Ed Christian's World

God’s Love, Salvation, and Hope…

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.  John 3:16-17

It’s truly remarkable how those few verses encapsulate such profound love and purpose. Think about it – the vastness of “the world,” with all its complexities and imperfections, and the depth of God’s love for it. This wasn’t a distant, detached affection but an active, sacrificial one. Giving his “only Son” speaks volumes about the immensity of this love. It wasn’t a casual offering, but the most precious gift imaginable.

And the “why” behind this incredible act is just as powerful: “that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” This isn’t about condemnation or judgment, as the following verse clarifies. Instead, it’s an invitation, a pathway to salvation, and a life that transcends the limitations of our earthly existence. It’s a message of hope, offering a future filled with eternal life to anyone who places their trust in Jesus.

Consider the weight of those words: “should not perish.” It speaks to a reality of separation and loss, but it’s immediately countered by the promise of “eternal life” – a life of fullness, connection, and unending presence with God.

This isn’t something we earn or achieve through our own efforts; it’s a gift, freely given through faith.

The second verse further emphasizes God’s intention. He didn’t send his Son to point fingers or pronounce doom, but “in order that the world might be saved through him.” This highlights God’s desire for reconciliation and redemption. His love isn’t exclusive or conditional; it extends to the entire world, offering a chance for transformation and new life.

Let these verses sink into your heart today. Reflect on the immense love that prompted such a sacrifice and the incredible opportunity offered to each of us.

Heavenly Father, we are overwhelmed by the depth of your love for us, a love so profound that you gave your only Son. Thank you for this incredible gift, for the promise of eternal life through faith in Jesus. Help us to truly grasp the magnitude of your sacrifice and to live in a way that reflects the hope and salvation we have received. May we share this message of love and redemption with those around us so that they, too, may know your saving grace. Amen.

The love of God is not sentimental; it is operative. It does not merely feel it acts.

Walk daily with God at your side!

Love always,

Ed 🙏🏼

The Overlooked…

Today, let your heart slow down and remember those who feel forgotten. God’s love reaches through every wall, and sometimes, He uses us to deliver it.

Continue to remember those in prison as if you were together with them in prison, and those who are mistreated as if you yourselves were suffering.    Hebrews 13:3

It’s easy to forget those we never see—prisoners, the mistreated, the overlooked. But Hebrews 13:3 won’t let us look away. It calls us to remember—as if we were there, as if their pain was our own.

This isn’t about feeling sorry from a distance. It’s about entering into Christlike compassion—the kind that draws close, listens deep, and loves without conditions.

Jesus did this again and again. He moved toward the outcast. Sat with the shamed. Spoke life to the condemned. And now, He invites us to do the same.

You don’t need a prison key to bring freedom. A prayer. A Bible. A kind word. A moment of empathy. It all matters more than we know.

Today, someone feels forgotten. But they’re not forgotten by God. And maybe… you’re the reminder He wants to send.

Let your compassion reach through whatever walls life has built. Because every time we remember the forgotten, we reflect the One who never forgets us.

Heavenly Father, You never overlook the ones the world forgets. You drew close to the outcast, comforted the shamed, and brought light into locked places. Today, stir my heart to love like You do. Help me see those who are hurting, not as distant or different, but as brothers and sisters in need of grace. Teach me to pray with empathy, give with joy, and serve with courage. Let my compassion carry Your light through every wall this world has built. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

If the very Son of God endured death for my salvation, then my life must become a continuous act of worship, a willing surrender to His will, no matter the cost.

Walk daily with God at your side!

Love always

Ed 🙏🏼

Cleaning Up Life’s Messes…

It’s interesting to reflect on that childhood rule, isn’t it? “If you make a mess, clean it up.” It seems so simple and ingrained when we’re young, yet as adults, we often find ourselves overlooking the spills in our lives, the relationships strained, the responsibilities neglected.

That principle echoes through scripture. The story of Zacchaeus beautifully illustrates this. His encounter with Jesus wasn’t just about forgiveness; it propelled him to actively right his wrongs. He didn’t just say sorry; he took tangible steps to restore what he had taken, demonstrating that God’s grace empowers us to mend the messes we’ve created. It doesn’t give us a pass; it gives us the strength to face our shortcomings and make things right.

Think about it – those moments when we’ve fallen short, when our actions have left a residue of hurt or brokenness. Perhaps it’s a harsh word spoken in anger, a promise left unkept, a duty shirked, or a relationship neglected. These are the messes in our adult lives, and just like that childhood lesson, they call for our attention and action.

Jesus’ words to the Pharisees about cleaning the inside of the cup before the outside resonate deeply here. True change, true reconciliation, begins within us. It’s about acknowledging our part in the mess and allowing God’s grace to work in our hearts, motivating us to take responsibility and seek restoration.

