Category Archives: to know him and make him known

“House of Prayer” — Devotion Written for WOW Ministry

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“When Jesus entered the temple courts, he began to drive out those who were selling. “It is written,” he said to them, “‘My house will be a house of prayer’; but you have made it ‘a den of robbers.’” 
Luke 19:45-46 NIV

Two years ago, the youngest of our four children graduated from High School. This signaled the beginning of my husband and I gradually becoming empty nesters. For 26 years, our lives had revolved around our kids. Many of those years consisted of my husband working long hours and sharing the weekends together with me and the kids. We rarely had time alone together. Suddenly, we found ourselves, alone, sitting side by side in our living room recliners with nothing to do. At times, I resented our new way of life. I liked having my time with our kids. I did things my way, after my own plans that centered around their activities. I was used to my independence and being in control. However, my husband desired for this new season in our lives to be a time that our relationship of oneness would deepen and grow. Every time he had a day off from work, he would wake up and ask me, “what are we going to do today?” I did not understand that this was his invitation to participate in a closer relationship. I didn’t realize I needed to drop my plans and my independent ways. Thankfully, I am changing and once again I am enjoying the gift that God gave to me 32 years ago when he and I were dating, our one-on-one relationship spending time together.

This month our weekly verses at WOW are about prayer. Prayer is our lifeline and connection to God through faith — totally relying on, being fully assured of, and strictly adhering to God and His Word. Faith gives birth to prayer. Prayer is absolutely dependent upon faith. Prayer is our invitation from God into a deep love relationship of oneness closely attached, connected, inseparable, and indivisible with Him. Prayer develops our relationship with God demonstrating our trust and utter dependence upon Him.  

God deeply desires that we have a close and intimate relationship of oneness with Him. Jesus came to our world to make this possible. Our verses this week are an account of when Jesus came to the temple, a place of communion with God. When He arrived, He saw that the people had made the temple into a place of business instead. He began to drive out those who had turned His house into something other than its design, “a house of prayer.” Those people were used to doing things their way and after their plans, but Jesus came to introduce a “new and living way” (Hebrews 10:20) of a relationship of oneness. Jesus wanted His temple, His dwelling place, to be “a house of prayer.”

Jesus wants our lives to be one with His as well. He desires us to be “a house of prayer” or communion with Him. However, we have hindrances, sin, that need to be cleaned out in order for us to fully realize the depths of a relationship of oneness He desires. These keep us from being closely connected to God by faith through prayer. This is why we must allow God to cut the sin away through His circumcision of our hearts.

Two years ago, my husband longed for a closer relationship, and I realized I needed to repent of my independent ways. As I have, our time together is becoming beautiful. Jesus comes to us the same way. He is offering to cut away the things that separate us from Him. They leave our lives nothing more than a “den of robbers”, trapped in death, darkness, and destruction. How will we respond? May we respond, “Yes, anything that is not of You, cut away, clean it out. I want a relationship of intimacy communing with You, God, through prayer!”

Click this link to access our song this week: Kim Walker-Smith – Make Room (Lyrics) (youtube.com). May we desire to be free of all the sins that keep us from a close relationship of oneness with our Heavenly Father. Let us make room for Him. So, we may experience Him through a life of prayer.  

Love,

Janet Nelson

Devoted and Determined

https://www.wowjcmo.com/

https://mailchi.mp/wowjcmo/wow-devotion-john-6222729?e=6c56f70e45

“Stand Firm in the Faith” — Devotion Written for WOW Ministry

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“Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith…”
1 Corinthians 16:13-14 NIV

A little over a year ago my husband and I went to Kauai, Hawaii to celebrate our 30th Wedding Anniversary. One of my favorite activities on the island was our sunset stroll along the ocean shore. Our resort had a sidewalk that meandered through the palm trees and flowers. Every so often we had an opportunity to get off the sidewalk. One of the stops was the sandy beach and the other was an area of large lava rocks that extended out into the ocean. When I walked down onto the sandy beach and into the ocean, it didn’t take me long to back away from the water. As the waves came crashing in and then rolled back out, the sand would move and shift and wash out from under my feet. I felt very unstable and uncomfortable because the sand upon which I stood was always changing. However, when I ventured onto the lava rocks, I found the experience very different.  As I stood upon those rocks, they did not move, nor did they shift. Even with the waves crashing upon them they remained unmovable. I felt extremely secure as I stood there enjoying the color of the skies change as the sun appeared to sink into the horizon. That memory stands out as one of the most beautiful experiences of my life.

