us to make uncluttered choices that will move us closer to God.

We show the maturity of a weaned child. The nursing child demands attention now, but the weaned child trusts and is content to wait. We quietly center ourselves on God, peacefully, without agitation and anxiety, and trust God is actively supporting us.

We hope in the Lord with confident expectation. Truth says God will answer our prayers; he will respond to our needs; he will pave the path before us now and forever (Psalm 18:36).

By Jon Walker
Used by Permission

Jesus Never Looked Down on Others

“Think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth.” (1 Corinthians 1:26 NIV)

Jesus never looked down on others, and that gave him the ability to see them as people.

They weren’t users, consumers, or customers. They were people in need of a relationship with him, not a ‘dos-and-dont’s‘ religion.

Once we understand our identity in Christ, we will begin to see people in a similar way. We will see that they are eternal beings, created in the image of God. We will no longer use their circumstances or sins to define who they are; we will see who they are through the eyes of Jesus.

This perspective, so different from our natural tendencies, brought out the best in the people Jesus met. He saw their true value, and, as a result, they came to know their true value.

Consider:

Jesus saw a woman who would sin no more when others saw a woman caught in adultery.

Jesus saw a man who was able to see when others saw a blind man.

Jesus saw a man picking up his mat to walk when others saw a cripple.

Jesus saw a huge yet hurting heart when others saw a wee little man named Zacchaeus.

Jesus saw an articulate disciple when others saw a tax collector named Matthew.

Jesus saw a woman of willing sacrifice when others saw wasted perfume.

Jesus saw a stable rock for building the Church when others saw an impulsive, impetuous disciple named Peter.

Jesus saw men who did not know what they were doing when others saw evil men pounding nails into a cross.

Our objective is to stop seeing others from our limited perspective and to start seeing them in the way God sees them, encouraging the best of others, bringing them to the one who wants more than all the world what is best for them — Christ the Lord (Luke 2:8-10).

Thoughts – – Think of someone that you have looked down on. When God looks at you and this person, what similarities do you think he sees?

Try to spend one day seeing and hearing through the eyes and ears of Christ.

How does it change the way you see others? How does it change the way you treat others?

by Jon Walker
Used by Permission

Make a Life Where You Live

“Seek me, and you will find me because you will seek me with all your heart.” Jeremiah 29:13 (TEV)

There are all kinds of reasons houses sell quickly or take a long time to sell, but I’ve always been particularly attentive to Christians who put a house on the market because they are responding to God’s call.

I’ve watched as those houses sell the same day they’re listed, but I’ve also seen them take forever to sell, forcing the families to pay for a place to live while still paying the mortgage on an empty house. One of my friends, after waiting two years for his house to sell, eventually donated it to a non-profit organization, getting him out from under the monthly payment, even though he lost all his equity.

Yet, I believe in God’s economy, and that means he can sell any house at any time he desires.

So why is there sometimes a huge delay?

Because God’s goal is to get us focused on Kingdom thinking and Kingdom finances. God is continually pushes us into places where we can develop more faith, places where we must make a choice between trusting him and leaning on our own understanding.

Perhaps God delays because he wants us desperately looking for him and how he provides, helping us to develop the faithful attitude of gratefulness.

Many of us are familiar with Jeremiah 29:11:

“I alone know the plans I have for you, plans to bring you prosperity and not disaster, plans to bring about the future you hope for.”

But that verse is actually part of a “Letter from God” to the Jewish people who are being held captive in Babylon. They want to go home to Israel, but God says it isn’t time yet. He tells them, “Build houses and settle down. Plant gardens and eat what you grow in them. Marry and have children. Then let your children get married, so that they also may have children. You must increase in numbers and not decrease. Work for the good of the cities where I have made you go as prisoners. Pray to me on their behalf, because if they are prosperous, you will be prosperous too” (Jeremiah 29:5-7 TEV).

God says it’s going to be a while, so make a life. Don’t invest your energy in hopes of leaving; instead, invest your energy in the people around you. Don’t be physically present but mentally somewhere else, thinking of the future or the past, thinking of someplace else. Following Jesus requires that we be fully present in the present.

