Jesus is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow. That’s stability. His love for me doesn’t waver in other words. He loves me with a relentless undying love that began at conception, and it will never end. I continue to sin, but every time I turn to His embrace the acceptance is just as needed as the one before.

That boggles my mind. I know it boggles yours too because if it didn’t it would not be as wonderful. Time and time again bridges are burned in our reality here because Satan and his angels know how to leverage and manipulate our sins against each other for maximum damage.

That’s why the church is so important. I know our culture is becoming less and less what Jesus is about, but that’s nothing new. There’s a semantic about civility in our culture going around because of the political climate. That’s just a symptom to the deeper sin we commit against each other every day. Why do we put band aids on wounds we need surgery and stitches to heal? We go around asking each other how we’re doing, but we don’t really care. If you ask someone how they’re doing in Brazil they tell you. Here we lie.

I’m impressed with celebrity, athletic prowess, affluence and physical attraction, but Jesus was someone who “had no beauty or majesty to attract us to Him.” What does that say to me? That says that He was not much to look at, yet when artists depict Him they don’t draw or paint that image. God created beauty. We grew up wearing our Sunday best to church or mass, and we are applauded when we make straight A’s or have the kind of career that builds a big house. There is nothing wrong with those things, but when they become the definition of what is important in this life we are putting the cart before the horse.

We must repent. Change is hard as hell, but until we come to grips with the unconditional love of Jesus and actually treat others as better than ourselves the world will continue to go downhill.

We cannot change anyone but ourselves, and I love that quote that says, “Be the change you want to see in the world.” I agree with that whole heartedly, and I’m not here to tell you to go to church more, pray more or read the Bible more because those things might just be a band aid. Satan goes to church, and you know he knows the Scripture. He quoted it verbatim with Jesus for 40 days in the desert. God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit will reveal to you what you need to do, and that might actually be what you are already doing. Keep going might be the message They are sending.

Life is hard beloved. I’m not telling you anything you don’t know. That’s not the purpose of this blog. I’m partnering with you in offering hope. In college I learned that hope is a confident expectation. It’s knowing that when I ask for something from my Father in prayer that He knows what is best regarding that request. It might be yes, no or wait. It’s one of those three. He always answers my prayers. Never does He ignore me his son. I’ve got to lean into that every moment of everyday not because I see Him as a cosmic Santa Claus, but because I know my best interest is at the center of what He wants for me. It may not feel like it at the time, and I may shed tears in the middle of my suffering and pain, but He is not far from me. In fact, He dwells within me to the point that He is indeed Emmanuel.

I long for others to see and experience this perfect Father. I cannot force Him on anyone because He does not force Himself on me, but I can pray that those who are separated from Him will draw near Him as they journey through this life.

Mankind will fail us. God will not. We don’t understand all the sin and fail in this world, but we have a Father who is redeeming the darkness. He is actively spreading light and salt in the world little by little through you and me.

Father, we are broken vessels in a world that is desperate for so many things. All we need is You, and we long to be in Your presence. Draw us near You as we strive to be Your daughters and sons. In Jesus name amen.