Our verses this month are about faith. Faith is the spiritual gift of God that benefits and prospers every believer. It is required to live a life worthy of the calling we receive from God. Faith attaches us to God so that we can live the all – important relationship of oneness and receive the abundant provision of God into our hearts – His power, His holiness, His love, His mercy and grace, His wisdom, His righteousness, His joy, His peace, and so much more. It is faith that enables you and me to function in the spiritual realm – to hear God when He speaks to us, to listen intelligently and understand what He is saying, and to then act rightly according to what we have heard.

Our verse this week tells us that we must “stand firm in the faith.” To stand firm in the faith is to be fixed, steadfast, and unwavering in our total reliance on, our full assurance in, and our strict adherence to God and His Word. God and His Word is the strong, unchanging, unwavering foundation upon which faith is built and stands. Standing firm in faith is like me standing on the large lava rocks totally relying on them not to move or tilt or shift even when the waves come crashing upon them and me. Faith is in God and His living, written, and spoken Word that is unchanging, immovable, and unshifting. We, as believers, are not to stand firm in our own understanding, our own intellect, our own reasoning, our own wants and wishes. Doing that is like standing on the shifting sands of the oceans floor.

If we do not stand in faith listening to and depending on the spoken and written word of God, we will not stand at all (Isaiah 7:9). We will fall to the ways and the voices of the world — the voices that speak one lie after another lie. When we listen and pay attention to the lies, we will act upon them and find ourselves living a life that is unfaithful, troubled, fearful, anxiety ridden, doubting, stressed out, discontent, and mean. We will be tossed about in a life of sin, never settled and secure.

Faith is required to live the calling we have received from God. Are you standing firm in the faith? Faith comes by hearing the message. What message are you hearing and paying attention to – the Word of God or the lies of the enemy? Is your heart and mind fixed on God and His Word? Or are you standing on the shifting sands of the enemy’s lies? God has given us a choice. As we choose to hold fast to God and His Word, we will live standing “firm in the faith…”

This week’s song is once again, “Take You At Your Word” by Cody Carnes and Benjamin William Hastings. As we listen, may we be reminded to “stand firm in the faith” in God and in HIs Word.

Love,

Janet Nelson

Devoted and Determined

https://www.wowjcmo.com

https://us2.campaign-archive.com/?e=6c56f70e45&u=fdd901aba4864456762de5de3&id=9247623563

“Everything is Possible” Devotion Written for WOW Ministry

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“‘If you can’?” said Jesus. “Everything is possible for one who believes.”
Immediately the boy’s father exclaimed, “I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!” Mark 9:23-24 NIV

The internal struggle I was having was beyond what I can describe in a few words. Every Wednesday morning during the 2021 spring semester of WOW, I would pull into the parking lot and contemplate walking into the building. Every week as I sat in that parking lot I would hear the voices of the enemy speaking to me. This is what I heard those voices saying, “Don’t go in! They don’t like you. Wait until they hear what you have done.” But deep within my spiritual heart I knew that I needed to hear the Truth that was being spoken.

In God’s strength, I got out of my Jeep and walked through the doors of the church. As I sat in the auditorium and listened to the Word being spoken, I began desiring a deeper relationship with God. I took the WOW bookmark with the weekly verses and did what I was encouraged to do. Every morning I took out my Bible and I read the verse for the week. I read the verses that came before it and the verses that followed.  It wasn’t much, but those short portions of Scripture were planted into my heart like a tiny seed.