God also says pray for the place you live, because as it prospers, you will prosper. He says,

“Seek me, and you will find me because you will seek me with all your heart” (Jeremiah 29:13 TEV).

Thoughts:

What are the differences in the world’s economy and God’s economy? In which do you place your trust?
What steps can you take to more fully invest in the place where God has you — in your neighborhood, workplace, or church?

By Jon Walker
Used by Permission

God Can Even Though I Can’t

“Not that we are competent in ourselves to claim anything for ourselves, but our competence comes from God.“ 2 Corinthians 3:5 (NIV)

The only way you will fulfill God’s destiny for you this decade is to rely on God’s strength. And that means you have to confess ‘I can’t’ before you can agree ‘God can.’

Otherwise, we’ll just keep thinking there’s still some ability (competency, sufficiency) in us that will allow us – independent of God – to do the things he expects of us during this Decade of Destiny.

We’ll continue to believe, wrongly, that we can do some things, perhaps all things, apart from God. We’ll keep applying the pretzel logic that we can make decisions disconnected from God that somehow keep us connected to God’s plans for us.

And when we make choices disconnected and independent from God, there is little difference between the way we live our lives and the way non-believers live their lives.

“But people who aren’t Christians can’t understand these truths from God’s Spirit. It all sounds foolish to them because only those who have the Spirit can understand what the Spirit means.” (1 Corinthians 2:14 NLT)

You have the Holy Spirit inside you. You have the ability to understand when God is telling you to take steps toward his goals for your life. Ask him to teach you to hear his still small voice and to help you take the steps he tells you to take. Then, look for the ways he guides you through the decisions and details of your life.

For the next few weeks, keep a list of all the times you sense God giving you direction. This will help you to see that he is at work in your life and that he has a constant interest in the details of your life.

by Jon Walker
Used by Permission

When We Maximize our Problems, We Minimize God’s Power

“O Lord, God of Israel, enthroned between the cherubim, you alone are God over all the kingdoms of the earth. You have made heaven and earth.” 2 Kings 19:15 (NIV)

Surrounded by 185,000 enemy troops, who comprised an army that had never lost a battle in its conquest of the world, King Hezekiah listened to a message that, in essence, said, “Surrender and we’ll let your people live as slaves. Otherwise, we’re coming in to kill.”

With nowhere else to turn, Hezekiah took the matter to God. If it were my crisis, my prayer would probably start like this: “God, do you realize that there’s an army surrounding us! They’re planning to kill us in the morning! Why aren’t you doing something about this?”

But Hezekiah praised God before anything else: “O Lord, God of Israel . . . you alone are God over all the kingdoms of the earth. You have made heaven and earth.”

He sought God first, in worship, before asking for anything. He voiced the truth that God was bigger than the bogeymen outside the gates of Jerusalem. Then, almost as an afterthought, Hezekiah said, “Oh yeah, there’s this big army outside. God, we don’t know what to do, so we’re looking to you.”

When we maximize our problems, we minimize God’s greatness and we also minimize—in our minds—God’s ability to handle our problems.

Hezekiah acknowledged God’s sovereignty and power over the facts of the situation, and that lifted the crisis above the thinking of mere men and placed it right into the loving lap of the One, True, Supreme Being of the universe. We can’t, but God can.

The next morning, Hezekiah looked out across the enemy encampments that surrounded his people and he saw the invading army laid waste by an Angel of God (2 Kings 19:35).

God, we don’t know what to do, so we’re looking to you.

By Jon Walker
Used by Permission

Does God Know What You’re Going Through?

“Now that the worst is over, we’re pleased we can report that we’ve come out of this with conscience and faith intact, and can face the world—and even more importantly, face you with our heads held high. But it wasn’t by any fancy footwork on our part. It was God who kept us focused on him, uncompromised.” 2 Corinthians 1:12 (MSG)

In order to get through what you’re going through, focus on who God is — his unchanging nature. Regardless of circumstances and how you feel, hang on to God’s unchanging character.

Your circumstances cannot change the character of God. God’s grace is still in full force; he is still for you, even when you don’t feel it.

Remind yourself what you know to be eternally true about God: He is good, he loves you, he is with you, he knows what you’re going through, he cares, and he has a good plan for your life.