Heavenly Father, we come before you today, acknowledging that we haven’t always lived in a way that reflects your love and your will. We confess the times we’ve created messes, knowingly or unknowingly, in our relationships, our responsibilities, and in our service to you. Lord, we ask for your clear vision to see the areas in our lives where we need to clean up. Grant us the courage to face these messes, not with shame or fear, but with a spirit of humility and a desire to make things right. Empower us by your grace to take the necessary steps towards reconciliation, restoration, and healing. Help us to remember that your forgiveness calls us not to complacency, but to action. Show us the path forward, Lord, and give us the strength to walk it. Amen.

And to encourage us on this journey of cleaning up, let’s hold onto these powerful words:

The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.

Today, may we all have the courage to identify the messes in our lives and, empowered by God’s grace, get busy cleaning.

Walk daily with God at your side!

Love always,

Ed 🙏🏼

Compassion  – Light in the Darkness…

Not all of us can do great things. But we can do small things with great love. Jesus calls us to care for the least among us – are we? Good morning!

And if you spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry and satisfy the needs of the oppressed, then your light will rise in the darkness, and your night will become like the noonday.   Isaiah 58:10

Imagine handing a glass of water to someone dying of thirst. It’s not just relief—it’s resurrection. That’s the heart of Isaiah 58:10. God doesn’t call us to give when it’s easy, or serve only from our excess. He invites us to spend ourselves—to pour out love that costs something, because we’ve been loved beyond measure.

And here’s the mystery: when we give ourselves away, light rises. Not just in the lives we touch—but in us too. When we share a meal, speak a kind word, lift a burden, we push back the dark. Someone’s night becomes like noonday.

This isn’t about fixing the world. It’s about showing up with what we have—and trusting God to use it.

Right now, someone is praying for hope, for help, for healing. Maybe the answer isn’t far off. Maybe it’s in your hands.

Today, let your compassion shine. You might not see the ripple—but to someone walking in shadows. Your love could be the light that changes everything.

Generous Father, thank you for pouring out Your love to light up my darkest places. When I see those in need, stir my heart to respond—not out of guilt, but out of gratitude. Use my small offerings—a kind word, a shared meal, a helping hand—to reflect Your compassion. Help me spend myself without fear, knowing You’ll fill what I pour out. Let my life carry the light of Your love to someone still waiting in the dark. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

If Jesus Christ be God and died for me, then no sacrifice can be too great for me to make for Him.

Walk daily with God at your side!

Love always,

Ed 🙏🏼

Rejoice as Gods Beloved Child…

Just as my father’s childhood habit of sneaking to other tables to beg for food embarrassed his parents, making it seem as though they weren’t providing for him, our desperate pursuit of acceptance, love, or fulfillment from the world can similarly grieve our Heavenly Father.

In him, our hearts rejoice, for we trust in his holy name.  Psalm 33:21

When we live as if we are in need, constantly seeking what only He can truly offer, we inadvertently portray Him as a Father who doesn’t adequately care for His children.

God, our Father, is the ultimate provider, showering us with blessings, love, and an abundance that the world can not offer. To live in constant longing and desperation is to deny this truth, to cast a shadow on His generous nature.

The appropriate response to the gift of salvation, to the reality of being His cherished child, is overflowing joy. When we fail to rejoice, we fail to reflect the blessed and beloved status that is rightfully ours as children of the Most High King. Regardless of outward circumstances, we are inherently blessed, rich in His grace, deeply loved, and filled with His Spirit.

Therefore, let us cast off any posture of need and embrace the joy that is our inheritance. Let our lives be a testament to the goodness and provision of our Father. To live any other way is to diminish His glory and to deny the profound truth of who we are in Him.

Heavenly Father, thank You for Your boundless love and provision. Forgive us for the times we have lived as if we were orphans, seeking sustenance and validation from a world that can never truly satisfy. Help us to fully grasp the depth of our identity as Your beloved children, heirs to Your kingdom, and recipients of Your abundant grace. Fill our hearts with a joy that overflows, a joy that testifies to Your goodness and reflects the blessed reality of who we are in You. May our lives be a constant song of praise, honoring You as the generous and loving Father You are. Amen.

Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness, that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, ‘Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous?’ Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won’t feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It’s not just in some of us; it’s in everyone. As we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.

Today and every day, may you walk in the radiant joy and confident assurance of a blessed and beloved child of the King.

Walk daily with God at your side!

Love always,

Ed 🙏🏼

Gods Unfathomable Love

Just what is God’s love? As I read and digest some of the comments our group gives to my devotionals, I wonder if just maybe we don’t really understand the true depth of His love for us. Maybe because I’ve been in His presence, my life has been given a total glance and understanding of His love and grace. Maybe I just see things differently than anyone else. God knows, and I write what He has me write.

