There was this shiny thing—actually two shiny things (one bigger than the other)—I saw it in my mind’s eye a few minutes after requesting the Lord to speak to me as I laid awake in the middle of the night. This probably sounds a bit arrogant on my part. Speak to me—just because I ask?

     Imagine me, a speck of a person existing on a speck of a planet careening through the immensity of this vast universe, personally interacting with the Creator of it all! What could be more egotistical? And yet, He will do just that for those who belong to Him.

     But what about that shiny thing? I saw it in a flash of a moment—not physically, but like it might have appeared in a dream. It was somewhat like a Christmas ornament, only bigger, pointed at the top and bottom, like highly polished silver, with a pendant of the purest gold in the middle.  

     This was the point where the Holy Spirit began to explain. This shiny thing is not a matter of physical existence, but a matter of the heart. That is, what do I set my mind on, what am I doggedly pursuing in my life, what do I value most? Pleasure? Honor, respect, recognition? Status, prestige, or even celebrity? All of which can be had through wealth, educational degrees, physical prowess, beauty, sex, corporate or political power, even relationships (family or otherwise). You name it. It’s the way of the world—and so easy to set one’s heart on. It’s our shiny thing (or things)!

    Now a very important question arises here: are they all that bad? They may, or may not be. God has created us with an inborn drive to reach for things. Keeping it all in balance is basically the issue. In Matthew 6: 31 – 33 Jesus taught:

     “Do not worry then, saying, “what will we eat? or what will we drink? or what will we wear for clothing? For the Gentiles eagerly seek all these things; for your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.”

     At first glance this seems to be speaking to basic human needs. But if we consider the context of the entire chapter, it’s easy to see that our desires are essentially in play here. It’s human nature at its core. We tend to hold God at arm’s length, hoping we can avoid Him interfering with our plans!

     Back to that shiny thing—or I should say, those two shiny things I saw. Why one bigger than the other, as if more important? Of course it’s more important! The larger one is a representation God Himself.

     And there is good reason that the Lord allowed me to see it this way. After all, the whole creation revolves around those who are to be His children (Romans 8:19 – 25). If we have been called to Jesus in this manner, how could the pursuit of Him not eclipse all other desires and motivations? He designed us with a colossal need to honor Him above all as our shiny thing!

     So, we need to get our priorities straight. Only when we pursue God with all our heart will He ever be able fulfill all He has planned and promised for us. We must not sell His purpose short!

     You are mine, says the Lord, and I want to be yours—your Shiny Thing!  Jeremiah 9:23, 24

Our smart phones have become indispensable, both for communication and for information. When we find a great APP we immediately download it; the most important ones go right on our front page. We tend to do the same with Jesus. We know that relationship with God is super important, and therefore give Him priority over most other things. Still, we demote Him to sort of an “APP” status—we tend to neglect Him until we have a serious need.

    It’s not surprising that we’re a bit confused. The idea of inviting Christ into our life has become the centerpiece of modern evangelism, while pursuing intimacy with Him often takes a backseat. Look at it from God’s perspective: accepting Jesus into our life is indeed important, but even more vital is that He has allowed us to share in His life. He needs to be more than something merely added to our life. Jesus is more than an APP; He’s the operating system itself!

Helping people pleases God, and it matures us. Serving God this way sets the stage for solid growth in our life, because focusing on the needs of others helps us lay aside our own desires. And we need not worry about serving in our own strength. Why? Because helping others opens wide the floodgates of God’s power. Do you ever wonder why spiritual gifts are not more evident in your life? Serve, and you will quickly begin to experience them.

God wants to use you in the lives of those around you. And He is ready to equip you to do so by a mighty flow of His power. He wants not only to live His life in you, but through you. Yet because God often works in subtle ways, you may not experience a dramatic display of His power. On the other hand, He may very well surprise you!

 From Free from the Power of Sin: the Keys to Growing in God in Spite of Yourself

A constant theme in Paul’s writings is freedom from law. But this truth isn’t easy to accept because we instinctively feel the need to work for God’s grace. So time and again we see Christians falling back into works in an attempt to ensure their standing with God. But doesn’t it eem a bit silly that, once being saved, we would willingly abandon our life of liberty?

Think back to what your life was like when Jesus rescued you from your sin. In and of ourselves, could any of us have achieved righteousness in God’s eyes? Of course not! Each and every one of us had to rely totally on Jesus to clean up the mess we’d made of our lives. How, then, could we think that now we might somehow be capable of building relationship with God by our own efforts? Needless to say, it’s impossible in our own strength.

The Lord has established His throne in the heavens, and His sovereignty rules over all. Bless the Lord you His angels, mighty in strength, you who perform His word, obeying the voice of His word. Bless the Lord all you His hosts, you who serve Him, doing His will. Bless the Lord all you works of His, in all places of His dominion, bless the Lord O my soul. (Ps.103: 19-22)

The prime theme of the entire Bible is not only God’s glory–that has eternally been established throughout all creation–but that we are to be about glorifying Him with every aspect of our lives. Live in a manner worthy of Him, the Apostle Paul says. Bless Him. Pursue Lord Jesus Christ, you His chosen ones!  

My child, did I not tell you that I can do the impossible? Did I not tell you that I am a miracle working God? Your job is to believe Me, trust My timing and have faith. I have heard the cry of your heart and I will establish My plan. Hold on to Me. I’ve got this.

My child, keep believing. Look to Me in your darkest hour and in your deepest fear. I fill you with faith and wash over you with peace. I replace fear with the joy of knowing whatever you face, I am with you. The plan I have for you is good. Keep believing and keep walking in faith. Today is the day I have made, rejoice and be glad in it. Psalm 118:24