Tag: Encouragement

A Prayer of Belief

Inspiration for prayer based on Mark 9.

Read this with me: Jesus Heals a Boy Possessed by an Impure Spirit

14 When they came to the other disciples, they saw a large crowd around them and the teachers of the law arguing with them. 15 As soon as all the people saw Jesus, they were overwhelmed with wonder and ran to greet him.

16 “What are you arguing with them about?” he asked.

17 A man in the crowd answered, “Teacher, I brought you my son, who is possessed by a spirit that has robbed him of speech. 18 Whenever it seizes him, it throws him to the ground. He foams at the mouth, gnashes his teeth and becomes rigid. I asked your disciples to drive out the spirit, but they could not.”

19 “You unbelieving generation,” Jesus replied, “how long shall I stay with you? How long shall I put up with you? Bring the boy to me.”

20 So they brought him. When the spirit saw Jesus, it immediately threw the boy into a convulsion. He fell to the ground and rolled around, foaming at the mouth.

21 Jesus asked the boy’s father, “How long has he been like this?”

“From childhood,” he answered. 22 “It has often thrown him into fire or water to kill him. But if you can do anything, take pity on us and help us.”

23 “‘If you can’?” said Jesus. “Everything is possible for one who believes.”

24 Immediately the boy’s father exclaimed, “I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!”

25 When Jesus saw that a crowd was running to the scene, he rebuked the impure spirit. “You deaf and mute spirit,” he said, “I command you, come out of him and never enter him again.”

26 The spirit shrieked, convulsed him violently and came out. The boy looked so much like a corpse that many said, “He’s dead.” 27 But Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him to his feet, and he stood up.

28 After Jesus had gone indoors, his disciples asked him privately, “Why couldn’t we drive it out?”

29 He replied, “This kind can come out only by prayer.”

Mark 9:14-29 NIV

Yesterday, I read this passage with my Bible study, and our leader asked us a question I had never pondered before. Who was the one praying in this story?

The immediate answer would be Jesus, right? Since He’s the one who casts out the evil spirit.

But upon closer inspection, the words Jesus uses in this passage don’t sound like prayers. Rather, He’s mostly speaking to either the father of the boy or the spirit itself.

However, the father speaks to Jesus and says, “I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!”

While this is a highly quotable verse, what if we view it as a prayer? Perhaps — likely, even — this is the prayer that heals his son. How can we learn to pray like this?

  1. We speak directly to Jesus. Often, our prayers become long-winded when we forget we’re having a conversation with someone (not just our own thoughts) or if we feel the need to pray in a way that impresses God or others. This prayer is simple, a natural part of the boy’s father’s conversation with Jesus. While we don’t often view people’s conversations with Jesus as prayers (in the Bible), they are doing exactly what we are doing, only with Jesus being physically visible to them.
  2. We proclaim our belief. While the father had been giving into fear and doubt earlier on, I believe his son’s healing comes from his own spiritual transformation from disbelieving to believing. Even if we are still struggling with doubts, declaring that we believe or that we desire to believe shows Jesus how important faith is to us.
  3. We ask for help with believing. Jesus doesn’t expect us to figure out life or faith on our own. He is here to help us. So if we are struggling with fully believing in Him, we don’t have to be ashamed of asking for His assistance in this process.

So here are my challenges for you as you let this story soak into your understanding of Jesus and faith today:

  • Read through other people’s interactions with Jesus in the gospels. Try to imagine them as prayers, perhaps just focusing on the dialogue being exchanged. Which prayer resonates most with you today?
  • Write out a 1-2 sentence prayer to Jesus that captures the essence of what you are celebrating today and what you need from Jesus.
  • Ask yourself, are you struggling with believing in Jesus’ ability to transform and heal the painful areas of your life? Is it time to ask Him to help you believe?

Isn’t it amazing to know that Jesus loves us so much and wants to hear from us? I hope this reminder brings you joy today.

Be Somebody Who Makes Everybody Feel Like Somebody

What choice will you make when it comes to dealing with pain?

