Ed Christian's World

The Isaiah 66 World…

Isaiah 66:1 says, “Thus says the Lord, ‘Heaven is my throne and the earth is my footstool.'” Sitting in a chair with your feet up on a stool is a divine picture. Heaven is as the chair to God because that’s where He dwells, and the stool is the earth.

By nature, He doesn’t dwell here, but He does touch it with the feet of His presence. This world, with all its mountains, oceans, nations, and history, is all His footstool. Do you have problems, worries, concerns, fears, or anxieties on your mind?

All of these things that happen to you in this world are part of God’s footstool and, therefore, under His feet. If you dwell with God, all these things are also under your feet. That which is under God’s feet is under His control, His will, and His love for you.

Ephesians says that He put all things in subjection under Jesus’s feet, and if you’ll receive it, under your feet as well. So, stop worrying. Pull up a chair, put your feet up, and be at peace – you’re living in a footstool world.

And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself perfect, confirm, strengthen, and establish you.  1 Peter 5:10

Today, set aside all worry, all problems, all concerns. Treat them all as a footstool; put it all under your feet. If God, until they become the miracles of peleh.

Walk daily with God at your side!

Love always,

Ed 🙏🏼

Anxiety vs Faith…

Good morning!

Today, let’s take a deep breath. Let’s begin this day by placing all our worries in God’s hands and trust in His perfect timing. Remember, His plans for you are beautiful!

Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Philippians 4:6-7

Worry often lurks, ready to hijack the peace promised to followers of Christ. But Paul gives us a powerful choice beyond anxiety’s constant troubling and unrest – gratitude-filled prayer.

Through surrendering every detail and outcome to God’s trustworthy hands, we release cares too overwhelming for us alone. His divine wisdom takes over, bringing clarity we lack in chaotic moments. God sees beyond today’s struggles to the redemption awaiting just ahead. If only we could view trials from Jesus’ victory coming tomorrow!

Yes, hard times will still toss us sometimes when storms roll in. Plans will unexpectedly unravel. Hearts will still ache on lonely nights of sickness or grief. But comfort exceeding human understanding fills all who rest in the Everlasting Arms.

The same God who named every star also carries our burdens when strength gives out. There is shelter for every soul that stays near to the Most High. His unbreakable love remains sealed by scars on the hands that shaped the stars.

How can you transform anxieties into prayers today? In what ways can practicing gratitude change your experience of challenging situations?

Father, as this day begins, I’m holding onto the words from Philippians about not worrying. Sometimes, it feels easier said than done, but I trust in Your promise of peace. When those moments of worry creep in today, help me turn them into prayers instead. Give me the strength to let go and trust in You. I’m grateful, Lord, for all the ways You’ve been there for me, even when I haven’t seen it. Today, help me remember those moments, especially when things get tough. Fill my heart with Your peace, the kind that doesn’t make sense to the world but makes all the difference to me. Guide me today to live in that peace and to share it with others. It’s a crazy world out there, and we all need a bit of Your calm. Thanks for always listening and for the peace You offer. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

The beginning of anxiety is the end of faith. The beginning of true faith is the end of anxiety.

Walk daily with God at your side!

Love always,

Ed 🙏🏼

The Yatbil…

When, as a young person, I first started reading the New Testament, I had a hard time with John the Baptist. It was like reading about Richard the Presbyterian, or Norman the Methodist.  I pictured him clean-shaven, short hair, with a robe.

The truth is very different. He was hairy, bearded, wild looking, and spoke Hebrew. He was called ‘Yochanan Ha Matbil’; Yochanan the immerser. He was a Nazarite; dedicated to God according to the scriptures, a priest, a son of Aaron, and he was Jewish.

John the Baptist stands as a symbol of the Gospel and salvation. To the Jew, it seems totally un-Jewish. To most Christians, it seems totally un-Jewish. In reality, it’s the most Jewish thing in the world.

When you really get to know Jesus, you realize how Jewish it is. If you have the Jewish Jesus in your heart, you’re Jewish in spirit. Get to know who He really is.

Rejoice in your Jewish roots, bless the Jewish people, and pray for the peace of Jerusalem because true Christianity is as Jewish as John the Baptist.

A person is not a Jew who is one only outwardly, nor is circumcision merely outward and physical. No, a person is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is circumcision of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the written code. Such a person’s praise is not from other people but from God.  Romans 2:28-29

Meditate on this – In Jesus, you are a child of Israel, totally Jewish, live as one who is of God’s chosen people, His royal, holy priesthood.

Walk daily with God at your side!

Love always,

Ed

The Prisoners Flower…

In his loneliness and despair, the Frenchman Charnay, imprisoned for provoking the wrath of Napoleon, took a rock and scratched on the stone cell wall “nobody cares”.

One day, through the stones of the dungeon floor, a green shoot appeared and began reaching up to the light through the tiny window of his prison cell. Charnay was so touched by this, he kept part of his daily ration of water for the plant. It grew until it became a beautiful blue flower.

