I am the LORD, that is my name!

I will not give my glory to another or my praise to idols. Isaiah 42:8

God is God. The Only Creator. The Only Giver of Life. The Only Savior. 

God is God. The Eternal One. The Holy One. The Righteous Judge. The Ancient of Days. The Redeemer. The Deliverer. The Healer.

God is God. The Wonderful Counselor. The Mighty God. The Everlasting Father. The Prince of Peace.

God is God. The Way. The Truth. The Life. The Word. The Spirit.

God is God. God is Love…and in God’s love:

…He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him…God sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. 1 John 4:9-10

And God wants us to never allow anything else to pull on our minds and hearts as more glorious or more wonderful than our God.

Because God alone loves us perfectly. Because God alone saves us eternally.

All glory and honor to the LORD…Alone!

In love, peace and purposeful passion,                                                               Sylane

Sometimes God’s Word gets right to the point. These to-the-point Scripture passages need no dissecting…they don’t need any special hermeneutical–interpretive studies to shed light on their meaning. For example:

The fool says in his heart, “There is no God.”

Psalm 53:1

Nope. There is no confusion at all about the meaning of this verse. The Fool denies the existence of God. 

Well! That not’s me! I am a believer in the God of all creation! I have placed my faith in Jesus Christ as my Savior and my Lord!

Whoa! Before I get too smug that my faith in God excludes me from the Fool Club, I have to get real with myself, and ask some tough questions:

How much more of a Fool am I, as a child of God saved by the blood of Jesus, when I ignore God’s truth, disobey God’s Word and plug my ears to the Spirit’s prompting?

How much more of a Fool am I, as a woman transformed by the love, grace and truth of Jesus, when I act in hateful, unforgiving, prideful, unmerciful, truth-twisting, selfish ways? Yes, even if ALL those hateful, unforgiving, prideful, unmerciful, truth-twisting, selfish ways occur only within my own head…and no one else witnesses my foolish-ungodly ways! I am still a Fool!

Don’t be foolish! Be faithful! Believe in God…Live AS IF you do!!! Get God’s point!

In love, peace and purposeful passion,                                                               Sylane

One who breaks open the way will go up before them; they will break through the gate and go out. Their king will pass through before them, the LORD at their head. Micah 2:13

I love this! The One…the King…the LORD…the Messiah…our God…Jesus Christ…breaks open the way so that we will break through and go out!

Our Mighty God has broken open for us the most destructive, life-threatening barrier that keeps us from knowing true peace and eternal life. Our Lord Jesus has broken open the gates of captivity and condemnation—the very gates of hell—whose doors, that close us in, are named: sin and death.

Jesus Christ through His death for our sins and His resurrection for our lives has broken open these gates for us. And sin and death has been conquered. For all eternity.

Now, it is our choice. Will we accept this life-giving, life-forgiving, life-transforming truth and follow Jesus as the King who goes before us, as the Head over all of our life? Will we choose to accept the freedom and the power our LORD gives us so that we, too, may break through the gate and go out?

C.S. Lewis once wrote that, “The gates of hell are locked from the inside.”  It is up to us to choose to trust that Jesus Christ has fully broken open these gates…and, then, to choose to break through the lies and the hurts, the sin and the shame, the fear and the pride that keep us locked inside our own hell. 

Victory and freedom, life and peace have already been fully, completely provided, and opened to us, by the One…the King…the LORD…the Messiah…our God…Jesus Christ!

Jesus Christ has broken open the way! Now, by His power and love, grace and truth, break through, go out and follow!

In love, peace and purposeful passion,                                                               Sylane 

My dear brothers [and sisters], take note of this:

Every one should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry.

James 1:19

Take note of this! I love how God inspires James to get our attention!

So, let’s take note: Be quick to listen. Let’s listen with the love, attention and patience of our Lord…let’s really listen to the one who is speaking. Let’s value and honor each person and let all know we are hearing them!

So, let’s take note: Be slow to speak. Let’s answer after we have really heard the other person…and after we have first sought to truly understand that person’s thoughts…that person’s words. Let’s choose not to interrupt (oh-my-goodness! I had to really learn this one!)  Let’s not have an already fully formulated rebuttal or counterpoint prepared even before the other person has finished speaking. Let’s ask the Lord for His love, wisdom and timing before we speak.