The Word of God is powerful to do a mighty work of strengthening a man’s faith, no matter how small that faith might be! As I took God’s Word into my heart and believed it, the Holy Spirit began strengthening my faith. As my faith was strengthened, my heart began to change. Three years later, I am not the person I was in 2021 — angry, bitter, fearful, and anxious. I no longer continually live in anger, bitterness, fear, and anxiety. I now live by faith in God and as a result am experiencing abundant life. Just like Jesus said, “Everything is possible for one who believes.”

The verses this week come from a conversation between Jesus and a desperate father who had a son tormented by demons. This man recognized his need and came to Jesus seeking a cure. He had taken a very important step of faith, to come and ask the One who is able to do all things.

Faith is the spiritual gift of God that is required to live a life worthy of the calling a believer receives. Faith attaches us to God. It is the all-important channel through which the abundant provision of God’s heart flows into our hearts – His power, His holiness, His love, His mercy, His grace, His wisdom, His righteousness, His joy, His peace, and so much more. Faith enables man to be one with the invisible God, to hear Him when He speaks, to understand what He is saying, and to obey.

The foundation of faith is God and His Word. Jesus spoke words of truth to the father when he said, “Everything is possible for him who believes” (Mark 9:32). Jesus was saying, believe in me, for I can do all things. The father heard what Jesus said and responded by exclaiming, “I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!” This father heard the spoken Word of Jesus, believed what Jesus said, and deliverance was accomplished for his son.

It is faith that enables you and me to trust and have complete confidence in God and in His Word. Faith enables us to believe that God is who He says He is and will do what He says He will do. Our role is to receive His Word into our hearts and believe that every Word of God is right and true no matter what we are experiencing.  As we believe in God’s character, His promises, and in His commands our faith will be strengthened, and we will live in abundance and power.

God has given us the gift of faith. He desires us to live by faith in Him not in our own understanding, reasoning, self-effort, intellect, sight, or feelings. Faith in Him is required to live a life worthy of the calling we have received from Him. Without faith it is impossible to please Him. May we come to God acknowledging our need and believing that “Everything is possible for one who believes.”

This week’s song is once again, “Take You at Your Word” By Cody Carnes and Benjamin William Hastings.  May the lyrics be an encouragement to us to read and listen to the Word of God and to act upon it in faith!

Love,

Janet Nelson,

Devoted and Determined

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https://www.wowjcmo.com/

Take God At His Word- Faith Devotion written for WOW ministry 3/14/2024

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“Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word about Christ.” Romans 10:17 NIV

Every day I lived for the next dose of my anxiety pills. For six years, I took them faithfully. Every day was the same: wake up, get a glass of water, take the meds. Then at night: get another glass of water, take the next dose, go to bed. One morning in October 2021 everything changed. That morning, I grabbed my pill box and heard these words deep within my spiritual heart, “This is not your inheritance.” At that moment, I believed that God had different plans for my life. I believed He could provide peace where anxiety had reigned. I stopped Buspar that morning and weaned myself off Prozac within five months. Two years later, I am still living in the peace, love, and joy that my Heavenly Father has generously given to me as a part of His inheritance that I received that day.

This month our WOW verses are about faith. Faith is complete confidence in God – in His character, in His Word, and in His promises. It is complete trust in God believing and being fully assured that He is who He says He is and will do all that He says He will do. God’s Word works a mighty faith in us, a faith that is strong, and able for anything because it is the living Word of God. God’s Word is powerful and does the work of strengthening, establishing, and rooting our faith within us. We hear the Word of God, receive it into our hearts, and God uses His Word to do a work of faith in us. That is because His Word is living and active and powerful to accomplish His will.

Lately, I have been contemplating why the words, “This is not your inheritance.” came to me deep within my spiritual heart back in October 2021. It was because I had heard the Word of God spoken to me the weeks prior to that day as I sat in the main sessions at WOW. The teaching was on what we receive as a part of our “inheritance” when we dwell in God’s New Kingdom as His child. I heard how God wanted the eyes of my heart to be enlightened so that I could know the hope for which He had called me, “the riches of his glorious inheritance…” (Ephesians 1:18) I heard “the Word of Christ,” that was being spoken, took it into my heart, and it began to strengthen my faith.