Explaining God’s love fully is a profound and ultimately impossible task for human language, as it transcends our complete comprehension. However, we can approach it by describing its key characteristics and effects, drawing upon various theological and philosophical perspectives.

God’s love for us is not merely an emotion, but a fundamental aspect of His very being. It is unconditional, meaning it is not dependent on our worthiness, actions, or beliefs. It exists prior to and regardless of anything we do. It doesn’t fluctuate with our successes or failures; it is a constant, unwavering presence.

This love is agape – a selfless, sacrificial, and active love that seeks the best for the beloved, even at personal cost. It is not a sentimental feeling but a deliberate act of will. Think of a parent’s enduring love for a child, amplified infinitely.

God’s love is universal, extending to all of humanity, without exception. Every single person is the recipient of this boundless affection. It’s a love that sees beyond our flaws and imperfections, recognizing the inherent value and potential within each individual.

It is a creative and transformative love. It is the very force that brought us into existence and continues to sustain us. This love actively works towards our growth, healing, and ultimate flourishing. It gently guides, corrects, and encourages us on our journey.

God’s love is patient and merciful. It understands our weaknesses and failings, offering forgiveness and countless opportunities for redemption. It doesn’t hold grudges but consistently extends grace and compassion.

This love is also intimate and personal. While universal, it is also deeply individual. God knows each of us intimately, our thoughts, our struggles, our joys. This love seeks a personal relationship with each of us, inviting us into connection and communion.

Ultimately, God’s love is ineffable – beyond full expression in human language. The most profound experiences of it often leave us speechless, filled with a sense of awe and wonder. We can only glimpse its vastness through our faith, our experiences, and the ways it manifests in the world around us.

To truly understand God’s love is to experience it. It’s in the quiet moments of reflection, in acts of kindness and compassion, in the beauty of creation, and in the relationships that reflect His care. It’s a love that pursues us relentlessly, offering hope, peace, and a sense of belonging.

While these words offer a framework, the true depth and breadth of God’s love can only be truly grasped through a lifetime of seeking and experiencing it. If it’s a bit long, I’m sorry, but I can tell you it is just touching the surface.

Always,

Ed ❤️

Love, Strength and Spiritual Growth

Good morning! Let’s continue our exploration of Psalm 18, focusing on how our love for God anchors us in strength.

I love you, Lord, my strength.  Psalm 18:1

Think about the last time those words, “I love you, God,” truly resonated within you. Not as a line in a recited prayer or a familiar hymn, but as an authentic whisper from the deepest part of your being. David, a man acquainted with both royal privilege and desolate hardship, with resounding victories and relentless pursuit, distilled his experience down to this fundamental declaration, shedding all external labels and achievements.

Psalm 18 reveals David standing on the other side of immense struggle. Years of flight, conflict, and concealment lay behind him. He had witnessed God’s awe-inspiring power – the earth trembling, the heavens opening. Yet, his initial utterance isn’t a recounting of these wonders. Instead, a melody of affection rises: “I love you.”

Immediately following, as if an inseparable truth, “my strength.” He identifies the very source of his triumphs, his courage, his enduring spirit.
Perhaps David grasped a profound truth that often eludes us: loving God isn’t merely an act of piety; it is the bedrock of our resilience. When our love for God becomes our instinctive reaction, we tap into a power that transcends our circumstances. It’s no wonder David didn’t just endure his trials; he transformed them into expressions of worship.

When do you find it most challenging to let your love for God be your initial response?
In what circumstances do you feel the urgent need for your love for God to overpower your anxieties and uncertainties?

Dear Lord, Forgive me for the times I complicate the simple act of loving You. Today, I quiet my mind and simply offer what my heart holds: I love You. Not for the spectacular miracles that astound me, nor for the sheltering grace that has kept me safe, but purely for who You are. Thank You for being the unwavering strength I lean on in weakness, the song that fills my silence. Grant me the grace to make loving You my first and immediate response in every situation, trusting that within Your love lies all the fortitude I will ever need. In the powerful name of Jesus, Amen.

Love to God is not sentimental affection; it is a vital principle that fuels courage, perseverance, and unwavering faith in the face of life’s fiercest storms.

Walk daily with God at your side!

Love always,

Ed 🙏🏼

Jesus: The Center of Every Momemt…

In Ezekiel 10, the prophet witnessed a profound and symbolic vision: the glorious presence of the Lord departing from the Holy of Holies, moving out of the Temple, beyond the Eastern Gate, and ascending to the Mount of Olives before finally leaving Israel. This departure foreshadowed the devastating destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem in 586 B.C., a consequence of God’s absence.