So, let’s take note: Be slow to become angry. Let’s be willing to choose a mind and heart of openness towards the other person and what he or she is truly saying before we open our mouths with any kind of anger, judgment, criticism or cruelty. 

Let us choose love and compassion, grace and truth in all we say…think and do!

Take note of this! Amen!

In love, peace and purposeful passion,                                                               Sylane 

Jesus got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “Quiet! Be still!” Then the wind died down and it was completely calm.

He said to his disciples, “Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?”  

They were terrified and asked each other “Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him! Mark 4:39-41

Jesus has the power to quiet the fiercest storms and calm the most overwhelming of waves.

Yet, way too often, when chaotic storms and over-whelming waves come crashing into our lives—in the form of a relationship filled with pain and uncertainty, a body suffering with illness or a crippling disability,  a death of a spouse, a child, a friend, the loss of a job or financial security—we fill our heads with all manner of worry, anxiety, fear, frustration, depression, self pity and anger at the unfairness of it all.

Too often we allow our own fear-fed thoughts to run rampant in our heads. And that is deadly. We need to be able to sincerely respond to the disciples’ question: ”Who is this?” with a firm and faithful: Jesus, You are the Prince of Peace! 

And, then, we need to obey our Lord Jesus, even as did the wind and the waves, when He says, “Quiet! Be Still!”

Only then will the churning thoughts of chaos and crises die down and be completely calm.  Only then will we recognize and receive the power that the Prince of Peace has for us. So, shhhhhhhhhhhh…take some time with Jesus, even now, and choose to obey His loving command: “Quiet! Be Still!”

In love, peace and purposeful passion,                                                               Sylane 

At the dedication of the temple in Jerusalem, King Solomon took time to acknowledge God and His faithfulness to those who choose to serve the LORD wholeheartedly.

“O LORD, God of Israel, there is no God like You in heaven or on earth

—You who keep Your covenant of love with Your servants who continue wholeheartedly in Your way.”

2 Chronicles 6:14

I love that phrase about God—“…You keep Your covenant of love…”

Wow.

We are given a promise of love. More than that. This is a holy assurance of faithful love from the Eternal, Sovereign LORD of all creation—and He gives it to us.

I repeat: Wow.

God’s covenant of love is a certain thing. God doesn’t change. And His love for us, with a passion and a faithfulness that knows no bounds, does not change either.

But we do.

We turn away from our loving God—way too often—to go our own way instead of continuing wholeheartedly in following God’s way.

Oh, choices! Oh, decisions!

Next time you have to make a decision about what you think, say and do (and that would be several hundred times each day!): 

• Stop first.
• Think about IF your decision will…
  •  take you farther away from knowing and sensing the LORD’s faithful covenant of love made to you. 

  OR

  • keep you choosing God’s way—which has been formed by and filled with God’s faithful covenant of love made to you.

This decision should be a no-brainer, right? Yeah. Should be.

But I know, at least for me, I can, and too often still do, choose to turn my brain off—or rather, I choose to turn my brain off from listening to God about following in HIS way. 

‘Cuz sometimes I just want to go my way! I’m listening to me instead of God! And right then, I just might be feeling selfish, self-pitying, prideful, judgmental or just plain grumpy. Oh, Yeah. Uh-Huh!  So, I just shut my brain off from listening to God. That would be called: Ignoring God! And trust me, when I do that: It just isn’t pretty.

I need to always invite God—and you can, too—to shout out His way even more passionately—even more loudly than all the other voices going on in our heads—for the next time we have to make any kind of a decision about what we think, say and do. (Count down starts now! We shouldn’t have too long to wait!)

Let’s choose to listen to God’s voice as He speaks to us through His Word and His Spirit!

Let’s enjoy our LORD’s faithful covenant of love made to us as we continue wholeheartedly (or turn around quickly) to go in His way!

In love, peace and purposeful passion,                                                               Sylane 

As the aged King David prepared his son Solomon to take up the throne—as servant of God and King of Israel—David had strong and wise counsel for his son.

“And you, my son Solomon, acknowledge the God of your father, and serve Him with wholehearted devotion and with a willing mind, for the LORD searches every heart and understands every motive behind the thoughts.

If you seek Him, He will be found by you;

but if you forsake Him, He will reject you forever.”

1 Chronicles 28:9

David’s counsel to Solomon is counsel that we, too, as children of God should embrace fully as we live out the details of our daily-day lives…and during our times of great joy and peace…and during our times of great turmoil and sadness.