Perhaps as you read these words you are experiencing a longing within you for more? The Word of Christ is speaking to you and inviting you to live a life of faith that responds to the Word of God. You may wonder, how do I respond to the Word? We must receive His Word through reading it and listening to it carefully with our spiritual ears. We must diligently study His Word, hiding it in our hearts, the Word that works within us a mighty faith if we hold firmly to what we have heard. It will trust that God will do what He has promised because He is faithful.  

God has given each of us a small deposit of faith and the opportunity to receive His Word so it will grow and mature and become established. I can testify that this is true because of that morning in October of 2021. That little seed of faith deposited within me when I had received Jesus as my personal Savior was growing as I retained it and believed it. As I have acted upon the Word I have heard over and over, that faith has grown more and more. God has been at work in me through His Word and faith. Today I am free. I am dwelling in God and His peace! What He has done for me He will do for you. His Word is speaking. Hear it, receive it, and act upon it in faith!  

This week’s song is “Take You at Your Word” by Cody Carnes and Benjamine William Hastings. May it be a reminder that God will do what He says He will do in His Word. As we receive it, we can live a life of faith!

Love,

Janet Nelson, Devoted and Determined

https://www.wowjcmo.com/

https://us2.campaign-archive.com/?e=6c56f70e45&u=fdd901aba4864456762de5de3&id=de6fcf56dc

WOW Devotion 3/7/2024 Faith- Connection to God

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“Have faith in God…” Mark 11:22
“And without faith it is impossible to please God.” Hebrews 11:6

There is nothing like holding a newborn baby. I can vividly remember holding each of my kids just moments after they were born. The first time I held each one was beautiful. This little one, who had occupied my body for nine months, was now with me face to face. The voice they had been hearing the entire time they were in the womb was more than just a voice now. The voice they had been listening to had a warm body to lie against, strong arms to hold them close, and a face that looked down at them with loving eyes. This time of intimacy made the connection that has forever changed our lives. It was in those moments our relationship took on a new meaning.

We begin a new word this month. Our new word is faith. Every believer in Jesus Christ is called to have faith in God. True or divine faith is full confidence in, complete trust in, and total dependence on God, His character, and His Word. Faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see. Faith is unwavering, immovable, and settled being fully assured that God is who He says He is and will accomplish all He says He will do.

Faith is absolutely required in the life of a believer. It is essential in our relationship with God because it connects us to Him. Our heavenly Father is faithful or full of faith. We, His children, are created in His image and likeness. We are to be like Him, full of faith.

Faith in God is much like the first moments that I held my newborn baby. He was born with the need to be connected to me. He needed my constant care, my close relationship, and my nourishment. Without these things he would not survive. We must come to God realizing our total dependence upon Him in all things and for all things. We must come to Him realizing that “His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life…” (2 Peter 1:3 NIV). We must understand that faith is the channel through which God provides for a life of relationship, love, and holiness.  

As my baby had heard my voice for months before he was born, we come to God after hearing Him speak to us. His tender words describe His desire for us to be united to Him in this relationship of oneness. As we are held close by Him, His voice becomes very recognizable. The connection that was established in the hours of holding my newborn close and him gazing in my eyes is much like the faith by which we gaze intently at our Heavenly Father. We look to Him every moment of every day in faith assured that He is holding us close to Him. We snuggle up close to His heartbeat, communicated by His Word, and are assured that we belong to Him. We respond by totally obeying what He says. Our connection of faith grows stronger and stronger. Yes, our relationship to God, connected by faith is much like those moments I experienced years ago holding, my baby boy. It is beautiful!

As you read these words, do you find yourself longing for a close and intimate connection to God, your Heavenly Father? He longs for you to be connected to Him. This is why Jesus said, “Have faith in God…” His desire is for us to have complete confidence and trust in Him. We also know that “…without faith it is impossible to please God.” God’s greatest desire is for us to be with Him in a relationship of oneness. He knew that we could not experience this unless we believe in Him and are fully assured that He will accomplish His will, His desires, and His plans in us. Through this relationship, we will be God’s visible representation, demonstrating His life, His characteristics, and His image to the World around us. Through faith we will know Him and make Him known. May we look to God in faith and experience His life-giving relationship!

