And yet, in the midst of a year filled with much hate, division, tragedy and death – the hope, peace, joy and love of Christ are so apparent and real to me. The name Immanuel means "God with us." Psalm 23 says: "even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are WITH me." This is why God sent His son Jesus to earth – so that even in our darkest days, we would truly know and experience the hope, peace, joy and love of Immanuel, God with us.

No matter who runs our country or our workplace – or despite the various ways we might feel “tied down” in life – the freedom mentioned in Psalm 119:32 is a freedom of the heart. It can persist despite any circumstance – poverty, loss, unpopularity, loneliness, betrayal. In fact, it thrives in such circumstances. This is why we choose not to walk, but to run toward Christ daily on this wild adventure of life.

Like Martha, we often get caught up in what we’re trying to do for the Lord that we sometimes forget to just stop and spend time with Him. Jesus pointed Martha to care for her soul, which was the better portion to her many tasks of service. Matthew Henry comments that “Worldly business is a snare to us when it hinders us from serving God and getting good to our souls.”

Ask yourself: what am I striving for right now? How have I spent my time and money this year? If I died today and gave an account to God, would He say, “Well done, good and faithful servant.” – or would He say, “I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness.”

Yesterday was a great reminder to me that truly ceasing is part of our design. God did it after creation, and Jesus did it regularly during his ministry. I encourage you to make an effort to “sabat” this week. Rest in the finished work of Christ. I think you will find it refreshing to your mind, body and soul.

To God, age truly is just a number and human construct. His plan for you and your life prevails, despite your age. No matter what limits you see for yourself on this planet, God has the power to overcome them all.

If you’ve been putting off what you know you ought to be doing, make today the day you “plant the tree.” Obey God and plant in faith, according to His wisdom and counsel. The outcome ultimately belongs to Him.

Eternal life begins with knowing Christ and is uninterrupted even in physical death. Therefore, as Christians, we understand that to die is to live more fully, more triumphantly, and more blessedly.

But Jesus is the only way to God, the only way to heaven, and the only way to live eternally in the richness and blessing of God. Apart from Him, we would remain on the path that leads to destruction and spend eternity in hell for our sin against a holy, just, and righteous God.

The truth that I often need to be reminded of is that there are rules worth aligning myself with – God’s rule. It's only with His rule and reign in my life that I can grow and mature. This is true freedom: growing into what God has intended you to be for His glory and our good!

We all have seasons, but my point here is that we cannot compare the season we’re experiencing to the season of another believer. It never seems fair to look sideways at your prospering neighbor while you feel like you’re neck deep in muck. Focus on where you are and no matter whether you face a tough season or plentiful one, give thanks.

In the same context that Jesus calls Himself The Good Shepherd, He also refers to Himself as the door of the sheep. Not only does He watchfully and tenderly care for His sheep, He also guards the door from enemies and leads His sheep to green pastures. Jesus is the door to all that is good, and the only door by which such riches may be attained and everlastingly enjoyed. He is the door to heaven itself.

Is Jesus the light of your life, or are you walking in darkness? Apart from Jesus Christ, we are blind people being led by blind people, and a blind world cannot come to have any light but in Christ alone.

In John 6:35 Jesus says, "I am the bread of life, whoever comes to me shall not hunger and whoever believes in me will never thirst." We all hunger for something more than just food. We are hungry for life – true spiritual life. The life we hunger for can only be satisfied by something outside of us, someone much greater than us: Jesus Christ.

God doesn't just love you. As a bonus - He likes you! The Bible says He delights in those who fear Him. He created you and placed you on this earth for a purpose, and He loves nothing more than spending time with you. One of my favorite places this occurs in the Bible is Psalm 18:19 - "He brought me out into a spacious place; He rescued me because He delighted in me."

For those who have His word planted within themselves, we are already made clean and pruned to produce every good work that is pleasing to God. Not that our works save us from our sin or grant us any special favor with God, but rather God our Father–who is also the gardener in this parable–has saved us by His grace and made us “His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we might walk in them” (Ephesians 2:8-10).

If today you hear your Shepherd’s voice, respond in your heart and mind. Turn back to your Shepherd. When you pray, pray that Jesus would shepherd your family and protect you from all kinds of harm, whether physical or spiritual. When you trust in Him, He promises to be with you always.

The Lord is slowly working in my heart to change my need to be recognized, rewarded and repaid, and replacing it with a desire to fellowship more deeply with Christ and experience gratitude in all circumstances. I pray you find encouragement today in the all encompassing lifelong journey of following Jesus.

When we give into the lie that we can find something better apart from God, we ultimately end up enslaved and unsatisfied. But, when we have a right view of God and the world around us we are actually able to engage with and enjoy the things of this world in the way God intended, with him at the center, instead of trying to make them something they are not. This is the redemptive advantage that allows us to live life to its fullest potential.

No matter what chaos surrounds us, what pests are destroying the garden or what the weather is like, where do our eyes go? Where are we looking for guidance, strength, and sustenance? Sunflowers have the answer. Look to the Son.