In the kids’ class that I teach at church, this past week we learned about John the Baptist. Then in my morning time this week, I was reading about him again. There’s a section in the story I can’t get away from.
It’s when Jesus comes up out of the water, and God the Father from Heaven says, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.” Mark writes it this way, “You are my dearly loved Son, and you bring me great joy.”
Great Joy
I’ve been mulling over those words this week. Here’s what I’ve been pondering: God says to his Son, “You bring me great joy.” That’s what God sees when he sees Jesus. The Bible tells us multiple times that because of what Jesus did on the cross, when we accept God’s gift of salvation, we become sons and daughters. So does God look at you and me and think: You bring me great joy? I think he does.
If you have children, think about what they do that brings you great joy. For each of my kids it’s something different. Our eight-year-old Macey has the best laugh. When she gets going, it’s the cutest thing. It makes Matt and I smile with love and affection. Each of our kids bring us such joy. We love them so much.
God’s Joy
If we love our kids that much and they bring us such great joy, how much more does our Heavenly Father love us? How much joy must we bring to him?
We get so hard on ourselves and so down on ourselves because of our failures and mistakes, but we need to remember how God sees us. We need to remember this:
You bring great joy to God!
So when we get down on yourself and feel discouraged or worthless, remember that God sees great value in you. You bring him great joy just by being you. So be the you he created you to be and find your value in him!
The more I live life and the more I study God’s Word, I find that so much in life comes back to faith.
The Gospels are full of men and women who had extraordinary amounts of faith. Matthew tells us the story of two blind men who sat alongside a road who had more faith than most people. We don’t know any details about them than just those that—they were blind and they sat on the side of the road. We can assume that they were homeless, or at least outcasts. They had nothing. They could only rely on the pity of others to help them out.
Their Plan
We don’t know how old they were, how long they were blind, if they were related or just found themselves in similar straits. What we do know is that somehow they heard that Jesus was going to pass by. Whether or not they planned it or they both spontaneously decided to do it, they both began to shout. They shouted, “Lord, Son of David, have mercy on us.”
The crowd around them responded the way most crowds would today. They tried to get them to be quiet. But the Bible says they only shouted louder. Well, their plan works. Jesus stops in front of them and asks, “What do you want me to do for you?”
Their Request
They respond, “Lord, we want to see.” Jesus takes compassion on them and instantly heals their eyes. After that, Matthew writes simply, “Then they followed him.” We don’t know for how long they followed him, but it was worth noting that they did.
Whenever I read this story, I am struck by their determination. It didn’t matter what anybody thought of them; they were willing to risk everything to get Jesus to heal them. Their desire to be healed mattered so much more than their pride.
I wonder how many of us let our pride or something else keep us back from getting serious with God. When was the last time we got serious with God and asked him, even begged him for something with no holds barred? When was the last time you begged God for something and wouldn’t let it go until He answered?
Our Faith
James tells just that if we’re going to come to God to ask for wisdom, we’d better come in faith without wavering.
If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and he will give it to you. He will not rebuke you for asking. But when you ask him, be sure that your faith is in God alone. Do not waver, for a person with divided loyalty is as unsettled as a wave of the sea that is blown and tossed by the wind. Such people should not expect to receive anything from the Lord
James 1:5-7
Faith is so important to God. The more I read and study the Gospels, the more I am convinced that Jesus dealt with people according to their faith.
It always comes back to faith. We know this. We know that without faith, “it is impossible to please God.” Yet, we often forget and need to be reminded. God deals with us according to our faith. Our faith can be a big determining factor for how God works or doesn’t work in our lives. I don’t know about you, but I don’t want my lack of faith to be the reason God doesn’t work on my behalf or my family’s behalf.
How to Increase our Faith
So how do we grow our faith? How do we know if our faith is strong enough to withstand a storm? The disciples had the same request. “Show us how to increase our faith.” Jesus answers them in an odd way. He turns to them and basically says, “If you had the tiniest amount of faith, even as small as a mustard seed, you could tell this tree to go jump in the lake, and it would obey.”
He’s exaggerating of course, but the idea is this: If you just have a little bit of faith, amazing things can happen. Why? Because it’s God we’re talking about. God can do exceedingly, abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to Ephesians 3:20. We just have to do the first part…ask. And when we do ask, we have to ask in faith.
*Here’s a fun side note. Did you know? Mustard seed plants can grow to be twenty feet tall? Pretty amazing from such a tiny seed!
I don’t pretend to know how God works. Why he answers some prayers and leaves others seemingly unanswered. Why he meets some needs and seemingly not others. What I do know is that God will always work according to our faith, so let’s not give him any reason not to work in our lives. Let’s have the faith to believe that he’s going to come through for us in this season, just like he did in the last season. We may not see it yet, but we can believe it!
Summer is in full swing in the Manney home. It’s one of my most favorite times of year. Fall is still my favorite season, but summer is right behind that. Some people complain about the heat, but I am so grateful for it. I think part of it has to do with Pennsylvania winters. Though they’re pretty mild, winter lasts a long time here. So when summer finally comes, I am so ready to enjoy it.
My Favorite Parts of Summer
There are so many great things about summer that I love—cookouts, park trips, playing in the water, sitting in the sun, beach trips, vacation, iced coffee, fresh fruit…the list goes on and on. But one of the things I enjoy the most is sending my kids out to play in the pool.
We have an Intex pop-up pool in the backyard, and I am so incredibly grateful for it. I always wanted a pool and think it’s the absolute best investment ever! I love watching my kids play for hours in our pool.
Summer is about choosing to spend more time together as a family simply because you can. As a natural planner, scheduler, I have to really work to let go of expectations during the summer and just let my kids enjoy the break. They need it, and I do as well. It doesn’t come easily to me, so I have to choose to make it work.
Taking Advantage of This Current Season of Life
Take this morning, for example. After our walk, Matt told me he was going to go cool off in the pool with the kids for a few minutes. I sat outside to watch the kids swim and have fun with their dad. Of course, they begged me to come in the pool too. I had a choice. I could either sit and work on this blog post (which is what I was planning on), or I could get in the pool with them. I chose the pool. It’s summer; I’m not going to get this opportunity in a few months. I need to take advantage of the hot summer days while I can.
There are certain things you can only do in this season of life, both literally and figuratively. There are things you can only do in this stage of life you’re in right now, and there are things you can only do in the literal season we are in.
Whatever stage of life you’re in right now, take full advantage. You are only in this season of life for a period of time. God has opportunities that will only come during this stage of life. So be grateful for it, and make the most of it!
For More Encouragement
For more encouragement, check out Hands Free Mama. It’s all about enjoying the time you have with your kids now while you can.
If you’re looking for a good book to read this summer, check out my summer reading list from 2022.
If you need a devotional for the summer, check out one of our 30-day devotionals, available from Manney Resources.