Our song this week is “Stand in Faith” by Danny Gokey. As we listen to its words, may we be encouraged to live our lives connected and in an intimate relationship with God by faith.

Love,

Janet

Devoted and Determined

https://us2.campaign-archive.com/?e=6c56f70e45&u=fdd901aba4864456762de5de3&id=9d397351fa

https://www.wowjcmo.com/

“Jesus Have It All”

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Today is a very special day for me. After many years of being held captive by anxiety and trying many things to get free, God heard my cry for freedom and set me free. After 6 years on anxiety meds, I no longer needed them. Two years ago on this date was my first day of freedom from taking both Prozac and Buspar.

God has worked a change in my life, and for those of you who know me, it may be a bit of a surprise for me to tell you this. Because I have always been active in church and made it no secret that I believed in Jesus. In fact, I have thought throughout my adult years that I was living my life surrendered to God. The truth is In some ways I was, but in many ways I was not.
‘Make no mistake, God wants all of us.

About 5 months prior to taking my last anxiety pill I was at a revival service at my church with Pastor Denbow speaking (October 2021). He was speaking about “syncretism”- trying to mix the gospel with the worlds ways. In that service I realized that I had been trying to mix secular humanist thought and practices, as well as the widely accepted practice of eastern meditation, with the Bible. That does not work! In my love for God, He does not want to compete with me having other “spiritual” lovers — my ways or the worlds. He wants all of me, all of my heart— entirely, totally, and completely given up to Him. This is Teachings that the Bible Study group WOW has helped me to come to understand better and better through the past few years. (God has used WOW tremendously in my life to help me walk in freedom)

At that revival 2 1/2 years ago, I went to the front and repented for the sin I had held in my heart, and told God He could have all of me. On a morning, shortly after that I went to my pill box and heard the Holy Spirit tell me “that is not your inheritance.” I quit one medicine instantly. The other one I weaned off and took my last pill almost 5 months later.

Two years later to this day, I am free! The change in me since that time has been huge. So much so that I have told my friends, “I feel like I have been born again…again.”

Friday night I was talking to my husband, his brother, and my sister in law about this change. I said it almost makes you think about getting baptized again. I didn’t think I needed to since I was baptized as a teenager.
Saturday morning I woke up with the desire to be baptized burning within my heart.

So tonight, I am going to be baptized. I want to publicly declare that I have been changed by Jesus and His power alone. I want to do whatever He tells me to do. Because He is life. And I do not want my way of doing things ever again. They have died. I am raised to new life.

Jesus have it all!

Everything We Need to Know Him Part 3 — The Scriptures

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”You study the Scriptures diligently because you think that in them you have eternal life. These are the very Scriptures that testify about me,“ 
John‬ ‭5‬:‭39‬ ‭NIV‬‬

God desires for us to know Him, not just know about Him. He longs for us to be in a close and intimate relationship with Him. Because of this great desire, He has given us everything we need to know Him.

One of those provisions is God’s Word, the Scriptures. God worked over 1,500 years and through more than 40 different authors to provide for us the Bible so that we could learn about who He is, what He does, and what He desires of us. God’s Word is a love letter to us, an instruction manual for a Godly life, and a map for us to find Him and His will. God’s Word is as Jesus described it, our spiritual food, “the Bread of Life.” (John 8:35) It is absolutely necessary for us if we want to experience God fully.

God’s Word is one of the ways we can have first hand experiences with Him. As we approach His Word knowing He is speaking: We can experience His truth entering our lives; We can experience His love filling the deepest nooks and crannies of our hearts and overflowing us; We can hear Him speaking to us deep within. We can have all of this but we must participate with Him. We must engage Him by opening our Bibles and our hearts to receive the Words He has provided for us. His Word is “living and active.” (Hebrews 4:12)

Now you and I know the truth about God’s provision for a relationship with Him through His Word. The question becomes, “What will I do with what I know?” When we know that it is good to come to God and to experience Him through His Word and yet we do not do it, that quite truthfully is a sin. (James 4:17) Sin always separates us from God. It always brings about death, darkness, and destruction in our lives.

