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- Written by: Don Goulding
I tell you the solemn truth, a time is coming- and is now here- when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live. (John 5:25)
I floated on a sea of confusion made from the darkness of my own thoughts. All that was sweet or musical had fled, and I could no longer remember what the color green looked like. I was conscious but dead.
“I am here,” a voice called to my spirit.
The rich timbre was like a defibrillator on my arrested heart. It beat once, twice, then continued.
Three simple words cut through the fog. I am here. Coming from any other, they would’ve been meaningless, but from this speaker they meant life. In the moment he spoke, fear vacated the space between us. We were forever linked.
There is still nothing to see, but the voice soothes the air around me. I strain in the direction of its sound, hugging the honeyed notes to my core. This is my lifeline to sanity.
No matter that I’m still bobbing on the dark sea, I’m no longer confused. The direction of the voice gives me orientation. I know where I’m headed, and I know there is green life beyond.
Where there is a voice there is a speaker, and, in this case, a Savior. I don’t have to see him to live. I only have to hear his voice. I can do that much. All the rest—light, music, shades of green—they will come when he says it’s time. For now, I have his voice.
Prayer: Son of God, grant me to hear your voice of life today.
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- Written by: Don Goulding
I no longer call you slaves, because the slave does not understand what his master is doing. But I have called you friends, because I have revealed to you everything I heard from my Father. (John 15:15)
In the middle of my junior year of high school, my family moved to different town. I walked across the new campus at lunchtime like a salmon making an exhausted run at the waterfall. Somewhere in the clique gauntlet, there had to be a group that would accept me before I was swept down the friendless teen river.
Back then, I believed in Jesus, but I didn’t know how to be friends with someone I couldn’t actually see. Then we found ourselves on the same team in life’s tug-of-war, and I eventually forgot he was invisible.
The creator of the universe can now be my inseparable pal. He fully understands my dysfunction and still loves me. He doesn’t blindly accept whatever I say or do. He challenges me, rigorously, and I accept his correction because he always has my best in mind.
I could be intimidated in Jesus’s company, what with him being in the Holy Trinity and all. But I know he too was tempted, and he questioned our Father’s will. He understands my weakness and so, coming to him is as comfortable as pulling on a favorite sweatshirt.
Yes, Jesus is still invisible, but so much more present than anyone else. I only wish I had known in high school what I know today.
Prayer: Jesus, my best friend, you make me whole.
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- Written by: Don Goulding
Watch out for false prophets, who come to you in sheepʼs clothing but inwardly are voracious wolves. (Matthew 7:15)
Yellow-eyed wolves shadow the flock, looking for a weak target. Converging on their prey, they make a show of curling their lips and growling. This is a ploy of distraction. The actual killer creeps behind, pounces on the haunches, and pulls the sheep down.
A dear friend of ours, Ann, became a follower of Christ in the sunset years of her life. As her days drew to a close, a faith wolf circled. This predator was a sweet, gray-haired grandmother who practiced the blackest of treacheries. She tried to drag our sister Ann into heresy. Jesus was painted as only one of many friendly spirits they could call upon. With candles, crystals, and chants she invoked her guides.
Faith wolves stalk those with a weak knowledge of Christ. While the majority of the pack calls for flat-out atheism, the real killer sneaks up behind with false teachings about Jesus. The devils behind these lies know that missing faith and misappliedfaith have the same result—eternal separation from God.
Ann learned that having faith is not enough. It must be an informed faith, based on the real Jesus made known in the Christian Bible. Ann rejected the sorceress, told her never to return, and wrote an evangelistic sermon that was preached at her own funeral.
Prayer: Mighty Shepherd, protect me as I dedicate myself to knowing you.