Centuries later, a similar pattern unfolded. Forty years prior to the destruction of the Second Temple in 70 A.D., Jesus, in a parallel to Ezekiel’s vision, left Jerusalem and this earthly realm. He journeyed east of the city, ascended the Mount of Olives, and from there, He ascended into the presence of God.

Just as the Temple, devoid of God’s glory, faced ruin, so too, Israel remains incomplete without the manifest presence of Jesus. This truth resonates deeply within our own lives as believers. If Jesus is not enthroned at the very core of our existence – the heart of our day, our homes, our thoughts, our aspirations, and our affections – then a vital element is missing.

Let us heed the plea of Psalm 51:11: “Do not cast me away from your presence, and do not take your Holy Spirit from me.”

Heavenly Father, we acknowledge that true life and wholeness are found only in Your Son, Jesus Christ. We pray for the grace to place Him at the center of every moment of our lives. May His presence illuminate our paths, guide our decisions, and fill our hearts with His glory. We desire to live in the fullness of His light and never be separated from His Spirit. Amen.

Where Christ is not the master of the house, the devil will be.

Walk daily with God at your side!

Love always,

Ed 🙏🏼

True Strength…

Good morning,

Today, let’s discover where true strength is found.

This is what the Sovereign Lord, the Holy One of Israel, says: “In repentance and rest is your salvation, in quietness and trust is your strength, but you would have none of it.”   Isaiah 30:15

Ever feel like the world’s volume is stuck on high? Do more. Push harder. Keep going. But Isaiah 30:15 interrupts the noise with a holy whisper—reminding us that salvation is found not in striving, but in stillness… that strength is born in quiet trust.

God isn’t impressed by how much you carry or how fast you run. He’s not asking you to outrun your limits—but to return. To rest. To trust.

This isn’t weakness—it’s wisdom. The kind of strength that rises when we stop trying to prove ourselves and start leaning into His grace. It’s peace in the storm. Courage in the quiet. Grace in the surrender.

Your soul wasn’t made for constant pressure—it was made for presence. And in that sacred stillness where we stop striving and start abiding, fear unravels and peace takes its place.

So today, loosen your grip. Slow your pace. Let quiet trust be your brave choice—and discover strength that was never yours to earn, only His to give. Because in a loud and restless world, your strength is still waiting… in the quiet.

Where are you rushing when God is inviting you to rest?

How can you choose quiet trust over anxious striving today?

Gracious Father, In a world that rushes and shouts, thank You for whispering stillness to my soul. Quiet the noise within me and around me. Remind me again that rest is not weakness—it’s worship. That trust isn’t giving up—it’s growing roots. I lay down what was never mine to carry—the fear, the proving, the pressure—and return to the only place I’ll find peace: Your presence. Anchor me in Your love. Wrap me in Your grace. And fill me with quiet strength, steady and radiant, for whatever this day holds. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

God is bigger than time, dates, and appointments. He wants you to move through this day with a quiet heart, an inward assurance that He is in control, a peaceful certainty that your life is in His hands. Put your faith in Him—not in a timetable—and in His perfect way, He will bring to pass what He has for you.

Walk daily with God at your side!

Love always,

Ed 🙏🏼

The Ultimate Rescue  – Live Worthy…

The annals of history recount extraordinary rescue missions, none perhaps as remarkable and costly as the 1868 British expedition to Magdala. To free their representative, Cameron, his staff, and missionaries from the grip of Emperor Tewodros II, the British Empire mobilized a formidable force: 13,000 soldiers from Britain and India, accompanied by a vast entourage of camp followers and animals, including majestic elephants. This arduous campaign, traversing treacherous terrain over hundreds of miles, demanded immense resources, ultimately costing the Empire an estimated £9,000,000.

Yet, even this monumental effort pales in comparison to the ultimate rescue undertaken on your behalf. For it is written, “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16).

The price paid for your freedom was not measured in earthly currency or military might, but in the very life of God’s Son. His sacrifice transcends any earthly valuation, a testament to a love beyond comprehension. He willingly laid down His life so that yours might be filled with purpose and eternal hope.

I, therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. Ephesians 4:1

Today, let us embrace the profound truth of this sacrifice and resolve to live lives that reflect the immeasurable worth bestowed upon us.

Heavenly Father, we stand in awe of the boundless love that compelled you to offer your precious Son for our redemption. We confess that we often fail to live in a way that honors this incredible gift. Grant us the strength, wisdom, and unwavering commitment to walk in the light of your love, making choices that reflect the immense price paid for our freedom. May our lives be a testament to your grace, and may we strive each day to live worthy of the calling we have received through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.

The cross was the ultimate rescue mission, not of armies, but of love; not of gold, but of grace; not of earthly freedom, but of eternal life. Live accordingly.

Walk daily with God at your side!

Love always,

Ed 🙏🏼