“Be somebody who makes everybody feel like somebody.” I’ll always remember when I got the plaque that reads this quote, which now hangs above my work station.

A couple years ago, I was going through a tough time, mostly in the friend-department. Several people who I cared about and relied upon stopped treating me like “somebody”. I felt replaceable and unwanted.

Most of us have been in this situation where it feels like our worth is up for debate. I’m sure that the people who treated me poorly have felt rejected or heartbroken before.

We have a choice whether or not we let our pain dictate our actions. Will we be so engulfed in our own shame and despair that we desire for everyone to feel as broken as us?

Or will we recognize that everybody else has already felt this way — or will — and we have the power to help them not feel alone.

Today I spent time with a wonderful friend who so beautifully embodies this quote. She has such an encouraging, life-giving presence, radiating with love and affection. She isn’t frugal when it comes to words of affirmation or gentle hugs. I believe she won’t often find herself regretting not saying “I love you” because she says it when she means it.

I’ve also recently been with somebody who has allowed her pain to cast a heavy burden upon her outlook, relationships, and future. This pain blocks her vision, affecting her capacity to feel joy. It deeply saddens me to watch her drown in her sorrows.

It’s not too late for you if the second example resonates more with you tonight. Every new morning is a chance for a clean slate, a fresh start. Jesus offers us redemption and grace when we turn to Him with a repentant heart.

The most beautiful thing about joy is that it’s contagious. People will notice you’ve changed when you allow yourself to absorb the joy Jesus offers.

Joy doesn’t mean minimizing our pain or others’ hardships. In fact, it is the opposite. Joy is embracing all situations with hope and trusting that Jesus will take care of us through it all.

I hope and pray you are able to release your burdens today and make space in your heart for joy. As you do, you will find yourself seeing with new eyes, remembering that every person truly is somebody. In Jesus’ eyes, and now in yours.

Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground outside your Father’s care.[b]30 And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. 31 So don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.

Matthew 10:29-31

A Haiku for You

If you are a writer, I encourage you to try different writing styles to spice up your writing life. Tonight, I decided to try writing a few haikus. I hope either one of mine, or one of your own creation, is an inspiration to you.

Broken mirror

Saying goodbye to

My younger self looks like a

Smile unashamed.

To Doubt

Doubting has power

When we thought it was saftey

It is a fear wall.

Tidal Wave

Sinking in my doubt

To avoid disappointment

No longer I stand.

Calling

Daughter, Son, Child

Of the Most High God, you are

Free to heal in Him.

Miracles

Jesus offers life

In the fullest when we trust

He is here to stay.

Butterflies

Flutter from flower

To flower transformed into

Life everlasting.

Signs of Wholeness

Wholeness comes as we allow Jesus to impact our identity. But what does wholeness look like?

Have you ever been in a dark room right after hearing a scary story on the news or watching a creepy movie on TV? Or perhaps you needed to get somewhere at night and you are worried about tripping or losing your way.

No matter your age, you likely feel more comfortable and confident with a light as your guide.

Have you ever felt unsure of what next step to take in your life? Or like you’re wandering around alone in the dark?

The lamp of the body is the eye. If then your eye is healthy, your whole body will be filled with light, but if your eye is evil, your whole body will be filled with darkness. If then the light that is in you is darkness, how great is that darkness!

Matthew 6:22-23

Before we encounter Jesus, we can live vibrant lives, but they will be lacking an important spark. There is an aching hole in our hearts that can only be filled by Jesus’ light.

Jesus is our comforter, companion, source of confidence, and the one we can turn to when we make mistakes. As we journey together to become more of who God created us to be, we should ultimately become more and more whole.

But what is wholeness and what does it look like?

To me, wholeness means being completely yourself, unashamed and unburdened, while living fully into your purpose. Because we live in a broken world, we likely won’t feel whole all of the time. But we can celebrate the “green flags” in our lives that remind us that we are on the right track.