If you are feeling distant and disconnected from God, could it be that you need to come to Him and seek Him in His Word? He has provided the Way for us to experience a blessed and happy life. That is a life that has a closely connected relationship with Him. He has given us His Word so that we can not only find Him but be His very own.

May we give of our time and engage with Him by participating in reading His Word. We will not regret the close relationship that will result in our coming close to God in this way. 

”Come near to God and he will come near to you…” James‬ ‭4‬:‭8‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Everything We Need to Know Him Part 4 — The Holy Spirit

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”And you also were included in Christ when you heard the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation. When you believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession—to the praise of his glory.“ Ephesians 1:13-14 NIV
”“All this I have spoken while still with you. 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 14:25-26 NIV

The one who truly believes in God has embarked on a journey to know God. This should be the focus of our lives. God has given us everything we need to truly know Him because He desires to be known by us. One of the greatest evidences of His desire to be known is the presence Holy Spirit within a believer.

We are all aware that our blessed Savior Jesus came to us as a baby and lived among us. He is “God with us.” But after His resurrection we were not abandoned to be left as orphans here. The Holy Spirit came to be “God in us.”

He is the precious “seal” and “deposit” within our lives “guaranteeing our inheritance”. When we come to God in faith the Holy Spirit comes to reside within us. He is more than willing to fill us to overflowing as we are baptized with the Holy Spirit so that we can walk with His power and be a witness to all who are around us.

The Holy Spirit is our Teacher. As we read the Word, it is the Holy Spirit who makes it come alive within us. He gives us understanding and He brings change within us through the Word.

The Holy Spirit is our Advocate. He intercedes for us. He is our Comforter and our Helper. He is our dearest Friend.

The Apostle Paul prayed this prayer for the Corinthian believers:

”May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.“ 
2 Corinthians 13:14 NIV

Paul wanted them to know closeness and friendship with the Holy Spirit. Our desire can and should be the same. As we come to the Holy Spirit and asking Him to speak to us and to teach us, He will. The Holy Spirit has come so we can know God intimately.

Our loving God truly has provided all that we need to know Him.

His Beautiful Bride — Holy to the Lord (WOW Devotion February 15, 2024)

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“…be holy to me because I, the Lord, am holy, and I have set you apart… to be my own.” 
Leviticus 20:26 NIV

On a cold and icy day thirty-one years ago, my husband and I were married. The ceremony for our wedding holds so many wonderful memories for me. Among them is our first kiss as husband and wife. Rich seemed to eagerly anticipate that moment. He was beaming from ear to ear when the pastor said, “Richard, you may now kiss your bride.” Moments later we stood facing our friends and family. We were introduced for the first time as, “Mr. and Mrs. Richard Nelson.” During those moments I gained a title and a position in our relationship, I was Rich’s bride. I did not fully understand at that moment what that would mean. I have grown in my appreciation of being his bride throughout the years of our exclusive relationship as husband and wife. Thirty-one years later my husband often calls me his “beautiful bride.” I alone hold this title because I belong to him.

A holy man is pure in heart and free from sin and sinful affections; he has a heart conformed to the image of God and is set apart for His sacred use or to the service or worship of God. Our verse this week speaks of this exclusive relationship. It is a relationship of belonging to God for His sacred use. To belong to God is to be strictly His, fully possessed by Him. In this relationship of belonging, God tells us that we must be holy to Him. Nothing else should compete for our affections. Our verse this week tells us it is God’s desire for us to “be holy to [him] because [He is] holy.”

As we come to Him, desiring to be His alone, set apart for His sacred and exclusive use, He will begin the process of purifying our hearts. If we totally submit our heart to Him, He will set us apart. He will declare and make us holy. He will separate us from sin, our flesh, the world, and the devil. We will be His alone. It is very much like the day that I became exclusively the bride of Rich Nelson. My affections, my desires, and my relationship were focused on him alone as my husband. I was no longer available to pursue others, only him.

The beauty of a relationship of holiness to God is a realization of closeness to God. As we allow the ways of the world and the sin in our hearts to be circumcised, we will be more and more conformed to His image. The more we are like Him, the closer we will come to God. We will know Him intimately. We will be one with Him.

