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Written by Peter Kreeft, a contemporary apologist, philosophy professor, and author.

The great divide, the eternal divide, is not between theists and atheists, or between happiness and unhappiness, but between seekers (lovers) and non-seekers (non-lovers) of the Truth (for God is Truth). We can seek health, happiness, or holiness; physical health, mental health, or spiritual health as our summum bonum, our greatest good. But Christ’s first question in John’s Gospel is the crucial one: “What do you seek?” This question determines what we will find, determines our eternal destiny, determines everything.

Then Jesus turned, and seeing them following, said to them, “What do you seek?”  [John 1:38]

Written by Ray Stedman (1917-1992), an American pastor and author.

We are not the ones who do the soul winning, ever. We do not have the power to convince people to become Christians, nor is a person won to Christ by our trying to argue with them. This means we can relax in our approach, and if the Holy Spirit has not already prepared a heart and made them ready and willing to listen, there is nothing we can do to make them so, except to pray for them.

But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you. [John 14:26]

Written by Brittany Yesudasan, a contemporary author.

Trusting God is more than a feeling; it’s a choice to have faith in what He says even when your feelings or circumstances would have you believe something different. Your feelings and circumstances matter and are very much worth paying attention to. God cares about them both. But those things alone are not reliable enough to base your life on. They can change at any moment, even in an instant. God, on the other hand, does not change. He is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow and therefore is worthy of your trust. Trusting God is not about ignoring your feelings or reality. It is not pretending that everything is OK when it isn’t. Trusting God is living a life of belief in and obedience to God even when it’s difficult.

Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see. [Hebrews 11:1]

Written by Mark Roberts, a contemporary author.

Gracious God, thank you for choosing us as a place to contain your treasure, even though we are only “clay jars.” Thank you for placing within our knowledge of your glory in Christ. Thank you for giving us extraordinary power through the indwelling Spirit. Help me, I pray, to discover more about the treasure you have put within me. May I know Jesus more truly and intimately. May I be more open to the guidance and power of your Spirit. May I continue to grow throughout my life into a deeper awareness of and relationship with you. Amen.

But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us.  [2 Corinthians 4:7]

Written by Dallas Willard (1935-2013), a philosopher, author, and theologian and Jan Johnson, a contemporary author.  This is an excerpt from their book “Renovation of the Heart in Daily Practice.

Our lives are a result of what we have become in the depths of our being—what we call our spirit, will, or heart. From there we see our world and interpret reality. From there we make choices, break forth into action, and try to change our world. That is why the greatest need of collective humanity is the renovation of our heart. Accordingly, the revolution of Jesus involves the objective of eventually bringing all of human life under the direction of his wisdom, goodness, and power as part of God’s eternal plan for the universe…Spiritual formation for the Christian refers to the Spirit-driven process of forming the inner world of the human self so that it becomes like the inner being of Christ himself. To the degree in which spiritual formation in Christ is successful, the outer life of the individual becomes a natural outflow of the character and teachings of Jesus.

But let justice roll on like a river, righteousness like a never-failing stream [Amos 5:24]

Written by Hannah Whitall Smith (1832-1911), a lay speaker and author. She was a  leader in the Holiness Movement, and was active in the women’s suffrage and temperance movements.

The shout of steadfast faith is in direct contrast to the moans of wavering faith, and to the wails of discouraged hearts. Among the many “secrets of the Lord,” I do not know of any that is more valuable than the secret of this shout of faith. The Lord said to Joshua, “See, I have given into thine hand Jericho, and the king thereof, and the mighty men of valor.” He had not said, “I will give,” but “I have given.” It belonged to them already; and now they were called to take possession of it. But the great question was, How? It looked impossible, but the Lord declared His plan. Now, no one can suppose for a moment that this shout caused the walls to fall. And yet the secret of their victory lay in just this shout, for it was the shout of a faith which dared, on the authority of God’s Word alone, to claim a promised victory, while as yet there were no signs of this victory being accomplished. And according to their faith, God did unto them; so that, when they shouted, He made the walls to fall. God had declared that He had given them the city, and faith reckoned this to be true. And long centuries afterward the Holy Ghost recorded this triumph of faith in Hebrews: “By faith the walls of Jericho fell down, after they were compassed about seven days.”

When you hear them sound a long blast on the trumpets, have the whole army give a loud shout; then the wall of the city will collapse and the army will go up, everyone straight in. [Joshua 6:5]

Written by Charles Spurgeon (1834-1892), an English Baptist preacher, known as “the Prince of Preachers.”  This is an excerpt from his work “Morning and Evening.”

Jesus college is the only one in which God’s truth can be really learned; other schools may teach us what it is to be believers, but Christ alone can show us how to believe it. Let us sit at the feet of Jesus, and by earnest prayer call in his blessed aid that our dull wits may grow brighter, and our feeble understanding may receive heavenly things.

His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. [2 Peter 1:3]

Today’s meditation is from “The Weekly Faith Project,” a journal to cultivate genuine faith, edited by Zondervan.

There is no need to carry all that baggage around. The mistakes you’ve made—and the ones you’re going to make. The bad choices. The thoughtless words. The moments of outright rebellion. When you have faith, you can take all those things and leave them at the foot of the cross, knowing the price for those sins has already been paid. Faith means freedom from the penalties of sin—and it means you are forgiven.

Blessed are those whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered. [Romans 4:7]

Written by Louie Giglio, a contemporary pastor, author, and speaker.  This is an excerpt from his book “Seeing God as a Perfect Father.”

A marker of spiritual maturity is that we’re called to adopt the behavior and character of God. We model after Him. This means we pattern after Him, copy Him, emulate Him, shadow Him, echo Him, mirror Him. We model after Him and model after Him again. Through the close relationship we have with God through Christ, we constantly study how God works and moves, and then we study Him some more. The change doesn’t happen all at once. It happens bit by bit through the trueness of our walk with Him. This progression actually takes pressure off of us, knowing our lives are transformed bit by bit. We don’t learn from our earthly fathers all at once, and our heavenly Father doesn’t expect us to figure everything out immediately either. In our spiritual walks, we “grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.” The key word is grow. And growth is gradual. If you are new in Christ, the adventure of your new life and identity waits before you. God promises to accompany you every step of the glorious path. And as you awaken, accept, and adopt His perfect and powerful ways, you will discover the majesty of His abundant goodness. Your journey has only begun! 

But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and forever! Amen. [2 Peter 3:18]

Written by Mark Roberts, a contemporary author.

Gracious God, thank you for the example of Jesus. Thank you for how he called the twelve to be with him in a special way, to share in life and work together. Thank you, Lord, for calling me into relationship with you and into your ministry. Help me to “be with you” even as your first disciples were with you. By your grace, may I discover how to know you better as I live my life in relationship with you. May I also follow your example by living and working in community with others. I thank you for those who share life and work with me: my family, colleagues, friends, and church community. As we follow you, may we share in your kingdom work and grow in mutual love and understanding. Amen.

He [Jesus] appointed twelve that they might be with him and that he might send them out to preach. [Mark 3:14]