Raymond Edman once said, “Never doubt in the dark what God told you in the light.”

Thoughts:

•    What has God told you in the light that you now doubt in the dark?
•    Why do you doubt God now?
•    Talk about this truth: Your circumstances cannot change the character of God.

By Jon Walker
Used by Permission

Look at Jesus, Not the Waves

“… Jumping out of the boat, Peter walked on the water to Jesus.

But when he looked down at the waves churning beneath his feet, he lost his nerve and started to sink. He cried, “Master, save me!” Jesus didn’t hesitate. He reached down and grabbed his hand. Then he said, “Faint-heart, what got into you?” Matthew 14:29-31 (MSG)

The call of discipleship is to follow after Jesus, even onto the water. In a sense, Jesus beckons,

“Come closer to me. Be my disciple and learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I am the only way, so I require you to focus exclusively on me in your obedience.“

Then, to underscore the need for this single-minded obedience, the Bible tells us that Peter became distracted. As he sees the wind whipping across the waves, Peter takes his focus off Jesus and he begins to sink into the water. His obedience is now double-minded – and he provides a profound object lesson in what happens when we try to serve two masters.

Here is the way of little faith: We want to walk on water; yet, we insist on being able to focus on whatever we want — sometimes Jesus, sometimes the wind and waves; sometimes Jesus, sometimes our careers and casual pursuits; sometimes Jesus; sometimes “the sin that so easily entangles” (Hebrews 12:1 NIV).

When we choose to focus on our cares and worries, we elevate our anxieties to the same status as the promises of Jesus. But, which is more important, which should demand our greater attention – the ability of Jesus to care for us or the concerns we have about our circumstances?

And so, rather than obeying the commands of Jesus, we demand he tolerate our distractions and double-mindedness. We live within a mythology that says we can somehow follow after Jesus, yet pick and choose what commandments we will obey — and when we’ll obey.

But, if we want to walk on the water with Jesus, we must hear his directing us, ‘Don’t look at the waves; look at Me.’

By Jon Walker
Used by Permission

You Bring Joy to God

“His unchanging plan has always been to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. And this gave him great pleasure.” Ephesians 1:5 (NLT)

Say the following as a prayer.

In faith, I know this to be true:

God is in love with me, and when he thinks of me, it brings him joy.

It was his good pleasure to create me, and he created me so he could love me and his glory could shine through me. He chose me “in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight” Ephesians 1:4 (NIV).

In his love, he determined to adopt me into his family, and, even then, he planned for my redemption through Jesus’ blood, bringing “the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace that he lavished on [me] with all wisdom and understanding” (Ephesians 1:7–8).

His love for me is continuous, so that I can say with confidence and joy, “When I awake, I am still with you” (Psalm 139:18b).

By his Spirit, I can live a life worthy of the Lord, and I am able to “please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God” (Colossians 1:10).

Jesus teaches me this confidence in God’s love, so that the same joy that is in him will be in me and so my joy will be complete, centered wholly in God (John 15:11).

What would it feel like to be “lavished” with God’s grace?

How does it feel to know God is pleased to have you in his family?

By Jon Walker
Used by Permission

Jesus Requires Total Abandonment

“When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory.” Colossians 3:4 (NIV)

We’ve taught people it’s OK to let Jesus have a significant place in their lives, a moderate place in their lives, or a compartmentalized place in their lives. We know discipleship involves growth, so people need to grow into “Jesus defines my life.”

But the growth isn’t happening among so many followers of Christ. Why, instead of the abundant life, do so many of us end up living lives of quiet desperation?

We go to church, we read the Bible, we pray, we try to be good people and serve other people. Yet, for many of us, Jesus isn’t central to our increasingly complex lives, where we’re over-stretched and now seem to be facing a tsunami of uncertainty in many areas that for so long have seemed relatively secure, such as our finances, our jobs, our homes — even our fundamental safety.

God never intended for Jesus to be an important part of our lives; he is our life. Colossians 3:4 says, “When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory” (NIV). If you try to find your life apart from Jesus, you will lose it; but if you lose your life in Jesus, then you will live an extraordinary life energized by the life of Christ within you.

Jesus will not tolerate wishy-washy disciples.

