All of my life I have experienced the fierce love and prayers of my mother. Whether or not you’ve experienced the same, you can always be grateful that your mother was willing to carry you for nine months and then face delivery so courageously. Celebrating our mothers once a year is the very least that we can do to honor them!

My great-great-grandmother was born in Sweden. To the best of my knowledge, she raised her only child as a single parent in mid-1800. This solitary baby turned out to be the vital link to which the existence and contributions of successive generations would hinge.

This little baby (my great-grandmother) gave birth to eight children — the eldest daughter was my grandmother; the youngest daughter married an evangelist and traveled to over 50 nations with the Gospel. My grandmother had four children — the eldest daughter went into the ministry, as did several of her children and grandchildren (and I am sure that her great-grandchildren will, too); the youngest daughter is my mother, and I have been in ministry now for nearly 30 years.

A mother’s love and prayers only gain momentum as they flow down through the generations. Nothing on earth is purer or stronger. Except                                                                              for Jesus, no one is more deserving of my gratitude or devotion.

There is a modern mindset that insists on a “less is more” approach to life. I tend to shy away from such an approach. And when it comes to joy, the Scriptures do, too.

There’s only one thing better than joy, and that’s more joy! That is to say, shared joy. “Our motive for writing is simply this: We want you to enjoy this, too. Your joy will double our joy!” (1 John 1:4, MSG)

Fullness of joy is always realized in the presence of another, most notably the Lord’s presence:

Psalm 16:11 — “You will fill me with joy in Your presence…”

John 3:29 — John the Baptist compared himself to “the friend who attends the bridegroom,” who “waits and listens for him, and is full of joy when he hears the bridegroom’s voice. That joy is mine and it is now complete.”

John 15:10-11 — “If you obey My commands, you will remain in My love… I have told you this so that My joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete.”

John 17:13 — “I say these things while I am still in the world, so that [My disciples] may have the full measure of My joy within them.”

The welling up, the springing forth, and the spilling over of delight are the hallmarks of joy. The joy of the Lord so overflows us that we “double our joy” as we share the overflow with others!

“He spreads out the northern skies over empty space; He suspends the earth over nothing. He wraps up the waters in His clouds, yet the clouds do not burst under their weight. He covers the face of the full moon, spreading His clouds over it.He marks out the horizon on the face of the waters for a boundary between light and darkness… And these are but the outer fringe of His works; how faint the whisper we hear of Him! Who then can understand the thunder of His power?” (Job 26:7-10, 14, NIV)

—“And this is only the beginning…” (MSG)

— “Lo, these are the borders of His way…” (YLT)

— “But these are only hints of His power…” (GNT)

—“These are some of the minor things He does…” (NLT)

— “Yet these are but [a small part of His doings] the outskirts of His ways or the mere fringes of His force, the faintest whisper of His voice!” (AMP)

Who can understand God’s magnificent power? Who can know how truly great God is?

“He thunders with His majestic voice. When His voice resounds, He holds nothing back. God’s voice thunders in marvelous ways; He does great things beyond our understanding.” (Job 37:4, 5, NIV)

“Great is the Lord and most worthy of praise; His greatness no one can fathom.” (Psalm 145:3, NIV)

“Praise Him for His acts of power; praise Him for His surpassing greatness.” (Psalm 150:2, NIV)

“For it’s God’s Name I’m preaching—respond to the greatness of our God!” (Deut 32:3, MSG)

In your lifetime you will walk about 65,000 miles—that’s three times around the earth! This fact alone should immediately cause one to consider: 1) the importance of faithfulness; 2) the importance of good shoes; 3) the importance of encouraging travel companions.

The Scripture uses walking as the perfect spiritual analogy to our daily relationship with God: “Blessed are they whose ways are blameless, who walk according to the law of the Lord.” (Psalm 119:1, NIV)

Even though as children we must learn how to walk, once learned and practiced daily for years, it is quite similar to breathing—it becomes “second nature” (really, “first” nature) to us. “We walk by faith, not by sight.” (2 Corinthians 5:7, NIV)

Ephesians 6:15 (AMP) gives us a detailed description of proper spiritual footwear: “…having shod your feet in preparation [to face the enemy with the firm-footed stability, the promptness, and the readiness produced by the good news] of the Gospel of peace.”