As we follow Jesus, we are becoming who we are meant to be, and that is so beautiful.

Signs you are becoming more whole

  • You don’t feel as easily swayed by peer pressure or the fear of missing out
  • You are not ashamed of your appearance, your mistakes, your passions, or who you are in Christ
  • You are able to set boundaries with kindness and “no” becomes a regular part of your vocabulary
  • You are able to let go of things that are out of your control
  • You don’t feel the need to rush the process
  • Time with God becomes a habit and an enjoyable part of your day
  • You feel less and less like you have to hide things from God
  • You respect yourself and those around you
  • Though you may feel lonely at times, you are comforted in the reminder that you are really never alone
  • You feel strong enough to serve others with Jesus’ love
  • Negative self-talk ceases
  • You don’t feel burdened by resentment or tied down by vengefulness
  • It isn’t painful to celebrate other people’s victories; you know that you are not behind even if you aren’t on the same track as them
  • No matter what you are doing, you know that you have a purpose
  • You are eager to pursue God’s will, even if it isn’t clear yet
  • Perhaps others are beginning to notice positive changes in you 🙂

I hope this list isn’t overwhelming for you, but rather encouraging. It isn’t a checklist to complete, but rather a reminder that you are growing and changing even when your goals feel out of reach. Celebrate the small successes — they really aren’t so small. Ask God for joy for the journey, even when life is redundant or difficult, and trust that you will be sustained even in your sadness, anger, or grief.

We don’t have to pretend with God. Deep, honest, and vulnerable relationship with Him is perhaps the biggest step of growth itself.

The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world. 10 He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. 11 He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. 12 Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.

John 1:9-12

Persevering in Prayer

Do you leave your time of prayer disappointed?

I think most Christians struggle with prayer at least once during their lives.

For me, I grew up with difficulty motivating myself to pray because I had the misbelief that prayer is a list of requests and thanks, not a real conversation. And no matter what, it had to be boring.

When discussing prayer with other believers in my life, I hear of many other reasons why prayer can be difficult for them. Perhaps you can relate to a few of these reasons…

  • God didn’t answer your prayer in the way you wanted
  • You feel disappointed after praying
  • Life is going well even when you don’t pray (or perhaps it feels like it goes better when you aren’t focused on God)
  • You don’t have time to pray
  • If God knows everything already, then why pray? Seems like a waste of His time
  • You don’t know how to pray to God — after all, He’s the creator of the universe, that’s a bit intimidating

Or maybe your reason is entirely different. All of these reasons are valid…but they need to be understood and worked upon, not permanent excuses that create roadblocks in your relationship with God.

Dealing with Disappointment

If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer.

Matthew 21:22

This verse feels so encouraging as a young Christian. I can ask for anything? Even a mountain to fall into the ocean? Even for an impossible healing? Even for all my dreams to come true?

But then, when life doesn’t go as planned, this verse becomes irritating, even angering. Am I praying wrong? Why isn’t prayer working?

Jesus never lies. However, sometimes we don’t quite understand what He means.

Before approaching this verse, it’s important to have a clear understanding of what prayer should be:

  1. A bonding time with God
  2. A time for requests, thanksgiving, praise, and repentance to take place
  3. Transformative

You should never feel guilty for praying. God wants to be in communication with you. Jesus sacrificed everything so that we could have the Holy Spirit, our advocate, in prayer and in relationship with the Trinity. You are not wasting God’s time with your requests.

A few months ago, I was really having a hard time knowing what to say to God. Prayer journaling was easier for me, but that was all me talking*. When I bowed my head and closed my eyes, there was this tension preventing me from speaking from my heart.

*(Side note: I still highly recommend prayer journaling! It’s great to diversify the ways you pray)

During the “repentance” portion of my prayer, I would simply say, “God, I’m sorry for my sins. Please forgive me for my sins”. But then I started asking God for help in specific areas of my life. I invited God into the spaces I was ashamed of, the places where my mistakes were hiding.