God knows us full well. And our LORD wants our hearts and minds to be wholeheartedly and willingly devoted to Him—actively seeking Him—in all that we do and think. Our blessing, and God’s promise to us, is that “He will be found”  by us!

Our God has promised that we will find and know our LORD, His loving, intimate presence with us and His strong and holy leading of us—all the days of our lives.

Through our LORD and Savior Jesus Christ, we, as children of the King of kings, have been invited “to approach the throne of grace with confidence…” –Hebrews 4:16.

Is there anything stopping you from serving and seeking the LORD—and approaching His throne of grace—with wholehearted devotion and a willing mind? 

Ask the LORD to take away any and all obstacles that you have put up in your own life that stop you from serving and seeking the LORD—and approaching His throne of grace—with wholehearted devotion and a willing mind.

Ask the LORD to take away any and all obstacles of hurt, bitterness and resentment that may have grown out of experiences with other people or from disappointing and difficult circumstances.

Let nothing rule over you except the love and leadership of the LORD our God!

There is joy and freedom, peace and purpose as we serve and seek the LORD—and approach His throne of grace—with wholehearted devotion and a willing mind!

In love, peace and purposeful passion,                                                               Sylane 

 When I slow down enough to really let the Word of God and the character of God grab hold of my heart, it takes my breath away.

The love and faithfulness, the righteousness and justice of the LORD are real. They are eternal and available to us–every breathing moment of our lives.

We all need to slow down and let our Eternal God take our breath away. When we do, God will restore and refresh not only our breathing but our very lives.

Your love, O LORD, reaches to the heavens,  your faithfulness to the skies. Your righteousness is like the mighty mountains, your justice like the great deep. 

Psalm 36:5-6

Personal Reflections from Sylane:                                                                           Breathe. Really. Take a slow deep breath and stop rushing, working, planning, doing. Just breathe.

Breathe in the truth that you are more than what you do. Breathe in the truth that you are loved passionately, unfailingly by the Eternal Lord of all creation, all time and space–just because you are.

Pretty breath-taking to think about, isn’t it?

Let this take your breath away: God’s love reaches to the heavens. God’s faithfulness reaches to the skies. Think about the immeasurable expanse of the heavens–of the skies. No expert astronomer has yet been able to define their true limits. Package that thought to better understand God’s love for  you–and God’s faithfulness to you. The vast, unending beauty and wonder of the sun, the moon, the stars, the galaxies, the universe cannot be captured by mere words or human expression.

So it is with God’s love and faithfulness. God’s love and faithfulness have no limits. No boundary-lines exist. God’s love and faithfulness are eternal and unfailing and absolutely indescribable in beauty and wonder.

Let this take your breath away: God’s righteousness is like the mighty mountains. God’s righteousness is majestic, unwavering, immovable, clearly seen and known for what it is–for all who will look onto it. God’s righteousness is the Truth. Just because someone has not seen the Rockies or viewed the Alps does not mean that they do not exist. When they are seen–when they are looked upon–these mighty mountains absolutely dominate the panarama.

So it is with God’s righteousness. Our standards for, and perspectives on, what is right and good–are completely dwarfed in the presence of the mighty mountain of God’s righteousness. And it is upon God’s righteousness that we must always set our eyes. We must always allow God’s righteousness to dominate our lives.

Let this take your breath away: God’s justice is like the great deep. Our very existence is intricately tied the great deep–the waters of the world. The oceans bring nourishment and healing to many. Our harvests depend on the rains carried from their waters. The oceans unite and divide us–bringing together peoples within the earth’s land-masses while separating others by enormous, watery distances. The great deep is filled with life and mysteries that we have not even begun to understand.

So it is with God’s justice. God’s justice nourishes and heals us as we seek His ruling and ways–rather than our vigilante approach for all the wrongs and injustices we have suffered. God’s justice brings a harvest of true followers as we humble ourselves before His judgments–His loving authority. God’s justice will either unite us or divide us. We will either be God’s people–standing with Him, by His just judgment. Or we will not be God’s people, and will be separated from Him, by God’s same just judgment. God’s justice is far deeper than our thoughts can comprehend. God’s justice is full of life and mystery that is able to see beneath the surface and circumstances of our lives. God will always see us clearly, always judges us rightly because God’s justice is always based on His love, faithfulness and righteousness. 

Let that take your breath away. Now breathe. And give God thanks.

In love, peace and purposeful passion,                                                               Sylane