We notice obvious improvements in our energy levels, disposition and health when we walk every day. And our feet certainly appreciate wearing appropriate walking shoes! But this journey we’re on is not a solitary one—there are others who are traveling in the same direction, on the same path, and at the same time that we are meant to encourage and enjoy.

“…if we walk in the light, God Himself being the light, we also experience a shared life with one another, as the sacrificed blood of Jesus, God’s Son, purges all our sin.” (1 John 1:6, MSG)

Most words have only one or two meanings; some have more than a dozen. Consider the word cover…

— You cover someone by guarding him or her from attack.

— You cover the losses of another via an insurance policy compensation.

— In baseball, you cover the bases by being in position to receive a throw.

— In banking, you must maintain a balance sufficient to cover your checks.

— To cover is to envelop, as you would wrap a warm blanket around yourself.

— You can also cover the stains on a wall with a fresh coat of paint.

Although all of these are excellent analogies of how the Lord covers us, this last example brings to mind a vivid childhood memory.

Before Pixar purchased it as its present headquarters location, this Emeryville property boasted a massive warehouse for Sherwin-Williams Paints. Atop the warehouse was a magnificent animated neon sign of the company logo: a huge can of red paint being poured over the globe. In my kid’s mind, it was a striking reminder that the blood of Jesus was poured out to cover the sin of anyone born on the planet.

“Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” (John 1:29, ESV)

“This is My blood, God’s new covenant poured out for many people for the forgiveness of sins.” (Matthew 26:28, MSG)

 “You are worthy… because You were slain, and with Your blood You purchased men for God from every tribe and language and people and nation.” (Revelation 5:9, NIV)

I’m so grateful to know that no matter what my situation is, God has it covered!

“This is what the Lord says — He who made a way through the sea, a path through the mighty waters, who drew out the chariots and horses, the army and reinforcements together, and they lay there, never to rise again, extinguished, snuffed out like a wick:

‘Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the desert and streams in the wasteland.’” (Isaiah 43:16-19, NIV)

Human nature is inclined to cling to the past, to what is known and familiar. Our experiences, whether good or bad, vie to dominate our present horizons. This, in turn, routinely skews our perception of what may very well be an answer to prayer. We can misinterpret and, consequently, dismiss what is actually the miraculous manifestation of God’s promise.

What, in fact, did God say? He said that He was the One who not only parted the waters but dried the seafloor as well, securing safe passage for an entire nation. He then dealt with Israel’s enemies by releasing the waters again.

But now God is doing a new thing: He who made a way through the sea is now making a way in the desert. All we needed before was enough dry land to cross the Red Sea. Now He’s going to provide enough water to cross a vast desert. Let’s not miss out simply because the circumstantial order of things happens to be inverted.

“Now my soul is deeply troubled. Should I pray, ‘Father, save Me from what lies ahead’? But that is the very reason why I came! Father, bring glory to Your name.”

Then a voice spoke from heaven, saying, “I have already brought it glory, and I will do it again.” (John 12:27-28, NLT)

Have you ever noticed how Good Friday always comes before Easter? The crucifixion always comes before the resurrection. Suffering always precedes glory.

There is no escaping suffering.

“Suffering is the heritage of the bad, of the penitent, and of the Son of God. Each one ends in the cross. The bad thief is crucified, the penitent thief is crucified, and the Son of God is crucified. By these signs we know the widespread heritage of suffering.” (Oswald Chambers in Christian Discipline)

Yet suffering is the gateway to God’s glory.

Luke 24:26 (NIV) — “Did not the Christ have to suffer these things and then enter His glory?”

Acts 1:3 (NIV) — “After His suffering, He… gave many convincing proofs that He was alive…”

Hebrews 2:9 (NIV) — “But we see Jesus… now crowned with glory and honor because He suffered death, so that by the grace of God He might taste death for everyone.”

What lies ahead? Suffering? Crucifixion? Death?

Yes.

But what lies beyond that? Hope! Resurrection! Glory!