The day the flower fully blossomed, Charnay crossed out the words “Nobody cares” and replaced them with “God cares”. On hearing of this, Empress Josephine was so impressed with his devotion to the flower that she persuaded Napoleon to set him free.

If a prisoner in a dark dungeon could find the love of God, how much more can you in the circumstances of your life? When situations look hopeless, look for the tender shoot coming through the cracks.

Nourish and water the tender shoot of God’s love, hope, and joy and you’ll see something beautiful blossom. You will likewise be able to declare, “God cares”.

But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.  2 Corinthians 12:9-10

Take a scripture and ‘carve it’ into your heart, and to every situation of your day. Refocus your thoughts today and meditate on the love of the Lord in your life.

Walk daily with God at your side!

Love always,

Ed 🙏🏼

Do You Believe This…

Good morning everyone!!

Today, let’s embrace the hope of eternal life that Jesus offers us in John 11:25-26.

Jesus said to her, ‘I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; and whoever lives by believing in me will never die. Do you believe this?’
John 11:25-26

In John 11, Jesus doesn’t just promise us heaven someday; He offers a life overflowing with joy, peace, and purpose that starts right now. It’s a life so vibrant that death can’t touch it, a joy that echoes in our souls no matter what life throws our way.

Deep down, we know we’re made for more than just this fleeting existence. We crave eternity, a longing to live in the unending love of our Creator, and to be reunited with our loved ones who have gone before us.

Because of Jesus, we don’t have to scramble to get it all right in this life. We can embrace the messy beauty of our journey, knowing the best is yet to come. We can face hardships with courage, knowing they’re temporary. We can love fiercely and forgive completely because that’s what heaven is all about.

So today, let’s choose to really live. Let’s let the promise of eternity fill us with hope and purpose. Let’s fix our eyes on Jesus, the one who conquered death and allow His love to chase away every fear. That’s the abundant life He came to give us—not just in the future, but starting today.

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.  John 3:16

Dear God, thank You for the vibrant life You offer me, not someday, but today. Fill my heart with Your joy and peace, overflowing into every corner of my life. Guide my steps so that I may walk with purpose, never forgetting that my true hope rests in You. When life gets tough, remind me that these challenges are temporary and that You are always by my side. Help me to love others fiercely, forgive them freely, and embrace the beautiful messiness of this journey, knowing that the best is yet to come. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Earth has no sorrow that Heaven can not heal.

Walk daily with God at your side!

Love always,

Ed 🙏🏼

God Is Love…

As we start this new day, let’s allow the simple yet profound truth of 1 John 4:8 to sink deep into our hearts. This verse reminds us of the very essence of God’s nature – love.

Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.   1 John 4:8

“God is love.” These three simple words hold a truth so profound that they can change how we see God and ourselves.

When we say “God is love,” we’re not just describing one of His qualities. We’re declaring who He is. Love isn’t just something God does; it’s His very essence. This love is unlike any other—steadfast, relentless, and unconditional. It pursues us in our darkest moments, sees beauty in our brokenness, and never gives up on us.

This amazing love isn’t meant to be kept to ourselves. It’s meant to change us, heal our wounds, and shape our hearts. As we understand God’s deep love for us, we’re changed from the inside out, overflowing with love for those around us.

When we truly meet the God who is love, we can’t help but share that love. It spills out of us, touching the lives of everyone we meet and bringing light to dark places. God’s love is powerful and capable of changing hearts, lives, and even the world. And it all starts with three simple words: “God is love.”

So we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him.  1 John 4:16

Loving God, thank you for your love that never fails me, even when I fail myself. Fill me with that same unfailing love, Lord. A love that overflows from me, blessing everyone I meet. Help me share your love with a world that’s hurting, that’s lost, and that’s searching for hope. May my life be a love letter to you, Lord. A love letter written not with ink but with acts of kindness, words of encouragement, and a heart that beats for you. In Jesus’ name, I pray, Amen.

Since love grows within you, beauty grows. For love is the beauty of the soul.

Walk daily with God at your side!

Love always,

Ed 🙏🏼

The Peleh In Your Life…

Are you dealing with a lot of difficulties in your life? You probably think it’s a bad thing. The word for difficulty in Hebrew is ‘peleh’. The word for ‘miracle’ is the very same word ‘peleh’. You see, every difficulty in your life is a potential miracle.

In Isaiah 9:6, Jesus is called the Counselor of miracles, but you can also take it as the counselor of difficulties. In the Gospel, you find His miracles with the blind, lame, crippled, poor, the grieving, those in mourning, the thirsty, the sick, the lepers, the guilty, the sinful, and the outcasts.

We find the miracles in our difficulties. You have to learn in your difficulties to find His miracles. Those who found miracles are the ones who lifted up their difficulties- their withered hands, crippled fingers, sinful eyes- to the touch of His hands and the difficulties became a miracle (peleh).

The difficulty is the very thing that allows you to have a miracle. So, lift up your difficulty to the touch of God’s hand, and the difficulty will become a miracle (peleh), because that’s what it was all along, in disguise.