Clearly, what we call radical obedience here on Earth is the obedience expected in the Kingdom of Heaven. In other words, our lukewarm discipleship is actually radical disobedience.

Jesus has his eye on the endgame, and so he intends to break through every program, every ideal, and every form of legalism that keeps us from following him in total abandonment.

Thoughts

In what ways have you allowed your life to be over-filled with things that keep you from growing in discipleship?
What radical steps do you need to take so that you can follow Christ in obedience?

By Jon Walker
Used by Permission

If I Love God, Why These Problems?

“My dear children, you come from God and belong to God. You have already won a big victory over those false teachers, for the Spirit in you is far stronger than anything in the world.” 1 John 4:4 (MSG)

Our lives in Christ are meant to be extraordinary, incredible, meaningful and purposeful but never trouble-free. God keeps you in the pressure-cooker of life so others can see how a life connected to Jesus confronts problems in a very different way than a life that is disconnected from Jesus.

We are empowered by the Holy Spirit and that gives us the ability to respond to hardship like people from the kingdom of heaven — not like people seemingly abandoned by God or in rebellion to God or unaware of God or unrepentant before God.

When we think God is not involved in our circumstances, we respond with problems with defensiveness, blame, shame, anger, hatred, pride, fear and self-centeredness. Anybody can do that. Anybody not connected to Jesus.

Jesus will have none of that and so he pushes us to a choice:

Do you trust that I am involved in your circumstances or not?

When we respond from our human nature, instead of submitting to the divine nature working within us, we expose a deep, inner distrust of Jesus. Our actions show we believe him incapable of understanding the stress and danger of life (a bold belief considering Jesus died hanging on the cross).

On the other hand, when we respond from the truth that we are connected to Jesus, we prove that we believe he that is within us is greater than he who is in the world.
(1 John 4:4)

Jesus’ goal is not to condemn us for our distrust; rather, it is to expose our faulty beliefs so we will abandon them and move deeper into our relationship with him.

By Jon Walker
Used by Permission

God Supports Your Every Need as You Follow Jesus

“May the God of peace . . . equip you with everything good for doing his will, and may he work in us what is pleasing to him, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.” Hebrews 13:20–21 (NIV)

God gives you everything you need to succeed in your life with Jesus.

The writer of Hebrews refers to this as equipping, and it’s similar to providing a sports team with the necessary training and equipment to succeed. They are given the equip-ment to win.

A common phrase among pastors is, “God doesn’t call the equipped; he equips the people he calls.”

And God is calling you.

The Bible says God will richly and lavishly support your every need as you begin your Jesus-journey. It’s not just your material needs that he’ll provide; he’ll also be a constant presence, going before you on your journey and sweeping in behind as you move forward.

God will be your strength, your wisdom, and your guidance. He’ll open doors of support and close doors that will take you in the wrong direction. He created you to succeed, and he’s been using people and circumstances throughout your life to equip you for your journey.

God equips you through others. One way God equips is through your family, friends, and co-workers. They may support you through material needs, but more importantly they can model a Jesus-life for you and help you bring your fears, concerns, and struggles into the light, so God can move you from fear to faith.

God equips others through you. Just as God uses others to equip you, he will also use you to equip others. Jesus-in-you can help others see God as an encourager and a supporter, and Jesus as a loving “friend who sticks closer than a brother” (Proverbs 18:24 NIV).

By Jon Walker
Used by Permission

A River that Flows From the Throne of God

“Such a one is like a tree planted near streams; it bears fruit in season and its leaves never wither, and every project succeeds.” Psalms 1:3 (NJB)

There is a river that flows from the throne of God, down the celestial main street and into the hearts of those who believe in the lamb (Revelation 22). And then the river flows like streams of living water from within those who are one with Jesus (John 7).

We hear the river whispering, “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink.” (John 7:37, NIV) We feel its moisture hanging cool in the air, and we stretch and then we stretch again to reach the river’s edge.

It woos us to dwell within it, to dig deep with determined roots, gnarled fingers inching, bit by bit, toward the source of life. Our thirst brings us to the river and in the river we abide. We hear its song, “Abide in Me, and I in you.” (John 15:4, NKJV)

In the river we abide and living water flows inside – of us — and in this God-nurtured state, we no longer need the sun-splotched leaves of cynicism or the lifeless branches of sin that drain away the Jesus joy within us.