There are times when I still struggle with being vulnerable with God. But thanking God for characteristics that are given in the Bible, such as His grace and mercy and love, help my heart to turn back to Him and remember that I am not alone on the journey to becoming who He created me to be.

Going back to Matthew 21:22, the Greek word for “receive” is “lambanō”. There are several definitions of this word. One is “to take, to take up”. I imagine that when we really believe in what we are asking God, He will receive our prayer. It will be taken up to Him.

Another definition is “sustain”. Prayer is meant to change us. It can change our desires, our feelings, our outlooks. It can change the course of our lives.

But even as we wait for those longer term things to change, we can transform from the inside out. Prayer can give us peace. It can sustain us during the toughest storms.

Instead of feeling disappointed in your prayer life, go into prayer time with the hope that you will come out with a closer relationship with God and a feeling of peace. Ask God what He wants you to receive from your time together.

As with everything, growing in your prayer practice will take time. But don’t give up — it will be worth it.

“Which of you fathers, if your son asks for a fish, will give him a snake instead? 12 Or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? 13 If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!

Luke 11:11-13

*All Greek translations come from the MOUNCE Greek Translation on BibleGateway.

Uprooting Resentment

Finding the strength to let go.

I have the uncanny ability to kill plants whenever I’m in my backyard. I’m not sure how it happens, but the badminton birdie or the big green ball or the frisbee will be in the air one minute, and the next it’s steering directly into a flower head.

But weeds, well, those are a whole different story. They are often equipped with thorns to prevent you from removing them by hand, and even when you successfully tear them out of the soil, often their roots are left behind, making your work meaningless.

Sometimes, it feels that way with relationships. Joyful moments with loved ones, like beautiful flowers, can be easily overshadowed by an argument or miscommunication or one person disappointing the other. And when thorny anger takes root…man, those roots run deep.

Anger, especially when it first pops up, isn’t a “wrong” feeling. Often, it’s quite justifiable. Your neighbor didn’t show up when you needed them. A friend lied to you. Your parent unintentionally participated in your need for therapy. A coworker’s mistake cost you a promotion. The list could go on and on.

But there comes a point when the anger begins hurting you more than anything else. It chokes out the life in you each time you replay the painful moment of betrayal.

There comes a time when you need to get on the thick gloves and pull out the sharp shovel to do the real work of uprooting your resentment.

Anger transforming into resentment doesn’t happen overnight. It usually takes a few weeks, sometimes months, and it really thrives on years. In fact, the longer you water it with supporters of your resentment and tend to it with better comebacks, the stronger it becomes.

I am someone who struggles with resentment. I didn’t realize this for a long time, often because I thought my anger was justified. And maybe it was, at first. But then it grew so big, it blocked my vision of seeing anything more beautiful.

Though I am accountable for listening to my resentment over the Holy Spirit’s voice of grace, I was also susceptible to those who encouraged these harmful feelings. They were well-meaning people, of course, but when the voices around us inflate our negative feelings towards others, we need to step back and question whether they are voices worth listening to.

There are two things killed when resentment consumes our lives. The first is our joy. We forget the beautiful things about life and relationships when we focus solely on who hurt us. The second is our love. We begin to question the motives of those who love us, even those who haven’t hurt us, when we allow resentment to tell us that everyone is out to harm us. And we forget how to show others love in the way Jesus has demonstrated for us, through grace and forgiveness and honesty.

Resentment may seem “nicer” than being honest with the people who have hurt us. I know it feels easier, but it’s not.

While confronting others with the truth about their mistakes or admitting there’s a broken piece in our relationship with them is difficult and may result in tears or discomfort, it is vital to forming healthy relationships.

No relationship built on mistrust, false pretenses, and doubt will flourish.

Today, ask Jesus to help you uproot your resentment. It may take some time, but start by avoiding conversations that revolve around complaining about the person who has harmed you, and instead find a healthier way to either approach that person directly (with mercy) or someone who can actually help the situation.

Pray that Jesus opens your heart and fills it with the strength to let go of your resentment and press forward into who you are meant to become.

