My Lord and King

As I lay my kids down at night there is nothing more precious to me then to snuggle with them. The busyness of our day comes to an end and the quietness of the night calms our restlessness. For those split moments, our hearts meld together and I know they are mine and they know I am theirs.

We lay head to head and heart to heart. And nothing else seems to matter in those moments. They are great moments to curl up into a book or talk about our love for each other.

I love to tell my little girl how much I love her because her sweet reply is always, “I love you more.”‘

A relationship sweeter than honey.

Many years ago, I asked God to come into my life and become my Lord and Savior. I knew I needed to do that but I didn’t know what it entailed.

I didn’t know it was about a relationship with the Living God. I only understood I needed it to get to Heaven. As I got older my faith stayed at that same place.

While I understood it’s importance, it pretty much ended there.

A Decree of Love

From what I understood I had covered my basis. I continued to live most of my adult life the way I wanted because I had never had those times with Jesus where I just curled up with Him.

I thought He knew me and for all it was worth I thought I knew all about Him.

I understood Him to be Lord over all but never recognized Him as Lord over my life. And my life certainly showed that I was far from a sincere relationship.

How often do we put God behind us to move forward in life? I knew He was there and if I didn’t have to acknowledge that, I didn’t have to face my ugly reality.

There is a difference in knowing about God and knowing God. If we had friends that we never talked to, never sat down with, never tried to make any connection and never sacrificed or made any efforts in pursuing. We wouldn’t call that a friendship or any relationship at all.

This Friend is Different

Jesus is different than any other friend. I have found Him to be trustworthy and faithful. Pursuant of me even when I have turned my back on Him. Loving and holding onto me even when I have fought to walk away. Gracious when I least deserved it and sacrificial of Himself when I didn’t know I needed it.

He is so different.

Now the times I curl up with Him, I try to say, “I love you more” But He demonstrated His love for me on the cross that was like no other love. A love that I wouldn’t trade. A love that I now run to and am assured of arms that greet me there.

Christ Dies For Our Sins

John 3:16 For God so loved the world that He gave His One and Only Son that whoever believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life.

When I curl up with the Good News of the gospel, the lies in my life are dispelled with the truth. My heart is refreshed by the Living Water. My soul longs for those moments to never end. In the quietness of my soul, my heart longs for a deep and real relationship.

Why? Because in my heart my creator made an empty place that was the size of a cross. A need and desire to seek His face.  He has set eternity on the heart of every human so we would long for Him. (Ecclesiastes 3:11)

The one thing that we have to face when facing eternity is the cross. Not the pretty crosses we hang around our necks or the cross we hang on our churches. We have to face the reality of the cross and the decision of what to do when we are there.

Christ became like us to that we could become like Him. The Son of Man was nailed to that cross. Our sins poured out on Him as He gave up His spirit on our behalf.

We have two choices, just like the thieves that were hung beside Jesus. Are we going to choose to notice Jesus for who He really is, the King of Kings and Lord of Lords or are we going to turn away and mock Him. Share on X

I Took The Drive-Thru Version

I can compare my former form of Christianity to the drive-thru.

I went to the cross and asked for forgiveness and left. I then came back when it was convenient. When I wanted a quick fix. Lord, help me… kind of religion. I wanted a menu of choices and options. I wanted the golden arches and the toy in the meal without actually consuming the food.

I didn’t want to make a commitment to go there if there were other places I enjoyed more.  I wanted it to be quick and cheap. I would go with it if it didn’t cost me much. Not because I was thrifty, but because I was selfish.

That form of Christianity has so many times crept into our hearts. And before we know it we are trying to live on the drive-thru Jesus.

On the Third Day

Jesus wants more.

On the third day, everything changed. For a long time, I never understood the importance of the resurrection. In fact, I stopped at the cross. I thought that was where it was at. I thought it was the difference maker.

And then I realized that the cross without the resurrection would have left Him like every other “god” or religious leader. He would have been dead.

And while it was essential for Him to die to be the sacrifice for our sins, it was also essential for Him to be sitting at the right hand of His Father — Alive.

Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with Him. For we know that since Christ was raised from the dead, He cannot die again; death no longer has dominion over Him. The death He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life He lives, He lives to God. So you too must count yourselves dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus. Romans 6:8-11 (BSB)

Count Yourselves Alive

Life is but a breath yet in Christ, we can count ourselves alive. This life is not the end because death has no hold on Christ. If we have put our faith and trust in Him, it has no hold on us.

Because I can Live in Christ. I can count Him as my own. He is not just Lord over all but He can be Lord over my life.

We no longer have to approach Him behind the veil. We can confidently approach Him on the throne. We have become His and He has become ours.

The resurrection granted me access to a living God that offers us a living Hope. Because of that hope, I call Him mine. My Lord. My God. My Savior. Share on X My Rock. My Redeemer. My Fortress. My King. My Deliverer. My Refuge.

Personal Reflections

1. Have you stood at the foot of the cross and asked for repentance and for Jesus to become the Lord of your life?
2. If you have made a decision to put your trust and faith in Jesus, what changed in your life? If you have not, what do you think will change in your life if you do?
3. Jesus is the name above all names. What other names for Jesus can you reflect on today? Make a list and share some of them with us below.

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