In the river, our counsel now comes from deep unto deep. Rooted in the river, we stand firm in spite the storms and we sip sweetly in times of drought. Otherwise, we would simply blow away or burn up when faced with the dry and dusty, nasty, now-and-now of life. Otherwise, we would have no root, no direction, no purpose.

Yet, as for us; we hear the river’s song: “Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself …” (John 15:4, NKJV)

And, nourished by the river of life, the fruit we produce is “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.” (Galatians 5:22-23a, NIV)

By Jon Walker
Used by Permission

Embrace Your Identity in Christ

“He has identified us as his own by placing the Holy Spirit in our hearts.” 2 Corinthians 1:22a (NLT)

Your faith will grow stronger as you focus on your identity in Christ (Galatians 2).

What this means is that you abandon any image of yourself that is not from God. You stop accepting what others have said about you, how others have labeled you, and how others have defined you.

You start believing what God says about you, that he is pleased with how he created you, and that God defines you.

You’re not defined by your feelings. You’re not defined by the opinions of others or by your circumstances. You’re not defined by your successes or failures. You’re not defined by the car you drive, the money you make, or the house you say you own when the bank really does.

You are defined by God and God alone. He identifies you as his own (2 Corinthians 1:22).

The thing is, if you don’t know who you are, then you’re vulnerable to other people telling you who you are. But the concrete, solid, gospel truth is that you are who God says you are, and no one else has a vote in the matter.

This “identity issue” is an important part of living the abundant life. Jesus was able to face the incredible demands of his mission because he knew exactly who he was. He knew that he mattered to God, and that gave him confidence to move purposefully in faith.

You are now identified with Christ and have the power of the Holy Spirit within you. You are God’s precious child, and he created you in a way that pleases him.

by Jon Walker
Used by Permission

God Teaches Through You

Aim for Jesus

Further Reading

Nurturing a Quiet Soul

Further Reading

Jesus Never Looked Down on Others

Jesus never looked down on others, and that gave him the ability to see them as people.

Try to spend one day seeing and hearing through the eyes and ears of Christ.

Further Reading

Make a Life Where You Live

“Seek me, and you will find me because you will seek me with all your heart.” Jeremiah 29:13 (TEV)

Further Reading

God Can Even Though I Can’t

Further Reading

When We Maximize our Problems, We Minimize God’s Power

God, we don’t know what to do, so we’re looking to you.

Further Reading

Does God Know What You’re Going Through?

Further Reading

Look at Jesus, Not the Waves

“… Jumping out of the boat, Peter walked on the water to Jesus.

Further Reading

You Bring Joy to God

Say the following as a prayer.

Further Reading

Jesus Requires Total Abandonment

Jesus will not tolerate wishy-washy disciples.

Further Reading

If I Love God, Why These Problems?

Do you trust that I am involved in your circumstances or not?

Further Reading

God Supports Your Every Need as You Follow Jesus

God gives you everything you need to succeed in your life with Jesus.

Further Reading

A River that Flows From the Throne of God

Further Reading

Embrace Your Identity in Christ

Your faith will grow stronger as you focus on your identity in Christ (Galatians 2).

Further Reading

Category: <span>thoughts by Jon Walker</span>

Further Reading

Further Reading

Jesus never looked down on others, and that gave him the ability to see them as people.

Try to spend one day seeing and hearing through the eyes and ears of Christ.

Further Reading

“Seek me, and you will find me because you will seek me with all your heart.” Jeremiah 29:13 (TEV)

Further Reading

Further Reading

God, we don’t know what to do, so we’re looking to you.

Further Reading

Further Reading

“… Jumping out of the boat, Peter walked on the water to Jesus.

Further Reading

Say the following as a prayer.

Further Reading

Jesus will not tolerate wishy-washy disciples.

Further Reading

Do you trust that I am involved in your circumstances or not?

Further Reading

God gives you everything you need to succeed in your life with Jesus.

Further Reading

Further Reading

Your faith will grow stronger as you focus on your identity in Christ (Galatians 2).

Further Reading