You are not in this battle alone. ❤


When he arrived and saw what the grace of God had done, he was glad and encouraged them all to remain true to the Lord with all their hearts.

Acts 11:23

For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.

Romans 3:23-24

Embracing Our Inadequacies

We are not defined by our mistakes — but we must learn from them if we want to become who we are meant to be.

I love everything there is to love about the art of writing — apart from one pretty major thing: receiving feedback.

I’m sure I’m not the only one who gets shattered by a harsh comment or bristles at being criticized. It’s part of human nature to be sensitive, especially about things that are intertwined with our perception of ourselves.

For those of you who aren’t writers or artists, who don’t have a piece of you on display meant for the audience and editors to judge, there are certainly other aspects of your life where you may receive feedback or there is possibility for growth. Personality traits, job performance, social skills, participating in sports or hobbies…there are so many areas of our lives that become all too personal when critiqued.

While we certainly shouldn’t take critiques to heart, there is also reason for us to embrace constructive criticism.

In the wise words of Winston Churchill, “Criticism may not be agreeable, but it is necessary. It fulfills the same function as pain in the human body. It calls attention to an unhealthy state of things.”

But what about when we are convicted in our faith? Now that’s a whole other matter. While being told that our brushstrokes are too heavy or our pitch is too soft or our characters need deeper development doesn’t say anything about who we are as a person, our faith is our connection to Jesus. When we face convictions, we may begin to shy away from Jesus.

I’m sure you know of at least one person who is deterred from participating in a relationship with Jesus because they are afraid of being judged by Him and don’t want to feel convicted. Honestly, fair point. Especially for someone who hasn’t spent much time with Jesus and doesn’t understand much of who He is.

There are many interactions of Jesus’ in the New Testament that are uncomfortable. One of which occurs in Mark 10 when a law-abiding man approaches Jesus with a question, “Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?”

Now, this man had followed every single law (at least, according to his account, and Jesus didn’t disagree), but he had accumulated great wealth. Knowing that perhaps generosity was a weakness of his, Jesus replied, “You lack one thing — go, sell whatever you have and give the money to the poor; then you will have treasure in heaven. And come, follow me.” (Mark 10: 17, 21)

This man was disheartened by the news, as I’m sure any of us would’ve been to hear that we had to give up everything we had earned. In the MOUNCE translation, which gives the Greek words and meanings alongside the English text, the word for disheartened is “stygnazō”, which means a gloomy or downcast look, as well as to be shocked and appalled.

I think most of us can relate to this man, even though we may not be rich. You’ve done everything you could do. You’ve lived a “better” life than most of the people around you. And yet, you still have more to give? When will enough be enough?

I’m not a historian or a biblical scholar, so I can’t say whether or not this man had spoken to Jesus before. Assuming that he hadn’t, imagine that this was his first interaction with this renowned teacher. He had heard how Jesus extended love in such a way that no one could leave Him unaffected. He was excited — the Bible says that he ran up to Jesus and even kneeled before him, showing reverence — but that excitement disappeared when he was met by reproach instead of love.

Or was that really what happened?

Today was the first time I noticed Jesus’ reaction to this man before He told him to give up everything he had. It says, “Jesus, looking at him, loved him”. The Greek word for loved in this passage is “agapaō”, which means “to love, value, esteem, feel or manifest generous concern for, be faithful towards and to delight in”.

Jesus wasn’t ashamed of this man for what he lacked. Jesus loved him, so much that he wanted him to take a leap of faith and follow Him. Jesus knew it wouldn’t be easy. He also knew, I’m sure, that the man would choose to walk away that day. It never says that this love of Jesus’ disappeared when the man’s doubt and hesitation rose up. And perhaps this man changed his mind and followed Jesus later.

Jesus knew what act of faith would best strengthen this man, and He challenged him to grow. Any criticism or conviction worth listening to will challenge us to do the same.

So what can we take away from this story? A number of things, as with every encounter with Jesus.