As you read the words I have written, do you feel a longing in your heart to be close to God? Do you desire to leave behind the competing affections that you have held in your heart and to pursue God alone? Do you long to be holy to Him? This is God’s greatest desire for us. He longs for us much like my groom 31 years ago longed for me. He wanted me to belong to him as his beautiful bride for the rest of our lives. God longs for us to “be holy … because [He is] holy, and [He has] set us apart to be his own.”

The first steps in being holy is to be totally submitted to God and be purified through the circumcision of our hearts. Our song this week is “Purify My Heart” by Brian Doerksen. As you listen or even sing along, may you renew or start anew in submitting your heart to God’s circumcision so that you may be holy as He is holy.

Love,

Janet Nelson, Devoted and Determined

https://www.wowjcmo.com/

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My Father’s Girl– Reflecting His Holiness (WOW Devotion February 22, 2024)

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As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance. But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do;” 
1 Peter 1:14-15 NIV

Back in my college days a group of my friends and I went to Olive Garden for dinner. As we were waiting to be seated, we stood in a small circle laughing, joking, and enjoying each other’s company. A woman that I did not know walked up to our group and asked me a question: “Are you Jim’s daughter?” At first, I thought, “uh oh… what have I done wrong? My dad lives two hours away from Columbia. How does she know whose daughter I am?” I must have looked shocked. She continued, “You have to be! You look just like him. Your mannerisms are just like his. It is obvious that you are his.” Then she continued, “I am your dad’s first cousin. You probably don’t even know me, but I know your dad.”

Our verses this week for WOW are once again about holiness. To be holy is to be Godlike; it is to have a will and disposition of the heart that is like His. When we are holy, our character will be like God’s. God has called us to “be holy in all you do.” He desires us to be holy as He is holy. God gives us His holiness as a gift. It is His sanctifying work in us.

A holy man is pure in heart and free from sin and sinful affections; he has a heart conformed to the image of God and is set apart for His sacred use or to the service or worship of God. We learned last week that this is an exclusive relationship. It is a relationship of belonging to God. When we belong to God, we are strictly His, fully possessed by Him. We display our belonging to God as His holy, set apart, people by our obedience. Obedience is evidence of a heart that is holy. When we have a holy heart, we will not live like we used to, conforming to evil desires, or our fleshly self-life. Instead, we will obey God. We will display to all of those we are around everything that God is: His love, His joy, His peace, His holiness and more.

As I am writing these words, they challenge me. Perhaps they challenge you too? I wonder, am I displaying not only God’s love, joy, and peace in my life, but His holiness? Is His holiness evidenced within my life by my obedience to Him, or am I still living my life conformed to the evil desires I had when I lived in ignorance of God and His ways?

Jesus came as our invitation to be holy. He lived, died, was buried, and rose again so that we could know and experience Him fully in a relationship of oneness. He provides all that we need to live connected to God, united with Him. When we accept Him as the Lord of our lives and totally submit our heart to Him, He works in us to produce a loving obedience to God’s Word. As we allow God to circumcise our hearts, the holy heart God has given us will be revealed more and more.  

May our hearts long for His holiness, and may we pursue His holiness by submitting our hearts to be transformed into His likeness. As we live our lives for God, we will maintain our holiness moment by moment through active love for, faith in, and obedience to Him. We will fully realize how wonderful it is to be His “obedient children.” We will be in a close and intimate relationship with our Heavenly Father, and we will display Him to everyone we encounter. They will find themselves asking us, “Are you God’s daughter? You have to be! Your mannerisms are just like His. It is obvious that you belong to Him.”

Our song this week is by Charity Gayle, “Because of Jesus.” Because He came, because we believe in Him as the Son of God, our Redeemer, we have been redeemed and made holy, as God is holy. Because of Jesus, and His work in us, we may be holy in all we do.

Love,

Janet Nelson, Devoted and Determined

https://www.wowjcmo.com

https://mailchi.mp/wowjcmo/wow-devotion-john-6218677?e=6c56f70e45