“Our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us… for our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.” (Romans 8:18 & 2 Corinthians 4:17, NIV)

“Pay to all what is due them…respect to whom respect is due, honor to whom honor is due.” (Romans 13:7, NRS)

Honoring the honorable is one debt that I am enthusiastic to pay!

Since her conversion at 15, Dr. Jean Darnall has had a miraculous healing ministry. After studying at LIFE Bible College, she and her husband, Elmer, were sent to Panama, Canada and Australia as missionaries. They returned to the States in the late fifties as associate pastors at Angelus Temple, leaving in 1967 for the UK, where they ministered for 25 years. Jean had a great influence in the charismatic revival that swept through the Anglican Church during this time. They later relocated to Hawaii, actively involved with YWAM. At the age of 84, Jean was invited by Dr. Jack Hayford to begin a Thursday midday service at The Church On The Way in Van Nuys, California.

As Jean steps into a new decade (she turns 90 next week), she also steps into a new ministry. So I add my “shout out” of her remarkable life and contribution to the Body of Christ during this transitional season. Jean Darnall is one who truly carries considerable weight in the kingdom of God, well fashioned by the Word and the Holy Spirit.

Chris Goan accurately described Jean in his blog, This Fragile Tent: “I have always thought of her as a kind and wise person, steeped in the Holy Spirit.”

It has been my great joy to know Pastor Jean and my great privilege to have served her in the Thursday services. I love her dearly and rejoice in knowing that her ever-increasing impact will continue to draw many to Christ. May all such dear ones become likewise “steeped” in His Spirit.

Like the sewing of brightly colored embroidered designs, appointments capture our attention and demand our energy. Most of us live our conscious lives from one appointment to the next. Yet even fine needlework requires a contrasting fabric into which it can be sewn. I like to think of this background contextual “fabric” as seasons.

“There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven.” (Ecclesiastes 3:1)

Like pregnancy and childbirth, you can’t have one without the other. Seasons without appointments are meaningless, and appointments without seasons are impossible.

Genesis 18:14; 21:1-2 (NIV) — “‘Is anything too hard for the Lord? I will return to you at the appointed time next year and Sarah will have a son.’ Now the Lord was gracious to Sarah as He had said, and the Lord did for Sarah what He had promised…at the very time God had promised…”

Galatians 4:4-5 (NIV) — “But when the time had fully come, God sent His Son…to redeem those under law…”

Romans 8:24-25 (MSG) — “Waiting does not diminish us, any more than waiting diminishes a pregnant mother. We are enlarged in the waiting. We, of course, don’t see what is enlarging us. But the longer we wait, the larger we become, and the more joyful our expectancy.”

So let us confidently put our hope in the Lord, for no matter what season in which we find ourselves, we know that God will not bring to the moment of birth without giving delivery! (Isaiah 66:9)

As a teenager, I was delighted when my parents gave me what was then considered cutting edge technology in the camera world: a Canon AE-1. Despite its advanced capabilities, however, it could not come close to capturing the quantity, quality or clarity of images that my own eyes could register in a microsecond. Consider these amazing facts:

• The human eye can distinguish about 10 million colors.
• Your eyes can process 36,000 bits of information every hour.
• In a normal life-span, your eyes will bring you almost 24 million images of the world around you.
• The human eye is not only sensitive to light, but also to sound. Uninvited noise will cause pupils to dilate, change focus and blur vision.

“Uninvited noise” is what Hebrews 12:1 outlines as excess weight, encumbrances, and “parasitic sins” (MSG), “which so deftly and cleverly places itself in an entangling way around us” (Wuest). Uninvited noise is what causes our spiritual eyesight to dilate, change focus and become blurred.

Thankfully, the antidote for such a perilous condition is found in the very next verse:

“Keep your eyes on Jesus, who both began and finished this race we’re in. Study how He did it. Because He never lost sight of where He was headed… He could put up with anything along the way: cross, shame, whatever…” (MSG)

Jesus never lost sight of where He was headed. Neither should we. Let us not merely study His methods; let us fix our focus on Him. Truly Jesus is the Sight for sore eyes!