First, don’t push away convictions as they rise up in your heart. Even if you don’t accept the challenge now, consider it. Ask yourself, will making this change in my life cause me to rely on Jesus even more than I already am?

Second, your growth areas don’t define or diminish your value. When it comes to your art or work or personality, the critiques given to you by others are generally meant to give you new perspective and help you become the best version of you that you can be.

And when it comes to Jesus, His words are always out of a place of love and generous concern for you.

So today, listen to Jesus. Contemplate His words. Ask Him questions. Because He loves you so much, He wants you to go to Him with everything and rely on Him as your source of strength.

Through it all, you will rise up into the person He created you to be.

Looking at them, Jesus said, “With man it is impossible, but not with God; for all things are possible with God.”

Mark 10:27

What Does it Mean to Be Content?

Exploring how to be content in an overcommitted society.

I took this photo two days ago as I sat on a piece of driftwood looking out over the beautiful ocean as the sky blossomed into delicate shades of dusk. And as my eyes took in what my mind could barely comprehend — the majesty of God’s creation in action — my breathing settled and I was slowly filled with peace.

I would describe this moment as feeling content.

According to the dictionary, being content means being satisfied, having your desires appeased, and even limiting oneself in requirements.

The idea of being content seems archaic in a world that thrives on self-improvement and ambition. But I don’t think that contentment means settling or limiting yourself.

To me, being content means that you have big dreams and you are continuing to work hard as you pursue God’s will for your life. However, when you are content, you aren’t rushing the process of transformation or growth.

I hate the word limitation because there are no limits on all God can do in and through us. However, perhaps limiting our list of requirements before we can experience joy or peace or trust in God is the key to embracing the fullness of life that God offers us.

I’ll be honest, after a few minutes of feeling content, my mind started to wander off to my next task and my inner peace wavered. As I’m figuring out, that’s what it means to be human: having constantly swaying emotions.

However, I believe that the more we release our lives to Jesus, the more content we will begin to feel. We likely won’t feel content all the time, but we will have more peace and less reason to miss out on the blessings of our present moments.

I saw a quote this morning that really convicted me:

“Instead of wondering when your next vacation is, maybe you should set up a life you don’t need to escape from.” – Seth Godin

As someone who often works hard (perhaps overdoing it at times) in order to “earn” a vacation, I am understanding more and more of how unhealthy this is. And as we journey towards creating a live worth living here and now, contemplate these questions with me:

  • What in your life are you grateful for?
  • Where do you feel the most at peace? (For me, it’s the beach!) Is there a way you can visit that place in the near future for some quality soul-care?
  • What in your life needs to change so that you don’t feel like you need to escape from it? Are there boundaries you need to set?

The argument that we only have one life and we don’t know how long it will be is often justification for overcommitting and fear of missing out. But perhaps this is also true: we only have one life, so how can we make the life we are in right now (not the life you working towards) the best it can possibly be?

I promise, you are not alone on this journey. You have no need to regret the past. All that matters is how you move forward, starting with this very moment.

Then he [Jesus] looked at those seated in a circle around him and said, “Here are my mother and my brothers! 35 Whoever does God’s will is my brother and sister and mother.”

Mark 3:34-35

 I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. 12 I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. 13 I can do all this through him who gives me strength.

Philippians 4:11-13

Abundant Life

Appreciating where you are right now.

What do you miss from the past?

The past can be any time, any place. A decade ago, a year ago, last month, yesterday. Perhaps even five minutes ago.

The past is a place where we can’t go back, but a place where our minds often drift.

Right now, I miss traveling. I miss seeing the sunset from the other side of the world. I miss hopping on and off buses that are clean and safe. I miss living out of a suitcase (knowing that it’s temporary). I miss living by the rule that I may never be here again, so why not try it?

It’s not that these things won’t ever happen again. But I’ll never be in the exact same place or situation, or as the same person even, as I was in those memories.