And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast.  1 Peter 5:10

Today, embrace the difficulties in your life. Praise God, lift your troubles up to Him, and open them up to the touch and power of God, until they become the miracles of peleh.

Walk daily with God at your side!

Love always,

Ed 🙏🏼

The Fruit Of The Spirit…

Today, let’s immerse ourselves in the beauty of the Fruit of the Spirit as described in Galatians 5:22-23. May this inspire us to cultivate these qualities in our daily lives.

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Against such things, there is no law.     Galatians 5:22-23

In a world that pressures us to chase after success, status, and material wealth, Galatians 5:22-23 reminds us of a different harvest: the fruit of the Spirit. These nine qualities—love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control—are not something we can manufacture on our own. They are gifts, grown within us by the Holy Spirit, when we abide in Christ.

Imagine a life where these qualities flourish, where love replaces anger, patience overcomes frustration, and kindness wins over bitterness. This is the life God desires for us, a life that radiates His presence and reflects His character to the world.

So today, let’s choose to nurture these fruits in our lives. Let’s open our hearts to the Holy Spirit’s gentle guidance and allow Him to transform us from the inside out. As we do, we’ll discover a joy that transcends circumstances, a peace that surpasses understanding, and a love that knows no bounds.

Which fruit of the Spirit do you need more of in your life right now?

How can you let the Holy Spirit grow these qualities in your actions today?

Heavenly Father, I want to reflect Your love and character, but I know I often fall short. Please forgive me for the times I’ve reacted in anger instead of love, impatience instead of peace, and selfishness instead of kindness. Fill me with Your Holy Spirit today. Let Your love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control flow through me. Transform my heart and mind, so I can walk in Your ways and be a light to those around me. Help me to reflect Your light and love in everything I do. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

You have a God who hears you, the power of love behind you, the Holy Spirit within you, and all of heaven ahead of you. If you have the Shepherd, you have grace for every sin, direction for every turn, a candle for every corner, and an anchor for every storm. You have everything you need.

Walk daily with God at your side!

Love always

Ed 🙏🏼

Mountains and Capstones…

The Hebrew word for mountains is harim. In Zechariah 4:7, God talks to a mountain. He literally says in Hebrew, “Mi ata har hagadol?” This means, “Who are you, great mountain?”

He’s actually saying to the mountain, ‘Who do you think you are?’ The great mountain in Zechariah 4 was all the obstacles, distractions, setbacks, discouragements, and apparent impossibilities which were coming against Zerubbabel as he tried to follow God’s will.

We’re also called to talk to mountains with an attitude, or an edge. You too have obstacles, discouragements, bondages, or situations that seem hopeless. These are your mountains. Don’t just sit back and accept them.

You need to walk up to your mountain and start speaking to it with an attitude;”Just who do you think you are? How dare you try to stop God’s will in my life? How dare you try to stop the blessings and joy He has for me? You’re going to be history, leveled to the ground by the Spirit of God and I will have the victory!” That’s how to talk to mountains.

In him and through faith in him we may approach God with freedom and confidence. Ephesians 3:12

Today, practice talking to mountains! Go up to that hindrance to God’s will – that obstacle, that evil, that darkness, that sin – and put it in its place!

Walk daily with God at your side!

Love always,

Ed 🙏🏼

Be Holy…

Good morning to everyone!!!

Today, let’s find encouragement in the call to holiness found in 1 Peter 1:16, reminding us of the high standard God sets for His children.

For it is written: ‘Be holy, because I am holy.’
1 Peter 1:16

Holiness. It’s a word that can seem daunting, even unattainable. We see our flaws, our mistakes, and wonder how we could ever be holy. But holiness isn’t about achieving perfection on our own; it’s about reflecting God’s heart in our daily lives.

Just as a mirror reflects an image, we are called to reflect God’s holiness in our thoughts, words, and actions. This doesn’t mean striving for flawlessness by our strength but rather surrendering to God’s transformative power. It’s about letting Him shape us, mold us, and refine us daily.

Holiness is a journey, not a destination. It’s a daily commitment to walk in step with the Spirit, pursue purity, and live in a way that honors God. Each day presents new opportunities to grow more like Christ, to let His light shine through us in a world that desperately needs hope and love.

So today, let’s embrace the call to holiness with joy and determination. Let’s not settle for mediocrity or compromise. Instead, let’s strive to live lives that reflect God’s character, bringing His light and love into every corner of our world.

Father God, today I come to You, aware of my flaws and mistakes. I’m grateful that holiness isn’t about my own perfection but about reflecting Your heart in my daily life. Please help me surrender to Your transforming power, shaping and molding me each day. Guide me to walk in step with Your Spirit, pursuing purity and living in a way that honors You. Fill me with joy and determination to reflect Your character, spreading Your light and love in every corner of my world. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Make every effort to live in peace with everyone and to be holy; without holiness, no one will see the Lord.  Hebrews 12:14

Holiness is not the way to Christ; Christ is the way to holiness. You don’t work your way to the way. He is the way.

Walk daily with God at your side!

Love always,

Ed 🙏🏼