For the past few months, I’ve felt challenged to focus more on living in the present. I have one friend in particular who is really good at it — at least in my opinion. She considers the future, but doesn’t rush herself. She honors the past, but doesn’t live in it.

She cherishes the now.

What do you think you will miss from today? In a week, a year, a decade…what’s special about where you are right now?

Is it the people? Perhaps an older generation who you get to glean wisdom from every Sunday. Or a particular coworker or friend who makes life more fun. Maybe it’s the place where you are living, with a beautiful view, or on a street with kind neighbors. It could even be your health or the weather or the time you have today to rest.

Once you identify that thing or things, spend today appreciating it. Thank God for the gift of where you are now, even if it’s not where you thought you’d be or where you hope to be in the long term. Cherish the simple moments that are easily forgotten. Take photos and write down the details of today.

Not so that you can live in the past later when you are missing these things. Rather, so that you won’t have any regrets about not living fully today.

I [Jesus] came that they may have life and have it abundantly.

John 10:10

A Renewal of the Mind

Approaching reading the Bible in a reflective light.

In November of 2019, I decided I wanted to try reading the Bible in a year. Fast-forward to now (cough, June 2023, cough) and I have three books left! Starting in Genesis…getting stuck in Leviticus…meandering through the New Testament before circling back to the prophets…I’ve found myself in 2 Chronicles as one of my final books.

To be honest, I wasn’t sure how much I would learn from the Chronicles. One king after another doing the wrong thing, a reminder that only Jesus is the perfect king. Among fascinating stories, I ended up contemplating 2 Chronicles chapter 33 long after I closed my Bible.

In this chapter, we are introduced to an evil king named Manasseh. By evil, I mean he rebuilt all the “high places” designated for worshiping false gods, defiled God’s temple, and even sacrificed his children while practicing divination and witchcraft. Yeah, not exactly a guy I’d want to meet.

While the people followed Manasseh’s detestable practices, God still spoke to them, but they refused to listen. In order to get their attention, God brought the Assyrian army against them, who took Manasseh prisoner and tortured him.

During this experience, Manasseh humbled himself and prayed to God. To my surprised, God listened and allowed Manasseh another chance by bringing him back to Jerusalem. Verse 13 states, “Then Manasseh knew that the Lord is God.”

He ended up living the rest of his days faithful to God and was buried in an honorary location. The rest of God’s people used the high places as a location to worship God rather than their idols.

Stepping away from this chapter left me with a mix of emotions.

First of all, I was pretty upset by Manasseh’s actions. How could humbling himself be worth a second chance? What about his sacrificed children? Don’t they deserve justice?

I also wondered why Manasseh and the Israelites had to go through so much just to come to the revelation that “the Lord is God”. Was it really worth a battle? Being tortured? Are we as humans so prideful that it takes being brutally harmed before we come to understand who God is?

But then I had to take another step back from the situation and reflect on my involvement in this story. Who am I to say that God shouldn’t given Manasseh another chance? Am I really so much better than him? Sure, I don’t participate in witchcraft or kill people, but I sin every day. I have hurt people with my words and actions. I struggle with pride at times. God isn’t always my first priority, even though I know He should be.

And second, how is it that we can so easily make light of the fact that our Lord (the one who listens to us, plans our lives, and loves us dearly) is God?

Just sit with that for a moment. Tell your fear and anxiety to stand down. Think of all the areas of your life where you feel superior. Remember the everyday miracles that have brought you to where you are today.

The Lord, the one who made us and died for us, is God. He is here right now. He is the one in control. Not us. Never us. But that’s okay — perfect, in fact — because God knows so much more than we ever could.

The next time you read the Bible, which I hope is today, I encourage you to open your heart and ask the Spirit to help you notice and hear what God is pointing out to you through the passage. You may be reading a familiar story or a chapter that’s universally seen as dull. But perhaps it doesn’t have to be. After all, we are reading God’s own word.

And that’s not something to be taken lightly either. In fact, that’s one pretty spectacular gift.

For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. 13 Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account.

Hebrews 4:12-13